Pennod 52 – ‘Cyfaill ac Anwylddyn’: Beibl Bach 1630

‘Friend and Dear Person’: The Little Bible of 1630

In order to understand to development of Welsh literature in the seventeenth century, we have to discuss the Bible again. Following the publication of William Morgan’s Bible in 1588, a revised version was published in 1620.

These were ‘pulpit bibles’, big books used in the church which were too expensive for most Welsh people to buy. But a very different one was published in 1630, the Beibl Bach or ‘Little Bible’, one which was quite a bit smaller in size and thus cheaper. While discussing its significance in this episode, we examine the Beibl Bach’s introduction, an extremely intersting piece of writing which urges the reader to let this bible live in the house with him ‘like a friend’ and ‘like a dear person.’ From the point of view of Welsh religious history, this was a milestone which would encourage Puritanism eventually. And from the point of view of Welsh literary history, this publication would encourage literacy considerably.

Cyflwynwyd gan: Yr Athro Jerry Hunter a’r Athro Richard Wyn Jones
Cynhyrchwyd gan: Richard Martin
Cerddoriaeth: ‘Might Have Done’ gan The Molenes