The material has been transcribed separately.
TEI Header for NLW MS. Peniarth 32 (Y Llyfr Teg)
: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2AE 0117 987 6500
Principal Investigator: Peter Wynn Thomas
Transcribed and encoded by D. Mark Smith
Transcribed and encoded by Diana Luft
- : Aberystwyth
- : National Library of Wales
- : Peniarth 32
- : Hengwrt 311
- : Hengwrt 8
- : Y Llyfr Teg
Peniarth 32 is a composite of two Hengwrt manuscripts: Hengwrt 311 (pages 1-221) and Hengwrt 8 (pages 222-285). Daniel Huws (2000: 31) is confident from the collation of this manuscript that it was conceived of and executed as a single work: far from being composed of separate booklets, the legal, historical and religious texts were, he argues, copied together in a single manuscript for antiquarian reasons. The manuscript was most likely bound into two volumes during the reign of James I, and rebound as one volume in the 1890s (Huws, Repertory).
The manuscript contains a copy of Cyfraith Hywel Dda or The Laws of Hywel Dda in the version that Aneurin Owen identified as the Venedotian Code or Dull Gwynedd, now referred to as Llyfr Iorwerth. It was used by Aneurin Owen in his edition of the Venedotian code in his Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales, and is referred to as 'Manuscript D' in that work and in the subsequent literature. This is followed by a Latin chronicle dealing with the affairs of Cardiff and its environs, two Welsh chronicles dealing with the history of England (O Oes Gwrtheyrn Gwrthenau and Brut y Saeson), the religious texts Breuddwyd Pawl, Ystoria Adda, and Rhinweddau Gwrando Offeren, and poetry.
Page | Contents | Hand |
i r | note, Peniarth and Hengwrt designations | J. Gwenogvryn Evans |
i v-ii r | blank | |
iii v | Fragment of an unidentified Latin text used in binding; not transcribed | |
iv r-iv v | blank | |
v r | manuscript designations | several modern hand |
v v | blank | |
vi r | note | modern hand |
vi v-vii r | blank | |
vii v | Notes on contents dated 1662 | William Maurice |
1-224 | Llyfr Iorwerth | X91 |
225-229 | Latin chronicle dating to 1404, not transcribed | Peniarth 32 hand B |
229-233 | O Oes Gwrtheyrn Gwrthenau | Peniarth 32 hand B |
234-238 | Breuddwyd Pawl | Peniarth 32 hand C |
238-241 | Ystoria Adda | Peniarth 32 hand C |
242-250 | Ystoria Adda | Peniarth 32 hand B |
251-265 | Brut y Saeson | Peniarth 32 hand D |
266-269 | blank | |
133a | note | modern hand |
133b-133c | letter dated 1863 | William Skene |
270-272 | Englynion i'r Offeren, not transcribed | Peniarth 32 hand E |
272-275 | Rhinweddau Gwrando Offeren | Peniarth 32 hand E |
276-280 | blank | |
281 | note on contents and Hengwrt designation | J. Gwenogvryn Evans et al. |
282 | Hengwrt manuscript designation | modern hand |
283 | Peniarth manuscript designation | modern hand |
284 | notes on contents | several modern hands |
The following texts were consulted during the transcription:
- Charles-Edwards, T. M. ed. and trans. 1980. The 'Iorwerth' Text. The Welsh Law of Women. eds. Dafydd Jenkins and Moryfdd E. Owen. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. 161-79.
- Charles-Edwards, T. M. ed. and trans. 1986. The 'Iorwerth' Text. Lawyers and Laymen. eds. T. M. Charles-Edwards, Moryfdd E. Owen and D. B. Walters. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. 137-178.
- Evans, J. Gwenogvryn and Rhŷs, John. eds. 1890. The Text of the Bruts from the Red Book of Hergest. Oxford: J.G. Evans.
- Jones, John Morris and Rhŷs, John. eds. 1894. Rinwedeu Gwaranndaw Offeren. The Elucidarium and Other Tracts in Welsh from Llyvyr Agkyr Llandewivrevi. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 151.
