The First Branch of The Mabinogion: Pwyll, Lord of Dyfedd

Pwyll was ruler of seven parts of Dyfed, in southwest Wales. One day he decided to go out hunting. So he, his dogs and some men went out in the forest of Glyn Cuch. His dogs picked up the trail of a stag and he chased after them, leaving his fellow hunters behind.

His pack of dogs was joined by another pack, which was chasing the stag and then brought it down. The dogs of this strange pack had coats of snow white and glowing red ears. He chased off these dogs so that his dogs could eat their fill of the stag.

The owner of the strange pack came and insulted Pwyll, for his lack of honour in allowing his dogs to feed of others' kill.

Pwyll did not think much of him but he offered to do something to win back his favour. It was then that he learnt the owner of the dogs was Arawn, king of Annwn, the Celtic Underworld.

Arawn said that another king in Annwn was trying to take over his territory. Pwyll would go to Arawn's home and pretend to be him for one year. At the end of the year the encroaching king, King Hafgan, would meet Pwyll, disguised as Arawn, and Pwyll would have to deal him a deathblow. He was not to hit Hafgan again, as this would restore him to health. The following day they would meet in the woods again. During this year Arawn would rule in Pwyll's place.

That night Pwyll feasted in Arawn's court. Arawn's wife was the fairest lady he had every seen and they were very friendly. When time came for bed, however, Pwyll turned his back on her for this was not his own wife.

This went on for the entire year.

When the time came he went and met Hafgan. The first blow Pwyll struck was fatal to Hafgan and despite all his pleadings Pwyll would not strike him again. So Hafgan had to return home to die.

All the knights present swore allegiance to Arawn, the sole king of Annwn. By noon the next day the whole of Annwn was under his rule.

The time had come for Pwyll to return to the meeting place. He went there and found Arawn waiting for him.

They returned to their original appearance and went home.

After a night of feasting Arawn and his wife went to bed. He continued to be close to her and was surprised at her quiet. Upon being questioned his wife said that he had been quiet for a year she was surprised at his sudden change. So he told her what had actually happened over the past year. Pwyll was truly an honourable friend.

When Pwyll questioned his subjects about his reign over the past year and to found that he had made a wonderful friend.

Sometime later Pwyll was at a feast when he went outside and sat on a mound called Gorsedd Arberth. He and his men saw a lady on a pearl white horse riding past and no matter what no one could catch up to her. This happened again the following night. Then on the third night Pwyll took his own horse and chased after her. He couldn't catch up to her and so he called out to her to stop and wait for him.

She did and this started a conversation. Her name was Rhiannon, daughter of Hefeydd. She had been pledged to a man she did not love and she wanted to marry Pwyll. They decided to meet at her father's house a year from then.

Pwyll went, with a hundred men, and attended the feast. During the feast a man, Gwawl, walked in and Pwyll granted him what he desired, not knowing that it was Rhiannon he wanted.

Pwyll and Rhiannon planned that he would attend a feast at her father's house in a year's time. Pwyll would come dressed as a beggar but a hundred of his men would hide in the orchards outside. He would take a bag, that had a spell on it, and ask for it to be filled. The spell was such that the bag could never be filled unless a man of worth stood on the food inside. The bag would then close up over Gwawl's head and Pwyll could blow his hunting horn and his men could attack.

A year later things happened as they planned and Rhiannon and Pwyll were married.

Several years later a son was born to them, on the eve of May but he as stolen, that same night, when his watchers fell asleep. They fooled Rhiannon into thinking that she had beaten her son to death, by smearing her with the blood of a dead puppy and placing its bones in her lap. She didn't believe them but she accepted her punishment.

Her punishment was that she had to sit outside by the mounting block, for seven years, and offer to carry in any man who would let her. Few men allowed her for the remainder of that year.

On the eve of May, in another place, a man sat watching as his mare foaled. She always foaled on May-eve but her colts were never found and he wanted to see what happened to it.

As her colt began to stand a giant claw came through the window and grabbed the colt. Teyrnon, the man, cut it off at the elbow, trying to stop it. He ran outside to see what it was but remembering that he had left his door open he rushed back to see what had happened to the colt. He was there along with a baby boy in swaddling clothes.

