The Mabinogion
In Our Time: Culture
BBC
4.5 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 May 2018
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the eleven stories of Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance known as The Mabinogion, most of which were told and retold for generations before being written down in C14th. Among them are stories of Pwyll and Rhiannon and their son Pryderi, of Culhwch and Olwen, of the dream of the Emperor Macsen, of Lludd and Llefelys, of magic and giants and imagined history. With common themes but no single author, they project an image of the Island of Britain before the Anglo-Saxons and Normans and before Edward I's conquest of Wales. They came to new prominence, worldwide, from C19th with the translation into English by Lady Charlotte Guest aided by William Owen Pughe.
The image above is of Cynon ap Clydno approaching the Castle of Maidens from the tale of Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain
With
Sioned Davies Professor in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University
Helen Fulton Professor of Medieval Literature at the University of Bristol
And
Juliette Wood Associate Lecturer in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University
Producer: Simon Tillotson.
Transcript
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| 0:47.0 | Hello English soldiers killed Llewellyn the last sovereign Prince of Wales in 1282. The Mabinoggin were written the ventures of Welsh heroes in a past enhanced with myth and magic before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons |
| 1:05.3 | when the Welsh were the people of all Britain. Generations of Bard's had been telling some such as those of Killock and Olwen, Pluderi and his mother, |
| 1:14.0 | of giants and battles, while others were borrowings from French. |
| 1:18.0 | And the tales found new audiences worldwide |
| 1:20.0 | after the 19th century when Lady Charlotte guest translated them into English. |
| 1:25.0 | We'll meet to discuss the Mabinoggin. |
| 1:28.0 | Shranad Davis, professor in the School of Walsch at Cardiff University. |
| 1:32.0 | Helen Fulton, professor of medieval Literature at the University of Bristol, |
| 1:35.7 | and Juliet Wood, Associate Lecturer in the School of Welleschakardic University. |
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