Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Mabinogion (Everyman Paperback Classics) by Gwyn Jones, Thomas Jones, Gywn Jones ISBN: 0-460-87297-4 Publisher: Everymans Library Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Myth becomes legend and legend becomes romance
Comment: The contents are a translation of most of the longest surviving prose narratives in medieval Welsh. Its title is an erroneus one, a word invented by Lady Charlotte Guest who first translated all these tales into English but it has stuck to the collection.
Only the story of Taliesin is for some reason omitted from Gynn Jones and Thomas Jones' translation.
Chronologically, according to subject matter, the story of "Lludd and Llefelys" comes first, which explains in passing the dragons which were later to uncovered by Ambrosius in Nennius' _Historia Brittonum_ and by Merlin according to still later accounts.
But in order of presentation the book presents first the Mabinogi proper, _Mabinogi_ possible meaning 'Hero Tale'. The four tales of the Mabinogi supposedly take place in Britain just before the attempted invasion by Julius Caesar and Cassibelaunus who was historically Caesar's main opponent appears here as Caswallawn son of Beli. But we know from other sources that many of the characters presented here as great lords and chieftains and kings of that era were earlier gods worshipped in Gaul or Ireland or both.
Rhiannon (whom Pwyll gains as wife in the first branch) is the goddess known from Latin inscriptions in Gaul as Rigatona. Manawydan is the Irish god Manannan also known as the god of the Isle of Man. In the third branch the young and rather inactive prince Lleu is the Irish Lugh and Gaulish Lug, the most important god of the Celtic pantheon. What we are told of him here has very little relation to what is told of him in surviving Irish tales.
Who can know what these beings meant to the anynomous teller of these tales and how much is based on genuine pagan tradition and how much on inventive story telling based on stock motifs?
The second half of "Math son of Mathonwy" is easily recognizable as a variant of the second half of the ancient Egyptian "Tale of Two Brothers", commonly called the oldest extant fairy stale.
"The Dream of Macsen Wledig" is a legendary version of the career of the historical Magnus Maximus. But perhaps its connection of Magnus Maximus by marriage to a particular British noble family located at Carnarvon is historical.
"Culhwch and Olwen" is arguably the most unrestrained and wildest heroic tale preserved in any language. The legendary Arthur and his men must undertake twelve great tasks which themselves require numerous subtasks. Chief of these tasks is the hunting of the great boar Twrch Trywth to obtain the comb and shears that lie between his ears.
In style this tale is like wonder tales perserved in Gaelic about Finn Mac Cumahail and his warriors but it goes even beyond these, perhaps intended as a parody of that kind of tale, but a parody by one who loved what he was parodying.
"The Dream of Rhonabwy" tells of a mysterious vision by a medieval dreamer of Arthur and other heroes of the British heroic age of the fifth and sixth and early seventh centuries haunting still the British soil. The meaning of the violent board game between Arthur and Owein is unknown.
Last follow three knightly Arthurian romances influenced obviously by French material which tell tales already known through the French verse of Chrétien de Troyes, though "Peredur son of Efrawg" provides additional episodes and a conclusion not found in the French. It seems that the Welsh nobles for whom such tales would have been written were turning away from the native traditions of Arthur and their native heroes in favor of the more sophisticated French reworkings.
Little else survives. This slim volume sadly contains almost all that remains of idigenous medieval Welsh tales in prose. Enjoy it in sadness at its smallness.
Rating: 5
Summary: ballads that used to be recicited at the lord'd hall
Comment: To be honest, this reviewer who studied classic literature in several college classes never heard of this Welsh anthology collected during the fourteenth century. The book contains eleven tales translated into English short stories that link Welsh myths and medieval life in Wales with a world of fantasy. Fans of King Arthur (who appears in several tales) or Beowulf will fully enjoy the tales that divide into three sections with each one very colorful while providing the life of a bygone era by bards of a later but also bygone period. Different, but quite good for readers who enjoy Celtic legends. THE MABINOGION will definitely entertain this select audience.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 5
Summary: A great compendium of ancient Welsh tales
Comment: This book is absolutely necessary if you want to learn more about the Welsh through literature. Writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander have drawn inspiration from this ancient classic. With this translation and edition, you also get some of the oldest Arthurian Romances. Order it now!
 |
Title: Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain: Hero Myths in the Mabinogion by Caitlin Matthews, Caitlín Matthews ISBN: 0892819200 Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 30 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land: The Divine Feminine in the Mabinogion by Caitlin Matthews, Caitlín Matthews ISBN: 0892819219 Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 30 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton, Betty Ballantine ISBN: 1585672416 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: 13 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
 |
Title: Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman by John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews ISBN: 0892818697 Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 30 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual by Alexei Kondratiev ISBN: 0806525029 Publisher: Citadel Trade Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