- Jones, John Morris and Rhŷs, John. eds. 1894. Breudwyt Pawl Ebostol. The Elucidarium and Other Tracts in Welsh from Llyvyr Agkyr Llandewivrevi. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 152-6.
- Lewis, Henry. ed. 1929. Englynion i'r Offeren. BBCS 5. 14-18.
- Parry-Williams, T. H. ed. 1926. Breuddwyd Pawl. BBCS 3. 81-89.
- Wiliam, Aled Rhys. ed. 1960. Llyfr Iorwerth. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
- Williams, Robert. ed. 1892. Y Groglith. Selections from the Hengwrt MSS. London: T. Richards. 250-66.
Supplied text for Breuddwyd Pawl is from Parry-Williams (1926).
There are two systems of foliation, both in black ink in later hands.
- One system is to be found in the top right corner of each recto page and numbers each folio.
- The other system is to be found in the top right corner of each recto and verso page and numbers each page. The page-numbering skips from pages 120 to 122 because of a mistake in foliation.
The editors have followed the second system.
No catchwords are visible in this manuscript.The manuscript is in good condition and easy to read.
The text is written in a single column of between 26 and 29 lines to each page.
X91 uses both regular and medial <a>. The medial <a> often serves almost as a capital and is commonly found at the beginning of names and clauses. The orthography of this scribe does not differ substantially from expected forms.
Scribe B uses both regular and medial <a>. The medial <a> often serves almost as a capital and is commonly found at the beginning of names and clauses. This scribe also uses dotted <y>. There seems to be no phonological trigger for the use of either variant. The undotted form is slightly more common with capital letters than small ones. His script is characterised by a peculiar form of the letter <6>, and the use of dotted <y>. The orthography of this scribe does not differ substantially from expected forms.
The orthography of this scribe does not differ substantially from expected forms.
Peniarth 32 hand D does not use medial <a>. This scribe does use dotted <y>. There seems to be no phonological trigger for the use of either variant. The undotted form is slightly more common with capital letters than small ones. The orthography of this scribe does not differ substantially from expected forms.
The script of hand E is characterised by the use of a long-tailed dotted <y>
The orthography of this scribe does not differ substantially from expected forms.
The text contains a number of common abbreviations. These have been expanded in the transcription to the forms that are given elsewhere in the text itself rather than to standard or dictionary forms.
- macron for <n>: amdiffy[n]nỽr 81.10; a[n]ghenogyon 3.24; arbe[n]nhic: 5.5; ka[n]ny 81.25; ka[n]nyt 107.10 etc.; kyn[n] 69.26; 93.20;ky[n]nif 79.25; chy[n]nogyn 62.24; distei[n] 24.1; dra[n]noeth 27.8, 41.3 etc.
- macron for <m>: a[m]mot 64.26; Ansel[m] 258.15; ky[m]meint 120.12, 132.2, 195.11 etc.; gymersa[m] 238.19; gy[m]mell 57.10; pu[m] 252.5, 262.5; saxonu[m] 251.1, 251.3; Willia[m] 254.9; y[m] 184.11
- <'> for <er>: amh[er]aỽdyr 259.7, 260.22, 261.18 etc.; amh[er]odres 259.23, 261.9; d[er]uyd 17.20, 39.24, 40.2 etc.; Gilb[er]t 263.16; Joru[er]th 261.20; Rob[er]t 254.12, 258.1, 258.21 etc.; ymd[er]uynu 218.18
- <a> above a letter for <ra>: est[ra]ỽn 256.17
- <i> above a letter for <ri>: godineb[us] 265.16;Just[us] 257.1; p[ri]mus 251.1; p[ri]odaỽr 78.22, 78.23, 79.5 etc.; toci[us] 251.1
- <9> for <ur>: arth[ur] 229.8; gwneuth[ur] 19.18, 32.15, 111.17, etc.; penad[ur] 251.27
- <9> for <yr>: alexand[yr] 262.20, 264.8; amheraỽd[yr] 260.22, 261.18; brod[yr] 264.22; kadvalad[yr] 251.5; lancast[yr] 262.18; leicest[yr] 262.18; meist[yr] 265.24 etc.
