The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics)

by Sioned Davies

  they were a gleaming shining white, and their ears were red: red and white are colours traditionally associated with the supernatural in Welsh and Irish tradition.

  but I will not greet you: greeting formulae are very common in the Mabinogion, and follow specific patterns. Usually it is the character of lower rank who greets first, and the other responds by wishing graessaw Duw (‘God’s welcome’). Pwyll believes that Arawn is refusing to greet him because his status prevents it; however, when Pwyll discovers that Arawn is a king, and therefore of higher rank, he responds immediately with ‘good day to you’. For a discussion of formulae in the Four Branches, see Sioned Davies, The Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Llandysul, 1993), 32–42.

  I will redeem your friendship: Pwyll has insulted Arawn by feeding his own dogs on the stag killed by Arawn’s pack. He must therefore pay compensation to the king for injuring his honour.

  Annwfn: a name for the Celtic Otherworld, derived from an (‘in, inside’) + dwfn (‘world’). In both Welsh and Irish traditions the Otherworld was generally believed to be located either on an island or under the earth. Here, however, it seems to be a land within Pwyll’s realm of Dyfed, while the two Otherworld feasts that occur in the Second Branch are located at Harlech (on the north-west coast of Wales) and on the Island of Grassholm (see pp. 33–4). Under Christian influence, Annwfn came to be regarded as synonymous with hell, though in modern Brittany, despite its strong Catholic heritage, Annaon became synonymous with paradise rather than hell (mont da Annaon—to go to Annaon—is a common euphemism for ‘to die’). For further details, see Proinsias Mac Cana, Celtic Mythology (London 1983).

  you must give him only one blow—he will not survive it: supernatural creatures needing the help of mortals to overcome an adversary is a theme found in Irish and Welsh literature, while the taboo that surrounds striking a monster twice is a common international motif—were the hero to strike a second time, then the monster would revive. For a list of the motifs in the Four Branches, see Andrew Welsh, ‘The Traditional Narrative Motifs of The Four Branches of the Mabinogi’, Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies, 15 (1988), 51–62.

  I shall arrange … I will take your place: shape-shifting is a theme that appears several times in the Four Branches. Here, two persons exchange forms and kingdoms for a year and a day, a formula common to international folk-tale and medieval romance.

  and sat like this: according to Welsh laws, everyone had to sit at a specific place at table, depending on one’s status. A variable formula common to many of the tales is employed to describe the whole process, which could include the welcome and preparations (including washing before the meal), sitting at the table (including the seating arrangements), followed by eating, drinking, and conversing.

  earl: the identity of this person is unclear. The title itself is not found in the medieval laws tracts, neither was it in use among the native Welsh rulers.

  Time came for them to go to sleep, and they went to sleep: a common formula covering transition from one period to the next—in oral narrative, the interstices between the important and exciting occasions are almost always filled.

  he turned his face to the edge of the bed: although Arawn explicitly said that Pwyll was to sleep with his wife, Pwyll declines, thus proving himself to be a true friend. In many instances of this motif, the shape-shifting takes place for the sole purpose of sleeping with the wife—compare Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account of the conception of Arthur, where Uther Pendragon takes the form of Gorlois, earl of Cornwall, in order to sleep with Igerna. In the First Branch, however, the emphasis is on fidelity and loyalty, and no intercourse takes place. The episode bears a resemblance to the folk-tale of ‘The Two Brothers’, which involves a chaste sleeping together, sometimes with a sword of chastity, as in the Old French Ami et Amile.

  at the first attack … suffering a fatal blow: a formulaic description of fighting used elsewhere in the Mabinogion. The present tense is used invariably in this formula.

  Pwyll Pen Annwfn: meaning Pwyll Head of Annwfn. This onomastic explanation is a mnemonic device, bringing the first part of the tale to a close.

  Once upon a time Pwyll was at Arberth, one of his chief courts: an echo of the opening lines of the tale, signalling that a second episode is about to begin.

