Product Description

'I cannot be killed indoors,' he said, 'nor out of doors; I cannot be killed on horseback, nor on foot.' 'Well,' she said, 'how can you be killed?' Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as the Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar. Dragons, witches, and giants live alongside kings and heroes, and quests of honour, revenge, and love are set against the backdrop of a country struggling to retain its independence. This new translation, the first for thirty years, recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28296 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

The Times (Books), February 24, 2007
"An illuminating and relaxed translation...Sioned Davies has done
[the Mabinogion] and her modern readers proud."

Review
Davies's prose is stark and fierce, the laconic dialogue spine-tingling, and she makes the page sing. (Marina Warner, The Independent )

An accurate and very lively version of the tales: it sounds modern and reads well. (Gwyn Thomas, Cambria Magazine )

This fresh, energetic translation is a revelation and, for the first time, shows off The Mabinogion tales as what they were originally: splendid entertainment. (The Guardian Review )

The Mabinogion is famously magical. Enchantment glows on every page, but it does not here violate the laws of nature: it reveals them. (Murrough O'Brien, The Independent on Sunday )

An illuminating and relaxed translation...The Mabinogion are the cornerstone of medieval Welsh literature. They are gloriously inventive, highly dramatic, sometimes ferocious, sometimes lyrical, often witty, and ultimately profound in their understanding and revelation of human nature. In my estimate, Sioned Davies has done them and her modern readers proud. (Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Times (Books) )

Davies's translation surpasses all its predecessors in accuracy and readability... [her] scholarly introduction is greatly superior to that of previous translators and can be recommended unreservedly. (Patrick Sims-Williams, TLS )

It may be said at once that the translation will have instant success. It will bring the tales to thousands of new readers, while its commentary will be a vital tool for scholars....By fuelling debate on this and other questions, Sioned Davies's splendid volume inaugurates a new age of Mabinogion studies. (Modern Language Review )

...a frsh translation which clears away archaisms and preconceptions to privilege the clear voice of story...[and] which is linguistically rigorous yet ever awake to the requirements of both text and reader. (Institute of Translation and Interpreting )

Modern Language Review
"It will bring the tales to thousands of new readers, while its
commentary will be a vital tool for scholars."

Customer Reviews

An excellent translation
This edition of The Mabinogion is truly an excellent translation; not only that, but there is helpful introductory material for anyone studying the text, or those who wish to learn more about the mythology and stories behind it. The Four Branches of the Mabinogi and the other stories are themselves fast paced and a very rewarding read, I cannot recommend this book heartily enough. The hardcover edition is also very pleasing to the eye, a well-conceived publication through and through.

Speechlessly beautiful translation.
Where can I begin? The newest translation of the Mabinogion, those famous medieval Welsh stories is more than expected. Sioned Davies, chair of Welsh at Cardiff University certainly is within her element in bringing these stories into English. Her prose is poetic and crisp, and a delight to read. Her endnotes are informative and the pronunciation guide one of the clearest I've ever come into contact with. And that's just the translation itself! The stories are, of course, classics of literature the equal of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, or even (in my not-so humble opinion) Shakespeare. If you choose to purchase a translation of the Mabinogion, you can't do much better than the sublimity of Sioned Davies'.

The Mabinogion
The translation of the Welsh is easy to read and the age old stories are brought to life. I would recommed this book to both Pagan and none Pagans who are interested in the old tales. There is no need to read the sories one after the other like a novel. Each one can be read and thought over. The lengthy introduction is a must as it gives a greater depth to the stories. Far better than I imagined.