:''See
Gwenc'hlan Le Scouëzec for the modern author.''
----
Gwenc'hlan is the cognomen of a legendary 6th century
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
druid and
bard called Kian, the subject and purported author of a
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
song called "Diougan Gwenc'hlan" (Gwenc'hlan's prophecy), published by
Hersart de la Villemarqué in his 1839 anthology ''
Barzaz Breiz
''Barzaz Breiz'' (in modern spelling ''Barzhaz Breizh'', meaning "Ballads of Brittany": ''barzh'' is the equivalent of "bard" and ''Breizh'' means "Brittany") is a collection of Breton popular songs collected by Théodore Hersart de la Villemar ...
''.
In this song, Gwenc'hlan is imprisoned after having his eyes gouged out for refusing to convert to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, sings out that he isn't afraid to die and makes a prophecy wherein he will be avenged. The motive of the blinded prisoner is reminiscent of the historical fate of
Boethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480 – 524 AD), was a Roman senator, consul, ''magister officiorum'', historian, and philosopher of the Early Middle Ages. He was a central figure in the tr ...
.
One Gwenc'hlan or Guinclaff around 1450 wrote a "chant royal", or "
Dialogue between King Arthur and Gwenc'hlan", quoted by
Dom Le Pelletier and
Gregory of Rostrenen. The poem was rediscovered in 1924. The Breton used by this Gwenc'hlan is already deeply pervaded by French. The legend of the 6th century bard is largely a creation of de la Villemarqué's, but he may have based his account on the 15th century author, as well as on other traditional Breton tales. He quotes 6th to 12th century
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
poems attributed to the bards
Aneurin,
Taliesin
Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...
and
Llywarch Hen as his sources.
Literature
*Mary-Ann Constantine ''Prophecy and Pastiche in the Breton ballads: Groac'h Ahès and Gwenc'hlan'', Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 30, (Winter, 1995) 87-121.
*Antone Minard, ''The Dialogue between King Arthur and Gwenc'hlan: a translation'' in: Comitatus. A journal of medieval and renaissance studies 30 (1999), 167-177.
See also
*
Blind musicians
Blind musicians are singers or instrumentalists, or in some cases singer-accompanists, who are legally blind.
Resources
Historically, many blind musicians, including some of the most famous, have performed without the benefit of formal instruct ...
External links
Data
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwenchlan
Druids
Poets from Brittany
French male poets