I’m intested in learning old Welsh and middle Welsh, or at least learning more about them. Does anyone have recommendations for resources?
I don’t personally know of anything, but I’m sure if you contact a university School of Welsh, e.g. https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/welsh/people and ask them for advice, they would be able to point you in the right direction.
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The standard grammar of Middle Welsh is D. Simon Evans’ ‘A Grammar of Middle Welsh’ and, to learn to read the language, a good start is R. L. Thomson’s edition of the first book of the Mabinogion ‘Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet’ (Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed in Modern Welsh - pronounced the same). Both books available from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies shop https://shop.dias.ie/product-category/books/welsh/mediaeval-and-modern-welsh-series/.
Apart from a few minor differences in vowels, pronunciation is pretty much the same as the modern language, but the spelling conventions are different (and variable), but you get used to them.
There are some resources available on the website of Cambridge University’s Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, where you can listen to recordings of a few paragraphs of Branwen, the second book of the Mabinogion, and a poem by Dafydd ap Gwilym, with texts and translations. (There are also texts in medieval Cornish, Irish and Latin, modern Irish, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse, including a reading of every celticist’s favourite Old Irish poem ‘Pangur Bán’.)
There’s not a great deal to read in Old Welsh - it’s mainly of philological and historical interest. Simon Rodway’s ‘An Old Welsh Reader’ (https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/Old-Welsh-Reader) has been ‘forthcoming’ for quite a while now - it might actually be published one day.
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A very useful online resource, which will save you having to buy anything, is the late Gareth Morgan’s Reading Middle Welsh Reading Middle Welsh.
This takes you through the first part of Pwyll with vocabulary and explanations of the spelling and grammar. As well as the text in the original spelling, it also reproduces the text transliterated into modern spelling, which is a big help with pronunciation.
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That’s brilliant! We have such knowledgeable people here on the forum. It sounds exactly what @OwenPannas would be looking for.
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Do you know anything about when/if John Koch’s similarly forthcoming grammar of Old Welsh is likely to be finished/published?
No idea, I’m afraid. I didn’t know he was doing one.
From the preface to his (1997!) book The Gododdin of Aneirin - I have no idea if any progress has been made since then…
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Ah yes, Koch’s interesting but a bit weird reconstructed text of the Gododdin. I bought a copy when it was published, but I can’t say it’s seen much use. Anyway, congratulations on remembering that claim in his preface from so long ago! I read large chunks of Ifor Williams edition when I was a postgrad years ago, and I think that was quite enough.
Are you aware of Alexander Falileyev’s Llawlyfr Hen Gymraeg which appeared a few years ago, available as a free download from Llawlyfr Hen Gymraeg – Alexander Falileyev | Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol? I suspect he has now pretty much cornered the Old Welsh grammar market, such as it is.
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I am now! Diolch!
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In case anyone’s interested ,there is an online (Lifelong Learning) course organized by Prifysgol Aberystwyth, called:
Gwibdaith Drwy Lenyddiaeth Gymraeg (YD11010) : Lifelong Learning , Aberystwyth University Gwibdaith Drwy Lenyddiaeth Gymraeg (YD11010) : Lifelong Learning , Aberystwyth University
It is not specifically about it, but a lot of material is in older Welsh and one of the teachers is actually Simon Rodway.
It is probably a bit too generic for those who already have a good knowledge and background in Welsh literature but very interesting for others!
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And the course tutor is Mererid Hopwood!!
This course is currently unavailable for booking
Be the first to know when new dates are announced by joining our mailing list.
Thanks to financial support from Medr through the Fee Waiver Scheme : Lifelong Learning , Aberystwyth University individuals who live in Wales (and who are not studying at a university), can study this course for free.
Due to the nature of the course, there are a limited number available so it will be first come, first served!
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There are actually several teachers. Mererid Hopwood is one of them, and most of all the is the course “curator” (not sure it’s the appropriate English term for the person who decides the programme, chooses the other teachers, and marks final tests - but I’m sure you understand what I mean) 
I did it last year and it was very very interesting.
(By the way, this year I’m going for the introduction to Cynghanedd with Ceri Wyn Jones.Let’s see how it goes!)
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I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! Cynghanedd is fascinating!
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Oh that sounds like a fascinating course! Thanks!
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