For an introduction to Mabinogi scholarship over the last 200 years, click here to read a concise bibliographic essay (1998).
For a list of published works (by year) see the list below. Please email the site editor if there are any titles that you believe should be included in this list.
2003
McKenna, Catherine 'Revising Math: Kingship in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi', Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 46 (Winter 2003) pp. 95-118
2002
Millersdaughter, Katherine 'The Geopolitics of Incest: Sex, Gender and Violence in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi' Exemplaria 14. (October 2002) pp. 271-272
2001
Hall, Alaric 'Gwyr y Gogledd? Some Icelandic Analogues to Branwen Ferch Lyr' Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 42 (2001) pp. 27-50
Roberts, Brynley F. 'Where were the Four Branches of the Mabinogi Written?' in The Individual in Celtic Literature - CSANA Yearbook 1 ed. Joseph Falaky Nagy (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2001) pp. 61-73
Sims-Williams, Patrick 'Clas Beuno and the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' in 150 Jahre "Mabinogion": Deutch-Walische Kulturbeziehungen ed. Bernard Maier and Stefan Zimmer with Christine Bakte (Tübingen, 2001) pp. 111-127
1997
Breeze, Andrew 'Did a woman write the Four Branches of the Mabinogi?' Studi Medievali 38 (1997) No. 2 (Dec.) pp. 679-705
Lea, A.E. '"Lleu Wyllt" (The Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi and Welsh stories of Myrddin Wllyt: an Early British prototype of the legend of the wild man?)' Journal of Indo-European Studies 25 (1997) pp. 35-47
Ito Morino, S. 'The Sense of Ending in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Zeitschrift fur Celtische Philologie 49 (1997) pp.341-348
Winward, Fiona 'Some Aspects of the Women in The Four Branches' Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 34 (1997)
1996
Sullivan, C.W. III (ed.) The Mabinogi - A book of essays New York: Garland Press, 1996
Comment: A compendium of recent scholarship in the field of Mabinogi. Recommended for the serious scholar.
1992
Mac Cana, P. The Mabinogi (second edition) Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1992
Comment: Includes a summary of the plot-structure Four Branches and a rounded discussion of the various critical approaches employed in its interpretation. This small book is recommended for the time-pressed scholar or general reader.
Welsh, Andrew 'Manawydan fab Llyr: Wales, England and the "New Man"', in Celtic Languages and Celtic Peoples: proceedings of the Second North American Congress of Celtic Studies, 1989 ed. C. J. Byrne et al. (Halifax, 1992) pp. 369-382
1991
Sims-Williams 'The Submission of Irish Kings in Fact and Fiction: Henry II, Bendigeidfran, and the Dating of the Four Branches, Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 22 (Winter 1991), pp. 31-61
Welsh, Andrew 'Branwen, Beowulf, and the Tragic Peaceweaver Tale' in Viator: Medieval and Renaissence Studies 22 (1991), pp. 1-13
1990
Keefer, Sarah Larratt 'The Lost Tale of Dylan in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi' Studia Celtica 24-25 (1989-1990) pp. 26-37. (Republished in Sullivan (1996) op. cit. pp.79-98)
Koch, John 'Bran: Brennos: An instance of Early Gallo-Brittonic History and Mythology' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 20 (Winter 1990) pp. 1-20
Sullivan, C.W. III 'Inheritance and Lordship in the Math' Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorian (1990) pp. 45-63. Reprinted in: Sullivan (1996) op. cit., pp. 347-366
Welsh, Andrew 'Doubling and incest in the Mabinogi' Speculum 65 (1990) pp. 344-363
1989
Davies, Sionedd Pedeir Keinc Y Mabinogi Aberystwyth: Gwasg Pantcelyn, 1989
Comment: A scholarly analysis of the Four Branches.
