Glyndŵr's People - Life for the tenants of Sycharth in 1400

Owain Glyndŵr is a Welsh cultural icon and inspires an interest in Wales that is unmatched by any other historic figure. The war he started against King Henry IV of England in 1400 is perhaps the episode of Welsh history that most fascinates the Welsh public. No other book currently available attempts to provide a concise, accurate, accessible picture of the life of the ordinary working folk for whom Glyndŵr was lord of the manor. This volume offers for the very first time a clear, detailed picture of the local social context within which Glyndŵr lived and began the uprising. The nine chapters of this book look at key aspects of daily life in and around the year 1400 for the ordinary inhabitants of Sycharth, the small village associated with the manor of Owain Glyndŵr in the Cynllaith Valley. The book describes the valley and its people and considers what we know of both the lord and his court and of the village of Sycharth itself. It deals with the type of farming undertaken in the Cynllaith Valley, looking at livestock, crops and their rotation, and examines the work demands on Glyndŵr's tenants on a seasonal basis. It investigates their religious beliefs and worship, and the rituals and practices associated with birth, marriage and death in the valley, as well as the villagers' leisure pursuits. Later chapters deal with the villagers' health and economic situation and also cover crime and punishment at Sycharth, giving an understanding of the importance of institutions such as manorial courts.

Pagina's: 144, Paperback, Y Lolfa