Y Traethodydd (The Essayist) is a quarterly cultural magazine published in the Welsh language covering historical, literary and theological topics[citation needed].

[1] The journal was originally published in 1845 on behalf of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church.

[2] Both men were Welsh Calvinistic Methodist preachers, and Lewis Edwards successfully used the publication to disseminate information on the latest trends in theology, science, literature and philosophy.

[3] Edwards edited Y Traethodydd for its first ten years, when it was published in Denbigh by Thomas Gee,[4] a fellow Nonconformist Welshman who was notable for printing Welsh magazines and journals.

Today the magazine claims to "offer discussions on a vast range of topics relating to 'culture', in the widest sense"[5] and is published four times per year.