The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Oxford World's Classics

The Mabinogion is a collection of eleven medieval Welsh tales, whose invention and fantastical interweaving of Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance have made it one of literature's greatest epics. This is the first new translation for 30 years.
Sioned Davies's magnificent translation is the first to place due emphasis on the tales' oral origins. Intended for performance, the tales have been translated with regard to the rhythm and tempo of the originals, preserving their formulaic elements and displaying the rhetorical passages.
An introduction places the tales within their storytelling context and examines their central themes and the central role that public performance played in their evolution.
Invaluable explanatory notes illuminate aspects of medieval Welsh society, highlight the relationship between the tales, cross-referencing them in a way that has never been done before.
Indexes of personal names and place-names translate their meanings and identify locations. A map shows the locations of the Mabinogion
A pronunciation guide aids the pronunciation of Welsh names.

The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Description

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history--these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as the Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar. Dragons, witches, and giants live alongside kings and heroes, and quests of honour, revenge, and love are set against the backdrop of a country struggling to retain its independence.

This new translation, the first for thirty years, recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.

About the Series:
For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Oxford World's Classics

Introduction
Translator's Note
Guide to Pronunciation
Select Bibliography
map of Wales at the time of theMabinogion
The First Branch of the Mabinogion
The Second Branch of the Mabinogion
The Third Branch of the Mabinogion
The First Branch of the Mabinogion
Peredur son of Efrog
The Dream of the Emperor Maxen
Lludd and Llefelys
The Lady of the Well
Geraint son of Erbin
How Culhwch won Olwen
Rhonabwy's Dream
Explanatory Notes
Glossary of Personal Names
Glossary of Place-Names

The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Oxford World's Classics

Author Information

Sioned Davies is Chair of Welsh at Cardiff University. Her special interest is the interplay between orality and literacy, together with the performance aspects of medieval Welsh narrative. Her publications include Crefft y Cyfarwydd (Cardiff, 1995), which is a study of narrative techniques in the Mabinogion, The Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Llandysul, 1993), and a co-edited volume, The Horse in Celtic Culture: Medieval Welsh Perspectives (Cardiff, 1997).

The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Oxford World's Classics

Reviews and Awards

"The Mabinogion is famously magical. Enchantment glows on every page, but it does not here violate the laws of nature: it reveals them."--The Independent on Sunday

"It may be said at once that the translation will have instant success. It will bring the tales to thousands of new readers, while its commentary will be a vital tool for scholars....By fuelling debate on this and other questions, Sioned Davies's splendid volume inaugurates a new age of Mabinogion studies."--Modern Language Review

The Mabinogion

Translated by Sioned Davies

Oxford World's Classics

From Our Blog

The first branch of the Mabinogi

The Mabinogion is the title given to eleven medieval Welsh prose tales preserved mainly in the White Book of Rhydderch (c.1350) and the Red Book of Hergest (c.1400). They were never conceived as a collection'the title was adopted in the nineteenth century when the tales were first translated into English by Lady Charlotte Guest.

Posted on August 2, 2013

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