Dirgelwch y Mabinogi

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-The Welsh have -an unique collection of stories.	0:00:10	0:00:14
-Stories which are rooted deep in -our nation's imagination and memory.	0:00:15	0:00:20
-Stories about places -we are familiar with today.	0:00:25	0:00:28
-But they deal with characters -from a long time ago.	0:00:29	0:00:34
-In these stories, -the other world meets this world.	0:00:34	0:00:38
-There is revenge, warfare -and terrible violence...	0:00:38	0:00:41
-..and events that seem almost -beyond imagination today.	0:00:41	0:00:45
-People are transformed -into birds and animals.	0:00:45	0:00:49
-These stories have been passed down -orally through the ages...	0:00:50	0:00:54
-..and recorded in manuscripts.	0:00:54	0:00:56
-They are still told today.	0:00:58	0:01:00
-They have inspired poets, -playwrights and film makers.	0:01:01	0:01:04
-This is the world of the -Four Branches of the Mabinogi.	0:01:07	0:01:11
-The First Branch of the Mabinogi -concerns Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed.	0:01:15	0:01:20
-It tells of Pwyll's -extraordinary experiences...	0:01:20	0:01:23
-..of a bridge between this world -and the Underworld...	0:01:24	0:01:27
-..of dishonour and making amends, -of transformation...	0:01:28	0:01:31
-..and the relationship -between Pwyll and Rhiannon.	0:01:31	0:01:34
-Pwyll is the Prince of Dyfed.	0:01:34	0:01:37
-Locations mentioned in the tale -have a strong element of mystery.	0:01:37	0:01:41
-But where are these locations?	0:01:42	0:01:44
-This is Narberth Castle -in Pembrokeshire.	0:01:50	0:01:53
-Could this have been the site -of Pwyll's court?	0:01:54	0:01:57
-The court is central to the events -in the First and Third Branches.	0:01:58	0:02:03
-Did the feasting, carousing -and discoursing take place here?	0:02:03	0:02:08
-The Throne of Narberth is mentioned -in the First Branch.	0:02:28	0:02:32
-Whoever sits on this Throne...	0:02:32	0:02:35
-..will either see wonders, -or receive an injury or a wound.	0:02:35	0:02:40
-Was Pwyll sitting -somewhere around here...	0:02:40	0:02:43
-..when he saw Rhiannon galloping -down the valley on her white horse?	0:02:43	0:02:48
-His manservant failed -to catch up with her...	0:02:48	0:02:52
-..so Pwyll himself called on her -to stop, which she did.	0:02:52	0:02:57
-There's a strong element -of enchantment in all the Branches.	0:03:07	0:03:12
-Very strange things happen.	0:03:12	0:03:14
-But people didn't say -that such things were impossible...	0:03:14	0:03:18
-..for the simple reason...	0:03:19	0:03:20
-..that enchantment in ages past, and -in the Middle Ages to some extent...	0:03:21	0:03:27
-..was a way of influencing -the course of events.	0:03:27	0:03:31
-Today, most of us believe -such things can't happen...	0:03:31	0:03:35
-..and that magical powers are, to -us, basically, a matter of science.	0:03:35	0:03:40
-Science is the thing -that can change the world.	0:03:41	0:03:44
-Narberth Castle may indeed have been -the location of Pwyll's court.	0:03:51	0:03:56
-But what about this place, Caerau -Gaer, two miles outside Narberth?	0:03:57	0:04:03
-There are remains -of an old fortress here.	0:04:03	0:04:06
-Who knows? Perhaps this was -where Pwyll stood...	0:04:08	0:04:11
-..when he suddenly saw Rhiannon -galloping across the landscape...	0:04:12	0:04:16
-..on her white horse.	0:04:17	0:04:19
-Glyn Cuch is one of the -first locations we encounter...	0:04:24	0:04:28
-..in the Four Branches.	0:04:28	0:04:30
-Glyn Cuch lies south -of Newcastle Emlyn...	0:04:31	0:04:34
-..on the boundary between -Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.	0:04:35	0:04:38
-It also serves as a boundary between -this world and the Underworld.	0:04:38	0:04:43
-HOUNDS BARK, A HUNTING HORN SOUNDS	0:04:44	0:04:46
-Pwyll hunts deer here -with his hounds...	0:04:53	0:04:56
-..when he meets Arawn, -King of the Underworld.	0:04:57	0:05:00
-He insults Arawn, and so he must -change places with him for a year.	0:05:01	0:05:06
-The hunting theme is very important -in the Mabinogi.	0:05:06	0:05:10
