Digital Mirror
Manuscripts
New: The Battles of Alexander the Great (Peniarth MS 481D)
This is one of the most elaborately decorated medieval manuscripts in the Library, and a rare survival in its original binding. It includes the popular medieval legendary account of the life of Alexander the Great.
New: Sherbrooke Missal (NLW MS. 15536E)
A beautiful manuscript which dates back to c.1310-1320. This is the first medieval musical manuscript to be placed on the National Library's Digital Mirror, and is also one of the earliest examples of a Missal of an English source.
New: The Oxyrhyncus Papyri (NLW MS 4738D)
3 ancient Egyptian fragments of papyrus (113 AD-4th cent.) that are examples of the thousands of papyri, which were discovered in Egypt during the 1890s.
New: Wmffre Dafis' Book of Cywyddau (Brogyntyn MS I.2)
A volume of Welsh cywyddau and awdlau (15th-16th cent.) written by Wmffre Dafis, which includes work by Dafydd ap Gwilym and Guto'r Glyn, and a series of englynion added in the 17th century.
Medieval Astronomy (NLW MS. 735C)
The oldest scientific manuscript in the Library, which contains various Latin texts on astronomy.
The Book of Llandaff (NLW MS. 17110E)
One of Wales’s earliest ecclesiastical manuscripts (ca. 1150) which chronicles the early history of the diocese of Llandaff.
De natura rerum (Peniarth MS 540B)
A 12th century Latin manuscript containing part of Bede's scientific treatise, De natura rerum.
Laws of Hywel Dda (Peniarth MS. 28)
A Latin version of the native Welsh law with a series of illustrations in the text.
Black Book of Carmarthen (Peniarth MS. 1)
One of the earliest surviving manuscripts written solely in the Welsh language.
Hendregadredd manuscript (NLW MS. 6680B)
The earliest collection of the works of the Gogynfeirdd, the Welsh court poets.
Book of Taliesin (Peniarth MS. 2)
One of the most famous Welsh manuscripts containing some of the oldest poems in the Welsh language.
Chronicle of the Princes (Peniarth MS. 20)
A manuscript (ca. 1330) containing an early text of the 'Chronicle of the Princes' as well as a copy of 'Bibl Ynghymraec' and the poem 'Myrddin a Gwenddydd'.
White Book of Rhydderch (Peniarth MS. 4)
The earliest compendium of prose texts in the Welsh language including the earliest version of the Mabinogion.
The 'Hengwrt Chaucer' (Peniarth MS. 392D)
History of one of the most important surviving texts of the work of Geoffrey Chaucer (before 1346-1400).
Llanbeblig Book of Hours (NLW MS. 17520A)
A manuscript from the Caernarfon area detailing a programme of regular daily devotion at home based on the church's services.
Dafydd ap Gwilym and the Cywyddwyr
A selection of work by Dafydd ap Gwilym, the most distinguished Medieval poet.
One of the most famous poems in Middle English describing the narrator's visions about morality, theology and Christian life.
The 'De Grey' Hours (NLW MS. 15537C)
A manuscript detailing a programme of regular daily devotion at home based on the church's daily services.
A Middle English Miscellany (Brogyntyn MS. ii.1)
One of the most important medieval English manuscripts at the Library.
Beunans Meriasek (Peniarth MS. 105B)
A metrical play in Middle Cornish telling the story of Saint Meriasek from Brittany.
Black Book of Basingwerk (NLW MS. 7006D)
A volume of Welsh chronicles, mostly copied by the poet Gutun Owain.
A Gutun Owain manuscript (NLW MS. 3026C)
A manuscript by Gutun Owain (fl. 1450-98) containing texts about medicine and astrology.
Elis Gruffudd's Chronicle (NLW MS. 5276D & 3054D)
A 16th century manuscript by Elis Gruffudd, (‘The soldier of Calais’), who attempts to chronicle the history of the world from it's Creation through to 1552.
Payments to a serving maid (NLW MS. 11431B)
A manuscript shedding light on the subject of working women's dress circa 1600.
Unfinished dialogue in the hand of Morgan Llwyd (1619-1659), author and mystic.
Liber B, John Davies of Mallwyd (NLW MS. 4973B)
A number of copies of important Welsh manuscripts by Dr John Davies, Mallwyd (c. 1570-1644).
Poetry in Prose (Cwrtmawr 114B)
A manuscript (c.1628-48) which includes religious texts, a collection of prose and cywyddau, an essay against conjurers and wizards, weather prognostications, popular superstitions and much more.
History of the Gwydir family (NLW MS. 23289B)
A copy, 1669, of 'History of the Gwydir family' by Syr John Wynn (1553-1627).
Geirlyer Kyrnẁeig (NLW MS. Llanstephan 84)
A Cornish dictionary compiled by the scholar Edward Lhuyd at the beginning of the 18th century.
Williams Pantycelyn (NLW MS. 77A)
Religious poetry in the hand of William Williams (1717-1791), Wales's most eminent hymnwriter.
A poem by Goronwy Owen (1723-1769), one of Wales's most important eighteenth-century poets.
Llyfr Melyn Tyfrydog (NLW MS. 23969F)
A volume of pedigrees, poems and antiquarian notes, dated 1766 in the hand of the bard and gentleman Hugh Hughes from Llwydiarth Esgob, Anglesey.
Early tourists (NLW MS. 22753B & 1340C)
Two well-to-do visitors from England tell of their travels in Wales, 1772 and 1801.
History of the British Bards (NLW MS. 13107B)
Notes by Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams, 1747-1826) about bards and druids.
Smuggler's autobiography (NLW MS. 21834B)
Remarkable life of William Owen of Nevern, Pembrokeshire, executed in 1747 for murder.
Minute book and other records of Aberystwyth Auxiliary Temperance Society which was formed in 1835.
Sir William Edmond Logan journals (NLW MS. 21715-6B)
Compelling observations by the geologist from Canada, 1843-44.
Emigrants letters (MS. 22846D)
Letters by Henry Jones (1824-52) who emigrated to Holland Patent, New York, and his sister, Mary Jones (1831-61) who migrated to Ballarat, New South Wales.
Letters from the American Civil War (NLW MS. 22421D)
A collection of letters from the battlefield by a Welsh soldier, John Griffith Jones (d.1864).
Register of criminals apprehended Cardiganshire Constabulary between 1897 and 1933.
Yr Arwr, Hedd Wyn (NLW MS. 4628C)
One of the final drafts of the ode ‘Yr Arwr’ (The Hero) in the hand of the bard Hedd Wyn (Ellis Humphrey Evans, 1887-1917), which won him the chair at the Birkenhead National Eisteddfod following his death in 1917.
Dylan Thomas and the map of Llareggub (NLW MS.)
Map of Llareggub drawn by Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) while drafting Under Milk Wood.
Prisoner of war camp magazines (NLW MS. 22424F)
Magazines created by Welsh prisoners of war in camp Stalag IVB, Germany during the Second World War.
