Julian Worker's Reviews > The Mabinogion

Where does the title 'Mabinogion' come from? Its use for this collection of tales dates from the 19th Century when Lady Charlotte Guest's version of these 11 myths appeared in book form.

However, Mabinogion is not even a Welsh word. Mabinogi is a Welsh word, but in these texts only appears in the first four of these stories. The real title should be 'The Mabinogi and Other Early Welsh Tales'.

I thought I'd clear that up as I've always wondered where the title came from.

These stories were not written or even created by a single author. They evolved over centuries passed down from storyteller to storyteller through the ages and so were altered, distorted, and expanded.

The stories drew on folklore, myths, and some history from Wales and other parts of Britain of the time just after the Romans left. Add in magic, dreams, and other worldliness and you have a heady mix of romance, violence, and manners.

The three stories that end the collection are similar to Arthurian legends that people may be familiar with. Heroic knights seeing off those who oppose them in huge numbers whilst being admired for their exploits.

These stories are easy to read, but must have been difficult to pass down accurately in oral form from generation to generation. I marvel at how any storyteller reciting these stories to their listeners could remember all the names in some of the stories, especially in "How Culhwch Won Olwen" when Culhwch invokes Olwen to most of the knights in Arthur's company.