Welsh, Andrew 'Traditional Tales and the Harmonizing of Story in Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 17 (Summer 1989) pp. 15-41
1988
Davies, Sionedd 'Pedeir Keinc Y Mabinogi - The Case for Multiple Authorship' in Proceedings of the First North American Congress of Celtic Studies, 1986, ed. G. W. MacLennan (Ottawa, 1988) pp.443-459
Welsh, Andrew 'The Traditional Narrative Motifs in The Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 15 (Summer, 1988) pp.51-62
Valente, R. L. 'Gwydion and Aranrhod: Crossing the borders of Gender in Math' Bulletein of the Board of Celtic Studies 35 (1988) pp. 1-9
1987
Koch, John T. 'A Welsh Window on the Iron Age' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 14 (Winter 1987) 17-52
1985
Wood, Juliette 'The Calumniated Wife in Medieval Welsh literature' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 10 (1985) pp.25-38. Reprinted in Sullivan (1996) op. cit. pp. 61-78
1983
Bollard, J.K. 'The Role of Myth and Tradition in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 6 (1983) pp. 67-86 Reprinted in: Sullivan, 1996, (infra.) pp. 277-302
1982
Ford, P.K. 'Prolegomena to a Reading of the Mabinogi: "Pwyll" and "Manawydan"' Studia Celtica 16-17 (1981-1982): pp.110-125 Reprinted in: Sullivan (1996), infra, pp. 197-216
Hanson-Smith, Elizabeth 'Pwyll Pen Annwfn: Narrative Structure' Studia Celtica (1981-1982) pp. 126-134 Reprinted in : Sullivan (1996), op. cit. pp. 153-162
Sims-Williams, Patrick 'The Evidence for Vernacular Irish Literary Influence on Early Medieval Welsh Literature' in Ireland and Early Medieval Europe: Studies in Memory of Kathleen Hughes ed. Dorothy Whitelock, Rosamund Mckitterick and David Dumville Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982 pp.235-257
1981
McKenna, Catherine 'The Theme of Sovereignty in Pwyll'' Bulletein of the Board of Celtic Studies 29 (1980-1981) Reprinted in : Sullivan (1996), op. cit. pp. 303-330
1978
O'Coileain, Sean 'A Thematic Study of the Tale of "Pwyll Pendevic Dyfed"' Studia Celtica 12-13 (1977-1978) pp. 78-82
Gantz, Jeffrey 'Thematic Structure of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Medium Aevum 47 (1978) pp.247-254 Reprinted in: Sullivan (1996), op. cit. pp. 265-274
Sims-Williams, Patrick 'The Riddling Treatment of the "Watchman device" in Branwen and Togail Bruidne Da Derga' Studia Celtica 12/13 (1978-1979) pp. 78-111
1977
Ford, P.K. The Mabinogi and other Welsh Tales (Berkley: University of California Press, 1977)
Comment: Translation of the Four Branches, Culhwch and Olwen, Hanes Taliesin and Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees), with a concise and up-to-date general introduction.
1976
Gantz, Jeffrey The Mabinogion London: Penguin Classics, 1976
Comment: Translation of the 'Mabinogion' tales (cf. Jones 1974; Guest 1849 infra.). Less accurate though more readable than the Jones edition. Includes map and introduction.
1975
Bollard, J. K. 'The Structure of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorion (1974-1975) pp. 250-276
Hamp, E. P. 'Mabinogi' Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorion (1974-1975) pp. 243-249
1974
Jones, G. & Jones T. (trans.) The Mabinogion (rev. ed.) London and New York: Everyman Library
Comment: The most literal translation of the 'Mabinogion' tales (inc. The Four Branches). Introductory essay is now slightly out of date.
1973
Gruffydd, R. Geraint (ed.) Meistri'r Canrifoedd: Ysgrifu Gan Saunders Lewis (Cardiff, 1973)
Comment: Includes the complete collection of Saunders Lewis' contraversial essays (1969-1971) on the dating of the Mabinogi.