- <9> for <us>: Anỽybod[us] 253.26; godineb[us] 252.24; prim[us]: 251.1; sper[us] 254.9
- <9> for <ys>: kan[ys] 257.7, 257.21
- <p> with a tail for <pro>: p[ro]ffỽyt 246.13
- <p> with a crossed tail for <per>: emp[er]odres 251.29
- <et>: 234.16, 234.17
- <l~> for <el>: ang[e]l 251.1
The scribes also abbreviate commonly occurring names and words:
- <ag[el]>: 237.5
- <agk[yfreith]>: 51.19, 57.7, 67.16 etc.
- <argl[wyd]>: 262.2, 263.4, 263.25 etc.
- <arthu[r]>: 261.9
- <Bast[ard]>: 257.15, 257.19, 259.5 etc.
- <bl[wydyn]>: 230.4
- <bre[nhin]>: 29.5
- <bren[hin]>: 7.9, 7.10, 7.18 etc.
- <brenh[in]>: 3.6, 3.14, 4.2 etc.
- <brenh[ines]>: 2.25, 4.2
- <C[ant]>: 259.15, 259.21, 260.16 etc.
- <ke[inyawc]>: 21.7, 21.23, 21.24 etc.
- <kei[nyawc]>: 57.11, 64.11
- <k[yfreith]>: 22.25, 23.8, 25.25 etc.
- <kyf[reith]>: 21.23, 21.24, 21.25 etc.
- <d[auyd]>: 263.23
- <d[eruyd]>: 43.3, 43.22, 46.16 etc.
- <dywe[dut]>: 237.12
- <vahall[t]>: 259.22
- <go[uyn]>: 236.16, 236.25, 237.17 etc.
- <Jeu[an]>: 260.11, 261.4, 261.8 etc.
- <ll[ywelyn]>: 261.20, 263.22, 263.24 etc.
- <mel[net]> (mlynet): 231.9
- <M[il]>: 255.21, 256.10, 257.16 etc.
- <Mlyn[d]>: 231.14
- <o[ed]>: 255.21, 256.10, 257.16 etc.
- <o[et]>: 255.21, 256.10, 257.16 etc.
- <p[awl]>: 236.17, 236.25, 237.5 etc.
- <ph[ylip]>: 261.13, 262.1
- <Ric[art]>: 257.25, 261.16, 262.25 etc.
- <steph[an]>: 259.16, 259.24, 259.26 etc.
- <Thom[a]s>: 260.13
- <Will[iam]>: 257.4, 257.5, 257.10, etc.
- <w[naeth]>: 236.17, 236.18, 236.25 etc.
- <w[ylaw]>: 236.17
Punctuation consists of the punctus and the punctus elevatus.
The decoration consists in the main of large decorated initials in red ink, as well as lively line-drawings, possibly in a later hand, in the margins of some pages. Examples may be seen at:
- 190: man's face
- 112: hand
- 209: bird's head
In some places where there are coloured initial letters, the scribe has indicated what the letter should be with a smaller letter, which appears behind the larger one. Examples are:
- <D>: 21.11
- <E>: 9.1
- <G>: 3.26
In some places where there are coloured initial letters, the scribe has indicated what the letter should be, and this smaller form appears in the right margin. Examples may be seen at:
- <N>: 18.9
- <T>: 22.5
- <U>: 25.4
In some cases the person responsible for filling in the decorated initials has missed one and only a space indicates where the letter should be. Examples are:
- <O>: 69.13
- <R>: 82.22
There are some marginalia in later hands in the manuscript which have not been included in the transcription:
- 10 LM.16: '[...]elleu' (unclear, later hand)
- 35 RM.11-12: 'finis lib. llys cyf[reith] gwlad' (unclear, 16th century hand?)
- 39.25: 'wr' corrected incorrectly to 'wraig' (16th century hand?)
- 48 LM.20-21: 'Treis morwyn' (16th century hand?)
