Arthurian and Grail Poetry

yr Hengerdd

   Yr Hengerdd is the oldest of the Celticized or Welsh poetry. It is the work of y Cynfeirdd, the earliest poets, such as Aneirin, Taliesin,  Myrddin, Llywarch Hen, and other anonymous bards.  These works, some of which  may date back as far as the sixth century survive in manuscripts such as Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin, Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch, Llyfr Coch Hergest and the Llyfr Taliesin.
   Robert Vaughan (1592-1667) of Hengwrt built up the single most important collection of these important Welsh manuscripts, including Llyfr Du Caerfryddin, Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch and Llyfr Taliesin. His library was preserved by the Vaughan family and later the Wynne family of Peniarth until the end of the nineteenth century.  Sir John Williams bought the library in 1898. In 1909,  Sir Williams presented his collection including the Peniarth and Llanstephan manuscripts to the new National Library of Wales. J. Gwenogvryn Evans privately published editions of the manuscripts in the early years of this century and Sir Ifor Williams published the standard editions, Canu Aneirin, Canu Taliesin, and Canu Llywarch Hen over a period of thirty years. Many of the poems from Llyfr Taliesin remain unpublished.
   Here are provided a few of the many available poems and works from some of these early manuscripts

Englynion Y Beddau or 'The Stanzas of the Graves'
Marwnad Cynddylan or The Death-song of Cynddylan
PaGur or Arthur and Cai
Moliant Cadwallon or In Praise of Cadwallon