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The Four Ancient Books of Wales by William F. Skene [1868]

This is William Skene's anthology of dark-age Welsh Bardic poetry. Often cited, but difficult to obtain, this book contains every remaining piece of Bardic poetry known. The poems are translated from four manuscripts: the Black Book of Caermarthen, the Red Book of Hergest (which is also the source of the Mabinogion), the Book of Taliessin and the Book of Aneurin, all of which date from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries C.E. The poems themselves date from much earlier, probably from the sixth century by internal evidence.

This corpus is one of the treasures of world literature. It is also the only true source material for the study of Bardic lore, which reputedly preserved the esoteric (and long-lost) beliefs of the Druids. Largely written to satisfy wealthy patrons, much of the subject matter is related to mead-inspired battles, particularly the renowned Gododin cycle. However, the poetry rises above the gory combat and toadying to achieve an artistic height that would not be reached for many centuries. Some of the later works, which use Christian themes as a jumping-off point, have an almost haiku-like quality. The poems are infused throughout with mystic clarity, strange flashes of wisdom, and insight into humanity and nature.

This book is very rare, and only available for purchase today in a print-on-demand edition. This etext, produced at sacred-texts, is the first comprehensive posting of this fascinating material on the Internet.

Introduction

TRANSLATION OF THE POEMS

I. Historical Poems Containing Allusions to Events Prior to A.D. 560

A. Poems Referring to Early Traditions

B. Poems Referring to Arthur the Guledig

C. Poems Referring to Gwydyon ap Don and his Gwyddyl and the Brithwyr.

D. Poem Referring to Gwyddno and Gwynn ap Nudd

E. Poems Referring to Early Traditions which Belong to a Later School

F. Poems Relating to Cities of the Cymry and their Legendary Heroes

II. Historical Poems Containing Allusions to Events Subsequent to A.D. 560.

G. Poems Referring to War Between Sons of Llywarch Hen and Mwg Mawr Drefydd.

H. Poems Relating to Gwallawg ap Lleenawg

I. Poems Relating to Urien Reged.

J. Poems Relating to Urien and his Son Owen.

K. Poems Relating to the Battle of Ardderyd.

L. The Gododin Poems.

M. Poems Relating to Cadwallawn.

N. Predictive Poems Relating to Cadwaladyr.

O. Poems Connected With Powys.

P. Poems Which Mention Henry, or the Son of Henry

III. Miscellaneous Poems from the Black Book of Caermarthen

Q. Poems Attributed to Other Early Bards

R. Anonymous Poems on Religious Subjects

S. Poems Relating to Yscolan.

IV. Miscellaneous Poems from the Book of Aneurin.

T. Poem Containing Ancient Proverbs

V. Miscellaneous Poems from the Book of Taliessin.

U. Poems Relating to the Life and Opinions of Taliessin.

V. Poems Relating to Jewish History.

W. Poems Relating to Legends of Alexander the Great.

VI. Miscellaneous Poems from the Red Book of Hergest.

X. Poems Attributed to Llywarch Hen.

Y. Poems Beginning ''Eiry Mynyd.''

Z. Poems on Various Subjects.