Shan Morgain

This talk asserted the pioneering nature of the Mabinogi in innovating specifically prose storytelling in Britain. It takes direction from Rhiannon’s rebuke (First Branch) which disapproves of haste, which leads to superficial assumptions. It follows the Bollard paradigm which Morgain summarises as ‘trusting the text’, i.e. as faras possible taking the text to be coherent and in places holding implicit meanings which respond to scrutiny.
Two examples of such close scrutiny are given. One is the ‘Devastation of Dyfed’ (Third Branch). This is an external landscape for the Mabinogi where aspects of its context in mediaeval politics appears to be traced in the tale. The second example is a worked study of an ‘interlacing’ demonstrating literary parallels across two tales. This is an internal landscape for the Mabinogi within its text.
The talk ends by considering the problem of authenticity (canon and creativity), which is emerging from storytelling and New Age networks. This combines the outer (political) and inner (literary) landscapes of the Mabinogi, and the debate needs to develop now.

This file is my notes for a talk so it does not contain references which were displayed on slides. Refs. can be supplied on request, email is given in the document. My MAP MABINOGI (on Academia) and my Mabinogi Bibliography (website) would be helpful support resources.

This is the formal abstract for a paper I am presenting 14 Oct. 2016. My field is the Mabinogi the earliest prose tales of Britain, a foremost literature: extraordinary, intricately structured, and nuanced. By focusing on one protagonist (Rhiannon) I explore political, psychological and mythological perspectives. In this particular paper I coordinate a queenship analysis which culminates in an alternative triadic Mabinogi: Tair Mabinogi. The Three Branches demonstrate different social models of conflict and its resolution. One is rooted in kindred, which socialises and orders, but sparks feud. One illustrates disorder when kindred opposes itself, generating crime and proto-legal penalty. The third portrays the ultimate conflict of war and its logical conclusion in devastation for both sides.

This paper demonstrates some key structural analysis of the Mabinogi, a text thought to have been compiled c. 1100. It is therefore the earliest prose stories of Britain, probably Europe, still extant on record. Over the last 40 years of theorising this work, a school of ‘sophisticated literature’ has succeeded a previous model of mythological reconstruction. The newer model is explained and demonstrated as an act of trust. In particular this paper explains and demonstrates, ‘interlacing’, a concept both playful and sophisticated, but not widely or well understood.
The primary focus of the paper is the First Branch of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, customarily divided into three episodes:  Pwyll I, II, and III. A concise but faithful paraphrase of each of these episodes is given, then each is followed by an examination of key issues it presents, and case studies. This treatment enables a staged development of the concept of trust, structural analyis, and interlacing.
Since the Mabinogi itself preserves the earliest prose stories of Britain on record, probably the earliest of Europe, trusting it as intelligent, intricate, and ethically principled, narrows the gap between our ancestors and us. In addition, this trust ennobles contemporary Mabinogi audiences as sophisticated, therefore capable of multiple and intricate interpretations of what the cyfarwyddydd, the storytellers and lore keepers, have recorded for us.

An in-depth and multi-focus analysis of Rhiannon, a central character in the group of Medieval Welsh tales known as the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, an invaluable Welsh heritage. An examination of political, economic, literary, structural, gendered and mythological aspects.
The single character focus will be a lens to focus a re-evaluation of some of the body of Mabinogi theory.

When Rhiannon is first seen she wears gold brocaded silk. Her baby son is later wrapped in silk, and investigation shows this small detail carries greater political and economic weight than at first it would seem.

The paper traces the significance of silk in the background mediaeval economy, and the extreme political agenda it constructed for 700 years.

All the Mabinogi instances are summarised, building a portrait of a silken agenda to construct an elite ideal, above the ordinary level of humanity.

J. Gwenogvryn Evans published the first meticulously accurate copy of Mabinogi text from the Llyfr Coch Hergest MS. in 1887. Strangely the Mabinogi/on’s earlier two manuscripts had disappeared for most of the 19thC. This book tells how Llyfr Gwyn, the ‘White Book’ was dramatically rediscovered in the 1880s. Published 1907 it was the first meticulous, diplomatic text of Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch (NLW Peniarth 4) and the fragmentary Peniarth 6. Evans’ Preface (here given in full) offers an important screenshot of Mabinogi Studies at that expansive time. Charlotte Guest’s English translation was bringing the tales to a wider public via the popular Everyman edition (1906). The National Library had just opened with Llyfr Gwyn its star exhibit.
This document has the Preface entire text; plus a one page Summary of it; the book's Table of Contents; and Evans' added page Headings with translation. There is a link to the full online PDF of the book, and a source for ordering an inexpensive paper copy.

