Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr facts for kids

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, whose name means "Cynddelw the Great Poet," was a famous Welsh poet who lived a long time ago, from about 1155 to 1200. He was a "court poet," which means he wrote poems for kings and princes. He worked for important rulers like Madog ap Maredudd, Owain Gwynedd (also known as Owen the Great), and Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd. Cynddelw was one of the most well-known Welsh poets of his time, the 12th century.

Cynddelw started his career as a court poet for Madog ap Maredudd, who was the Prince of Powys. When Prince Madog died in 1160, Cynddelw wrote a sad poem, called an elegy, to remember him. Here is a small part of what he wrote:

After Madog's death, Powys was split into two parts. Cynddelw continued to write poems for other rulers of Powys, such as Owain Cyfeiliog and Gwenwynwyn. He also wrote poems for the rulers of Gwynedd and Deheubarth. Some of his notable poems were for Owain Gwynedd and his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd. Later, he wrote for Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth and for the young Llywelyn the Great.

Cynddelw also wrote poems and an elegy for Lord Rhirid Flaidd of Penllyn. Sadly, he also wrote a eulogy (a poem of praise) for his own son, Dygynnelw, who died in battle. In one of his poems, he described a battle's aftermath very clearly:

Cynddelw was known for having his own strong opinions. He did not always agree with common beliefs of his time. Once, some monks from a place called Strata Marcella in Powys asked him to change his views. They even threatened to stop him from having a Christian burial if he did not agree. Cynddelw's answer showed his independent spirit:

This means, "Since no agreement would be produced against me, which the God of purity knows, it would have been more just of the monks to receive than to reject me." This shows he believed he was right and that the monks should have accepted him.

Poems by Cynddelw

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr wrote many different types of poems. Some were "panegyrics," which are poems of praise for rulers. Others were "elegies," which are sad poems written after someone has died. He also wrote verses about battles, people, and even a sonnet (a type of poem) to a young woman.

Here are some of the poems he wrote:

• "The First Panegyric on Owain Gwynedd"
• "The Second Panegyric on Owain Gwynedd"
• "The Third Panegyric on Owain Gwynedd"
• "Elegy on Owain Gwynedd"
• "A Contention with Seisyll for the Chair of Madog"
• "To Madog Prince of Powys"
• "Elegy on Madog Prince of Powys"
• "An Address to Madog's Family on His Death"
• "Verses to Owain Son of Madog"
• "A Panegyric on Owain Son of Madog"
• "Elegy on Owain Son of Madog"
• "A Virgin Eulogy to Efa Daughter of Madog"
• "Elegy on Cadwallon Son of Madog"
• "An Ode to Owain Cyfeiliog"
• "Elegy on the Family of Owain Gwynedd"
• "The Reconciliation of the Lord Rhys"
• "A Panegyric on the Lord Rhys"
• "Elegiac Verses on Rhiryd"
• "Elegy on Rhiryd"
• "The Reconciliation of Rhys Son of Gruffydd"
• "Elegy on Ithel Son of Cadifor the Gwyddelian"
• "Elegy on Iorwerth Son of Maredudd"
• "The Circuit; or, Battles of Llywelyn"
• "To Gwenwynwyn"
• "Verses of Praise to Gwenwynwyn"
• "An Ode to Tysilio"
• "To God"
• "A Sonnet to a Damsel"
• "Elegy on the Sons of Dwywg"
• "Verses to Hywel Son of Ieuaf"
• "Elegy on Bleddyn the Bard"
• "Verses to Dygynnelw Son of Cynddelw"
• "The Tribes of Powys"
• "The Privileges of the Men of Powys"
• "An Ode to Hywel Son of Owain"
• "To Llywelyn"
• "To the Monks of Strata Who Refused Cynddelw Burial"
• "The Death-bed of Cynddelw"

See also

• Cynddelw at Wikisource
• Meic Stephens (ed). A Companion to Welsh Literature.