RHISIART FYNGLWYD
,
poet
, fl.
1510-1570
,
son of
Iorwerth Fynglwyd
(q.v.)
, and
poetic tutor
to
Dafydd Benwyn
(q.v.)
. He was also known as
Rhisiart Iorwerth
. Although his father was a native of
S. Bride's Major
,
Rhisiart
lived in
Tir-Iarll
. In his youth he
composed love poems
in
cywydd
metre, and later he sang panegyrics in the strict metres to members of leading families, mainly in
Glamorgan
,
Carmarthen
, and
Brecknock
. These poems include several to members of the
Dwnn
family, particularly to
Gruffudd
Dwnn
of
Ystrad Merthyr
, and
Harry
, his son.
Rhisiart Fynglwyd
was feasting at
Ystrad Merthyr
at
Whitsuntide 1531
and
1533
, and on
S. Davids Day 1536
and
1537
, and was in
Sir
George
Herbert
's home in
Swansea
about
1543
.
Professor
G. J.
Williams
suggests that perhaps his most interesting poem is his cywydd of intercession between
Sir
George
Herbert
and
Edward
Mansel
, and maintains that this
poet
, who outlived
Lewys Morgannwg
(q.v.)
, was the last
Glamorgan
poet
of significance during the period of strict metre poetry.
Bibliography:
-
Elegy by
Dafydd Benwyn
in
Llyfr Hir Llanharan
, 131a;
-
R. F.'s poetry in many manuscripts in N.L.W., particularly
Llanstephan Manuscript at the National Library of
Wales, Aberystwyth
40;
-
E. Lhuyd
,
Archaeologia Britannica
, 1707
, 263;
-
J. Gwenogvryn Evans
,
Reports on Manuscripts in the Welsh
Language
. Historical Manuscripts Commission,
1898–1910
, ii, 499, etc.;
-
G. J. Williams
,
Traddodiad Llenyddol Morgannwg
,
1948
.
Author:
David Myrddin Lloyd, M.A., (1909-81), Aberystwyth / Scotland
