The Mabinogion: MAHB-in-OG-yon

A collection of Welsh tales first preserved in some of the early Peniarth manuscripts (ca 1200?), then in the Llyfyr Gwyn Rhydderch written about 1300-1325; and later in the Llyfyr Coch o Hergest, written between 1375-1400. Most scholars believe that all but the three "romances" date to the tenth or eleventh century, and are based on much early mythology.

The name is a misnomer, as the word "mabinogion" doesn't exist in Welsh. It was a mistake made by the scribe, existing only at the end of Pwyll pendeuc Dyfed, wherein the word "mabynogyon" appears. The real word is "mabinogi," which some translate as "tales for youth," "tales of Mabon" and "tales of the hero." They derive this meaning from "mabon"--meaning a young man or youth; also the name of a god, Mabon ap Modron. This title, however, only applies to the first four tales, and it is thought by some scholars that it refers to the life and adventures of Pryderi ap Pwyll, who does have certain similarities to the story of the god Mabon; however, this saga has been dramatically diluted with other material, such as the raid on Ireland and the story of the Children of Dôn.

The book, as usually edited and translated, can be divided into four sections (five if one includes the story of Taliesin):

• The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: detailing the exploits of the Children of Llyr and the Children of Dôn; more specifically, it potentially chronicles the life of the hero Pryderi ap Pwyll. This section is the most clearly mythological, with much material analogous to the ancient Irish sags:
  • Pwyll penduc Dyfed: Pwyll Lord of Dyfed
  • Branwen ferch Llyr: Branwen daughter of Llyr
  • Manawyddan fab Llyr: Manawyddan son of Llyr
  • Math fab Mathonwy: Math son of Mathonwy.

• The Histories: These two stories deal with early British history: they are not unlike episodes out of Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britian:
  • Breuddwyd Macsen: The Dream of Maxen
  • Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys: Lludd and Llefelys

• The Tales of Llys Arthur: These are tales generally only found in Wales; they have no known Arthurian French analogues on the continent, though Culhwch ac Olwen is reminiscent of the story of Jason and the Argonauts.
  • Culhwch ac Olwen: How Culhwch won Olwen
  • Breudwyt Ronabwy: The Dream of Rhonabwy (found only in the Red Book of Hergest)

• The Franco-Cymric Romances: These have obviously been influenced by the French romances of Chretien de Troyes; still, they contain some native elements, and are not simply derived from Chretien, but influenced by:
  • Owein; Chwedyl Iarlles y Ffynnaw: Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain--analogous to Chretien's Yvain.
  • Historia Peredur fab Efrawg: Peredur son of York--analogous to Perceval.
  • Gereint ac Enid: Gereint and Enid--analogous to Eric et Enid.

When Lady Charlotte Guest translated the books, she added the story Hanes Taliesin; however, the manuscript from which that story comes is quite late in date, possibly the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries. It is considered authentic, as poems in the 13th century Llyfr Taliesin (as well as the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin) make references to episodes from the Hanes.

There have been four translations into English:

• 1839--1849: translated by Lady Charlotte Guest in seven volumes. This is the only version which features Taliesin. It now exists as a Dover $2 edition, which is unfortunate, since they don't print her end notes, which are full of folklore not recorded elsewhere (at least not in any form available to the average 21st-century hobbiest). Otherwise, if you can find a copy of the 1902 J.M.Dent/Everyman edition, buy that. (I got mine in London for £5. I was ecstatic.) There is--published only in Britain--a new version with illustrations by Alan Lee, IIRC. However, it isn't published in America. To read the original dedication, click here.
• 1948: translated by Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones. This is the most accurate translation--that is, word-for-word--but because of this it is somewhat unreadable. Published by Everyman.
• 1976: translated by Jeffrey Gantz. This is the most readable translation, written in modern English but still fairly true to the text. Published by Penguin.
• 1986: translated by Patrick K. Ford. This is now out-of-print. It doesn't feature the Romances, but does feature Taliesin. Published by University of Calfornia.

Aside from being one of the only real preservation of Welsh mythology (the other being The Welsh Triads, also found in the Red and White Books), the Mabinogion has influenced:

• The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander;
• The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper;
• The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton;
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley;
• Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn by Robert Holdstock;
• The Owl Service by Alan Gardiner;
• A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L'Engle;
• Maiden Castle by John Cowper Powys;
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

James Joyce mentions the book in Ulysses, in the same breath with the Upanishads.

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