Robert Geraint Gruffydd

FLSW The Learned Society of Wales ( Welsh: Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru) is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh natio ...

FBA (9 June 1928 – 24 March 2015) was a scholar of

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...

and literature. From 1970 to 1979, he was Professor of Welsh Language and Literature at the

University of Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

, and was made

Emeritus Professor ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

in 1993.

Early life

Gruffydd was born on 9 June 1928 in Tal-y-bont,

Ardudwy Ardudwy is an area of Gwynedd in north-west Wales, lying between Tremadog Bay and the Rhinogydd. Administratively, under the old Kingdom of Gwynedd, it was first a division of the sub kingdom (cantref) of Dunoding and later a commote in its own ...

, Wales. He was a graduate of

Bangor University , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

and

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

. He commenced his studies at Oxford in 1948.

Career

During his academic career he held three notable offices: * Chair of Welsh language and literature at the

(1970–1979) * Librarian of the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...

(1980–1985) * Director of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (1985–1993) After his academic retirement in 1993 he was President of the International Congress of Celtic Studies until 2003 and he also served as vice-president of University of Wales, Aberystwyth. In 1999 he succeeded Professor J. E. Caerwyn Williams as Consultant Editor of

Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru ''Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (GPC)'' (''The University of Wales Dictionary'') is the only standard historical dictionary of the Welsh language, aspiring to be "comparable in method and scope to the ''Oxford English Dictionary''". Vocabulary is defi ...

, the leading Welsh dictionary. He wrote books and chapters on a wide range on subjects in all periods of Welsh literature, from his treatment of the earliest Welsh poetry through the work of the medieval poet,

Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Gwilym ( 1315/1320 – 1350/1370) is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Life R. Geraint Gruffydd suggests 1315- 1350 as the poet's dates; others place him a little ...

, and the Methodist hymn-writer,

William Williams Pantycelyn William Williams, Pantycelyn (c. 11 February 1717 – 11 January 1791), also known as William Williams, Williams Pantycelyn, and Pantycelyn, is generally seen as Wales's premier hymnist. He is also rated among the great literary figures of Wale ...

, to 20th-century writers such as

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-found ...

Personal life

Gruffydd's father, Moses Griffith, was the first Treasurer of

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...

. He was a friend of

Sheldon Vanauken Sheldon Vanauken (August 4, 1914 – October 18, 1996) was an American author, best known for his autobiographical book ''A Severe Mercy'' (1977), which recounts his and his wife's friendship with C. S. Lewis, their conversion to Christianity ...

at Oxford, and was mentioned in Vanauken's memoir

A Severe Mercy ''A Severe Mercy'' is an autobiographical book by Sheldon Vanauken, relating the author's relationship with his wife, their friendship with C. S. Lewis, conversion to Christianity, and subsequent tragedy. A Severe Mercy" Origin Entertainment. R ...

Honours

Gruffydd was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

(FBA) in 1991. He was a Founding Fellow of the

Learned Society of Wales The Learned Society of Wales (Welsh: Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru) is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh nation ...

Works

*In that gentile country. . . ': The beginnings of Puritan nonconformity in Wales'' (1976) * ''Revival and its Fruit'' (1981) *(editor), ''Bardos'' (1982) *''Llenyddiaeth y Cymru: Cyflwyniad Darluniadol 2'' (1989) *''William Morgan: Dyneiddiwr'' (Henry Lewis Memorial Lecture) (1989) *''Y Ffordd Gadarn: Ysgrifau ar Lên a Chrefydd'', ed.

E. Wyn James E is the fifth letter of the Latin alphabet. E or e may also refer to: Commerce and transportation * €, the symbol for the euro, the European Union's standard currency unit * ℮, the estimated sign, an EU symbol indicating that the weight ...

(2008) *''Y Gair a'r Ysbryd: Ysgrifau ar Biwritaniaeth a Methodistiaeth'', ed.

(2019) A full bibliography of his publications to 1995 by Huw Walters is included in ''Beirdd a Thywysogion'', ed. B. F. Roberts & M. E. Owen (1996) As an editor of medieval Welsh poetry texts, he was general editor of the ''Cyfres Beirdd y Tywysogion'' series and has contributed to various volumes in that series and in the ''Cyfres Beirdd yr Uchelwyr'' series. These include: *''Gwaith

Meilyr Brydydd Meilyr Brydydd ap Mabon ( fl. 1100–1137) is the earliest of the Welsh Poets of the Princes or ''Y Gogynfeirdd'' (The Less Early Poets) whose work has survived. Meilyr was the court poet of Gruffudd ap Cynan (ca. 1055–1137), king of Gwynedd. He ...

a'i ddisgynyddion'' (1994) *''Gwaith Llywelyn Fardd I ac eraill o feirdd y Ddeuddegfed Ganrif'' (1995) *''Gwaith

Dafydd Benfras Dafydd Benfras () was a court poet in the Welsh language, regarded by Saunders Lewis and others as one of the greatest of the Poets of the Princes (''Beirdd y Tywysogion''). Dafydd Benfras was a poet of the court of the kingdom of Gwynedd and most ...

ac eraill o feirdd hanner cyntaf y Drydedd Ganrif ar Ddeg'' (1995) *''Gwaith

Bleddyn Fardd Bleddyn Fardd (fl. c. 1258 – 1284) was a Welsh-language court poet from Gwynedd. Bleddyn is noted for his elegies on the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) i ...

ac Eraill'' (1996)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruffydd, R. Geraint 1928 births Welsh literary critics Welsh-speaking academics Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of Aberystwyth University Celtic studies scholars 2015 deaths Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales Fellows of the British Academy