In 1277, King Edward I of England launched his first major military campaign against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the Prince of Wales, to subdue Welsh resistance and assert English control. Edward assembled a large army and fleet, which quickly overran much of northern Wales, forcing Llywelyn to agree to the Treaty of Aberconwy. The campaign was the beginning of Edward's systematic conquest of Wales, which would culminate in the annexation of the principality.

Edward I's conquest of Wales was a major event in British history that inspired both Welsh resistance poetry and English triumphal literature. Welsh poets, such as the bards of the princely courts, composed awdlau and elegies lamenting the loss of their independence and celebrating the heroism of Llywelyn. These works are a rich expression of Welsh national identity and constitute an important corpus of medieval Welsh poetry, preserving the memory of the struggle against English domination.