Darogan : Prophecy, Lament and Absent Heroes in Medieval Welsh Literature

The Welsh literary tradition is in many ways sui generis: few medieval cultures gave comparable respect to their poets. This book is the first in over seven decades to explore the literary, theological, and philosophical relevance of a somewhat ignored, but remarkably powerful, body of Welsh literature—the daroganau, or, political prophecies. Engaging the critical tradition exemplified by such writers as Walter Benjamin, Martin Heidegger, Roman Jakobson, Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, Roland Barthes, and Paul Ricoeur, Aled Llion Jones delves into the means of expression in these radical philosophies of nationalism, internationalism, and allegorical eschatology, as well as their breathtakingly beautiful use of language and form. Political Prophecy Was A Common Mode Of Literature In The British Isles And Much Of Europe From The Middle Ages To At Least As Late As The Renaissance. At Times Of Political Instability Especially, The Manuscript Record Bristles With Prophetic Works That Promise Knowledge Of Dynastic Futures. In Welsh, The Later Development Of This Mode Is Best Known Through The Figure Of The Mab Darogan, The 'son Of Prophecy', Who - Variously Named As Arthur, Owain Or A Number Of Other Heroes - Will Return To Re-establish Sovereignty. Such A Returning Hero Is Also A Potent Figure In English, Scottish And Wider European Traditions. This Book Explores The Large Body Of Prophetic Poetry And Prose Contained In The Earliest Welsh-language Manuscripts, Exploring The Complexity Of An Essentially Multilingual, Multi-ethnic And Multinational Literary Tradition, And With Reference To This Wider Tradition Critical And Theoretical Questions Are Raised Of Genre, Signification And Significance. Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. 1 Prophecy, Apocalypse And Return -- Ch. 2 Praise, Lament And Silence -- Ch. 3 Manuscripts, Multilingualism And Fragmentation -- Ch. 4 Rhys Fardd, Ventriloquy And Pseudonymity. Aled Llion Jones. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgements Foreword 1 Prophecy, apocalypse and return 2 Praise, lament and silence 3 Manuscripts, multilingualism and fragmentation 4 Rhys Fardd, ventriloquy and pseudonymity Conclusion: History split and promises unmade Appendix 1: Manuscripts containing darogan Appendix 2: Tables of manuscripts and their contents Appendix 3: Prophecies of Rhys Fardd in pre-c.1540 manuscripts Appendix 4: Bilingual manuscripts containing prophetic material Bibliography Index This book focuses on the prophetic poetry and prose of the earliest Welsh-language manuscripts, exploring the complexity of a literary tradition simultaneously apocalyptic, eschatological, multilingual, nationalist and interethnic