- 60 LM.8: 'ofer vechni' (later hand)
- 90 LM.21-21, 25-26: illegible (later hand)
- 93 LM.22-24: 'Coron L. Dyfnwal' (later hand)
- 94 LM.11: illegible (later hand)
- 110.21: illegible (in later hand)
- 111 RM.20: illegible (in later hand)
- 112 LM.22: '[...] ap Madoc'
- 115 RM.13: 'no[...]' (in hand of scribe)
- 141 BM: 'groen bleid' (in hand of scribe)
- 161 BM: illegible (in hand of scribe)
- 221 BM: illegible
- 230 BM: 'hon. M. CCC. xvj mlynet' (later hand)
- 251 LM.3: 'sỽi' (in hand of scribe)
- 251 LM.14: 'wlf' (in hand of scribe)
- 251 LM.23: 'ryt' (in hand of scribe)
- 252 TM: 'Edmỽnt. 5. Etryt 6. Edỽin. 7. Edgar. 8.' (in hand of scribe)
- 252 RM.13-14: 'p[ri]m[us] albas saxonu[m]' (in hand of scribe)
- 252 RM.17: 'Leoff' (in hand of scribe)
- 253: TM 'Edwart. 9. Edylryt. 10.' (in hand of scribe)
- 254: TM 'Yswein. 11. Edmỽnt. 12. Cantỽn. 13.' (in hand of scribe)
- 254 RM.12: 'Will[iam] bast[ard].' (in hand of scribe)
- 254 RM.14: 'Arlon' (in hand of scribe)
- 255 TM: 'Harffort. 14. Hardnỽt. 15. Edward. 16.' (in hand of scribe)
- 255 LM.6: 'dric' (in hand of scribe)
- 255 LM.18: 'lluryt' (in hand of scribe)
- 255 LM.20: 'Edwart' (in hand of scribe)
- 255 LM.24: 'Aluryt' (in hand of scribe)
- 256 RM.1: 'Godmỽ' (in hand of scribe)
- 256 RM.11: 'Edwa' (in hand of scribe)
- 256 RM.14: 'Gilis' (in hand of scribe)
- 256 RM.18: 'Edỽin.' (in hand of scribe)
- 257 TM: 'Will[iam] Bast[ard]. 17.' (in hand of scribe)
- 258 TM: 'Will[iam] goch. 18.' (in hand of scribe)
- 258 RM.1: 'Attal.' (in hand of scribe)
- 259 TM: 'Henri. 19. Steph[an]. 20.' (in hand of scribe)
- 260 TM: 'Henri. 21. Ricard. 22.' (in hand of scribe)
- 260 RM.13: 'seint thom[as]' (in hand of scribe)
- 261 TM: 'Jeu[an]. 23. Henri 24.' (in hand of scribe)
- 261 LM.3: 'Calus' (in hand of scribe)
- 262 TM: 'Edwart. 25. Edward. 26.' (in hand of scribe)
- 262 RM.8: 'Walo' (in hand of scribe)
- 262 RM.15: 'Eliano' (in hand of scribe)
- 264 RM.4: 'Madoc' (in hand of scribe)
- 265 TM: 'Edwart. 27. Edwart 28. Ricard. 29.' (in hand of scribe)
- 265 LM.5: 'sbel' (in hand of scribe)
Nota marks in the hand of the main scribe may be seen at 97 RM.20 and 100 LM.23.
Notes in a number of modern hands precede the manuscript and are bound with it:
- i r: Note in the hand of J. Gwenogvryn Evans giving the Peniarth and Hengwrt manuscript designations: 'Peniarth MS. 32 or Hengwrt MS. 311 = pages 1-221 Hengwrt MS. 8 = pages 222-85'
- i v-iir r: blank
- iii v: fragment of an unidentified Latin text in anglicana script, probably used in binding the manuscript
- iv r-iv v: blank
- v r: fragments of text giving different manuscript designations in different modern hands: 'Howel Dda (Laws) 311 Llyfr têg'; 'Laws of Howel Dda 311'
- v v: blank
- vi r: note in a modern hand: 'Hengwrt ?? This manuscript was used by Mr. Aneurin Owen in editing his new edition of the Welsh Laws. He speaks of it as "a very fine specimen perfect of the middle of the 14th century." See the Preface to that Edition.'
