Llyfr Taliesin

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Facsimile page from the Llyfr Taliesin

Llyfr Taliesin [ ɬivr tal'jesin ] ("The Book of Taliesins") is the name of an incompletely preserved poetry collection in the Cymrian language , which is dated to the 14th century.

content

According to the Welsh Celtologist Ifor Williams (1881-1965), twelve of the poems contained in the work are said to be by Taliesin , a historical poet of the 6th century. Eight of them are prize songs for King Urien of Rheged , a lament for his son Owein and three prize poems for other princes in the 6th century. Other poems are also attributed to this poet, although they are believed to be from a later period. Williams' reference to Taliesin has therefore been questioned lately.

The work also contains ten so-called prophetic poems, including Armes Prydein (“The Prophecy of Britain”), the Arthurian legend Preiddeu Annwfn (“The booty from Annwfn ”), the mystical poem Cad Goddeu (“The battle von Goddeu ”), as well as religious, biblical and ancient heroes ( Alexander the Great ) and heroes ( Heracles ).

The manuscript is now in the National Library of Wales ( Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru [ ɬəvrgeɬ geneˈdlaɪθol kəmˈrɪ ]) in Aberystwyth .

reception

The English hard rock band Deep Purple released the album The Book of Taliesyn named after this work in 1968 .

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 , p. 472 f.