The Book of Aneirin

Welsh manuscript

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June 22, 2026

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The Book of Aneirin is a Welsh manuscript dating from around 1265. It preserves the work of Aneirin, a renowned Welsh poet of the 6th century. The manuscript contains a poem that praises the bravery of warriors who fought in an expedition led by Mynyddawg Mwynfawr around 600 CE. This expedition aimed to recapture Catraeth (modern Catterick, England) from the Saxons. The poem is characterized by its direct language, skillful use of metaphor and simile, and abundant alliteration and internal rhyme. The language of the poem is a Brythonic Celtic speech, which forms the basis of modern Welsh and is part of one of Europe's oldest literary traditions.12

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Aneirin
…in a manuscript known as The Book of Aneirin, which dates from about 1265. The language of the poem is direct for the most part, although simile and metaphor are skillfully used, and alliteration and internal rhyme abound. The poem praises the courage and prowess of Aneirin’s contemporaries in the…
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…in a manuscript known as The Book of Aneirin, which dates from about 1265. The language of the poem is direct for the most part, although simile and metaphor are skillfully used, and alliteration and internal rhyme abound. The poem praises the courage and prowess of Aneirin’s contemporaries in the…
Read More