by Anonymous
First published 1350
This collection gathers eleven prose narratives from medieval Welsh manuscripts, weaving together pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folklore, and early medieval historical traditions. The tales include the Four Branches of the Mabinogi and other stories that emerged from both oral and written Welsh narrative traditions. These stories appear in two primary medieval manuscripts: the White Book of Rhydderch from around 1350 and the Red Book of Hergest from 1382-1410, though fragments exist in earlier thirteenth-century texts. Lady Charlotte Guest first brought these stories to English readers in the mid-nineteenth century, coining the popular name "Mabinogion." While the manuscripts date to the fourteenth century, scholars place the original composition of these tales much earlier, with current consensus suggesting they were created between 1060 and 1200, though some elements may trace back to Iron Age traditions.
Genres: mythology, historical-fiction, fantasy, folklore
Vibes: atmospheric, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: folklore, found-family
Setting: Wales, Rhydderch, Hergest
Period: 1060-1200, 1350, 1382-1410
311 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics