GWERFUL MECHAIN
(
1462?
-
1500
),
poetess
.
All that is known of her is that she was the daughter of
Hywel Fychan
of
Mechain
in
Powys
, confirmation of which is to be found in a
cywydd
written by
Dafydd Llwyd
, who sent
Llywelyn ap Gutun
(q.v.)
to her with an expression of his love. It is known that bits of her poems were still preserved in the memory of country folk as late as the
19th cent.
, for both
Ap Vychan
and
Sir
Owen M.
Edwards
refer to this. In
Eminent Welshmen
and
Enwogion Cymru
she is confused with
Gwerful
, daughter of
Madoc
of
Tanad
;
Guto'r Glyn
's poems were not addressed to
Gwerful Mechain
.
Gwerful Mechain
's poems were born of the whim of the moment; she wrote a beautiful
cywydd
on the passion of
Christ
; she produced an occasional striking
englyn
and she was deeply moved by jealous wives, and scurrilous
poets
such as
Ieuan Dyfi
and
Llywelyn ap Gutun
, whom she castigated with broad and biting humour.
Bibliography:
-
Leslie Harris
, ‘Barddoniaeth Huw Cae Llwyd’ (an unpublished dissertation,
1933
, now in the N.L.W.).
Author:
Leslie Harries, M.A., (1901-88), Llaneurgain, Flintshire
