Primary Sources Recommended for Study

The following reading list has been complied to offer current students on the Tripos with the primary sources for the Part I study of:

Part I Paper 7 - Medieval Welsh language and literature

Paper co-ordinator: Dr Ben Guy

Poetry

  • Y Gododdin: ed. I. Williams, Canu Aneirin (Cardiff, 1938); trans. J. P. Clancy, Medieval Welsh Poems (Dublin, 2003), pp. 45–76.
  • Taliesin’s ‘historical’ poems: ed. I. Williams and J. E. C. Williams, The Poems of Taliesin (Dublin, 1968); variously trans. by J. P. Clancy in Medieval Welsh Poems (Dublin, 2003), pp. 39–44; The Triumph Tree: Scotland’s Earliest Poetry, 550–1350 (Edinburgh, 1998), pp. 79–93; The Earliest Welsh Poetry (London, 1970), pp. 23–32.
  • ‘Saga’ poetry: ed. and trans. J. Rowland, Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the Englynion (Cambridge, 1990).
  • Armes Prydein Vawr: ed. and trans. I. Williams and R. Bromwich, Armes Prydein: The Prophecy of Britain from the Book of Taliesin (Dublin, 1972).
  • ‘Myrddin’ poetry: trans. J. K. Bollard, ‘Myrddin in Early Welsh Tradition’, in The Romance of Merlin, ed. Peter Goodrich (New York and London, 1990), pp. 13–54.
  • ‘Arthurian’ poetry: ed. and trans. N. A. Jones, Arthur in Early Welsh Poetry (Cambridge, 2019).

Prose

  • The Mabinogion, trans. S. Davies (Oxford, 2007). Individual tales are edited as follows:
  • Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet, ed. D. S. Thomson (Dublin, 1957).
  • Branwen uerch Lyr, ed. D. S. Thomson (Dublin, 1961).
  • Manawydan uab Mathonwy, ed. P. K. Ford (Belmon, MA, 2000).
  • Math uab Mathonwy, ed. I. Hughes (Dublin, 2013).
  • Culhwch and Olwen, ed. R. Bromwich and D. S. Evans (Cardiff, 1992).
  • Breudwyt Ronabwy, ed. M. Richards (Cardiff, 1948).
  • Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys, ed. B. F. Roberts (Dublin, 1975).
  • Breudwyt Maxen Wledic, ed. B. F. Roberts (Dublin, 2005).
  • Owein or Chwedyl Iarlles y Ffynnawn, ed. R. L. Thomson (Dublin, 1986).
  • Ystorya Gereint uab Erbin, ed. R. L. Thomson (Dublin, 1997).
  • Historia Peredur vab Efrawc, ed. G. W. Goetinck (Cardiff, 1976).
  • Trioedd Ynys Prydein, ed. and trans. R. Bromwich (Cardiff, 1st ed. 1961; 2nd ed. 1978; 3rd ed. 2006; 4th ed. 2014).