Daniel James (23 January 1848 – 16 March 1920), also known by his bardic name of Gwyrosydd, was a Welsh poet and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

-writer, best known for writing the words of the popular hymn, "

Calon Lân "" () is a Welsh hymn, the words of which were written in the 1890s by Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) and sung to a tune by John Hughes. The song was originally written as a hymn, but has become firmly established as a rugby anthem, associated with ...

" (published in 1892).

Early life

Daniel James came from

Treboeth Treboeth is a suburb and historical village in the Mynydd-Bach ward of Swansea, Wales. Gwyrosydd Primary School and Welsh language primary school Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw are located in Treboeth. Gwyrosydd was the Bardic name of Treboet ...

in Swansea. His father died when he was young. He became a puddler at

Morriston Morriston (; cy, Treforys ) is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. It is the largest community in Swansea county. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town (e.g. the local fo ...

ironworks, and afterwards worked at

Landore Landore ( cy, Glandŵr) is a district and community in Swansea, Wales. The district falls in the Landore council ward. A mainly residential area, it is located about 2.5 miles north of Swansea city centre. The north-easterly part of Landore i ...

tinplate Tinplate consists of sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rusting. Before the advent of cheap milled steel, the backing metal was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinplate now is the manufacture ...

works. He began to write verse and assumed the bardic name Gwyrosydd (probably meaning "place of

privet A privet is a flowering plant in the genus ''Ligustrum''. The genus contains about 50 species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes forming small or medium-sized trees, native to Europe, north Africa, Asia, many introduced and nat ...

s" ( & territorial suffix ''-ydd'') or possibly "Gower moorlands" (''Gŵyr'' & ''rhosydd'')). He later found work in

Tredegar Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the In ...

Dowlais Ironworks The Dowlais Ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, at one time in the 19th century being the largest steel producer in ...

, Blaengarw, and

Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff Mountain Ash ( cy, Aberpennar) is a town and former community in the Cynon Valley, within the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, with a population of 11,230 at the 2011 Census, estimated in 2019 at 11,339. It includes the districts and ...

, where he spent 20 years.

Later life

He returned to

in 1918 to live with his daughter, and died at Tanylan, Morriston on 16 March 1920. He was buried at Mynyddbach Cemetery, and a memorial tablet was placed at

Public Hall in 1936.

Legacy

Much of his verse appeared in periodicals and newspapers, but collections were also published. ''Calon Lân'' is easily his most popular hymn, and regularly tops the lists of favourite Welsh hymns. He is thought to have written the words while he lived at Blaengarw. In 2008 Parc Calon Lan was opened by

Huw Edwards Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast. Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...

at the top of the Valley in Blaengarw.Parc Calon Lan
/ref> In 2013 work began on an animated film of his life. The project is a collaboration between the Treboeth History Group, Swansea University and several local primary schools. In February 2018 a group of local residents in Treboeth gathered to plan a commemorative event to mark the centenary of the death of Daniel James in March 2020. This meeting formed the basis for the creation of The Calon Lan Society, which is dedicated to promoting the hymn and those involved in composing it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Daniel 1920 deaths Welsh-language poets 1848 births