The Mabinogion Critical Essays

The tales gathered in The Mabinogion had a long oral tradition before they were written down, perhaps as early as the twelfth or thirteenth century. Strictly speaking, The Mabinogion comprises the first four tales in the collection of Lady Charlotte Guest, which was published in 1838-1839. The entire collection of tales furnishes some of the best-known characters and motifs of European romance. The stories have unity, assurance of style, skillful dialogue, accurate delineation of character, rich color, and a noble perspective on life. Their author or authors were artists well trained in nuances and subtleties of language. No one has ever doubted that the Welsh were skilled storytellers. So were the Bretons and Icelandic bards, and their talent has left indelible impressions on Western literature. The Mabinogion, in particular, has contributed significant and ancient folkloric themes as well as some of the earliest lore of Britain.

The unknown author of “Kilhwch and Olwen,” one of the most artistic and enthusiastic contributors in The Mabinogion, creates a world of magic, color, and vigorous action. The story of the Celtic hero Kilhwch, who seeks a giant’s daughter for his wife, uses a typical quest plot, with a list of forty tasks that Kilhwch must accomplish before he wins Ysbaddaden’s daughter, Olwen. The tasks are not as important as the assemblage of persons attendant to Kilhwch, which includes his cousin Arthur. Arthur and his company form a nucleus for the later Arthurian Round Table. Appearing in this story, too, is the giant herdsman, a familiar motif in folklore, one that surfaces in other romances.

An important contribution to medieval romance generally is that richness of color that vibrates in the Welsh narrative. Olwen wears a robe of flame-red silk and a necklace of red gold set with pearls and rubies. The author states that her hair is yellower “than the flower of the broom,” her cheeks redder “than the reddest foxgloves.” Wherever she walks, white flowers spring up behind her. Kilhwch rides...