Owen Glendower (novel)

Owen Glendower

Owain Glyndŵr's seal
Author	John Cowper Powys
Country	England
Language	English
Genre	Historical novel
Publisher	Simon and Schuster, New York
Publication date	1941
Preceded by	Morwyn (1937)
Followed by	Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages (1951)

Owen Glendower: An Historical Novel by John Cowper Powys was first published in America in January 1941, and in the UK in February 1942. Powys returned to Britain from the USA in 1934, with his lover Phyllis Playter, living first in Dorchester, where he began work on his novel Maiden Castle. However, in July, 1935 they moved to the village of Corwen, Denbighshire, North Wales, historically part of Edeirnion or Edeyrnion, an ancient commote of medieval Wales that was once part of the Kingdom of Powys; it was at Corwen that he completed Maiden Castle (1936). This move to the land of his ancestors led Powys to write this, the first of two historical novels set in this region of Wales; the other was Porius (1951). Owen, Powys's ninth novel, reflects "his increasing sense of what he thought of as his bardic heritage."

Powys has used Shakespeare's anglicised version of Owain Glyndŵr's name, "Owen Glendower" for the title of his novel. However, within the novel, he uses Owen Glyn Dŵr (sic) (most often just Owen). He also refers to Glyndŵr, as "Owen ap Griffith" or "son of Griffith Fychan" (Welsh: Owain ap Gruffydd)

It is not surprising that John Cowper Powys should, after he moved to Corwen, decide to begin a novel about Owain Glyndŵr, because it was in Corwen that Owain's rebellion against Henry IV began on 16 September 1400. This was when he formally assumed the ancestral title of Prince of Powys at his manor house of Glyndyfrdwy, then in the parish of Corwen. But Powys first had to complete Maiden Castle (1936), which he did in February 1936. He then worked on his anti-vivisection book, Morwyn (1937), which was finished in January 1937. However, already in September 1935 Phyllis Playter has suggested that he should write an historical novel about Owain Glyndŵr. On 24 April 1937, in the Chapter House, Abbey of Valle Crucis, Powys began, "my Romance about Owen Glendower ". Then on 25 June 1937 he visited Meifod, near Welshpool, noted as the royal burial ground of many of the kings and princes of the Welsh kingdom of Powys, and nearby Mathrafal, the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1212 by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd. He also visited Sycharth where Glendower had maintained a residence. These places would have an important role in Owen. During the next two years he thoroughly researched Owen Glendower, reading works such as J. E. Lloyd's Owen Glendower: Owain Glyn Dwr (1931) and J. H. Wylie's four volume, History of England under Henry the Fourth (1884–98), amongst others. Powys finished Owen on 24 December 1939, on the hill fort of Mynydd y Gaer, above Corwen, which, according to legend, was one of the places associated with Owain Glyndŵr's last days.Owen Glendower was first published by his American publisher Simon and Schuster in a two volume edition, in 1941, however, Powys had considerable difficulty getting the British edition published. Finally, after it was turned down by eight publishers, the Bodley Head agreed to publish it, though Powys only received ₤20 for this edition, which appeared in 1942. These difficulties were possibly related to the book's length and a war time paper shortage.