R. Geraint Gruffydd
Encyclopedia
Professor Emeritus R. Geraint Gruffydd (born 9 June 1928), MA DPhil DLitt FLSW FBA is a scholar of Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

 and literature. He is a graduate of Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...

 and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

 He commenced his studies at Oxford in 1948. During his academic career he held three notable offices:
  • Chair of Welsh language and literature at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
    University of Wales, Aberystwyth
    Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...

     (1970–1979)
  • Librarian of the National Library of Wales
    National Library of Wales
    The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...

     (1980–1985)
  • Director of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (1985–1993)


Afer his academic retirement in 1993 he became 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
Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru is the principal historical dictionary of the Welsh language, enjoying a similar status to that of the Oxford English Dictionary in the English language....

. He has written 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
Dafydd ap Gwilym , is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym (c. 1315/1320 – c. 1350/1370), is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym...

, and the Methodist hymn-writer, William Williams of Pantycelyn, to 20th century writers such as Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...

.

He is a Calvinist Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. He is a Welsh Nationalist. His father, Moses Griffith, was the first Treasurer of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...

.

He is also a Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
Learned Society of Wales
The Learned Society of Wales is a society that exists to “celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines”.The society was launched on 25 May 2010 at the National Museum of Wales...

.

Geraint Gruffydd was a friend of Sheldon Vanauken
Sheldon Vanauken
Sheldon Vanauken is an American author, best known for his autobiographical book A Severe Mercy , which recounts his and his wife's friendship with C. S. Lewis, their conversion to Christianity and dealing with tragedy...

 at Oxford, and was mentioned in Vanauken's memoir A Severe Mercy
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. It was first published in 1977. The book is strongly influenced, at least stylistically, by the...

.

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 (2008)


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
    Meilyr Brydydd is the earliest of the Welsh Poets of the Princes or Gogynfeirdd whose work has survived.Meilyr was the court poet of Gruffudd ap Cynan , king of Gwynedd...

     a'i ddisgynyddion (1994)
  • Gwaith Llywelyn Fardd I ac eraill o feirdd y Ddeuddegfed Ganrif (1995)
  • Gwaith Dafydd Benfras
    Dafydd Benfras
    Dafydd Benfras was a Welsh language court poet regarded by Saunders Lewis and others as one of the greatest of the 'Poets of the Princes' ....

     ac eraill o feirdd hanner cyntaf y Drydedd Ganrif ar Ddeg (1995)
  • Gwaith Bleddyn Fardd
    Bleddyn Fardd
    Bleddyn Fardd was a Welsh-language court poet from Gwynedd.Bleddyn is noted for his elegies on the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, the texts of which are preserved in the Hendregadredd manuscript....

    ac Eraill (1996)
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