Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history--these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as the Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar. Dragons, witches, and giants live alongside kings and heroes, and quests of honour, revenge, and love are set against the backdrop of a country struggling to retain its independence.
This new translation, the first for thirty years, recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.
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Table of Contents:
IntroductionTranslator's NoteGuide to PronunciationSelect Bibliographymap of Wales at the time of theiMabinogion/iThe First Branch of the MabinogionThe Second Branch of the MabinogionThe Third Branch of the MabinogionThe First Branch of the MabinogionPeredur son of EfrogThe Dream of the Emperor MaxenLludd and LlefelysThe Lady of the WellGeraint son of ErbinHow Culhwch won OlwenRhonabwy's DreamExplanatory NotesGlossary of Personal NamesGlossary of Place-Names
" The Mabinogion is famously magical. Enchantment glows on every page, but it does not here violate the laws of nature: it reveals them."-- The Independent on Sunday
"It may be said at once that the translation will have instant success. It will bring the tales to thousands of new readers, while its commentary will be a vital tool for scholars....By fuelling debate on this and other questions, Sioned Davies's splendid volume inaugurates a new age of Mabinogion studies."-- Modern Language Review
Sioned Davies is Chair of Welsh at Cardiff University. Her special interest is the interplay between orality and literacy, together with the performance aspects of medieval Welsh narrative. Her publications include Crefft y Cyfarwydd (Cardiff, 1995), which is a study of narrative techniques in the Mabinogion, The Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Llandysul, 1993), and a co-edited volume, The Horse in Celtic Culture: Medieval Welsh Perspectives (Cardiff, 1997).