Llyfr Coch Hergest

   Llyfr Coch Hergest (the Red Book of Hergest) was used by Lady Charlotte Guest for her Mabinogion work and is one of the most important of the Welsh medieval manuscripts. The manuscript is mainly the work of Hywel Fychan fab Hywel Goch o Fuellt, working for Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion of Ynys Tawe somewhere between the dates of 1382 and 1410. At 362 Folios (13x8 inches), it is also one of the largest. It contains examples of many kinds of Welsh Literature - including the Brut of Geoffrey of Monmouth, the Mabinogi stories (Gereint fab Erbin, Breuddwyd Rhonabwy, Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi, etc.), Brut y Tywysogyon, the Trioedd Ynys Prydein triads, the saga englynion and some of the y Gogynfeirdd. Its contents are closely related to those of Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch.
   Around 1466, it was in Sir Roger Vaughan's library at Tretower and from there it went to another branch of the family at Hergest. The Llyfr Coch was given to Jesus College in 1701 and is now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (MS Jesus College MS CXI) where it was used by Lady Guest for her Mabinogion.