An imperfect quarto manuscript inscribed in gilt on the spine 'Llyfr Du Pantlliwydd'; the name is probably derived from the colour of the previous binding (see binding note) and from the fact that sometime in the second half of the eighteenth century the volume formed part of the library of Thomas Truman of Pant-y-lliwydd in the parish of Llansanwyr, Glamorgan (see TLLM, tt. 216-17, 220, 315-18). Of the extant folios, pp. 1-204 contain the now incomplete (wanting beginning, end, and contents of a few intermediate leaves) corpus of heraldic and genealogical material believed to have been transcribed or compiled by Anthony Powel of Llwydarth in the parish of Llangynwyd, Glamorgan (see TLLM, tt. 115, 149, 214-18). The contents, pagination in brackets, include notes on the signification in heraldry of various colours such as black, white, and azure, animals such as the boar, dog, stallion, and bear, birds such as the eagle, hawk, owl, and griffin, fish such as the crab, and inanimate objects such as the twelve types of crosses (1-39); descriptions of various heraldic devices and terms with certain rules governing their use (39-60); notes on, or descriptions of, the coats of arms of Brytys, Lokreinys, Albanakdys, Kamber, Dynfwal Moel Myd, Beli, Ythyr Ben Dragon, Arthyr, Kystenin ab Kadwc, Kynan Wledic, Maelgwn Gwynedd, Karedic, Kydwaladr, Ifor, and Ynyr, of the Saxon kings of England from the time of Edbert to the time of 'Saint Edwart Frenin' (also including the Danish rulers Swayn, Knot, and Harknot), and of the Norman kings of England and their successors from the time of 'Wiliam Kwngkwerwr', etc. (61-72); brief descriptions of the arms of some sixty-three British / Welsh kings (including legendary figures), princes, lords, saints, and others, including e.g. Brytys, Beli, Arthyr, Dewi, Teilo, Kradoc Freychfras, Iestyn ab Gwrgan, Rys ab Tewdwr, Ednyfed Fychan, etc. (73-82); brief descriptions of the arms of the Norman conquerors of Glamorgan ('llyma arfay y kwngkwerwyr a fyont ymorganwc'), e.g. Iarll y Klar, Ysbenser, Flemin, Twrberfil, Gamais, etc. (82-5); a list of the names of some one hundred and five, mainly legendary, kings [of Britain] from the time of Brytys to that of Kydwaladr with the names of Henry VII and Henry VIII added at the end (85-7); a list of largely legendary kings of Britain from the time of Brytys ab Silyf to the time of Kydwaladr, the last king, with notes on their attributes, events of their reigns, etc., under the superscription 'Llyma enway y pedwar brenin ar hygain o frenhinoedd ynys brydain a farnwyd yn gydarnaf ac yn wrolaf y gwngkwery ac y adailiad ac y roddi roddion ardderchawc ...' (87-105); a genealogy of Henry VIII tracing his descent in direct male line from Brytys and thence from God (105-8); another briefer genealogy of the said Henry VIII tracing his descent, through male and female ancestors, from Kydwaladr Fendigaid, last king of the Britons (108-9); pedigrees of the mothers of the males appearing in the Henry VIII pedigree (109-14); seventy miscellaneous brief pedigrees the great majority commencing with the words 'Llyma wehelyth' associated with place-names, mainly commote names, such as Abergwyli, Llanfynydd, Kethinoc, Llandybie, Karnwyllon, Kydweli, Kwmwd Perfedd yn Ha ... dion, Kwmwd Perfedd ywch Arfon (Aeron), y Kreyddyn ywch Arfon (Aeron), Myfienydd, Glyn Aeron, Llan Gybi, Llan Ddewi Frefi, Mab Elfyw, Kayo, Mallaen, Penryn Dyfed, Elfed, Hirfryn, Mabynion, Gwinionydd Ywchaeron (Ywch Kerdin, Is Kerdin), Kaer Wedros, Gwidi Gada, Yrwystli, Kaer Sws, Kyfeilioc, Llan Bryn Mair, Brecheinoc, Peytyn, yr Argoed, Yslwch, Aber Ysgyr, Dyllyn Hodni, Lliwel, Ysg ... throc, Tir Rawff, Llanfihangel y Kwmdy, Arth Brengi, and Mon, or directly with personal names and tracing descents from, inter alios, such personages as Elystan Glodrydd and thence Beli Mawr, Gwaith foed, Llawdden, Dinawal and thence Rodri Mawr, Maenerch and thence Koel Godeboc, Brychan Brycheinoc, Kynedda Wledic, Einion Sais, etc. (115-42); an incomplete list of the fifteen tribes of Gwynedd - 'llyma bymthegllwyth gwynedd' (142-5); (continued)
