What does awdl mean?
The awdl is the longest and most demanding of the traditional verse forms of Welsh poetry. Written in one of the recognised strict metres, it weaves together rhyme and the intricate alliterative sound patterns known as cynghanedd, and may run to hundreds of lines. The word comes from Welsh and belongs to a family of medieval Welsh poetic terms that have remained in continuous use since the age of the bards. Today the awdl occupies a place of honour in Welsh literary life: at the National Eisteddfod, the festival's oldest and most celebrated competition requires entrants to submit an awdl, and the winner is honoured as the chaired bard. Because it is a specialised term, it appears chiefly in discussions of Welsh literature, yet it stands for something widely admired — a living tradition of highly crafted, orally rooted verse that has survived into the modern era.
nounIn Welsh prosody, an awdl is a long poem written in strict metre, composed of one or more rhymed stanzas using the elaborate cynghanedd sound-patterns of traditional Welsh verse. It is one of the most prestigious forms in Welsh-language poetry and is the form traditionally required of competitors for the chair at the National Eisteddfod.
- A long poem in one of the strict metres of Welsh poetry, typically judged at the National Eisteddfod.
"The bard's awdl, praised for its flawless cynghanedd, earned him the coveted chair at the Eisteddfod."
"Her award-winning awdl ran to more than two hundred lines of intricate cynghanedd."
"Judges at the National Eisteddford awarded the crown on the strength of his awdl on the theme of the sea."
The Welsh plural "awdlau" is standard in Welsh-language contexts; anglicised writing sometimes uses "awdls".
"Several awdlau were submitted for this year's chairing competition."
To win the Eisteddfod's most famous prize — a hand-carved oak chair — poets must still compose an awdl, keeping alive a strict Welsh verse tradition that stretches back over a thousand years.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of awdl
The word "awdl" is borrowed directly from Welsh, where it has denoted a poem in strict metre since the medieval bardic period. Its ultimate origin within Welsh is uncertain, though it has long been connected with the vocabulary of bardic craft. The plural in Welsh is "awdlau". As a loanword, it remains closely tied to Welsh cultural contexts such as the eisteddfod tradition.
How awdl is actually used
"Awdl" is a technical term of Welsh literary culture; it appears almost exclusively in writing about Welsh poetry rather than in general conversation. Plural forms include "awdlau" (Welsh) and occasionally "awdls" (English).
Easily confused with awdl
An englyn is a short Welsh strict-metre stanza or epigram, whereas an awdl is a long poem made up of many lines of strict metre.