Table Of ContentTHE
MABINOGION
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THE
MABINOGION
(cid:3)(cid:6)(cid:9)
(cid:2)(cid:5)(cid:8)
(cid:1)(cid:4)(cid:7)
Translated with an Introduction and Notes by
SIONED DAVIES
1
3
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
Translator’s Note xxxi
Guide to Pronunciation xxxiv
Select Bibliography xxxvii
Map: The Wales of the Mabinogion xl
THE MABINOGION
The First Branch of the Mabinogi 3
The Second Branch of the Mabinogi 22
The Third Branch of the Mabinogi 35
The Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi 47
Peredur son of Efrog 65
The Dream of the Emperor Maxen 103
Lludd and Llefelys 111
The Lady of the Well 116
Geraint son of Erbin 139
How Culhwch Won Olwen 179
Rhonabwy’s Dream 214
Explanatory Notes 227
Index of Personal Names 281
Index of Place-Names 290
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the tale of ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’, we are presented with a
roll-call of the Arthurian court, with characters ranging from Gilla
Stag-Leg to Isberyr Cat-Claw. Judith Hawk-Eye would take her
place well among these. I thank Judith Luna not only for her scrupu-
lous editing, but also for her subtle reminders, her gentle prodding,
and for her constant patience and encouragement.
My debt to Brynley F. Roberts is immense; he read the entire
manuscript and offered advice and insightful criticism. Ceridwen
Lloyd-Morgan, together with my colleague Dylan Foster Evans,
also made valuable suggestions which I have taken on board. I must
thank colleagues at Cardiff University, and in particular the staff of
the School of Welsh who have had to live with this translation for
more years than they care to remember; I am particularly grateful to
Cath Pugh for easing my administrative burdens and for being so
supportive at all times.
There are many others who have made this translation possible:
my friends Manon Rhys and Christine James who have been a con-
stant inspiration; my wonderful neighbours who would voice great
concern at seeing the burning of the midnight oil; my parents––my
father, whose gift as a storyteller first awakened my interest in these
medieval tales, and my mother who commented on the entire
translation; and finally, Smwt and Mao, who would curl up at my
feet and purr whenever I settled down at my desk. Translating the
Mabinogion has been a challenging, but one of the most rewarding
experiences ever. Diolch o galon i bob un ohonoch.
In memory of Yolande, who loved performing
INTRODUCTION
Brothers transformed into animals of both sexes who bring forth
children; dead men thrown into a cauldron who rise the next day; a
woman created out of flowers, transformed into an owl for infidelity;
a king turned into a wild boar for his sins––these are just some of the
magical stories that together make up the Mabinogion.
The tales, eleven in all, deal with Celtic mythology, Arthurian
romance, and a view of the past as seen through the eyes of medieval
Wales. They tell of love and betrayal, shape-shifting and enchant-
ment, conflict and retribution. Despite many common themes, they
were never conceived as an organic group, and are certainly not the
work of a single author. Their roots lie in oral tradition, and they
evolved over centuries before reaching their final written form: as
such, they reflect a collaboration between the oral and literary
culture, and give us an intriguing insight into the world of the
traditional storyteller.
What is the Mabinogion?
TheMabinogion is the collective name now given to eleven medieval
Welsh tales found mainly in two manuscripts, the White Book of
Rhydderch (Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, MS Peniarth
4–5), dated c.1350, and the Red Book of Hergest (Oxford, Bodleian
Library, MS Jesus College 111), dated between 1382 and c.1410. The
term is a scribal error for mabinogi, derived from the Welsh word mab
meaning ‘son, boy’. As a result, some have suggested that mabinogi
was a tale for boys, or perhaps a tale told by young or apprentice
storytellers; however, the general consensus is that its original mean-
ing was ‘youth’ or ‘story of youth’, confirmed by the appearance of
the term as a translation of the Latin infantia, and that finally it
meant no more than ‘tale’ or ‘story’.
The term Mabinogion was popularized in the nineteenth century
when Lady Charlotte Guest translated the tales into English, between
1838 and 1849. She regarded it as the plural form of mabinogi,1 and
1 The suffix -(i)on is a common plural ending in Welsh. Guest also included the tale