  Gorsedd Arberth: a ‘mound’ or ‘barrow’ (gorsedd) which has specific properties. In this instance, Pwyll sees something wonderful; in the Third Branch, however, a walk to the mound leaves him and his four companions desolate as a mist descends on Dyfed, leaving the land bare and uninhabited (p. 36). Several locations have been suggested for the mound, including Camp Hill, less than a mile south of the town of Arberth, and the site of a circular Iron Age enclosure. Another suggestion is that Arberth and the mound should be located at Crug Mawr (‘Great Barrow’, near Cardigan), where there is a stream called Nant Arberth and where there once stood a hall called Glan Arberth; however, this does not fit with the geographical details given in the tale.

  Rhiannon, daughter of Hyfaidd Hen: her name derives from that of the Celtic goddess Rigantona (‘the Great, or Divine, Queen’). Rhiannon possesses magical qualities, and is closely associated with horses, leading scholars to associate her with the Celtic horse-goddess Epona: see Sioned Davies and Nerys Ann Jones (eds.), The Horse in Celtic Culture: Medieval Welsh Perspectives (Cardiff, 1997). In the Second Branch the magical birds of Rhiannon sing during the feast at Harlech (p. 33), while in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’, they are described as birds who wake the dead and send the living to sleep (p. 196). Here Rhiannon is described as being the daughter of Hyfaidd the Old.

  If I could choose from all the women … you that I would choose: love at first sight is a common motif in the Mabinogion; compare, for example, Gronw Pebr (p. 59) and Owain (p. 125).

  Badger in the Bag: an onomastic incident, explaining the derivation of a game which involves tying a man in a bag or sack, then beating and kicking him. This may be associated with badger-baiting: a sack would be placed over the mouth of the badger’s den, and when the animal had run into the bag it would be beaten to death. The motif whereby the hero outwits his opponent by deceiving him into going inside a magic sack is widespread. Often the opponent is the devil, who is thrashed until he promises never to cause trouble again.

  foster-brother: a reference to the custom whereby sons were brought up by relatives or friends, rather than their own family. This often meant that boys were closer to their foster-brothers than to their blood-brothers.

  Let us kill some of the pups … swear that she herself destroyed her son: Rhiannon is an innocent woman who is falsely accused; in folk-tale terms, she is a Calumniated Wife. This common international motif takes many forms: sometimes the woman is accused of giving birth to a monster; sometimes she is accused of eating her child. Indeed, the fact that Rhiannon’s face is smeared with blood and that the bones of the pups are placed beside her imply the latter. See Juliette Wood, ‘The Calumniated Wife in Medieval Welsh Literature’, Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies, 10 (1985), 25–38

  mounting-block: a block of stone with steps carved on one side, from which to mount on to horseback. Rhiannon’s punishment further strengthens her equine associations.

  Teyrnon Twrf Liant was lord over Gwent Is Coed: Teyrnon’s name derives from that of the Celtic god Tigernonos (‘the Great, or Divine, Lord’). One interpretation speculates that his epithet ‘Twrf Liant’ (Roar of the Flood-Tide) is a reference to the rushing noise made by the Severn Bore, a tidal wave that travels up the river Severn at certain times of the year. Gwent, in the south-east of Wales, was divided into two cantrefs, Uch Coed and Is Coed. A large forest, part of which still remains today under the name Wentwood, divided Is Coed, the low-lying land along the Bristol Channel, from Uch Coed, the hillier land to the north.

