Hoel

Fictional 13th century Welsh bard mentioned in Thomas Gray's poem "The Bard: A Pindaric Ode," published in 1757.

The premise of the poem is the tradition that after Edward the First conquered Wales (1277-1283), he had all the Welsh bards put to death.

Hark, how each giant-oak, and desert cave,

Sighs to the torrent's awful voice beneath!

O'er thee, oh king! their hundred arms they wave,

Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe;

Vocal no more, since Cambria's fatal day,

To high-born Hoel's harp, or soft Llewellyn's lay.

Cold is Cadwallo's tongue,

That hushed the stormy main:

Brave Urien sleeps upon his craggy bed:

Mountains, ye mourn in vain

Modred, whose magic song

Made huge Plinlimmon bow his cloud-topped head.

On dreary Arvon's shore they lie,

Smeared with gore, and ghastly pale

See also

• Llewellyn
• Cadwallo
• Urien
• Modred

External Links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bard_(poem)
• http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=bapo#panel_notes