NLW MS 20143A facts for kids
NLW MS 20143A is a very old book, or manuscript, written in the Welsh language. It contains the ancient laws of Wales, known as the Laws of Hywel Dda. These laws were named after a famous Welsh king, Hywel Dda, who lived a long time ago.
This special book was made in the middle of the 14th century, which means it's about 700 years old! It's one of the rare Welsh manuscripts from that time that still has its original medieval cover. The National Library of Wales bought this manuscript in 1969. They have also made a digital copy of it so more people can see it.
Contents
What's Inside This Old Book?
This manuscript holds a copy of some of the laws that people followed in medieval Wales. These laws are called Cyfraith Hywel, or "the law of Hywel." They cover many things, including the rules for the king and his officers. This part is known as the "laws of the court."
The very first and last pages of the manuscript are actually old scraps of parchment from other books. One scrap is from a religious text, and others are parts of old church service instructions.
Who Wrote It?
Two different scribes, or writers, worked on this manuscript together. You can even see the differences in their handwriting! They used blue-green and red inks for the drawings and decorations.
Cool Drawings and Decorations
The edges of many pages have interesting drawings. You can find symbols for the four writers of the Gospels (though two are swapped). There's also a picture of the crucifixion.
Look closely and you might spot amazing creatures like a mermaid, dragons, and peacocks! Some of the first letters of sections are also made bigger, colored, and beautifully decorated.
How the Manuscript Looks
The NLW MS 20143A manuscript is written on sheets of parchment, which is a special type of treated animal skin used for writing before paper was common. Each sheet measures about 160 by 130 millimeters.
Its Pages and Cover
The book has 115 folios, which are individual pages. It also has extra pages at the front and back that came from other old manuscripts. All these pages are sewn together and held between sturdy boards.
A scholar named Daniel Huws believes that the way the pages are sewn and the boards holding them are original. This is very special because not many medieval Welsh manuscripts still have their first covers. In the 1800s, the boards were covered again with calf leather. The spine of the book also has a Latin phrase added in the 19th century: "13th-century Welsh Law Manuscript."
The Journey of the Manuscript Through Time
Experts believe this manuscript was written in south Wales during the second half of the 14th century. The drawings in the book suggest it might have been created in a religious place, like a monastery.
Where It Was Kept
Notes written in the margins later on suggest the manuscript stayed in south Wales for a long time. In 1698, a Welsh historian named Edward Lhuyd had a copy of the text made. His assistant, William Jones, copied it for him while they were in Dolgellau, a town in north-west Wales. However, we don't know exactly where the original manuscript was kept at that time.
Later Owners
In 1835, a Welsh clergyman named William Conybeare gave the manuscript to the Neath Philosophical Society. Later, in 1841, a historian named Aneurin Owen referred to it as "Manuscript Y" in his book about old Welsh laws.
After about 1860, the manuscript was owned by private collectors, and its location was unknown for some time. Finally, in 1969, the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth bought it. It became part of their General Manuscript Collection and was given the reference number NLW MS 20143A. This manuscript was also the very first Welsh law book that the library made available digitally!
