Gwerful Mechain
Encyclopedia
Gwerful Mechain who lived in Mechain
in Powys
, is perhaps the most famous female Welsh-language
poet. Little is known of her life.
Her work, composed in the traditional strict metres, including cywyddau and englynion, is often a celebration of religion
and sex
, sometimes within the same poem. Probably the most famous part of her work today is her erotic poetry, especially Cywydd y Cedor ("Ode to the Pubic Hair
"), a poem praising the vulva
. It is a work in which she upbraids male poets for celebrating so many parts of a woman's body, but not the genitals. "Let songs about the quim circulate," she adjures her readers. As to the pubic hair: "Lovely bush, God save it."
Her year of birth has also been said to have been 1460.
Mechain
Mechain was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. It lay almost in the centre of the kingdom, bordering with cantref Caereinion to the south, the two cwmwds of the cantref of Mochnant to the north, and part of the cantref of Deuparth and the cwmwds of Deuddwr and Ystrad Marchell to the...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, is perhaps the most famous female Welsh-language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
poet. Little is known of her life.
Her work, composed in the traditional strict metres, including cywyddau and englynion, is often a celebration of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, sometimes within the same poem. Probably the most famous part of her work today is her erotic poetry, especially Cywydd y Cedor ("Ode to the Pubic Hair
Pubic hair
Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
"), a poem praising the vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
. It is a work in which she upbraids male poets for celebrating so many parts of a woman's body, but not the genitals. "Let songs about the quim circulate," she adjures her readers. As to the pubic hair: "Lovely bush, God save it."
Her year of birth has also been said to have been 1460.
External links
- A short biography
- Text of Cywydd y Cedor at Wikisource
- English translation; another English translation