A Rattleskull Genius: The Many Faces of Iolo Morganwg (University of Wales Press - Iolo Morganwg and the Romantic Tradition)

An industrious academic and charmingly eccentric Romantic poet and forger, Iolo Morganwg (1747-1846) left behind a floor-to-ceiling stack of unpublished manuscripts in his small Welsh cottage. A Rattleskull Genius, based on that trove of unpublished material now held at the National Library of Wales, provides both a celebration and a critical reassessment of the author and his contributions to Welsh cultural tradition. "Iolo Morganwg is arguably the most extraordinary figure in the entire cultural history of Wales. Since his long and turbulent career unfolded against a backdrop of improvement, industrialization, evangelicalism, enlightenment and romanticism, it is not surprising that myriad Iolos emerged - the multi-gifted stonemason, the druidic bard, the labouring poet, the romantic myth-maker, the consummate forger, the political radical, the agricultural commentator, the apostle of anti-trinitarianism, and many others. His life was riddled with apparent ironies, paradoxes and contradictions, and the aim of this volume is to re-evaluate his diverse interests and to celebrate the multifaceted achievements of a flawed but endlessly fascinating self-styled 'rattleskull genius'."--BOOK JACKET An industrious academic and charmingly eccentric Romantic poet and forger, Iolo Morganwg (1747 - 1846)left behind a floor-to-ceiling stack of unpublished manuscripts in his small Welsh cottage. A Rattleskull Genius , based on that trove of unpublished material now held at the National Library of Wales, provides both a celebration and a critical reassessment of the author and his contributions to Welsh cultural tradition. Edited By Geraint H. Jenkins. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.