Bibliography for the Four Branches of the Mabinogi with fully formatted references, and notes. Abbreviations list see menu on right.
Fully formatted refs. with notes makes a lengthy text, so it is divided into section pages, see menu on right. A partner bibliog version, searchable incl. tags, A-Z or timeline order, but only short form refs. is here.
18thC
Lhuyd, Edward, Archaeologia Britannica Giving Some Account Additional to what Has Been Hitherto Publish’d, of the Languages, histories and customs of the original inhabitants of Great Britain (Oxford: the Theater for the author, 1707). Latin text.
p. 262, detailed description, my trans. Libellus autem sic inscriptus fabulosas quasdam Historiolas tradit de Optimatibus aliquot Britannis antiquioribus. (The book records fabulous stories which report on the leaders of the ancient Britons.) Quod vidimus exemplar in quatuor partet distributum est, quas totidem Mabinogii sui Ramos appellat author velexscriptor. (What we see demonstrated is divided in four parts:, which the author calls or copies as its Mabinogi Branches.) He describes each Branch plot.
JOURNAL Cambrian Register, (1795) ed. [Pughe], William Owen. He added ‘Pughe’ in 1806.
PUGHE 1795
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[Pughe], William Owen, ‘The Mabinogion, or Juvenile Amusements, Being Ancient Welsh Romances’, Cambrian Register, I (1795) pp. 177–87. First print format publication of Mabinogi text: Pwyll I, (PKM1 1.1-8.26.). Bilingual, bicolumnar pages. Entrepreneurail subscriptions finance. Much care & investment, covers brown faux morocco.
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[Pughe], William Owen, ‘The Romantic Tales called Mabinogion, or Juvenile Amusements’, Cambrian Register, II (1799) pp. 322–27. 2nd instalment, Pwyll II, to his inability to reach Rhiannon (PKM1 8.27–12.6). Bilingual, bicolumnar pages.
19thC
Jones, Edward, ‘Mabinogi, Part the First; the Juvenile Adventures of Pwyll, Prince of Dyved’, in The Bardic Museum of Primitve British Literature; and Other Admirable Rarities; Forming the Second Volume of the Musical, Poetical, and Historical Relicks of the Welsh Bards and Druids, The Bardic Relicks series, Part II of 3 vols. (London, Printer St.: A. Straban for the author, 1802) pp. 27–30. Jones was harper to the English royal family. Monolingual English text. LINK
[Pughe], William Owen, ‘The Romantic Tales of the Mabinogion’, Cambrian Register, III (1818) pp. 230–46. 3rd instalment, Pwyll II, to Rhiannon’s missing child (PKM1 12.7-20.10). Bilingual, bicolumnar pages. He asks for help to access more MS. text.
[Pughe], William Owen, ‘Account of the Ancient Welsh Manuscripts’, in Archaeologia: Or, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, XIV (London: Society of Antiquaries, 1802) pp. 211–20. As William Owen, presentation to the prestige Society re the Welsh prose tales as the earliest Romances i.e. mediaeval romantic dramas. Guest a generation later faithfully followed his lead.
[Pughe], William Owen, The Cambrian Biography: Or, Historical Notices of Celebrated Men Among the Ancient Britons (London: E. Williams, 11 The Strand, 1803). Major part of the Welsh project to reclaim the history and culture of Britain (Ynys Prydain). Imaginary and historical personages distinguished. Mabinogi characters: Arawn /Aron, Arianrod, Beli, Bran, Branwen, Caradog, Caswallon, Don, Goronwy, Gwdion, Havgan, Llew Llawgyffes, Llyr Llediaith, Manawydan, Math, Pendaran, Pryderi, Pwyll, Rhianon. Data from Trioedd, poetry, not the Mabinogi.
JOURNAL. Cambro-Briton (1819) ed. by Parry, John Humffreys.
Parry, John Humffreys, (ed.) ‘The Tale of Pwyll’, Cambro-Briton Journal, Vol. 2 (1821) pp. 271–75. Pwyll I, English trans. only. Not credited to Pughe but virtually identical to Pughe 1795.
Pughe, William Owen, Nine Sketches illustrating the First Branch of the Mabinogi (c. 1826-30) NLW, Aberystwyth. NLW ref. Possibly sketched by Pughe himself. Approx. date.
