Four Ancient Books of Wales
Encyclopedia
The Four Ancient Books of Wales is a term coined by William Forbes Skene
to describe four important medieval manuscript
s written in Middle Welsh and dating from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. They contain primarily texts of poetry
and prose
, some of which are contemporary and others which may have originated from traditions dating back to as early as the sixth and seventh centuries. These also contain some of the earliest native Welsh
references to King Arthur
.
The four books included by Skene in his list are:
The principal texts of the Four Ancient Books of Wales were edited and translated in a two volume compilation by William Forbes Skene
in 1868. By the standards of modern scholarship the edition is seriously flawed with numerous transcription errors and consequently inaccurate translating. Skene was assisted by Daniel Silvan Evans
who was probably responsible for most of the translations.
William Forbes Skene
William Forbes Skene , Scottish historian and antiquary, was the second son of Sir Walter Scott's friend, James Skene , of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen....
to describe four important medieval manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s written in Middle Welsh and dating from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. They contain primarily texts of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
, some of which are contemporary and others which may have originated from traditions dating back to as early as the sixth and seventh centuries. These also contain some of the earliest native Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
references to King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
.
The four books included by Skene in his list are:
- The Black Book of CarmarthenBlack Book of CarmarthenThe Black Book of Carmarthen is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written entirely or substantially in Welsh. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen, and is referred to as black due to...
- The Book of TaliesinBook of TaliesinThe Book of Taliesin is one of the most famous of Middle Welsh manuscripts, dating from the first half of the 14th century though many of the fifty-six poems it preserves are taken to originate in the 10th century. The manuscript, known as Peniarth MS 2 and kept at the National Library of Wales,...
- The Book of AneirinBook of AneirinThe Book of Aneirin is a late 13th century Welsh manuscript containing Old and Middle Welsh poetry attributed to the late 6th century Northern Brythonic poet, Aneirin....
- The Red Book of HergestRed Book of HergestThe Red Book of Hergest is a large vellum manuscript written shortly after 1382, which ranks as one of the most important medieval manuscripts written in the Welsh language. It preserves a collection of Welsh prose and poetry, notably the tales of the Mabinogion, Gogynfeirdd poetry...
The principal texts of the Four Ancient Books of Wales were edited and translated in a two volume compilation by William Forbes Skene
William Forbes Skene
William Forbes Skene , Scottish historian and antiquary, was the second son of Sir Walter Scott's friend, James Skene , of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen....
in 1868. By the standards of modern scholarship the edition is seriously flawed with numerous transcription errors and consequently inaccurate translating. Skene was assisted by Daniel Silvan Evans
Daniel Silvan Evans
Daniel Silvan Evans was a Welsh scholar and lexicographer.He was born at Fron Wilym Uchaf, Llanarth, Ceredigion. Having started to preach to the Independent congregation of which he was a member, Evans decided at a relatively young age, to train for the ministry...
who was probably responsible for most of the translations.