Llywarch ap Llywelyn facts for kids
Llywarch ap Llywelyn was an important Welsh poet who lived a long time ago, between about 1173 and 1220. He was also known by his special poet's name, "Prydydd y Moch". This means "poet of the pigs"!
Llywarch worked as a poet for the rulers of Gwynedd, an old kingdom in Wales. He wrote poems for leaders like Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd and Llywelyn the Great. His poems often praised these leaders. Llywarch was a very patriotic poet. He strongly supported Llywelyn's plan to unite all of Wales. This support was a big part of his poetry.
Life of Llywarch
We don't know much about Llywarch's life. Most of what we know comes from his poems. He probably came from an area called Is Dulas. This place is near Llandulas in North Wales.
His nickname, Prydydd y Moch (Poet of the Pigs), has a few possible meanings. One idea is that he once wrote some bold lines. He compared singing for a prince to "casting pearls before swine". This phrase means giving something valuable to people who won't appreciate it. Another idea is that he might have been a swineherd (someone who looks after pigs) when he was young. He might have become a poet later.
Llywarch's Poetry
We still have many of Llywarch's poems today. There are 19 of his long poems, called awdlau, which have 1,318 lines. We also have 11 series of shorter poems, called englynion, with 462 lines. This makes him one of the most important poets of his time.
His poems celebrate many princes and lords. Most of them were from Gwynedd. He also wrote for leaders from other parts of Wales. These included Powys, Arwystli, and Deheubarth. He was the main poet for the House of Aberffraw. This was the ruling family on the island of Anglesey. He wrote nine poems just for Llywelyn the Great.
One special poem is called 'Awdl yr Haearn Twym'. This means "awdl of the warm iron". It's one of his few known poems not written for a ruler. There is also a poem called Poetry to God. Some old books say Llywarch wrote it. Other books say a different poet, Cynddelw, wrote it.
