Poetry

The Gododdin: Lament for the Fallen

The Gododdin: Lament for the Fallen

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  • Create Date：2021-06-06 18:16:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
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  • Author：Aneirin
  • ISBN：0571352111
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Summary

The timeless and compelling 'word-music' of one of Britain's oldest cultural treasures is captured in this new bilingual edition。

The Gododdin charts the rise and fall of 363 warriors in the battle of Catraeth， around the year AD 600。 The men of the Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin rose to unite the Welsh and the Picts against the Angles， only to meet a devastating fate。 Composed by the poet Aneirin， the poem was originally orally transmitted as a sung elegy， passed down for seven centuries before being written down in early Welsh by two medieval scribes。 It is composed of one hundred laments to the named characters who fell， and follows a sophisticated alliterative poetics。 Former National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke animates this historical epic with a modern musicality， making it live in the language of today and underscoring that， in a world still beset by the misery of war， Aneirin's lamentation is not done。

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Reviews

Sophie （RedheadReading） ，

My ideal way of consuming this would be if Paul Bettany read it aloud in character as Chaucer from A Knight's Tale。 Whilst I know that's muddling time periods somewhat， it's just because this benefits so well from being spoken and I know he'd do a cracking job！ This functions as elegies to the soldiers who fell in this clash， so I can definitely see how some people wouldn't enjoy as it lacks a driving narrative。 However， I just adored experiencing it for what it was。 The repetition that is innat My ideal way of consuming this would be if Paul Bettany read it aloud in character as Chaucer from A Knight's Tale。 Whilst I know that's muddling time periods somewhat， it's just because this benefits so well from being spoken and I know he'd do a cracking job！ This functions as elegies to the soldiers who fell in this clash， so I can definitely see how some people wouldn't enjoy as it lacks a driving narrative。 However， I just adored experiencing it for what it was。 The repetition that is innately a part of poetry that is devised to be performed aloud， the way the number three keeps recurring in different forms， the different metaphors used to describe each warrior's attributes。 Whilst they come from very different traditions， it reminded me of The Iliad at times， especially Alice Oswald's reworking called Memorial that stripped away the Troy narrative and instead presented the series of metaphors and epithets focusing on memorialising the fallen soldiers。 It was just truly fascinating to read and I couldn't resist performing certain passages for my partner （which I'm sure was appreciated and definitely not annoying。。。） 。。。more

GRANT ，

I would like to rate this book higher and maybe in format it is only a two-star。 This is a reprint of an expired copyright without even the original copyright page to identify the translator （the Rev。 John Williams）， publisher （Longman & Co。， London）， etc。 （1852） even though with the copyright long expired， they could have included it！ The e-book version， free at: gutenberg。org/files/9842/9842-h/9842-。。。 may be the best way to read it as the online version lets you click back and forth in very c I would like to rate this book higher and maybe in format it is only a two-star。 This is a reprint of an expired copyright without even the original copyright page to identify the translator （the Rev。 John Williams）， publisher （Longman & Co。， London）， etc。 （1852） even though with the copyright long expired， they could have included it！ The e-book version， free at: gutenberg。org/files/9842/9842-h/9842-。。。 may be the best way to read it as the online version lets you click back and forth in very copious footnotes。 In the reprint version， you have to hold a bookmark or thumb in three different places without any page numbers。 And I only have two thumbs。Anyway， on content it deserves five stars。 It is a fascinating look at early medieval heroic poetry extolling the fame and deaths of the British warriors from Din Eiden （Edinburgh） as they expire before the Angles （Saxons） at Cattraeth which was probably in northern Yorkshire。 The warriors are supposedly Christian but very much into the blood and guts of heroic battle。 They drank a lot and killed a lot。 But the hints at what the culture was in those ancient days among our fathers' fathers and mothers is wonderful！And I admit that I didn't read all the Welsh。 But it is amazing that it can be understood in modern Welsh （my knowledge is very rudimentary） and that this poem in several versions from the 13th Century conveys represents a form of Welsh written as early as the 9th Century and a likely oral tradition back centuries more。 （Scholars debate on these points。） The battle may have actually happened and would have been in the 6th Century。 This is all so amazingly vague to make it all the more fascinating！The footnotes make all the more interesting even if they are not all readily understood。 The bits of tentative Welsh-language interpretation are interesting as well as the historical speculation。 Then there are the references to classic legend in the Mabinogion and tales of King Arthur。I had heard that there is only a disputed reference to Arthur here - and I am sufficiently well-read to understand that there is no identifiable， historical Arthur and likely never will be - but there are numerous references to Arthur's knights and companions！ Something is going on here。 The fascinating mystery only deepens the more I read。I'd like to find a good， modern translation and analysis。 Please comment with any suggestions。 。。。more

