Madoc: The Making of a Myth

by Gwyn Alfred Williams

Three hundred years before Columbus, Madoc, son of Prince Owain Gwynedd, sailed to North America in order to settle there. Soon thereafter, he returned to Wales, leaving behind some of his people to colonize the newly discovered land. First reported by Dr. John Dee to Queen Elizabeth I and publicized as the official view in 1580 in order to justify the English raids on Spanish-controlled North America, this myth greatly influenced American and Welsh history. Though now largely discredited, it still maintains a presence, as seen by the construction in 1958 of a monumental plaque in Alabama that commemorates Madoc's landing.

Gwyn Williams offers the first full-length analysis of the Madoc myth, including a full description of how and why the Elizabethans developed it. He explores, in depth, the "Madoc fever" that gripped both sides of the Atlantic in the 1790s, concentrating particularly on the rapid increase in Welsh immigrations to the United States that resulted from the rush to discover the lost tribe of white, Welsh-speaking Indians left behind by Madoc. This unique work of historical detection not only recovers the factual origins of strange stories and influential beliefs, but also investigates how myth can actually create and shape history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 1980

About the author

Gwyn Alfred "Alf" Williams was a Welsh historian particularly known for his work on Antonio Gramsci and Francisco Goya as well as on Welsh history.

Reviews

[E Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

[Nikolas Lofstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Williams provides excellent context for the propagation of the Madoc myth in the 16th and 18th centuries by both the American settlers and the native Welsh people. The section on the origins of the Madoc myth going back to the Middle Ages is especially interesting. The book strays a bit from the main topic in the latter chapters, which details John Evans' expedition along the Mississippi, although not in any way that is a detriment to the book's quality.

[GRANT · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this book opened with the Nootka Sound crisis involving claims of Britain, Spain, France, Russia, and the brand-new United States on the Northwest Pacific Coast, I was an immediate fan (having grown up near Seattle, Washington). I purchased this book at the wonderful Weller Books in Salt Lake City. The sales clerk said he was surprised to find it in the American History section. So was I. Encompassing the history of the legend, it ranges from ancient dark ages and medieval Britain, through Elizabethan England and on to the Age of Exploration in the New World including Lewis & Clark and the Western Trails!

It is amazing how many Native Tribes found by Europeans in North America were identified as the "Lost Welsh" of Madoc. It is always handy to have a Welshman present, and they generally were.

The book is well-written and the subject matter fascinating! This is history at its best explaining facts and debunking myth while still holding true to the meaning and hope of legend.

[Ceri Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Gwyn A. Williams' writing but to study and use him as a secondary source is infuriating!