How did the English conquest of Wales change the patronage of Welsh poets?

The English conquest of Wales by Edward I in 1282 fundamentally altered the patronage system for Welsh poets. With the disappearance of the native princes and their courts in Gwynedd and Powys, poets were forced to seek support from the new landed aristocracy.1

This transition had several significant effects:

• Shift in Patronage: The loss of the princely courts meant that the pencerdd (chief poet) lost his status over lower-ranking bards. These lower ranks, particularly in South Wales where Norman influence had been established longer, gained more freedom in their choice of content and style.1
• Evolution of Poetry: As the new patrons had more limited means and broader interests than the former princes, the bardic system and its educational foundations began to change. The highly conventional, esoteric diction of the 13th-century court poets became obsolete.1
• New Literary Standards: This period of transition led to the rise of poets like Dafydd ap Gwilym, who helped establish the cywydd as the leading verse form. This new poetry featured simpler, more accessible language and incorporated themes borrowed from foreign traditions, such as those of the French trouvères.12