Translated with an Introduction by Lewis Thorpe.
Scholar, churchman, diplomat and theologian, Gerald of Wales was one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages and 'The Journey Through Wales' describes his eventful tour of the country as a missionary in 1188. In a style reminiscent of a diary, Gerald records the day-to-day events of the mission, alongside lively accounts of local miracles, folklore and religious relics such as Saint Patrick's Horn, and eloquent descriptions of natural scenery that includes the rugged promontory of St. David's and the vast snow-covered panoramas of Snowdonia. The landscape is evoked in further detail in 'The Description', which chronicles the everyday lives of the Welsh people with skill and affection. Witty and gently humorous throughout, these works provide a unique view into the medieval world.
Author(s): Gerald of Wales, Giraldus Cambrensis, Lewis Thorpe (transl.)
Series: Penguin Classics
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1978
Language: English
Pages: 336
City: Harmondsworth
Introduction
I. THE LIFE OF GERALD OF WALES 9
Genealogical table: the family of Gerald of Wales 11
II. THE JOURNEY THROUGH WALES 24
1. The purpose of the journey and its achievements 24
2. Gerald's role 27
3. The route followed 30
4. The three versions 36
5. '...cum notabilibus suis' 40
6. The editions 44
7. The earlier translation 45
8. This translation 45
III. THE DESCRIPTION OF WALES 46
1. The shape and subject-matter 47
2. The three versions 49
3. The changes made in the second and third versions 51
4. The editions 52
5. The earlier translation 53
6. This translation 53
IV. GERALD THE HISTORIAN 53
V. GERALD THE ARTIST 57
VI. SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY 60
VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 6l
VIII. list of Gerald’s extant writings 62
Maps:
1. Gerald's Journey through Wales 32
2. Wales in 1188 48
The Journey through Wales
FIRST PREFACE 63
SECOND PREFACE 69
LIST OF CHAPTER-HEADINGS 71
Book I 74
Book II 159
The Description of Wales
FIRST PREFACE 211
SECOND PREFACE 214
LIST OF CHAPTER-HEADINGS 218
Book I 220
Book II 255
Appendix I: The additions made in Versions II and III of 'The Journey through Wales' 275
Appendix II: The additions made in Versions II and III of 'The Description of Wales' 278
Appendix III: Gerald of Wales and King Arthur 280
Index 289
