Llywarch Hen

Llywarch Hen was a central figure in Welsh poetry, flourishing in the 6th century. The poems associated with him, likely composed in the 9th or 10th century, are set against the backdrop of Welsh resistance to Anglo-Saxon expansion. These verses express heroic ideals, mourn fallen warriors, and reflect on the sorrows of old age and the fleeting nature of life. While prose may have once accompanied the verse, only the poetic passages remain. These are primarily written in three-line stanzas called englynion and are preserved in manuscripts like The Red Book of Hergest. These poems are part of a rich tradition of Welsh literature that has continued unbroken since the 6th century.12