Hedd Wyn
Encyclopedia
Hedd Wyn (13 January 1887
31 July 1917
) was a Welsh language
poet
who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I
. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair
at the 1917 National Eisteddfod
. Evans, who had been awarded several chairs for his poetry, was inspired to take the bardic name Hedd Wyn from the way sunlight penetrated the mist in the Meirionydd valleys.
His style, which was influenced by romantic poetry
, was dominated by themes of nature and religion. He also wrote several war poems following the outbreak of war on the Western Front
.
, Meirionydd, North Wales
. He was the eldest of eleven children born to Evan and Mary Evans. In the spring of 1887 the family moved to the isolated hill-farm of Yr Ysgwrn, a few miles from Trawsfynydd
.
Ellis Evans received a basic education at elementary and Sunday school. He left school at fourteen and began work as a shepherd
on his father’s farm. He had not been a particularly brilliant student but he had a natural gift for poetry. He had already composed his first poems by the age of eleven.
He took part in eisteddfodau from the age of 19 and won his first chair
at Bala
in 1907. In 1910 he took the bardic name
Hedd Wyn, Welsh
for "blessed peace", a reference to the sun’s rays penetrating the mists in the valleys of Meirionydd. Hedd Wyn's main influence was the Romantic poetry
of Percy Bysshe Shelley
and themes of nature and religion dominated his work. In 1913 he won the chairs at Pwllheli
and Llanuwchllyn
and in 1915 he was successful at Pontardawe
and Llanuwchllyn. The same year he wrote his first poem for the National Eisteddfod of Wales
—Eryri, an ode to Snowdon
. In 1916 he took second place at the Aberystwyth National Eisteddfod with Ystrad Fflur ("Strata Florida"), an awdl
written in honour of the medieval Cistercian abbey ruins in Ceredigion
. He determined to win the National Eisteddfodd chair the following year.
, prime minister from 1916, urged his countrymen to make sacrifices for the war effort. Welshmen had volunteered in large numbers from 1914 and the introduction of conscription in late 1916 did not undermine support.
Naturally the war affected Hedd Wyn’s work and produced some of his best poetry including Plant Trawsfynnydd ("Children of Trawsfynnydd"), Y Blotyn Du ("The Black Dot"), and Nid â’n Ango ("[It] Will Not Be Forgotten"). His poem, Rhyfel ("War"), remains one of his most frequently quoted works.
In 1916, the Evans family was faced with a difficult decision—one of the sons must join the British Army
despite farming being a work of national importance. Ellis enlisted rather than his younger brother Robert. In February 1917 he received his training at Litherland Camp, Liverpool
, where his cheerful disposition made him well-liked. In March 1917 the government called for farm workers to help with ploughing and many soldiers were temporarily released. Hedd Wyn was given seven weeks' leave. He spent most of his furlough
working on the awdl
Yr Arwr ("The Hero"), his submission for the National Eisteddfod. According to his nephew, Gerald Williams,
In June 1917 Hedd Wyn joined the 15th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers
at Fléchin
, France
. His arrival depressed him. "Heavy weather, heavy soul, heavy heart. That is an uncomfortable trinity, isn’t it?" Nevertheless at Fléchin he finished his National Eisteddfod entry and signed it “Fleur de Lis
”. It was sent via the Royal Mail
on 15 July 1917. That same day, the 15th Battalion marched towards the major offensive which would become known as the Battle of Passchendaele.
, coming under heavy artillery and machinegun fire. In a 1975 interview conducted by St Fagans National History Museum
, Alan Jones, a veteran of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, recalled,
Soon after being wounded, Hedd Wyn was carried to a first-aid post. Still conscious, he asked the doctor “Do you think I will live?” It was clear, however, that he had little chance of surviving. Private Ellis Evans died at about 11:00 a.m. Also among the 31,000 Allied fatalities on that day was the Irish
war poet
, Francis Ledwidge
, who was "blown to bits" while sipping tea in a shell hole.
took place at the National Eisteddfod, held that year at Birkenhead
. The prime minister
, David Lloyd George, was present. The adjudicators announced that the entry of Fleur de Lys
was the winner and the trumpets were sounded for him to identify himself. After three such summons, the Archdruid announced that the winner had been killed in action six weeks before. The empty chair was draped in a black sheet, and was delivered to Ellis's parents in the same condition. "The festival in tears and the poet in his grave," said the Archdruid
Dyfed. Ever after, the festival was referred to as, "The Eisteddfodd of the Black Chair."
Ellis H. Evans lies buried at Artillery Wood
Cemetery, near Boezinge
. After the war, a petition was submitted to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
, and it was granted that his tombstone did not read simply E. H. Evans, but also Y Prifardd
Hedd Wyn ("The Chief Bard, Hedd Wyn").
in 1934.
