gogynfeirdd

The term gogynfeirdd refers to Welsh court poets who flourished from the 12th to the 15th centuries. These poets were attached to the courts of Welsh princes and composed traditional eulogies and elegies. A notable example is Gwalchmai ap Meilyr, who served at the court of Owain Gwynedd and wrote poems celebrating military prowess and praising princes. The tradition of Welsh poetry dates back much further, with surviving works attributed to poets like Taliesin and Aneirin from around the 6th century. The gogynfeirdd continued and developed these earlier poetic traditions, with their work often characterized by intricate metrical systems and a focus on praising their patrons.12