Albert Evans-Jones

The Archdruid Cynan (middle) at the National Eisteddfod at Aberdare, 1956. Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE (14 April 1895 – 26 January 1970), more commonly known within Wales by his bardic name of Cynan, was a Welsh poet and dramatist.

Early life Cynan was born in Pwllheli as Albert Evan Jones, the son of Richard Albert Jones and Hannah Jane (née Evans). serving in Salonika and France, initially as an ambulance man and then as the company's military chaplain. His wartime experience had a profound effect on his poetic works, to such an extent that Alan Llwyd claims that Cynan, not Hedd Wyn, is the premier Welsh war poet of the First World War. Hedd Wyn's poems relating to the war were written before he had enlisted and he was killed before he could recount his experience of the war in his muse. Cynan, however, gives the best descriptions of the gritty atrocities of war, and the impact of war on a man's body as well as his spirit.

Post-war career After the war, Cynan entered college in Pwllheli to train for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Wales. He was ordained at Penmaenmawr, Caernarfonshire, in 1920 where he served as minister until 1931 when he relinquished his calling having been appointed a tutor in the Extramural Department of the University College of North Wales specialising in Drama and Welsh Literature. Despite having given up his ministry Cynan continued to accept regular preaching engagements, and was one of the most popular preachers of his day on the nonconformist preaching circuit in Wales. On 4 June 1923, Cynan was initiated into Freemasonry in Penmaenmawr Lodge No.4417.

Whilst working in the university, Cynan lived in Menai Bridge, Anglesey, but in his best known poem he expressed a wish to retire to Aberdaron, Caernarfonshire,

Drama Apart from being an important figure in Welsh poetic circles Cynan was also influential in the field of Welsh drama. He wrote two full-length plays: Hywel Harris won the premier Eisteddfod prize for drama in 1931. He was seen as a liberal censor, having allowed James Kitchener Davies' controversial drama Cwm Glo to be performed after it won the drama prize in the 1934 Eisteddfod.

Cynan made regular appearances on Welsh language radio and TV programmes, and he was the subject of the first Colour TV programme broadcast in the Welsh Language Llanc o Lŷn.

National Eisteddfod Cynan is best known for his huge influence in the modernisation of the National Eisteddfod. He was Archdruid twice. by creating ceremonies which, he thought, better reflected the Christian beliefs of the Welsh people.

Cynan was also prominent as a National Eisteddfod competitor. He won the Bardic Crown in 1921 at the Caernarfon National Eisteddfod for his poem Mab y Bwthyn ("A Cottage Son"), which recounted his experiences in the Great War. He won the Crown for his poem Yr Ynys Unig ("The Lonely Isle") in the Mold Eisteddfod of 1923; his third crowned poem, Y Dyrfa / The Crowd ( Bangor 1931 ), described a rugby match – the first time such a topic was attempted in Welsh poetry.

To add to his three crowns Cynan was also awarded the Bardic Chair in 1924 for a poem I'r Duw nid adwaenir ("To the Unknown God"), which is the only time that the chair has been awarded for an awdl that was not written according to the rules of Cynghanedd.

Cynan also adjudicated many times at the National Eisteddfod.

Honours Cynan was awarded the honorary degree of D.Litt. by the University of Wales in 1961. and elevated to Knight Bachelor in 1969.

Marriage

Cynan was married twice. His first marriage, in 1921, was to Ellen J. Jones of Pwllheli and they had one son and one daughter; Ellen died in 1962 and he married Menna Meirion Jones of Valley, Anglesey the following year.

Works

Poetry Telyn y Nos (1921) Caniadau (1927)

Plays Hywel Harris (1932) Hen Ŵr y Mynydd (Translation, 1949) Absalom Fy Mab (1957)

Novels Ffarwel Weledig (1946)