Y Llyvyr Du or Weun
The Black Book of Chirk
Sometimes called "The Chirk Codex" the Black Book is the earliest collection of the Welsh laws codified by Hwyel Dda, the tenth century king of Gwynedd, though it was composed in the thirteenth century, obviously copying from an earlier, lost manuscript. There is a contemporaneous Latin version of the Laws, Peniarth MS 28, which is best known for being one of the few fully-illustrated manuscripts of Wales.
It currently resides at the National Library of Wales.
J. Gwenogvryn Evans edited the diplomatic edition in 1909 as part of his Series of Old Welsh Texts.
Back to
Medieval Celtic Manuscripts