Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain

by Rachel Bromwich (Editor and Translator)

Rachel Bromwich’s magisterial edition of Trioedd Ynys Prydein has long won its place as a classic of Celtic studies. This substantially revised edition shows the author’s continued mastery of the subject, and will be essential reading for Celticists and for those interested in early British history and literature and in Arthurian studies.

Early Welsh literature shows a predilection for classifying names, facts and precepts into triple groups, or triads. ‘The Triads of the Isle of Britain’ form a series of texts which commemorate the names of traditional heroes and heroines and which would have served as a catalogue of the names of these heroic figures. The names are grouped under various imprecise but complimentary epithets, which are often paralleled in the esoteric language of the medieval bards, who would have used the triads as an index of past history and legend.

This edition is based upon a full collation of the most important manuscripts, the earliest of which go back to the thirteenth century. The Welsh text is accompanied by English translations of each triad and extensive notes, and the volume includes four appendices which are also an important source of personal names. The Introduction discusses the significance of Trioedd Ynys Prydein in the history of Welsh literature and examines the traditional basis of the triads.

Genres: History, Arthurian, Mythology, Poetry, Nonfiction, European History, Medieval

681 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1275

About the author

Rachel Bromwich, born Rachel Sheldon Amos, was a British scholar. Her focus was on medieval Welsh literature, and she taught Celtic Languages and Literature in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge, from 1945 to 1976. Among her most important contributions to the study of Welsh literature is Trioedd Ynys Prydein, her edition of the Welsh Triads.

Reviews

[Neil]

The Welsh Triads are a collection of short folkloric/legendary texts that are grouped in groups of three sayings. These sayings include references to Arthurian characters, characters from the Northern British Heroic Age and other references to stories from Sub Roman Britain. Readers of Arthurian Literature, the Mabignion and Welsh poetry will find numerous obscure mentions of characters from their favourite medieval texts.

While Bromwich's editorship and English translation of the texts are excellent, the reputation of this edition rests on the quality of her commentary, notes and References. For every line of text there's at least a couple of pages of closely printed commentary by Bromwich that shows her more than ample knowledge of her subject.

This book is a majestic example of how to edit and elucidate a medieval text and should be on the shelves of anyone seriously interested in the Arthurian and Celtic traditions.

[Othy]

If only this book were less expensive, I would buy it in a second. The text is presented in Medieval Welsh and an English translation and followed by copious notes. The notes themselves follow each triad to which they are referred, a practice I wish more editions employed. Bromwich's introduction is huge and informative and there's even a massive listing of characters mentioned with full descriptions. I can think of few better editions to a work of medieval literature.

[dragonhelmuk]

Good classic book from the library. Gives edition and translation of all of the trioedd ynys pridein, along with notes on mss., orthography, genesis, and notes on all the bits which correlate, and basically summarises all previous essays. The end has a 200 page dictionary on old welsh literature, the likes of which you wouldn’t believe. Oh, and it’s £100 if you break it. Two quotes:


long long, fascinating note about dreigeu. – “In nennius’s Historia Brittonum the fighting dragons are introduced as duo vermes… Ifor Williams has argued that by vermes, Nennius intended to render the Welsh word pryf ‘vermin’ which has a much wider meaning than vermes. He believes that by vermes Nennius did not intend any kind of reptile—since alius (or albus) autem scapulas suas ponebat—but rather some small wild animal such as a stoat, hare or badger; all of which would be included under the definition of pryfed.
…
It would seem therefore that in the Latin used by Nennius draco held both the‘literal’ connotation which it has in the earlier Latin writers, the early Welsh connotation of ‘warrior’ which was derived from this, and finally the con-notation of ‘military standard’ which can hardly be supposed to have entirely supplanted the other two meanings. Finally, is it not more natural to suppose that the alarming and mysterious creatures incarcerated in Dinas Emrys were from the first monsters who resembled the Dragon of theApocalypse more closely than they resembled badgers?


