Everything about Annales Cambriae totally explained
Annales Cambriae, or
The Annals of Wales, is the name given to a complex of Cambro-Latin
chronicles deriving ultimately from a text compiled from diverse sources at
St David's in
Dyfed,
Wales, not later than the 10th century. Despite the name, the Annales Cambriae record not only events in Wales, but also events in
Ireland,
Cornwall,
England,
Scotland and sometimes further afield.
Sources
There are four principal versions of the Annales Cambriae:
A: London, British Library, MS. Harley 3859, folios 190r-193r.
B: London (Kew), Public Records Office, MS. E.164/1 (K.R. Misc. Books, Series I) pp.2-25
C: London, British Library, MS. Cotton Domitian A.i, folios 138r-155r
D: Exeter, Cathedral Library, MS. 3514, pp. 523-8, the
Cronica ante aduentum Domini.
E:
ibid., pp. 507-19, the
Cronica de Wallia.
A is in a hand of about 1200 inserted without title into an MS. of the Historia Brittonum where it's immediately followed by a pedigree for Owain ap Hywel (d.988). Although no explicit chronology is given in the MS., its annals seem to run from about A.D. 445 to 977 with the last entry at 954, making it likely that the text belongs to the second half of the tenth century.
B was written, probably at the Cistercian abbey of Neath, at the end of the 13th century. It is entitled Annales ab orbe condito adusque A.D. 1286.
C is part of a book written at St David's, and is entitled Annales ab orbe condito adusque A.D. 1288; this is also of the late 13th century.
The basis of B and C is a world chronicle derived from Isidore of Seville's Origines (Book V, ch.39
), through the medium of Bede's Chronica minora. After A.D. 457, B agrees nearly with A until A ends, and after the empire of Heraclius ((610-41) C mostly agrees with A until A ends, although it's clear that A wasn't the common source for B and C (Dumville 2002, p.xi). B and C diverge after 1203, C having fewer and briefer Welsh entries.
D and E are found in a manuscript written at the Cistercian abbey of Whitland in south-west Wales in the later 13th century; the Cronica ante aduentum Domini extends from 1132 B.C. to 1285, while the Cronica de Wallia extends from 1190-1266.
A alone has benefited from a complete diplomatic edition (Phillimore 1888). Annales Cambriae, the A-text.
Source for the Arthurian legend
There are two entries in the Annals on
King Arthur, one on
Medraut (Mordred) and one on
Myrddin (Merlin). These entries have been presented in the past as proof to the existence of Arthur and Merlin, although that view is no longer widely held. Some say it's interesting to note that all the other people mentioned in the chronicle are real and this argument is often offered as evidence for the historicity of Arthur, Merlin and Medrod; however, given that the entries could have been added arbitrarily as late as 970, long after the development of the early Arthurian myth, it can't be taken as a particularly strong argument.
Entries on Arthur, Medrod and Merlin (Myrddin):
» Year 72 (c.
516) The
Battle of Badon, in which Arthur carried the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ on his shoulders for three days and three nights and the Britons were victors.
Year 93 (c.
537) The
Strife of Camlann in which Arthur and Medraut fell [andthere was death in Britain and in Ireland.] Text in brackets not in MSS.
B or
C.
» Year 129 (c.
573) The
Battle of Arfderydd (
Armterid,
A;
Erderit,
B;
Arderit,
C) [betweenthe sons of Elifer, and Guendoleu son of Keidau; in which battle Guendoleu fell; and Merlin (
Merlinus) went mad.] Text in brackets found only in MS.
B.
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