Pennod 45 – ‘Cymraeg iawn i’r Cymry i gyd’: Beibl 1588

‘Proper Welsh for all of the Welsh People’: The 1588 Bible 

In this chapter we discuss William Morgan’s amazing achievement, the 1588 Welsh Bible. Not ignoring its obvious religious significance, we concentrate on the significance of this milestone from the point of view of the history of the Welsh language and its literature. 

One of the things which makes Welsh such an incredibly rich language is the variety of registers available to authors writing in Welsh, and it was the 1588 Bible above all else which ensured that it has an enduring elevated literary register. This linguistic unity has proven to be extremely important in the context of Welsh identity as well. We all get a chance to note the reactions of some contemporary Welsh people, include a poem of praise by the bard Rhys Cain which draws attention in a memorable fashion to William Morgan’s linguistic feat.