The Mabinogi: “Math, Son of Mathonwy”

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

The Mabinogi: “Math, Son of Mathonwy” OLLI: Spring, 2017 Professor Rutledge The Four "Branches" of The Mabinogi "Pwyll, Prince of Annwn" "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr" "Manawyddan, Son of Llyr" "Math, Son of Mathonwy" The Mabinogi: Motifs Mortal aid to fairy-folk (usually related to feuds and border disputes): “Pwyll” Birth portents/strange births: “Pwyll,” “Math” Hostile parent (often mother): “Math” Magical cauldrons: “Branwen” Preternatural survival, e.g., Bran's head: “Branwen” The "congenital" animal (often a colt): “Pwyll” The Rash Boon: “Pwyll”; “Math” Otherworld Crossings/ Otherworld enemies: “Pwyll,” “Manawyddan” One-year delay: “Pwyll,” “Branwen” (attenuated); “Manawyddan” The Fairy Bride/Otherworld Spouse: “Pwyll,” “Math” The Calumniated Wife: “Pwyll,” “Branwen” Child of prodigious growth/development: “Pwyll,” “Math” The Mabinogi: Patterns "Pwyll" "Branwen" Manawyddan" "Math child late/lost/found born/destroyed lost/retrieved strange births lost/found wife calumny/vindication calumny/vindication lost/found unfaithful death punished men good faith bad faith good faith bad faith treaties upheld broken upheld broken marriages tested tested tested tested successful failed successful failed mode comic tragic comic tragic magic Arawn cauldron Manawyddan Math Rhiannon Llwyd Gwydion mothers good good good bad or disengaged villain otherworld human otherworld human Defining the Trickster Lewis Hyde, Trickster Makes This World: The trickster is a change agent, always liminal, almost always escaping consequences, even if there is a risk of outsmarting himself. "When he lies and steals, it isn't so much to get away with something or get rich as to disturb the established categories of truth and property and, by so doing, open the road to possible new worlds" (13) Narrative Patterns in “Math, Son of Mathonwy” Gwydion the Math /Goewin, Trickster Gilfaethwy/Gwydion The training of Math's vengance for Goewin : Gwydion, II ♀ Gilfaethwyhind; ♂ Gwydionstag ♂ Gilfaethwyboar; ♀ Gwydionsow ♀ Gilfaethwywolf; ♂ Gwydionwolf The [Step]mother Math, Aranrhod, Gwydion, Lleu Betrayal/Vengeance Gwydion (Math) Lleu, Blodeuedd, Gronw, Blodeuedd to Bodeuwedd .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

King Arthur and Medieval Knights
Renata Jawniak KING ARTHUR AND MEDIEVAL KNIGHTS 1. Uwagi ogólne Zestaw materiałów opatrzony wspólnym tytułem King Arthur and Medieval Knights jest adresowany do studentów uzupełniających studiów magisterskich na kierun- kach humanistycznych. Przedstawione ćwiczenia mogą być wykorzystane do pracy z grupami studentów filologii, kulturoznawstwa, historii i innych kierunków hu- manistycznych jako materiał przedstawiający kulturę Wielkiej Brytanii. 2. Poziom zaawansowania: B2+/C1 3. Czas trwania opisanych ćwiczeń Ćwiczenia zaprezentowane w tym artykule są przeznaczone na trzy lub cztery jednostki lekcyjne po 90 minut każda. Czas trwania został ustalony na podstawie doświadcze- nia wynikającego z pracy nad poniższymi ćwiczeniami w grupach na poziomie B2+. 4. Cele dydaktyczne W swoim założeniu zajęcia mają rozwijać podstawowe umiejętności językowe, takie jak czytanie, mówienie, słuchanie oraz pisanie. Przy układaniu poszczegól- nych ćwiczeń miałam również na uwadze poszerzanie zasobu słownictwa, dlatego przy tekstach zostały umieszczone krótkie słowniczki, ćwiczenia na odnajdywa- nie słów w tekście oraz związki wyrazowe. Kolejnym celem jest cel poznawczy, czyli poszerzenie wiedzy studentów na temat postaci króla Artura, jego legendy oraz średniowiecznego rycerstwa. 5. Uwagi i sugestie Materiały King Arthur and Medieval Knights obejmują pięć tekstów tematycznych z ćwiczeniami oraz dwie audycje z ćwiczeniami na rozwijanie umiejętności słucha- nia. Przewidziane są tu zadania na interakcję student–nauczyciel, student–student oraz na pracę indywidualną. Ćwiczenia w zależności od poziomu grupy, stopnia 182 IV. O HISTORII I KULTURZE zaangażowania studentów w zajęcia i kierunku mogą być odpowiednio zmodyfiko- wane. Teksty tu zamieszczone możemy czytać i omawiać na zajęciach (zwłaszcza z grupami mniej zaawansowanymi językowo, tak by studenci się nie zniechęcili stopniem trudności) lub część przedstawionych ćwiczeń zadać jako pracę domo- wą, jeżeli nie chcemy poświęcać zbyt dużo czasu na zajęciach.
