Erotic Medieval Poet: Gwerful Mechain

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

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Summary

Wales in the Medieval period had a thriving bardic tradition and one poet is particularly fascinating. Gwerful Mechain lived in the second half of the fifteenth century. She left a body of work that is mostly religious, but sometimes very rude and irreverent.

In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Professor Wynn Thomas, editor of A Map of Love: Twelve Welsh Poems of Romance, Desire and Devotion, which includes Mechain’s startling hymn of praise to female genitals.

**WARNING: This episode contains graphic, bawdy verse**

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg

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1:33.1	Welcome to this episode of Gone Medieval, I'm Matt Lewis. Welsh poets have for a long time been
1:38.0	an overlooked source for historical study. They're important to the study of the Wars of the Roses,
1:43.0	my specific area of interest has only just begun to be understood. There was a thriving bardic
1:47.9	tradition and one poet in particular is fascinating. Where Deville Macay lived in the second half
1:54.0	of the 15th century and as a female poet left a body of work that deals less with history
1:59.4	and more with social concerns. She's rude, she's irreverent and unafraid to tackle serious issues.
	...

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