Llyfr Aneirin, c. 1265, front cover [image 1 of 44]

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The book of Aneirin dates from around 1265 and contains a long poem called 'Y Gododdin'. The poem is attributed to Aneirin, who was in his prime during the second half of the sixth century. The poem commemorates the heroic deeds of a war-band chosen from the Gododdin tribe and its allies who fell in a disastrous assault upon the strategic site of Catraeth (Catterick, Yorkshire), about the year 600.

The language, metrical forms and general technique of the poem indicate that there lies behind it a long tradition of praise-poetry in the Brythonic language, that is to say the form of primitive Welsh which was current in Cumbria and southern Scotland.

It is agreed that before the poem was ever committed to writing there must have been a long period during which it was transmitted orally.

These photographs of the manuscript were taken before the volume was repaired and rebound.

An edited version of the Gododdin, complete with introductory notes, was prepared by Ifor Williams in the volume 'Canu Aneirin' (1938).

Source:

Meic Stephens (ed.), 'The New Companion to the Literature of Wales' (Cardiff, 1998)

Gathering the Jewels ref: GTJ10900

Cardiff Central Library

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