Llywarch Hen

Llywarch Hen (, "Llywarch the Old"; c. 534 – c. 608), was a prince and poet of the Brythonic kingdom of Rheged, a ruling family in the Hen Ogledd or "Old North" of Britain (modern southern Scotland and northern England). Along with Taliesin, Aneirin, and Myrddin, he is held to be one of the four great bards of early Welsh poetry. Whether he actually wrote the poems attributed to him is unknown, and most of what is known about his life is derived from early medieval poems which may or may not be historically accurate.

Life Llywarch Hen was the son of Elidurus, chief of Argoed (in the Rheged region, later Cumberland). In the genealogy known as "Bonedd Gwŷr y Gogledd (The Descent of the Men of the North)" he is listed as a descendant of Coel Hen (King Cole), and is first cousin to King Urien Rheged. It is thought that he may have been a monarch himself, with Urien ruling northern Rheged, and Llywarch ruling the south. In his 1953 book The Derbyshire Dales, Norman Price links Llywarch to Carl Wark near Sheffield.

In his youth, he is said to have fought by the side of the brave Gereint at the Battle of Llongborth. After the battle, he attached himself to the court of Urien, where he "lived bravely, clothed himself sumptuously, did not spare the ale and mead, and was blessed with 24 sons." The kingdom fell to Urien's son Owain, who was slain at the Battle of Catraeth, along with almost the entire host of Britons, including all of Llywarch's sons. His friends and family all dead, he is advised to flee to the court of Cynddylan in the Kingdom of Powys. When Cynddylan was slain in battle, Llywarch was left friendless and destitute, with nothing but the milk from a single cow to support him. According to legend, he lived in a hut at Aber-Ciog (now called Dol-Giog), alone with his harp, composing his poems (which would have been sung). At this point, a monk associated with Llanfor in Meirionydd, near Llyn Tegid in Gwynedd, is said to have taken pity on him, converted him, and witnessed his happy death.

Descendants Merfyn Frych, who became king of Gwynedd c. 825, established a new dynasty. He was the first king of Gwynedd not to claim descent from Cunedda, instead he claimed to be a direct descendant of Llywarch Hen.

Works His life was the subject of a presumed lost saga of which only the poetry, a series of englynion, survives, known as Canu Llywarch Hen. The words are put into the mouth of Llywarch himself, although they were clearly composed somewhat later, possibly between about 800 and 900. These may have been passed down orally before being written down at a much later date. The Canu Heledd, concerning the fall of the kings of the Pengwern region, and the elegy Geraint son of Erbin, concerning the Battle of Llongborth, are also associated indirectly with Llywarch.

Works attributed to him include:

Let the Cock's Comb Be Red Usual is the Wind the Calends of Winter Entangling is the Snare Bright are the Ash Tops Sitting High Upon a Hill I Was Formerly Fair of Limb The Death of Urien Maenwyn, When I Was Your Age Geraint son of Erbin