Mabinogion

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The Mabinogion is a collection of narratives from medieval , Welsh originate manuscripts.

history

The material origin of the Mabinogion is the subject of intense scientific discussion. Even if the collection partly reproduces historical events from the early Middle Ages, numerous motifs are based on orally transmitted, pre-Christian Celtic mythology (see also bards and druids ).

The date of origin of the stories is scientifically interesting. Lady Charlotte Guest published translations of eleven Welsh short stories from 1838 onwards, which can be found in the 14th century manuscripts White Book of Rhydderch and Red Book of Hergest . Older fragments of these stories have also been preserved in writings from the 13th century.

If the Mabinogion were older than Geoffrey from Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (1136) or the Arthurian seals of Chrétien de Troyes (between 1170 and 1190), this would shed new light on the origin of the Arthurian legend. While 19th century critics suspected that the Welsh version was based on Chrétien's version, it is now mostly assumed that both texts go back to a common older source. There is agreement that some of the narratives themselves are much older. It is difficult to make more precise assignments, which is partly due to the fact that the individual stories were apparently written at different times. According to the arguments of Patrick Sims-Williams, a period between 1060 and 1200 is now plausible.

Surname

The name comes from a misunderstanding of the first English translator, Lady Charlotte Guest: She discovered the Welsh word mabynogyon in a story and assumed it was the plural of mabinogi . The meaning of mabinogi itself is uncertain, although it has clear references to the Welsh word mab ("son, boy"). The American linguist Eric P. Hamp assumes that mabinogi is derived from the Celtic deity Maponos .

For a time, literary historians assumed that Mabinogion could come from the word mabinog , which is supposed to designate a budding bard and that mabinogion is therefore the mythological and genealogical subject matter that he has to acquire (as with John Rhŷs, Joseph Loth and Alfred Nutt). In fact, the word mabinog is likely to have been an invention of the romantic poet and literary “forger” Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg). Meid translates mabinogion as "youth deeds [of a hero]".

The stories

The four branches of the Mabinogi

The Mabinogion in the narrower sense consists of four stories, called Pedeir Ceinc y Mabinogi ( The four branches of Mabinogi ). These stories have the most mythological character of all narratives. The connecting element is Pryderi , who appears in all stories, even if not as the main character.

From Welsh legends

Since Lady Guest's first translation of the Mabinogion , seven more stories have been linked to the four branches . There are four stories that tell material from Welsh tradition and legend, including a romantic story about the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus .

The three romances

Three more stories under the collective term Y Tair Rhamant are Welsh versions from the area of the Arthurian legend , which at de Chrétien Troyes and other continental Arthurian poets also appear.

The Y Tair Rhamant are "Welsh adaptations of French texts, but against the background of an independent saga tradition from which those had been branched off earlier and changed in the manner typical of the novel."

Adaptations

Evangeline Walton wrote the tetralogy The Four Branches of Mabinogi , which is a literary implementation of the Mabinogion. Lloyd Alexander's Taran books take up many motifs from the Mabinogion. Alan Garner's Owl Service is a translation of the Blodeuedd / Blodeuwedd story.

  • Evangeline Walton : The Four Branches of the Mabinogi. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-608-93390-5 .
  • Lloyd Alexander: Taran - The Dark Side of Power. cbj-Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-570-13196-3 (Contains volumes 1 to 3 of the Prydain Chronicles).
  • Lloyd Alexander: Taran - The Journey to the Dragon Mountain. cbj-Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-570-13197-1 (Contains volumes 4 and 5 of the Prydain Chronicles).

See also

bibliography

(English) translations

  • Sioned Davies: The Mabinogion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-19-283242-5 .
  • Patrick K. Ford: The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977, ISBN 0-520-03414-7 .
  • Jeffrey Gantz: The Mabinogion. London and New York: Penguin Books, 1976, ISBN 0-14-044322-3 .
  • Lady Charlotte Guest: The Mabinogion. Dover Publications, 1997, ISBN 0-486-29541-9 .
  • Gwyn and Thomas Jones: The Mabinogion. Everyman's Library 1949; reviewed 1989, 1991, 2000, ISBN 0-460-87297-4 .

German translations

Welsh texts and editions

  • Branwen ferch Llŷr. Ed. Derick S. Thomson. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series Vol. II. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1976, ISBN 1-85500-059-8 .
  • Culhwch and Olwen: An Edition and Study of the Oldest Arthurian Tale . Bromwich, Rachel, and D. Simon Evans. Eds. and trans. Aberystwyth: University of Wales, 1988; 2nd edition, 1992.
  • Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys. Ed. Brynley F. Roberts. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series Vol. VII.Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1975.
  • Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch. Ed. J. Gwenogvryn Evans. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1973.
  • Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi. Ed. Ifor Williams. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1951. (1996, ISBN 0-7083-1407-4 )
  • Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet. Ed. RL Thomson. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series Vol. I. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1986, ISBN 1-85500-051-2 .
  • Ludwig Mühlhausen (Ed.): The four branches of Mabinogi (Pedeir ceinc y Mabinogi.) M. Niemeyer , Halle / Saale 1925, 2nd edition 1988 (Ed. Stefan Zimmer). (Mabinogion: With readings and glossary)

Secondary literature

  • F. Roberts Brynley: Studies on Middle Welsh literature. E. Mellen Press, Lewiston, 1992.
  • Patrick K. Ford: Prolegomena to a Reading of the Mabinogi: 'Pwyll' and 'Manawydan'. In: Studia Celtica. XVI / XVII (1981-82), pp. 110-125.
  • Patrick K. Ford: Brânwen: A Study of the Celtic Affinities. Studia Celtica XXII / XXIII (1987/1988), pp. 29-35.
  • Eric P. Hamp: Mabinogi. Transactions of the Honorable Society of Cymmrodorion. (1974-1975), pp. 243-249.
  • Matthews Caitlın: Mabon and the mysteries of Britain: an exploration of the Mabinogion. Arkana, London 1987.
  • CW Sullivan III .:. The Mabinogi, A Books of Essays. Garland Publishing, New York 1996, ISBN 0-8153-1482-5 .
  • William John Gruffydd: Folklore and myth in the Mabinogion. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1964.

Web links

Wikisource: Mabinogion  - Sources and full texts (English)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernhard Maier : The legend book of the Welsh Celts. The four branches of the Mabinogi. P. 129, note 35,12.
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Meid : The Celts. Reclams Universal Library , Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-15-017053-3 , p. 198.
  3. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 1, p. 41.