Explanation of the data

1. First line
2. Last line
3. Title
4. Poet's name
5. Meter
6. Type
7. Personal name
8. Place name
9. Dates
10. Other subjects
11. Print sources
12. Manuscript sources

1. First line

The orthography and punctuation is standardised apart from where the cynghanedd o'r rhyme depends on old orthography. The form followed is that found in recent editions of the work of medieval poets, e.g. Gwaith Dafydd ap Gwilym. Punctuation is not considered when searching. If a poem's first line is missing then the the first available line will be recorded preceded by the % symbol. The first line that is available containing at least two words is usually recorded.

2. Last line

Standardised in the same way as the first line and if the last line of a poem is clearly missing, the last available line is recorded followed by the // symbol. The last line of englynion, individual verses and couplets are not included.

3. Title

This field will often be empty. The titles are usually created by copyists or editors. In the Index, if the information contained in the title is greater than what fits easily in other fields, no record is made in this field. For example, in the case of the title 'Cywydd gofyn march gan Syr Robert Vaughan' we have 'cywydd', 'march' and 'Syr Robertt Vaughan' in fields 5, 6 and 7. The title field is used when it is not possible to denote the information with a simple record in other fields, e.g. 'Cywydd pan oedd y bardd yn glaf', 'Cywydd yn gofyn chwech o ychen gan chwe gwr', `Moliant i feibion Siôn Salsbri'. The exact form of the title in the manuscript is not used; it can be rephrased or abbreviated. The symbol @ is used when the title contains more information than can be included (e.g. sometimes we see a short story prefacing a poem, englynion particularly).

4. Poet's name

The name form is standardised. If a poem is attributed to more than one poet then all names are included, even when the attribution is clearly wrong. It is not the Index's function to offer an opinion. When a poem is unattributed, 'DIENW' is noted in the field. When a poem is attributed to a poet (or poets) in one source (or more) and is noted as unattributed in another source, it is not possible to use the Index to discover in which manuscript (or manuscripts) a poem is attributed to a specific poet or where it is unattributed.

5. Metre

This field will sometimes be empty due to failing to name a metre, but not often.
Here are the main classes:

ENGLYN PENNILL AWDL CYWYDD CWPLED RHYDD CYFRES O ENGLYNION (with a number to denote how many)

The following sub-classes are recorded under RHYDD:
CAROL     CWPLED
TRIBAN     CAROL DEUAIR
TRI THRAWIAD     MESUR CLIDRO
PENNILL     TELYN

When there is a name of a tune ('metre') for a free verse the tune's name is included prefaced with the # symbol, e.g. #Crimson Velvet

6. Type

More often than not there will be a note in this field when it is possible to describe the function or genre of a poem; often more than one term is included. The + symbol is shown after asking, thanks, and lats when the poet is acting on behalf of someone else.

Here is a list of the terms used:

ACHAU     CAROL MAI     CYSUR     GOFYN     PEN-BLWYDD
AMDDIFFYN     CAROL NADOLIG     CYTUNDEB     GWAHODD     POS
ANGHYDFOD     CAROL PASG     CHWEDL     GORCHEST     PRIODAS
ANNOG     CAROL PLYGAIN     DAROGAN     GWEDDI     PROFIAD
ANTERLIWT     CARU     DIARHEBOL     GWIROD     PROFFWYDOLIAETH
ATHROD     CELLWAIR     DIGWYDDIAD     GWRTHOD     PROTEST
ARWYDDAIR     CERYDD     DIRWESTOL     HALSINGOD     RHYBUDD
ATEB     CLERA     DIOLCH     HENEIDDIO     SERCH
BEDYDD     COFFA      DOETHINEB     HANES     SIOM
BEDDARGRAFF     CREFYDDOL     DYCHAN     HIRAETH     STORI
BENDITH     CROESO     DYCHYMYG     IACHAU     TAFARN
BREUDDWYD     CWYN     DYFALU     LLATAI     TEITHIO
BRUD     CYFADDEFIAD     EDIFEIRWCH     LLWYDDIANT     YMDDIDDAN
BUCHEDD     CYFARCH     EMYN     MARWNAD     YMFFROST
BYGYTHIAD     CYFIEITHIAD     EPIGRAM     MASWEDD     YMSON
CANMOL     CYFFES     FFARWEL     MAWL
CAROL CLWB     CYGOR     FFOLANT     MOES
CAROL HAF     CYMOD      GENEDIGAETH     NATUR

Subject

The information in this field is sorted into four sub-fields: personal names, place names, dates, and other subjects.

7. Personal names

Names of the subject or subjects of a poem are included prefaced by the * symbol. Three generations are included in every name if possible, e.g. Rhys ap Gruffydd ap Dafydd.

The symbol / is given before any additional information, e.g. Rhys Cyffin/Deon Bangor. The occupation connected with a subject's name, e.g. cleric, abbess, poet, blacksmith, harpist in brackets after the name. Names of unidentifiable people are not included here; sometimes theyb are incorporated in the title field. Where a female is the subject of a poem the name of her husband is included if possible. In the case of contest poems the name of the other contestant is included prefaced with the * symbol. In the case of love poems female is not noted as a subject, nor is God in the case of religious poems. Names like Morfudd, Dyddgu, Gwerful, Euron are included.

8. Place names

The names of subjects' homes are included, along with the parishes of clerics, prefaced with a * symbol. The title in a manuscript or an editor's word is often relied upon for information of this nature. Other selected names are included where the reference is substantive.

9. Date

A date is included if a specific one is given e.g. date of marriage, death or battle. Dates are drawn from evidence internal to the poem, from it's title or from information found in an edition. It follows that only a small fraction of poems will be dated.

10. Other subjects

Specific terms are included when they are the subject of a poem, e.g. birch, oak, petticoat, jerkin, rather than the collective names trees, clothes. Abstract names are also included such as sickness, battle, imprisonment; a list is available of the terms used.

11. Print Sources

Included in this field are references to standard printed texts. Where there is a choice of texts, the most recent is referenced but multiple printed sources may be referenced if there is a reason for doing so. Abbreviations are based on those by A Dictionary of the Welsh Language.

12. Manuscript sources

Included here are references to all manuscripts containing a copy of the poem as well as the page number or page, according to the numbering used in the manuscript. A list is available of the abbreviations used.