Four Ancient Books of Wales facts for kids
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The Four Ancient Books of Wales are a collection of very old and important handwritten books. They were written in an old form of the Welsh language during the 1200s, 1300s, and 1400s. These books are special because they contain many old poems and stories. Some of these stories might even be from as far back as the 600s! They also have some of the earliest mentions of the legendary King Arthur in Welsh writings.
Contents
Discover the Four Ancient Books of Wales!
The name "Four Ancient Books of Wales" was first used by a person named William Forbes Skene. He wanted to describe these four very important medieval manuscripts. These books are a treasure because they help us understand the history and culture of Wales.
What Are These Special Books?
These books are filled with exciting tales and poems. They include stories that were popular long ago. Some of the writings in these books are very old. They might even come from traditions that started in the 500s and 600s.
The four books that Skene included in his list are:
- The Black Book of Carmarthen
- The Book of Taliesin
- The Book of Aneirin
- The Red Book of Hergest
Who Helped Us Learn About Them?
William Forbes Skene worked to put the main parts of the Four Ancient Books of Wales together. He also had them translated in 1868. He made a two-volume collection of these texts. He was helped by Daniel Silvan Evans, who likely did most of the translations. While his work was important for bringing these books to wider attention, later experts found some mistakes in his copies and translations.
Images for kids
- Images from the manuscripts
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Facsimile of a page from the Black Book of Carmarthen
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Facsimile of a page from the Book of Aneirin
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Facsimile of a page from the Book of Taliesin (Folio 13)
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Facsimile of Part of Column 579 from the Red Book of Hergest
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