Llyfr y Tri Aderyn

work by Llwyd

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June 30, 2026

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[Llyfr y Tri Aderyn] (1653), meaning "The Book of the Three Birds," is a significant work by Welsh Puritan writer Morgan Llwyd. It is considered the most important original Welsh publication of the 17th century and is widely read as a Welsh classic. The book is divided into two parts, discussing the theory of government and religious liberty. It presents a discourse among three birds: the eagle, representing secular power (possibly Oliver Cromwell); the raven, symbolizing organized religion (Anglicans); and the dove, standing for Nonconformists or those who follow the "inner light."12

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Morgan Llwyd
…was a Puritan writer whose Llyfr y Tri Aderyn (1653; “The Book of the Three Birds”) is considered the most important original Welsh work published during the 17th century. One of the most widely read of Welsh classics, the work is in two parts, on the theory of government and…
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…was a Puritan writer whose Llyfr y Tri Aderyn (1653; “The Book of the Three Birds”) is considered the most important original Welsh work published during the 17th century. One of the most widely read of Welsh classics, the work is in two parts, on the theory of government and…
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Celtic literature
Welsh literature in the 17th century
…Welsh religious thought, chiefly in Llyfr y Tri Aderyn (1653; “The Book of the Three Birds”), a disquisition on government and religious liberty, and Llythur ir Cymru Cariadus (c. 1653; “Letter to the Beloved Welsh”), which expounded a mystical gospel. Among the clergy who produced some of the many translations,…
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…Welsh religious thought, chiefly in Llyfr y Tri Aderyn (1653; “The Book of the Three Birds”), a disquisition on government and religious liberty, and Llythur ir Cymru Cariadus (c. 1653; “Letter to the Beloved Welsh”), which expounded a mystical gospel. Among the clergy who produced some of the many translations,…
Read More