Names from the Dawn of British Legend:
Taliesin, Aneirin, Myrddin/Merlin, Arthur

Toby D. Griffen


From the Book Jacket:

These are names that define the very essence of a people caught up in the turmoils of the Dark Ages, from which Wales emerged. As important as they were, the people who bore these names have been shrouded in mystery and relegated to the uncertain realm of legend.

In this book, Professor Griffen uses innovations in the modern science of linguistics to reveal new insights into the names of the historical figures behind the legends. When these names are examined from this new linguistic perspective and in the light of the earliest references to them, a picture emerges in which we can better discern just who these people were, what they did, and how they affected the history and legend of Britain. We discover that the historical figures were precisely what their names say they were. Arthur's name, for example, has the same meaning in both the British language (Brythonic) and the Latin of sixth-century Britain -- a masterful stroke of diplomacy and strategy in the tumultuous period of the Saxon invasions.

ISBN 1 897853 65 3


Published by:

Llanerch Publishers
Felinfach, Lampeter
Dyfed, Wales SA48 8PJ
The United Kingdom

Available in the United States from:

The Harp and Dragon
25 Madison Street
Cortland, NY 13045
Tel 607-756-7372
Fax 607-756-0366
http://ww1.harpanddragon.com/webpages/harpdrag/