author
Evan Evans
1731–1788
A key figure in the 18th-century revival of Welsh poetry, this scholar-poet helped preserve older bardic traditions while writing with a strong sense of history and language. He was also a clergyman and critic, remembered for bringing medieval Welsh verse to new readers.
1 Audiobook
Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh Bards
by Evan Evans
About the author
Born in Cynhawdref in Cardiganshire in 1731, he became known by the bardic names Ieuan Fardd and Ieuan Brydydd Hir. He studied at Ystrad Meurig and later attended Merton College, Oxford, before serving as a clergyman. Alongside his church work, he built a reputation as a poet, antiquary, and literary critic deeply committed to Welsh culture.
He is best remembered as one of the leading figures in the 18th-century revival of Welsh classical poetry. His scholarship and collecting helped preserve older Welsh literary traditions, and his book Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Antient Welsh Bards introduced important early Welsh verse to a wider audience in both Welsh and English.
Evan Evans died in 1788, but his influence lasted well beyond his lifetime. For readers interested in the history of Welsh literature, he stands out as a careful keeper of tradition and a lively voice in his own right.