National Redeemer

The author traces the development of Owain Glyndwr as a national redeemer in Welsh folklore, history and literature. Glyndwr, who led the last major armed rebellion of the Welsh against the English at the beginning of the 15th century, was viewed in his own time as redeemer-hero (the hero who will restore the nation to its former glory) and has since become a primary symbol of modern Welsh nationalism. This study examines the redeemer-heroes who preceded Glyndwr and provided the traditional role which he assumed, the ways in which Glyndwr and his followers used traditional expectations, and the variations and developments in the traditions which have arisen in the centuries since Glyndwr, leading to his invocation by politicians and nationalists. It is concerned with patterned expectations, with the ways in which tradition shapes people's understanding of history, their perception of the present, and thus the unfolding of the future, and conversely, it is concerned with the ways in which people shape their traditions to fit their ever changing needs and perceptions. Based on research carried out in both the library and the field, with materials ranging from 9th-century to 20th-century legends, it puts contemporary issues of nationalism in an historical and traditional context.