He and his wife raised this boy, named Grwi. By the end of the year the boy was like one of three years of age. After two years he was like one of six years of age and already badgering the stable boys to let him take the horses to water. They still had the colt that he had found with and they broke it and gave it to the boy.

During this time they heard of Rhiannon and her punishment. They wondered, for the boy had appeared on the eve of May and he bore a resemblance of Pwyll. They knew that he was Pywll and Rhiannon's son.

The next day Tyrnon, two knights and Gwri rode towards Arbeth, the home of Pwyll.

They found Rhiannon but refused her offer to be carried, instead they walked with her.

When she heard that the boy was her son she cried out that she could be delivered of her care, meaning her punishment. And so Gwri was named Pryderi, which means care in their Celtic language.

Teyrnon refused any reward and he and his two knights returned home content with the praise that they had received.

Pryderi grew up into a fine king and married the daughter of the high king of Ireland.

The Second Branch of The Mabinogion: Branwen, Daughter of Llÿ r

Branwen was Bran and Manawydan's sister, daughter of Llÿ r. Bran was the king of Britain. One time he was staying at one of his courts in Wales when he saw thirteen ships approaching from Ireland. Fearing attack he got his men to arm themselves.

The ships came in peace, bearing the king of Ireland, Matholwch. He wished to become Bran's ally and to marry Branwen, so that Ireland and Britain could be united and together become stronger.

After much deliberation Bran agreed to allow Matholwch to marry Branwen.

Efnisien, Bran's half-brother, loved to cause chaos when things were going well with others. So he went to the stable and pretended to found out that Branwen and Matholwch had married, even though he already knew. He went into a rage and destroyed Matholwch's horses.

Matholwch heard this and made preparations to leave. Bran hearing that that his guest was going to leave sent a messenger to find out why. The messenger explained that Bran had nothing to do with the attack on the horses and eventually managed to soothe the angry king. He returned home with Branwen and in due time she gave birth to a son.

But word of what had happened reached the ears of the people and he became an image of mockery.

Branwen was sent to the kitchen to cook for the household where she was regularly beaten as part of her punishment. All communication was cut off with Britain so that Bran would not hear of his sister's treatment. This continued for three years.

But Branwen was not one to suffer meekly and so she tamed a starling and taught it to talk. When it was ready she sent it to Bran with a message and he was outraged.

He and his warriors went to Ireland where they fought a bloody battle. Only seven men from Bran's forces survived, one was Pwyll's son, Pryderi, and most of the people in Ireland perished. Bran himself was killed and asked that they cut off his head and bury it at the White Mount, facing France.

The seven men did as he asked and sailed back to Britain with Bran's head and Branwen. When they landed on the shores of Britain the weight of what had happened because of her killed Branwen and she was buried there.

The seven men with Bran's head went on and they met some travellers who told them that Bran's son was dead and that a man named Caswallawn had been crowned king in London.

They spent seven years at Harddlech, feasting and listening to three birds belonging to Rhiannon.

Then they went on to Penfro and found another feasting hall. Here they found three doors. Two were open and one was closed. They knew that this third door was one that Bran had warned them not to open.

They spent eighty years feasting at this hall. Then curiosity overcame one of them and he opened the third door. They all felt the return of the feelings that had been alleviated by the feasting. They remembered all the people they had known that had died in the fight and all their misfortunes.

They knew that it was time to leave so they went to White Mount and buried Bran's head as he had asked. In all the time that Bran's head remained undisturbed the land was free from plagues and invasion.

The Third Branch of The Mabinogion: Manawydan, Son of Llÿ r

Manawydan was on of the seven that survived Bran's attack on Ireland. But his cousin Caswallawn had taken the Kingship and now Manawydan did not wish to go home. At this time Pwyll had died and Rhiannon was a widow and Pryderi ruled Dyfedd. So Pryderi offered Rhiannon's hand in marriage and a place at Dyfedd for Manawydan.

Manawydan agreed and they went to Dyfedd where Rhiannon and Manawydan met and fell in love.

These four became such great friends that they were inseparable.

One day they went to sit on the enchanted mound, Gorsedd Arbeth. A mystical mist surrounded them and when it withdrew the land was desolate around them. No one was to be found anywhere.

