Black Book of Carmarthen
Encyclopedia
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...
written entirely or substantially in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
, and is referred to as black due to the colour of its binding. It is currently part of the collection of the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
, where it is catalogued as NLW Peniarth MS 1.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
heroes associated with the Hen Ogledd
Hen Ogledd
Yr Hen Ogledd is a Welsh term used by scholars to refer to those parts of what is now northern England and southern Scotland in the years between 500 and the Viking invasions of c. 800, with particular interest in the Brythonic-speaking peoples who lived there.The term is derived from heroic...
, and especially those connected with the legend of 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...
and Myrddin, also known as Merlin. One of the poems, The Elegy of Gereint son of Erbin, refers to the Battle of Llongborth, the location of which can no longer be pinpointed, and mentions Arthur's involvement in the battle.
There has been a recent call from the editor of the Carmarthen Journal
Carmarthen Journal
The Carmarthen Journal is a newspaper founded in 1810 in Wales and now based in Carmarthen, the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. Published by Northcliffe Media, the regional newspaper arm of one of Europe's largest media companies, Daily Mail and General Trust, the building housing the...
newspaper to house the Black Book in its native Carmarthen, so that it might be seen by locals and tourists coming into the town.
Sources and references
- Jarman, A. O. H. (Ed.) (1982), Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin. Caerdydd : Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru. ISBN 0-7083-0629-2. A diplomatic edition of the original text.
External links
- The Black Book of Carmarthen at the National Library of Wales. Gives access to colour images of Peniarth MS 1.
- The Black Book of Carmarthen at the Celtic Literature Collective. Uses Skene'sFour Ancient Books of WalesThe Four Ancient Books of Wales is a term coined by William Forbes Skene to describe four important medieval manuscripts 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...
incomplete and inaccurate translation from 1848.