Children and Parents in Medieval Welsh Law

Sara Elin Roberts

Children and Parents in Medieval Welsh Law

Edited by Sara Elin Roberts

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MHRA Library of Medieval Welsh Literature 7

Modern Humanities Research Association

24 March 2025

ISBN: 978-1-839545-59-7 (hardback) • RRP £34.99, $48.99, €41.99

ISBN: 978-1-839545-60-3 (paperback) • RRP £14.99, $19.99, €17.99

ISBN: 978-1-839545-61-0 (JSTOR ebook)

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MedievalWelshLaw

Manuscripts containing Cyfraith Hywel, the law of medieval Wales, are among the most commonly found type of prose work in Middle Welsh. The lawtexts contain a wealth of material on all aspects of human behaviour, and often present a window into everyday life and society in medieval Wales. The text contained in this edition discusses the kindred (the family group), children and their rights, and the role children play until they come of age. A large part of the text discusses children of uncertain parentage: the process of identifying a father and linking a son to a kindred is described in detail, including dramatic acceptance and denial ceremonies. Unusual situations are also considered in the text, with scenarios including denying paternity for financial reasons, or attempting to deny a son from a kindred because he has killed a man and as a result is going to cost the kindred homicide payments. Some short texts from the laws are edited here for the first time since the nineteenth century: this includes the surprisingly humane discussion of the status and rights of an intersex child.

This volume presents an accessible text of medieval Welsh law, an interesting and important extract from the laws which discusses status and the role of the kindred in medieval Wales. The introduction gives an overview of the subject area, with discussion of the textual tradition of the Welsh laws, and considers the material contained within the lawtexts, setting the section on children and paternity in context within the lawtexts themselves. Explanatory notes and a full glossary explain the text in detail, show the way the law worked, and outline the presentation of the lawtexts in Middle Welsh.

Sara Elin Roberts is an Honorary Professor at the School of Welsh, Bangor University.

Contents:

ix-x	Preface Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.3	Cite
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xi-xii	Abbreviations: References Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.4	Cite
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xiii-xiii	Abbreviations: Grammatical Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.5	Cite
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xiv-xvi	Abbreviations: Welsh Law Manuscripts Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.6	Cite
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1-28	Introduction Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.7	Cite
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29-33	Text Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.8	Cite
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34-86	Notes Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.9	Cite
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87-101	Glossary Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.10	Cite
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102-107	Bibliography Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.11	Cite
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108-108	Back Matter Sara Elin Roberts doi:10.2307/jj.25577178.12	Cite
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Bibliography entry:

Roberts, Sara Elin (ed.), Children and Parents in Medieval Welsh Law, MHRA Library of Medieval Welsh Literature, 7 (MHRA, 2025)

First footnote reference: ³⁵ Children and Parents in Medieval Welsh Law, ed. by Sara Elin Roberts, MHRA Library of Medieval Welsh Literature, 7 (MHRA, 2025), p. 21.

Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Roberts, p. 47.

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Cite this volume in MHRA author-date style

Bibliography entry:

Roberts, Sara Elin (ed.). 2025. Children and Parents in Medieval Welsh Law, MHRA Library of Medieval Welsh Literature, 7 (MHRA)

Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Roberts 2025: 21).

Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Roberts 2025: 21.

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