Medieval Welsh literature is the medieval literature written in the Welsh language from before 1100 to the 16th century. Welsh was born sometime between 400 and 700 AD and the earliest surviving literature in Welsh is poetry dating from this period. Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one-thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Overview

Welsh was born sometime between 400 and 700 AD and the earliest surviving literature in Welsh is poetry dating from this period. The poetic tradition represented in the work of Y Cynfeirdd ("The early poets"), as they are known, then survives for over a thousand years to the work of the Poets of the Nobility in the sixteenth century.

The core tradition was praise poetry and the poet Taliesin was regarded as the first in the line. The other aspect of the tradition was the professionalism of the poets and their reliance on patronage from kings, princes and nobles in their turn for their living. The fall of the kingdom of Gwynedd and the loss of any form of Welsh independence in 1282 did prove a crisis in the tradition but a crisis which was overcome. It led to the innovation the development of the cywydd meter, a more loose definition of praise, and a reliance on the nobility for patronage. For the studio established by Frank Lloyd Wright, see Taliesin (studio) Taliesin or Taliessin (c. ... Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ...

The professionalism of the poetic tradition was sustained by a Guild of poets, or Order of bards, with its own 'rule book'. This 'rule book' emphasised their professionalism and that the making of poetry as a craft. Under its rules it took an apprenticeship of nine years for a poet to become fully qualified. The rules also set out the payment a poet could expect for his work these payments varied according to how long a poet had been in training and also the demand for poetry at particular times during the year.

But kings, princes and nobles not only had their court poet, they also had their storyteller (Welsh: cyfarwydd). Like poets, the storytellers were also professionals; but, unlike the poets, little of their work has survived. What has survived are literary creations based on native Welsh tales which would have been told by the storytellers. These tales are usually known as the Mabinogion. The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

Welsh prose in the Middle Ages was not confined to the story tradition, it included a large body of both religious and practical works, in addition to a large amount translated from other languages.

Welsh poetry before 1100

In Welsh literature the period before 1100 is known as the period of Y Cynfeirdd ("The earliest poets") or Yr Hengerdd ("The old poetry"). It roughly dates from the birth of the Welsh language until the arrival of the Normans in Wales towards the end of the eleventh century. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous Gauls of France and the Viking invaders under the leadership of Rollo (Gange Rolf). ...

The oldest Welsh literature does not belong to the territory we know as Wales today, but rather to northern England and southern Scotland. But though it is dated to be from the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, it has survived only in and thirteenth- and fourteenth century manuscript copies. The names of the early poets are known from the work of the eighth-century historian Nennius, author of Historia Brittonum. There he lists the famous poets from the time of King Ida, AD547-559: National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Nennius, or Nemnivus, is the name of two shadowy personages traditionally associated with the history of Wales. ... Ida (died 559) was a ruler (probably the founder) of the English kingdom of Bernicia between 547 and 559. ...

"At that time, Talhaiarn Cataguen was famed for poetry, and Neirin (i.e. Aneirin), and Taliesin and Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith Guaut, were all famous at the same time in British (that is Brythonic, or, Welsh) poetry."

Of the poets named here it is believed that work that can be identified as being by Aneirin and Taliesin have survived.

Taliesin

The poetry of Taliesin has been preserved in a 14th century manuscript known as Llyfr Taliesin (=The book of Taliesin). This manuscript contains a large body of later mystical poetry attributed to the poet, but scholars have recognised twelve poems that belong to the 6th century. They are all poems of praise: one for Cynan Garwyn, king of Powys about 580; two for Gwallawg, king of Elmet, a kingdom based around the modern Leeds; the other nine poems are associated with Urien Rheged, a ruler of the kingdom of Rheged, located around the Solway Firth, and with his son, Owain. For the studio established by Frank Lloyd Wright, see Taliesin (studio) Taliesin or Taliessin (c. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ... Book of Taliesin (Welsh: Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous Welsh manuscripts. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ... Powys is an administrative county in Wales, over 2000 sq. ... Elmet is an area of West Yorkshire in England. ... Leeds Coat Of Arms Map sources for Leeds at grid reference SE297338 Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Urien, father of Owain mab Urien, was a historical king of Rheged in northern England and southern Scotland during the 6th century. ... The Solway Firth is a body of water that borders the most north westerly county of England (Cumbria) and the most south westerly county of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway). ...

