The
Four Ancient Books
of
Wales
CONTAINING
The Cymric Poems attributed to the Bards of
The Sixth Century
BY WILLIAM F. SKENE
EDINBURGH
EDMONSTON AND DOUGLAS
1868
| CHAPTER I. The Poems contained in the Four Ancient Books of Wales |
|
CHAPTER II. The Literature of Wales subsequent to the Twelfth Century |
|
CHAPTER III. Sources of the Early History of Wales |
| CHAPTER IV. State of the Country in the Sixth Century, and its History prior to A.D. 560 |
| CHAPTER V. State of Britain in A.D. 560 when Gildas wrote, and Kings of the Line of Dyfi |
| CHAPTER VI. Manau Gododin and the Picts |
| CHAPTER VII. The Races of Britain, and the Place of the Picts among them |
| CHAPTER VIII. The Celtic Dialects and the Probable Character of the Pictish Language |
| CHAPTER IX. The Celtic Topography of Scotland, and the Dialectic Differences indicated by it |
| CHAPTER X. Cumbria and the Men of the North |
| CHAPTER XI. Recent Criticism of the Mythological Poems examined |
| CHAPTER XII. Recent Criticism of the Historical Poems examined |
| CHAPTER XIII. True Place of the Poems in Welsh Literature |
| CHAPTER XIV. Result of the Examination of the Poems, and their Classification |
TRANSLATION OF THE POEMS
I. HISTORICAL POEMS CONTAINING ALLUSIONS TO EVENTS PRIOR TO A.D. 560
| A. POEMS REFERRING TO EARLY TRADITIONS | |
| I | The Reconciliation of Lludd the Less: Book of Taliessin LIV |
| II | Death-song of Corroi, son of Dayry: Book of Taliessin XLII |
| III | Death-song of Erof: Book of Taliessin XL |
| IV | Book of Taliessin XLI |
| V | Book of Taliessin XLVI |
| B. POEMS REFERRING TO ARTHUR THE GULEDIG | |
| VI | The Chair of the Sovereign: Book of Taliessin XV |
| VII | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXI |
| VIII | Book of Taliessin XXX |
| IX | Geraint, son of Erbin: Black Book of Caermarthen XXII & Red Book of Hergest XIV |
| C. POEMS REFERRING TO GWYDYON AP DON AND HIS GWYDDYL AND THE BRITHWYR | |
| X | Daronwy: Book of Taliessin X |
| XI | The Praise of Lludd the Great: Book of Taliessin LII |
| XII | Book of Taliessin XIV |
| XIII | The Battle of Godeu: Book of Taliessin VIII |
| XIV |
Book of Taliessin I Red Book of Hergest XXIII |
| XV | Death-song of Dylan son of the Wave: Book of Taliessin XLIII |
| XVI | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXV |
| XVII | Red Book of Hergest XXII |
| D. POEM REFERRING TO GWYDDNO AND GWYNN AP NUDD | |
| XVIII | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXIII |
| E. POEMS REFERRING TO EARLY TRADITIONS WHICH BELONG TO A LATER SCHOOL | |
| XIX | The Chair of Ceridwen: Book of Taliessin XVI |
| XX | Death-song of Uthyr Pendragon: Book of Taliessin XLVIII |
| XXI | Book of Taliessin XLV |
| XXII | The Praise of Taliessin: Book of Taliessin XII |
| XXIII | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXVIII |
| F. POEMS RELATING TO CITIES OF THE CYMRY AND THEIR LEGENDARY HEROES. | |
| XXIV | Black Book of Caermarthen XV |
| XXV | Book of Taliessin XXI & Black Book of Caermarthen XIV |
| XXVI | Black Book of Caermarthen VIII |
| XXVIII | Book of Taliessin XXV |
| XXIX | The Verses of the Graves: Black Book of Caermarthen XIX |
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 | |
| XXX | Names of the Sons of Llywarch Hen: Black Book of Caermarthen XXXIX |
| XXXI | Black Book of Caermarthen XXX |
| XXXII | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXIV |
| XXXIII | Red Book of Hergest XI |
| H. POEMS RELATING TO GWALLAWG AP LLEENAWG | |
| XXXIV | Black Book of Caermarthen XXXII |
| XXXV | Book of Taliessin XI |
| XXXVI | Book of Taliessin XXXVIII |
| I. POEMS RELATING TO URIEN REGED | |
| XXXVII | Red Book of Hergest XVII |
| XXXVIII | Book of Taliessin XXXI |
| XXXIX | Book of Taliessin XXXII |
| XL | Book of Taliessin XXXIII |
| XLI | Book of Taliessin XXXIV |
| XLII | Book of Taliessin XXXVI |
| XLIII | The Satisfaction of Urien: Book of Taliessin XXXIX |
| XLIV | The Spoils of Taliessin, a Song to Urien: Book of Taliessin XXXVII |
| XLV | Red Book of Hergest XII |
| J. POEMS RELATING TO URIEN AND HIS SON OWEN | |
| XLVI | Book of Taliessin XVIII |
| XLVII | The Affair of Argoed Llwyfain: Book of Taliessin XXXV |
| XLVIII | Death-song of Owain: Book of Taliessin XLIV |
| K. POEMS RELATING TO THE BATTLE OF ARDDERYD | |
| XLIX | Black Book of Caermarthen I |
| L | Black Book of Caermarthen XVII |
| L. THE GODODIN POEMS | |
| LI | The Gododin: Book of Aneurin I |