- vi v-vii r: blank
- vii v: Notes in the hand of William Maurice: 'Lib. Têg, vel Têg yw Arwyddyn y llyfr hwnn yn Neddfgrawn. Wm. M.'; 'Llyfre Prawf yna Mad. ab Jorwerth sydd yn dechreu, pag. 111 or llyfr hwnn.'; 'Alpha {et} Jor. nra? ad hunc cod. emendatissimum, examinavi ego WM. 1662.'; 'Care, bonis avibus, sine me Liber ibis in aevum'
Two pages bearing notes in a modern hand have been bound in the middle of the manuscript:
- 133a: note in a modern hand on Breuddwyd Pawl
- 133b-133c: letter dated 3 April 1863 from William Skene to William Watkin Wynne
The following pages are bound at the back of the manuscript:
- 276-280: blank
- 281: Note on contents in the hand of J. Gwenogvryn Evans and one other modern hand giving the Hengwrt manuscript designation: 'Hengwrt MS. 8 British and Saxon History'
- 282: Note in the hand of J. Gwenogvryn Evans giving the Hengwrt manuscript designation: 'Hengwrt MS. No. 8'
- 283: Note in a modern hand giving the Peniarth manuscript designation: 'No 32'
- 284: Notes on contents in modern hands: 'Edw. Robats Laslylyn 1833 Feb 15th 1833'
The manuscript was produced at the end of the fourteenth or the beginning of the fifteenth century in Wales (Huws 2000: 60). An entry in the Latin chronicle which occupies pages 225-229 records that it was composed in 1404: 'A natiuitate Christi usque ad annum in quo modo sumus MCCCCIIII' (Luft 67). Evidence from this chronicle points to a possible connection with Llantarnam abbey (see Luft 2010 for this).
It is apparent from notes bound with the manuscript that it was in the possession of the antiquarian William Maurice (d. 1680), who made a copy of it for his collection of laws which he called Deddfgrawn or Corpus Hoelianum and which is now to be found in Wynnstay MSS. 37-38. (DWB 589).
Peniarth 32 was acquired by Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt (1592-1667). It is not known how Vaughan obtained most of his manuscripts, but according to a story in the writings of Edward Lhuyd he inherited those in the possession of John Jones of Gellilyfdy on Jones's death about 1658 (Tibbott 1943: iv). The Hengwrt manuscripts were catalogued in 1658 by William Maurice of Cefnybraich, Llansilin (Jones 1943: xvi). The manuscript was bequeathed by Sir Robert Williames Vaughan (d. 1859), the last baronet of Hengwrt, to his friend William Watkin Edward Wynne (1801-1880) of Peniarth in 1859, along with the rest of the Hengwrt collection (Tibbott 1943: viii).
The Hengwrt catalogue was revised first by Aneurin Owen (d. 1851), and then by William Watkin Wynne. This catalogue was published in Archaeologia Cambrensis, 1869-1871 (Jones 1943: xv). It was catalogued and re-numbered by J. Gwenogvryn Evans when he examined the collection for the Historical Manuscripts Commission along with the rest of the Peniarth manuscripts, while they were in the possession of W.W.E. Wynne's son, William Robert Maurice Wynne (d. 1909).
The Peniarth collection was secured for the nascent National Library of Wales by Sir John Williams who, in 1904, paid the Wynne brothers a sum to ensure the reversion of the collection to the Library upon the death of both brothers. Along with the rest of the collection, the manuscript passed to the Library in 1909 (Tibbott 1943: viii).
Information on the dating and hand of this manuscript is based on the following authorities:
- Jenkins, R. T. ed. 1959. Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940. London: Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.
- Charles-Edwards, Gifford. 1980. The Scribes of the Red Book of Hergest. The National Library of Wales Journal 21. 246-256.
- Evans, J. Gwenogvryn. 1898-1910. Peniarth 32. Report on manuscripts in the Welsh Language 1. London: HMSO. 363-6.
- Huws, Daniel. 2000. Medieval Welsh Manuscripts. Cardiff and Aberystwyth: University of Wales Press and the National Library of Wales.
- Huws, Daniel. A Repertory of Welsh Manuscripts and Scribes. draft.
- Jones, E. D. 1943. Old Catalogues of the Hengwrt Manuscripts. Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales 1. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales. xv-xxiii.
