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DAVIES, JOHN ('Siôn Dafydd,' ' Siôn Dafydd Lâs '; died 1694), 'family bard' at Nannau, near Dolgelley;

Name: John Davies
Pseudonym: Siôn Dafydd, Siôn Dafydd Lâs
Date of death: 1694
Gender: Male
Occupation: 'family bard'
Home: Nannau
Area of activity: Poetry
Author: Menai Williams

Said to have been born at Pandy, Llanuwchllyn, and to have lived for a while at Tyn-y-ffridd. Mr. Evan Roberts, of Llandderfel, suggests (Y Seren, Bala, 29 November 1950) that he was the composer of the air formerly known as ' Dafydd y Garreg Las ' and now known as ' Pant corlan yr ŵyn '; if so, then he may have been a harpist also.

John Davies is of some importance as one of the last members of the dwindling group of bards who were patronized by some of the Welsh landed families. Poems sung by him to members of the following North Wales families survive: Nannau, Doluwcheogryd, Maes-y-neuadd, Glyncywarch, Dolau-gwyn, Cefnamwlch, Gloddaeth, Bodysgallen, Corsygedol, Maesypandy, Tan-y-bwlch, etc. He wrote elegies on the deaths of two brother poets - Edward Morris of Perthillwydion and Morris Parry, parson of Llanelian; he also composed an elegy on the death of king Charles II. Elegies were written after his death by Owen Gruffydd, Llanystumdwy (see O. M. Edwards, Gwaith Owen Gruffydd, 1904; this gives the year of the poet's death as 1694), and Lewis Owen (see Cwrtmawr MS 5B (i-ii) ).

He was uncle to David Jones (1708? - 1785) of Trefriw; see N.L.W. Jnl., vii, 73-4.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

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