A thousand-year-old literature
We must go back to the distant era when the written word took precedence over the oral tradition, when the cynferdd, the first bards, succeeded the druids and took their place alongside the sovereigns. In this sixth century, Taliesin and Aneirin were born, both of whom left their names on books that historians and linguists still find it difficult to date with certainty. One thing is certain, Hanes Taliesin and Y Gododdin are the first important works of Celtic Welsh literature. Other founding texts are those written in Latin by the Welsh bishop Geoffroy of Monmouth in the first part of the 12th century. In view of the number of copies found, which is considerable for the medieval period, his History of the Kings of Brittany (Historia regum Britanniae) immediately acquired the status of what today would be called a best-seller. This work is also one of the first to feature King Arthur and Merlin the Enchanter, which prompts the debate that is still ongoing today. Thus, either the author has only translated, as he claims, the unobtainable Britannici sermonis liber vetustissimus written in Breton, and in this case the legend is based on historical facts, or its unfolding is only the fruit of his imagination..
In 1282, the Gwynedd, one of the main kingdoms of Wales in the Middle Ages, bowed to the English. The poetic tradition is not lost, but it evolves by its inspiration, preferring courtly love to warlike praise, and in its form, submitting to the cywydd, a complex metre taught by the guild of professional poets, according to an apprenticeship which, it is said, lasted several years. Although not belonging to this order, Dafydd ap Gwilym (14th century) used this particular form to perfection, he rivaled his contemporary, Iolo Goch, in technicality. Another art was prized in those ancient times, the tale, improvised by the cyfarwydd for the great pleasure of the court. The Mabinogion are a tasty example of this. These four tales are inspired by the Celtic mythology of antiquity, to which is obviously added the Arthurian legend. Poetry and mysticism continue to evolve together, didn't Henry Vaughan (1622-1695) have an alchemist twin before he turned to metaphysics himself? His poetry is harsh and rich in symbolism, reflecting his love for Wales and a certain anxiety about ongoing tensions. In the 18th century, at the instigation of Goronwy Owen, the Welsh bards decided to meet in an eisteddfod, the last one dating back to 1450, and to annualize their assemblies. Edward Williams (1747-1826), better known by his Bardic name, Iolo Morganwg, organised the first gorsedd, a literary meeting, in 1792 on London's Primrose Hill. His book, Druid's prayer establishes a precise ritual, pursuing the idea that Druidic culture did not succumb to Christianity or persecution. But the man is also a forger, some verses that he attributes to Dafydd ap Gwilym, and of which he is nevertheless the author, are wrongly taken up in anthologies, which, let us admit it, is a guarantee of a certain genius.
Modern times
The 19th century hailed the birth of the first Welsh-language novelist, Daniel Owen (1836-1895). If his youth has a Dickensian air, his father died in the mines at the same time as two of his brothers, the theme of his compositions is also close to the work of the remarkable English writer. Rhys Lewis takes his place in Mold, his hometown, where Owen tells of the poverty of the miners, the injustice and the comfort in faith, when it is not taught by violent men. The novel and its sequel, Enoch Huws, are still read today. In a totally different style, Arthur Machen, born in Caerleon in 1863, tried his hand at fantasy, and French readers can also enjoy his novels, The Great God Pan or The Hill of Dreams, republished by Terre de Brume, and his pen proved so realistic that his short story The Bownen, published in the Evening News of September 29, 1914, in which he tells how angels sent by St. George came to the rescue of soldiers stricken on the battle front, is taken literally. It will take him years to try to cut short the urban legend he created in spite of himself. During this same war, Ellis Humhrey Evans, whose nickname, Hedd Wyn, White Peace, takes a tragic turn for the worse, especially at the age of thirty. The young Welsh farmer and poet made a lasting impression on his peers, as much as the chair he left unoccupied at the National Eisteddford in 1917 when, three times, the Archduke pronounced his name, he the laureate, before understanding that he would not return. Another First World War death would have a significant influence on a future author, Kate Roberts (1891-1985). Mourning her brother, she took refuge in writing. In her short stories, her first collection O gors y brynaiau was published in 1925, then in her novels, including Traed mewn cyffion, she describes poverty, but also struggle. The epistolary relationship she maintained with Saunders Lewis for almost 40 years remained famous. They shared their political commitment, the poet having founded the Plaid Cymru (National Party for Wales) while enriching Welsh literature with his verses and plays. Finally, it is not possible to close this 19th century without quoting Bertrand Russell, who largely survived it, having died in 1970 at the age of 97. Free thinker, philosopher emeritus, mathematician, it is for his literature that he was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in 1950. Many of his works are available in French, including his Écrits sur l'éducation, reissued by Écosociété in early 2019
Wales can be proud that the 20th century was just as fertile. In 1913, Ronald Stuart Thomas was born in Cardiff. A lover of his culture, it was in English that he decided to write, leaving behind him no less than 1,500 poems, whose simplicity rivals their beauty, and which earned him a distinction from the Queen in 1964. His almost namesake, Dylan, was born the following year, but that was all that brought them together, since the former, an Anglican priest, attended church while the latter preferred pubs. Dylan Thomas died prematurely at the age of 39, certainly of liver failure, but he nevertheless left behind him a body of work that is considered one of the most brilliant in English-language literature. Some will be able to judge, discovering his autobiography, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, published by Points, or his poems, in the anthology Ce monde est mon partage et celui du démon, available from the same publisher. The century is only 16 years old and celebrates the birth of an author who is a must for children of all ages. Roald Dahl was brought up in Wales by Norwegian parents. Orphaned by his father in his early childhood, he did not wait until he came of age to discover the world. His career as a fighter pilot inspired him to write his first short story, A piece of cake, and he flourished in this adult literature, while at the same time putting his pen to good use in the service of youth, a talent rewarded by great international renown. James and the Big Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Gremlins, or The Big Crocodile, many stories continue to light a spark of joy in the eyes of readers of all generations. Honoured with numerous awards, Roald Dahl was awarded the Edgar Allan Poet Prize in 1954 and 1960, a distinction he shares with another figure celebrated far beyond the Welsh borders, Ken Follett. A philosophy student in London, the young man returned to his native Cardiff in the 1970s to become a journalist. Efficient writing, meticulous historical descriptions, a flawless construction that maintains the suspense, such is the unstoppable recipe that earned him success with his first book, L'Arme à l'œil, in 1979. Rare are those who have not tried his hand at the Pillars of the Earth, or who have not spent long sleepless nights finishing his other trilogy, Le Siècle.
Today, Welsh literature is doing well, even if it sometimes takes unexpected paths, such as the success of the very young Beth Reekles (born in 1995) who signed a contract with Random House UK in 2012, following the 19 million readings of her manuscript, The Kissing Booth, which she wrote on Wattpad. Netflix commissioned an adaptation, the film was released in 2018 and the French version is available from Hachette Livres. At the same time, however, the Welsh have not forgotten their roots, let alone their ancestral language, for, as the saying goes, quoted by Ifor ap Glyn, the national poet twice crowned by the ever eagerly awaited National Eisteddfod, "Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon", "A nation without language is a nation without heart". It is a safe bet that in this new millennium, which has just begun, Welsh writers will still be able to find the right words to cross all borders, all seas.
