Episode 78: Ma-Ma-Ma-Mabinogi

Ask a Medievalist

Synopsis

Paul: Look, it’s a school of whales.
Ringo: They look a little bit old for school.
Paul: University then.
Ringo: University of Wales.
(From Yellow Submarine, 1968)

Ever wonder what Wales is, on a mythological level? That strange country of Michael Sheen with a dragon on the flag! And jokes about leeks in Henry V. The most well-known Welsh myths are collected in a book called The Mabinogi, which has solidly medieval origins. Join Em and Jesse as they discuss where the book came from and what we know about it.

Notes

0/ You can get Old Time Religion here.

1/ Spoiler: It was not January when the episode went out.

2/ Edition we recommend:

Sioned Davies, tr. The Mabinogion. Oxford: OUP, 2008. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-mabinogion-9780199218783

3/ If you speak Welsh, I’m just really sorry.

4/ Lady Charlotte Guest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Charlotte_Guest

5/ House of Legends: See episodes 59, 61, and 63.

6/ Geoffrey of Monmouth: see episode 60 on The Green Knight. We’ve recorded some other episodes on King Arthur, but apparently they’re not out yet.

7/ Possible authors:

• Unknown! No names are attached to these stories.
• However, Andrew Breeze has argued (controversially!) that Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd (c.1100-1136) may be the author of the four stories that compose the Four Branches. She is a famous noblewoman who led a revolt and was executed after being captured in battle. She’s often compared to Boudica (dies 60/61 CE). See Andrew Breeze, Medieval Welsh Literature (Four Courts Press, 1997).

8/ Mari Lwyd–essentially a hobby horse but using a (horse’s) skull. Really interesting, look it up for pictures!

9/ The prototypical Welsh word with a “w” as a vowel is “cwm,” which is a hollow at the head of a valley. Go forth and win at Scrabble.

10/ Brave weatherperson saying “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”