Texts
  1. Home
  2. Texts
  3. Canu Llywarch Hen

Canu Llywarch Hen

  • Early Welsh
  • verse

A collection of early Welsh poems in englyn form, most of which are attributed to an elderly Llywarch Hen, a legendary prince of the Old North.

Jenny Rowland divides her edition of the collection into eight different units, each with an editorial title heading in Welsh or English. Consecutive numbering of stanzas is used only for nos 1–3 and 5, all of which are concerned with Llywarch’s sons. The demarcation used by Ifor Williams in CLlH is given in square brackets.

1. Gwên and Llywarch [CLlH I, first part], beg. Teneu fy ysgwyd ar asswy fy nhu (stt. 1-13) -- 2. Marwnad Gwên [CLlH I, second part], beg. Gwen wrth lawen yd welas neithwyr (stt. 14-28) -- 3. Pyll [CLlH I, third part], beg. Pan las [vy mab] pyll oed teuyll briw (stt. 29-39) -- 4. Maen [CLlH IV], beg. Maen wynn tra vum yth oet (stt. 1-8) -- 5. Miscellaneous stanzas about Llywarch’s sons [CLlH I, final part, and VII], beg. Na phyll na madawc ny bydynt hirhoedlawc (stt. 40-48 and 49) -- 6. Enwev meibon llywarch hen [CLlH V], beg. Tec yd gan ir adaren (stt. 1-12) -- 7. Gwahodd Llywarch i Lanfawr [CLlH V], beg. Meurygawg marchawg meuen (stt. 1-11) -- 8. Cân yr Henwr [CLlH II], beg. Kynn bum kein vaglawc bum. kyffes eiryaw (stt. 1-21).

Manuscripts
Language
  • Early Welsh
Form
verse (primary)
Associated items
Englynion y beddauEnglynion y beddauGwên a LlywarchGwên a Llywarch

Early Welsh dialogue poem between Llywarch Hen and his son Gwên, who utter single englynion in turns.

Classification

Subjects

Yr Hen Ogledd (The Old North)narrative worlds
Yr Hen Ogledd (The Old North)
id. 64663
Llywarch Hen
Llywarch Hen
(supp. fl. 6th century)
Legendary British prince of the Old North (Hen Ogledd).
See more Gwên ap Llywarch HenGwên ap Llywarch Hen
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more Maen ap Llywarch HenMaen ap Llywarch Hen
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more Pyll ap Llywarch HenPyll ap Llywarch Hen
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more

Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] [tr.] Rowland, Jenny, Early Welsh saga poetry: a study and edition of the englynion, Cambridge: Brewer, 1990.  

Contents : Part I. Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. The Llywarch Hen poems -- Appendix: early Welsh genealogical tracts -- Chapter 2. The Urien Rheged poems -- Chapter 3. Canu Heledd : I. The historical background, II. The poems -- Appendix: edition and text of Marwnad Cynddylan -- Chapter 4. Claf Abercuawg and penitential lyrics -- Chapter 5. Miscellaneous saga poems and the performance of the saga englynion -- Chapter 6. Other genres using the three-line englyn metres -- Chapter 7. Metrics, authorship, language, dating. -- Part II: Edition and translation of the texts -- The manuscripts of the saga englynion -- Editorial note -- Texts: Canu Llywarch -- Canu Heledd: Prologue, [etc.] ... [incl.] ‘Englynion Cadwallon’ -- ‘Claf Abercuawg’ and ‘Kyntaw geir’ -- Miscellaneous saga poems: Llym awel -- Geraint fab Erbin -- Gwyn ap Nudd -- Mi a wum -- Taliesin and Ugnach -- Seithennin -- Gwallawg -- Ysgolan -- Trystan fragments -- The three Juvencus englynion -- Miscellaneous stanzas. -- Translations -- Notes -- Abbreviations -- Bibliography -- General index -- Index to the textual notes.

404–418 (text); 465–476 (translation), 512–548 (notes), 7–72 (introduction)
[ed.] [tr.] Ford, Patrick K., The poetry of Llywarch Hen, Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1974.
[ed.] Williams, Ifor, Canu Llywarch Hen, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1935.
Internet Archive: <link>
1–11 (I–II), 20–22 (IV–V), 27–32 (VII–IX); 55–111, 148–160, 176–190 (extensive notes)

Secondary sources (select)

Busse, Peter, “Zu Fragen der Autorenschaft in Canu Llywarch Hen”, in: Karin Stüber, Thomas Zehnder, and Dieter Bachmann (eds), Akten des 5. Deutschsprachigen Keltologensymposiums, Zürich, 7. - 10. September 2009, 1, Vienna: Praesens, 2010. 45–64.
Sims-Williams, Patrick, “The provenance of the Llywarch Hen poems: a case for Llan-gors, Brycheiniog”, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 26 (Winter, 1993): 27–63.

External links

Wikidata-logo-en.svg
Wikidata (Q18535495)
    web page identifiers
    Contributors
    Dennis Groenewegen
    Page created
    October 2021, last updated: June 2023
    Retrieved from ‘https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/index.php?title=Canu_Llywarch_Hen&oldid=289880’