Feb 23 2009
London Honours A Welsh Bard
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Dan Carrier of The Camden New Journal tells us:
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Edward Williams was born at Llancarfan, Glamorgan, Wales, and spent his working life as a stonemason in the village of Flemingston (or “Flimston”) where his family moved when he was a child. (2)
Welsh poet Dannie Abse, who lives in Hampstead and has written lines honouring the bard, welcomed the plan. He said:
“He is very important in terms of Welsh poetry and Welsh nationalism. He is also considered to be the patron saint of Druidism. “He is a terrific character – he was a bit of a rogue. He forged poems and passed them off as being by others, and spent some time in Cardiff gaol. (1)
Iolo Morganwg is most remembered, chiefly for his role in (re)creating modern bardic ritual and philosophy. His bardic teacher was Siôn Bradford of Tir Iarll. Iolo first came to public notice by revealing some previously undiscovered poetry by Dafydd ap Gwilym, generally considered to be the greatest Welsh poet, in 1789. These poems were in fact forgeries, but survived critical attention for over a hundred years. After establishing the Gorsedd, he went on to author fairly substantial works (most of which are now considered forgeries) claiming that the ancient druidic tradition had survived intact in Wales, despite the Roman conquest, Christianity, the persecution of the bards under King Edward I, and other adversities. Iolo was the author of the “Druid’s Prayer“ or “Gorsedd prayer” (Gweddi’r Derwydd or Gweddi’r Orsedd in Welsh), which is still a staple of the ritual of both gorseddau and Neo-Druidism. His metaphysics outlined a theory of concentric ‘rings of existence’, proceeding outward from Annwn (the Otherworld) through Abred and Ceugant to Gwynfyd (purity or Heaven).
Among his writings was Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain, or “The Mystery of the Bards of the Isle of Britain” (1829), a treatise on Welsh metrics. He also forged an extra set of Welsh Triads.
Iolo Morganwg also developed his own runic system, in Welsh Coelbren y Beirdd (The Bardic Alphabet). It was said to be the alphabetic system of the ancient druids. It consisted of 20 main letters, and 20 others “to represent elongated vowels and mutations.” These symbols were to be represented in a wooden frame, known as peithynen (2)
His memorial for Primrose Hill will be designed by Welsh artist John Meirion Morris and set into the ground near the summit. He has designed a frieze in bronze with an image of the poet set into Welsh slate and then laid into Anglesey marble which Morganw, who was also a stonemason, had claimed was his favourite material. The Welsh Assembly is due to approve the design in March. (1)
Primrose Hill has extra resonance for those interested in Welsh history: Welsh myth says it is a burial mound for a giant from ancient Celtic mythology called Bendigeidfian. (2)
Sources (1), (2)
