Y Drych Cristianogawl

Y Drych Cristianogawl (Welsh: Y Drych Cristnogol, The Christian Mirror) is a Welsh publication from the Elizabethan era and the first book to have been printed in Wales.

Whilst Y Drych Cristianogawl was not the first book to be printed in the Welsh language, it was the first book to be printed in Wales. During most of the 16th century the printing of Roman Catholic books in England, Ireland, and Wales was strictly prohibited by the State. As a result, in a 16th century parallel to the strictly illegal samizdat literature that followed the Russian Revolution, Catholic literature was covertly copied by hand and distributed, usually in manuscript form. Y Drych Cristianogawl, however, was successfully published through secret printing presses and the first part was printed by Roger Thackwell inside Rhiwledin cave, on the Little Orme, near Llandudno in early 1587. The latter parts were not printed due to a government crackdown, but have survived in manuscript form.[1]

Four original copies survive, of which the only perfect copy is held by the National Library of Wales.[2]