This is a post which was written for our social media accounts by regular guest writer, Padrig. In this post, Padrig talks about Iolo Morganwg and why he was (and some cases still is) problematic for Wales.
Iolo Morganwg is often remembered for reviving Welsh culture, but when it comes to history, he did real damage. He presented himself as an expert on ancient Cymru, but he made up much of what he claimed and passed it off as fact.
The Damage of Iolo Morganwg
This wasn’t accidental – he did it deliberately. He forged poems, triads and bardic texts, saying they came from old medieval manuscripts.
He even altered real texts to fit his own ideas. He invented the Gorsedd ceremonies and claimed they were ancient Druid traditions, even though there is no evidence for that.
He also created the Coelbren y Beirdd alphabet and insisted it was an old secret script, a claim completely rejected by historians and linguists.Because of him, generations of people were misled.
Scholars had to spend decades untangling what was genuine and what was his invention. His work made it harder for Welsh history to be taken seriously and gave people an excuse to dismiss it as myth.
Iolo was a talented poet and storyteller, but he was not a historian. His legacy is not a clearer picture of ancient Wales – it is a warning of how damaging it can be when imagination is presented as fact.
Don’t get me started on Wilson and Blacket the pseudo historians. Well that may be for another post.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.