A History of Aberffraw AD 400−1282

This is the first ever comprehensive history of the Aberffraw region in the distant post-Roman and early-medieval era. Its starting point is the collapse of the Roman Empire in Britain, when north Wales was over-run by Pictish and Irish invaders, and a band of brothers from northern Britain came down to drive them out. One of these brothers, the seventh, became the very first King of north Wales. For decades longer the island of Anglesey remained firmly under Irish occupation, and a first attempt to expel the invaders resulted in a disastrous defeat. A young cavalryman, Caswallon the long-handed, succeeded where others far more experienced had failed before. After three critical battles he finally completed the mission and became Anglesey’s first King.

The struggles of Aberffraw’s rulers to defend the kingdom against repeated attacks and invasions from both east and west forms the main narrative which describes the efforts of three successive Dynasties of Kings and Princes as they faced repeated challenges.

No one has ever attempted a history of early Aberffraw before, because of the extreme shortage of evidence for this obscure and distant period. Despite all the challenges, the author has uncovered a wealth of fresh material that has never received attention before. Virtually every chapter brings new insights. Evidence is subjected to rigorous scrutiny and at times an almost forensic analysis. Mary Aris is not afraid to question long-held tenets of accepted wisdom, and approaches the topic without preconceptions or back-projections.

The book explores topics which have rarely been on anyone’s radar before, investigating Anglesey’s missing Seventh Commote, tracking Lateral Shifts of the royal court around the region, and documenting the evolution of Aberffraw. It offers a novel re-interpretation of the defensive site underlying Aberffraw’s village centre.

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