The Law

The laws of the land they come to be called.  Those social directives that helps stabilize and hold together a culture.  The ancient laws of Wales were organized around 850 AD.  A fellow named "Hywel Dda" is credited with such an activity.  These have been translated from the Welsh and published as "Hywel Dda The Law".   The cover of my copy is shown below.

For those who might want to study the Welsh tribal system and its social directives, this book is for you.  First published by Gomer Press, Llandysul, Dyfed in 1986.  It is translated by Dafydd Jenkins and contains the law texts from medieval Wales.

For my own Welsh genealogy, it is recorded that Hywel Dda was the father-in-law to Tudor Trevor, the beginning of my Welsh family tree.  How about that, a father-in-law from the past!   This text has served me well to help understand the culture of this beginning.

A Companion

Genealogy opens many doors to the past generations of our family.  Many of these generations experienced events and struggles that are, at times, difficult to understand or appreciate.  Seeking answers to the questions regarding the period of life that our ancestors experienced can often be found in the literature of the time.   For Welsh history, the following "companion" is recommended.

Edited by Meic Stephens, with over 150 contributors, it represents a treasure trove of information regarding the mind of Wales and its culture.  The topics are arranged alphabetically and span the scope of Welsh expression.   Eminent and obscure are included including as the editors states:

"...a substantial number of saints, kings, princes, gentry, patrons, philanthropists, martyrs, patriots, landowners, villains, soldiers, preachers, reformers, industrialists, politicians, publishers, painters, musicians, sportsmen and eccentrics - a motley company who share with our writers an undeniable place in the Welsh heritage."  [editor's preface, p. vi ]

First published in 1986 as The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales by Oxford University Press, it was reprinted in 1986, and now this edition by the University of Wales in 1998.

There is a brief discussion on the pronunciation of Welsh which is always helpful for those of us across the great pond.  Containing 841 pages, it is not intended to be read "cover to cover"  but to serve as a
reference to help identify and understand many aspects of Welsh culture. 

It ends in a chronology of Welsh history beginning with the Roman conquest [43 AD]  to the first elections for the National Assembly of Wales in 1999.  What a deal!  My kind of book.  You may find it helpful also.