Early Welsh Saga Poetry

A study of the early Welsh saga "Englynion", which are lyric poems long presumed to be the poetic remains of lost stories, told in a mixture of prose and verse. Three main cycles survive which centre on Llywarch Hen, who loses all his sons in his vicarious quest for glory, Urien Rheged a king unwillingly betrayed by his follower and kinsman, and Heledd, the sole survivor of an English invasion of her country. There are also many non-cyclical poems of the same type featured. The critical discussion of the saga "Englynion" seeks to restore the lost narrative background by careful reading of internal indications and by comparative study. The growth, nature and artistry of each cycle is fully explored, as well as how each relates to the larger corpus. Relevant early Welsh traditions and history are also cited and the broader questions of what was the nature of the original prose setting, the metrical principles and practice, and their relationship to the Old English elegies are also covered.