Medieval Welsh Erotic Poetry

by Johnston, Dafydd

• ISBN13: 9781854112347
• ISBN10: 1854112341
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-02-01
• Publisher: Seren
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Summary

This new, revised edition of Medieval Welsh Erotic Poetry contains thirty-one poems from the later medieval period. They all deal frankly with sex and sexual organs, some deliberately provocative, others self-mocking, and a few intended to shock and disgust. They are characterised by wit and inventive imagination, and make extensive use of dramatic dialogue. Some of these poems have been deliberately suppressed by scholars because of their indecency, whilst others have lain unknown in manuscrips for centuries. The edited Welsh texts are here accompanied by English translations, with notes giving essential information on the poets and their poems. Dafydd Johnston's critical introduction places the poems in the context of the Welsh bardic tradition and draws attention to some European parallels. This collection will be of interest to those already familiar with the Welsh poetic tradition, which is revealed here in an entirely new light. It will also be valuable to students of European love literature of the Middle Ages, and those interested in attitudes towards women and sexuality. And it will appeal to all who enjoy lively wit and frank sensuality.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition	10	(7)
Introduction	17	(8)
The Penis Dafydd ap Gwilym	25	(2)
Englyn to the Penis Anonymous	27	(2)
The Poet sends his Genitals as a Love Messenger Dafydd ap Gwilym (?)	29	(4)
To Jealous Wives	33	(4)
Gwerful Mechain
The Female Genitals	37	(4)
Gwerful Mechain
A Conversation Between Two Poets	41	(2)
Dafydd Llwyd
Gwerful Mechain
An Old Woman's Advice Unknown	43	(4)
Advice to a Friend	47	(4)
Ding Moel
Sexual Intercourse Unknown	51	(4)
Fantasy	55	(4)
Hywel Dafi
Frustration	59	(4)
Hywel Dafi
The Love-Tryst Unknown	63	(4)
The Girl Fights Back Unknown	67	(4)
A Conversation Between a Welshman and an Englishwoman	71	(4)
Tudur Penllyn
A Conversation Between a Boy and a Girl Unknown	75	(2)
The Lusty Lass Anonymous	77	(4)
The Rod Anonymous	81	(2)
A Minstrel's Boast	83	(4)
Iocyn Ddu
The Man Under the Tub Unknown	87	(4)
A Misadventure	91	(4)
Ieuan Gethin
The Poet's Revenge Dafydd Llwyd of Mathafarn	95	(4)
Fair Elen of Llandaf	99	(4)
Ieuan Brydydd Hir
The Cleric and the Virgin `Sir' Dafydd Llwyd the Scholar	103	(4)
A Lincolnshire Lass `Sir' Dafydd Llwyd the Scholar	107	(4)
Deer Coupling Dafydd ap Gwilym (?)	111	(2)
A Man and a Woman Making Love Llywelyn ap Gutun	113	(4)
To Request a Chastity Belt `Sir' Hywel of Builth	117	(4)
A Boy Dressed in Girl's Clothes	121	(4)
Huw Arwystli
Satire on Guto'r Glyn's Testicles	125	(6)
Dafydd ab Edmwnd
Satire on Dafydd ab Edmwnd's Penis	131	(4)
Guto'r Glyn
Englynion	135
Thomas Evans