Original Authors: Various anonymous Welsh scribes and poets; includes works attributed to Taliesin, Dafydd ap Gwilym, and other medieval authors.
Original Date Written: 13th–15th centuries (compiled across several generations)
Credit: National Library of Wales — Custodian of the Peniarth Collection
Description
The Peniarth Manuscripts form one of the most important collections of medieval Welsh literature, history, and law. Compiled between the 13th and 15th centuries, these manuscripts preserve the intellectual and mythic heritage of Wales — from bardic poetry and genealogies to prose tales, saints’ lives, and early legal texts.
Among the collection’s treasures are the Book of Taliesin (Peniarth MS 2), the White Book of Rhydderch (Peniarth MS 4), and the Black Book of Carmarthen (Peniarth MS 1) — each a cornerstone of Celtic literary tradition. Together, they illuminate the evolution of Welsh language, storytelling, and scholarship across the Middle Ages.
Now housed at the National Library of Wales, the Peniarth manuscripts stand as a living archive of the Celtic world — a testament to the endurance of myth, poetry, and cultural memory.
Where to Find This Work
Law of Hywel Dda — Peniarth MS 28
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: A central manuscript of medieval Welsh legal tradition, recording the laws attributed to Hywel Dda (“Hywel the Good”). It provides insight into justice, social structure, and governance in medieval Wales.
Original Date Written: 13th century
Peniarth Manuscripts
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: This is the official digital catalogue of the Peniarth Manuscripts, curated and preserved by the National Library of Wales. The collection, originally assembled by Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt (c.1592–1667), contains many of Wales’s most significant medieval texts — including The Black Book of Carmarthen (Peniarth MS 1), The Book of Taliesin (Peniarth MS 2), The White Book of Rhydderch (Peniarth MS 4), and The Chronicle of the Princes (Peniarth MS 20).
Now recognised by UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, the collection represents the heart of Welsh literary heritage. The National Library continues to digitise the manuscripts, making them accessible to scholars and readers worldwide.
Original Date Written: 13th–15th centuries (compiled)
Book of Taliesin - Peniarth MS 2 (Original Manuscript Scan)
Credit: National Library of Wales — Peniarth MS 2
Summary: The original medieval manuscript of The Book of Taliesin, preserved as Peniarth MS 2 in the National Library of Wales. Dating to the 14th century, it contains the earliest surviving collection of poetry attributed to the legendary bard Taliesin, including praise poetry, heroic elegies, and mythic transformation verse. As one of the most important sources for early Welsh literature and bardic tradition, this digital manuscript collection allows readers to explore the authentic Middle Welsh text in its historical form through high-quality images of the original pages.
Original Date: 14th century
Black Book of Carmarthen — Peniarth MS 1
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: The earliest surviving manuscript written entirely in Welsh, the Black Book of Carmarthen contains prophetic verse, devotional poetry, and some of the oldest Arthurian references — including early material about Myrddin (Merlin). It offers a rare window into the mythic and poetic imagination of medieval Wales.
Original Date Written: c. 1250
Beunans Meriasek — Peniarth MS 105
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: A medieval Cornish play recounting the life and miracles of St Meriasek (St Meriadoc). As one of the few surviving examples of Cornish drama, it offers invaluable insight into medieval Celtic religious theatre and regional storytelling.
Original Date Written: c. 1500
Chronicle of the Princes — Peniarth MS 20
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: This manuscript preserves Brut y Tywysogion, a medieval Welsh chronicle documenting the history of the princes of Wales from the 7th to the 13th century. It is a key historical source for understanding medieval Welsh politics, warfare, and leadership.
Original Date Written: 13th century
Hengwrt Chaucer — Peniarth MS 392
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: One of the earliest and most authoritative manuscripts of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The Hengwrt manuscript is prized for its textual accuracy and is a cornerstone of Chaucerian scholarship.
Original Date Written: c. 1400
White Book of Rhydderch — Peniarth MS 4
Credit: National Library of Wales
Summary: One of the most significant medieval Welsh prose manuscripts, containing major portions of the tales later known as The Mabinogion, alongside religious texts and other prose material. It is a foundational source for Welsh storytelling tradition.
Original Date Written: c. 1350
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