Hugh of Rhuddlan facts for kids

Hugh of Rhuddlan (whose name in his own language was Hue de Rotelande) was an important poet from the late 1100s. He was a Cambro-Norman, meaning he had both Welsh and Norman roots. He wrote his poems in the Anglo-Norman language, which was a type of French spoken in England at that time. People have called him one of the most interesting writers of his era in England.

About Hugh's Life

Hugh was a cleric, which means he was a church official, like a priest or someone who worked for the church. He came from a place called Rhuddlan in Wales. He wrote his stories while living in Credenhill, Herefordshire, England. A man named Gilbert de Monmouth Fitz Baderon, who was a grandson of Gilbert Fitz Richard, supported Hugh's work. This person was called his patron, someone who helps an artist or writer.

Hugh's Famous Poems

Hugh wrote two very long poems called Ipomedon and Protheselaus. He wrote them in the 1180s. Each poem is over 10,000 lines long! They are known as metrical romances, which are adventure stories written in verse. He wrote them using a style called octosyllables, meaning each line had eight syllables.

The Story of Protheselaus

The names of the characters in his poems, like Medea, came from an older story called Le Roman de Thèbes. Hugh's romances are set in Italy. Protheselaus tells the story of a hero who hears that a woman named Medea has turned him down. He goes on many dangerous journeys, even risking his life. He serves in Medea's court and is put in prison. But in the end, he and Medea are reunited and get married.

Later Versions of His Work

Hugh's poems were very popular. Several versions of Ipomadon were made in Middle English, which was the English spoken many centuries ago. One of these was mentioned in a famous book about English poetry by Thomas Warton.

Later, in the 1500s, a new translation of The Life of Ipomydon was made by Robert Copland. It was printed by a famous printer named Wynkyn de Worde.