[Show full text]
The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed Cenydd Morus (Kenneth Morris) Illustrations by Reginald Machell
Theosophical University Press Online Edition The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed Cenydd Morus (Kenneth Morris) Illustrations by Reginald Machell Copyright © 1914 by Katherine Tingley; originally published at Point Loma, California. Electronic edition 2000 by Theosophical University Press ISBN 1- 55700-157-x. This edition may be downloaded for off-line viewing without charge. For ease of searching, no diacritical marks appear in the electronic version of the text. To Katherine Tingley: Leader and Official Head of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, whose whole life has been devoted to the cause of Peace and Universal Brotherhood, this book is respectfully dedicated Contents Preface The Three Branches of the Bringing-in of it, namely: The Sovereignty of Annwn I. The Council of the Immortals II. The Hunt in Glyn Cuch III. The Slaying of Hafgan The Story of Pwyll and Rhianon, or The Book of the Three Trials The First Branch of it, called: The Coming of Rhianon Ren Ferch Hefeydd I. The Making-known of Gorsedd Arberth, and the Wonderful Riding of Rhianon II. The First of the Wedding-Feasts at the Court of Hefeydd, and the Coming of Gwawl ab Clud The Second Branch of it, namely: The Basket of Gwaeddfyd Newynog, and Gwaeddfyd Newynog Himself I. The Anger of Pendaran Dyfed, and the Putting of Firing in the Basket II. The Over-Eagerness of Ceredig Cwmteifi after Knowledge, and the Putting of Bulrush-Heads in the Basket III. The Circumspection of Pwyll Pen Annwn, and the Filling of the Basket at Last The First Branch of it again: III.
[Show full text]
Arawn Celtic God of the Otherworld
Samhain ~ Full Moon in Scorpio 12th May 2017 On this night we will be connecting to the energy of the Scorpio Full Moon under the guidance of the God Arawn Celtic God of the Otherworld. This is the time of the year when the boundary is thinnest between the worlds of the living and the dead. The powers of divination, the Sight, and supernatural communication are stronger over this period and it is considered a potent time to communicate with those that inhabit the Other Worlds. Sydney Ritual Introduction Scorpio Full Moon: Scorpio energy is all about transformation and reaching higher levels of consciousness. In fact, Scorpio energy has the potential to reach Divine levels of consciousness, but at the same time, it also has the ability to reach extremely low levels of consciousness as well. No matter where you fall on the “consciousness spectrum” it is likely that this Full Moon is going to leave a lasting impact. It is also likely that this Full Moon is going to help open your consciousness to a new level so you can see things in a different light. Things may feel a little uneasy as changes may be in the air, but the best way to manage this energy moving forward is remembering your personal power. Very often we forget that we have a strength and power within us. This power gives us the ability to step up and take responsibility over our lives no matter what troubles woe find ourselves in. The minute we give away our power, it becomes very difficult to deal with the situations that life throws our way.
