Breton mythology

Breton mythology: Historia regum Britanniae

• Context of the Arthurian legend
• The myth of Taliesin
• The life of Saint Cado
• The life of Glidas (in)
• Tristan and Iseult
  • The childhoods of Tristan
  • The Morholt of Ireland 
  • The Quest for the Golden Haired Beauty 
  • The potion 
  • Brangien delivered to the serfs 
  • The big pine 
  • The dwarf Frocin 
  • The vault of the chapel 
  • The Morois forest 
  • Hermit Ogrin 
  • The Adventurous Ford 
  • Judgment by the hot iron 
  • The voice of the nightingale
  • The wonderful bell
  • Iseult aux Blanches Mains
  • Kaherdin
  • Lidan dinas
  • Crazy tristan
  • The death

Breton mythology, the Four Branches of Mabinogi

• Pwyll Prince of Dyvet
• Branwen daughter of Llyr
• Manawyddan, son of Llyr
• Math son of Mathonwy

The Arthurian Mabinogion:

• Macsen's dream
• Lludd and Llevelys
• Kulhwch and Olwen
• Rhonabwy's dream
• Ystoria Tristan

 Breton mythology, the three romances

• Peredur son of Evrawc
• Gereint and Enid
• The lady of the fountain

The Mabinogion or the Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Pedair cainc y mabinogi en Welsh) are four medieval texts (chwedl or cyfarwyddyd, words meaning tales), written in Middle Welsh (a language in use from the 12th century to the 16th century), which refer to Celtic mythology from Antiquity. Traditionally, other tales relating to the legend Arthurian.

The word Mabinogion is the plural of Mabinogi. Various explanations of the meaning of the word have been put forward, but it probably comes from the god Mabon (Maponos in Gaul) which features in the tale Kulhwch and Olwen, and which is part of the same collection. The four stories are titled: Pwyll, Prince of Dyved, The Mabinogi of Branwen, Manawydan son of Llyr and Math son of Mathonwy.

The Mabinogion were elaborated from two manuscripts, the Book White of Rhydderch whose writing spreads out from 1380 to 1410, and the Red Book of Hergest which is dated approximately 1350. Remember that in the Celtic world, poetry was the specialty of the bards. The themes developed are found in the Irish tradition, which attests to their antiquity.

One can cite, by way of example, the relationship between the druid (or magician) and the king, the obligations of Sovereignty, the Other World (the Sidh of the Tuatha Dé Danann, in Ireland), war, the practice of craft functions. It is the illustration of the trifunctional ideology of the Indo-Europeans, as it was exposed by Georges Dumézil. Just like for mythological texts Irish, a Christian veneer is sometimes superimposed on the stories.

In the wave of 19th century Celtomania, a first publication redacted in English was made by Lady Guest between 1838 and 1849, parts of which were translated into French by Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué, but it was Joseph Loth who established the first complete French edition.

The late writing indicates a long oral tradition, these myths have been transmitted from generation to generation, through the centuries; therefore it is not possible to specify its origin (see the article devoted to the druids).

The Arthurian cycle

• The Gododdin
• The myth of Taliesin
  • Taliesin's First Address
  • The Elegy of the Thousand Sons
  • The Fold of the Bards
  • The Pleasant Things of Taliesin
  • O God, God of Formation
  • The Great Prophesy of Britain
  • The Hostile Confederacy
  • The Battle of the Trees
  • The Childhood Achievements of Taliesin
  • Daronwy
  • Song on Lleenawg
  • The Praise of Taliesin
  • The Chair of Taliesin
  • Song Before the Sons of Llyr
  • The Chair of the Sovereign
  • The Chair of Cerridwen
  • The Song of the Wind
  • A Rumor has Come to Me
  • The Song to Meed
  • The Song to Ale
  • In Praise of Tenby
  • The Plagues of Egypt
  • The Satire on Cynan Garwyn
  • The Rod of Moses
  • Song of the Horses
  • The Contrived World
  • On the Face of the Earth
  • Alexander the Great
  • God the Possessor
  • The Spoils of Annwn, or, The Raid on Annwfn
  • The Battle of Gwenystrad
  • A Song for Urien Rheged
  • The Battle of Argoed Llwyfain, song to Urien
  • A Song for Urien Rheged
  • The Spoils of Taliesin, a Song to Urien
  • Song on Gwallawg ab Lleenawg
  • The Satisfaction of Urien
  • The Death-song of Erof
  • The Death-song of Madawg
  • The Death-song of Cu-Roi son of Daire
  • The Death-song of Dylan son of the Wave
  • The Death-song of Owain son of Urien
  • The Death-song of Aeddon
  • The Death-song of Cunedda
  • The Lesser Prophesy of Britain
  • The Death-song of Uthyr Pendragon
  • A Bright Festivity
  • May God exalt
  • The Eternal Trinity
  • The Praise of Lludd the Greater
  • Truly there will be to me a Roman friend
  • The Reconciliation of Lludd the Lesser
  • The Song of the Great World
  • The Song of the Little World
  • Darogan Katwaladr
• Canu Llywarch Hen
• Canu Heledd