Edward Williams, the Bard of Glamorgan; or Iolo Morganwg (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: Gwynedd and the Glamorgan Bards
Traduction et Langues Vol16N°1, 2017
Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi or 'The Four Branches of the Mabinogi', surely the work of an author from Gwynedd or northwest Wales, are twelfth-century tales of love and adventure; and one character in them is Gwydion, a magician of Gwynedd. Amongst his exploits is disguising himself as a poet from Glamorgan (in South Wales) and thereby deceiving a Gwynedd sorceress, who is fooled into welcoming him as a storyteller and entertainer. In a similar way he had already tricked a prince of Dyfed (or southwest Wales). Although pure legend, the episodes have a semi-historical parallel in bards who unwittingly produced conflict between Deheubarth (southern Wales) and Glamorgan. According to the antiquary Rice Merrick (d. 1587), the feud was the result of royal passion, as at Troy. Its Helen was the wife of Iestyn (d. 1100?), Lord of Glamorgan; its Paris was Rhys (d. 1093), Prince of Deheubarth. Rhys became obsessed with Iestyn's wife after hearing poets describe her. Yet she was loyal to her husband as Helen was not to Menelaus. Disappointed in his lust, Rhys began threatening his neighbour. Hence an antagonism between Dyfed and Glamorgan that led to disaster for both. The 'Glamorgan bards' in these two narratives are the theme of this paper, with three main conclusions: (a) The sources are evidence neither for the eleventh century nor for the special excellence of verse in Glamorgan; (b) Glamorgan's representation in the Four Branches is consistent with authorship by a member of Gwynedd's ruling house who (through marriage) lived in Dyfed; (c) there is, in contrast, no link whatever between the tales and the Celtic monastery of Clynnog (in west Gwynedd), despite assertions by some.
This article discusses bardic voice in the radio play "Under Milk Wood" by Dylan Thomas and the Arthurian cycle of poetry by Charles Williams. To choose bardic voice is automatically to take a slight step back from realism. In the play, Thomas was able to speak in a Welsh mode of bardic voice using a contemporary setting. He could do so primarily because he was Welsh and had conscious access to bardic techniques and attitudes. In contrast, Charles Williams, an English poet and contemporary of Thomas' and member if the Inklings group in Oxford, whose poetry cycle attempted to resurrect medieval Welsh poetry in what he calls a mythopoeic context, falls short precisely because he concentrates on setting rather than bardic stance.
The Geography of Welsh Literary Production in Late Medieval Glamorgan (article)
Journal of Medieval History, 2015
The urban culture of medieval Swansea, which provided the political context for William Cragh and his rebellion, represents only one aspect of the Marcher lordship of Glamorgan. Within the same lordship, Welsh gentry families engaged with national politics through a literary culture shared with their English neighbours. This paper looks at some of the most significant manuscripts associated with south Wales in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the ‘Red Book of Hergest’ and National Library of Wales MS Peniarth 50. This latter manuscript is particularly noteworthy for its multilingual contents and for its large collection of political prophecy in Welsh, English and Latin, testifying to Welsh involvement in English politics. The paper argues that Welsh literary culture was a strong element in Glamorgan Marcher society and that an elite group of Welsh gentry were at the heart of a mobile network of scribes, poets and manuscripts.
Elias Owen, Welsh Folk-Lore, 1896
Owen, Elias. Welsh Folk-Lore: A Collection of the Folk-Tales and Legends of North Wales, Being the Prize Essay of the National Eisteddfod, 1887. Oswestry and Wrexham: Woodall, Minshall, and Co., 1896. This book is a comprehensive compilation of North Welsh folk tales and legends, written by the Rev. Elias Owen. The text was awarded first prize at the 1887 National Eisteddfod. It explores the folklore traditions of the region, focusing on fairy tales, superstitions, and historical customs. Owen, drawing on his personal experiences from his travels as a Diocesan Inspector of Schools, and with input from the local clergy and elderly inhabitants, records a wealth of local stories. The work offers insight into the cultural heritage of Wales, particularly the supernatural beliefs prevalent in the 19th century.