Professor Thomas Gwynn Jones C.B.E. (10 October 1871 – 7 March 1949), more widely known as T. Gwynn Jones, was a leading Wales, Welsh poet, scholar, literary critic, novelist, translator, and journalist who did important work in Welsh language, Welsh literature, Welsh education, and the study of Welsh folk tales in the first half of the twentieth century. He was also an accomplished translator into Welsh of works from English, German, Greek, and Irish.

Personal life

Thomas Jones was born at Y Gwyndy Uchaf in Betws-yn-Rhos, Denbighshire (historic), Denbighshire, Wales, the eldest son of Isaac Jones and Jane Roberts. He was educated in Denbigh and Abergele. In 1899 he married Margaret Jane Davies, the daughter of Thomas Davies of Denbigh, by whom he had three children.

Career

In 1890 he was a sub-editor on the Welsh-language newspaper ''Baner ac Amserau Cymru'' (''Y Faner''). He wrote a famous biography of the great Liberal publisher Thomas Gee, whose work influenced Jones throughout his life. After many years as a journalist, Jones worked at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, and later as a lecturer in the Welsh department at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he became a professor in 1919. He won Chairing of the Bard, the Chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Bangor, Gwynedd, Bangor in 1902 for his ode, ''Ymadawiad Arthur''. His major work was an edition of the fifteenth-century poet, Tudur Aled. A strong opponent of the First World War, Jones walked out of the Tabernacle Chapel in Aberystwyth when the minister offered a prayer for a British victory in the war. He later wrote "If there's anything I understand from the New Testament, it is that Jesus Christ is not a militaristic person. He is the Saviour of the world, he is the Prince of Peace. Therefore those who say they are Christians, followers of Christ must reject war totally." He was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE in the 1937 Coronation Honours.

Influence

T. Gwynn Jones's writings had a significant influence on Robert Graves in his mythopoeic study ''The White Goddess''. Graves developed his suggestion of a distinction between the restricted poetry of the official Welsh bards, and the more expansive and fanciful unofficial Welsh writings: "The tales and Romances, on the other hand, are full of colour and incident; even characterization is not absent from them. In them fancy...develops into imagination".Quoted in

Published works

*''Astudiaethau'' (1936) *(trans.), ''Awen y Gwyddyl'' (1922) – translated Irish language, Irish poetry. *''Bardism and Romance'' (1914) *''Beirniadaeth a Myfyrdod'' (1935) *(trans.), ''Blodau o Hen Ardd'' (1927) – translated Greek language, Greek epigrams. *''Brethyn Cartref'' (1913) *''Brithgofion'' (1944) *''Caniadau'' (1934) *''Cofiant Thomas Gee'' (1913) *''Cymeriadau'' (1933) *''Y Dwymyn'' (1944) *''Dyddgwaith'' (1937) *''Eglwys y Dyn Tlawd'' (1892) *''Emrys ap Iwan. Cofiant'' (1912) *(trans.), ''Faust'' by Goethe (1922) *''Gwedi Brad a Gofid'' (1898) *(ed.) ''Gwaith Tudur Aled'', 2 vols., (1926) *''Gwlad y Gân a cherddi eraill'' (1902) *''John Homer (novel), John Homer'' (1923) *''Lona (novel), Lona'' (1923) *''Llenyddiaeth Y Cymry'' (1915) *''Rhieingerddi'r Gogynfeirdd'' (1915) *(trans.) ''Visions of the Sleeping Bard'' (1940) *''Welsh Folklore and Welsh Folk-custom'' (1930)

References

External links

*
Welsh Biography Online – JONES, THOMAS GWYNN (1871–1949), poet, writer, translator and scholarDescription of the ''T. Gwynn Jones and Arthur ap Gwynn Papers''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, T. Gwynn 1871 births 1949 deaths Academics of Aberystwyth University British anti–World War I activists Calvinist and Reformed poets Calvinist pacifists Chaired bards Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Epic poets Mythopoeic writers Translators of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Translators to Welsh Welsh anti-war activists Welsh children's writers Welsh Eisteddfod winners Welsh-language poets Welsh-language writers Welsh writers Writers of Arthurian literature Writers of modern Arthurian fiction