Main MSS, MS order:

Bromwich, 1991 p.

Peniarth 16

White Book
Peniarth 47

Peniarth 50

Black Book
Red Book
Troiedd Ynys Prydein and Major Mss.
Adapted from: Bromwich, Rachel. Troiedd Ynys Prydein = The Welsh Triads. Cardiff: U of
Wales P, 1991.

40 21 22 23 24 25 26 26
1
Three Tribal Thrones 1

34

34
2
Three Generous Men 5

8
Three Fair Princes 7

23 33

23 33
4

3
Three Well-Endowed Men 8

4
Three Pillars of Battle 10

5
Three Bull-Protectors 11

17 18 19 20 21

29 37 28 30 50

29 37 28 30 50
7
Three Bull-Chieftains 13

8
Three Prostrate Chieftains 14

9
Three Chieftains of Arthur's Court 16

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Three Chieftains of Deira and Bernicia 17

27 28
Three Red-Speared Bards 19

9
Three Frivolous Bards 21

22 23 24 25

22 27

22 27 13
Three Chief Officers 23
Three Seafarers 25
Three Roving Fleets 27
Three Powerful Shepherds 28

18

45 60* 38 26* 25 35* 36 39 32 58*

45 60* 38 26* 25 35* 36 39 32 58*

1
Three Fettered Men 29

26 10
Three Battle Horsemen 31
Three Enemy Subduers 33

29 30 48 31 49
Three Red Ravagers 35

7
Three Battle-Diademed Men 37

Three Brave Men… Three Sons of Haearnwedd the Wealthy 39

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Three Arrogant Men 41
Three Slaughter-Blocks 42
Three Battle-Leaders 44

Three Powerful Swineherds 45

Three Enchanters 55
32 19 20

21 43* 44 20 30 31* 31

21 43* 44 20 30 31* 31 5*

Three Great Enchantments 56

Three Faithful War-Bands 57

Three Faithless War-Bands 61
Three Noble Retinues 65
32 33

Three Men who performed the Three Fortunate Assassinations 68

36 37

Three Unfortunate Assassinations 70

Three Unfortunate Hatchet-Blows 74
10

Three Levies that departed from this Island, and not one of them came back 75
9

Three Oppressions that came to this Island, and not one of them went back 84
10,11*
37

14

11

Three Concealments and Three Disclosures 88

51,52 54 48 50 46 47 53 55 56*
38

52

52

Three Bestowed Horses 97

39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

53 54 56 55

53 54 56 55

Three Chief Steeds 99

53 54

Three Plundered Horses 101

Three Lovers' Horses 103
Three Lively Steeds 105
Three Pack-Horses 107
50 51 52

12

Three Horses who Carried the Three Horse-Burdens 109

Three Prominent Oxen 117

Three Prominent Cows 119

Three Men who received the Might of Adam 122
1 2 3

Three Men who received the Beauty of Adam 127

Three Men who received the Wisdom of Adam 128
39

Three Women who received the beauty of Eve in three third-shares 129
 46 7,51 14 15 16 17 18 19 24 40 41 42 46 47 48 49 61 62 63
Three Dishonoured Men 131

17

51
Three Exalted Prisoners 140

35 12

14 15 16 17 18 19 24 40 41 42 46 47 48 49 61 62 63
Three Harmful Blows 144
Three Unrestrained Ravagings 147
Three Quests that were obtained from Powys 150

43 44 45

43 44
Arthur's Three Great Queens 154
And [Arthur's] Three Mistresses were these 157
Three Amazons 158

14
Three Unfortunate Counsels 159
Three Gate-Keepers at the Action of Bangor Orchard 163
Three Golden Corpses 166

15
Three Fettered War-Bands 167
Three Bull-Specters 170
Three Wild Specters 171
Three Unrestricted Guests of Arthur's Court, and Three Wanderers 172

41*

38
Three Faithful (Women) 174
Three Golden Shoemakers 176
Three Kings who were (sprung) from Villeins 179
Three Defilements of the Severn 182

36* 37
6
Three Fair Womb-Burdens 185

8
Three Lovers 189
Three Stubborn Men 192

9 11 12 13 15 16 38 40 42
Three Peers of Arthur's Court 193

47 46
Three who could not be expelled(?) from Arthur's Court 194
Three Men…who were most courteous to Guests and Strangers 195
Three Violent(?) Ones 196
Three Wanderers of Arthur's Court 197
Three Fair Maidens 198
Three Lively Maidens 199 39 1 2 3 13 41 45

Three Faithless Wives… Three daughters of Culfanawyd of Britain 200

Three Saintly Lineages 201
Three Blessed Visitors 204
Three Bodies which God created for Teilo 205
Three Futile Battles 206
Arthur's Three Principal Courts 211
Three Knights of Arthur's Court who won the Graal, and it brought them to Heaven 212

* indicates alternate
Triads from other Manuscripts: version in MS
Three Skillful Bards were at Arthur's Court 214
Three Splendid Maidens 215
Three Things which conquered Lloegr 216
Three Perpetual Harmonies 217
Three Fearless Men 219
Three Elders of the World 220
Three Men who specified their sufficiency from Arthur as their Gift 222
Three Immense Feasts that were held in… 223
Three People who broke their hearts from Bewilderment 226
Three Wives whom Byrchan had 227

Appendix: Text source:

The Names of the Island of Britain 228 Red Book and Pen. 50
The Descent of the Men of the North 238 Peniarth 45
Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain 240 Cardiff 17 and Pen. 77
The Twenty-Four Knights of Arthur's Court 252 Llanstephan 12 and Pen. 16
North Welsh Genealogical Triads 256 Cardiff 36

MS Summary: (Bromwich, 1991: xi-lxii)

Peniarth 16: TYP text is early or late 13th c.; perhaps a copy of an older MS?
Peniarth 41: ca. 15th c., assoc. w/ Peniarth 16
Peniarth 50: first half of 15th c., assoc. w/ Peniarth 16
Red Book of Hergest: Rhonabwy ms., ca. 1400
White Book of Rhydderch: Mabinogion ms., ca. 1325
Black Book of Caermarthen: Oldest of Triads mss., contains only Horse Triads.

Adapted from: Bromwich, Rachel. Troiedd Ynys Prydein = The Welsh Triads. Cardiff: U of Wales P, 1991.

Chart developed by Teresa M. Hooper. Free for educational and private use. CC-BY-NC-4.4.