EARLY AND MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

Author(s): Jane Cartwright

Reviewed work(s):
Source: The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, Vol. 62 (2000), pp. 527-534
Published by: Modern Humanities Research Association
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 Welsh Studies 527

EARLY AND MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

By Jane Cartwright, Lecturer inWelsh, University ofWales, Lampeter

A further four volumes of poetry have appeared this year in the

UWCASWC series, CyfresBeirdd yr Uchelwyr, under the general
editorship of Anne Parry Owen. Gwaith GruffuddLlwyd a'r Llygliwiaid
Eraill, ed. Rhiannon Ifans, Aberystwyth, UWCASWC,
xxii 4- 355 pp., edits eighteen poems attributed to Gruffudd Llwyd
including two important praise poems toOwain Glyndwr which were
composed prior to theGlyndwr uprising. Also included in the volume
is an awdl by Gruffudd Llwyd's uncle, Hywel ab Einion Lygliw, and
poetry attributed to other members of his family. Gwaith Hywel
Swrdwal a'iDeulu, ed. Dylan Foster Evans, Aberystwyth, UWCASWC,
xx 4- 244 pp., edits the work of Hywel Swrdwal and his two sons,
Ieuan and Dafydd. The majority are elegies and formal praise poems
to theWelsh nobility, many ofwhich highlight the family's sympathy
with theYorkist cause. Included in the volume is the unusual Middle
English poem, written inWelsh orthography, in praise of theVirgin
Mary. Religious poetry features greatly in Gwaith Ieuan BrydyddHir,
ed.M. Paul Bryant-Quinn, Aberystwyth, UWCASWC, xx 4- 209 pp.,
which includes editions of thirteenpoems attributed to Ieuan Brydydd
Hir, two poems of uncertain authorship and three cywyddau ymryson
addressed to Ieuan by Tudur Penllyn. Gwaith BrydyddBreuan, Rhys ap
Dafydd ab Einion, Hywel Tstorm a CherddiDienw 0 Lyfr CochHergest, ed.
Huw Meirion Edwards, Aberystwyth, UWCASWC, xvii 4- 152 pp.,
provides editions of the work of some of the I4th-c. satirical poets
whose poetry is preserved in the Red Book of Hergest. All of the
volumes in this series are accompanied by brief introductions to the
work of each poet and useful notes. Modern Welsh translations of the
are whereas the accompan is
i4th-c. poems provided, i5th-c.
4 poetry
ied only by lists of vocabulary. N.Jacobs, "Englynion" yMisoedd:
testun B neu fersiwn Llanstephan 117 a Pheniarth 155', Dwned 6:
9-24, edits four verses of poetry associated with fourmonths of the
year and discusses the relationship between the various manuscripts
inwhich they are extant.
R. M.Jones, Mawla'i Gyfeillion,Llandybie, Cyhoeddiadau Barddas,
258 pp., is a detailed analysis of the nature of praise poetry inWelsh
tradition. The study considers both secular and religious praise poetry
and focuses primarily on medieval poetry: the Cynfeirddand Gogyn
feirdd, Dafydd ap Gwilym and the poets of the gentry, but also
encompasses the Renaissance and the work ofWilliam Williams
Pantycelyn. P. MacCana, 'Iwerddon a Chymru yn yr Oesoedd

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 528 Early andMedieval Literature