Six brief pedigrees of descendants of Gr. fab ap Gr. Gwyr and thence of Koelgodeboc (145-7); fifteen brief pedigrees six of which commence with the words 'llyma wehelyth' with the place-names Glyn Nedd, Rwng Nedd ac Afan, and Tir Iarll, and one with the phrase 'llyma wehelyth Sir Siôn Wiliam, meistr o siwels y brenin', and all tracing descents from Einion ap Gollwyn and Iestyn ap Gwrgan, followed by two pedigrees tracing the descent of the said Einion from Beli Mawr and the said Iestyn from Brytys (147-54); ten brief pedigrees five of which commence with the formula 'llyma wehelyth' with the place-names Glyn Rodne and Llan Daf or the personal names Siangcin ap Aron, yr Arglwydd Rys ap Tewdwr, and y Dokdor Leison, one with the place-name Seinghenydd, and the others with a personal name, and tracing descents from, inter alios, Maenerch, Koel Godeboc, Maglawn, pryns yr Alben, and Beli Mawr (154-9); notes relating to the legend of the building of the city of 'Troya newydd' by Brytys, first king of the Britons, and its renaming as Kaer Lydd by Llydd ap Beli and as Llyndain (London) subsequent to the Saxon conquest (160-61); similar notes relating to the building of the cities of Kaer Efrawc (York) and Kastell Mynydd, subsequently called Ednbwrch (Edinburgh), by Efroc Gadarn, fifth king of the Britons (161-2); a list of the names, in English and Welsh, of the chief cities allegedly built by the Britons ('enway y prif ddinesydd awnaeth y brytaniaid') (162-4); a maternal pedigree of Gwladys ferch D[afydd] Gam (164-5); genealogical data relating to the Twrberfil (Turberville) family (165-7); a pedigree tracing the descent of Gr[uffydd] Dwn from Epiliws 'hen frenin Dyfed' (167-8); brief notes on the arms of the aforementioned [Gruffydd] Dwn, the Wiriod [family] of Pembrokeshire, Llywelyn Foethys, Brenin Manaw, etc. (168-9); brief pedigrees of Arthyr (on paternal and maternal side), Harri Sant o Winsor (Henry VI), and Llywelyn ap Gr. (170-71); notes relating to 'Bonedd ac anfonedd' (nobleness and ignobleness), the origin of the laws of heraldry, etc. (172- 5); genealogies of the saints of the island of Britain (176-86); a note on the signification of fish in heraldry (186-7); brief descriptions of the arms of Gwalchmai, Bledri, the kings of Maroc, Fraingk, Ysbaen, and Hwngry, the duke of Kornwal, the emperor of Konstinobl, and the emperors of Yr Albaen and Yropia (187-9); genealogies ('llyma wehelyth') of Sir Siôn ap Rys and Meistr Lewys Gwyn (189-90); a note relating to Morgan Amheyryc, the last Welsh lord of Koety, and ? his grandfather Gr' ap Iestyn (190-91); notes on Sioned, wife of Addaf Fychan and subsequently of Ieuan ap Ll', and her two sons (191-2); notes on the five sons of D'd ap Mathay (192-3); miscellaneous genealogies (193-9); genealogical notes relating to the family of Twrberfil, lords of Koety, with a reference to the loss of their 'arglwyddiaeth rial' (iura regalia) by the said lords of Koetty (200-01); a genealogy ('llyma wehelyth') of Hari lewys 'o sain pyr' (202); and brief notes on the arms of the kings of mwroc, ffraink, ysbaen, hwngri, boham, groec, nafarn, napwls, portingal, sisil, seipris, pwyl, ysgotland, and denmark, the duke of kornwal, and the emperors of konsdentinobl, yr albaen, and kripepende (202-04). Page 210 contains twenty lines of Welsh verse in the 'cywydd' metre.
Anthony Powel and 'Iolo Morganwg' and others.
