author
Sir John Rhys
1840–1915
A pioneering Welsh scholar who helped bring Celtic studies into the academic mainstream, he spent decades exploring Welsh language, folklore, and early history. His work opened up old traditions and place-names for a wider readership.
2 Audiobooks
Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx (Volume 2 of 2)
by Sir John Rhys
Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx (Volume 1 of 2)
by Sir John Rhys
About the author
Born in Ponterwyd, Cardiganshire, in 1840, Sir John Rhys became one of the leading Celtic scholars of his time. He studied at Bangor Normal College and Jesus College, Oxford, and in 1877 was appointed the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford, a landmark role that reflected the growing recognition of Celtic languages and culture.
Rhys wrote widely on Welsh philology, folklore, mythology, and early British history. He is especially remembered for helping to shape Celtic studies as a serious academic field, and for books such as Celtic Britain and Lectures on Welsh Philology. Later in life he was knighted and also served as Principal of Jesus College, Oxford.
His scholarship combined close study of language with a strong interest in oral tradition and the historical past of Wales. Even now, he stands out as an important figure in the study of Welsh culture and the wider Celtic world.