Guto Nyth Brân

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cenotaph

Griffith Morgan (* 1700 in Porth, Wales , † 1737 in Bedwas, Wales), better known by his Welsh name Guto Nyth Brân , was the most famous representative of pedestriantism at the beginning of the 18th century. Many of his runs are legendary and have been found in literature, e.g. B. by Isaac Daniel Hooson, popularized. His environment is passed down particularly through William Thomas in his book about the Lanwynno Parish.

Life

Guto was from Llwyncelyn, a small village in the parish of Porth in Wales. Even as a child, his athletic talent was noticed because he hunted rabbits on foot. He was said to be able to walk from home to Pontypridd and back (a distance of seven miles) before the water boiled in his mother's kettle. The owner of the local shop, Siân o'r Siop, became his trainer and manager.

In the first professional race over 4 miles (6.4 km) he easily beat a hitherto undefeated English captain and won £ 400 in prize money. Soon he found no more opponents because he always won. Finally, in 1737, he competed against the then undefeated Prince of Bedwas . The prize money was 1000 guineas (= £ 1050, which corresponds to a value of around £ 150,000 in 2016), the race went over 12 miles (= 19.3 km). Guto won in the final sprint and died of exhaustion shortly afterwards.

Afterlife

As an integral part of Welsh folklore, Guto Nyth Brân has been extolled in songs and poems.

In memory of Guto, a large memorial was erected in the cemetery of St. Gwynno in 1866, and the Nos Galan (Welsh: Ras Nos Galan ) 5 km New Year's Eve run takes place annually in Mountain Ash, Cynon Valley, Wales.

literature

  • John Davies, Nigel Jenkins: The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales . University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2008, ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6 .
  • William Thomas, called Glanffrwd: Plwyf Llanwyno, yr Hen Amser, yr Hen Bobl, a'r Hen Droion . Pontypridd 1888, 2nd edition 1913. New edition, edited by Henry Lewis: Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, Caerdydd 1949.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Arnd Krüger : The sport before the "English sport" in England and on the continent . In: Christian Becker, Cornelia Regin , Anton Weise (eds.): When sport came to Hanover. History and reception of a cultural transfer between England and Northern Germany from the 18th to the 20th century . Lit, Münster 2015, ISBN 978-3-643-13152-2 , pp. 36–54.
  2. ↑ https://baarbaarathesheep.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/a-local-legend-the-story-of-guto-nyth-bran-a-poem/
  3. ↑ http://www.thevalleys.co.uk/heroes-search/hero.aspx?h=13
personal data
SURNAME Nyth Brân, Guto
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Morgan, Griffith (English form)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Welsh representative of pedestriantism
DATE OF BIRTH 1700
PLACE OF BIRTH Porth, Wales
DATE OF DEATH 1737
Place of death Bedwas