Taliesin's poetry in praise of Urien became models of what praise poetry should be. Later poets turned to him for inspiration as they praised their own patrons in therms that he had used to praise Urien.

Aneirin

Aneirin, a near-contemporary of Taliesin, wrote a series of poems to create one long epic called the Gododdin. It records a battle between the Britons (or Welsh) of the kingdom of Gododdin (centred on Eidyn, the modern Edinburgh) and the Saxon kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia in the north-east of England. This battle was fought at Catterick ("Catraeth" in Welsh) in about the year 600. It has survived in Llyfr Aneirin (=The book of Aneirin), a manuscript dating from ca. 1265. Aneirin, Aneurin or Neirin mab Dwywei (c. ... It has been suggested that Areas of Edinburgh be merged into this article or section. ... A map showing the general locations of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes from Angeln—a peninsula in the southern part of Schleswig, protruding into the Baltic Sea, and what is now Lower Saxony, in the north-west coast of Germany—who... Deira (from Brythonic Deifr, meaning waters) was a kingdom in England during the 6th century AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) to the north to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) was a kingdom of the Angles in northern England during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Ethnicity... Map sources for Catterick at grid reference SE2497 Catterick refers to two settlements in the county of North Yorkshire, England. ... For other uses, see number 600. ... The Book of Aneirin (Welsh: Llyfr Aneirin) is a medieval manuscript which contains Y Gododdin, an early Welsh poem commemorating the battle of Catterick around the year 600, and other early poetry. ...

Llywarch Hen and Heledd

The poetry associated with Llywarch Hen (=Llywarch the elder) and Heledd date from a somewhat later period, and brings us near to present-day Wales. These poems, in the form of monolgues, express the sorrow and affliction felt at the loss of eastern portion of the kingdom of Powys (present-day Shropshire) to the English. But they are also works where nature is an important element in the background, reflecting the main action and feelings of the poetry itself. Powys is an administrative county in Wales, over 2000 sq. ... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands region of England, bordering Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and the Welsh counties of Powys and Clwyd. ...

Other early poetry

Though the Anglo-Saxon invaders seem to break Welsh hearts in most of the early poetry, there are some poems of encouragement and the hope of an eventual and decisive defeat of the Anglo-Saxons that would drive them back into the sea. One such poem is the tenth-century Armes Prydein from the Book of Taliesin which sees a coalition of Celtic and Scandinavian forces defeating the English and restoring Britain to the Welsh. The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... A map showing the general locations of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes from Angeln—a peninsula in the southern part of Schleswig, protruding into the Baltic Sea, and what is now Lower Saxony, in the north-west coast of Germany—who... Book of Taliesin (Welsh: Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous Welsh manuscripts. ...

This period also produced religious poetry, such as the englynion in praise of the Trinity found in the ninth-century Juvencus Manuscript (Cambridge MS Ff. 4.42), which is now at Cambridge University Library. In the Book of Taliesin we find a poem dated to the ninth-century written in praise of Tenby, Edmyg Dinbych (=In praise of Tenby), probably produced by a court poet in Dyfed to celebrate the New Year (Welsh: Calan).. The Book of Aneirin has preserved an early Welsh nursery rhyme, Pais Dinogad (=Dinogad's petticoat). Englyn (plural englynion) is a traditional Welsh short poem form. ... This article concerns the Holy Trinity of Christianity and related religious denominations. ... Cambridge University Library The squat 12-storey tower is used as storage and has no reader access Cambridge University Library is the centrally administered library of the University of Cambridge in England. ... Book of Taliesin (Welsh: Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous Welsh manuscripts. ... Harbour of Tenby in Nov, 2001 Tenby (Welsh: Dinbych-y-Pysgod, fortlet of the fishes) is a town in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay. ... Dyfed was one of the ancient kingdoms (or principalities) of Wales prior to the Norman Conquest. ... The Book of Aneirin (Welsh: Llyfr Aneirin) is a medieval manuscript which contains Y Gododdin, an early Welsh poem commemorating the battle of Catterick around the year 600, and other early poetry. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Much of the nature poetry, gnomic poetry, prophetic poetry, and religious poetry in the Black book of Carmarthen and the Red Book of Hergest is also believed to date from this period. The black book of Carmarthen (Welsh: Llyfr du Caerfyrddin) is one of the earliest surviving manuscripts written entirely in Welsh. ... The Red book of Hergest (Welsh: Llyfr coch Hergest) is one of the most important medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

Welsh poetry 1100-1600

From ca.1100 until ca.1600 Welsh poetry can be divided roughly into two distinct periods: the period of the Poets of the Princes who worked before the loss of Welsh independence in 1282 and the Poets of the Nobility who worked from 1282 until the period of the English incorporation of Wales in the sixteenth century. Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales... Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales...