-A white boar is hunted -in the Third Branch.	0:05:10	0:05:14
-Rhiannon herself is 'stalked' -when Pwyll follows her.	0:05:14	0:05:18
-The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, -more than any other legends...	0:05:19	0:05:24
-..are based on Celtic mythology.	0:05:24	0:05:26
-There are strong echoes -of Celtic mythology.	0:05:27	0:05:30
-There's a very strong link -between Rhiannon and horses.	0:05:30	0:05:34
-Rhiannon is forced -to act like a horse.	0:05:34	0:05:37
-She is punished by being forced -to carry people on her back.	0:05:37	0:05:43
-She first appears -on a magical white horse.	0:05:43	0:05:46
-Her son is discovered in a stable -where a foal has just been born.	0:05:46	0:05:52
-He is also linked with horses.	0:05:53	0:05:55
-Some say she is an echo of Epona, -the Celtic horse goddess.	0:05:55	0:06:01
-There's no doubt -that there are strong links...	0:06:01	0:06:04
-..between Rhiannon -and that particular animal.	0:06:04	0:06:07
-The Second Branch	0:06:10	0:06:11
-Bendigeidfran, son of Llyr, -is the crowned king of this island.	0:06:12	0:06:16
-Matholwch, King of Ireland, -comes to Wales...	0:06:17	0:06:20
-..to ask for the hand in marriage -of Branwen, Bendigeidfran's sister.	0:06:20	0:06:25
-But her half-brother, Efnisien, -is not happy.	0:06:25	0:06:28
-And so begins a series -of terrible and violent events.	0:06:29	0:06:33
-Horses are mutilated -and a young child is killed.	0:06:33	0:06:37
-Once again, very familiar locations -are mentioned.	0:06:37	0:06:40
-Bendigeidfran -has a court in Harlech.	0:06:46	0:06:49
-It's one of his important courts.	0:06:49	0:06:52
-The name Harlech means 'fair rock'.	0:06:52	0:06:55
-A castle was later -built on the site.	0:06:55	0:06:58
-A lot of these places have -extremely ancient associations.	0:06:59	0:07:04
-They are involved with rule, -they are castles.	0:07:05	0:07:08
-Or they are ruins -that people saw around them...	0:07:08	0:07:12
-..and brought into their legends...	0:07:12	0:07:15
-..because there were ancient -memories associated with them.	0:07:15	0:07:18
-Bendigeidfran walks through the sea.	0:07:34	0:07:37
-Here, the story may be hinting -at something very, very old...	0:07:38	0:07:43
-..that the sea between Wales and -Ireland was smaller at one time.	0:07:43	0:07:48
-And of course, a proverb -is formulated in this tale...	0:07:51	0:07:55
-.."He who would be a leader, -let him be a bridge."	0:07:56	0:08:01
-Bendigeidfran is a giant.	0:08:01	0:08:03
-When the Irish destroy a bridge...	0:08:03	0:08:06
-..he stretches his body -from bank to bank...	0:08:06	0:08:09
-..and allows his soldiers -to walk over him...	0:08:10	0:08:13
-..saying, "He who would be a leader, -let him be a bridge."	0:08:13	0:08:18
-There are many ancient Celtic -elements in this legend...	0:08:33	0:08:37
-..as there are in the others.	0:08:37	0:08:40
-One of them concerns a king's -special position in Celtic society.	0:08:40	0:08:44
-The Cauldron of Rebirth which brings -the dead to life is another element.	0:08:45	0:08:50
-This is the Cauldron of Rebirth.	0:08:51	0:08:54
-If dead men are placed -in the cauldron, they rise again...	0:08:54	0:08:58
-..but they are dumb.	0:08:59	0:09:00
-This cauldron is a boon to the Irish -when they fight the Welsh.	0:09:01	0:09:06
-A great many cauldrons from the -Celtic period have survived.	0:09:06	0:09:11
-One of the most prominent -is the Gundestrup Cauldron...	0:09:12	0:09:16
-..which was discovered -in Scandinavia.	0:09:16	0:09:19
-It's extremely interesting...	0:09:19	0:09:21
-..because there are figures -on the cauldron...	0:09:21	0:09:24
-..and one scene depicts men -being immersed in a cauldron.	0:09:24	0:09:28
-It recalls the description of the -cauldron in the Second Branch.	0:09:29	0:09:33
-Some argue -that the Gundestrup Cauldron...	0:09:34	0:09:36
-..illustrates the story of Branwen.	0:09:37	0:09:39
-In one of the strangest events -in this tale...	0:09:41	0:09:45
-..Bendigeidfran's head is cut off -but it does not die.	0:09:45	0:09:50
-That reflects a very ancient belief -among Celts...	0:09:50	0:09:53
