Beunans Meriasek, Medieval manuscript at National Library of Wales, United Kingdom
Beunans Meriasek is a handwritten medieval manuscript in Middle Cornish, held at the National Library of Wales in the United Kingdom. It runs to 180 pages of carefully inscribed verses, bound in leather, with notes added to guide theatrical presentation.
The manuscript was written in 1504 by a scribe known as Master Nad Ton and is one of only two surviving plays in Middle Cornish. It came to the National Library of Wales through the Hengwrt library collection, a major source of early Welsh and British manuscripts.
The text tells stories about Saint Meriasek, Saint Sylvester, and the Virgin Mary in rhymed Middle Cornish verses and dialogue. Latin stage directions show these words were written to be spoken aloud before an audience, not just read on a page.
The original manuscript can only be consulted by researchers under specific conditions, but digital versions and microfilm copies are available for general viewing. A visit to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth requires some planning in advance, especially if access to the physical document is needed.
The pages show two clearly different handwriting styles, which suggests that at least two scribes worked on the manuscript separately. Alongside the text, there are diagrams of stage layouts that reveal the performances were planned to last across two full days.
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