Cynddylan (Modern Welsh pronunciation: /kən'ðəlan/), or Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn was a seventh-century Prince of Powys associated with Pengwern. Cynddylan is attested only in literary sources: unlike many kings from Brittonic post-Roman Britain, he does not appear in the early Welsh genealogies or other historical sources.[1] The son of King Cyndrwyn, Cynddylan is described in the probably seventh-century poem Marwnad Cynddylan (Elegy for Cynddylan) and seems to have been a chieftain in Powys.
It seems clear both from the poems and from a wider context of known alliances that Cynddylan worked, at least at key points in his career, in alliance with the kings of Mercia: Cadwallon ap Cadfan (d. 634) was allied with Mercia in 633; the Mercian king Penda seems to have lost partly because of the defection of a Welsh ally, Cadafael Cadomedd ap Cynfeddw (d. c. 655).[2] The Marwnad Cynddylan certainly mentions Cynddylan aiding Penda (l. 28).
However, neither the occasion of Cynddylan's assistance to Penda nor of Cynddylan's death is known. Known possible battles include Penda's defeat of Oswald of Northumbria in 641 at Oswestry (the location of the battle being referred to in Old English as Maserfelth, and in Welsh sources as Cogwy): a stray verse appended to Canu Heledd in the manuscript National Library of Wales 4973 claims that 'Cynddylan was a helper' at a battle at Cogwy.[3] The Battle of the Winwaed (654/55), in which Oswiu defeated and killed Penda, is a popular suggestion for the battle in which Cynddylan died.[4] But Marwnad Cynddylan also refers (in lines 42–62) to a major fight near Lichfield, in Mercian territory, otherwise unknown but sometimes imagined to have taken place after Penda's death.[5]Marwnad Cynddylan makes it clear that the Cadelling, the dynasty descending from Cadell Ddyrnllwg, were rivals to Cynddylan.[6]
The later and less reliable Canu Heledd suggest that Cynddylan died defending Powys from English invaders at a place called Tren,[7] generally understood as the River Tern in Shropshire.[8]
Sources and their value
As mentioned, Cynddylan is attested only through literary sources.
Marwnad Cynddylan
The key source for Cynddylan is the lament for his death known as Marwnad Cynddylan (Elegy for Cynddylan). Marwnad Cynddylan is a seventy- or seventy-one-line awdl-poem (not to be confused with the englyn-poem of the same name in Canu Heledd). It is generally thought to have originated at around the time of Cynddylan's death.[9] Strikingly, it is actually addressed not to a king of Powys, Cynddylan's home, but of Dogfeiling, a sub-kingdom of Gwynedd near to Rhuthun in the middle of Denbighshire, based in Aberffraw, which suggests a rather complex political context for its composition.[10]
The poem is first attested in the manuscript National Library of Wales 4973, pp. 108a-109b, a manuscript of ancient poetry compiled by Dr John Davies of Mallwyd around 1631–34. Other early copies (Panton 14 and British Library, Add. MS. 14867) derived from Davies's. Davies's copy includes a variety of old spellings consistent with the thirteenth-century conventions attested in the Black Book of Carmarthen, but the orthography is mostly modernised, not always accurately, making the poem particularly tricky to interpret.[11]
Editions and translations include:
Joseph P. Clancy, The Earliest Welsh Poetry (London: Macmillan, 1970), pp. 87–89.
R. Geraint Gruffydd, 'Marwnad Cynddylan', in Bardos, ed. by R. Geriant Gruffydd (Cardiff: Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, 1982), pp. 10–23 (major edition, with modern Welsh translation)
Thomas Jones and Jim Gould, ‘Letocetum: The Name of the Roman Settlement at Wall, Staffs.’, Transactions of the Lichfield and South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society, 5 (1963–64), 51-54 (translation).
Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 174–89 (edition and translation)
Ifor Williams, 'Marwnad Cynddylan', Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 6 (1932), 134-41 (edition, with manuscript orthography)
Ifor Williams, Canu Llywarch Hen, 2nd edn (Cardiff, 1953), pp. 50–52 (edition, with modernized orthography)
Wikisource edition
Canu Heledd
Canu Heledd (Song of Heledd) is in the narratorial voice of Cynddylan's sister Heledd, the sole surviving member of the House of Powys. This cycle of englynion takes the form of Princess Heledd lamenting the destruction of her home and the death of her family (including her brothers, one of whom was Cynddylan, her sister Ffreuer and the royal court), at the hands of the English.[12] Most scholars date Canu Heledd to the ninth century, but they may well be representative of earlier works in the oral tradition which are now lost.[13] The cycle includes another Marwnad Cynddylan, not to be confused with the more famous and probably more historically reliable awdl poem of the same name. While some historians have taken the cycle as reliable evidence for events in the sixth century, it is now thought to be a reimagining of historical people and places which owes much more to the political situation of its time of composition.[14] This is even more the case for the somewhat overlapping cycle Canu Llywarch Hen.
