Three poets from Aberystwyth University have penned a series of poems in response to old manuscripts from the National Library of Wales dealing with the weather and climate change.

The poetry and manuscripts are being displayed online and in a shop window in the centre of Aberystwyth as part of the University’s Festival of Research.

The poems for the ‘Words and Windows’ project have been composed by Prof Mererid Hopwood and Eurig Salisbury from the university’s Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies, and Prof Matthew Jarvis from the Department of English and Creative Writing.

Mererid’s englyn (short Welsh-language verse in strict metre) is a response to a medieval ode by Dafydd ap Gwilym about the roebuck, which is now extinct in Wales.

Eurig’s englyn focuses on the legendary drowning of Cantre’r Gwaelod which features in the The Black Book of Carmarthen.

A weather prediction from the Almanac of October 1721 exactly three hundred years ago provides the inspiration for Matthew Jarvis’s poem.

Prof Hopwood said: “As members of the university’s Creative Exchange we are delighted to be working with the National Library and Ceredigion County Council to try to bring works of the past to the public’s attention.

“They may be centuries old, but they are still relevant today.”

Prof Jarvis, the university’s Creative Exchange Fellow, said: “Creative practice can help people see the past in new ways, showing material that is hundreds of years old in an exciting new light.

“It’s also an important way of responding to key contemporary challenges – such as climate change.

“It can allow us to imagine the futures we might want to reach, and to connect emotionally with those potential futures.”

Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian of The National Library of Wales said: “As a Library we are very proud to be part of this initiative.

“The National Library of Wales and the collections in its care belong to everyone in Wales and are a valuable resource that allow us to respond positively to contemporary challenges such as climate change.

“This exhibition is an excellent example of how the past can inspire us today and help us to shape a better future for the people of Wales and the world.”

Cllr Rhodri Evans, Ceredigion County Council cabinet member for economy and regeneration said: “We welcome the opportunity to work with Aberystwyth University on plans to introduce ‘Words and Windows’ across the town, and to facilitate the poetry exhibition which has a very poignant message that we can all reflect on - the changes that have occurred and are happening right now due to climate change.”

The ‘Words and Windows’ exhibition went on display from Monday, 18 October until 31 October in the windows of the old gas showrooms owned by Ceredigion council in Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, as well as on the university’s digital platforms.