-..that the soul resides -in the head, not the heart.	0:09:54	0:09:59
-The Celts cut off -their enemies' heads and kept them.	0:09:59	0:10:03
-They drew pictures of heads -and carved heads from stone.	0:10:03	0:10:08
-The human head -had great significance...	0:10:08	0:10:11
-..in the Celtic imagination.	0:10:11	0:10:13
-This mythology lived on -into the Middle Ages in Wales.	0:10:14	0:10:18
-Bendigeidfran's head played -an important part in the legend.	0:10:20	0:10:24
-Bendigeidfran's head is cut off...	0:10:28	0:10:30
-..but it continues -to behave like a king.	0:10:30	0:10:34
-Seven men bring it back to Wales -after the great battle in Ireland.	0:10:34	0:10:39
-They feast in Harlech -for seven years...	0:10:39	0:10:42
-..and then they travel to an island -off the Pembrokeshire coast.	0:10:42	0:10:47
-But their journey -does not end there.	0:10:47	0:10:50
-888	0:10:54	0:10:54
-888 - -888	0:10:54	0:10:56
-It's always been my ambition -to come here...	0:11:13	0:11:16
-..to the island of Gwales -off Pembrokeshire.	0:11:16	0:11:19
-Bendigeidfran's head -was brought here...	0:11:19	0:11:22
-..after the great battle in Ireland.	0:11:22	0:11:25
-Seven men brought the head here -and spent 80 years feasting.	0:11:25	0:11:30
-Today, as you can see, -only birds feast here.	0:11:30	0:11:34
-While they were here...	0:11:34	0:11:36
-..they forgot all the terrible -things that had happened.	0:11:36	0:11:40
-But one day, Heilyn, son of Gwyn, -opens the door that faced Cornwall.	0:11:40	0:11:45
-Memories come flooding back and they -set out to bury the head in London.	0:11:46	0:11:52
-The head is buried -on the White Mount in London...	0:11:52	0:11:56
-..looking out towards France.	0:11:56	0:11:58
-Bendigeidfran defends Britain -from external enemies...	0:11:59	0:12:02
-..so he looks to the Continent...	0:12:04	0:12:07
-..from where -the English originally came.	0:12:07	0:12:11
-King Arthur is blamed for moving -Bendigeidfran's head...	0:12:11	0:12:14
-..according to the Welsh Triads.	0:12:14	0:12:17
-They say he was arrogant...	0:12:17	0:12:19
-..and did not want to share the -credit for defending the island...	0:12:19	0:12:24
-..so he moved Bendigeidfran's head -and took all the credit himself.	0:12:24	0:12:29
-There are many islands -off the Welsh coast.	0:12:34	0:12:37
-Anglesey, where Branwen was buried.	0:12:38	0:12:40
-Her heart broke, and she was buried -on the banks of the River Alaw.	0:12:40	0:12:46
-Puffin Island, Holy Island.	0:12:47	0:12:48
-Many islands -off the Pembrokeshire coast...	0:12:49	0:12:52
-..are associated with enchantment.	0:12:53	0:12:54
-Some say that, not far from here, -an island swims beneath the surface.	0:12:55	0:13:00
-Every once in a while, the island -rises and we may touch it.	0:13:01	0:13:06
-The Third Branch of the Mabinogi, -Manawydan son of Llyr...	0:13:18	0:13:23
-..follows on from the Second Branch.	0:13:23	0:13:25
-Pwyll's son, Pryderi...	0:13:26	0:13:27
-..gives his mother, Rhiannon, -to Manawydan as a wife.	0:13:27	0:13:31
-All goes well, until, one day, an -enchanted mist descends over Dyfed.	0:13:31	0:13:37
-The mist covers the land -and everything disappears.	0:13:38	0:13:42
-Houses disappear, animals disappear, -the courtiers disappear.	0:13:42	0:13:47
-Everywhere becomes deserted.	0:13:49	0:13:50
-The Third Branch may be -the least familiar to people today.	0:13:53	0:13:58
-It begins with Manawydan...	0:13:58	0:14:00
-..and other characters who survive -from the Second Branch.	0:14:00	0:14:04
-Manawydan is the hero -of this Branch.	0:14:04	0:14:07
-He defeats the wizard, Llwyd, -who cast a spell on Dyfed.	0:14:07	0:14:12
-He does so after realising...	0:14:14	0:14:16
-..that one of the mice that plague -Manawydan's land and crops...	0:14:16	0:14:21
-..is Llwyd's wife.	0:14:21	0:14:23
-He forces Llwyd's hand, -and tricks him...	0:14:23	0:14:26
-..into confessing -that he cast the spell on Dyfed.	0:14:28	0:14:31
-Manawydan forces him -to lift the spell...	0:14:32	0:14:35
-..and promise -that he will not seek revenge.	0:14:35	0:14:38
-The Fourth Branch	0:14:49	0:14:52
