The Mabinogion

Mabinogion, The,
strictly, the first four Welsh tales contained in the collection of Lady Charlotte Guest, made in 1838 – 49 . The four are preserved in two Welsh manuscripts: The White Book of Rhydderch ( 1300 – 25 ) and The Red Book of Hergest ( 1375 – 1425 ). ‘Mab’ is the word for ‘youth’, but, even by the time of the medieval title, it is likely that the word meant nothing much more precise than ‘story’. In the four stories it is likely that the original common element was the hero Pryderi; as they survive their subjects are

    (1) Pwyll, the father of Pryderi;

    (2) Branwen, the daughter of Llyr and her marriage to the Irish king Matholwch;

    (3) Manawyddan, the son of Llyr and his association with Pryderi;

    (4) the death of Pryderi in battle with the nephews of Math who had cheated him.

There is no mention of Arthur in these four branches of the Mabinogion proper; but...

[The entire page is 284 words long]

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