- Luft, Diana. ed. 2010. The NLW Peniarth 32 Latin Chronicle. Studia Celtica 44. 47-70.
- Tibbot, Gildas. 1943. A Brief History of the Hengwrt-Peniarth Collection. Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales 1. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales. i-xiv
The Welsh Prose 1350-1425 website is the product of an AHRC funded research project undertaken by staff at the School of Welsh, Cardiff University from 2004 through 2007 called Corff Electronig o Ryddiaith Cymraeg Canol. The aim of this project was to produce machine-readable editions of all the medieval Welsh prose texts which have been preserved in manuscripts dating from c.1350 to c.1425.
The project is a continuation and a development of two previous projects funded by the University of Wales which transcribed the Welsh prose in manuscripts dated to c.1250-c.1350.
The intention is to give scholars access not only to texts that have hitherto remained unedited but also to the different versions of texts that have been the subject of critical editions.
Certain decorative features have been encoded: these may trigger further study of the original manuscripts. Primarily, however, the resource provides detail which it is hoped will further the study of the language and literature of the period.
In producing this edition, we have attempted to fulfil two different and often non-complementary if not opposing goals: to present a minimally edited edition of the text, and to represent as many visual features of the manuscript as possible.
Visual features of the text such as layout, and rubrication may prove to be as essential in textual interpretation as features such as punctuation, letter forms, capitalisation and word division, which are more usually invoked by scholars in the field.
The orthography of the original text has been maintained, even where it is idiosyncratic, as the unique characteristics of the scribe's spelling may shed light upon the language of the period as he, his audience, or patron used it. Where the scribe's orthography seems to merit particular attention, an editorial gloss has been added to indicate what we believe to have been the target form.
In some places, especially where the manuscript is damaged, we have supplied text. This serves the two-fold purpose of presenting a complete text and, perhaps more importantly, of indicating the size of the damaged area.
In order to make editorial intervention as transparent as possible, supplied text is clearly marked off from the manuscript text by a different font. Also in the spirit of editorial transparency, we have wherever possible used published editions for supplied text. Text supplied from published editions may suffer from obvious errors or significant differences in orthography from the manuscript text. We have refrained from imposing our own editorial actions on such features.
The transcription of this manuscript, as well as the information in this TEI header, is based on the microfilm reproduction of the manuscript produced by the National Library of Wales in 1995. As we have not checked the transcription against the original, information on the scribal hands, foliation, accompanying materials, colour scheme and ornamentation should be treated as provisional.
- 20-Mar-2011 DL: edited TEI header
- 16-Aug-2007 PWT: edited TEI header
- 8-Jan-2007 – 2-May-2007 PWT: edited XML encoded files, produced table of corrections and amended where necessary
- 28-Nov-2006 DL: converted Word files with shortcuts into XML files and corrected them
- 9-Nov-2006 – 23-Nov-2006 DMS: corrected electronic transcription of pages 234-265, 270-275
- 8-Nov-2006 – 20-Nov-2006 DL: corrected electronic transcription of pages 229-233
- 7-Nov-2006 – 17-Nov-2006 DMS: checked DL's transcript of pages 229-233 against prints
- 6-Nov-2006 – 16-Nov-2006 DL: transcribed pages 229-233 with shortcuts
- 1-Nov-2006 – 7-Nov-2006 DL: checked DMS's transcription of pages 234-265, 270-275 against prints
- 21-Oct-2006 – 7-Nov-2006 DMS: transcribed pages 234-265, 270-275 with shortcuts
- 22-May-2006 – 30-May-2006 DMS: corrected electronic transcription of pages 110-120, 122-161
- 22-May-2006 – 30-May-2006 DL: checked DMS's transcription of pages 110-120, 122-161 against prints
- 19-May-2006 – 26-May-2006 DMS: transcribed pages 110-120, 122-161, with shortcuts
- 25-Apr-2006 – 6-May-2006 DL: corrected electronic transcription of folios 1-109, 162-224
- 24-Apr-2006 – 10-May-2006 DMS: checked DL's transcript of pages 1-109, 162-224 against prints
- 21-Apr-2006 – 9-May-2006 DL: transcribed pages 1-109, 162-224 with shortcuts