Merch y Drycinoedd has been perceived as a symbol of love, the beauty of nature, and creativity; and Yr Arwr as a symbol of goodness, fairness, freedom, and justice. It is through his sacrifice, and his union with Merch y Drycinoedd at the end of the ode, that a better age will come.
which Hedd Wyn had written in memory of a slain friend, Griff Jones.
biopic Hedd Wyn
in 1992. Based on a screenplay
by Alan Llwyd
, the film stars Huw Garmon
as Ellis Evans. The bard is depicted as a tragic hero
with an intense dislike of the wartime ultranationalism which surrounds him. Therefore, the film focuses largely on Ellis Evans's doomed struggle to avoid enlistment.
Hedd Wyn won the Royal Television Society's Television Award for Best Single Drama in 1993 and BAFTA Cymru
Awards for Best Design (by Jane Roberts and Martin Morley), Best Director (Paul Turner), Best Drama - Welsh (Shan Davies and Paul Turner), Best Editor (Chris Lawrence), Best Original Music (John E.R. Hardy) and Best Screenwriter - Welsh (Alan Llwyd) in 1994. It was also the first British motion picture to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards
.
1887 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1887 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales — The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark...
31 July 1917
1917 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1917 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King George V of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales - vacant...
) was a Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair
Chairing of the Bard
The Chairing of the Bard is one of the most important events in the Welsh eisteddfod tradition. The most famous chairing ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is always on the Friday afternoon of Eisteddfod week....
at the 1917 National Eisteddfod
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
. Evans, who had been awarded several chairs for his poetry, was inspired to take the bardic name Hedd Wyn from the way sunlight penetrated the mist in the Meirionydd valleys.
His style, which was influenced by romantic poetry
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
, was dominated by themes of nature and religion. He also wrote several war poems following the outbreak of war on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
Early life
Ellis Humphrey Evans was born on 13 January 1887 in Pen Lan, a house in the middle of TrawsfynyddTrawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
, Meirionydd, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. He was the eldest of eleven children born to Evan and Mary Evans. In the spring of 1887 the family moved to the isolated hill-farm of Yr Ysgwrn, a few miles from Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
.
Ellis Evans received a basic education at elementary and Sunday school. He left school at fourteen and began work as a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
on his father’s farm. He had not been a particularly brilliant student but he had a natural gift for poetry. He had already composed his first poems by the age of eleven.
He took part in eisteddfodau from the age of 19 and won his first chair
Chairing of the Bard
The Chairing of the Bard is one of the most important events in the Welsh eisteddfod tradition. The most famous chairing ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is always on the Friday afternoon of Eisteddfod week....
at Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
in 1907. In 1910 he took the bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
Hedd Wyn, Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for "blessed peace", a reference to the sun’s rays penetrating the mists in the valleys of Meirionydd. Hedd Wyn's main influence was the Romantic poetry
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
and themes of nature and religion dominated his work. In 1913 he won the chairs at Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
and Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake . Its population according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 834., of which approximately 81% were Welsh-speaking....
and in 1915 he was successful at Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
and Llanuwchllyn. The same year he wrote his first poem for the National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
—Eryri, an ode to Snowdon
Snowdon
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain"...
. In 1916 he took second place at the Aberystwyth National Eisteddfod with Ystrad Fflur ("Strata Florida"), an awdl
Awdl
An awdl is a long poem written in Welsh in one of the twenty-four strict metres, using cynghanedd. Such poems are considered among the finest work that a poet can aim to produce, and prizes are given at eisteddfodau for the best awdl....
written in honour of the medieval Cistercian abbey ruins in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
. He determined to win the National Eisteddfodd chair the following year.
First World War
By this time the First World War was at its height. There was great support for the war in Wales and David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, prime minister from 1916, urged his countrymen to make sacrifices for the war effort. Welshmen had volunteered in large numbers from 1914 and the introduction of conscription in late 1916 did not undermine support.
Naturally the war affected Hedd Wyn’s work and produced some of his best poetry including Plant Trawsfynnydd ("Children of Trawsfynnydd"), Y Blotyn Du ("The Black Dot"), and Nid â’n Ango ("[It] Will Not Be Forgotten"). His poem, Rhyfel ("War"), remains one of his most frequently quoted works.
|
|
Conscription
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
despite farming being a work of national importance. Ellis enlisted rather than his younger brother Robert. In February 1917 he received his training at Litherland Camp, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, where his cheerful disposition made him well-liked. In March 1917 the government called for farm workers to help with ploughing and many soldiers were temporarily released. Hedd Wyn was given seven weeks' leave. He spent most of his furlough
Furlough
In the United States a furlough is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole...
working on the awdl
Awdl
An awdl is a long poem written in Welsh in one of the twenty-four strict metres, using cynghanedd. Such poems are considered among the finest work that a poet can aim to produce, and prizes are given at eisteddfodau for the best awdl....