There is relatively little about the Four Branches of the Mabinogi itself in the Mabinogion chapter section. The relevant material needs gathering from scattered points elsewhere, as is done here below.
The book does much to classify types of literature, firstly into four periods and the book focuse the second: 1080 – 1350. Stephens critiques mediaeval bardic poetry as elitist, with strict rules and therefore narrow concerns, though reliable as records.  This contrasts with the popular prose stories which offer portraits of living society, with distinctive social values.
‘Mabinogi’ and ‘Mabinogion’ are given a clear and consistent explanation, which is very useful to grasp the literary context of the 18th-19thC regarding these terms. ‘Mabinogi’ means a pre-Arthurian prose narrative of a personage, with ‘Mabinogion’ as its plural. He gives a helpful translation of Lhuyd’s 1707 categorisation of prose stories in three groups (the original is in Latin); the first is Mabinogion. Stephens then prefers a simple two categories of Mabinogion and other Stories, as pre-Arthurian or post-Arthurian according to their content.
A rare profiling of the (Four Branches of the) Mabinogi is his point that the ‘supernatural’ is essential to its plot ‘machinery’. Annwfn is a key aspect of this which is accessible to some people. He proposes the title Pen Annwfn means Pwyll and Pryderi guard that access. Notably there is no promotion of Pryderi as the hero of the Branches as in later theory; he appears only as Pwyll’s son. Rhiannon is not mentioned. Nor is Gwydion other than in quoted poems. Other major characters, Bendigeidfran, Arianrhod, Lleu are also absent.
He notes the frequent use of dialogue in the Mabinogion, which may indicate a performance drama tradition. He admires Mabinogion free flowing style of language, and the storytellers as part of an  intenrational culture.
Stephens writes in an accessible style, and gives all due credit to his scholarly predecessors, with a good if not perfect provision of references.

Rhŷs’  Hibbert Lectures (1886, publ. 1888) are a very important stage in Mabinogi Studies. But his Mabinogi/on commentary is taken for granted, typically not referenced at all. This A-Z Index corrects that problem. It also gathers out the Welsh material, particularly if Mabinogi related. This is extremely useful as, contrary to the impression Mabinogi citations give, Rhŷs did not prioritise Welsh material. It is hidden in footnotes, or a brief comment following after a passage on Irish material, for that is his main Celtic focus. Here it is gathered together, organised and cross referenced A-Z.
Rhŷs was influenced by the political forcces of his times, a supremacist British empire, its partner Christianity, and gender inequality. He used the methods of the successful German school of mythology, a resourceful strategy but it also donated a theory of primal Sun God/ heroes. Rhŷs gives a great deal of attention to this but shows scholarly integrity in assessing it as inappropriate to Welsh material. (The theory was later discredited.)
It should be noted that Rhŷs’ mabinog (bardic apprentice) theory does not appear in the Lectures. I reproduce its appearance (1887) in the Introduction below.
Rhŷs was a generous mentor to a new generation of scholars, during the challenging foundational period when Wales was first developing its own universities. It is not well known that Rhŷs’ struggle to apply the Sun God theory to the Mabinogi, resulted in his proposal to split Pwyll into two personages. His pupil W. J. Gruffydd duly did this and more, taking reconstruction to extremes Rhŷs  would never have approved. The work of another Rhŷs protégé, Gwenogvryn Evans, proved of inestimable value for the transcription of the two main Mabinogi manuscript sources (Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch and Llyfr Coch Rhydderch). EdwardAnwyl also benefited from the academic culture Rhŷs pioneered, but Anwyl’s death at a relatively early age in 1914 allowed WJG to take an unfortunately dominant position. Mabinogi Studies did not in my opinion find ita feet again until the 1970s.
Rhŷs’ writing is fluent and readable, and he makes great efforts to support his proposals with evidence. Some of this has been overtaken by new information but a browse through this Index shows how many ideas which seem modern actually trace back to him.

DIAGRAM* The Kindreds of the Mabinogi are sometimes defined as only two kindreds. I note here why three is logical. The Diagram of the genealogies charts birth lines, marriages, and also important friendships.
The diagram reveals a striking pattern of Friendships i.e. bonds not arising from kindred ties. All of them are central to the Branch where they occur, if not the whole Mabingi. Of six Friendships five are outgrowths of one KIndred. All six Friendships are males.

*Some of the omissions, and definitions of secondary or passive characters are open to discussion but the defintions I adopt for the Diagram do not affect its conclusions.

I am as always very willing to engage in correspondence regarding the Mabinogi, and to help others with my resources. See my website www.mabinogistudy.com

Sioned Davies, The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi (Llandysul, Wales: Gomer Press, 1993). 86pp.

This is a powerful book which established a modern orthodoxy for the Mabinogi. It is small but packed. Unfortunately it is a) out of print and barely even appears as a used copy; and b) has no page index for lack of space.
I have created an Index which gives comprehensive page references, plus many useful quotes and summaries.
I have also made a list of the Welsh vocabulary used, and collected all the quotes this book contains derived from PKM. Listed, briefly defined, with the PKM page numbers, this is a very useful tool for those of us who have  little Welsh so we can locate quotes and passages in PKM.
Finally I have placed an informal review of the book at the top.

