Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh BardsEvans, Evan
General
Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh Bards
Evans, Evan
Welsh poetry -- To 1550; Welsh poetry -- Translations into English
{12a} Talgarth, the name of many places in Wales; but this must be
somewhere near the sea.
{12b} Hirlas, the epithet of the horn, from _hir_, long; and _glâs_,
blue, or azure.
{12c} Mochnannwys, in the original, he calls himself prince of the
Mochnannwys, or inhabitants of Mochnant.
{13a} Gwestun, the name of a place somewhere in Powys.
{13b} By this circumstance, it seems they rescued the prisoner from some
maritime town.
{13c} Sun equally, that is, at noon day, which added much to the merit
of the action.
{13d} The guards of Mynyddawc Eiddin, or of Edinborough, in the battle
of Cattraeth, which is celebrated by Aneurin Gwawdrydd, in his heroic
poem entitled the Gododin. Mynyddawc was a prince of the North: he is
mentioned in the Triades of Britain; and his guards, who were famous for
their loyalty and bravery, were reckoned among the three noble guards of
the kingdom of Britain; the other two being the guards, or, as the word
Gosgordd may be translated, the clans of Melyn, the son of Cynvelyn, and
the guards of Drywon, the son of Nudd, in the battle of Rhodwydd
Arderydd.
{14a} Llidwm, the name of a place somewhere in Maelor.
{14b} I do not recollect what country this place is in.
{15a} I cannot recollect who Myfanwy Fechan, the subject of the poem,
is, but guess her to be descended from the princes of Powys.
{15b} Castell Dinas Bran, or Bran’s Castle, is situated on a high hill
near Llangollen in Denbighshire. Mr. Humphrey Llwyd, the antiquarian,
thinks it took its name from Brennus; but Llwyd of the Museum, more
probably, from Bran, the name of a river that runs there about. Bran
signifies a crow, and is the name of several rivers in Wales. I suppose
on account of their black streams issuing from turfaries. There are
still remains of the ruins of this castle.
{15c} Howel-ap-Einion Lygliw was a man of note in his time, and a
celebrated Bard. Dr. Davies thinks he was uncle to Griffydd
Llwyd-ap-Dafydd-ap-Einion Lygliw, another famous bard, who flourished
A.D. 1400.
{15d} Creirwy, a lady of great beauty often mentioned by the bards.
{15e} Garwy, one of king Arthur’s knights.
{15f} Trystan-ap-Tallwch, another of king Arthur’s knights.
{15g} Caswennan, the name of one of king Arthur’s ships, which was
wrecked in a place denominated from her Goffrydau Caswennan.
{16a} Alban, Scotland. It seems the Bard rode upon a Scotch steed.
{16b} Aran, the name of two high mountains in Merionethshire.
{16c} Some of the Trefor-family (and perhaps descendants) now live near
Castell Dinas Bran.
{16d} Rhun, son of Maelgwn Gwynedd king of Britain, A.D. 570. I do not
remember the story alluded to here by the Bard.
{16e} I suppose Myfanwy Fechan was descended from Tudur Trefor earl of
Hereford, of one side. The worthy family of the Mostyns of Mostyn and
Gloddaith, are descended from Tudur Trefor.
{17} Dinbrain, the same as Dinas Bran.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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