The National Library of Wales
Poem by Poet Killed in Action in 1917 now online
Wed, 11 Nov 09 11:14:00
During the Armistice period the National Library of Wales is very proud to place online the famous First World War poem, Yr Arwr, by the poet Hedd Wyn who was killed in action in 1917.
Yr Arwr (the hero) was composed by Hedd Wyn, the bardic name of Ellis Humphrey Evans of Trawsfynydd, who was a soldier with the 15th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Although Hedd Wyn won the Chair at the National Eisteddfod with Yr Arwr he was never to have the privilege of sitting in the chair and receiving the praise. He was tragically killed in action near Ypres on the last day of July 1917 before he could attend the Eisteddfod which was held in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, in that year.
The sadness of the occasion has lead to this chair and eisteddfod being known as the Eisteddfod of the ‘Cadair Ddu’ (the black chair) as a black sheet was draped over the chair in commemoration of the dead poet.
‘The poem was presented to the National Library by J.R. Jones of Llwyn Celyn near Trawsfynydd. The National Library also holds the archive of the National Eisteddfod of Wales whose collections include the winning poems from national eisteddfodau and other important and interesting items. Without a doubt, for us as a National Library and as Welsh people, the winning poem and sad story of Hedd Wyn is something which we especially treasure,’ said Lyn Lewis Dafis, Head of Matadata and Digitisation Unit.
For further information:
Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632902 sion.jobbins@llgc.org.uk
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