The Currents of Welsh Mythology within Druidry

Tales / Books / Weblinks

Editorial Note: Speakers or learners of Modern Welsh may notice that spellings here may seem wrong: feel free to query, but note that Kestrel is using the forms as they appear in the Medieval Welsh manuscripts; the Medieval spelling was slightly different to the modern. In contrast, in his translations, Megli has updated the spellings to the modern forms. Both strategies are common among scholars working on Medieval Welsh texts, and it is purely a matter of personal preference.

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi)

Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet : Pwyll Prince of Dyfed
The Prince of Dyfed swaps places with the Lord of the Otherworld, and gains a mysterious bride, Rhiannon. They lose and regain their son, and all ends happily.

Branwen uerch Lyr : Branwen daughter of Llyr
A marriage between Branwen, sister of the High King of Britain, and the King of Ireland goes badly wrong. Her brother and his host goes to rescue her, but disaster and tragedy ensue.

  • Bronwen a modern interpretation of the tale by Emma Restall Orr

Manawydan uab Llyr : Manawydan son of Llyr
Manawydan, one of Branwen's brothers, marries the widowed Rhiannon. He foils an enchantment cast upon his wife and stepson and their country, through his wisdom and self-control.

Math uab Mathonwy : Math son of Mathonwy
Eerie animal transformations, violence and treachery occur in the kingdom of Gwynedd. The hero Lleu is born, and is helped by his uncle the enchanter Gwydion to foil his mother's wicked prohibitions.

  • Goewin translated by Angela Grant (Kestrel)
  • Goewin retold by Emma Restall Orr
  • Arianrhod retold by Emma Restall Orr (awaiting text)
  • Blodeuedd retold by Emma Restall Orr (awaiting text)
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Also in what Lady Charlotte Guest termed (incorrectly! but it's a very convenient term) The Mabinogion, originally from the Red Book of Hergest and/or White Book of Rhydderch, are the following tales:

The Four Native Tales (Y Pedair Chwedl Frodorol)

Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig : The Dream of Macsen Wledig
The Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus (Macsen) has a dream of a mysterious vision-woman on an island somewhere off Wales. He goes to find her and makes her Empress of Rome, having to conquer Britain and reconquer Rome in the process.

Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys : The Meeting of Lludd and Llefelys
Two royal brothers are kings of Britain and France respectively. Lludd seeks his brother Llefelys's advice on how to fight off three magical oppressions which are afflicting Britain.

Culhwch ac Olwen : Culhwch and Olwen
The first Arthurian tale in literature. Arthur's young cousin Culhwch enlists the aid of Arthur's court in his quest for Olwen, the beautiful daughter of Yspaddaden Chief-Giant. He has to complete a number of impossible tasks which are imaginatively described in this complicated, not-always-coherent adventure.

Breuddwyd Rhonabwy : The Dream of Rhonabwy
A very weird Arthurian dream vision, in which the storyteller is concerned to show off his skills in describing beautiful clothes, jewels and horse-trappings. Arthur and his nephew play a very significant game of chess, and although important events seem to be taking place, we have lost the key to their original significance. The story is thus hard for the modern reader.

The Three Romances (Y Tair Rhamant)

Iarlles y Fynnon (neu Owain) : The Countess of the Fountain (or Owain)
An Arthurian tale of a knight, Owain, reaching a balance between his marriage to a noble lady and his knightly duties, with the help of a lion which he saves from a serpent. The tale comes from a French source.

Peredur
A very complex Arthurian tale about how a boy, Peredur, learns to be a knight. The Nine Witches of Gloucester, severed heads on platters, and the lovely Angharad Golden-Hand all feature. The influence of French romance is clear.

Gereint
A strange Arthurian tale of marital disharmony, between the knight Geraint and his devoted, much-maligned wife Enid. Again there is a French source.

Hanes Taliesin : The Tale of Gwion Bach and Taliesin

This, perhaps the best known tale within modern Druidry, is from Elis Gruffydd's 'Chronicle of the World'. It is a tale of magic and shapeshifting which is in part an allegory for the attainment of poetic inspiration, and which shows very ancient roots even though it survives only in a late version.

Note, all versions published here will be in English.
Copyright for all the stories as published here is retained by the storyteller. Please get in touch if you wish to link to or use any of the text.

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Books

Published versions in book format that we would recommend ...

The Mabinogion trans Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones
(Golden Cockerel Press, 1949; J M Dent/Everyman, 1993) ISBN 0 460 87297 4
Written in an archaic English, probably the closest to the original Welsh text.

The Mabinogion trans Jeffrey Gantz
(Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, 1976, 1985) ISBN 0 140 44322 3
Good translation in modern English but can be a little dry in places.

The Mabinogion trans Sioned Davies
(OUP, 2007)
A new translation thought my some to be far superior to any that have gone before - not necessarily more accurate, but certainly less stiff, and with an excellent introduction and notes.

The above include the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the four Native Tales and the three Romances. They do not include the tale of Taliesin.

The Mabinogi and other Medieval Welsh Tales trans Patrick K Ford
(University of California Press, 1977) ISBN 0 520 03414 7
A good translation in modern English, thoroughly recommended. It only contains the Four Branches and two of the Native Tales (Lludd & Lleuelys and Culhwch & Olwen), but it does contain the tale of Gwion Bach and Taliesin (different and older version to Lady Charlotte Guest) and a partial translation of Cad Goddeu.

 

Weblinks

Sacred Texts is a site much recommended by our members
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm

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