Canol', Cqf Cenedl 14:3-36, synthesizes a wide range of literary

sources as he considers of contact between Ireland and Wales
points
from the 7th c. to the 17th c. N. Jacobs, 'Red, brown, and grey
cuckoos: a problem inpoetic ornithology', CMCS4.0: 27-33, discusses
the semantic development of the term rhuddand various interpreta
tions of the line Rud cogeugoleu ewyn in 'Can yrHenwr'. L. W. Lloyd,
'Beth yw perthyn? Pedwar term teuluol ymmarddoniaeth yrOesoedd
Canol', Dwned, 6: 25-53, traces the semantic development of the four
familial terms teulu,tylwyth, cenedland carand examines theirmeanings
'
and uses inMiddle Welsh poetry. D. Johnston, "Ceidwaid yr hen
iaith"? Beirdd yr Uchelwyr a'r iaith Saesneg', Y Traethodydd
150:16-24, demonstrates that the poets of the gentry frequently used
English loan-words in their poetry for both artistic and pragmatic
reasons, and thus demolishes themyth thatmedieval poets helped
conserve an ancient pure form of Welsh untainted by English
'
influences. Id., "Propaganda'r prydydd": gwleidyddiaeth Beirdd yr
Uchelwyr', Cqf Cenedl 14:39-67, highlights many of the pitfalls that
can be encountered when attempting to interpret political poetry
from 14th and i5th-c. Wales, and warns against lifting sections of
poetry from their literary and historical contexts. P. L. Williams,' "Ar
ganghennau'r gynghanedd": agweddau ar y goedwig yn llenyddiaeth
yrOesoedd Canol', Dwned 6: 55-76, surveys references to carpentry,
trees and forests inMiddle Welsh poetry and highlights the relation
ship between the forest and the otherworld in medieval Welsh
literature. Id., 'Tirlun a thirwedd Cymru: golwg ar lenyddiaeth yr
Oesoedd Canol', Univ. ofWales Aberystwyth, occasional series 2,
29 pp., elucidates references to landscape inmedieval Welsh poetry
and prose, and demonstrates that although a sense of place was
extremely important tomedieval authors, theywere not particularly
concerned with the aesthetics of landscape. Id., 'Cywydd "Y Carw"
Dafydd ap Gwilym: rhai ystyriaethau', Y Traethodydd 155:80-92,
considers what inspired Dafydd ap Gwilym to choose a deer as a love
'
messenger in his cywydd'Y Carw'. Marged Haycock, "Where cider
ends, there ale begins to reign": drink inmedieval Welsh poetry',
H. M. Chadwick Memorial Lectures 10,Dep. ofAnglo-Saxon, Norse
and Celtic, Cambridge, 29 pp., discusses references to alcoholic
beverages inmedieval Welsh poetry. A. Breeze, 'The Blessed Virgin
and the sunbeam through glass', Celtica 23:19-29, discusses refer
ences inmedieval poetry to the image of the sunbeam
shining through
glass and itsmetaphorical associations with Christ's incarnation and
Mary's virginity. The discussion traces the origins and development
of the topos and considers six examples frommedieval Welsh poetry.
O. Thomas, 'Dafydd Epynt: bardd llythrennog o Frycheiniog', Dwned
6: 77-94, sheds new lights on the poetic career of Dafydd Epynt, a

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 Welsh Studies 529
15th-c poet from Breconshire who has previously attracted very little
attention. Thomas demonstrates that although Dafydd Epynt cannot
be considered as one of themost important poets in 15th-c. century
Wales, he is nevertheless significant because ' some of his poetry is
recorded in his own hand. J.Walford Davies, "Hybu'r galon rhwng
yr esgyrn crin": cywydd 'Cysur Henaint' Guto'r Glyn', Dwned 6:
95-127, is a detailed critical analysis of Guto'r Glyn's cywydd'Cysur
Henaint'. H. M. Edwards, marwnadau adref', LIC 23:
'Dwyn 21-38,
continues his work on elegiac poetry by considering when and where
the elegies were performed. G. A. Williams, 'Adolygu'r canon:
cywydd arall gan Iolo Goch i
Owain Glyndwr', LIC 23:39-73, argues
convincingly that 'Cywydd i Owain Glyndwr pan oedd fwyaf ei
rwysg' should be reinstated in the Iolo Goch canon. This fascinating
piece of research has major implications for the study of both Welsh
literature and Welsh history, since it implies that Iolo Goch was still
alive at the time of the Glyndwr uprising; that the poem was
composed c. 1403 and is, therefore, a unique witness to theGlyndwr
rebellion. It had previously been assumed that all of the poetry
composed for Owain Glyndwr was written prior to the revolt and
that Iolo Goch died c. 1397/8. Appended to the article is an edition
of the poem. Id., 'Beirdd Cymru a'r goron', Cqf Cenedl 15:31-68,
discusses attitudes towards the English crown inWelsh poetry from
the Middle Ages onwards. B. O. Huws, 'Ieuan Gethin, Owain
Glyndwr a stori Iolo Morganwg', Y Traethodydd 155: 137-47, carefully
examines each of the elements in a story about Ieuan Gethin
recounted by Iolo Morganwg. Having considered other literary and
historical references, Huws comes to the conclusion that the nucleus
of the story is true and that Ieuan probably was pardoned by Henry
V after going into hiding on Anglesey following the Glyndwr
rebellion. Glanmor Williams, Cymru a'r Gorffennol:Cor 0 Leisiau,
Llandysul, Gomer, 229 pp., is a useful collection of essays onWelsh
history which includes two articles relevant to this section:
'Proffwydoliaeth, prydyddiaeth a pholitics yn yr Oesoedd Canol'
(31-40), previously published in Taliesin (1968), looks at the political
significance of prophetic poetry inmedieval Wales and 'Harri Tudur:
Mab Darogan' (41-53), examines attitudes towards Henry Tudor
and the way in which Welsh poets depicted Henry VII as the
Prophesied Son, descendant ofCadwaladr, who would free theWelsh
from tyranny.R. White, 'Caernarfon and the origins of theKingdom
of Gwynedd', CHST 61 ^3-39, is an historical article which draws
on a number of literary texts. T. Hallam, 'Ysgrife(nu) Lewys Glyn
Cothi', LIC 23: 74-94, considers the relationship between orality and
thewritten medium in thework of Lewys Glyn Cothi.

