Red Book of Hergest

The Red Book of Hergest ( Welsh: Llyfr Coch Hergest [ ko ː ɬivr x ' mfd ], English: Red Book of Hergest ) is one of the most important medieval Welsh manuscripts and also the most comprehensive. It contains both prose and poetry, but no religious or legal texts, and was 1382-1410 The manuscript is now - as a gift. Reverend Thomas Wilkins of from 1701 - in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

History

One of the copyists of the manuscript has been identified as Hywel Hywel Goch Fychan from Builth Wells ( Powys ). He worked for Hopcyn from Thomas from Einion ( 1330 to after 1403 ) of Ynysforgan ( Swansea ). The name of the manuscript comes from the fact that it is tied to a red leather, on the other hand may just like the Llyfr Gwyn Hergest ( "The White Book of Hergest " ) of Hergest Court ( Plâs Hergest ) in Kington ( Herefordshire ) in the Welsh Marches, where it was from about 1465 to the early 17th century. The Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch ( "The White Book of Rhydderch " ) and the Llyfr Coch Hergest soft in content only slightly from each other. The name of a past recipient, Hergest, despite the presumption Hopcyn ap Thomas said it was not attributable to actually occupied.

The first part of the manuscript contains prose, including the Mabinogion, narratives, historical texts (including a Welsh translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, Brut y Brenhinedd ), and a number of verses from the Trioedd Ynys Prydein ( " The Triads of the Island Kingdom "). The Arthur tradition is represented by the late narrative Breuddwyd Rhonabwy ( " Rhonabwys Dream" ) and some Merlin supplements.

The manuscript also contains Welsh translations of foreign literature, grammatical treatises and medical texts, like a collection of herbal remedies that are associated with Rhiwallon Feddyg, the founder of a medical dynasty that lasted more than 500 years, the Physicians of Myddfai. Also included are poems on price princes of the 12th to 14th centuries, as well as aphorisms and proverbs.

Trivia

JRR Tolkien borrowed a change of title of the manuscript for the Red Book of Westmarch, the source of his fictional narratives.