References
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), p. 120 n. 1.
^Patrick Sims-Williams, Religion and Literature in Western England 600-800, Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, 3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), p. 28; cf. Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 120-41.
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 445 (edition) and 494 (translation) [stanza 111).
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 135; John T. Koch, 'Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn', in Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ed. by John T. Koch (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005), pp. 535-36.
^Patrick Sims-Williams, Religion and Literature in Western England 600-800, Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, 3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), p. 29.
^John T. Koch, 'Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn', in Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ed. by John T. Koch (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005), pp. 535-36.
^'Marwnad Cynddylan', in Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 429-31 (edition) and pp. 483-84 (translation).
^John T. Koch, 'Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn', in Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ed. by John T. Koch (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005), pp. 535-36.
^Patrick Sims-Williams, Religion and Literature in Western England 600-800, Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, 3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), p. 28.
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), p. 135.
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), p. 180.
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 429-45 (edition) and pp. 483-94 (translation).
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the 'Englynion (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), p. 389.
^Jenny Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the ‘Englynion’ (Cambridge: Brewer, 1990), pp. 120-41.
External links
Remfry, P. M., Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and Fitz Warin (ISBN1-899376-80-1)
Marwnad Cynddylan in Welsh and English.
Canu Heledd in Welsh and English (click on the links in the frame to get to each section of the poem).
The Death-song of Cynddylan (MS NLW4973).
February 18, 2023
cynddylan, modern, welsh, pronunciation, kən, ðəlan, cyndrwyn, seventh, century, prince, powys, associated, with, pengwern, attested, only, literary, sources, unlike, many, kings, from, brittonic, post, roman, britain, does, appear, early, welsh, genealogies, . Cynddylan Modern Welsh pronunciation ken delan or Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn was a seventh century Prince of Powys associated with Pengwern Cynddylan is attested only in literary sources unlike many kings from Brittonic post Roman Britain he does not appear in the early Welsh genealogies or other historical sources 1 The son of King Cyndrwyn Cynddylan is described in the probably seventh century poem Marwnad Cynddylan Elegy for Cynddylan and seems to have been a chieftain in Powys Contents 1 Historical context 2 Sources and their value 2 1 Marwnad Cynddylan 2 2 Canu Heledd 3 References 4 External linksHistorical context EditSome understanding of the historical context in which Cynddylan must have lived is afforded by Bede s Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum the Historia Brittonum and early Welsh genealogies With the collapse of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Saxons the remains of the civitas of the Cornovii held on to their lands in the lowland border regions of Wales Herefordshire and Shropshire By the beginning of the seventh century King Cystennin was the dominant ruler in the Old North while King Cyndrwyn the Stubborn ruled Powys Cyndrwyn died before 642 when his sons chief of whom was Cynddylan joined Penda of Mercia in the defeat of King Oswald of Northumbria at the Battle of Maserfield Welsh Maes Cogwy which may have taken place just outside Oswestry It seems clear both from the poems and from a wider context of known alliances that Cynddylan worked at least at key points in his career in alliance with the kings of Mercia Cadwallon ap Cadfan d 634 was allied with Mercia in 633 the Mercian king Penda seems to have lost partly because of the defection of a Welsh ally Cadafael Cadomedd ap Cynfeddw d c 655 2 The Marwnad Cynddylan certainly mentions Cynddylan aiding Penda l 28 However neither the occasion of Cynddylan s assistance to Penda nor of Cynddylan s death is known Known possible battles include Penda s defeat of Oswald of Northumbria in 641 at Oswestry the location of the battle being referred to in Old English as Maserfelth and in Welsh sources as Cogwy a stray verse appended to Canu Heledd in the manuscript National Library of Wales 4973 claims that Cynddylan was a helper at a battle at Cogwy 3 The Battle of the Winwaed 654 55 in which Oswiu defeated and killed Penda is a popular suggestion for the battle in which Cynddylan died 4 But Marwnad Cynddylan also refers in lines 42 62 to a major fight near Lichfield in Mercian territory otherwise unknown but sometimes imagined to have taken place after Penda s death 5 Marwnad Cynddylan makes it clear that the Cadelling the dynasty descending from Cadell Ddyrnllwg were rivals to Cynddylan 6 The later and less reliable