  May eve: the Celtic year was divided in two, as reflected in Irish sources: winter began at Samhain (1 November), and summer at Beltene (1 May); similarly, in Wales, Calan Gaeaf (the first day of winter) an
d Calan Mai (the first day of the summer, or May). These days took on a special significance: they were liminal periods when significant events would occur, and the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural world would be removed. The second plague to threaten Britain in ‘Lludd and Llefelys’ is a scream heard every May eve (p. 112), while Gwyn son of Nudd and Gwythyr son of Greidol fight for the maiden Creiddylad every May day until Judgement Day (p. 207). See A. and B. Rees, Celtic Heritage (London, 1961).

  an enormous claw: the owner of the claw is not identified. For parallels in Irish literature, together with an analysis of this episode, see Kenneth Jackson, The International Popular Tale and Early Welsh Tradition (Cardiff, 1961), who argues that we have here a combination of three well-known story motifs: the Calumniated Wife, the Monster Hand, and the Congenital Animals.

  and say that I have been pregnant: rather than adopt the boy, Teyrnon’s wife wants to claim it as her own. The dialogue between her and her husband is in sharp contrast to the lack of communication between Pwyll and Rhiannon: here, husband and wife discuss the situation and finally agree on a plan of action.

  baptized in the way it was done at that time … Gwri Wallt Euryn: the author acknowledges that baptism is an inappropriate term for the ‘naming-ceremony’ described here; the tales are, after all, set in the pre-Christian past. The same formula is used when naming Blodeuedd in the Fourth Branch (p. 58). Gwri Wallt Euryn means ‘Gwri of Golden Hair’.

  And before he was a year old … as sturdy as a six-year old: these features evidencing supernatural growth are traditionally associated with the wonder-child who develops into a great hero. In some tales, as in this instance, the hero is born at the same time as an animal, and often a special relationship develops between them.

  what a relief from my anxiety if that were true: an onomastic tale whereby the boy is given a new name on account of his mother’s gratitude at being relieved from her pryder (‘anxiety’).

  And so ends this branch of the Mabinogion: see the Introduction (p. ix). Cainc, the common word for ‘branch’, and the title traditionally given to these four tales in translation, has been adopted here. However, it is worth noting that a different structural interpretation comes into play if one adopts the second meaning of cainc, namely ‘strand or yarn (of a rope)’, resulting in an image of interweaving episodes with a more dynamic relationship between various parts of the tale. A third meaning, namely ‘song, tune’, raises interesting possibilities regarding a musical context. Mabinogion here seems to be an error for the more common mabinogi, meaning ‘tale’. Eric P. Hamp, on the other hand (in Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (1975), 243–9), has argued that the term refers to a collection of material pertaining to the god Maponos or Mabon, a character who is stolen from the bed of his mother Modron in the tale of ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ (p. 198); Hamp takes his lead from earlier scholarship in identifying Mabon and Modron with the mother and son of the First Branch, namely Rhiannon and Pryderi, and suggests that the original hero of all Four Branches may perhaps have been Pryderi, the only character to appear in all four tales.

  THE SECOND BRANCH OF THE MABINOGI

  Bendigeidfran son of Llŷr was crowned king over this island: the name comes from Bendigeid + Brân, meaning ‘Blessed Brân’ (Brân, meaning ‘crow, raven’). Later in the tale he is wounded in the foot by a poisonous spear, which has led many to regard him as the prototype for the Fisher King Bron in the Grail Cycle of medieval romance. He may also be cognate with the Irish Bran who journeys to the Otherworld. His portrayal in the Second Branch suggests that he is a euhemerized deity—he is of gigantic proportions, he owns a magical cauldron, and his severed head seems to live on after his death and when buried serves as a defence for his country.

  Harlech in Ardudwy: Harlech (meaning ‘high rock’) is today the site of a castle built in 1283 by the English king Edward I. Ardudwy was a commot on the north-eastern shore of Cardigan Bay, extending from the Ffestiniog valley to the Mawddach estuary.

