Note 47 — Chapter II · ARTHUR IN WELSH LEGEND AND LITERATURE

There are, of course, more than four “ancient books” in the Welsh language—for example, the MS. of what is known as the Venedotian code of the laws of Wales, and The White Book of Rhydderch, the contents of which have recently been made accessible to Welsh readers in Dr Gwenogvryn Evans’s fine edition. But Skene’s “four books” contain all the oldest Welsh poetry that is of any account. These four, named in chronological order, are known as The Black Book of Carmarthen (twelfth century), The Book of Aneirin, The Book of Taliesin, and The Red Book of Hergest.