The Mabinogion (Everyman Library) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0460872974 ISBN 13: 9780460872973

Publisher: W&N, 1993

Synopsis

'So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw...'

In this superb collection of tales, Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance come together to form a fascinating, deep-seated and powerful interpretation of British history. The tales include the story of the shape-shifter, Gwydion, who created a woman out of flowers; a murdered husband turned into an eagle; Math the magician; a magical board, dragons witches and giants.

These wondrous creatures live in the same world as kings and heroes, quests for honour, and stories of revenge, chivalry, honour and love.

THE MABINOGIAN remains one of the greatest and most influential works of myth and legend ever created.

About this title

About the Author

Princess Gwenllian, daughter of the King of Gwynedd, is said to be the author of the Mabinogion, the 800-year-old collection of Celtic tales of romance and adventure, whose unknown author has always been thought to be a man. The first modern publications were English translations by William Owen Pughe of several tales in journals from 1795 onwards. However it was Lady Charlotte Guest who first published the full collection,bilingually in Welsh and English, around 1838-1845.

From the Back Cover

Preface by John Updike
The 11 stories of "The Mabinogion, first assembled on paper in the fourteenth century, reach far back into the earlier oral traditions of Welsh poetry.
Closely linked to the Arthurian legends--King Arthur himself is a character--they summon up a world of mystery and magic that is still evoked by the Welsh landscape they so vividly describe. Mingling fantasy with tales of chivalry, these stories not only prefigure the later medieval romances, but stand on their own as magnificent evocations of a golden age of Celtic civilization.
This translation of "The Mabinogion has, since its first appearance in 1949, been recognized as a classic in its own right. It was last revised by Gwyn Jones and his wife, Mair, in 1993.

Edition details

• Publisher: W&N
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0460872974
• ISBN 13: 9780460872973
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272