By permission of Mrs. Stephens, the valuable and interesting work on the Gododin of Aneurin, left in MS, by the late Thomas Stephens, of Merthyr, author of the Literature of the Kymry, will be published by the Society of Cymmrodorion. It will be issued to the members in two parts, the first of which, "Historical Introduction," comprising some 150 pages of CYMMRODOR size and type, will be ready in June.

"TWM SION CATTI."

WE have been favoured with a transcript of two poems (Cywyddau) by this writer, which we should be glad to publish in an early number, but they are unfortunately not quite complete, the MS. from which they were taken having been eaten away by some rodents, presumably of a poetic bent. The first is headed and opens as follows:

-

"LLYMA VARWNAD LEWYS DU.

"Gwae r sawl a sy o Sylys hen
Gyda r haini gwaed ronwen," etc.

It extends to eighty-four lines. The second is a short love poem ("Cywydd Serch"), beginning

"Y vun lle r el yn vynych.

Nid a vn waith ond yn wych."

It contains only twenty-eight lines, and ends "Duw or nef mor dryan wyf." If any of our readers possesses or has access to a copy of one or both of these poems, and will be good enough to send us a transcript, we shall be very thankful.

THE EDITOR.

THE publication of the works of Iolo Goch is suspended for the present to admit of the more speedy issue of Mr. Stephens' Gododin. The compositions, in verse and in prose, left by the bard, have been found to be considerably more numerous than was at first thought, and of these the Editor has received a transcript of about two-thirds, taken from the British Museum MSS.

All Literary Communications, Books for Review, and Announcements of Forthcoming Works, should be addressed:"To the Editor of Y CYMMRODOR,

37, Great Queen Street, London, W.C."

Commrodorion,

LONSDALE CHAMBERS, CHANCERY LANE, W.C.

President.

Sir WATKIN WILLIAMS WYNN, Bart., M.P.

Vice-Presidents.

The Right Hon. EARL OF POWIS.

The Right Rey. the LORD BISHOP OF LLANDAFF.
The Right Rev. the LORD BISHOP OF BANGOR.
The Right Rev. the LORD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH.
The Right Rev. the LORD BISHOP OF ST. DAVIDS.
The Right Hon. LORD PENRHYN.

W. CORNWALLIS-WEST,

Lieutenant, Co. Denbigh.

The Very Rev. the DEAN OF PETER

BOROUGH.

The Right Hon, LORD ABERDARE.
The Right Hon. G. OSBORNE MORGAN, Q.C., M.P.
Esq., Lord LOVE JONES PARRY, Esq.
J. H. PULESTON, Esq., M.P.
HENRY RICHARD, Esq., M.P.
CAPTAIN E. H. VERNEY, R.N., Rhianva.
H. HUSSEY VIVIAN, Esq., M.P.
B. T. WILLIAMS, Esq., Q.C., M.P.
GWILYM WILLIAMS, Esq, Miskin Manor.
CHAS, W. WILLIAMS WYNN, Esq."

The Very Rev. the DEAN OF LLANDAFF.
CHARLES BATH, Esq., Ffynone, Swansea.
RICHARD DAVIES, Esq., M.P.
MORGAN LLOYD, Esq., Q.C., M.P.

AGABEG, AVIET, Esq., Temple.
BOWEN, J. W., Esq., Q.C., Temple.
DAVIES, JOHN, Esq., The Treasury.
DAVIES, The Rev. JOHN, M.A., South
Hampstead.

DAVIES, WM., Esq., (Mynorydd), Euston
Road.

DAVIES, W. E., Esq., Old Palace Yard.
EDWARDS, JOSEPH, Esq., Robert Street.
EVANS, WILLIAM, Esq., Temple.
HANCOCK, THOS. W., Esq., Wood Green.
HANCOCK, W.ST. J.H.,Esq., Furnival's Inn.
JENKINS, R. HENRY, Esq., Abchurch
Lane.

JEREMY, W. D., Esq., Lincoln's Inn.
JONES, The Rev. EVAN, Welsh Church
JONES, WILLIAM, Esq. (Gwrgant), King's
Arms Yard.

LEWIS, DAVID, Esq., Temple.

The IMPERIAL BANK (Limited), Westminster Branch, Victoria Street.

Corresponding Members for North Wales.

The Rev. D. SILVAN EVANS, B.D., J. CEIRIOG HUGHES, Esq., Caersws, Llanwrin Rectory, Machynlleth.

The Rev. DAVID HOWELL, B.D., The

Vicarage, Wrexham.

Mont.

OWAIN ALAW, Lorne Street, Chester.

Corresponding Members for South Wales.

W. DOWNING EVANS, Esq., Newport, Mon. J. M. JONES, Esq., (Ioan Cunllo) RhydThe Ven. Archdeacon GRIFFITHS, M.A.,

Rector of Neath.

lewis, Llandyssil.

Corresponding Members for Liverpool.

The Rev. E. T. DAVIES, B.A., 56, Hunter The Rev. OWEN JONES, B.A., 143, Bedford Street.

Street.

CONTENTS OF PART II. (VOL. IV.)

OCTOBER 1881.

Welsh Fairy Tales. By Professor Rhys

163

A Celtic-Slavonic Suffix. By M. H. Gaidoz

217

A Cywydd to Sir Edward Stradling and Dr. John David Rhys upon

Cymmrodor.

OCTOBER 1881.

WELSH FAIRY TALES.

BY PROFESSOR RHYS.

THE main object the writer of this paper has in view, is to place on record all the matter he can find on the subject of the lake legends of Wales: what he may have to say of them is merely by the way and sporadic, and he would feel well paid for his trouble if the present collection should stimulate others to communicate to the public bits of similar legends, which, it may be, still linger unrecorded among the mountains of the Principality. For it should be clearly understood that all such things bear on the history of the Celts of Wales, as the history of no people can be said to have been written so long as its superstitions and beliefs in past times have not been studied; and those who may think that the legends here recorded are childish and frivolous, may rest assured that they bear on questions which themselves could be called neither childish nor frivolous. So, however silly they may think a legend, let them communicate it to somebody who will place it on record; they will then, probably, find out that it has more meaning and interest than they had anticipated.

I. THE MYDDVAI LEGEND—LITTLE VAN LAKE.

I find it best to begin by reproducing a story which has already been recorded; this I think desirable on account of

VOL. IV.

N