Richard Davies (Mynyddog)

Who was Richard Davies (Mynyddog)?

Richard Davies (Mynyddog) was a popular Welsh language poet.

He was born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, in a house called "Y Fron".

He adopted the name Mynyddog from the name Mynyddog Mwynfawr, a character in an early Welsh poem. Use of an adopted Welsh-language pen name is common among Welsh poets. poet, singer, and eisteddfod conductor ; b. at Dôl Lydan, Llanbrynmair, Mont., 10 January 1833 . His father, Daniel Davies, was deacon and precentor in the Old Chapel, while his mother, Jane, belonged to a bookish family. He was chr. by John Roberts . When he was 2 years of age his parents moved to Fron in the same parish. He was educated at the Old Chapel school kept by the younger John Roberts . He was a frequent competitor at the eisteddfodau, both in the classical and modern metres, and took his bardic name, ‘ Mynyddog,’ from Newydd Fynyddog, a hill near his home. There is no special merit in his work in the classical metres, but his lyrics became very popular. They were tuneful, unsophisticated poems, which dealt with the joys and tribulations of the common people, the folly of pride, and the absurdity of hypocrisy.