Pennod 38 (cyfres 2, pennod 5)

Trafodwn fardd benywaidd hynod ddiddorol yn y benod hon – Alis ferch Gruffudd neu ‘Alis Wen’, a fu’n canu yn ystod yr unfed ganrif ar bymtheg. Dynion oedd beirdd proffesiynol y cyfnod, ond dysgodd Alis grefft barddoni a chyfansoddodd nifer o gerddi gan ddefnyddio un o’r hen fesurau caeth, yr englyn unodl uniawn. Mae’n debyg iawn mai ei thad, Gruffudd ab Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan oedd ei hathro barddol, a gwelwn fod ei pherthynas ungryw â’i thad yn bwnc dan sylw yn rhai o’i cherddi. Dyma lais barddol benywaidd prin sy’n amlygu teimladau gonest Cymraes am gariad, priodas a diswyliadau cymdeithasol. Er bod cymdeithas Cymru’r cyfnod yn ormesol o batrïarchaidd, gwelwn Alis yn protestio ac yn dymuno dilyn ei chalon yn hytrach nag ufuddhau i’r disgwyliadau hynny. Yn ogystal â mynegi’i barn a’i theimladau mewn modd di-flewyn-ar-dafod, mae’n gwneud hynny mewn modd rhyfeddol o ffraeth hefyd.

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Alis Wen

In this episode we discuss a remarkably interesting female poet –Alis ferch Gruffudd or ‘Alis Wen’, who composed poetry in the sixteenth century. Men were the professional poets in the period, but Alis learned the poetic art and composed a number of verses using one of the old strict metres, the englyn unodl union. It’s very likely that her father, Gruffudd ab Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan, was her bardic teacher, and we see that her unique relationship with her father is given attention in some of her poems. Here is a rare female poetic voice from the period which manifests a Welsh woman’s honest feelings about love, marriage and society’s expectations. Although Welsh society in the period was oppressively patriarchal, we see Alis protesting and expressing a desire to follow her own heart instead of submitting to those expectations. In addition to expressing her opinion and her feelings in a forthright manner, she also does that in a wonderfully witty way.

Cyflwynwyd gan: Yr Athro Jerry Hunter a'r Athro Richard Wyn Jones

Cynhyrchwyd gan: Richard Martin

Cerddoriaeth: Might Have Done gan The Molenes

Dilynwch ni ar Trydar: http://www.twitter.com/YrHenIaith

neu YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@yrheniaith

Tanysgrifwch yn eich hoff ap podlediadau neu ar YouTube i derbyn y pennod nesaf ar cyhoeddiad.

Darllen Pellach / Further Reading:

- Gwen Saunders Jones, Alis ferch Gruffudd a’r Traddodiad Barddol Benywaidd (2015).

- Cathryn Charnell-White(gol.), Beirdd Ceridwen: Blodeugerdd Barddas o Ganu Menywod hyd tua 1800 (2005).

- Katie Gramich a Catherine Brennan (goln.), Welsh Women’s Poetry 1460-2001: An Anthology (2003).