Poets of the Princes (ca.1100-ca.1300)

In Welsh this period is known as Beirdd y Tywysogion (=Poets of the princes) or Y Gogynferidd (=The not so early poets).

The main source for the poetry of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries is the Hendregadredd manuscript, an anthology of court poetry brought together at the Cistercian Strata Florida Abbey from about 1282 until 1350. The Hendregadredd manuscript (Welsh: Llawysgrif Hendregadredd), is a medieval Welsh manuscript containing an anthology the poetry of the Poets of the Princes. ... The Order of Cistercians (OCist) (Latin Cistercenses), otherwise Gimey or White Monks (from the colour of the habit, over which is worn a black scapular or apron) are a Catholic order of monks. ... The remains of Strata Florida Abbey as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book Strata Florida (in Welsh: Ystrad Fflur) is a former Cistercian abbey situated just outside Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. ...

The poets of this period were professionals who worked in the various princely courts in Wales. They were members of a Guild of poets whose rights and responsibilities were enshrined in native Welsh law. The pencerdd (=chief musician) was the top of his profession and a special chair was set aside for him in the court. When he performed he was expected to sing twice: once in honour of God, and once in honour of the king. The bardd teulu (=retinue poet) was one of the twenty-four officers of the court and he was responsible for singing for the military retinue before going into battle, and for the queen in the privacy of her chamber. The lowest ranking poets were the cerddorion (=musicians).

The poetry praises the military prowess of the prince in a language that is deliberately antiquarian and obscure, echoing the earlier praise poetry tradition of Taliesin. There is also some religious poems and poetry in praise of women.

With the death of the last native prince of Wales in 1282 the tradition gradually disappears. In fact, Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch's (fl. 1277-83) elegy on the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, is one of the most notable poems of the era. Other prominent poets of this period include: Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd or Gruffydd (c. ...

• Bleddyn Fardd, fl. ca. 1258-1284;
• Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr; fl. ca. 1155-95;
• Dafydd Benfras, fl. ca. 1220-58; and
• Llywarch ap Llywelyn (also known as Prydydd y Moch), fl. 1174/5-1220.

Poets of the Nobility, or, Cywyddwyr (ca.1300-ca.1600)

The poetic tradition thrived in Wales as long as there were patrons available to welcome its practitioners. The fact that, until 1282, Wales consisted of a number of 'kingdoms', each with its own independent ruler, ensured that there was no shortage of courts available to the travelling professional poet or "bard". After 1282 the poetic tradition survived by turning to the land-owning nobility to act as patrons, and these included some Norman lords who had successfully integrated themselves with the Welsh. Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales... See Bard (disambiguation). ... Events English conquest of Wales begins under Edward I of England Sicilian Vespers - Sicilians rebel against Charles of Anjou and are aided by Peter III of Aragon Births Pope Innocent VI Deaths August 25 - Thomas Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford October 13 - Nichiren December 11 - Llywelyn the Last, Prince of Wales... Norman may refer to: The Norman language The Norman people Norman architecture, the Romanesque architecture erected by the Normans. ...

Much of the poetry of this period is praise poetry praise of the patron and his family, his ancestors, his house and his generosity and the cywydd is the most popular poetic meter used. Because of the popularity of the cywydd this period is also known as the period of the Cywyddwyr (=poets who write using the cywydd meter). The poetry was very often sung to the accompaniment of the harp. Though praise was the main matter of poetry, satire (in Welsh, dychan) also thrived. Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

The poets organised themselves into a Guild to protect their professional status, and from time to time their rules were revised and updated. Perhaps the most important being the decisions concerning patronage and poetic rank made at the Caerwys eisteddfod of 1523. The Eisteddfod (from Welsh eistedd, to sit; plural is eisteddfodau) is a Welsh festival of literature, music, and song. ... Events April - Battle of Villalar - Forces loyal to Emperor Charles V defeat the Comuneros, a league of urban bourgeois rebelling against Charles in Spain. ...