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 Early andMedieval Literature
530
The Welsh King and his Court, ed. T. M. Charles-Edwards, Morfydd
E. Owen and Paul Russell, Cardiff, Univ. of Wales Press,
ix + 603 pp., is a detailed and authoritive account of the organization
and operation of theWelsh royal court prior to the Edwardian
conquest. The study provides a thorough analysis of the Laws of
Court, editions of primary texts and English translations and includes
the following articles which are relevant to this section: D. Jenkins,
'Bardd teuluand pencerdd? (142-66), carefully examines the roles of the
names a
pencerddand bardd teuluand demonstrates thatwhilst pencerdd
status in the independent bardic organization, bardd teulunames an
office in the state organization. P. I. Lynch, 'Court poetry, power and
polities' (167-90), also examines the status of court poets and their
relation to both court and state, but focuses primarily on the political
aims of their poetry. T. M. Charles-Edwards and N. A. Jones,
'BreintiauGwyr Powys: the liberties of the men of Powys' (191-23),
analyse an unusual poem by Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr which
champions the liberties of themen of Powys and demonstrates that
Madog ap Maredudd's pencerddwas capable of expressing views
contrary to the interests of the rulers of Powys. M. E. Owen, 'Royal
propaganda: stories from the law texts' (224-54), discusses a series of
stories and anecdotes recorded in theWelsh law texts and considers
the purpose of these stories. Editions of theMiddle Welsh texts and
translation are in an P. Russell, 'Canu i
English provided appendix.
SwyddogionLlysy Brenin\ (552-60), comments on a series of verses to
the officers of the court and offers an edition based on John Jones of
Gellilfdy's transcription. H. Pryce, 'The context and purpose of the
earliest Welsh lawbooks', CMCS 39:39-63, demonstrates that the
earliestWelsh lawbooks were written for a variety of different reasons
and that they reflect 'awider affirmation ofWelsh culture and identity
stimulated by the threat of English conquest and settlement'.
J. Goering and H. Pryce, 'The De modo confitendi of Cadwgan, Bishop
of Bangor', MedS 62: 1-27, outlines the lifeand writings of Cadwgan,
Bishop of Bangor from 1215 to 1235/6, and provides an edition of
his treatise concerning the confession of sins.
Daniel Huws, Medieval Welsh Manuscripts, Cardiff, Univ. ofWales
Press, xvi 4- 352 pp. 4- 36 pis, is themost significant study ofmedieval
Welsh manuscripts since J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Report onManuscripts
in theWelsh Language (1889-1910). Although the majority of the
articles have previously been published elsewhere and the rather
modest Preface suggests that the study is 'offeringnothing new', this
superb collection is an invaluable introduction to theWelsh manu
script tradition and draws together some of the most lucid and
detailed analyses of important Welsh manuscripts such as Liber
Landavensis, the Hendragadredd Manuscript, the White Book of

