Meurig Dafydd facts for kids

Meurig Dafydd (around 1510–1595) was a Welsh bard, a special kind of poet and storyteller. He was also a genealogist, someone who studies family histories, and a historian. For a time, he was one of the most important writers in the Glamorgan area of Wales.

Meurig Dafydd's Life Story

Meurig Dafydd was born in a place called Llanishen, near Cardiff, in Wales. This was around the year 1510.

Becoming a Bard

He learned his skills from another poet named Lewys Morgannwg. Lewys was known for his lively and exciting poems. After his training, Meurig became a professional bard. This meant he made a living by writing and performing poetry.

Meurig Dafydd was a strong believer in the Roman Catholic faith. He married a woman named Joan Mathau. Her grandfather was Sir Christopher Mathew from Llandaff.

A Family Poet

For about 40 years, Meurig Dafydd worked as the official family bard for the Lewis family. They lived at Van, Caerphilly. As a family bard, he would write poems for special occasions and keep records for the family.

Besides poetry, he was also very good at studying family trees and history. He sometimes worked as a "herehaut" (a type of herald) for the Ludlow court. This job involved managing ceremonies and keeping track of noble families.

Meurig Dafydd didn't stay with the Lewis family all the time. He would travel around to visit other important families. He visited homes in Glamorgan, Gwent, and south Brecknock. He passed away in 1595.

Meurig Dafydd's Writings

In his time, Meurig Dafydd was seen as a very important writer in Glamorgan. However, his poems were often described as formal and not very exciting. He wrote in "strict metres," which means he followed very old and difficult rules for how poems should be structured.

The Burnt Poem

There's a famous story about Meurig Dafydd and a man named William Bassett. William Bassett was the lord of Old Beaupre Castle. Meurig Dafydd wrote a praise poem for him, which was a common way for bards to honor important people.

When Bassett read the poem, he wasn't very impressed. He asked Meurig if it was the only copy of the poem. When Meurig confirmed it was, Bassett paid him for his work. But then, Bassett told him the poem wasn't good enough. He threw the only copy of the poem into the fire in the hall! He said, "By my honesty I swear if there be no copy of this extant, none shall there ever be." This meant he wanted to make sure no one would ever read that poem again.

Working with Scholars

Edward Stradling (1528/29–1609) helped pay for a Welsh grammar book to be published. This book was called Cambrobrytannicæ Linguæ Institutiones and was written by John Dafydd Rhys in 1592.

Meurig Dafydd wrote a special poem called a cywydd to Stradling and Rhys. He wrote it to celebrate the new grammar book. In his poem, he said that Stradling was a master of seven different languages.

A famous writer named Iolo Morganwg once claimed that Meurig Dafydd said, "The Druid and the Domestic Poet are the same thing, and of the same kind of grade." However, many people think Iolo Morganwg might have made up this quote.

Another bard and historian, John Llywelyn, learned from Meurig Dafydd. John Llywelyn was from Llan Gewydd, near Bridgend, in Glamorganshire.