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Ellis Evans received a basic education at elementary and Sunday school. He was not a brilliant pupil but he had a natural gift for poetry. He wrote his first poems at the age of eleven. He left school at fourteen and began work as a shepherd on his father’s farm.

He took part in eisteddfods from the age of 19 and won his first bard’s chair at Bala in 1907. In 1910 he took his bardic name “Hedd Wyn” which in English means “Shining Peace”, a reference to the sun’s rays penetrating the mists in the valleys of Meirionydd. Hedd Wynn’s main influence was Shelley and themes of nature and religion dominated his work. In 1913 he won the chairs at Pwllheli and Llanuwchllyn and in 1915 he was successful at Pontardawe and Llanuwchllyn. The same year he wrote his first poem for the National Eisteddfod, “Eryri” an ode to Snowdonia. In 1916 he took second place at the Aberystwyth National Eisteddfod with an ode to the medieval abbey Strata Florida. He determined to win the chair the following year.

By this time the Great War was at its height. There was great support for the War in Wales and David Lloyd George, Prime Minister from 1916, urged his countrymen to make sacrifices for the war effort. Welshmen had volunteered in large numbers from 1914 and the introduction of conscription in late 1916 did not undermine support.

Naturally the War affected Hedd Wyn’s work and produced some of his best poetry including “Plant Trawsfynnydd” (“Children of Trawsfynnydd”), “Y Blotyn Du” (“The Black Mark”), “Nid â’n Ango” (“Do Not Forget”) and “Rhyfel” (“War”).

The Evans family in 1916 was faced with a difficult choice – one of the sons must join the forces despite farming being work of national importance. Ellis enlisted rather than his younger brother Bob, who was married. In February 1917 he received his training at Litherland Camp, Liverpool where his stoical but cheerful disposition made him well-liked. In March 1917 the Government called for farm workers to help with ploughing and many soldiers were temporarily released. Hedd Wyn was given seven weeks’ leave. He spent much of this time working on “Yr Arwr”, his entry for the National Eisteddfod. He returned to training in May, well satisfied with his progress.

In June 1917 Hedd Wyn joined the 15th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers at Fléchin in France. His arrival depressed him. “Heavy weather, heavy soul, heavy heart. That is an uncomfortable trinity, isn’t it?” Nevertheless at Fléchin he finished his National Eisteddfod entry and signed it “Fleur de Lis”. It left with the post on 15th July 1917. The same day his Battalion moved towards the Front Line in readiness for the major assault which would be known as the Third Battle of Ypres or simply as Passchendaele.

The attack began on 31st July 1917 at 0350. Heavy rain turned the battlefield into a swamp. The 15th Battalion took Pilckem and then advanced towards Iron Cross, coming under heavy artillery and machine gun fire. Hedd Wyn was hit in the chest by shrapnel and carried to a First-Aid Post. Still conscious he asked the doctor “Do you think I will live?” It was clear that he had little chance of surviving. Hedd Wyn died at about 1100, one of many thousands of casualties that day.

On 6th September 1917 the ceremony of Chairing the Bard took place at the National Eisteddfod, held that year at Birkenhead. David Lloyd George was present. The adjudicators announced that the entry of “Fleur de Lis” was the winner and the trumpets were sounded for him to identify himself. No one stood up and eventually it was discovered that the winner had died six weeks before. The empty chair was draped in black. “The Festival in tears and the Poet in his grave” said the Archdruid Dyfed.

Ellis Humphrey Evans, “Hedd Wyn” is buried in Artillery Wood Cemetery at Boezinge. His collected work “ The Shepherd’s Poems”, was published in 1918.

Ellis Humphrey Evans – “Hedd Wyn”	The Black Chair, won posthumously by Hedd Wyn at the 1917 National Eisteddfod at Birkenhead.