The Welsh Triads

Known in the Welsh as Trioedd Ynys Prydein, the Triads of the Island of Britain, these are a grouping of material in threes recounting events from Welsh history and mythology. They served as an index or device to jog the memory adopted by the cyfarwyddion, the storytellers of medieval Wales. The tales that stood behind the Triads being preserved, at that time, only in the memory of the cyfarwyddion and the retelling of the tales themselves.

The Triads are now preserved in some of the principle early manuscripts of Welsh literature, namely,

• the Peniarth Manuscript (NLW Peniarth MS 16)
• Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch the White Book of Rhydderch
• Llyfr Coch Hergest the Red Book of Hergest
• Llyfr Ddu Caerfyrddin the Black Book of Carmarthen

The earliest of these documents are the Peniarth Manuscript and the Black Book of Carmarthen from the 13th century, but the earliest Triads themselves are believed to be from the 9th or 10th centuries.

However the versions of the Triads preserved tend to differ between the various manuscripts, (as naturally they would, being derived from an oral tardition) so there does not seem to a definitive list of Triads; set out below are as many as I could find.

• The Three Tribal Thrones of the Island of Britain
• The Three Generous Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Fair Princes of the Island of Britain
• The Three Well-Endowed Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Pillars of Battle of the Island of Britain
• The Three Bull-Protectors of the Island of Britain
• The Three Bull-Chieftains of the Island of Britain
• The Three Prostrate Chieftains of the Island of Britain
• The Three Chieftains of Arthur's Court
• The Three Chieftains of Deira and Bernica
• The Three Red-Speared Bards of the Island of Britain
• The Three Frivolous Bards of the Island of Britain
• The Three Chief Officers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Seafarers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Roving Fleets of the Island of Britain
• The Three Powerful Shepherds of the Island of Britain
• The Three Fettered Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Battle-Horsemen of the Island of Britain
• The Three Enemy-Subduers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Red Ravagers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Battle-Diademed Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Brave Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Arrogant Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Slaughter-Blocks of the Island of Britain
• The Three Battle-Leaders of the Island of Britain
• The Three Powerful Swineherds of the Island of Britain
• The Three Enchanters of the Island of Britain
• The Three Great Enchantments of the Island of Britain
• The Three Faithful War-Bands of the Island of Britain
• The Three Faithless War-Bands of the Island of Britain
• The Three Noble Retinues of the Island of Britain
• The Three Men Who Performed The Three Unfortunate Assassinations
• The Three Unfortunate Assassinations of the Island of Britain
• The Three Unfortunate Hatchet-Blows of the Island of Britain
• The Three Levies That Departed From This Island, And Not One Of Them Came Back
• The Three Oppressions That Came To This Island, And Not One Of Them Went Back
• The Three Concealments and The Three Disclosures of the Island of Britain
• The Three Bestowed Horses of the Island of Britain
• The Three Chief Steeds of the Island of Britain
• The Three Plundered Horses of the Island of Britain
• The Three Beloved Horses of the Island of Britain
• The Three Lively Steeds of the Island of Britain
• The Three Pack-Horses of the Island of Britain
• The Three Horses who carried the The Three Horse-Burdens
• The Three Prominent Oxen of the Island of Britain
• The Three Prominent Cows of the Island of Britain
• The Three Men Who Received The Might Of Adam
• The Three Men Who Received The Beauty Of Adam
• The Three Men Who Received The Wisdom Of Adam
• The Three Women Who Received The Beauty Of Eve
• The Three Dishonoured Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Supreme Prisoners of the Island of Britain
• The Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain
• The Three Unrestrained Ravagings of the Island of Britain
• The Three Quests that were obtained from Powys
• Arthur's Three Great Queens
• Arthur's Three Mistresses
• The Three Amazons of the Island of Britain
• The Three Unfortunate Counsels of the Island of Britain
• The Three Gate-Keepers at the Action of Bangor
• The Three Golden Corpses of the Island of Britain
• The Three Fettered War-Bands of the Island of Britain
• The Three Bull-Spectres of the Island of Britain
• The Three Wild-Spectres of the Island of Britain
• The Three Unrestricted Guests of Arthur's Court, and The Three Wanderers
• The Three Faithful Women of the Island of Britain
• Three Faithless Wives of the Island of Britain
• The Three Golden Shoemakers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Kings who were from Villeins
• The Three Defilements of the Severn
• The Three Principal Enchanters
• The Three Great Exploits of the Island of Britain
• The Three Honorable Feasts of the Island of Britain
• Three Golden-Tongued Knights, Whom No One Could Refuse Whatsoever They Might Ask
• Three Baptismal Bards of the Isle of Britain
• Three Blissful Rulers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Futile Battles of the Island of Britain

• The Three Fair Womb-Burdens of the Island of Britain
• The Three Lovers of the Island of Britain
• The Three Surpassing Bonds of Enduring Love
• The Three Stubborn Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Peers of Arthur's Court
• The Three Who Could Not Be Expelled from Arthur's Court
• The Three Men of the Island of Britain Who Were Most Courteous to Guests and Strangers
• The Three Fair Maidens of the Island of Britain
• The Three Lively Maidens of the Island of Britain
• The Three Saintly Lineages of the Island of Britain
• The Three Kindreds of Saints of the Island of Britain, By a Welsh Mother
• The Three Blessed Visitors of the Island of Britain
• The Three Bodies which God Created for Teilo
• Arthur's Three Principle Courts
• The Three Knights of Arthur's Court Who Won the Graal, and It Brought Them to Heaven
• The Three Splendid Maidens of Arthur's Court
• The Three Things Which Conquered Lloegr
• The Three Perpetual Harmonies of the Island of Britain
• The Three Fearless Men of the Island of Britain
• The Three Elders of the World
• The Three Men Who Specified Their Sufficiency from Arthur as Their Gifts
• The Three Immense Feasts that Were in the Island of Britain
• The Three People Who Broke Their Hearts from Bewilderment
• The Three Wives Whom Brychan Brycheiniog Had

There are many more, but I'm editing them, sifting through the ones that seem least altered by both Christian and neo-Pagan redaction (i.e., no mentioning of Atlantis).