| LII | The Gorchan of Tudvwich: Book of Aneurin II |
| LIII | The Gorchan of Cynvelyn: Book of Aneurin IV |
| LIV | The Gwarchan of Maelderw: Book of Aneurin V |
| LV | Song to Ale: Book of Taliessin XX |
| M. POEMS RELATING TO CADWALLAWN | |
| LVI | Book of Taliessin XLIX |
| LVII | Book of Taliessin L |
| LVIII | Red Book of Hergest XV |
| N. PREDICTIVE POEMS RELATING TO CADWALADYR | |
| LIX | The Omen of Prydein the Great: Book of Taliessin VI |
| LX | Book of Taliessin XLVII |
| LXI | Book of Taliessin LIII |
| O. POEMS CONNECTED WITH POWYS | |
| LXII | Satire of Cynan Garwyn son of Brochwael: Book of Taliessin XXIII |
| LXIII | Red Book of Hergest XVI |
| P. POEMS WHICH MENTION HENRY, OR THE, SON OF HENRY | |
| LXIV | A Dialogue between Myrdin and his sister Gwendydd: Red Book of Hergest I |
| LXV | A Fugitive Poem of Myrdin in his Grave: Red Book of Hergest II |
| LXVI | Black Book of Caermarthen XVI |
| LXVII | Black Book of Caermarthen XVIII |
| LXVIII | Red Book of Hergest XX |
| LXIX | Red Book of Hergest XIX |
| LXX | Red Book of Hergest XXI |
III. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS FROM THE BLACK BOOK OF CAERMARTHEN
| Q. POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO OTHER EARLY BARDS | |
| LXXI | Meigant: Black Book of Caermarthen II |
| LXXII | Cuhelyn: Black Book of Caermarthen III |
| LXXIII | Black Book of Caermarthen IV |
| LXXIV | The Cynghogion of Elaeth: Black Book of Caermarthen XX |
| LXXV | Black Book of Caermarthen XXI |
| R. ANONYMOUS POEMS ON RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS | |
| LXXVI | Black Book of Caermarthen V |
| LXXVII | Black Book of Caermarthen VI |
| LXXVIII | Black Book of Caermarthen VII |
| LXXIX | Black Book of Caermarthen IX |
| LXXX | Black Book of Caermarthen X |
| LXXXI | Black Book of Caermarthen XI |
| LXXXII | Black Book of Caermarthen XII |
| LXXXIII | Black Book of Caermarthen XIII |
| LXXXIV | Black Book of Caermarthen XXV |
| LXXXV | Black Book of Caermarthen XXIX |
| S. POEMS RELATING TO YSCOLAN | |
| LXXXVI | Black Book of Caermarthen XXVI |
| LXXXVII | Black Book of Caermarthen XXVII |
IV. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS FROM THE BOOK OF ANEURIN
| T. POEMS CONTAINING ANCIENT PROVERBS | |
| LXXXVIII | The Gwarchan of Adebon: Book of Aneurin III |
V. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS FROM THE BOOK OF TALIESSIN
| U. POEMS RELATING TO THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TALIESSIN | |
| LXXXIX | The Fold of the Bards: Book of Taliessin III |
| XC | Hostile Confederacy: Book of Taliessin VII |
| XCI | The Chair of Taliessin: Book of Taliessin XIII |
| XCII | Song to the Wind: Book of Taliessin XVII |
| XCIII | Song to Mead: Book of Taliessin XIX |
| XCIV | Song to the Great World: Book of Taliessin LV |
| XCV | Song to the Little World: Book of Taliessin LVI |
| XCVI | Juvenile Ornaments of Taliessin: Book of Taliessin IX |
| XCVII | The Elegy of the Thousand Sons: Book of Taliessin II |
| XCVIII | The Pleasant Things of Taliessin: Book of Taliessin IV |
| XCIX | Book of Taliessin V |
| C | Book of Taliessin XXVII |
| V. POEMS RELATING TO JEWISH HISTORY | |
| CI | The Plagues of Egypt: Book of Taliessin XXII |
| CII | The Rod of Moses: Book of Taliessin. XXIV |
| CIII | Book of Taliessin XXIX |
| CIV | Book of Taliessin LI |
| W. POEMS RELATING TO ALEXANDER THE GREAT | |
| CV | The Contrived World: Book of Taliessin XXVI |
| CVI | Book of Taliessin XXVIII |
VI. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS FROM THE RED BOOK OF HERGEST
| X. POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO LLYWARCH HEN | |
| CVII | Red Book of Hergest V |
| CVIII | Red Book of Hergest VI |
| CIX | Red Book of Hergest VII |
| CX | Red Book of Hergest VIII |
| CXI | Red Book of Hergest IX |
| CXII | Red Book of Hergest X |
| CXIII | Red Book of Hergest XIII |
| Y. POEMS BEGINNING "EIRY MYNYD" | |
| CXIV | Red Book of Hergest IV |
| CXV | Red Book of Hergest III |
| Z. POEMS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. | |
| CXVI | Red Book of Hergest XVIII |
| CXVII | The Viaticum of Llevoed Wynebglawr: Red Book of Hergest XXIV |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| Map of Prydyn, Y Gogled, Cymry |
This web version based upon the version scanned at sacred-texts.com, March 2003. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact
