The Welsh Triads (Welsh: Trioedd Ynys Prydein, "Triads of the Island of Britain") are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness; for example, "Three things not easily restrained, the flow of a torrent, the flight of an arrow, and the tongue of a fool."[1]
Some triads simply give a list of three characters with something in common (such as "the three frivolous bards of the island of Britain"[2]) while others include substantial narrative explanation. The triad form probably originated amongst the Welsh bards or poets as a mnemonic aid in composing their poems and stories, and later became a rhetorical device of Welsh literature. The Medieval Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen has many triads embedded in its narrative.
Examplesedit
As edited and translated by Rachel Bromwich, two characteristic examples of the Welsh triads are:
36. Teir Gormes a doeth y'r Enys Hon, ac nyt aeth vrun dracheuyn:
Ỽn o nadunt Kywdaỽt y Corryanyeit, a doethant eman yn oes Caswallawn mab Beli, ac nyt aeth ỽn un onadunt dracheuyn. Ac or Auia pan hanoedynt.
Eil, Goemes y Gwydyl Fychti. Ac nyt aeth ỽr un onadunt dracheuyn.
Tryded, Gormes y Saesson, a Hors a Hengyst yn benaduryeit arnadunt.
Three Oppressions that came to this Island, and not one of them went back:
One of them (was) the people of the Cor(y)aniaid, who came here in the time of Caswallawn son of Beli: and not one of them went back. And they came from Arabia.
The second Oppression: the Gwyddyl Ffichti. And not one of them went back.
The earliest surviving collection of the Welsh Triads is bound in the manuscript Peniarth 16, now at the National Library of Wales, which has been dated to the third quarter of the 13th century and contains 46 of the 96 triads collated by Rachel Bromwich. Other important manuscripts include Peniarth 45 (written about 1275), and the pair White Book of Rhydderch (Welsh: Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch) and Red Book of Hergest (Welsh: Llyfr Coch Hergest), which share a common version clearly different from the version behind the collections in the Peniarth manuscripts.[5]
Later collectionsedit
The 18th-century Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg compiled a collection of triads, which he claimed to have taken from his own collection of manuscripts. Some of his triads are similar to those found in the medieval manuscripts, but some are unique to Morganwg, and are widely believed to have been of his own invention.[6]
^Lloyd, John Edward (1912). A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest. Longmans, Green. p. 122.
^Lupack, Alan (2007). The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend. OUP Oxford. p. 21. ISBN978-0-19-921509-6.
^Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain, ed. by Rachel Bromwich, 4th edn (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2014), ISBN978-1-78316-145-4, p. 90.
^Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain, ed. by Rachel Bromwich, 4th edn (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2014), ISBN978-1-78316-145-4, p. 126.
^Bromwich, Rachel, ed. (1978) [1961]. Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (2nd ed.). Cardiff: University of Wales Press. pp. xi–xxxi. ISBN070830690X.
^Bromwich, Rachel, ed. (1978) [1961]. Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (2nd ed.). Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. xii. ISBN070830690X.
Referencesedit
Rachel Bromwich, editor and translator. Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, Second Edition 1978. ISBN0-7083-0690-X
Rachel Bromwich, editor and translator. Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, Third Edition, 2006. ISBN0-7083-1386-8
W. Probert (trans) (1977), Iolo Morganwg, The Triads of Britain
External linksedit
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Welsh Triads
Triads from the Red Book of Hergest
Triads from MS Peniarth 54
Triads of Northern Britain
Triads of the Knights of King Arthur's Court
Bardic Triads from MS Peniarth 20
Triads of Ynys Prydein
January 01, 1970
welsh, triads, welsh, trioedd, ynys, prydein, triads, island, britain, group, related, texts, medieval, manuscripts, which, preserve, fragments, welsh, folklore, mythology, traditional, history, groups, three, triad, rhetorical, form, whereby, objects, grouped. The Welsh Triads Welsh Trioedd Ynys Prydein Triads of the Island of Britain are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore mythology and traditional history in groups of three The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes with a heading indicating the point of likeness for example Three things not easily restrained the flow of a torrent the flight of an arrow and the tongue of a fool 1 Part of the Red Book of Hergest 1385 1420 collection of manuscripts containing the Middle Welsh