A scholarly yet easy to read study of the saints and warriors, princes and poets, legends and literature of the Powys borderland between the 6th and 16th centuries reflecting the spirituality and savagery of this particular part of Wales.

Astudiaeth ysgolheigaidd a hawdd ei darllen o hanes seintiau a rhyfelwyr, tywysogion a beirdd, chwedlau a llenyddiaeth gororau Powys rhwng y 6ed a'r 16eg ganrif, yn adlewyrchu ysbrydolrwydd a mileindra'r rhan hon o Gymru.

Canon Thomas has chosen to reflect on the saints of Powys and their princely rulers, from Brochwel Ysgithrog in the sixth century down to Owain Glyndwr, through the medium of contemporary poets who commemorated both saints and princes. 'Tension between heroism and holiness was a characteristic of the culture of the Powys borderland for a thousand years,' he writes. This was due to the unfortunate situation of the kingdom of Powys between the hammer of the Mercians and later the Normans and the anvil of other ambitious Welsh princes of Gwynedd and Deheubarth.

The story of St Tysilio, disciple of St Gwyddfarch, in the first chapter, is particularly symbolic of the tension referred to above, in that as the son of Brochwel Ysgithrog he was expected to become a warrior, but instead chose a monastic life - and pacifism - at Meifod. The line of Brochwel ruled Powys for centuries though cursed by the bad-tempered St Beuno, who foretold they would eventually lose their land entirely, as came true, even though the saint cancelled his curse.

The bloody warfare of Welsh and English is reflected in the second chapter, 'Cynddylan and Heledd', which includes the famous lament of Heledd, Cynddylan's sister. All the poetry quoted has been translated into English. The third chapter evolved from a poetic dialogue between two hermits, 'Gwrnerth and Llywelyn' of Welshpool, its main message being loyalty, but it serves only to highlight the feuding and treachery which characterised the behaviour of the ruling family of Powys in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

There was a brief respite during the reign of Madog ap Maredudd, described in Chapter 4, which is entitled 'Owain Cyfeiliog [Madog's nephew]and Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr' [court poet to Madog and Owain]. The final chapter analyses the satiric anonymous tale, Rhonabwy's Dream, which sends up the heroic tradition, together with the work of Gruffudd Llwyd who wrote in praise of Owain Glyndwr.

Canon Thomas's title appears to signify that the Celtic Heaven (and peace) was a far better ambition than the Celtic Earth (war) and he has succeeded in illuminating this theme through judicious employment of contemporary writings, while providing an introduction for the general reader to Welsh mediaeval studies and literature.

Sue Passmore

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

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