For those unaware: the Mabinogion is a collection of the earliest known Welsh prose stories dating between the 11th and 12th centuries and they help to make up the Matter of Britain.

The stories themselves date far older as they are made up from some of the oral traditions which had been present in Welsh lands for centuries, if not longer. Many date to a time when the ancient Britons roamed the lands and these stories would have been spoken in the Brythonic tongue, the parent language of Cymraeg.

According to BBC Wales, ‘Mabinogi’, originally meant ‘boyhood’ or ‘youth.’ However, it gradually improved its meaning to ‘tale of a hero’s boyhood’ and then, simply, ‘a tale’. It involved first four heroic ‘tales’ of Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan, and Math, which make up The Mabinogi(on) proper.

How the stories came into its written form is still unclear, but they are said to be passed by the Welsh ancestors, through word of mouth as they wandered around Britain. These stories were often memorised in outline and focused on Celtic mythology, the adventures of Arthur and his knights.

As I wonder how these stories played its significance, evidence suggest that they have been ingrained in Welsh culutre and identity, and not just because of its historical value. For instance, if we consider the story of Lludd and Llefelys, that features Y Ddraig Goch, The Red Dragon—plays a very important symbol for the Welsh, as well as the Welsh flag. Consider the lyrics of the song Yma o Hyd, often sung by Welsh supporters during football. It is also referenced back to one of the Mabinogion stories, ‘The Dream of the Emperor Maxen,’ where Maxen is known to leave the Welsh to fend for themselves, and return back to Rome.

The Mabinogion map was created by Margaret Jones, featuring real places—from Cardiff, to island of Grassholm. According to Margaret, as highlighted:

“It was my good fortune, in the twenty-five years from 1980, to illustrate for publication a number of the great traditional tales of the world, especially the stories of my adoptive country of Wales.”

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Sally George

Sally is a proud wife of a Welshman, editor & writer of Welsh Histories. She’s all about stories—that shout ‘anything Welsh.’ Drop her an email if you have an advice, insight, experience, or a story to share.