# Idris Foster > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Idris_Foster > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Idris_Foster.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Foster > Source revision: 1314688241 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Welsh scholar (1911–1984)}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox academic|birth_date=23 July 1911|birth_place=Carneddi, [Bethesda](/source/Bethesda%2C_Wales), Caernarfonshire, Wales|death_date=18 June 1984|title=[Jesus Professor of Celtic](/source/Jesus_Professor_of_Celtic)|discipline=[Celtic languages](/source/Celtic_languages)|work_institutions=[University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford)|alma_mater=[University College of North Wales](/source/University_College_of_North_Wales)|main_interests=Medieval Welsh and Irish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} '''Sir Idris Llewelyn Foster''' (23 July 1911 – 18 June 1984) was a Welsh scholar and [Jesus Professor of Celtic](/source/Jesus_Professor_of_Celtic) at [the University of Oxford](/source/the_University_of_Oxford) from 1947 until 1978. He was born in Carneddi, [Bethesda](/source/Bethesda%2C_Wales), Caernarfonshire, Wales, and studied [Latin](/source/Latin) and [Welsh](/source/Welsh_language) at the [University College of North Wales](/source/University_College_of_North_Wales), [Bangor](/source/Bangor_(Wales)). He was appointed Head of the Department of [Celtic](/source/Celtic_languages) at the [University of Liverpool](/source/University_of_Liverpool) in 1936. His academic career was interrupted by [World War II](/source/World_War_II), when he worked in [Naval Intelligence](/source/Naval_Intelligence_Division_(United_Kingdom)), contributing to the [Geographical Handbook Series](/source/Naval_Intelligence_Handbooks). He was appointed as the third holder of the Oxford chair in Celtic (originally held by [Sir John Rhys](/source/John_Rhys)) in 1947 and became a [Fellow](/source/Fellow) of [Jesus College, Oxford](/source/Jesus_College%2C_Oxford) at the same time. He was [knight](/source/knight)ed in 1977 and retired the following year back to his birthplace, where he died in 1984. His work in the field of Celtic Studies was in Medieval Welsh and Irish, both poetry and prose. He made a particular contribution to the study of tale of [Culhwch ac Olwen](/source/Culhwch_ac_Olwen), and his edition of the tale was published in 1992, after his death, by the assistance of his friends [Rachel Bromwich](/source/Rachel_Bromwich) and [D. Simon Evans](/source/%3Acy%3ADaniel_Simon_Evans).{{Cite DWB|id=s6-FOST-LLE-1911|title=Foster, Idris, Llewelyn (1911–1984), Welsh and Celtic Scholar|author=Robert Geraint Gruffydd|access-date=24 November 2019}} He was involved in many Welsh organisations and societies, particularly the [National Eisteddfod](/source/National_Eisteddfod), where he was Chairman of the Council and President of the Court, the [National Library of Wales](/source/National_Library_of_Wales) (Treasurer and Vice-President), and the [Church in Wales](/source/Church_in_Wales) (member of the Governing Body). The National Library of Wales holds the archive of his papers. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/search2?coll_id=178&inst_id=1&term= Brief biography and details of archive (accessed 18 February 2007)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605132913/http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/search2?coll_id=178&inst_id=1&term= |date=5 June 2011 }} {{Jesus College, Oxford}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Sir Idris}} Category:Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford Category:Celtic studies scholars Category:Welsh scholars and academics Category:People from Bethesda, Gwynedd Category:Alumni of Bangor University Category:Knights Bachelor Category:1911 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Jesus Professors of Celtic Category:Welsh-speaking academics --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Idris Foster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Foster) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Foster?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.