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The Greatest Ever Faker

4 Extra Debut. Gareth Gwyn sets out on the trail of Welshman Iolo Morganwg, stonemason, historian, fantasist – and forger! From 2016.

He was a 19th century historian, poet and activist.

He founded the modern Eisteddfod – at a gathering atop London's Primrose Hill – uncovered medieval poems, an ancient alphabet and numerous manuscripts that stand as a lodestone of Welsh literary culture and decisively shaped modern Wales's idea of itself.

The thing is: it was mostly fiction - lies and forgeries.

Gareth Gwynn sets out on the trail of Ned of Glamorgan, aka Iolo Morganwg, to find out whether a modern Welsh man can really be an honest Welshman when his national traditions are based on falsehood.

Along the way he can't resist the temptation to create a few traditions of his own, leading down some blind and dangerous philosophical alleys.

Producer: Michael Surcombe

First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 in March 2016.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Fri 9 Aug 2024 00:30

Broadcasts

  • Mon 7 Mar 2016 16:00
  • Sat 30 Jul 2016 13:32
  • Sun 31 Jul 2016 18:04
  • Thu 4 Aug 2016 00:30
  • Thu 8 Aug 2024 10:30
  • Thu 8 Aug 2024 16:30
  • Fri 9 Aug 2024 00:30

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