Tony DeHaan ，

A poem from the 6th century， relating the Battle of Cattraeth by the poet Aneirin。 An informative introduction， the original Welsh text， the English translation， and a very extensive section with very interesting annotations。 So why， you may wonder， only two stars？ Because the most important stanza （number 98） has been omitted！ For is in that stanza where we find the first mention of Arthur that we know of。 A grave and shameful editorial error that should not have been made！ Bring back proofread A poem from the 6th century， relating the Battle of Cattraeth by the poet Aneirin。 An informative introduction， the original Welsh text， the English translation， and a very extensive section with very interesting annotations。 So why， you may wonder， only two stars？ Because the most important stanza （number 98） has been omitted！ For is in that stanza where we find the first mention of Arthur that we know of。 A grave and shameful editorial error that should not have been made！ Bring back proofreading I say！ 。。。more

Ciarán Crawley ，

I primarily read this for a Typography Project， but I've enjoyed being able to read a part of Welsh ancient history。 Its unfortunate more context cannot be taken as its one of few documents detailing this event， but it is rich and fully human in its grieving those who are lost。 I primarily read this for a Typography Project， but I've enjoyed being able to read a part of Welsh ancient history。 Its unfortunate more context cannot be taken as its one of few documents detailing this event， but it is rich and fully human in its grieving those who are lost。 。。。more

Alys ，

V good。 Epic and heroic and all that business。

Terence Gallagher ，

Excellent exposition of The Gododdin， one of the oldest poems extant in Welsh， which serves as an elegy not only for the named heroes who perished in an expedition against English Northumbria， but also for the entire kingdom and people who disappeared from history shortly afterward。 Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson begins the volume with a very clear exposition of the poem's historical background and of the tricky state of the text as we have it （two versions mingled together。） He finishes with the tra Excellent exposition of The Gododdin， one of the oldest poems extant in Welsh， which serves as an elegy not only for the named heroes who perished in an expedition against English Northumbria， but also for the entire kingdom and people who disappeared from history shortly afterward。 Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson begins the volume with a very clear exposition of the poem's historical background and of the tricky state of the text as we have it （two versions mingled together。） He finishes with the translation often very tentative。 It is a bit disappointing， but I suppose unavoidable， that so much of the translation has to be conjectural， and that some passages are simply incomprehensible。 Nevertheless， Prof。 Jackson is an ideal guide。 。。。more

M F ，

This is greatly improved by purposely misunderstanding "van of battle" （i。e。 vanguard）， because then you get to imagine CAMPERVAN JOUSTING and it's much funnier。 This is greatly improved by purposely misunderstanding "van of battle" （i。e。 vanguard）， because then you get to imagine CAMPERVAN JOUSTING and it's much funnier。 。。。more

Colin ，

This was not quite what I was expecting as there is no story or narrative， just a series of elegies for soldiers who were killed at the battle of Catraeth， each verse describing the qualities of each one， （although in fairly formulaic terms according to the editor rather than realistic descriptions）， so it does get rather repetitive， with only occasional glimpses into what actually occurred。 however I have only read the English translation （which is printed side by side with the Welsh） so obviou This was not quite what I was expecting as there is no story or narrative， just a series of elegies for soldiers who were killed at the battle of Catraeth， each verse describing the qualities of each one， （although in fairly formulaic terms according to the editor rather than realistic descriptions）， so it does get rather repetitive， with only occasional glimpses into what actually occurred。 however I have only read the English translation （which is printed side by side with the Welsh） so obviously most of the poetic quality has been lost。 The poem only takes up a small part of the book， the introduction gives the background to the poem and the book is worth buying just for this， giving the historical background and textual history （the poem was originally composed after the battle in 600 then transmitted orally until written down then preserved in Wales in a 13th century manuscript） Although this is in the Welsh Classics series the Gododdin were a people who lived in what is now southern Scotland （who spoke a form of Welsh， as all of Britain did before the arrival of the Anglo saxons in England and Gaelic speakers in Scotland） and the battle described took place at Catraeth - which is the Welsh name for Catterick so the poem ought to be much better known in England。 As the blurb on the book says this is the earliest major work of literature in a native language of the British Isles and is of "vast cultural importance" 。。。more

Trisha ，

" There was food for the ravens， the raven there did triumph。"I'm sad to admit this is my first gamble into Celtic older reading。 I tried to imagine this as a bard song， something sung at a community hall area where everyone is drunk on mead （beer） and telling stories。And this is quite a story。 So many deaths， so many widows。 There is so much blood on the ground， you can almost see it all。 The poem is well done but I"m sure there are about a 1000 other details I missed since I'm not used to read " There was food for the ravens， the raven there did triumph。"I'm sad to admit this is my first gamble into Celtic older reading。 I tried to imagine this as a bard song， something sung at a community hall area where everyone is drunk on mead （beer） and telling stories。And this is quite a story。 So many deaths， so many widows。 There is so much blood on the ground， you can almost see it all。 The poem is well done but I"m sure there are about a 1000 other details I missed since I'm not used to reading like this。I think the piece that kept me going was just imagining the Raven Boys digging through old poems of war and really digging all the references to wolves and birds of prey - and of course， Ravens。 。。。more

