Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein: Difference between revisions
From The Seven Sages of Rome
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|Has Description=The Welsh version of the ''Seven Sages'' narrative, ''Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein,'' derives from the [[French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages|French Version A ''Sept Sages'']] tradition, according to [[Gadsden (2020)]]. The Welsh redactor - identified in one manuscript as 'Llewelyn Offeiriad' (Llewelyn the Priest) - was clearly conversant in French literary style, and the text echoes elements of the French parent text blended with traditional Welsh narrative forms and structures (sometimes replicating passages from earlier Welsh texts, such as ''Culhwch ac Olwen,'' word for word). The redactor also introduced several distinctive elements into the text that distinguish it from other Version A texts. This is immediately obvious from the embedded tales. After the first six tales, which follow the expected Version A pattern, the text then includes Ramus ''-'' a tale unique to the Welsh version, replacing Avis - and also a distinctive version of Roma. The rest of the tales are in an unconventional order, and, according to Gadsden, 'some are modified, with their moral or message shifting, thereby altering their impact' (p. 65). This includes the rare event of a story - Roma - that is traditionally told by one of the Empress instead being told by one of the sages. | |Has Description=The Welsh version of the ''Seven Sages'' narrative, ''Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein,'' derives from the [[French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages|French Version A ''Sept Sages'']] tradition, according to [[Gadsden (2020)]]. The Welsh redactor - identified in one manuscript as 'Llewelyn Offeiriad' (Llewelyn the Priest) - was clearly conversant in French literary style, and the text echoes elements of the French parent text blended with traditional Welsh narrative forms and structures (sometimes replicating passages from earlier Welsh texts, such as ''Culhwch ac Olwen,'' word for word). The redactor also introduced several distinctive elements into the text that distinguish it from other Version A texts. This is immediately obvious from the embedded tales. After the first six tales, which follow the expected Version A pattern, the text then includes Ramus ''-'' a tale unique to the Welsh version, replacing Avis - and also a distinctive version of Roma. The rest of the tales are in an unconventional order, and, according to Gadsden, 'some are modified, with their moral or message shifting, thereby altering their impact' (p. 65). This includes the rare event of a story - Roma - that is traditionally told by one of the Empress instead being told by one of the sages. | ||
Other noteworthy details include: the emperor's first wife is given a name, Eua, or Eve (possibly a misreading of a passage from [[Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 2137]], according to Gadsden, p. 65); the inclusion of the witch who reveals the | Other noteworthy details include: the emperor's first wife is given a name, Eua, or Eve (possibly a misreading of a passage from [[Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 2137]], according to Gadsden, p. 65); the inclusion of the witch who reveals the Emperor's son's existence to the Empress; and the omission of the name of the young seer who solves the mystery in ''Sapientes.'' For a Welsh literary audience, already familiar with the figure of 'Myrddin' (Merlin) as a Wild Man of the Woods character (predating Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Vita Merlini''), the choice to leave the seer-child anonymous may have been an expedient way of avoiding confusion. | ||
|Has Author=Llewelyn the Priest | |Has Author=Llewelyn the Priest | ||
|Has Modern Research Literature=Gadsden (2020); Evans (1903); Huws (2000); Try (2015) | |||
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{{EmbeddedStory | {{EmbeddedStory | ||
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|Has Sequence Number=8 | |Has Sequence Number=8 | ||
|Has Narrator=Malquidras | |Has Narrator=Malquidras | ||
|Has Name Variation= | |Has Name Variation=Malcwidas | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{EmbeddedStory | {{EmbeddedStory | ||
Revision as of 15:26, 14 July 2025
The Welsh version of the Seven Sages narrative, Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein, derives from the French Version A Sept Sages tradition, according to Gadsden (2020). The Welsh redactor - identified in one manuscript as 'Llewelyn Offeiriad' (Llewelyn the Priest) - was clearly conversant in French literary style, and the text echoes elements of the French parent text blended with traditional Welsh narrative forms and structures (sometimes replicating passages from earlier Welsh texts, such as Culhwch ac Olwen, word for word). The redactor also introduced several distinctive elements into the text that distinguish it from other Version A texts. This is immediately obvious from the embedded tales. After the first six tales, which follow the expected Version A pattern, the text then includes Ramus - a tale unique to the Welsh version, replacing Avis - and also a distinctive version of Roma. The rest of the tales are in an unconventional order, and, according to Gadsden, 'some are modified, with their moral or message shifting, thereby altering their impact' (p. 65). This includes the rare event of a story - Roma - that is traditionally told by one of the Empress instead being told by one of the sages.
Other noteworthy details include: the emperor's first wife is given a name, Eua, or Eve (possibly a misreading of a passage from Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 2137, according to Gadsden, p. 65); the inclusion of the witch who reveals the Emperor's son's existence to the Empress; and the omission of the name of the young seer who solves the mystery in Sapientes. For a Welsh literary audience, already familiar with the figure of 'Myrddin' (Merlin) as a Wild Man of the Woods character (predating Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini), the choice to leave the seer-child anonymous may have been an expedient way of avoiding confusion.| General Information | |
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| Language within Version | |
| Narrative / Scholarly Group | |
| Parent Versions | A (Seven Sages) |
| Child Versions | Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A, Middle Welsh Version A |
| Author | Llewelyn the Priest |
| Title | |
| Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages | |
| Version Number | |
| Branch of the tradition | |
| Language & Composition | |
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| Original language of version | |
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| Place of composition | |
| Date of composition | |
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| Literature & Editions | |
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| Modern research literature | Gadsden (2020), Evans (1903), Huws (2000), Try (2015) |
| Modern Editions | |
| Connected prints |
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| Notes | |
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| Notes on the frame | |
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