Madog ap Gwallter facts for kids

Madog ap Gwallter was a Welsh poet who lived around the year 1250. He wrote poems in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. He is famous for writing the oldest known Welsh poem about the birth of Jesus.

Who Was Madog ap Gwallter?

Madog ap Gwallter was an important poet from medieval Wales. He lived in the middle of the 13th century. It is believed that Madog was a Franciscan friar. Friars are members of religious groups who often live and work among ordinary people.

His Life as a Friar

Madog's poems show he had a good understanding of religious ideas. This supports the idea that he was a friar. Franciscan friars became very common in Wales by 1237. This was the year they set up a religious house in a place called Llanfaes.

His Famous Poems

Madog ap Gwallter wrote some very special poems. His most famous one is about the birth of Jesus. This poem is called Geni Iesu or Mab a'n rhodded. It is the earliest poem about the Nativity that we still have in the Welsh language.

He also wrote a poem praising God. Madog also created many short poems called englynion. These short poems were dedicated to the powerful angel, Archangel Michael.

Madog is considered one of the Gogynfeirdd. This was a group of important Welsh poets from the Middle Ages. However, his Nativity poem uses simpler, more everyday images.

Where Was He From?

Madog's short poems to Archangel Michael mention that he was from Llanfihangel. An old Latin book from the late 1200s also talks about a "Welsh Friar Madog from Edeirnion." Some experts believe this is the same poet. They think that Edeirnion was sometimes confused with Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr.

Madog's Surviving Works

Only three of Madog ap Gwallter's poems have survived over time. You can find the words of two of these poems in a very important old book. This book is called the Red Book of Hergest. It is a famous collection of Welsh writings.