Triads Contents 1 Contents 1 1 Examples 2 Earliest surviving collection 3 Later collections 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksContents editThe texts include references to King Arthur and other semi historical characters from sub Roman Britain mythic figures such as Bran the Blessed undeniably historical personages such as Alan IV Duke of Brittany who is called Alan Fyrgan and Iron Age characters such as Caswallawn Cassivellaunus and Caradoc Caratacus Some triads simply give a list of three characters with something in common such as the three frivolous bards of the island of Britain 2 while others include substantial narrative explanation The triad form probably originated amongst the Welsh bards or poets as a mnemonic aid in composing their poems and stories and later became a rhetorical device of Welsh literature The Medieval Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen has many triads embedded in its narrative Examples edit As edited and translated by Rachel Bromwich two characteristic examples of the Welsh triads are 36 Teir Gormes a doeth y r Enys Hon ac nyt aeth vrun dracheuyn Ỽn o nadunt Kywdaỽt y Corryanyeit a doethant eman yn oes Caswallawn mab Beli ac nyt aeth ỽn un onadunt dracheuyn Ac or Auia pan hanoedynt Eil Goemes y Gwydyl Fychti Ac nyt aeth ỽr un onadunt dracheuyn Tryded Gormes y Saesson a Hors a Hengyst yn benaduryeit arnadunt Three Oppressions that came to this Island and not one of them went back One of them was the people of the Cor y aniaid who came here in the time of Caswallawn son of Beli and not one of them went back And they came from Arabia The second Oppression the Gwyddyl Ffichti And not one of them went back The third Oppression the Saxons with Horsa and Hengist as their leaders 3 46 Teir Pryf Uuch Enys Prydein Brech buwch ỽaelgỽn Gwyned a Thonnllwyt buwch meibyon Eliffer Godgordỽawr a Chornillo buỽch Llawuroded ỽarỽaỽc Three Principal Cows of the Island of Britain Speckled cow of Maelgwn Gwynedd and Grey Skin cow of the sons of Eliffer of the Great Warband and Cornillo cow of Llawfrodedd the Bearded 4 Earliest surviving collection editThe earliest surviving collection of the Welsh Triads is bound in the manuscript Peniarth 16 now at the National Library of Wales which has been dated to the third quarter of the 13th century and contains 46 of the 96 triads collated by Rachel Bromwich Other important manuscripts include Peniarth 45 written about 1275 and the pair White Book of Rhydderch Welsh Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch and Red Book of Hergest Welsh Llyfr Coch Hergest which share a common version clearly different from the version behind the collections in the Peniarth manuscripts 5 Later collections editThe 18th century Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg compiled a collection of triads which he claimed to have taken from his own collection of manuscripts Some of his triads are similar to those found in the medieval manuscripts but some are unique to Morganwg and are widely believed to have been of his own invention 6 See also editTriads of IrelandNotes edit Lloyd John Edward 1912 A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest Longmans Green p 122 Lupack Alan 2007 The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend OUP Oxford p 21 ISBN 978 0 19 921509 6 Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Triads of the Island of Britain ed by Rachel Bromwich 4th edn Cardiff University of Wales Press 2014 ISBN 978 1 78316 145 4 p 90 Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Triads of the Island of Britain ed by Rachel Bromwich 4th edn Cardiff University of Wales Press 2014 ISBN 978 1 78316 145 4 p 126 Bromwich Rachel ed 1978 1961 Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Welsh Triads 2nd ed Cardiff University of Wales Press pp xi xxxi ISBN 070830690X Bromwich Rachel ed 1978 1961 Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Welsh Triads 2nd ed Cardiff University of Wales Press p xii ISBN 070830690X References editRachel Bromwich editor and translator Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Welsh Triads Cardiff University of Wales Press Second Edition 1978 ISBN 0 7083 0690 X Rachel Bromwich editor and translator Trioedd Ynys Prydein The Welsh Triads Cardiff University of Wales Press Third Edition 2006 ISBN 0 7083 1386 8 W Probert trans 1977 Iolo Morganwg The Triads of BritainExternal links edit nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article Welsh Triads Triads from the Red Book of Hergest Triads from MS Peniarth 54 Triads of Northern Britain Triads of the Knights of King Arthur s Court Bardic Triads from MS Peniarth 20 Triads of Ynys Prydein Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Welsh Triads amp oldid 1219459079, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
