Pennod 22 – Calon Oer dan Fron o Fraw

In this episode we get to discuss one of the language’s most famous poems, a poem connected with one of the biggest turning points in the history of Wales. As we analyse Llywelyn’s Marwnad (‘Elegy’), we consider the way in which literature can be fuel for a nation’s imagination, that imagination being essential for a nation’s ability to survive after being conquered. We also discuss what is known about the life of the man who composed this iconic poem, namely Gruffydd ab yr Ynad Coch. Evidence suggests that he was a religious poet above all else, and is this a way for us to contextualize a great deal of the elegy’s imagery? Is it going too far to say that Gruffydd compares Llywelyn with none other than Jesu Christ himself? And is a part of this poet’s history – a historical fact which is shockingly different from the way in which many Welsh people perceive the relationship between Gruffydd an Llywelyn – also a way of explain this powerful poem’s extraordinary passion?