The form Ivain(s), Ywain(s), in which the hero’s name appears in French sources points to a written Welsh form Ywein, Yuein as its original, since the initial of this name is Ml. W. is an obscure vowel which is found written variously as E-, O-, or Y-, but which was never pronounced as is the vowel Y- in French. The name must therefoe have been borrowed from a written source which can hardly have been earlier than circa 1100 (see note to Owein). The corresponding Ml. Breton form is Ivan, O.B. Ewen, Euuen (Chr. Br., p129)
…
Breudwyt Ronabwy gives prominence to the account of Owein's branhes, or flight of ravens, who are depicted as responsible for slaying Arthur’s war-band. Perhaps these mysterious ravens originally denoted Owein’s own band of followers, since brdn appears frequently in poetry as a euphemisrn for a warrior. This conclusion seems to be supported by the concluding words of Iarlles y Ffymiawn which state that Owein became Arthur’s pennteulu, and then apparently equate the teulu with Oweinls ravens: Sef oed hynny trychant cledyf kenuerchyn ar vranhes. Ac yr Ile yd elei owein e hynny gantav. goruot: a vnaei (WM 261, 3o~4) ‘Those were the Three Hundred Swords! of the tribe of Kynfarch (cf. App. II, 7), and the Flight of the Ravens. And wherever Owein went, and they with him, he would be victorious’. A memory of Owein’s ravens survived in the standard bearing three ravens which was borne by the family of Syr Rhys ap Tornos of Abermarlais, which claimed descent from Urien Rlyeged (see note). The brain Urien borne on their coat of arms, and the descent of the family from Urien, are frequently referred to by the cywyddwyr,

[Jbondandrews]

A very fascinating look at ancient Welsh tales. Though in order to enjoy this book, one has to have basic knowledge of Welsh mythology and Arthur stories.

[Mary Jones]

The classic study on the medieval Welsh literary form known as the Triad. For example:

Three Great Enchantments of the Island of Britain:
The Enchantment of Math son of Mathonwy which he taught to Gwydion son of Dôn, and the Enchantment of Uthyr Pendragon which he taught to Menw son of Teirgwaedd, and the Enchantment of Rudlwm the Dwarf which he taught to Coll son of Collfrewy his nephew.

Here we see brief allusions to Welsh legend, some of which has been preserved (such as the story of Gwydion, found in the Mabinogi), some completely lost to us (such as the idea that Uther Pendragon was an enchanter).

Bromwich's work is the definitive exploration of these; she provides various versions from the known manuscripts, translations, and commentary, giving a thorough explanation of each allusion in these gnomic devices. This is very much an academic work, but one which can be read by the interested layman.

This book is a must for anyone interested in Welsh literature, Celtic mythology, and Arthurian legend.

[Flint Johnson]

This book is about the triads used by Welsh bards as pneumonic devices. She lists them, ordered by the most likely dates they were written down. That is what one would expect of a scholarly work, and she fulfills it fully. She then goes on to list every individual to be a named in any of the triads. In every case, she conducts exhaustive research, making use of all known traditional Welsh sources as well as nontraditional and even continental literature in order to paint as full a picture as possible. Her original work was finished in 1963, with updates to stay with newer research. It is a basic tool for any scholar and an absolute treat for the amateur. Bromwich was the leading scholar in her specialty, and this work is a testament to that.

[Kathryn]

This book is an essential primary source for anyone who has read the Mabinogi and wants to go deeper into British/Welsh lore. The triads themselves often fill in gaps or give additional perspective on the Mabinogi stories, while at the same time hinting at the wealth of lore that has been lost to us. In addition, Bromwich's extensive notes are invaluable to expanding one's understanding of many mythological and legendary British/Welsh characters.

[Susan]

Superb and thorough scholarship on a rather obscure topic. It makes me weep to know how much ancient British lore has been lost because it was not written down. The Triads give us hints of a rich story-telling tradition that is largely lost and Dr. Bromwich and her assistants has teased out as much information on this tradition from the Triads as they could.

[Aubrey Bierwirth]

The definitive edition of the Triads, Bromwich is amazingly thorough and informative. A must read for all medieval Welsh scholars and a go-to for Arthurian characters in Welsh lit.

[Val]

A good translation of this work, well-annotated and full of references to help explain the sometimes obscure passages left to us by the early bards.