Early Medieval Wales: From Romans to Normans

Overview

The Early Middle Ages in Wales were a period of great change, not just for Wales but for Britian as a whole. This module will start in 383, with the departure of Magnus Maximus and the last Roman armies from Britain (well known to all Dafydd Iwan fans), and end in 1063, with the death of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, the only man to rule all Wales before Edward I conquered Gwynedd in 1283. It was a time of great linguistic and cultural change, with the abandonment of Latin vernacular and the arrival of English, and one of legend.
This period loomed large in the memory of the medieval Welsh, and this module will examine why.
The student will learn about legend and history, and the sometimes-blurred line between the two, encountering figures like Gildas, Bede, and yes, Arthur.

Programme 

During this course, learners will study the following:

• Week 1: The End of Roman Britian, c. 383-500. The first two weeks will give a historical background to the period, allowing students to see the continuity in Late Antique Britain, and the transformation, rather than usurpation, of Roman life. It will also look at the few contemporary documents for this period.
• Week 2: The Irish in Wales. The students will learn about the extensive settlement of Western Britian by Irish. They will learn about traditional written sources, as well as what archaeology can tell about this settlement.
• Week 3: Gildas and the Ruin of Britain. The students will read an extract of Gildas’ De Excidio and understand the limitations and applications of using his work. The students will also see how his writing influenced later writers such as Bede.
• Week 4: The ‘Celtic Church’: This week will discuss the religious history of early medieval Wales, interpreting and critically assessing the historiographical tradition around a supposed ‘Celtic’ church independent from ‘Rome’.
• Weeks 5-6: Aneirin, Taliesin, and ‘Nennius’. These two weeks will focus on the non-traditional sources which may tell us something about the period. It will also assess the way in which these three sources, attributed to the figures in the title, informed and loomed large in later conceptions of this era.
• Week 7: The Welsh and the English: This week will focus on the evolving relationships between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the Welsh in the period from c. 650 onwards.
• Week 8: The Welsh in the Viking Age: This week will discuss the period from c. 793 onwards, when the Norsemen started to attack Britain.
• Week 9: England and Wales: This week will discuss the effects the unification of England had on Wales and the Welsh, and the sustained contacts between the two.
• Week 10: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn: This week will discuss the eleventh century to 1063, which saw Wales’ most dynamic and perhaps most overlooked leader unite the whole of the country and intervene in English politics, only to be slain by his own men.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module_students should be able to:

1. Have a basic understanding of the broad scope of first-millennium history in Wales
2. Be able to explain the diverse and limited nature of our sources 
3. Be able to explain the context of these sources and the milieu in which they were created or conserved
4. Be able to understand the interconnectedness of the different peoples of Britain and Ireland in the Early Middle Ages and the implications of this for Wales

Assessments

• Written Analysis - 25%
• Written Assignment - 50%
• Short Essay - 25%

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access.
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit.
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.