William Jordan (writer)
Encyclopedia
William Jordan Cornish
dramatist, lived at Helston
in Cornwall
, and is supposed to have been the author of the Cornish-language
mystery or sacred drama Gwreans an Bys: the Creacon of the World. The oldest manuscript is in small folio in the Bodleian Library
(N. 219); with it is a later copy; another is in the British Museum
(Harl. 1867), together with a translation made by John Keigwin; and a fourth was in 1858 in the possession of John Camden Hotten
; a fifth copy, perhaps the same as the fourth, was in 1890 in the possession of the Marquis of Bute
, and a sixth belonged to W. C. Borlase. The Creation of the World was inaccurately edited with Keigwin's translation by Davies Gilbert
in 1827. In 1863, Mr. Whitley Stokes
published in the Transactions of the Philological Society an edition consisting of a new transcript of Bodleian MS. N. 219, with an original translation and notes. Jordan's name appears at the end of the Bodleian manuscript. The drama is to some extent indebted to the Middle-Cornish drama called Origo Mundi
, but many parts are original. A Breton
play on the same subject was published in 1888 in the Revue Celtique
, ix. 149, 322, x. 192, 414, xi. 254.
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
dramatist, lived at Helston
Helston
Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and nine miles southwest of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town in the UK and is around further south than...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, and is supposed to have been the author of the Cornish-language
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
mystery or sacred drama Gwreans an Bys: the Creacon of the World. The oldest manuscript is in small folio in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
(N. 219); with it is a later copy; another is in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
(Harl. 1867), together with a translation made by John Keigwin; and a fourth was in 1858 in the possession of John Camden Hotten
John Camden Hotten
John Camden Hotten was an English bibliophile and publisher.Hotten was born in Clerkenwell, London to a family of Cornish origins. He spent the period 1848–1856 in America and on his return opened a small bookshop in London at 151a Piccadilly, and founded the publishing firm later known as Chatto...
; a fifth copy, perhaps the same as the fourth, was in 1890 in the possession of the Marquis of Bute
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute
John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute KT, KSG, KGCHS was a landed aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist and architectural patron.-Early life:...
, and a sixth belonged to W. C. Borlase. The Creation of the World was inaccurately edited with Keigwin's translation by Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert FRS was a British engineer, author, and politician. He was elected to the Royal Society on 17 November 1791 and served as President of the Royal Society from 1827 to 1830....
in 1827. In 1863, Mr. Whitley Stokes
Whitley Stokes
Whitley Stokes, CSI, CIE was an Irish lawyer and Celtic scholar.-Background:He was a son of William Stokes , and a grandson of Whitley Stokes , each of whom was Regius Professor of Physic at the University of Dublin...
published in the Transactions of the Philological Society an edition consisting of a new transcript of Bodleian MS. N. 219, with an original translation and notes. Jordan's name appears at the end of the Bodleian manuscript. The drama is to some extent indebted to the Middle-Cornish drama called Origo Mundi
Ordinalia
The Ordinalia are three medieval mystery plays written in Cornish from the late fourteenth century. The three plays are Origo Mundi, , Passio Christi and Resurrexio Domini...
, but many parts are original. A Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
play on the same subject was published in 1888 in the Revue Celtique
Études Celtiques
Études Celtiques is a French academic journal of Celtic Studies, based in Paris.It started life under the name Revue Celtique, which was founded in 1870 by Henri Gaidoz. Between 1870 and 1934, as many as 52 volumes were published under the editorial supervision of Celtic scholars such as Henri...
, ix. 149, 322, x. 192, 414, xi. 254.
External links
- Gwreans an Bys: the Creation of the World at Archive.org