T. P. Ellis’ 50 pages of legal analysis of the Mabinogion (1928) is exceptionally methodical and detailed, with supporting  quotes on all important points, and  page referencing to the mediaeval MSS. As a high court judge in a tribal society Ellis' professional expertise is particularly apt. His paper is therefore highly recommended as a priority source analysis. Unfortunately his paper is not openly accessible, so I am sharing my own study paraphrase, which reduces 50 pages to 17 pages. It includes all Ellis' points relating to the Four Branches, and names comparisons with other tales. The key issue of sarhad, honour, is thoroughly analysed with legal provisions, and Mabinogion examples. Ellis comments this is central to an understanding of the texts.

Ellis, Thomas Peter., ‘Legal References, Terms, and Conceptions in the  Mabinogion’, Cymm., xxxix (1928), pp. 86–147.

Many points Ellis makes are found in later literature on mediaeval Welsh prose, without crediting him. Here, as with his 1929 translation, he suffers from undeserved obscurity.
The paper can be specially requested from NLW, then the PDF still has to be transcribed as it does not copy/ paste easily. I am making my own paraphrased version of my transcription available, to save others’ from duplicating my efforts, and to provide a shorter version than the original. 

As my own research focus is the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. I include all Ellis' points in this area, often quoting him, together with the source quotes he gives and MS. page references. Comparisons with other tales from the Mabinogion are noted but usually without quotes or MS. page references. There are a few of my own points: these are indicated by square brackets. I have slightly reorganised the topics to make just five categories: political organisation, the family, criminal law/ civil law, marriage law, courts and procedure. (Ellis’ own subsections are listed at the top, which they are not in the origianl.)
The resulting document makes Ellis' excellent and painstaking work much more easily available in RTF text format (at least for the Mabinogi material, and other tales can be traced from the notes given).. Ellis' analysis has stood the test of time very well indeed and stands as a classic which needs to be openly available to scholars.

The Anwyl articles (1897-1901) are a landmark in Mabinogi critical literature. He wrote a series of four chapters, the first work of substance on the Mabinogi, aside from Charlotte Guest’s notes to her publications about 50 years before. Anwyl's articles show that much Mabinogi data we might think of as modern was already in circulation over a century ago. Anwyl gives a great deal of detailed data on topography and place names. Further, his development of a strong triadic structural theory which emerges as he produced these articles is a key contribution to the field which bears re-examination.
This  is a four page summary of his four chapter series, followed by a detailed page Index. Page references for all points in the summary can be found by checking the Index below. Links are given where to get the original articles, online (two free, one low cost).

This map of the world of the Mabinogi gives place names in Welsh (Middle Welsh) and English. The territorial scope is from Iwerddon (Ireland) to Llundain (London). There are brief notes on the locations in relation to the Four Branches.
The boundary shown between Wales and England is the modern one, given as an indication as the mediaeval boundary was volatile.
While my copyright is asserted, I am happy for the map, with or without my notes, to be copied and used for personal aims or teaching, providing my name as author, and my thanks to John Davies and Christine James, are noted.
The format s an RTF document. The map itself can be copied and pasted on rightclick, and enlargement in an editor would be helpful.

Key background facts about the Mabinogi give context for a diagram showing the main characters of the Mabinogi and how they interlace.

Coloured bars display different kinds of connection from basic blood kinship, to marriages, alliances,  feud, and a few symbolic connections. Each character is tagged with the Branch/es where they appear.

The visual method gives an overview useful to the Bollard school of modern Mabinogi theory.

This is a compact but informative briefing on the Mabinogi. Illustrated.
It would be useful as an introduction, to keep on file for reference, and for teaching uses.
It covers the early origins of the Mabinogi and the distinction Mabinogi/  'The Mabinogion.' The first modern publications by William Pughe and Charlotte Guest are outlined, and there is a very basic summary of Mabinogi theory.
Finally there is a list of recommended readings and interpretations to suit introductory needs; then a key list of research sources for academic interest.

Compiled first for the MEMO Discussion group, Swansea 19/02.2015.

A  comprehensive Bibliography (over 1,000 items) which is fully searchable on tags. Books, book sections, articles, websites, webpages, and some arts resources though little fiction, Can be used to take citations or make your own bibliography. Annotated. Extends to the full Mabinogion, but mainly focused on the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.

The Bibliography can now be seen on my own website www.mabinogistudy.com/bibliog

This is a short essay, 1,098 words; about how the Mabinogi is presented in John Davies’ widely known and respected History of Wales.  The History represents a well informed person’s view of the Mabinogi, not a Mabinogi specialist, placing the work in historical context. Davies’ History is a major national chronicle  but not a literary history: literary matters are covered as one historical theme among others. He makes nine references to the Mabinogi: none to the Mabinogion. These nine are fully quoted below the essay together with copious helpful footnotes and a bibliography.