The work of numerous poets of this period survives, some are anonymous, but very many are identified. Here are a few of the most prominent and influential are listed:

Dafydd ap Gwilym (ca.1315/1320-ca.1350/1370)

Wales's greatest poet worked during the period of the Poets of the Nobility. For more information about his life and work, see Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Gwilym (ca. ...

Iolo Goch (ca.1325-ca.1398)

From the Vale of Clwyd, Iolo bridged between the period of the Poets of the Princes and Poets of the Nobility. Early in his career he composed in the tradition of the Poets of the Princes but he was among the first to sing the praises of the nobles and others using the cywydd meter. His main patron was Ithel ap Robert from Coedymynydd near Caerwys. Perhaps his most famous work is a cywydd poem in praise of Owain Glyndwr's home at Sycharth. The River Clwyd is a river in north Wales. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... Owain Glyndŵr, sometimes anglicised as Owen Glendower (1359–c. ...

Siôn Cent (ca.1400-1430/1445)

Traditionally associated with Brecknockshire, Siôn is most famous for using his poetry in the service of his Christian beliefs and standing outside the tradition of praise of patron. He uses the cywydd meter for his work but in order to attack the sins of this world. Perhaps his most famous poem is I wagedd ac oferedd y byd (=In praise of the vanity and wantoness of the world). He turns his back on the praise of nobles which he sees as flattery and falsehood and sets his eyes on the blessedness of heaven. Brecknockshire, also known as Breconshire or, in Welsh, as Sir Frycheiniog is an inland traditional county of Wales, bounded N. by Radnorshire, E. by Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, S. by Monmouthshire and Glamorgan, and W. by Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ...

Guto'r Glyn (ca.1435-ca.1493)

Guto is associated with Glyn Ceiriog, Wrexham (formerly Denbighshire), where many of his patrons lived. He also wrote poems for other patrons in the four corners of Wales whose houses he visited on his journerys. He was a master of the praise tradition in poetry. Guto was also a soldier who fought on the Yorkist side during the War of the Roses, but spent his last years as a lay guest at the Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis, near Llangollen. Wrexham (pronounced Recsam, and in Welsh spelt Wrecsam) is an industrial town in north Wales. ... Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych) is a county in North Wales. ... The House of York was a dynasty of English kings. ... Valle Crucis is a unincorporated community located in Watauga County, North Carolina. ... Llangollen is a small town in Denbighshire, north Wales, famous for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the Llangollen Canal (whose Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is nearby), and the Llangollen Railway. ...

Dafydd Nanmor (fl. 1450-1490)

Dafydd, born at Nanmor (or Nantmor), Gwynedd, is one of the most significant poets of this period. It is said that he was exiled to south Wales for over-stepping the mark in his poetry and spent the rest of his life outside Gwynedd. His work was seen to have particular significance by the twentieth-century critic Saunders Lewis. Lewis saw him a poet of philosophy who praised the ideal ruler as he praised his patrons who saw that within the Welsh tradition all who had privilege and power also had responsibilities towards family, community and nation. Gwynedd is an administrative county in Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. ... Gwynedd was one of the kingdoms or principalities of medieval Wales. ... Saunders Lewis (John Saunders Lewis), (1893-1895), was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic and political activist. ...

Tudur Aled (ca.1465-ca.1525)

Tudur was himself a nobleman and one of the greatest of the Poets of the Nobility. Born in Llansannan, Conwy, his most important patrons were the Salisbury family of Dyffryn Clwyd. He was one of the instigators of the Caerwys eisteddfod of 1523. In his final illness he took the habit of Order of St. Francis and died in Carmarthen, where he was buried in the Brothers' Court. At his death the elegies his fellow poets wrote in his memory attested to his greatness as a poet. He was renowned as a praise poet of both secular and religious noblemen, and also reflects the changes at the beginning of the sixteenth century which were threatening the future of the bardic system. Conwy (formerly anglicised as Conway) is a town in Conwy county borough, North Wales, UK, which faces the resort of Llandudno across the Conwy Estuary. ... Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, formed from the traditional counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire, and parts of Merionethshire. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Carmarthen (Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum, Merlin) is the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. ...

