The Mabinogion consists of the earliest prose literature in Great Britain, the manuscripts of which originate in 12th century Welsh, with some dating earlier, to the oral tradition of the Middle Ages. Many of the stories in the Mabinogion would become famous anew thanks to the efforts of the translator. Rendered in modern English, the narratives of an era long departed reflect the time - events such as war, the idea of chivalric romance, and the prevalence of sorcery and mystical goings on are common devices in the stories. Much of what is here was passed onto other, later authors - the notion of the Medieval era as one laden with strange beasts, magic, and valiant combat originates with tales like those in the Mabinogion. This edition of the ancient stories was translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, an English aristocrat who was most famous for this work. Accomplished with languages from a young age, she gathered from obscure archives the manuscripts, arranged and presented them in modern English.

The Mabinogion consists of the earliest prose literature in Great Britain, the manuscripts of which originate in 12th century Welsh, with some dating earlier, to the oral tradition of the Middle Ages. Many of the stories in the Mabinogion would become famous anew thanks to the efforts of the translator. Rendered in modern English, the narratives of an era long departed reflect the time - events such as war, the idea of chivalric romance, and the prevalence of sorcery and mystical goings on are common devices in the stories. Much of what is here was passed onto other, later authors - the notion of the Medieval era as one laden with strange beasts, magic, and valiant combat originates with tales like those in the Mabinogion. This edition of the ancient stories was translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, an English aristocrat who was most famous for this work. Accomplished with languages from a young age, she gathered from obscure archives the manuscripts, arranged and presented them in modern English.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1906 Edition.

The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions. While some details may hark back to older Iron Age traditions, each of these tales is the product of a highly developed medieval Welsh narrative tradition, both oral and written. Lady Charlotte Guest in the mid 19th century was the first to publish English translations of the collection, popularising the name "Mabinogion" at the same time. Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest, (nee Bertie) (19 May 1812 - 15 January 1895), later Lady Charlotte Schreiber, was an English translator and business woman. An important figure in the study of Welsh language and literature, she is best known for her pioneering translation into English of the major medieval work, the Mabinogion.

The Red Book of Hergest, from which The Mabinogion are taken, is a collection of tales and poems written during the fourteenth century. Some of the Mabinogion in it have been reconstructed in Norman and Crusading times, but they contain reminiscences of a more distant period, often but half understood by the later story-teller. Among these are "The Dream of Rhonabwy," "The Lady of the Fountain," and "Peredur the son of Evrawc"-the three which happen to come first in the Red Book. These are Christian, but with distant glimpses of Celtic heathenism. The adventures are all grouped around Arthur and his knights; and a kind of connection is given to the three tales by the presence of Owen and his mysterious ravens. Others, especially the four Mabinogion properly so called and the Tale of Lludd and Llevelys, are far older; they are older than Christianity, and older than Arthur.

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