[Show full text]
The Thirteenth Mt Haemus Lecture
THE ORDER OF BARDS OVATES & DRUIDS MOUNT HAEMUS LECTURE FOR THE YEAR 2012 The Thirteenth Mt Haemus Lecture Magical Transformation in the Book of Taliesin and the Spoils of Annwn by Kristoffer Hughes Abstract The central theme within the OBOD Bardic grade expresses the transformation mystery present in the tale of Gwion Bach, who by degrees of elemental initiations and assimilation becomes he with the radiant brow – Taliesin. A further body of work exists in the form of Peniarth Manuscript Number 2, designated as ‘The Book of Taliesin’, inter-textual references within this material connects it to a vast body of work including the ‘Hanes Taliesin’ (the story of the birth of Taliesin) and the Four Branches of the Mabinogi which gives credence to the premise that magical transformation permeates the British/Welsh mythological sagas. This paper will focus on elements of magical transformation in the Book of Taliesin’s most famed mystical poem, ‘The Preideu Annwfyn (The Spoils of Annwn), and its pertinence to modern Druidic practise, to bridge the gulf between academia and the visionary, and to demonstrate the storehouse of wisdom accessible within the Taliesin material. Introduction It is the intention of this paper to examine the magical transformation properties present in the Book of Taliesin and the Preideu Annwfn. By the term ‘Magical Transformation’ I refer to the preternatural accounts of change initiated by magical means that are present within the Taliesin material and pertinent to modern practise and the assumption of various states of being. The transformative qualities of the Hanes Taliesin material is familiar to students of the OBOD, but I suggest that further material can be utilised to enhance the spiritual connection of the student to the source material of the OBOD and other Druidic systems.
[Show full text]
A Welsh Classical Dictionary
A WELSH CLASSICAL DICTIONARY DACHUN, saint of Bodmin. See s.n. Credan. He has been wrongly identified with an Irish saint Dagan in LBS II.281, 285. G.H.Doble seems to have been misled in the same way (The Saints of Cornwall, IV. 156). DAGAN or DANOG, abbot of Llancarfan. He appears as Danoc in one of the ‘Llancarfan Charters’ appended to the Life of St.Cadog (§62 in VSB p.130). Here he is a clerical witness with Sulien (presumably abbot) and king Morgan [ab Athrwys]. He appears as abbot of Llancarfan in five charters in the Book of Llandaf, where he is called Danoc abbas Carbani Uallis (BLD 179c), and Dagan(us) abbas Carbani Uallis (BLD 158, 175, 186b, 195). In these five charters he is contemporary with bishop Berthwyn and Ithel ap Morgan, king of Glywysing. He succeeded Sulien as abbot and was succeeded by Paul. See Trans.Cym., 1948 pp.291-2, (but ignore the dates), and compare Wendy Davies, LlCh p.55 where Danog and Dagan are distinguished. Wendy Davies dates the BLD charters c.A.D.722 to 740 (ibid., pp.102 - 114). DALLDAF ail CUNIN COF. (Legendary). He is included in the tale of ‘Culhwch and Olwen’ as one of the warriors of Arthur's Court: Dalldaf eil Kimin Cof (WM 460, RM 106). In a triad (TYP no.73) he is called Dalldaf eil Cunyn Cof, one of the ‘Three Peers’ of Arthur's Court. In another triad (TYP no.41) we are told that Fferlas (Grey Fetlock), the horse of Dalldaf eil Cunin Cof, was one of the ‘Three Lovers' Horses’ (or perhaps ‘Beloved Horses’).
[Show full text]
CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Ii
i CELTIC MYTHOLOGY ii OTHER TITLES BY PHILIP FREEMAN The World of Saint Patrick iii ✦ CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes PHILIP FREEMAN 1 iv 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. © Philip Freeman 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress ISBN 978–0–19–046047–1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America v CONTENTS Introduction: Who Were the Celts? ix Pronunciation Guide xvii 1. The Earliest Celtic Gods 1 2. The Book of Invasions 14 3. The Wooing of Étaín 29 4. Cú Chulainn and the Táin Bó Cuailnge 46 The Discovery of the Táin 47 The Conception of Conchobar 48 The Curse of Macha 50 The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu 52 The Birth of Cú Chulainn 57 The Boyhood Deeds of Cú Chulainn 61 The Wooing of Emer 71 The Death of Aife’s Only Son 75 The Táin Begins 77 Single Combat 82 Cú Chulainn and Ferdia 86 The Final Battle 89 vi vi | Contents 5.