Gruffudd Hiraethog (d.1564)

A native of Llangollen, Gruffudd was one of the foremost poets of the sixteenth century to use the cywydd meter. Though he was member of the medieval guild of poets and notable upholder of that tradition, he was also closely associated with William Salesbury, Wales' leading Renaissance scholar. In fact one of the first Welsh to be published was Gruffudd's collection of proverbs in 1547, Oll synnwyr pen Kembero ygyd (=The sense of a Welshman's mind collected together). Llangollen is a small town in Denbighshire, north Wales, famous for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the Llangollen Canal (whose Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is nearby), and the Llangollen Railway. ... Cywydd, or Cywydd deuair hirion, is one of the important, if not the most important, metrical elements in Welsh traditional poetry. ... William Salesbury also Salisbury (c. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Other voices in poetry 1300-1600

Not all of the poetry which survives from this period belongs to the tradition of the praise poetry of the nobility. Some groups of poets and genres of poetry stood completely outside that tradition.

Women seem to be totally excluded from the Welsh poetic guild, or Order of bards. But we do know that some women did master the Welsh poetic craft and wrote poetry at this time, but only the work of one woman has survived in significant numbers, that of Gwerful Mechain. Gwerful Mechain, who lived in Mechain in Powys during the 1400s, is perhaps the most famous female Welsh-language poet. ...

The prophetic poetry (Welsh: canu brud) was a means of reacting to and commenting upon political situations and happenings. This poetry is intentionally ambiguous and difficult to understand. But at its heart it prophesies victory for the Welsh over their enemies, the English. This poetry looked towards a man of destiny who would free them from their oppressors. With the victory of the 'Welshman' Henry VII in 1485 at the battle of Bosworth the poets believed that the prophecies had been fulfilled and the tradition comes to an end.

Satire poetry (Welsh:canu dychan) was part of the 'official' poets' repertoire and sparingly used within the praise tradition to chastise a miserly patron. But it was in private poetic bouts with fellow poets that the satire tradition flourished.

Welsh prose

It is believed that the earliest written Welsh is a marginal note of some sixty-four words in Llyfr Teilo ("The Book of St. Teilo"), a gospel book originating in Llandeilo but now in the library of St. Chad's Cathedral, Lichfield, and also known as the Lichfield Gospels, or, The Book of St. Chad. The marginal note, known from its opening (Latin) word as The Surexit memorandum, dates from the ninth century, or even earlier, and is a record of a legal case over land. Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, west Wales situated at the crossing of the River Tywi by the A40 on an elegant stone bridge. ... Lichfield Cathedral June 2005 Lichfield is a small city in Staffordshire, 110 miles northwest of London and 14 miles north of Birmingham. ... The Lichfield Gospels (also known as the Chad Gospels, the Book of Chad, the St. ...

The native Welsh storyteller, known as the cyfarwydd ("the one who knows") was an official of the court. He was expected to know the traditional knowledge and the tales. But the storytelling tradition was basically oral, and only a few remnants suggest the wealth of that tradition. Amongst the most important are Trioedd Ynys Prydain, or the Welsh Triads, a compendium of mnemonics for poets and storytellers. The stories that have survived are literary compositions based on oral tradition. The Welsh Triads (Welsh, Trioedd Ynys Prydein) is used to describe any of the related Medieval collection of groupings of three that preserve a major portion of Welsh folklore and Welsh literature. ...

In the Middle Ages Welsh was used for all sorts of purposes and this is reflected in the type of prose materials that has survived from this period: original material and translations, tales and facts, religious and legal, history and medicine.

Native Welsh tales, or, Mabinogion

The name Mabinogion is a convenient label for a collection of tales preserved in two manuscripts known as the White book of Rhydderch and the Red Book of Hergest. They are written in Middle Welsh, the common literary language between the end of the eleventh century and the fourteentch century. They include the four tales that form Pedair cainc y mabinogi ("The four branches of the mabinogi"): The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... The White book of Rhydderch (Welsh: Llyfr gwyn Rhydderch) is one of the most notable and celebrated manuscripts in Welsh. ... The Red book of Hergest (Welsh: Llyfr coch Hergest) is one of the most important medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

• Pwyll prince of Dyfed;
• Branwen daughter of Llŷr;
• Manawydan son of Llŷr;
• Math son of Mathonwy.

