Welsh Journals

MEDIEVAL WELSH SCRIPTURES, RELIGIOUS LEGENDS, AND MIDRASH.1 By JOHN JENKINS, M.A., B.LITT. (OXON.), University College, Cardiff. IT might be of some purpose to begin by asking: What Scriptures were in use in Wales before the end of the Old Welsh period, and in what language or languages were the versions written ? Both questions have often been put, and variously answered. David Peter, in his Hanes Crefydd yn Nghymru (p. 61), is of the opinion that Ilid and Cyndaf, two of the reputed early missionaries to Britain, were Israelites. As a consequence, they would certainly bring with them to this island the Old Testament (presumably in Hebrew), and as much of the New Testament as was accepted at the time by the Church at Rome. Needless to say, he cites no authorities in support of so fanciful a theory. J. Spinther James, following Westcott's article on the Vulgate, in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, states, in his Hanes Hen Eglwys y Cymry (p. 177) that although Jerome's Vulgate gradually usurped the position of the Old Latin version, and was adopted in the Gallican Church of the fifth century, yet that the Old Latin maintained its hold over the churches of Africa and Britain. He then, rather rashly, adds, "It was by the light of this Old Latin, therefore, that our forefathers pursued their way during many ages, for in spite of all investigation, no shadow of proof has yet been discovered that they pos- 1 Read before the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, Friday evening, March 26th, 1920, The Right Hon. J. Herbert Lewis, P.C., M.P., in the Chair.