Eventually they went to Britain to learn a trade. Manawydan became such a good saddle pommel maker that the other saddle makers could not rival him and plotted to kill him. Luckily they got wind of it and moved on.

They went to shield making. But the same thing happened. And again with shoe making.

So they returned to Arabeth, to hunting to survive. One day Pryderi and Manawydan followed their dogs to the forest where a boar led them to a fort that they had never seen before. Pryderi didn't want to lose his dogs so he followed them into the fort. There he became trapped.

Manawydan hadn't wanted to go into the fort so he returned home and told Rhiannon what had happened. She ran back and found Pryderi and they both disappeared along with the fort.

Manawydan and Cigfa, Pryderi's wife, returned to England. There they grew grain and again Manawydan's grain was the best but the day that he went to harvest his first field it had been stripped clean overnight. The same happened the second night, so the third night he reasoned that the thieves would come back and so he watched and waited.

The field was overrun by mice. All escaped him except one. He captured it and threatened to hang it. Cigfa tried to stop him but he wasn't to be deterred.

He returned to the mound and began to set up gallows. When he had the first two sticks up an old clerk appeared and begged for the mouse's life. Manawydan refused.

As he got the cross bar set up a priest approached. He too begged for the mouse's life but Manawydan would not be deterred. As he set up the noose a bishop appeared and begged for the mouse's life.

Manawydan knew this man was not a true bishop so he said that in exchange for the mouse's life he wanted the enchantment removed from Dyfedd and return Rhiannon and Pryderi.

The bishop agreed and told Manawydan that the mouse was his wife and that she was with child.

The bishop returned Rhiannon and Pryderi and restored Dyfedd to its former state.

Manawydan released the mouse and the bishop tapped her with his stick and it turned into a beautiful woman and they went off.

Everyone returned to their homes.

The Fourth Branch of The Mabinogion: Culhwch and Olwen

Culhwch's mother died giving birth to him. His step-mother said that he couldn't marry any one but Olwen from the court of Arthur. Culhwch rode to Arthur's court. Arthur and his nobles were impressed with him. Arthur offered the stranger an important seat at the evening's meal table, but Culwch told him he had come for a favour.

Arthur offered him anything except the hand of his queen and his sword. So Culhwch asked for the hand of Olwen. Arthur didn't know of this woman but he sent his men off to find her while Culwch remained as a guest.

A year later the men returned with nothing. So Culwch went with them to see for himself whether this was the truth.

After travelling for many days they came across a plain and found a castle with a giant shepherd outside. He warned them out of the castle, for none had come out of it alive. He sent them to his wife to find out information about their quest.

A woman met them. She told them that Olwen came there to bathe every seven days. While they were there Olwen walked in.

Culwch told her of his love for her and she returned it. But he had to under go tests set by her father Yspaddaden.

He agreed and they went to the castle. There they met Olwen's father who agreed to give them an answer the following day.

As they were leaving he threw a dart at their backs. One of the warriors caught it and returned it to him and it hit him in the knee.

The following day they returned. He said that he had to ask the four grandparents of Olwen. Again as they were leaving he threw darts at their backs. Another warrior caught it and sent it back to him, hitting him in the chest.

They returned the following day and again he threw a dart at their backs. This time Culwch caught it and threw it at him hitting him in the eye.

They sat to eat and Yspaddaden agreed to allow Olwen to marry him but only if he did him a favour. Culwch had to fetch the comb, razor and scissors that were found between a monstrous boar's ears. And the only way he could find this boar was by finding a hunter who hadn't been seen since he was three days old. He wanted these to cut his hair and beard, which hadn't been cut in years.

Culwch and Arthur's warriors left to find these implements.

First they found an kinsman of the hunter and he led them to an enchanted bird who led them to an enchanted stag who led them to an enchanted owl who led them to an eagle who led them to a salmon who led them to Mabon, the hunter, who was locked in a stone prison.

Arthur and his warriors besieged this place until Mabon was free. Mabon managed to ride the boar and snatch the implements from between his ears.

Culwch took these to Yspaddaden and shaved his beard to the bone.

And so Culwch took Olwen as his wife.