Two are native tales embodying traditions about Arthur:

• Culhwch and Olwen the earliest Arthurian tale in any language;
• The dream of Rhonabwy.

Three are Welsh Arthurian romances showing the influence of French poet, Chrétien de Troyes: Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh story that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. ... Chrétien de Troyes wrote in Champagne, France, during the last half of the twelfth century. ...

• Owain and Luned (also known as, The Lady of the Fountain);
• Geraint and Enid;
• Peredur son of Efrog.

The remaining two tales embody traditions about the early history of Britain: Owain mab Urien (or Owein) (d. ...

• The meeting of Lludd and Llefelys;
• The dream of Maxen.

For more information, see Mabinogion. The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

Native Welsh law

Tradition holds that Hywel Dda summoned a conference at Whitland, Carmarthenshire, in about 945. At this conference Welsh native law was codified and set down in writing for posterity. Since the earliest manuscripts containing these legal texts date from about two hundred and fifty years after the event they are probably not a record of what was codified there, if such a conference was even convened. In fact, until the annexation of Wales in 1536, native Welsh law grew and developed organically and for that reason many more copies of it have survived than of the native tales. Howell the Good (c. ... Whitland (in Welsh Y Hendy Gwyn) is a small town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Taf. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin) is a county in Wales. ...

The use of Welsh for legal texts shows that it had the words and the technical terms with definite and exact meanings needed in such circumstances. It also shows that reading and writing Welsh was not confined to priests and monks, but that there were also lawyers "whose skill is directed not to administrating the law (there were judges for that), but to writing it, to giving it permanence in words, to ordering words and sentences in such a way that what was stated should be quite clear" (Thomas Parry (1955), p.68). Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Religious texts

The vast majority of Welsh religious texts from the Middle Ages are translations and mostly the works of unknown monks and priests. The works themselves reflect the tastes and fashions of Christendom at the time: apocryphal narratives, dreams or visions, theological treatises and exegesis, and mystical works. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Lives of the saints

About thirty lives of the saints, both native ones like Beuno, Curig, and Gwenfrewi and the more general such as the Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Martin of Tours, and Catherine of Alexandria survive, all translations into Welsh from Latin. Saint Winefride (also: Saint Winifred, Gwenfrewi, Saint Gwenfrewy, Guinevere, Winfred of Wales) was a 7th century Welsh woman who had her head severed from her body by an enraged suitor, Caradog. ... In Christianity and Islam, Mary (Judæo-Aramaic מרים Maryām Bitter; Septuagint Greek Μαριαμ, Mariam, Μαρια, Maria; Arabic: Maryem, مريم) was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth who at the time of his conception was the betrothed wife of Joseph, awaiting the customary Home-Taking that would permit them to start living together... Mary Magdalene is described, both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted disciple of Jesus. ... Statue of Saint Martin cutting his cloak in two. ... Saint Catherine of Alexandria, known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine (Greek ) is an apocryphal figure claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th Century who, at the age of only 18, is said to have visited the Emperor Maximinus II... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

Even the lives of the native saints were composed in Latin originally, and that a long time after the saint's actual life and so of little or no interest to those looking for actual historical information. Perhaps the two most important is Buchedd Dewi ("The life of Dewi, or, David") written by Rhygyfarch in about 1094, and Buchedd Cadog ("The life of Cadog") written by Lifris of Llancarfan in ca. 1100. The Flag of St David St David (c. ...

History texts

The Welsh medieval history texts belong to the class of literary creations, but the split into two distinct groups. While the first group, Brut y Tywysogion, tends to stick to historical facts, the second, Brut y brenhinedd, is the fantastic creation of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Brut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes) is a monastic record of mainly Welsh events, started in 682. ... Geoffrey of Monmouth was a clergyman and one of the major figures in the development of British history. ...

Brut y tywysogion

Brut y Tywysogion ("Chronicle of the princes") are variant Welsh translation of a Latin original annales telling the history of Wales from the seventh century to the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282. It is believed that original and its translation were produced at the Cistercian Strata Florida Abbey. Brut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes) is a monastic record of mainly Welsh events, started in 682. ... Arms used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd or Gruffydd (c. ... The remains of Strata Florida Abbey as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book Strata Florida (in Welsh: Ystrad Fflur) is a former Cistercian abbey situated just outside Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. ...

