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Cym: Chronicle of the Six Ages
The Cronicl o Wech Oesoedd (Chronicel of the Six Ages) represents a history of the world in four volumes of 2400 large folio pages (now in two volumes: NLW 5276D and Mostyn 158), which covers the history of the world from Adam and Eve up to the year 1552. It contains a staggering amount of information gleaned from the oral and written traditions of Wales, England, and France (using texts written in those languages an in Latin) and the later part of the chronicle records events which Elis himself witnessed in London and Calais. Despite the eclectic and cosmopolitan nature of his chronicle, Elis Gruffydd wrote it in Welsh.
Elis Gruffydd himself was born circa 1490 in Gronnant Uchaf, Gwespyr, the parish of Llanasa, Fflintshire in north-eastern Wales where he inherited 24 acres of land from his uncle, Siôn ap Dafydd. It is generally assumed that he was related to the Mostyns, a family with considerable wealth and influence. However, as his branch of the family had not prospered in recent times, it is believed that he found himself in considerable financial difficulties. Though little is known about Elis' early life in Wales (and he does not mention it in his 'Chronicle') he does mention later that he entered the service of the Wingfield family, first in London and then in France (and it's asssumed that he did this because of financial straits). Though he had previously been a professional soldier in the army of Henry VIII, campaining in Spain, the Netherlands and in France. However, it was in Sir Robert Wingfield's service that he found himself witnessing some of the major political events of the time such as the meeting between Henry VIII and the King of France on the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold'.
Between 1524 and 1529, Elis Gruffydd was living in London and appears to have been in charge of his master's household at Wingfield Place. In this capacity he witnessed events at Star Chamber, saw many of the major political players of the day at first hand. This is the time in which he composed the first of his extant works, Cardiff MS 5 (also known as Phillipps 10823) a compilation of pose and poetry that looks back to the late medieval tradition.
On 27th January 1529, however, Elis had seured an appointment to the garrison at Calais, where his master, Sir Robert Wingfield, was deputy governor. It is here that Elis wrote his other two surviving works, the first of which is a collection of Welsh translations of various medical works, known as 'Castell yr Iechyd' (The Fortress of Health [Cwrtmawr MS 1]). The other surviving work written in Calais is the text which contains the Ystoria Taliesin, Elis Gruffydd’s huge chronicle of world history (NLW MS 5276A–D and Mostyn MS 158). For the most part this chronicle is a translation of English and French sources but he does also use Welsh sources, in his own words: 'Rhai o Lyfrau y Cymru' (some of the Books of the Welshmen). It is assumed that this chronicle was completed around 1550 (the date of Elis' death is not known for certain but it is known that he was alive in Calais in 1552). What is interesting is that Elis wrote his Chronicle in Welsh. Despite having lived in England and then France for the majority of his life he mitigated his self-imposed exile by writing extensively in Welsh for a readership back in Wales.
As a result Elis' Welsh can be 'idiosyncratic' at best, but it shows a language in transition from the strictures of the Mediaeval form of the language to the more structured foms of modern written Welsh.
Unfortunately little of Elis' works have been edited and translated (though the Arthurian volume is now available). However, to the Medievalist his most important contribution is the Ystoria Taliesin where he writes down for the first time the legend of Taliesin's Brith and subsequent life. Though recorded in the sixteenth century there is some evidence that the tale has a long oral tradition (and Elis Gruffydd himself alludes to written sources). There is also some evidence (from comparisons with the Llyfr Taliesin) that the tale of Taliesin was generated in the ninth century and was wel known by the tenth and eleventh centuries.
The order of the manuscripts and their contents are as follows [remember to downlaod and install my Mabinogi Celtic font before viewing the original Cymraeg Canol {middle Cymric} text otherwise the special characters won't appear]:
| Cymraeg Canol | Cymraeg Cyfoes | English |
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| NLW MS. 5276D | ||
| Ystoria Ercwlf | Stori Ercwlff | The Tale of Hercules |
| Ystori'r Llong Foel | Stori'r Llong Foel | The Tale of the Bare Ship |
| Deuddeg Pwnc y Ffydd | Deuddeg Pwnc y Ffydd | The Twelve Matters of Belief |
| Chwedyl Huail ap Kaw ac Arthur | Chwedl Huail ap Caw ac Arthur | The Legend of Huail ap Caw and Arthur |
| Chwedyl Myrddin a'r Marwolaeth Driphlyg | Chwedl Myrddin a'r Marwolaeth Driphlyg | The Legend of Merlin and the Three-fold Death |
| Marwolaeth Myrdin | Marwolaeth Marddin | The Death of Merlin |
| Ystoria Taliesin | Stori Taliesin | The Tale of Taliesin |
| Gwraig Maelgwn a'r Fodrwy | Gwraig Maelgwn a'r Fodrwy | Maelgwn's Wife and the Ring |
| Ystoria Myrddin a Phum Breaddwyd Gwenddydd | Stori Myrddin a Phum Braeddwyd Gwenddydd | The Tale of Myrddin and the Five Dreams of Gwenddydd |
