The effects of salmonella food poisoning are finally beginning to subside. So, why not continue the series on the ancient peoples of our land who were most likely food poisoned on a daily basis? Following our coverage of the Deceangli and the Ordovices, we move onto the Gangani. They likely occupied much of the Llŷn Peninsula and are believed to have arrived in Cymru, at the latest, sometime in the first century BC.
Who Were the Gangani?
Given the Llŷn Peninsula’s close proximity (about 50 km/31 miles at its closest point) to the island of Ireland, it is almost certain that the Gangani arrived from Ireland itself. The Gangani, possessing a name given to them by the ancient Greco-Roman, Ptolemy, shares this name with the Gangani of southwestern Ireland, making it most likely that this tribe shared origins and was closely related (if not the same tribe entirely).
The Gangani were a war-ready tribe and skilled seafarers who lived in hillforts. The most spectacular of these, Tre’r Ceiri, stood 450m above sea level on the slopes of Yr Eifl in Gwynedd. A magnificent and sizable stone structure, some of its remains are still visible (and visitable) today, with some of the fort’s 4m tall walls still intact.
I have been unable to find out what exactly happened to them but one can assume that they were gradually wiped out following the Roman Conquest of Britain in the first century AD. The Irish “half” of the tribe likely persisted on for at least a couple hundred years after.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.