1970
Charles-Edwards, Thomas 'The Date of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorion (1970) pp.263-293. Reprinted in Sullivan (1996) op.cit pp. 19-57
1961
Jackson, Kenneth H. The International Popular Tale and the Early Welsh tradition (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1961)
Comment: Includes an influential discussion on the influence of international folklore on the content of the Four Branches and the other Mabinogion stories.
Thomson, Dereck S. Branwen uerch Lyr (Dublin: The Dublin Insitute for Advanced Studies 1973)
Comment: Middle Welsh text of the Second Branch, with notes and introduction. Includes extensive glossary, cf. Thomson (1957).
1958
Mac Cana, Pronsias Branwen Daughter of Llyr: A study of the Irish Affinities (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1958)
Comment: Strong emphasis on the supposed Medieval Irish influences on the Mabinogi. The 'Irish affinities' - are many cases best regarded as analogues rather than sources (cf. Sims-Williams 1978; Mac Cana 1992). Nonetheless, Mac Cana assembles an impressive array of parallels from the Medieval Gaelic literary tradition - which deserve recognition, however one chooses to interpret them.
1957
Thomson, R.L. Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet (Dublin: The Dublin Insitute for Advanced Studies 1973)
Comment: Middle Welsh text of the First Branch, with notes and introduction. Includes extensive glossary, cf. Thomson (1961 above).
1953
Gruffydd, W. J. Rhiannon: An Enquiry into the Origins of the First and Third Branches of the Mabinogi (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1953)
Comment: A complex reconstruction of the evolution of the First and Third Branches from their putative mythical origins. Ingenious but flawed (cf. Gruffydd 1928).
1951
Williams, Ifor Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi (second edition) (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1958)
Comment: The standard edition of the White Book Text, still used today. Introduction and textual notes notes in Modern Welsh.
1929
Ellis, T.P.and Lloyd, J. The Mabinogion: A new Translation (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1929)
Comment: A less well-known translation of the Mabinogion into modern English
1928
Ellis, T. P. 'Legal References, Terms and Conceptions in The Mabinogion' Y Cymmrodor XXXIX (1928) pp. 88-148
Gruffydd, W. J. Math fab Mathonwy: An Enquiry into the Origins of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1953)
Comment: A complex reconstruction of the evolution of the Fourth Branch from its putative mythical origins. While Gruffydd's method has been convincingly criticised, his extensive collection of narrative analogues from the Medieval Celtic world and elsewhere makes this book a useful resource for the Mabinogi scholar of today (cf. Gruffydd 1928).
1913
Gruffydd, W.J. 'The Mabinogion' Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorion (1912-1913) pp. 14-80
1911
Lloyd, E. J.'The Mabinogion as literature' The Celtic Review VII 1911, pp. 220-248
1910
Arnold, Matthew On the study of Celtic literature and other Essays (London: J.M.Dent & Sons; New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1910)
Comment: Contains the oft-cited comparison between the Mabinogi and 'the ruins of Halicarnassus or Ephesus'. This view has since been largely displaced by a more sympathetic reading of the text as an integral entity of synchronic interest. Arnold's essay nonetheless is of some interest for an understanding of the historical development of Mabinogi scholarship.
1896-1900
Anwyl, Edward 'The Four Branches of the Mabinogi' Zeitschrift fur Celtische Philologie, I (1896) pp. 277-293; II (1898) pp. 124-133; III (1900) pp. 123-134
1838-1849
Guest, Lady Charlotte The Mabinogion from the Llyfr Coch o Hergest, and other ancient Welsh manuscripts, with an English Translation and Notes 3 vols. (London: s.n., 1838-1849)
1829
Pughe, William Owen 'The Mabinogi: Or, the Romance of Math ab Mathonwy' The Cambrian Quarterly Magazine and Celtic Repository I 1829 pp. 170-179
1795
Pughe, William Owen 'The Mabinogion, or Juvenile Amusements, being Ancient Welsh Romances' Cambrian Register For the Year of 1795, pp. 177-187