Brut y brenhinedd

Brut y brenhinedd ("Chronicle of the kings") is the name given to a number of texts that ultimately trace their origins back to translations of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (1136). As such they were key works in shaping how the Welsh thought of themselves and others, tracing their origins back to Brutus, the mythical founder of the Britain. In fact the Welsh word brut is derived from Brutus's name and originally meant "a history of Brutus" and then "a chronicle history". Geoffrey of Monmouth was a clergyman and one of the major figures in the development of British history. ... Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniæ (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) was written around 1136. ... Brutus is a Roman cognomen used by several politicians of the Junii family, especially in the Roman Republic. ...

Resources

Welsh poetry before 1100

• General
  • Jarman, A. O. H. (1981), The Cynfeirdd : early Welsh poets and poetry. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708308139.
  • Williams, Ifor (1972), The beginnings of Welsh poetry. Edited by Rachel Bromwich. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708300359.
• Taliesin
  • Taliesin poems (1988). New translations by Merion Pennar. Felinfach : Llanerch Press. ISBN 0947992243.
  • Williams, Ifor (Ed.) (1987), Poems of Taliesin. Translated by J. E. Caerwyn Williams. Medieval and modern Welsh series. Dublin : The Dublin Institute. ISBN 0000673250.
  • The book of Taliesin at the National Library of Wales. Gives access to colour images of the entire manuscript.
• Aneirin
  • Jarman, A. O. H. (Ed.) (1990), Aneirin : Y Gododdin. Welsh Classics series. Llandysul: Gomer Press. ISBN 0863833543. A translation into English including notes, glossary and bibliography.
  • Koch, John T (Ed.) (1997), The Gododdin of Aneirin : text and context from dark-age north Britain. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708313744. Includes translation and notes.
  • Llyfr Aneirin, ca. 1265 from the Gathering the Jewels website. Gives access to colour images of the entire manuscript.
• Llywarch Hen and Heledd
  • P. K. Ford (1974), The poetry of Llywarch Hen : introduction, text and translation. Berkley : University of California Press. ISBN 0520026012.
  • Rowland, Jenny (1990), Early Welsh saga poetry. Woodbridge : D. S. Brewer.
• Other early poetry
  • Jackson, Kenneth H. (Ed.) (1935), Early Welsh gnomic poetry. Cardiff : University of Wales Press.
  • Williams, Ifor (Ed.) (1972), Armes Prydein : the prophecy of Britain, from the Book of Taliesin. English version by Rachel Bromwich. Medieval and Modern Welsh series. Dublin : The Dublin Institute.

The National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru in Welsh) is a legal deposit library in Aberystwyth, Wales. ...

Welsh poetry 1100-1600

• General
  • McKenna, Catherine A. (Ed.) (1991), The medieval Welsh religious lyric : poems of the Gogynfeirdd, 1137-1282. Belmont : Ford & Baillie. ISBN 0926689029.
  • Williams, J. E. Caerwyn (1994), The poets of the Welsh princes. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1206-3.
• Poets of the Nobility, or, Cywyddwyr
  • Rowlands, Eurys I. (Ed.) (1976), Poems of the Cywyddwyr. Mediaeval and modern Welsh series. Dublin : Dublin Institute. ISBN 0000171085.
  • Johnston, Dafydd (Ed.) (2001), Iolo Goch : poems. Welsh Classics series. Llandysul : Gomer Press. ISBN 0863837077. Translated into English with an introduction.
  • Johnston, Dafydd (Ed.) (1998), Canu maswedd yr Oesoedd Canol = Medieval Welsh erotic poetry. Bridgend : Seren. ISBN 1854112341.

Welsh prose

• Jenkins, Dafydd & Owen, Morfydd E. (1984), 'The Welsh marginalia in the Lichfield Gospels. Part II: The "surexit" memorandum'. In Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 7, 91-120.
• Davies, Sioned (1993), The four branches of the Mabinogi. Llandysul : Gomer Press. ISBN 1859020054.
• Charles-Edwards, T. M. (1989), The Welsh laws. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 070831032X.
• Jenkins, Dafydd (2000), Hywel Dda : the law. Welsh Classics series. Llandysul : Gomer Press. ISBN 0863832776.
• Evans, D. Simon (1986), Medieval religious literature. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708309380.