[Show full text]
Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race Author: Thomas William Rolleston Release Date: October 16, 2010 [Ebook 34081] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE*** MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE Queen Maev T. W. ROLLESTON MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE CONSTABLE - LONDON [8] British edition published by Constable and Company Limited, London First published 1911 by George G. Harrap & Co., London [9] PREFACE The Past may be forgotten, but it never dies. The elements which in the most remote times have entered into a nation's composition endure through all its history, and help to mould that history, and to stamp the character and genius of the people. The examination, therefore, of these elements, and the recognition, as far as possible, of the part they have actually contributed to the warp and weft of a nation's life, must be a matter of no small interest and importance to those who realise that the present is the child of the past, and the future of the present; who will not regard themselves, their kinsfolk, and their fellow-citizens as mere transitory phantoms, hurrying from darkness into darkness, but who know that, in them, a vast historic stream of national life is passing from its distant and mysterious origin towards a future which is largely conditioned by all the past wanderings of that human stream, but which is also, in no small degree, what they, by their courage, their patriotism, their knowledge, and their understanding, choose to make it.
[Show full text]
DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) Is Pub- the Occasion, and It Is Now So Noted
DRAGON 1 Publisher: Mike Cook Editor-in-Chid: Kim Mohan Quiet celebration Editorial staff: Marilyn Favaro Roger Raupp Birthdays dont hold as much meaning Patrick L. Price Vol. VII, No. 12 June 1983 for us any more as they did when we were Mary Kirchoff younger. That statement is true for just Office staff: Sharon Walton SPECIAL ATTRACTION about all of us, of just about any age, and Pam Maloney its true of this old magazine, too. Layout designer: Kristine L. Bartyzel June 1983 is the seventh anniversary of The DRAGON Magazine Contributing editors: Roger Moore Combat Computer . .40 Ed Greenwood the first issue of DRAGON Magazine. A playing aid that cant miss National advertising representative: In one way or another, we made a pretty Robert Dewey big thing of birthdays one through five c/o Robert LaBudde & Associates, Inc. if you have those issues, you know what I 2640 Golf Road mean. Birthday number six came and OTHER FEATURES Glenview IL 60025 Phone (312) 724-5860 went without quite as much fanfare, and Landragons . 12 now, for number seven, weve decided on Wingless wonders This issues contributing artists: a quiet celebration. (Maybe well have a Jim Holloway Phil Foglio few friends over to the cave, but thats The electrum dragon . .17 Timothy Truman Dave Trampier about it.) Roger Raupp Last of the metallic monsters? This is as good a place as any to note Seven swords . 18 DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is pub- the occasion, and it is now so noted. Have Blades youll find bearable lished monthly for a subscription price of $24 per a quiet celebration of your own on our year by Dragon Publishing, a division of TSR behalf, if youve a mind to, and I hope Hobbies, Inc.
[Show full text]
Gabriela Pirotti Pereira Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil [email protected]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18309/anp.v51i3.1456 Gabriela Pirotti Pereira Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil [email protected] Abstract: Jason Colavito describes biological horror as a branch of horror fiction which deals with “uneasy feelings related to the physical body and its relationship with the natural world” (113). Those narratives often emerge during times in which there are social anxieties related to the unchecked expansion of science and the defiance of moral values is at play. In this article, I propose a reading of the tale of “Math, son of Mathonwy” which explores the possibility that this story depicts aspects of biological horror. By looking to the social and historical context of the medieval manuscript Y Mabinogi (The Mabinogi), this study goes over the scientific developments of twelfth-century Britain and correlates them to the instances of bodily transformation and physical punishment within the fourth branch of the Mabinogi. The analysis takes particular attention to the metamorphosis of the character Blodeuwedd, who is permanently altered in her physicality as judgment for her moral actions. Ultimately, the fluid nature of bodies within the tale does depict some aspects of biological horror which seem to echo some of the questions which monastic scholarly introduced during the Middle Ages. Keywords: Body Horror; Blodeuwedd; Medieval Science; Welsh Literature Resumo: Jason Colavito (2007) descreve “horror corporal” como uma seção na ficção de horror que se ocupa das “inquietações relacionadas ao corpo físico e seu relacionamento com o mundo natural” (p. 113). Tais narrativas frequentemente emergem durante períodos nos quais há ansiedades sociais conectadas à expansão científica e algum desafio aos valores morais.
