Gruffydd ap Cynan (c. 1054-1137)

King of Gwynedd from 1081 to 1137. He was raised in Ireland, but came to claim the throne of Gwynedd in 1075 and helped halt Norman penetration of Wales. Although defeated and exiled by the Normans in 1098, he returned and was allowed to establish his kingdom after paying homage to Henry I. He led a rising against English dominance in 1135 until his death two years later. He is traditionally regarded as a patron of music and the arts, and helped codify much of the previously chaotic bardic tradition.