Yr Arwr ("The Hero"), his submission for the National Eisteddfod. According to his nephew, Gerald Williams,
"It was a wet year in 1917. He came back for fourteen days leave and wrote the poem, Yr Arwr, on the table by the fire. As it was such a wet year, he stayed for another seven days. This extra seven days made him a deserter. So the military policeRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
came to fetch him from the hayfield and took him to the jail at BlaenauBlaenau FfestiniogBlaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 5,000, including Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd, behind Caernarfon & Porthmadog. Although the population reached 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to...
. From there he travelled to... the war in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Because he left in such a hurry he forgot the poem on the table, so he wrote it again on the journey. So there are two copies: one in AberystwythAberystwythAberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and one in BangorBangor, GwyneddBangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
."
In June 1917 Hedd Wyn joined the 15th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
at Fléchin
Fléchin
Fléchin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated 13 miles south of Saint-Omer, at the D95E1 and D77 road junction....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His arrival depressed him. "Heavy weather, heavy soul, heavy heart. That is an uncomfortable trinity, isn’t it?" Nevertheless at Fléchin he finished his National Eisteddfod entry and signed it “Fleur de Lis
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
”. It was sent via the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
on 15 July 1917. That same day, the 15th Battalion marched towards the major offensive which would become known as the Battle of Passchendaele.
Death at Passchendaele
The attack began on 31 July 1917 at 3:50 a.m. Heavy rain turned the battlefield into a swamp. The 15th Battalion captured Pilckem Ridge and then advanced towards Iron CrossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, coming under heavy artillery and machinegun fire. In a 1975 interview conducted by St Fagans National History Museum
St Fagans National History Museum
St Fagans National History Museum , commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture and architecture of the Welsh people...
, Alan Jones, a veteran of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, recalled,
"We started over Canal Bank at YpresYpresYpres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, and he was killed half way across Pilckem. I've heard many say that they were with Hedd Wyn and this and that, well I was with him... I saw him fall and I can say that it was a nosecap shell in his stomach that killed him. You could tell that... He was going in front of me, and I saw him fall on his knees and grab two fistfuls of dirt... He was dying, of course... There were stretcher bearers coming up behind us, you see. There was nothing - well, you'd be breaking the rules if you went to help someone who was injured when you were in an attack."
Soon after being wounded, Hedd Wyn was carried to a first-aid post. Still conscious, he asked the doctor “Do you think I will live?” It was clear, however, that he had little chance of surviving. Private Ellis Evans died at about 11:00 a.m. Also among the 31,000 Allied fatalities on that day was the Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
war poet
War poet
A War poet is a poet writing in time of and on the subject of war. The term, which is applied especially to those in military service during World War I, was documented as early as 1848 in reference to German revolutionary poet, Georg Herwegh.-Crimean War:...
, Francis Ledwidge
Francis Ledwidge
Francis Edward Ledwidge was an Irish war poet from County Meath. Sometimes known as the "poet of the blackbirds", he was killed in action at the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I.-Early life:...
, who was "blown to bits" while sipping tea in a shell hole.
Legacy
On 6 September 1917 the ceremony of Chairing of the BardChairing of the Bard
The Chairing of the Bard is one of the most important events in the Welsh eisteddfod tradition. The most famous chairing ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is always on the Friday afternoon of Eisteddfod week....
took place at the National Eisteddfod, held that year at Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. The prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, David Lloyd George, was present. The adjudicators announced that the entry of Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
was the winner and the trumpets were sounded for him to identify himself. After three such summons, the Archdruid announced that the winner had been killed in action six weeks before. The empty chair was draped in a black sheet, and was delivered to Ellis's parents in the same condition. "The festival in tears and the poet in his grave," said the Archdruid
Archdruid
The Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
Dyfed. Ever after, the festival was referred to as, "The Eisteddfodd of the Black Chair."
Ellis H. Evans lies buried at Artillery Wood
Artillery Wood
Artillery Wood Cemetery, near Boezinge, Belgium, is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery from the First World War.The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence...
Cemetery, near Boezinge
Boezinge
Boezinge is a village north of the city of Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium, on the N369 road in the direction of Diksmuide.Artillery Wood Cemetery, near the village, is a First World War cemetery. It is the location of the grave of Hedd Wyn, the 1917 National Eisteddfod-winning Welsh poet, and of...
. After the war, a petition was submitted to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
, and it was granted that his tombstone did not read simply E. H. Evans, but also Y Prifardd
Prifardd
Prifardd, literally Chief Bard, is the Welsh title given to bards who have won either the chair or the crown in the National Eisteddfod of Wales.For a list of chaired and crowned bards, see Chaired Bards and Crowned Bards ....
