Footballers inspire portraits of Glyndŵr supporters

Gareth Bale is among the Wales footballers inspiring new portraits of supporters of Owain Glyndŵr

Welsh footballers, including Gareth Bale and Gary Speed, have inspired new portraits of supporters of Owain Glyndŵr.

They form part of a bilingual book that celebrates key figures in Glyndŵr's revolt against King Henry IV in 1400.

Glyndŵr's supporters declared him Prince of Wales with a parliament assembled in Machynlleth, Powys, and although initially successful, the uprising was eventually halted.

The artworks are by Dan Llywelyn Hall, the youngest artist to paint a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He said that because there is no single surviving depiction of Glyndŵr's court, the footballers struck him as "a perfect case for a modern comparison".

The uprising, which lasted for more than a decade, is considered to be the last Welsh war of independence, with Glyndŵr today regarded as a symbol of Welsh nationalism, with statues, monuments and places named after him across the country.

He is considered by many to be the last native Welshman to hold the title of Prince of Wales.

The new book, Llys Glyndwr, tells the story of 23 people from Wales, England and France who supported Glyndŵr.

Each person is illustrated with a portrait by Llywelyn Hall, from Cardiff, including those inspired by Bale and Speed.

Speed inspires a portrait of Walter Brut, while Bale is seen in the painting of brothers Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur.

Wales Under-21 midfielder Elliot Thorpe is reflected in the image of Owain's son, Gruffydd Glyndŵr.

Mr Llywelyn Hall said there is not a single image of what those closest to Glyndŵr looked like.

"So when I started out attempting to conjure these distant faces, I was immediately drawn to the guileful and emboldened faces of the players from the Welsh football team," he told PA news agency.

"They struck me as a perfect cast for a modern comparison with Owain Glyndŵr's supporters."

Gareth Bale inspired a painting of brothers Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur by Dan Llywelyn Hall

He said the side's recent success on the pitch meant they embodied the "spirit of steeliness" of the 1400 uprising.

The portraits also include Glyndŵr's daughter Catrin and wife Marged, and are published alongside poems.

It has been co-edited by Dr Rhun Emlyn and Professor Emeritus Grufydd Aled Williams, both from Aberystwyth University.

Dr Emlyn said when thinking about the rebellion the focus tends to be on Glyndŵr, particularly his "forceful personality that directed the course of the rebellion".

"And yet, the rebellion was bigger than Owain Glyndŵr. This wasn't a one-man-show, and neither was it a campaign to secure justice for one man, but an attempt to address the complaints of people throughout Wales," he said.

"It was truly a national rebellion that grew from the frustrations of the nation as a whole and received widespread support across the country."

Owain Glyndŵr led a Welsh revolt starting in 1400

Glyndŵr was born in around 1354 in Sycharth Castle, Llansilin, Powys.

Amid growing anger among Welsh people towards the English government over land disputes, on 16 September 1400 he mobilised a militia of several hundred men and attacked a number of towns in the north-east of the country.

Thousands of others from across Wales and England joined the uprising, which was met by Henry IV marching an army across north Wales and bringing in anti-Welsh legislation – including outlawing Welsh-language performers.

By the end of 1403, Glyndŵr controlled most of Wales and assembled a parliament at Machynlleth, Powys, although the tide began turning against him years later.

Glyndŵr went into hiding and is believed to have died some time around 1415, having never come forward despite being offered a pardon by Henry V.