Black Book of Carmarthen

The Black Book of Carmarthen is a Welsh manuscript dating to around 1250 CE. It is one of the oldest extant Welsh manuscripts and is housed in Carmarthen, Wales. The collection primarily contains poetry, including elegies and praise poems, reflecting the heroic traditions of Welsh literature.12

The manuscript is significant for preserving early Welsh poetry, some of which may have originated from as early as the 6th century. It includes fragments of sagas and poems attributed to legendary figures like Merlin and Arthur, as well as historical poets such as Taliesin. The Black Book of Carmarthen showcases early forms of Welsh poetic techniques, including alliteration and internal rhyme, which later developed into the intricate system of cynghanedd.2