Canu Heledd suggest that Cynddylan died defending Powys from English invaders at a place called Tren 7 generally understood as the River Tern in Shropshire 8 Sources and their value EditAs mentioned Cynddylan is attested only through literary sources Marwnad Cynddylan Edit The key source for Cynddylan is the lament for his death known as Marwnad Cynddylan Elegy for Cynddylan Marwnad Cynddylan is a seventy or seventy one line awdl poem not to be confused with the englyn poem of the same name in Canu Heledd It is generally thought to have originated at around the time of Cynddylan s death 9 Strikingly it is actually addressed not to a king of Powys Cynddylan s home but of Dogfeiling a sub kingdom of Gwynedd near to Rhuthun in the middle of Denbighshire based in Aberffraw which suggests a rather complex political context for its composition 10 The poem is first attested in the manuscript National Library of Wales 4973 pp 108a 109b a manuscript of ancient poetry compiled by Dr John Davies of Mallwyd around 1631 34 Other early copies Panton 14 and British Library Add MS 14867 derived from Davies s Davies s copy includes a variety of old spellings consistent with the thirteenth century conventions attested in the Black Book of Carmarthen but the orthography is mostly modernised not always accurately making the poem particularly tricky to interpret 11 Editions and translations include Joseph P Clancy The Earliest Welsh Poetry London Macmillan 1970 pp 87 89 R Geraint Gruffydd Marwnad Cynddylan in Bardos ed by R Geriant Gruffydd Cardiff Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru 1982 pp 10 23 major edition with modern Welsh translation Thomas Jones and Jim Gould Letocetum The Name of the Roman Settlement at Wall Staffs Transactions of the Lichfield and South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society 5 1963 64 51 54 translation Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 174 89 edition and translation Ifor Williams Marwnad Cynddylan Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 6 1932 134 41 edition with manuscript orthography Ifor Williams Canu Llywarch Hen 2nd edn Cardiff 1953 pp 50 52 edition with modernized orthography Wikisource editionCanu Heledd Edit Canu Heledd Song of Heledd is in the narratorial voice of Cynddylan s sister Heledd the sole surviving member of the House of Powys This cycle of englynion takes the form of Princess Heledd lamenting the destruction of her home and the death of her family including her brothers one of whom was Cynddylan her sister Ffreuer and the royal court at the hands of the English 12 Most scholars date Canu Heledd to the ninth century but they may well be representative of earlier works in the oral tradition which are now lost 13 The cycle includes another Marwnad Cynddylan not to be confused with the more famous and probably more historically reliable awdl poem of the same name While some historians have taken the cycle as reliable evidence for events in the sixth century it is now thought to be a reimagining of historical people and places which owes much more to the political situation of its time of composition 14 This is even more the case for the somewhat overlapping cycle Canu Llywarch Hen References Edit Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 p 120 n 1 Patrick Sims Williams Religion and Literature in Western England 600 800 Cambridge Studies in Anglo Saxon England 3 Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1990 p 28 cf Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 120 41 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 445 edition and 494 translation stanza 111 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 135 John T Koch Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn in Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia ed by John T Koch Santa Barbara ABC CLIO 2005 pp 535 36 Patrick Sims Williams Religion and Literature in Western England 600 800 Cambridge Studies in Anglo Saxon England 3 Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1990 p 29 John T Koch Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn in Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia ed by John T Koch Santa Barbara ABC CLIO 2005 pp 535 36 Marwnad Cynddylan in Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 429 31 edition and pp 483 84 translation John T Koch Cynddylan fab Cyndrwyn in Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia ed by John T Koch Santa Barbara ABC CLIO 2005 pp 535 36 Patrick Sims Williams Religion and Literature in Western England 600 800 Cambridge Studies in Anglo Saxon England 3 Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1990 p 28 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 p 135 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 p 180 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 429 45 edition and pp 483 94 translation Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 p 389 Jenny Rowland Early Welsh Saga Poetry A Study and Edition of the Englynion Cambridge Brewer 1990 pp 120 41 External links EditRemfry P M Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Peverel Maminot Powys and Fitz Warin ISBN 1 899376 80 1 Marwnad Cynddylan in Welsh and English Canu Heledd in Welsh and English click on the links in the frame to get to each section of the poem The Death song of Cynddylan MS NLW4973 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cynddylan amp oldid 1085258532, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
