Medieval There are numerous examples of Welsh folklore throughout
Medieval Welsh literature, such as in the
Historia Brittonum,
Middle Welsh poetry and the
Book of Taliesin. However, while there are allusions to Welsh folklore in the works of the "Beirdd yr Uchelwyr" (Poets of the Nobility) 1350 to 1600 it was the
cyfarwyddiaid (singular:
cyfarwydd, "storyteller"), who were mostly responsible for recording folklore in this period. The
cyfarwyddiaid were members of the bardic order in Wales. The only historical
cyfarwydd known by name is Bledri ap Cydifor ('Bledericus Walensis', 'Bleherus'). The
cyfawyddiaid were considered a learned class with duties and an education that exceeded that of a common poet. They were court officials with extensive training in their art, and often had a close relationship with their lord. Their duties extended to the traditions involved in praising, celebrating and mourning their lord. Welsh folklore includes a number of tales that were preserved and told by the
cyfarwyddiaid, who were also tasked with conserving the traditional historical material, the accepted myth of the Welsh past, and sharing the corresponding stories, being considered as historians themselves. Besides storytelling, the
cyfarwyddiaid also had the task of protecting the genealogies of the powerful families. The tales of Welsh lore were shared as proverbs and songs, in addition to simple spoken stories. The historical tales were told along with the non-historical fables, without significant distinction. This allowed culture and history to be explored and taught through the poetics of the time. The writing of medieval folklore had adopted and explored a set of rules and themes. It relied on the poetic triads of the time, poetics, old verse and knowledge of histories, which enabled the conception of well-crafted stories about the historical truths of the population. Additionally, regions would adopt their own guidelines in storymaking, such as the Triads of the Island of Britain, which led tales to be based on mythological, historical and heroic themes. Welsh folklore was often compared to Irish literature of similar value. They both consisted of similar structure and aimed to inform about the past, rather than to target the mistakes of their ancestry with satire. Folk tales and legends have also survived through retellings by common people. Storytelling could and does occur in many different forms: "gossip, games, dancing, and the reciting of riddles, tongue-twisters, nursery-rhymes, harp-stanzas, folk-songs and ballads." Common occasions for telling folk narratives were the
nosweithiau llawen (or "merry evenings," similar to a
céilidh),
nosweithiau gwau ("knitting nights"), and
Calan Gaeaf (Winter's Eve).
Early modern period During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a number of laws were passed to suppress Welsh culture. The 1401 and 1402 act,
Penal laws against the Welsh forbid any public assembly for Welsh people as well as prohibiting Welsh men (and English men who married Welsh women) from holding senior public office, bearing arms or purchasing property in English boroughs. The laws were reaffirmed throughout the fifteenth century, before being replaced by the
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. As such, the Welsh-speaking gentry were replaced with a highly anglicised one, who used the English language and English customs. The laws had a substantial impact on
Welsh culture, legally limiting both the Welsh language and culture to the lower classes. Despite the demise of an affluent Welsh class, Wales saw a great number of cultural and educational movements in eighteenth century. As "the decay or demise of an ancient way of life" was matched by an unprecedented level of activity which worked to preserve or develop Welsh culture and an interest in all things Welsh, regardless of social status.
Nineteenth century The nineteenth century saw a revival of interest in the folklore of nations across Europe. As such, English works such as
The Cambrian Popular Antiquities by
Peter Roberts (1815) and Welsh texts such as
Ystên Sioned (1882) were published. The period also saw a number of folklore articles appearing in Welsh magazines. One publication,
Y Genhinen (The Leek), was established with the intention to promote folklore studies and protect the traditions of Wales. While the "historical myth-making of the eighteenth century" saw a new wave of patriotic interest in folklore and folk-culture, the nineteenth century saw this again challenged by wider British state. In 1847 the "
Treachery of the Blue Books" was viewed by many as a renewed attack on ordinary Welsh life by the
Anglican church and the British government. While the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw Wales as a state which "lacked status", it paradoxically saw Welsh folk-culture flourish. ==Folk narratives==