Aneirin facts for kids

Aneirin (also called Aneurin or Neirin) was an important war poet who lived in the 500s. He was a Brythonic poet, which means he was from an ancient group of people in Britain. People believe he was a court poet, or "bard," in one of the old kingdoms of northern Britain, probably Gododdin near what is now Edinburgh, Scotland.

Who Was Aneirin?

Some old stories say that Aneirin was the son of a man named Caunus and the brother of Gildas, another famous writer. These stories suggest he was born in Dumbarton, Scotland. However, some experts think these records might not be completely true.

What we do know is that Aneirin's mother, Dwywei, is mentioned in his famous poem, Y Gododdin. She might have been married to King Dunod, who ruled in a part of England called West Riding of Yorkshire. Aneirin might also have been related to another Brythonic poet named Cian Gwenith Gwawd.

Aneirin's Patrons and the Battle

Aneirin wrote poems for important leaders like Urien and his son, Owain. Owain was killed in a big fight called the Battle of Catraeth. In this battle, Brythonic warriors from Gododdin fought against the Angles, who were invaders from what is now Germany.

Sadly, almost all the Brythonic warriors were killed. Their lands were then taken over by the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Aneirin wrote Y Gododdin after this battle. He wrote it to remember his fallen leaders and friends. In the poem, he suggests that he might have been one of the very few survivors.

After Owain died, some stories say Aneirin was murdered. He supposedly offended a local lord by criticizing him in his poem for not helping Owain in battle.

Why Is Aneirin Famous?

Old Welsh writings, called the Welsh Triads, describe Aneirin as a "prince of bards" and a poet with "flowing verse." Another ancient writer, Nennius, praised him as one of the earliest Welsh poets. He was seen as a contemporary of other famous poets like Taliesin.

Aneirin's fame became less strong during the Middle Ages. But then, during the Tudor period, people in Wales started to celebrate their Welsh identity more. This brought Aneirin's poetry back into the spotlight. Today, his poems are still highly respected, even though we don't know every detail about his life.

What Poetry Did Aneirin Write?

The poems believed to be written by Aneirin are found in a very old book from the late 1200s. This book is called the Book of Aneirin. The language in the book has been updated a bit over time. But some parts are in a very old form of Welsh. This suggests that at least some of the poems are from Aneirin's time, making them truly his work. These poems were likely passed down by word of mouth for a long time before they were finally written down, maybe around the 800s.

Y Gododdin: Aneirin's Best Known Work

Aneirin's most famous work is Y Gododdin. This is a collection of sad poems, called elegies. They are about the warriors from the northern Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin. Around the year 600, these warriors fought and died against the Angles at the Battle of Catraeth. This battle probably happened near a place called Catterick, North Yorkshire today.

The poem is a bit difficult to understand fully, so people have different ideas about its exact meaning. One part of the poem might even have the earliest mention of King Arthur. It compares a fallen warrior to King Arthur, saying he was just as brave. However, this is just a guess. The poem tells us that Aneirin was at this battle. It also says he was taken prisoner. He was one of only two or four Brittonic survivors. He stayed a prisoner until someone paid money to free him.