The Battle of the Cynon Valley
There are conflicting accounts of this important episode with regard to details, but the salient points are fairly obvious. It was a most turbulent period, as the Welsh princes were continually at war among themselves, and they harboured much jealousy towards one another. This battle was to bring in the Normans who were waiting for an excuse to come into Wales after the death of William the Conqueror.
William the Conqueror visited Wales in 1077 while on route to St David’s Cathedral is its rumoured that he met Rhys ap Tewdwr (Last King of South Wales) where they made a pact for which Rhys ap Tewdwr paid William forty pounds a year which was to stop William invading Wales, this came to an end when William died.
The prelude to the battle of Hirwaun Wrgan
Rhys ab Tewdwr, Prince of Dynevor, in the year 1080, invaded the territories of Iestyn ab Gwrgan of Glamorgan, and sacked his castles of Dinas-Powis, Llanilltyd, and Dindryvan ; but he had no sooner withdrawn his troops than Iestyn retaliated by ravaging Carmarthenshire and Brecknockshire, where he obtained valuable booty. Einion ab Collwyn, one of the leaders of an unsuccessful rebellion against Rhys, fled for refuge to the court of Iestyn, who entered into a negotiation with him, according to which Einion was to receive the hand of Iestyn's daughter Nest, and the lordship of Meisgwn (Miskin) if he could succeed in engaging the service of the Norman knights with whom he had formerly served abroad under William of Normandy. Eineon departed for London, and easily prevailed on Robert Fitzhamon, a near relative of the Conqueror, to come to Glamorgan, with such other knights as he should choose to engage under his command: on the arrival of these auxiliaries, consisting, besides Fitzhamon himself
The Battle of Hirwaun Wrgant
Rhys ap Tewdwr was supposedly to have been the last king of South Wales (Deheubarth), his then death in 1093 was clearly the beginning in history when Welsh independence disappeared.
There was a deep-seated grievance between Iestyn ap Gwrgant, Lord of Glamorgan and Rhys ap Tewdwr who became the ruler of Deheubarth in 1077 regarding the lordships of South Wales. Also the death ofCaradog ap Gruffydd who was Lord of Morgannwg a relation to Iestyn who died with Trehaearn ap Caradog at Mynydd Carn in 1081 against Rhys ap Tewdwr and Gruffydd ap Cynan.
In 1088, it appears that the sons of Bleddyn ab Cynvyn raised a rebellion against Rhys ab Tewdwr in Ceredigion; they were assisted in their nefarious plot by Iestyn ab Gwrgant. Rhys fled to Dublin in Ireland and returned in the same year with strong forces and munitions. He gained a victory over is enemies at Llychryd Bridge in 1090. Iestyn ab Gwrgant carried on his intrigue against Rhys, and engaged, by specious promises, one named Einion ap Collwyn to go the court of the English king, William Rufus, to solicit the aid of Norman soldiers. Rhys had been hunting Einion for the part he had played in the rebellion at Llychryd Bridge, and he had set a price on Einion’s head. He offered 300 head of cattle and much land for Einion dead or alive. It was on this account that Einion fled to his uncle, Iestyn, and participated with him in the scheme to secure Norman help to destroy the forces of Rhys ab Tewdwr and subjugate his territory.
Einion ab Collwyn, who was known to the principal officers at the court of King William 11, was successful in his enterprise. His request was granted, and he returned to Wales accompanied by Sir Robert Fitzhamon and twelve knights, 24 shield bearers with an army of 3000 men, 2000 men led by a Welsh prince, Cedrych ab Gweithfoed (Lord of Cardigan), augmented this force; Einion had 1000 and in addition there was an army of Glamorgan soldiers led by Iestyn.
