In Welsh poetry, an ''awdl'' () is a long poem in strict metre (i.e. ''

cynghanedd In Welsh-language poetry, ''cynghanedd'' (, literally "harmony") is the basic concept of sound-arrangement within one line, using Stress (linguistics), stress, alliteration and rhyme. The various forms of ''cynghanedd'' show up in the definitions ...

''). Originally, an ''awdl'' could be a relatively short poem unified by its use of a single end-rhyme (the word is related to ''odl'', "rhyme"), using

; such early ''awdlau'' are associated with the Cynfeirdd such as

Aneirin Aneirin (), also rendered as Aneurin or Neirin and Aneurin Gwawdrydd, was an early Medieval Brythonic war poet who lived during the 6th century. He is believed to have been a bard or court poet in one of the Cumbric kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd ...

and

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Britons (Celtic people), Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the ''Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to ...

as found in collections such as the ''

Book of Taliesin The Book of Taliesin () is one of the most famous of Middle Welsh manuscripts, dating from the first half of the 14th century though many of the fifty-six poems it preserves are taken to originate in the 10th century or before. The volume cont ...

'', the ''

Black Book of Carmarthen The Black Book of Carmarthen () is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written solely in Welsh. The book dates from the mid-13th century; its name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog ...

'', the '' Hendregadredd Manuscript'' or '' The Red Book of Hergest''. By the nineteenth century however it came to its modern definition as a long poem using at least two of the twenty-four recognised "official" strict forms (without the single end-rhyme). Each year at the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

the bardic chair is awarded for the ''awdl'' judged worthiest; this competition is the most famous and prestigious in the Eisteddfod, and perceived to be the most difficult.

History

''Awdlau'' in the early period are to be distinguished from ''Englynion'', which are short, three or four-line stanzas. Since the recorded beginnings, ''awdlau'' were highly ornamental, and the forms permitted became stricter and stricter until the high Middle Ages. The 11th –13th centuries saw the royal court poets (Poets of the Princes) develop the art to a remarkable level of skill and accomplishment. After the extinction of Welsh royalty with the death of

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ( – 11 December 1282), also known as Llywelyn II and Llywelyn the Last (), was List of rulers of Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the Prince of Wales (; ) from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 128 ...

in 1282, standardisation and codification of the rules of professional poetry led to recognition of 24 strict metres, each of which must use ''

''. By this period, the ''englyn'' metres as well as the ''

cywydd The cywydd (; plural ) is one of the most important metrical forms in traditional Welsh poetry ( cerdd dafod). There are a variety of forms of the cywydd, but the word on its own is generally used to refer to the ("long-lined couplet") as it is ...

'' metres were included within the 24, and the term ''awdl'' ''simpliciter'' became used for any long poem composed in metres chosen from the permitted range, with end-rhyme staying constant within individual sections of the poem. Among those known to have used the form in the early 17th century was Dafydd Llwyd Mathau in 1611.

Prestige

Such poems are judged to be among the finest work a poet can aim to produce. Prizes are given at ''

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

au'' for the best ''awdl'', the most lauded being that of chair at the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

, held each year in August. While 19th-century ''awdlau'' could run to thousands of lines, it is unusual to find such extensive pieces these days; the National Eisteddfod limits competitors to a few hundred lines. Perhaps the best known early ''awdl'' is an apocalyptic elegy by

Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch ( fl. 1277–1282) was a Welsh court poet. Gruffudd composed a number of poems on the theme of religion. His greatest fame however, lies with his moving elegy for Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales Prince of ...

, marking the death in 1282 of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Well known 20th-century examples include ''

Ymadawiad Arthur ''Ymadawiad Arthur'' ('The Passing of Arthur') is a Welsh language, Welsh-language poem, some 350 lines in length, by T. Gwynn Jones. It won its author the Chairing of the Bard, Chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, National Eisteddfod in ...

'' by T. Gwynn Jones, and ''Yr Arwr'', by Hedd Wyn, which won the Eisteddfod chair in 1917 shortly after the death of its author in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

References

Welsh poetry Welsh-language literature Medieval Welsh literature Eisteddfod Western medieval lyric forms {{Wales-stub