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Like many of the figures associated with fifth- and sixth-century Brythonic-speaking territories in Britain, Gwallog becomes a figure in the later Welsh literature about the [[Hen Ogledd|'Old North']]. The historical value of these literary sources is doubtful, as are all to be dated even at their most conservative estimates around the same period as the ''Historia Brittonum''.<ref>Even Jenny Rowland, essentially following the arguments of Ifor Williams set down a half-century prior, dates the material concerning Gwallog in 'Canu Urien' to the late eighth century at the earliest. See Rowland, Jenny (ed.) ''Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the'' Englynion (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1990), pp. 388-9; henceforth ''EWSP''.</ref> The chronologically earliest pieces of literature post-dating the ''Historia Brittonum'' are called 'saga poems', so named by comparison with [[Icelandic sagas]], since it is thought that these poems originally were featured in longer oral or prose stories, much like the poems in the Norse texts. Like the Norse texts, these poems could be of historical value, but it is difficult to know by how much.<ref>See, e.g. Byock, Jesse L., ‘Saga Form, Oral Prehistory, and the Icelandic Social Context’, New Literary History, 16 (1984), pp. 153-173., for an overview of the Icelandic problem.</ref>
One cyclegroup of poems in this genre is called the 'Urien Rheged' cycle ([[Welsh language|Welsh]]: 'Canu Urien') by modern scholars, as the poems are concerned with the events after the slaying of Urien. WhatThe ispoems suggestedsurvive byfrom the evidence[[Black Book of theseCarmarthen]] poems(c. is1250), the [[Red Book of Hergest]] (after 1382), and various other later copies. Nevertheless, they are generally understood to be earlier material. The narrative of the poems thatsuggests Urien's kingdom was beset with enemies after his death, and Gwallog is among them. The poem states that 'Gwallog, horseman in battle, intended to make corpses in [[Urien Yrechwydd#Location_of_Yrechwydd|Erechwydd]] against the onslaught of Elffin [ab Urien]'.<ref>Pwyllei wallawc marchawc trin. /
erechwyd gwneuthur dynin. /
yn erbyn kyfryssed elphin. ''EWSP'', 'Canu Urien', §39 ('Dwy Blaid')</ref> There are two other poems from the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (c. 1250) which reference Gwallog as well. EvenThe thoughdate theof manuscriptthese is, latehowever, it has been argued that these two poems are representing earlier materialuncertain. Despite Urien's great reputation in Welsh literature and Gwallog's apparent hostility to Urien's heirs, in one poem, Gwallog is memorialised among other heroes as an ''attwod lloegir'' 'affliction of England' in one poem.<ref>''EWSP'', 'Mi a wum', §5 </ref> The other poem refers to a lost story about Gwallog losing one of his eyes to a goose, though it is apparently not meant to be a humorous tale, as it has been understood previously.<ref>[[Rachel Bromwich]] took the story to be an entertaining anecdote, see Bromwich, Rachel (ed. and tr.) Trioedd Ynys Prydein: ''The Triads of the Island of Britain'', fourth ed. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2014), p. 372. For the counterargument, see ''EWSP'', pp. 104-6 for discussion. The poem is found in ''EWSP'' under the title 'Gwallawg'.</ref>
==''Welsh Triads'', Arthuriana, and later genaeologies==
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