10: Gwaith Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen

In this volume Professor Dafydd Johnston edits the seven awdl and five cywydd poems which are attributed to Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen, who flourished c. 1350–90. His poetry can be associated with the two main streams of Welsh fourteenth-century poetry: on the one hand, with the traditional poetry of the later Gogynfeirdd , who were still singing awdlau in the same tradition as the Poets of the Princes of the previous two centuries; and, on the other hand, with the newer song of the Cywyddwyr who, as well as singing on a new metre, were singing about new topics. It seems that Llywelyn used the awdl metre for the more traditional eulogistic purposes, while resorting to the cywydd metre for his love poems and for more personal eulogy. His most famous poem is his elegy to Lleucu Llwyd from Pennal in Merioneth. Llywelyn also came from Merioneth, and there seems to have been a close connection between him and the family of Nannau. Saunders Lewis said of him, ‘He was an extraordinary character … a fearless and independent nobleman, who possessed the daring spirit of a pioneer and the pride of gentry.’ It has been suggested that it was Llywelyn Goch and his friend Iolo Goch who were mainly responsible for pioneering the cywydd metre in north Wales, following Dafydd ap Gwilym’s example in the south.

This publication can be ordered online from: gwales.com