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 Welsh Studies 53i
Rhydderch and theHengwrt-Peniarth and Mostyn collections. Issues
relating to palaeography, dating, patronage and scribal practice are
all addressed and the listof all manuscripts inWelsh up to 1540 is an
indispensable aid for anyone studying medieval Welsh literature.
Articles onWelsh vernacular books 1250-1400 and theHendraged
redd Manuscript (one of themost important sources for Gogynfeirdd
poetry) are here translated intoEnglish for the first time. The Cambridge
JuvencusManuscript Glossed inLatin, Old Welsh, and Old Irish, ed. Helen
McKee, 2 vols, Aberystwyth, CMCS Publications, x 4- 594 pp.,
provides a complete edition and facsimile of Cambridge, University
Library, MS Ff.4.42 (1285). Originally copied in 9th-c. Wales, the
manuscript contains a number of additions and annotations inOW
and OI which include twelve englynionbelieved to be the oldest
surviving poetry in OW. Id., 'Scribes and glosses from Dark Age
-
Wales', CMCS 39:1 22, further scrutinizes the manuscript's vernacu
lar glosses and notes that the scribe responsible for theOW englynion
was one of the first to add material to the Cambridge Juvencus.
McKee tentatively suggests that the manuscript may have been
produced at Llanilltud Fawr or Llancarfan.
Math Uab Mathonwy Pedwaredd Gainc y Mabinogi, ed. Ian Hughes,
Aberystwyth, Dep. of Welsh, Univ. of Wales, Aberystwyth,
xli 4- 114 pp., provides a new edition ofMath Uab Mathonwy, the
fourth branch of PKM. His edition is based on theWhite Book of
Rhydderch, but also lists themost significant variant readings found
in theRed Book ofHergest. A useful introduction is provided which
includes information on the manuscripts, previous editions of the
text, translations, dating, structure, and characterisation
authorship
as well as two maps relating to the legend. The eleven tales known
collectively as theMabinogion have been translated into Portuguese
and a translation of Tstorya Taliesin is included in an appendix: 0
Mabinogion, trans. Jose Domingos Morais, Lisbon, Assirio & Alvim,
443 PP- A second German translation has also appeared: *Das
Sagenbuch der walisischenKelten: Die Vier des
Mabinogi, trans. Bernhard
Maier, Miinchen. The Mabinogion, trans. Lady Charlotte Guest,
London, Harper Collins, x 4- 355 pp., republishes Lady Charlotte
Guest's English translation of theMabinogion, which first appeared in
three volumes in 1846. This beautifully illustrated volume also
includes Guest's notes on the tales, a brief introduction by Alan Lee,
the illustrator, and facsimile reproductions of the wood engravings
which originally appeared in the 1877 reprint. TheMabinogion, trans.
Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones, London, Everyman, xliii 4- 259 pp.,
is a revised edition of the classic Jones and Jones translation with the
addition of a Preface by John Updike and some erroneous informa
tion printed on the dust jacket.

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 532 Early andMedieval Literature

Gwyn Thomas, 'Yn rhith anifeiliaid' (1-20) in Gair am Air.