Pughe, William Owen, ‘The Mabinogion, or The Ancient Romances of Wales, in the Original Language, and a Literal Translation into English’, in Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, ed. by Croker, Thomas Crofton (London: John Murray, 1828) pp. 163–91. Publicity, but also a substantial article about the texts, see page numbers. Incl. draft Branwen, Second Branch.
JOURNAL.Cambrian Quarterly Magazine and Celtic Repository (1829) ed. Pughe, William Owen.
Pughe, William Owen, ‘The Mabinogi: Or, the Romance of Math Ab Mathonwy’, The Cambrian Quarterly Magazine and Celtic Repository, I & V (1829) pp. 170–79. (PKM4 Bilingual, bicolumnar pages.
Pughe, William Owen, ‘The Mabinogi: Or, the Romance of Math Ab Mathonwy’, The Cambrian Quarterly Magazine and Celtic Repository (1833) pp. 198-214. (PKM4 Bilingual, bicolumnar pages.
Williams, Robert, A Biographical Sketch of Some of some of the most Eminent Individuals which the Principality of Wales has produced since the Reformation (London: H. Hughes, 15, St. Martin’s-Le-Grand, 1836). Biography Pughe, pp. 104-06; uncritical panegyric but accurate on facts.
GUEST 1838-49
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Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion from the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, 7 vols. Illust. Samuel Williams’ engravings throughout. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1838 -1849). The first complete Mabinogi/on publication in modern print format: the 11 Mabinogion tales, also vol. VII incl. The history of Taliesin. Mentored,strongly assisted by Welsh scholars (e.g. Carnhuanawc, Tegid). Bilingual in sequence; First Branch English trans. & Cymraeg text split across 2 vols. Vol. V & VI. Incl. Preface, Introduction, 150 pages of scholarly Endnotes, facsimiles of mediaeval MSS., French poetry sources. Lavish production: besides MSS. facsimiles, Samuel Williams was the finest engraver of the day, his illustrations large and small run throughout the text; covers in red morocco leather, gold titles, gold embellishment.
Repub. as bilingual 3 vols (1849) with all contents intact. Repub. as single vol. Eng. trans. only 1877 without facsimiles, French sources. 1906 this Eng. only version adopted by Everyman series, their 1st issue, many reprintings, popular to present day. First Mabinogi/on text online Gien (1999).
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Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion from the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. I. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1838). Bilingual text in sequence. (Owain, or The Lady of the Fountain.)
(Review) Guest, ‘The Mabinogion – Early Welsh Legends’, The Spectator, 1838, 15–16.
Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. II. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1839). Bilingual text in sequence. (Peredur the son of Evrawc.)
(Review) Guest, ‘The Mabinogion Vol. II’, Monthly Review, 150 (1839), 132.
Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. III. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1840). Bilingual text in sequence. (Geraint the son of Erbin.)
Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. IV. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1842). Bilingual text in sequence.(Kilhwch and Olwen.)
*Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. V. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1843). Bilingual text in sequence. (The Dream of Rhonabwy, & The tale of Pwyll, Prince of Dyved Eng. text)
Review Clarke, George, ‘Welsh Fiction: The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest Parts I, II, III, and IV’, Monthly Review, 160 (1843), 453.
*Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. VI. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1845). Bilingual text in sequence, except Pwyll Pendefig Dyuet (Cymraeg text). (Branwen the daughter of Llyr; Manawyddan the son of Llyr, & Math the son of Mathonwy.)
Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Llyfr Coch o Llergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes, Vol. VII. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Tonn Press, Llandovery, Wales; & Longmans, London; simultaneously, 1849). Bilingual text in sequence, scholarly endnotes. (The dream of Mayen Wbdig, Lludd and Llevelys, & The history of Taliesin.)
JOURNAL Y Traethodydd (‘The Essayist’) 1845, quarterly, in Cymraeg, the oldest magazine in Wales still in publication. Religion, theology, philosophy, and science. Digitised NLW from 1900 onward.
Guest, Charlotte, The Mabinogion FULL TITLE?, 3 Vols.. Illust. Samuel Williams. (Llandovery, Wales; & London; simultaneously: Tonn Press, Llandovery; & Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, 1849). Combines previous 7 vols. in 3 vols, vol. title pages as section dividers. Introduction. 150 pages scholarly endnotes.
