'The Book of Aneirin' (
Welsh: ''Llyfr Aneirin'') is a late
13th century Welsh manuscript containing
Old and
Middle Welsh poetry attributed to the late
6th century Northern
Brythonic poet,
Aneirin.
The manuscript is kept at
Cardiff Central Library. It dates from around
1265, but is probably a copy of a lost
9th century original. The poetry would originally have been kept alive through oral tradition. The most well known poem contained within its pages is ''
Y Gododdin'', an early
Welsh-language poem commemorating the warriors from
Gododdin (
Lothian in modern
Scotland) who fell at the
Battle of Catraeth (probably
Catterick in
North Yorkshire) around the year
600. Parts of this do appear to be contemporary with Aneirin. The other poetry, with no connection to this battle, includes, amongst others, a short poem for a child named Dinogad, describing how his father goes hunting and fishing.
External links
★
Llyfr Aneirin, ca. 1265 from the
Gathering the Jewels website. ''Includes full colour images of the entire manuscript.''
★
The Book of Aneurin English Translation, from the
Celtic Literature Collective website.