IMC 2026: Sessions
Session 221: Medieval Wales and the March, II: Welsh Temporalities
Monday 6 July 2026, 14:15-15:45
| Sponsor: | Mortimer History Society |
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| Organiser: | Caroline Bourne, Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Reading |
| Moderator/Chair: | Helen Fulton, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Bristol |
| Paper 221-a | The Age of the Princes?: Legitimacy, Agency, and Identity in Depictions of Women in 12th- and 13th-Century Wales (Language: English) Index terms: Manuscripts and Palaeography, Political Thought, Women's Studies |
| Paper 221-b | Rewriting Past Futures: The Prophecy of Saint David (Language: English) Index terms: Hagiography, Language and Literature - Celtic, Political Thought |
| Paper 221-c | 'Restored to its original dignity': Glyndŵr's Vision of Past and Future (Language: English) Index terms: Military History, Political Thought, Politics and Diplomacy |
| Abstract | This session will challenge traditional historical interpretations of medieval Wales by focusing on alternative perspectives. The first paper will critique the term ‘Age of the Princes’, arguing that it diminishes the crucial role of women in Welsh politics who were essential for providing legitimacy to the men around them. The second paper will re-evaluate the use of Saint David as a nationalist symbol in medieval Welsh literature, arguing that his prophetic role was more of a cultural symbol for the native Britons during periods of Anglo-Saxon and Norman encroachment than a nationalist one for a geographically defined Wales. The third paper will examine the Glyndŵr Rebellion, arguing that it was rooted in a desire to restore a perceived past of the Welsh people while also creating a profoundly different future. The final paper will discuss The Mabinogi, identifying three temporalities within the text. It highlights the work's revolutionary use of prose and its political rivalry, defining a sophisticated native British culture. |