Stephens, Thomas, The Literature of the Kymry: Being a Critical Essay on the History of the Language and Literature of Wales during the Twelfth and Two Succeeding Centuries, Containing Numerous Specimens of Ancient Welsh Poetry in the Original and Accompanied with English Translations (London: Longmans Green, 1849). Welsh Lit.subcategories Poetry, Music, History, the Triads, and Mabinogion. (p. x) according the latter canonical status (cf. Parry 1944). Mabinogi/ Mabinogion conceived as sing. plur. prose narrative of named personage from pre-Arthurian literature. See CAWCS research study 2013 – 2015.
Owen, William, ‘Notes on the Mabinogion or Welsh Fairy Tales’, The Cambrian Journal, IV (1857) pp. 138–45. Pughe’s son.
Arnold, Matthew, On the Study of Celtic Literature, Part II (London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1867). (In)famous quote ‘the mediæval story-teller is pillaging an antiquity of which he does not fully possess the secret; he is like a peasant building his hut on the site of Halicarnassus or Ephesus; he builds, but what he builds is full of materials of which he knows not the history, or knows by a glimmering tradition merely; stones ‘not of this building’, but of an older architecture.’ ( p.. 61).
Skene, William Forbes, The Four Ancient Books of Wales: containing the Cymric poems attributed to the Bards of the Sixth Century (Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, 1868) 2 vols. MSS. Black Book of Caermarthen, Red Book of Hergest (source of the Mabinogion), Book of Taliessin; Book of Aneurin. See ‘Welsh Icons United’ exhibition of all four MSS, NLW (Oct. 12 2013 – Mar. 12 2014.).
Redacted by John Bruno Hare.
Guest, Lady Charlotte, The Mabinogion, From the Welsh of the Llyfr Coch o Hergest (The Red Book of Hergest) in the Library of Jesus College, Oxford Translated, with Notes, 2nd edn, 1 vol. Illust. Samuel Williams. (London, 15 Piccadilly: Bernard Quaritch, 1877) Single volume, English text only, combining previous versions’ text, vol. title pages as section dividers. Preface to the Second Edition. Introduction. Scholarly endnotes follow each section. See 1838-49 series for vols. now sections.
Incl. Intro, illustrations, endnotes. Redacted by John Bruno Hare, March 4th, 2004.
Foulkes, ‘Y Mabinogion Cymreig: Sef, Chwedlau Rhamantus yr hen Gymry’ (‘The Welsh Mabinogion: Being Romantic Legends in the Old Welsh’), in Hen Gymraeg a’r Gymraeg Bresenol, (‘Old Welsh and Present Welsh’), ed. by Foulkes, Isaac (Liverpool: Isaac Foulkes, 1880).
Lanier, Sidney, (ed.) Knightly Legends of Wales, or The Boy’s Mabinogion; Being the Earliest Welsh Tales of King Arthur in the Famous Red Book of Hergest, Illust. Alfred Fredericks (London: Sampson Low & Co., 1881). The Guest text, abridged, simplified, phonetic spelling. Aimed at schoolboys to inspire military (knightly) patriotism. Promoted the concept of ‘children’s tales’ even though much ‘adult’ content was censored for this publication.
(1905 edition)
Nutt, Alfred, ‘Mabinogion Studies’, The Folk-Lore Record, 5 (1882) pp. 1–32. Detailed correspondences of Branwen components with Irish and Germanic/ Viking legends.
RHYS & GWENOGVRYN 1887
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Rhŷs, John & Gwenogwvryn Evans, John (eds.) The Text of the Mabinogion and Other Welsh Tales from the Red Book of Hergest, Series of Old Welsh Texts, 1st of 2 planned vols (Pwlheli: Private subscription., 1887). Diplomatic text i.e. closely copying MS. without theoretical content, with a great many re-checkings. Types of MS. issue shown (missing, unclear text etc) The 2nd vol. of commentary was never published. Rhŷs’ Introduction gives his ‘mabinog’ bardic apprentice theory (p. ) which Evans rejects in his own Introduction to his 1907 diplomatic text of all extant MSS.
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