Iolo Goch (c. 1320 – c. 1398) (meaning ''Iolo the Red'' in English) was a medieval

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

bard who composed poems addressed to

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in W ...

, among others.

Lineage

Iolo was the son of Ithel Goch ap Cynwrig ap Iorwerth Ddu ap Cynwrig Ddewis Herod ap Cywryd and was born in the manor of Lleweni in the Vale of Clwyd where his father rented a small portion of the family's ancient patrimony, possessed a dwelling house and also rented small parcels of land belonging to the manors of Llechryd and Berain, near

Denbigh Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills. History ...

. A local 19th-century source says Iolo lived at a certain "Coed y Pantwn in Llechryd".

George Borrow George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...

refers to this but mislocates it in the upper Clwyd valley.Borrow, George H. ''Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery'' (1934), p. 61, Oxford University Press There is no medieval evidence for the local tradition.

Patrons

He is notable as one of the finest exponents of the metrical form known as the '' cywydd''. He composed poems to a number of Welsh noblemen, notably to his chief patron Ithel ap Robert, an archdeacon of St Asaph who lived near

Caerwys Caerwys is a town in Flintshire, Wales. It is just under two miles from the A55 North Wales Expressway and one mile from the A541 Mold-Denbigh road. At the 2001 Census, the population of Caerwys community was 1,315, with a total ward populati ...

, and also a poem to King

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

, which shows a detailed knowledge of places and battles in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

during this period and possibly written in 1347. One of his three poems composed for

includes a vivid description of Owain's hall at Sycharth. They were clearly composed before Owain's rebellion. He also composed a notable poem known as '' Y Llafurwr'' ("The Labourer").

References

*Meic Stephens (ed) ''Companion to Welsh literature'' (University of Wales Press)

External links

Welsh Dictionary of National Biography
1320s births 1390s deaths Welsh-language poets People from Denbighshire 14th-century Welsh poets {{Wales-writer-stub

Lineage

Patrons

See also

References

External links