[Show full text]
John Cowper Powys's Porius: a Reader's Companion
John Cowper Powys: Porius A Reader’s Companion Updated and Expanded Edition W. J. Keith April 2009 “Reader’s Companions” by Prof. W.J. Keith to other Powys works are available at: https://www.powys-society.org/Articles.html Preface The aim of this “Companion” is to provide background information that will enrich a reading of Powys’s novel/romance. It glosses Welsh, classical, biblical, and other allusions, identifies quotations, explains geographical and historical references, and offers any commentary that may throw light on the more complex aspects of the text. (When a quotation is involved, the passage is listed under the first word even if it is “a” or “the.”) It was first made available on the Internet and in booklet form in 2004, and has subsequently been updated and revised from time to time. The present version has been thoroughly reset and expanded. Numerous errors discovered in the intervening years have been corrected. All page-references are to Judith Bond and Morine Krissdóttir’s edition published by Overlook Duckworth in 2007, with those to Wilbur T. Albrecht’s 1994 edition from Colgate University Press following in square brackets. Since the latter contained many errors and inconsistencies, the words listed often appear there in somewhat different form. Moreover, because the editions are based on different copy-texts, some references appear only in one of the editions; when those occurring in only one version require separate annotation, they have been identified and glossed. References to other JCP books published during his lifetime will be either to the first editions or to reprints that reproduce the original pagination, with the following exceptions: Wolf Solent (London: Macdonald, 1961), Weymouth Sands (London: Macdonald, 1963), Maiden Castle (ed.
[Show full text]
1 Identity and Recognition in Medieval Narratives the Isle of Man Is Ideal
Kathryn E. Pokalo NEH-IOM: Crossroads of Medieval Culture Summer 2006 Identity and Recognition in Medieval Narratives The Isle of Man is ideal as a setting for discussing five medieval narratives, the subject of an NEH 2006 summer seminar. Located in the midst of the Irish Sea between Liverpool and Dublin and in sight of Galloway, IOM with its rich agricultural land and abundant fishing was invaded and settled by Celts, Scandinavians, and English. There has been such a weave of culture and language among these groups that it is difficult to disentangle the threads. This is best exemplified in the stone memorial cross, a Christian symbol, inscribed in runes, a Scandinavian writing system, commemorating a person with an Irish name. Among the people of Man one meets as a casual visitor, there is pride (though not xenophobia) in being Manx (never English nor even part of the UK), a place and people apart from Irish or English, Scots or Welsh, or Scandinavian. The Manx identity is more than the sum of those parts; it is that mixed heritage that makes IOM the happily situated setting to look for common threads among medieval narratives. One such thread is identity—the ability or inability of characters to know whom they face. Failure to recognize identity is a force that drives conflict in the Mabinogi, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Njal’s Saga, and The Tain. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Pwyll fails to recognize what is before him. He fails to recognize the supernatural quality of the hunt he tries to steal.
[Show full text]
Robert Graves the White Goddess
ROBERT GRAVES THE WHITE GODDESS IN DEDICATION All saints revile her, and all sober men Ruled by the God Apollo's golden mean— In scorn of which I sailed to find her In distant regions likeliest to hold her Whom I desired above all things to know, Sister of the mirage and echo. It was a virtue not to stay, To go my headstrong and heroic way Seeking her out at the volcano's head, Among pack ice, or where the track had faded Beyond the cavern of the seven sleepers: Whose broad high brow was white as any leper's, Whose eyes were blue, with rowan-berry lips, With hair curled honey-coloured to white hips. Green sap of Spring in the young wood a-stir Will celebrate the Mountain Mother, And every song-bird shout awhile for her; But I am gifted, even in November Rawest of seasons, with so huge a sense Of her nakedly worn magnificence I forget cruelty and past betrayal, Careless of where the next bright bolt may fall. FOREWORD am grateful to Philip and Sally Graves, Christopher Hawkes, John Knittel, Valentin Iremonger, Max Mallowan, E. M. Parr, Joshua IPodro, Lynette Roberts, Martin Seymour-Smith, John Heath-Stubbs and numerous correspondents, who have supplied me with source- material for this book: and to Kenneth Gay who has helped me to arrange it. Yet since the first edition appeared in 1946, no expert in ancient Irish or Welsh has offered me the least help in refining my argument, or pointed out any of the errors which are bound to have crept into the text, or even acknowledged my letters.
[Show full text]