Tstyriaethau am Faterion Llenyddol, Cardiff, Univ. of Wales Press,
vii + 194 pp. + 6 pis, assumes that many of the characters of the
Mabinogion are associated with Celtic gods and goddesses, and
considers rather tenuous links between of animals on
images pre
Christian archaeological artefacts and the role of animals inmedieval
Welsh legends, such as PKM and Culhwch ac Olwen. Annwn, y byd
arall' (21-39) in ib.,discusses the portrayal of the otherworld inWelsh
legends and concludes that it combines both pagan and Christian
elements; 'Sion Cent a noethni'r enaid', (40-57) in ib., compares and
contrasts the work of Sion Cent (c. 1400-30/45) with that of late
i4th-c.Welsh poets, focussing inparticular on his preoccupation with
sin and death. E. P. Hamp, 'Mabinogi and archaism', Celtica
assesses Ifor Williams's and Charles-Edwards's
23:96-110, phonolo
gical arguments concerning the dating of PKM and examines the title
Mabinogi. Sioned Davies, O'r Pair i'r Sosban, Y Ddarlith Lenyddol,
Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Llanelli a'r Cylch, 22 pp., traces references
to cauldrons inmedieval Welsh literature and comments on author
ship and the relationship between orality and literacy in the
Mabinogion. I. Daniel, 'TmborthyrEnaid a'r chwedlau brodorol', LIC
23: 1-20, compares the language and styleof TmborthyrEnaid and the
Mabinogion and proposes that the Dominican author of Tmborthyr
Enaid was also responsible for six of theMabinogion legends. Having
reiterated his view that Cnepyn Gwerthrynion was possibly respons
ible for Tmborthand Gramadegau'rPenceirddiaid, he tentatively suggests
that some of theMabinogion legends may have been composed at a
Dominican house inNorth Wales, possibly at Bangor or Rhuddlan.
R. M. Jones, 'Macsen Wledig a'i berthynas a'r genedl', Cqf Cenedl
15:3-28, examines the character of Macsen Wledig (Magnus
Maximus) and theways inwhich Welsh literature andWelsh scholars
have depicted him as the founding father of the Welsh nation.
C. Lloyd-Morgan, 'La violence contre les femmes dans la litterature
galloise du Moyen Age', in Violence et societeenBretagne etdans lespays
celtiques,Brest, Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique, 339-47,
discusses episodes inMiddle Welsh literature where women are
subjected to violence, focusing in particular on the female characters
of theMabinogion. Although themajority of the texts in question are
generally assumed to be of male authorship, Gwerful Mechain's
poetry provides a unique glimpse of a female author's attitude
towards violence, sexuality and life in general.
CanhwyllMarchogyon Cyd-destunoliPeredur, ed. Sioned Davies and
Peter Wynn Thomas, Cardiff, Univ. of Wales Press, x + 162 pp.,
provides a detailed and thorough analysis of the Middle Welsh
Arthurian legend Peredur.The study suggests that the earliest written

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 Welsh Studies 533
versions of the legend derive fromNorth Wales and may be associated
with the royal court at Gwynedd. D. Huws, 'Y pedair llawysgrif
ganoloesoP (i -9), is a brief discussion of the four medieval manu
scripts which preserve the legend. Huws focuses primarily on the
earliest extant manuscripts, Peniarth 7 and Peniarth izjii; P. W.
Thomas, 'Cydberthynas y pedair fersiwn ganoloesoP (10-49), dis
cusses the complex relationship between the fourmedieval versions
of Peredur, and suggests that the earliest written text (c. 1275-1325)
contains dialectal features associated with North Wales; S. Davies,
'Cynnydd Peredur Vab Efrawc' (65-90), compares and contrasts
structural and stylisticfeatures from three differentversions ofPeredur,
and traces the development of the written legend from its less
sophisticated, formulaic beginnings in Peniarth 7 to itsmore polished
expression and extended narrative structure in Peniarth 4; B. F.
Roberts, 'Y cysyniad o destun' (50-64), also focuses on the textual
development of Peredur and the transition from 'fluidity'and variance
to a more standardized, authoritive text.Trends in editorial methods
'
and literary criticism are also considered; M. E. Owen, "Arbennic
milwyr a blodeu marchogyon": cymdeithas Peredur' (91-112), places
Peredur in its social context and highlights the importance of chivalry
in this particular Arthurian legend. The discussion focuses on the
development of Peredur's military prowess, as he becomes a knight,
and demonstrates that the social milieu and personnel of Peredur
betray Anglo-Norman influence; C. Lloyd-Morgan, 'Y cyd-destun
Ewropeaidd' (113-27), places the legend in its European context,
focusing primarily on the relationship between theWelsh and French
texts; S. Knight, 'Resemblance and menace: a
post-colonial reading
of Peredur' (128-47), offers a post-colonial reading of Peredur and
concludes that 'Peredur can and should be read as a complex
representation of and negotiation with the real conditions of its
context'.
sociopolitical
O. J. Padel, Arthur inMedieval Welsh Literature,Cardiff, Univ. of
Wales Press, Writers ofWales series, 139 pp., is a succinct, reliable
survey of Arthurian literature inmedieval Wales, from the 9th-c.
Welsh-Latin Historia Brittonum, through the early poetry and Culhwch
ac Olwen to the post-Geoffrey romances and references in i6th-c.
Welsh poetry. C. Lloyd-Morgan, 'The Celtic tradition', in The
Arthur of theEnglish. The ArthurianLegend inMedieval English Life and
Literature,ed.W. R. J. Barron, Cardiff, Univ. ofWales Press, 395 pp.
(1-9), briefly surveys 'Celtic' sources for Arthurian literature and
focuses on the development ofArthurian tradition inWales proposing
that the seeds of later continental and Arthurian tradition were
implicit in the earliestWelsh sources, although Arthurian tradition in
England developed autonomously. J. C. Crick, 'The British past and

