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The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. I., ed. by J. Williams Ab Ithel, [1862], at sacred-texts.com


THE DISCIPLINE OF BARDISM.

THE CREATION.

Disciple. With what material did God make all corporal things, endued with life?

Master. With the particles of light, which are the smallest of all small things; and yet one particle of light is the greatest of all great things, being no less than material for all materiality that can be understood and perceived as within the grasp of the power of God. And in every particle there is a place wholly commensurate with God, for there is not, and cannot be less than God in every particle of light, and God in every particle; nevertheless, God is only one in number. On that account, every light is one, and nothing is one in perfect co-existence but what cannot be two, either in or out of itself.

D. How long was God in making all corporal things?

p. 256 p. 257

M. The twinkling of an eye; when existence and life, light and vision occurred, that is to say, God and all goodness in the act of contemning evil. 1

THE CREATION.

Question. Of what materials did God make the worlds?

Answer. Of Himself, for existence having a beginning does not otherwise take place.

THE CREATION.

Question. How were animation and life obtained?

Answer. From God, and in God were they found, that is, from the fundamental and absolute life, that is, from God uniting Himself to the dead, or earthliness--hence motion and mind, that is, soul. And every animation and soul are from God, and their existence is in God, both their pre-existence, and derived existence; for there is no pre-existence except in God, no co-existence except in God, and no derived existence except in God, and from God.


Footnotes

257:1 p. 256 This fragment, in connection with the fact that His is one of the Names of God, throws wonderful light upon the language of Rhys Brydydd, whilst that also bears testimony to the existence in his days, namely, between 1450 and 1490, of the curious doctrine of the text:

Bychanaf or bychenyd,
Yw Hu Gadarn, fe’i barn byd;
A mwyaf, a Naf i ni,
Da coeliwn, a’n Duw Celi,
Ysgafn ei daith, ac esgud,
Mymryn tes, gloewyn ei glud,
A mawr ar dir a moroedd,
A mwyaf a gaf ar goedd;
Mwy no’r bydoedd, ’marbedwn
Amarch gwael i’r mawr hael hwn.

The smallest of the small
Is Hu the Mighty, as the world judges;
And the greatest, and a Lord to us,
Let us well believe, and our mysterious God;
Light His course and active,
An atom of glowing heat is His car;
Great on land and on the seas,
The greatest that I manifestly can have,
Greater than the worlds--Let us beware
Of mean indignity to him who deals in bounty.
               See Dr. Pughe's Diet. v. mymryn.

It would have been utterly impossible to explain the allusions, contained in this poetical passage, without the key which the Bardic Catechism offers to us.


Next: The Creation.--Worship.--Vocal Song.--Gwyddoniaid