Owain Glyn Dwr,the last native Welshman to hold the title 'Prince of Wales' was said to have magical powers. A gentleman and a scholar, Glyndwr had studied law at Oxford and at the Inns of Court in London.

Shakespeare,immortalisedhim in 'Henry 1V Part 1, changing thename Glyndwr, (Glyn Dwr), to Glendower, calling him that 'damn'd magician, Glendower'.

It was claimed that Glyn Dwr had the ability to 'call spirits from the vasty deep' andenchanted birds so that they sang out of tune. (This reference is picked up in a Beatles' songs in the line: 'Birds sing out of tune',but I forget the title).

Comets flashed in the skies, and the sun shonewhenGlyndwr was withfriends but thunderstorms accompanied him when enemies appeared.

Owen Glyndwr, Owynus Lei Cratia, Princeps Wallie, Owen by the Grace of God, Prince of Wales. A descendantof the Princes of Powys, this title was bestowedby the people.

Said to have been born in 1354, Glyndwrinspired a revolt againstHenry 1Vof England in 1400. Although the attack wasunsuccessful, yet itsucceeded in uniting the Welsh.

I became interested in Owain Glyndwr forty years ago. When I wasin Trinity College, the history group spent a week working in Haverfordwest Record Office. I was researching the coming of the railway in 1853 but oncehistorical documentsare in front of me,Iread them and this how I became caught up in Glyndwr's attack on Haverfordwest Castle.

Haverfordwest Castle was familiar to Glyndwr, because he was brought up a few miles away,inWolfscastle. Like all good guerilla leaders, he knew his territory well.

The castle was defended by the Earl of Arundel. The irony was that Glyndwr and Arundel had togetherfoughtthe king's cause in the Scottish wars, before Glyndwr had changed his politics, championing Wales over England.

Shortly before the attack on Haverfordwest,scouts were sent out to warn the townspeoplethat, if they valued their lives, they were to make for the banks of the River Cleddau.

The rebels, whose ranks were swelled byFrench soldiers and Spanish pirates,entered the town and turned their horses for the castle.Glyndwr was determined his golden dragon would fly from the battlements by nightfall.

Despite the bloodiest of fights, the castle did not succumb. Glyndwr escaped with his life.

A story is told of how Glyndwr appeared to the Abbot of Valle Crucis, greeting himby saying: 'Sir Abbot, you have risen too early'.

'No, Sire', replied the abbot, 'You are one hundred years too soon'.