'Y Bedwenni'

Callander, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0177-7789, ed. 2026. 'Y Bedwenni'. [Online]. Welsh Merlin Poetry project: myrddin.cymru. Available at: https://myrddin.cymru/poem/002/

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Abstract

The 'Bedwenni' is a short poem, ostensibly prophetic. Its unhappy speaker, probably Merlin, declares the blessedness of birch trees which will witness the tumult and terror of the brithfyd to come. The poem hinges on a central irony: how could anything be blessed in such a context? The turn comes in the final lines: despite all of this, anyone and anything will be blessed which, unlike the speaker, will witness the coming of Cadwaladr and of insular salvation. The poem is edited here from Peniarth 1, the Black Book of Carmarthen, having compared all extant copies. The poem survives in 14 copies in 13 manuscripts, 6 of which contain only the second verse. Only Peniarth 1 and Peniarth 59 appear to be of potential value in constructing the original text.

Item Type:	Online Content
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Welsh
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PB Modern European Languages > PB1001 Celtic languages and literature
Publisher:	myrddin.cymru
Funders:	AHRC
Projects:	An Edition of the Welsh Merlin Poetry
Related URLs:	Project
Last Modified:	28 Apr 2026 09:31
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186658

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