Aneirin, Aneurin or Neirin mab Dwywei (c. 525 - 600) was a British poet, who has been taken by Thomas Stephens (1821-1875), the editor and translator of Aneurin's principal epic poem "Y Gododdin", for a son of Gildas, the historian. Y Gododdin is an account of the British defeat (603) by the Saxons at Cattraeth (identified by Stephens with Dawstane in Liddesdale), where Aneurin is said to have been taken prisoner; but the poem is very obscure and is differently interpreted. It was translated and edited by W. F. Skene in his Four Ancient Books of Wales (1866), and Stephens' version was published by the Cymmrodorion Society in 1888. Aneirin is believed to have been a court poet or bard in one of the Brythonic kingdoms of southern Scotland, and wrote in Old Welsh, from which the modern Welsh language is descended. The version of the Llyfr Aneirin which survives today renders his work into mediaeval Welsh.
Aneirin is first mentioned in Nennius' Historia Brittonum compiled around 800CE where he gives a list of the cynfeirdd (the earliest bards working in Old Cymric) and names them all as Talhaearn Tad Awen, Neirin, Taliesin, Bluchfardd and Cian Gweinth Gwawd (Cian Servant of Satire).
This Lleenawg is the father of Gwallawg one of the heroes of the 'Old North' and a descendant of Coel Hen whom Nennius ames as a member of the confederation of Brythonic kings led by Urien Rheged in his opposition to the Berenician king Hussa as well as a number of other Saxon leaders.
That Aneirin was considered the epitome of poetic inspiration is made clear by the references made to the bard by the gogynfeirdd (the later than early bards) and indicates that Anerin's mythos and reputation were alive and well during the early Middle Ages, suggesting a continuity of knowledge about him.
Aneirin or Neirin mab Dwywei (6th/7th century) was a Welsh / British poet, author of the epic, "Y Gododdin".The poem celebrates the battle between the native Britons and the Saxons at Catterick ("Catraeth" in Welsh) in about the year 600.
Aneirin is believed to have been a court poet or bard in one of the Brythonic kingdoms of southern Scotland, and wrote in Old Welsh, from which the modern Welsh language is descended.
The version of the Llyfr Aneirin which survives today renders his work into mediaeval Welsh.
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