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Hungarian poet János Arany made honorary citizen of Welsh town

A special celebration of the life of the poet behind the "Bards of Wales" was held in Budapest, and the author, János Arany, has posthumously been made an honorary citizen of Montgomery, Wales

Last week, a special celebration of the life of the poet behind the "Bards of Wales" was held in Budapest, and the author, János Arany, has posthumously been made an honorary citizen of Montgomery.

The famous poem has been synonymous with Hungarians for years and tells of the slaughter of 500 Welsh poets at Montgomery Castle .

According to the BBC, Montgomery Mayor Eric Fairbrother said the poem was a "great link" between the two countries.

A Walesi Bardok, The Bards of Wales, tells of their legendary slaughter at a banquet in Montgomery Castle by King Edward the 1st, after they refused to sing his praises as their conqueror.

Janos Arany wrote the verses after refusing to write a poem celebrating the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph following a failed revolution in 1848 against the empire.

While Arany's 19th Century ballad is still taught in all schools in Hungary, many living in Montgomery, Powys, have never heard of it. However, locals are now spreading the word.