Velly et cetera... Editing and Translating Chwedleu Odo, the Medieval Welsh Adaptation of Odo of Cheriton's Fables

Abstract

The medieval Welsh adaptation of the Latin fables of Odo of Cheriton, also known as Chwedleu Odo (“Odo’s Tales”), is a unique example of medieval fable literature in the Welsh language. The collection as a whole is quite different from the known Latin versions of the text in terms of the selection of the fables and the order in which they occur, yet the fables themselves are generally faithful translations, albeit with some notable omissions. While it is not clear why the translation was undertaken, most of the stories it includes address (religious) concerns which would have been relevant to Welsh clergymen in the (late) fourteenth century. It has been suggested that the fables were intended to be used in preaching, as short narratives like fables were often used as exempla in sermons. However, there is simply not enough information available about the practices of preaching in medieval Wales. Moreover, about half of the fables have had their moralizations cut short or removed, which arguably would have been the section most relevant for preachers. The sole surviving medieval manuscript which contains the fables also provides little indication as to how the text might have been used, and very little is known about its whereabouts during the first three hundred years since its creation. When it eventually resurfaces, the fables were copied several times, and it appears that they were mostly appreciated for their perceived antiquity. The collection has been edited twice in the early twentieth century, but because one edition is hard to find and the other is completely written in Welsh, the fables remained largely inaccessible to most, and as a result have wallowed in relative obscurity for the past century. This thesis offers a new edition and English translation of the Welsh fables, accompanied by textual notes on aspects related to grammar, syntax, spelling, and cultural context. Together with an introduction which covers the history of the text, it is hoped that this work may help to make the text more accessible to a new audience and to open it up to further study.