Delw y Byd
A Medieval Welsh Encyclopedia
In December 2020 The Modern Humanities Research Association published Delw y Byd. A Medieval Welsh Encyclopedia, edited by Dr Natalia Petrovskaia (Medieval Culture).
This edition presents extracts from the medieval Welsh encyclopedia Delw y Byd. A medieval Welsh translation of the first book of the Latin encyclopedia known as Imago Mundi, written by Honorius Augustodunensis in the first quarter of the twelfth century, this text is a fine example of the ties between the intellectual world of Europe and Wales in the late-twelfth/early-thirteenth centuries, when the text was translated, ties that brought across the scientific knowledge based on Roman and late antique sources.
The four elements
Structured according to the four elements: earth, water, air and fire, the text presents geographical, anthropological, and astronomical information, often with historical and mythological contexts. The present edition follows that organizational principle, providing a glimpse into the medieval understanding of the overarching structure of the universe.
- Title: Delw y Byd. A Medieval Welsh Encyclopedia
- Editor: Natalia Petrovskaia
- Publisher: The Modern Humanities Research Association
- ISBN: 978-1-781889-49-7