The Mabinogion

by Charlotte Guest (Editor)

This Book "The Mabinogion (Volume 3)" has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

Genres: Fantasy

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1410

About the author

Charlotte Guest (Born Charlotte Bertie) was the daughter of Albemarle Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey and his second wife Charlotte Susanna Elizabeth Layard. She married John Josiah Guest, a significantly-older Welsh industrialist and politician and moved to Merthyr Tydfil. The couple had 10 children.

Later known as Lady Charlotte Schreiber, she was an English businesswoman and translator. An important figure in the study of Welsh literature and the Welsh language, she is best known for her pioneering English translation of the major medieval work, the Mabinogion.

Guest studied a number of languages during her education, and began her work as a translator by translating documents into French for her husband's company. As she became increasingly comfortable with French translation, Guest expanded her work into Welsh literary and mythological works.

As her husband's health failed, Charlotte Guest took on more and more responcibility for their company, taking full control upon his death in 1852. In 1855, she married scholar and politician Charles Schreiber and handed control of her company to G.T. Clark.

Clark and Guest traveled extensively in Europe, amassing collections of ceramics, fans, games, and cards which she later bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert and British Museums.

Guest's best-known translations include The Mabinogion and a number of medieval Welsh poems. Alfred Lord Tennyson used Guest's translation of Geraint and Enid as the basis for his "Idylls of the King."

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thesis advisor wanted me to read this 20 years ago, but it was hard to find and I was short on time. Now, having read vol 3 (the oldest stories of the Maninogi and the ones that related most to my thesis), I want to go back and redo my thesis! And reread the children’s books I was studying for that project. So glad I finally read it. You will see echoes in so many British/Welsh books if you read this, especially works like the Prydain Chronicles.

I read the Charlotte Guest translation, edited by Owen West.

[Stèf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Librivox edition
Read by Jim Locke
Kudos to the reader for taking the time to record himself reading the Mabinogion, however he has poor recording equipment, a flat cadence, and needs practice at Welsh.

The mabinogion itself is of it's time, difficult to parse and often little sense to modern readers. Stories this old usually benefit from an accompanying text giving context.