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 534 Early andMedieval Literature

theWelsh future: Gerald of Wales, Geoffrey of Monmouth and

Arthur of Britain', Celtica 23:60-75, reassesses Gerald de Barri's
criticisms of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regumBritannie and
demonstrates thatwhilst both authors can be viewed as counterparts
because of theway inwhich they exploited their sources and viewed
the British past, they differed considerably in their visions of the
British future. Crick argues that Gerald actively sought to discredit
Geoffrey's vision of a unified kingship of Britain.
T. D. Breverton, The Book ofWelsh Saints, 606 pp., is a popular
publication published by the author's own press. Despite its rather
naive, non-academic introduction to the Age of the Saints', it
a considerable amount of information on the traditions
provides
associated withWelsh saints. It draws on a number of hagiographical
sources and summarizes relevant legendary material, although itdoes
not list its sources and should be used with care. Karen Jankulak, The
Medieval Cult of St Pedroc,Woodbridge, Boydell, xi + 261 pp., is a
detailed and thorough analysis of themedieval cult of St Petroc and
its related hagiography. The study pays particular attention to
Brittany and Cornwall, but also examines Welsh hagiographic
material including Vita Cadoci, theWelsh triads and poetry by Dafydd
Nanmor. The Welsh triads claim St Pedrog as one of the 'three just
knights' ofArthur's court and Dafydd Nanmor refers to the tradition
that Pedrog dedicated himself to the religious life following the battle
of Camlan and was later buried at Y Ferwig. Two Mediaeval Lives of
SaintWinefride, ed. Ronald Pepin and Hugh Feiss, Toronto, Peregrina,
126 pp., provides English translations of the two I2th-c. Latin Lives
of StWinefride (Gwenfrewi) of Holywell: the brief anonymous Life
and the more detailed vita by Robert, Prior of Shrewsbury, which
includes an account of the translation of her relics fromGwytherin to
Shrewsbury. GogoneddusArglwydd,HenffychWell: Detholiad 0Ryddiaith a
BarddoniaethGristnogolGymraegdrwy'rCanrifoedd,ed. Gwynn ap Gwilym,
xliv + 325 pp., brings together a selection of religious poems and
sections of prose. The firstpart covers the period up to 1499 and
contains twenty-eight texts chosen by J. E. Caerwyn Williams,
including anonymous early poetry, poetry of the Gogynfeirddand
Cywyddwyrand short sections of prose such as Mabinogi Iesu Grist,
EfengyINicodemus and GwyrthiauyWynjydedigFair. Gesta Romanorum, ed.
Patricia Williams, Cardiff, Univ. of Wales Press, lxvi + 201 pp.,
highlights the importance of this previously neglected collection of
moral tales which were translated from Latin intoWelsh c. 1600.
Williams edits theWelsh text, extant in only one manuscript, and
considers the text's authorship, dating, orthography, linguistic char
acteristics, main themes and images, as well as its relationship to the
Latin manuscripts andWynkyn deWorde's English edition.

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