Barddas, Or, a Collection of Original Documents Illustrative of the Theology, Wisdom and Usages of the Bardo-Druidic System of the Isle of Britain

Barddas #1-2

by Iolo Morganwg, John Williams (Editor)

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction

387 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (1747 - 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector of ill repute. He was seen as an expert collector of Medieval Welsh literature, but it emerged after his death that he had forged several manuscripts, notably some of the Third Series of Welsh Triads. Even so, he had a lasting impact on Welsh culture, notably in founding the secret society known as the Gorsedd, through which Iolo Morganwg successfully coopted the 18th-century Eisteddfod revival. The philosophy he spread in his forgeries has had an enormous impact upon neo-Druidism. His bardic name is Welsh for "Iolo of Glamorgan".

Reviews

[The Esoteric Jungle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the “authenticity or forgery?” debate on this author side-track you from the fact he was picking up the last bits of primordial Druidism left in writing in Briton while every other scholar was throwing all such into the dustbin as “European Savage Rubbish” as fast as they could.

Regardless his take or fake, you are going to find a lot in this guys works if you are looking for an older - possibly more attested and authentic - side to the teachings on the subject of Druidism, Celtic lore and, as it is called today, “Wicca.” There’s some actual valuable content here.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't honestly recommend "The Barddas"

Edited in the 19th century by J. Williams Ab Ithel, it is a collection of supposedly ancient Welsh texts gathered by the 18th century Welsh poet and bardic revivalist Edward Williams, who adopted the name Iolo Morganwg. These texts, it was claimed, revealed the secret magical alphabet of the ancient druids, the religious and philosophical lore of the ancient Welsh, and a host of other traditions relating to ancient Welsh bardic culture. Scholarship has since shown that many if not most of the texts were forgeries, penned by Morganwg himself. So, it's not really something that one would read today in order to learn actual medieval welsh history or Welsh poetry.

It's also not a particularly engaging read. Much of it consists of highly repetitive versified lines-- or examples of variant texts (20+ different variations from supposedly different sources on 'druidic' names for the months of the year). And the section on the alphabet and symbols is-- well, it's like reading the appendices of the Lord of the Rings that talk about the writing systems of Middle-earth. To put it plainly, it's pretty dull.

But there is still something impressive about the fact that Morganwg produced a work like this. The kind of applied imagination and creative quasi-scholarly passion necessary to produce a series of consistent forgeries like this is a testament to, well, I'm not sure to what exactly.. but to something. A mythopoetic spirit, perhaps?