Barnaby Thieme ，

Y Gododdin constitutes the oldest extant collection of Welsh verse of note。 Attributed to Aneirin， it is a collection of elegiac verses memorializing three hundred Celtic heroes who fell in battle against a much larger invading army of Anglo-Saxons sometime around the sixth century CE。 Ironically， the striking and crystalline verse reminds me of nothing so much as the Anglo-Saxon poetry of around that time， such as the anonymous masterpiece "The Seafarer。" The images of heroes dying gloriously i Y Gododdin constitutes the oldest extant collection of Welsh verse of note。 Attributed to Aneirin， it is a collection of elegiac verses memorializing three hundred Celtic heroes who fell in battle against a much larger invading army of Anglo-Saxons sometime around the sixth century CE。 Ironically， the striking and crystalline verse reminds me of nothing so much as the Anglo-Saxon poetry of around that time， such as the anonymous masterpiece "The Seafarer。" The images of heroes dying gloriously in battle is evoked with images of startling clarity and emotional power。 Consider stanza 64: "A fitting song of a noble host:The sound of fire and thunder and flood-tide，Excelling in courage， a horseman in the turmoil， A blood-shedding reaper， he longed for war。The warrior tirelessly rushed to battleIn whatever land he heard tidings of it。With his shield on his shoulder he would take up a spearAs if it were sparking wine from glass vessels。 There was silver around his mead， gold was his due; Gwaednerth son of Llywri had been reared on wine。" There is nothing by way of an early epic to be found here。 The frame of these elegies is simple - warriors were summoned together by the lord Mynyddog， who hosted them in training and in feast for a year's time at Gododdin， before they set out to meet the enemy at Catraeth， where they died。 Individual warriors are recalled and their virtues praised with expressive and sometimes-formulaic language。 What is conveyed is themes and motifs of an early medieval warrior heroic ethos reflected with ingenious and deeply-felt images and words。 It's a sublime window into times long past。 。。。more

Flint Johnson ，

As an academic book it is still the gold standard of British poetry。 Jackson did his best to reconstruct the poem's two extant versions， its history and context using his not inconsiderable skills as a linguist， manuscript expert， and historian。 Yup， it is dry reading。 Painfully so if one is not already familiar with the materials （the notes are his in-depth analyses and explanations for his language。 On the other hand， it is an excellent piece of scholarly work still useful forty years after pu As an academic book it is still the gold standard of British poetry。 Jackson did his best to reconstruct the poem's two extant versions， its history and context using his not inconsiderable skills as a linguist， manuscript expert， and historian。 Yup， it is dry reading。 Painfully so if one is not already familiar with the materials （the notes are his in-depth analyses and explanations for his language。 On the other hand， it is an excellent piece of scholarly work still useful forty years after publication。 Very few academic pieces can claim that。 。。。more

Maxfield ，

A true classic。 I read the John Williams （1811-1862） translation which has an excellent preface。 Come for the tantalizing references to Urien and stay for the knee-deep pools of gore and a lesson about the dangers of drinking mead before wine。

Basicallyrun ，

I， um， really like reading translators' notes。 It is a weakness。 But they do take up rather more pages than the actual poem， so I feel justified。 And what I found interesting is that the translators here basically say， on several occasions， 'we have no idea whether this word is a proper name， a misspelled version of X， a word we no longer know the meaning of， or what'。 So some of the named heroes are only named because we know that name actually existed， from contemporary works， or because no on I， um， really like reading translators' notes。 It is a weakness。 But they do take up rather more pages than the actual poem， so I feel justified。 And what I found interesting is that the translators here basically say， on several occasions， 'we have no idea whether this word is a proper name， a misspelled version of X， a word we no longer know the meaning of， or what'。 So some of the named heroes are only named because we know that name actually existed， from contemporary works， or because no one's been named yet in this stanza and no other word quite works as a name。 I find it fascinating but then， I do want to spend the next three years of my life studying this stuff so I think I'm entitled to。 。。。more

