Peniarth Manuscripts
The Peniarth Manuscripts, also known as the Hengwrt–Peniarth Manuscripts, are a collection of medieval Welsh manuscripts now held by the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The collection was originally assembled by Robert Vaughan (c.1592–1667) of Hengwrt, Merionethshire, and in the 19th century was housed in Peniarth Mansion, Llanegryn, Merioneth. It contains some of the oldest and most important Welsh manuscripts in existence.
The collection was sold in 1898 by William Wynne VII of Peniarth to Sir John Williams. When the plan to establish a National Library of Wales emerged, Williams promised that he would donate his valuable collection, including the Peniarth Manuscripts, on condition that the library be based in Aberystwyth. This condition was met, and Sir John duly donated the collection to the National Library.
The collection includes treasures such as the Black Book of Carmarthen, Book of Taliesin and White Book of Rhydderch (containing the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the Three Welsh Romances and other tales) and a number of other ancient manuscripts, including early texts of the Cyfraith Hywel, and the Feirdd yr Uchelwyr. The manuscripts in other languages include two Latin manuscripts of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae and an early illuminated version of the Canterbury Tales, known as the Hengwrt Chaucer.
Selected list of manuscripts
- Black Book of Carmarthen
- Black Book of Chirk
- White Book of Rhydderch
- Book of Taliesin
- Beunans Meriasek
- Hengwrt Chaucer
Peniarth 6. Contents include the earliest surviving texts (c.1225–75) of parts of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.- Peniarth 20
- History of the Kings (Peniarth 23C)
- Peniarth 28
- Peniarth 32
- Peniarth 49
- Peniarth 51
- Peniarth 53
- Peniarth 109
- Peniarth 164
- Peniarth 259B
- Peniarth 481
- Vaux Passional (Peniarth 482D)
See also
A list of Welsh Law manuscripts
Bibliography
J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Reports on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, volume I, number 2 and 3.- Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, volume I, number 1.
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