  Manawydan son of Llŷr: the main character in the Third Branch. His name and patronymic equate him with the Irish god of the sea, Manannán mac Lir. However, their legends are very different, and the Welsh Manawydan has no supernatural attributes. Both forms are related toManaw, the name given to the Isle of Man and also to the region of Manaw Gododdin, the area along the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. John Koch has attempted to identify Manawydan with the historical British chieftain Mandubracios who played a part during Caesar’s invasion of Britain in 54 BC: ‘A Welsh Window on the Iron Age: Manawydan, Mandubracios’, Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies, 14 (1987, 17–52).

  Beli son of Mynogan: Beli son of Mynogan, or Beli the Great is also mentioned in ‘Lludd and Llefelys’ (p. 111) and ‘The Dream of the Emperor Maxen’ (p. 107). He and his sons Lludd, Caswallon, and Nyniaw are portrayed as legendary rulers and defenders of Britain. Major Welsh dynasties claimed descent from Beli; some scholars have argued that he is an ancestor deity cognate with the Gaulish god Belinus. Geoffrey of Monmouth refers to him as Heli in his History, father of Lud, Cassibellanus, and Nennius. There existed many traditions concerning Beli and his sons at one time, independent of classical accounts. His son Llefelys (see p. 111) is not mentioned in the genealogies.

  Branwen daughter of Llŷr: the name also occurs once as Bronwen, meaning ‘white breast’ (see p. 24), a common female attribute: compare the heroine Olwen whose ‘breasts were whiter than the breast of a white swan’ (p. 192). Bronwen may have been the older form which was later influenced by the name of her brother Brân.

  the Island of the Mighty: the Island of Britain.

  one of the Three Chief Maidens of this Island: rhiain (‘maiden’) has also been interpreted as ‘ancestor’ in this context. However, Branwen is not an ancestor at this point in the story; moreover, later in the tale her only child is killed at a young age.

  Aberffraw: Aberffraw was the chief court of the princes of Gwynedd, located in Anglesey.

  he shall have as his honour-price … as broad as his face: ‘honour-price’ is the compensation that is paid for insult. According to the Welsh laws, the honour-price of the king of Aberffraw consisted of ‘a hundred cows for every cantred he has, with a red-eared bull for every hundred cows, and a rod of gold as tall as himself and as thick as his little finger, and a plate of gold as broad as his face, and as thick as the nail of a ploughman who has been a ploughman seven years’ (LHDd 5–6). In the Second Branch text ‘his little finger’, or a similar comparison, needs to be added to make grammatical sense of the sentence. This practice may reflect the original custom whereby a person’s weight in gold or silver was given as compensation.

  I will give you a cauldron: cauldrons played a significant part in Celtic ritual, as evidenced by both archaeological and literary evidence. Parallels have been drawn between this Cauldron of Rebirth and a scene portrayed on the Gundestrup Cauldron from Denmark, a gilded silver bowl belonging to the first or second century BC, which shows a man plunged head-first into a vat, interpreted by some as a cauldron of immortality.

  Talebolion: a commot in Anglesey (see note to p. 3). Here we have an attempt—albeit incorrect—to explain the place-name: the Welsh tâl means ‘payment’ (but also ‘end’) and ebolion means foals (but also ‘hollows’ or ‘ridges’), hence ‘Payment of the Foals’. But the original meaning was probably Talybolion, ‘the far end of the hollows/ridges’.

  Llasar Llaes Gyfnewid: see note to p. 37.

  a chamber completely of iron: this motif, whereby enemies are invited to a banquet and killed, appears again in the tale, when the Irish build a great house for Bendigeidfran and prepare a feast for him and his men (p. 30). There are examples of similar episodes in Irish literature. Particular attention has been drawn to the parallels between the Welsh version and the Irish tale Mesca Ulad (The Intoxication of the Men of Ulster). For a general discussion of the parallels between the Second Branch and elements from Irish literature, see Proinsias Mac C
ana, Branwen Daughter of Llŷr: A Study of the Irish Affinities and of the Composition of the Second Branch of the Mabinogi (Cardiff, 1958).

  they are numerous, and prosper everywhere: a possible reference to the Irish settlements in Wales.