Bettie ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 300 ptII？Although some titles include wordings such as 'Scottish poem'， this work is rooted in the Welsh because the lowlands of what is now Scotland were Welsh at the time。 Not that I can see the intelligentsia of either country calling for pistols at dawn or rolling up their shirts for a bout of fisticuffs in this day and age。*cups ear to listen*What？ they do still want a barney！ lol。 Anyway， this programme is not the actual poem， rather it is the history surrounding the work。The blurb - P 300 ptII？Although some titles include wordings such as 'Scottish poem'， this work is rooted in the Welsh because the lowlands of what is now Scotland were Welsh at the time。 Not that I can see the intelligentsia of either country calling for pistols at dawn or rolling up their shirts for a bout of fisticuffs in this day and age。*cups ear to listen*What？ they do still want a barney！ lol。 Anyway， this programme is not the actual poem， rather it is the history surrounding the work。The blurb - Poet Gwyneth Lewis explores the origins and meaning of the Gododdin， a sixth-century Welsh poem elegising the slain British warriors who made a last stand against the Saxons in the famous Battle of Catterick。Fourteen centuries ago an elite band of three hundred warriors set out from Edinburgh and marched south to Catterick in Yorkshire to meet a force of 10，000 Saxons in a bloody pitched battle。 At the end of a week of ferocious combat all but three of the 300 lay dead and， with them， the last hope of the Old North - the original Britons - against the Saxon invaders。 But the battle left an enduring literary legacy: one of the three survivors， Aneirin， fled back to Edinburgh and composed the Gododdin， an epic poem to commemorate his fallen comrades。Gwyneth follows the war band from the Edinburgh stronghold where they spent a year feasting and drinking mead to the landscape of northern England where they met their fate。 As she travels she discovers new insights into contemporary Britain from a sixth-century poem written in Welsh about a group of warriors from Scotland who fought a battle in Yorkshire。Broadcast on:BBC Radio 3， 10:00pm Sunday 10th January 2010Really interesting！ 。。。more

Old-Barbarossa ，

Written in Welsh in what became Scotland， it's about a last stand action of a band of （probably） Romano-Brit cavalry against a huge Anglosaxon warband in what is now Yorkshire。 The poem is a eulogy for the fallen。 It was written as the nations that became Scotland， Wales， and England were still forming and in a state of flux， before the ideas of them even had taken shape。 Like a British Illiad。 Catraeth saw only one that went South return home， probably the bard Aneirin that composed it。"Many a Written in Welsh in what became Scotland， it's about a last stand action of a band of （probably） Romano-Brit cavalry against a huge Anglosaxon warband in what is now Yorkshire。 The poem is a eulogy for the fallen。 It was written as the nations that became Scotland， Wales， and England were still forming and in a state of flux， before the ideas of them even had taken shape。 Like a British Illiad。 Catraeth saw only one that went South return home， probably the bard Aneirin that composed it。"Many a mother with tears in her eyes。。。" 。。。more

Karen Floyd ，

This is a difficult book to review。 There is much more commentary than there is poem。 I kept waiting for the commentary to end so I could just read the poem， but it didn't。 I finally realized that I was reading the poem， that's what the bits in quotes were， and understood just how fragmentary is what has come down to us。 In addition， some of the poem is beyond the reach of current translators， so they can only make well-educated suppositions about what some words are and what they mean。 People s This is a difficult book to review。 There is much more commentary than there is poem。 I kept waiting for the commentary to end so I could just read the poem， but it didn't。 I finally realized that I was reading the poem， that's what the bits in quotes were， and understood just how fragmentary is what has come down to us。 In addition， some of the poem is beyond the reach of current translators， so they can only make well-educated suppositions about what some words are and what they mean。 People stopped speaking the language of The Gotoddin a very long time ago; it's older than Beowulf。That said， I found it fascinating。 I had not known there was so much information about Britain in the so-called Dark Ages。 The Gododdin itself is a lament for the British killed in the Battle of Catraeth （c。 600AD）in which they were making a preemptive attack against the Anglo-Saxons who were rapidly taking over their country。 In the end the attack failed and only a few men survived， one of them the poet Aneirin who wrote the poem。 （Is that a redundant phrase？ Because it could have another poet than Aneirin who wrote the poem。 Anyway-） The elegies in the poem were composed so that those who died would not be forgotten。 And I should not have said "written" earlier。 The poem was first written down several hundred years after it was composed。An interesting difference between British and Anglo-Saxon bards is that while the Anglo-Saxons had the frame of a story but were supposed to fill in the details and embroider it as they performed， British bards had to memorize all the poems， because they were not supposed to deviate a whit from the exact words of the original。 Never use the words "oral society" in a negative manner again！It's an all to brief glimpse into fascinating world， full of fragments of brilliant images。 。。。more

David ，

The greatest poem of the Celtic West

Y。Z。 ，

Recommended by Mr。 Fakes。 My "review:"But we can no longer write poems like this。 Recommended by Mr。 Fakes。 My "review:"But we can no longer write poems like this。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Gododdin: Lament for the Fallen

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Gododdin: Lament for the Fallen&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Gododdin: Lament for the Fallen&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0