Hedd Wyn ("The Chief Bard, Hedd Wyn").
Manuscripts and publication
Immediately after the eisteddfodd, a committee was formed in Trawsfynydd to look after the poet's legacy. Under the leadership of J. R. Jones, the head teacher in the village, all manuscripts in the poet's hand were collected and carefully preserved. Due to the committee's efforts, the first anthology of the bard's work, titled Cerddi'r Bugail ("The Shepherd's Poems"), was published in 1918. The manuscripts were donated to the National Library of WalesNational Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
in 1934.
Yr Arwr
The poem Yr Arwr ("The Hero"), for which Hedd Wyn won the National Eisteddfodd, is still considered the poet's greatest work. The ode is structured in four parts and presents two principal characters, Merch y Drycinoedd ("Daughter of the Tempests") and the Arwr. There has been much disagreement in the past regarding the meaning of the ode. It can be said with certainty that Hedd Wyn, like his favourite poet Shelley, longed for a perfect humanity and a perfect world during the chaos of war.Merch y Drycinoedd has been perceived as a symbol of love, the beauty of nature, and creativity; and Yr Arwr as a symbol of goodness, fairness, freedom, and justice. It is through his sacrifice, and his union with Merch y Drycinoedd at the end of the ode, that a better age will come.
Trawsfynydd
The poet's bardic chairs remain on display at Yr Ysgwrn, which has been preserved just as it was in 1917 by the poet's nephew, Gerald Williams. There is also a bronze statue of him dressed as a shepherd in the centre of the village. It was unveiled by his mother in 1923 and bears an englynEnglyn
Englyn is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as cynghanedd.- The Eight Types :There are eight types of...
which Hedd Wyn had written in memory of a slain friend, Griff Jones.
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1992 film
The poet became the subject of the anti-warAnti-war film
An anti-war film is a film that emphasizes the pain, horror, and human costs of armed conflict. While some films criticize armed conflicts in a general sense, others focus on acts within a specific war, such as the use of poison gas or the genocidal killing of civilians . Some anti-war films such...
biopic Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn (film)
Hedd Wyn is a 1992 Welsh anti-war biopic, written by Alan Llwyd and directed by Paul Turner.Based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans , killed in the First World War, the cinematography starkly contrasts the lyrical beauty of the poet's native Meirionnydd with the bombed-out horrors of Passchendaele...
in 1992. Based on a screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Alan Llwyd
Alan Llwyd
Alan Llwyd , original name Alan Lloyd Roberts, is a Welsh poet, literary critic and editor, one of the most prolific Welsh-language poets in the last quarter of the 20th century....
, the film stars Huw Garmon
Huw Garmon
Huw Garmon is a Welsh actor, probably best known for playing the eponymous lead in the Oscar-nominated Welsh language film, Hedd Wyn ....
as Ellis Evans. The bard is depicted as a tragic hero
Tragic hero
A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy. Tragic heroes appear in the dramatic works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Webster, Marston, Corneille, Racine, Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Strindberg, and many other writers.-Aristotle's tragic hero:Aristotle...
with an intense dislike of the wartime ultranationalism which surrounds him. Therefore, the film focuses largely on Ellis Evans's doomed struggle to avoid enlistment.
Hedd Wyn won the Royal Television Society's Television Award for Best Single Drama in 1993 and BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
Awards for Best Design (by Jane Roberts and Martin Morley), Best Director (Paul Turner), Best Drama - Welsh (Shan Davies and Paul Turner), Best Editor (Chris Lawrence), Best Original Music (John E.R. Hardy) and Best Screenwriter - Welsh (Alan Llwyd) in 1994. It was also the first British motion picture to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
2009 novel
The Black Chair, a 2009 novel for young people, is based on the life of Hedd Wyn.Further reading
- Carradice, Phil (2009). The Black Chair. Pont Books. ISBN 9781843239789
- Dehandschutter, Lieven (1992). Hedd Wyn. A Welsh tragedy in Flanders. Vormingscentrum Lodewijk Dosfel (Gent, Flanders, Belgium)
- Llwyd, Alan (2009). Stori Hedd Wyn, Bardd y Gadair Ddu. The Story of Hedd Wyn, the Poet of the Black Chair. Cyhoeddiadau Barddas / Barddas Publications. ISBN 978-1906396206
External links
- Hedd Wynn's tombstone
- "The Shepherd's Poems," 1918 Anthology (In Welsh)
- A detailed biographical sketch of Hedd Wyn
- Hedd Wyn at 100 Welsh Heroes
- BBC North Wales on Hedd Wyn
- Hedd Wyn at Gathering the Jewels
- English translation of Hedd Wyn's War
- English translation of Hedd Wyn's Black Spot