Episodes

The Mabinogi is structured into four parts, called the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. In Welsh that is Pedair Cainc Mabinogi. ^[1]Pedair = four. Cainc = branch, as of a tree.  Each of the Four Branches contains  a number of separate tales, usually called episodes. This is a list of the Mabinogi episodes.

First Branch: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed. Pwyll Pendefig Dyuet.
EPISODE 1 *Pwyll and Arawn.
EPISODE 2 *Rhiannon’s Choice.
EPISODE 3 *Teyrnon of Gwent.

Second Branch: Branwen daughter of Llyr. Branwen ferch Llyr..
EPISODE 1 *Marriage of Branwen.
EPISODE 2 Anger of Efnisien.
EPISODE 3 Tale of the Cauldron.
EPISODE 4 *Assembly of Bran. (trad. name from the source text)
EPISODE 5 Efnisien’s song and his death.
EPISODE 6 *Assembly of the Head. (trad. name from the source text)

Third Branch: Manawydan son of Llyr. Manawydan ap Llyr..
EPISODE 1 *Pryderi and Manawydan.
EPISODE 2 Three Business Projects.
EPISODE 3 *The White Boar.
EPISODE 4 Manawydan and Cigfa.
EPISODE 5 *Three Fields of Manawydan.

Fourth Branch: Math son of Mathonwy. Math ap Mathonwy..
EPISODE 1 *Death of Pryderi. (Commonly used name.)
EPISODE 2 *Penance of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy.
EPISODE 3 *Arianrhod and her Son.
EPISODE 4 *Blodeuedd and Lleu.
EPISODE 5 *Renewal of Lleu.

The drama of each Branch can be independent stories, to be understood on their own, and often their component episodes can act as independent tales as well. This level of appreciation is why the Mabinogi can delight young children, or provide pure entertainment.

However this simple level alone is deceptive. Knowledge of other Branches and episodes can bring a different level of appreciation which can be extremely complex.  Interrelated analysis was discovered by John Bollard (1974), followed by Gantz (1978), and Ford (1981).^[2]Bollard, John Kenneth. 1974. “The Structure of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion.” Trans. of the Hon. Soc. of Cymmrodorion, 250–76.
Gantz, Jeffrey Michael. 1978. “Thematic Structure of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.” Medium Aevon 47: 247–54.
Ford, Patrick K. 1981. “Structural Approaches to the Mabinogi: Pwyll and Manawydan.” Studia Celtica. 16 -17: 110–25. This approach opened a new period of modern Mabinogi scholarship, which asserted the Mabinogi as a foremost sophisticated literature.

Some of the Episode divisions on the list above are fairly generally accepted (indicated with an *asterisk), others are less standard. Names marked ‘trad.’ are from the text or standard. All four names of the Branches are standard.

(First published 01/12/2014:  Shan Morgain)

ALSO

• Guest text: Pwyll Prince of Dyfed
• Rhiannon the bride