The battle started at Aberdare and ended up on Hirwaun Common a distance of seven miles this battle which involved a tremendous loss of life, particularly among the natives forces of Iestyn, Einion and Cedrych, as the Normans seemed to have occupied the rear of the fighting line, and therefore in an unfavourable position to assert their strength. It appears that Rhys ab Tewdwr’s army was considerably smaller and quite unequal to the task. Consequently he and his men were driven to the upper reaches of Rhigos/ Penderyn, where there are still vestiges of this great conflict in such places as Cwm Cadlan and Bodwigiad. In the Cadlan Valley there are numerous mounds or carneddau, several of these are reputed to be memorials of the men who fell in the battle between Iestyn ab Gwrgant and Rhys ab Tewdwr e.g. Carn y Frydwr (Battle Cairn) & Maes y Gwaed which changed over the years to Maes y Dre (Field of Blood). On the Rhigos side, there is a brook called “Nant-yr-Ochain” which tradition tells, is associated with the groans of men mortally wounded in battle.
Aberdare Town have similar traces in the word Gadlys (The hall of Battle), the upper and lower Gladys which is considered to have been the respective headquarters for a time of the contending forces of Iestyn and Rhys. Other suggestion to where the battle on the mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr called Bryn-y-Beddau.
The Battle eventually went completely against Rhys, who then raised the white banners in a place called Bryn Gwyn they tried unsuccessfully suing for terms of peace, was compelled to flee with his enemy in hot pursuit. Rhys ap Tewdwr’s son Goronwy fell in the slaughter, and Conan, son of Goronwy, escaping with a few troops, were drowned, in his flight towards Carmarthen, in the lake of Cremlyn, now an extensive marsh, situated between Briton Ferry and Swansea.
He was followed by Iestyn over the mountain to a place about seven miles form Hirwaun, between the rivers Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr, now known as Penrhys (Rhys’s head).
Rhys actually met his death in a conflict against Bernard de-Newmarch in the vicinity of Brecknock at a place called Battle. Bleddin ap Maenarch Prince of old Brycheiniog (Brecon) and brother in law to Rhys ap Tewdwr who both died in the battle in 1093. There is a well was named after him “Pen Sir Rhys” or the well of Sir Rhys’s.
Iestyn rewarded his Norman auxiliaries conformably to his engagements, paying them in gold, on a common three miles west of Cardiff, which has ever since been called the Golden Mile (Y Milltir Aur) near Cowbridge. They then started to march towards the coast, with the view of going back to England, Iestyn refused his promise of marriage to Nest and lands to Einion who the looking for Fitzhamon Norman commander.
Einion talked to Fitzhamon stating the Iestyn wastreacherous and told him how easy it would be to obtain possession of Glamorgan for himself and his knights. Fitzhamon then went in search of Iestyn and was joined by local chieftains who disliked Iestyn, they caught up with Iestyn on a common near Cardiffcalled Mynydd Brychan ( The Great Heath) The battle went against Iestyn so he escaped thus this was the end of total Welsh rule in Glamorgan. Fitzhamon rewarded Einion the lands of Miskin and the rest between the twelve knights.
Iestyn ap Gwrgant who was allegedly killed in north Rhiwbina near Cardiff in a battle with Robert Fitzhamon, there was so much blood shed at the battle that a nearby stream is called Nant Waedlyd or the “Bloody Brook”. He allegedly buried in a mound in Tympath near Rhiwbiana.
It his also said that he became a monk in a Monastery in Denbighshire called Llangenyw where he died in 1093, which was owned by Fitzhamon.
After Iestyn defeat the Duke of Gloucester “Robert Fitzhamon” ruled the Welsh lowlands. In reality the Normans never really controlled the area and allowed the Welsh to follow their traditions, customs, beliefs and religion, so as to keep the peace. Robert Fitzhamon, earl of Astremeville, in Normandy, came into England with William the Conqueror; and, by the gift of William Rufus, obtained the honour of Gloucester. He was wounded with a spear at the siege of Falaise, in Normandy, died soon afterwards, and was buried, A.D. 1102, in the abbey of Tewkesbury, which he had founded.
Einion ab Callwyn took his army after the battle to the Gower and settled down (Port Eynon)