William Williams (4 January 1875 – 13 January 1968), better known by his bardic name of "Crwys", meaning "Cross", was a Welsh poet in the Welsh language. He served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1939 to 1947.[1]
Like all other Archdruids, Crwys had himself won several major prizes at the National Eisteddfod. He was a three-time winner of the crown: at Colwyn Bay in 1910, at Carmarthen in 1911, and at Corwen in 1919. A cast bronze bust in honour of the poet is on display at Carmarthen Castle.
Crwys's work tended to idealise life in rural Wales.[2] His winning poem at the 1911 eisteddfod praised the "common people of Wales".[3] English translations of his work appear in several anthologies.[4][5]
Works
edit- Ednyfed Fychan (1910). Inspired by the life of Ednyfed Fychan.
- Dysgub y Dail
- Melin Trefin
- Cerddi Crwys (1920)
- Cerddi Newydd Crwys (1924)
- A brief history of Rehoboth Congregational Church, Bryn-mawr, from 1643 to 1927 (1927)
- Trydydd Cerddi Crwys (1935)
- Mynd a dod (1941)
- Cerddi Crwys, y pedwerydd llyfr (1944)
- Pedair Pennod (1950)
References
edit- ^ William Rhys Nicholas (2001). "Williams, William ('Crwys'; 1875–1968), poet, preacher, archdruid". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ Russell Davies (2018). Sex, Sects and Society: 'Pain and Pleasure': A Social History of Wales and the Welsh, 1870-1945. University of Wales Press. p. 399. ISBN 9781786832146.
- ^ Peter Lord (2000). Imaging the nation. University of Wales Press. p. 343. ISBN 9780708315873.
- ^ Welsh Verse: Fourteen Centuries of Poetry. Seren. 1992. p. 267. ISBN 9781854110817.
- ^ The Penguin book of Welsh verse. Penguin. 1967. p. 237.