-The Fourth Branch -is a branch and a half.	0:14:52	0:14:56
-Math son of Mathonwy -is the Lord of Gwynedd.	0:14:56	0:15:00
-When he isn't at war...	0:15:00	0:15:02
-..he must rest his feet on the lap -of a maiden called Goewin.	0:15:02	0:15:08
-His nephew, Gilfaethwy, -falls in love with Goewin.	0:15:08	0:15:12
-Gilfaethwy's brother, Gwydion, -organises a war...	0:15:12	0:15:15
-..so that Math must leave Goewin.	0:15:15	0:15:18
-Gwydion deceives Pryderi -into giving him his pigs.	0:15:18	0:15:22
-He travels through Wales with -the pigs and gives them to Math.	0:15:22	0:15:27
-When Pryderi -realises the deception...	0:15:27	0:15:30
-..war breaks out -between south and north.	0:15:30	0:15:33
-Math is the Lord of Gwynedd.	0:15:34	0:15:37
-Gwydion and Gilfaethwy travel south -to the court of Pryderi.	0:15:37	0:15:41
-So there is communication between -south and north in this Branch.	0:15:42	0:15:46
-As they drive the pigs -from the south to the north...	0:15:46	0:15:51
-..the places where they stop...	0:15:51	0:15:53
-..are given a name that includes -the word 'moch', such as Mochdre...	0:15:53	0:15:58
-..in memory of their passage.	0:15:59	0:16:01
-In the Mabinogi, -there is a strong association...	0:16:02	0:16:06
-..between the stories -and the actual geography of Wales.	0:16:06	0:16:10
-You can follow the stories on a map.	0:16:10	0:16:13
-The stories explain -the origin of place-names...	0:16:14	0:16:17
-..and this itself -bolsters the stories' status.	0:16:17	0:16:20
-It can be seen as independent -evidence of the story's truth.	0:16:20	0:16:25
-We call them onomastic stories.	0:16:25	0:16:27
-Onomastic stories explain -the origins of proper names.	0:16:28	0:16:31
-The Mabinogi is full of them.	0:16:31	0:16:34
-When Math returns from battle...	0:16:40	0:16:42
-..he discovers that his nephews, -Gilfaethwy and Gwydion...	0:16:42	0:16:46
-..were responsible for the strife...	0:16:46	0:16:48
-..the rape of the maiden, the death -of soldiers including Pryderi.	0:16:48	0:16:53
-They cannot make amends -for this dishonour...	0:16:53	0:16:56
-..except through punishment -and humiliation.	0:16:56	0:16:59
-Math's punishment is bestial.	0:17:00	0:17:03
-In the Fourth Branch, -in particular...	0:17:06	0:17:10
-..strange transformations -take place.	0:17:11	0:17:13
-Gwydion and Gilfaethwy -have raped Goewin.	0:17:13	0:17:16
-So Math strikes them -with his magic wand...	0:17:16	0:17:20
-..and three times he changes them -into different animals.	0:17:20	0:17:24
-One is male, the other is female.	0:17:24	0:17:27
-They copulate -and give birth to offspring.	0:17:27	0:17:30
-It's the ultimate humiliation.	0:17:30	0:17:33
-In Christian thought, which derives -from Judaic concepts...	0:17:33	0:17:36
-..there are levels of existence...	0:17:38	0:17:40
-..and man is above -the level of animals.	0:17:40	0:17:43
-So if you are turned into an animal, -you are degraded, brought down.	0:17:44	0:17:50
-First, they're turned into a stag -and a hind.	0:17:52	0:17:57
-Deer are very important -in the Mabinogi.	0:17:57	0:18:00
-They provide food and materials -for communities.	0:18:00	0:18:03
-So it's quite significant...	0:18:04	0:18:06
-..that they're transformed -into a stag and a hind first of all.	0:18:06	0:18:11
-Then, they're turned -into a boar and a sow...	0:18:12	0:18:16
-..and finally -into male and female wolves.	0:18:17	0:18:20
-All these animals - deer, -wild boar, wolves...	0:18:20	0:18:23
-..are animals that people -in the Middle Ages respected...	0:18:23	0:18:27
-..because they were dangerous -wild animals.	0:18:27	0:18:31
-It was a terrible punishment.	0:18:32	0:18:34
-But it was appropriate.	0:18:34	0:18:36
-They were punished -because they had raped a maiden.	0:18:36	0:18:40
-The two brothers -had to make amends for that...	0:18:40	0:18:44
-..by having their own sexuality -and sexual identities transformed...	0:18:44	0:18:49
-..back and forth, year after year.	0:18:49	0:18:52
-Math needs another maiden, -because Goewin is now a wife.	0:18:56	0:19:00
-He forgives Gilfaethwy and Gwydion.	0:19:01	0:19:03
-Gwydion suggests his sister -Arianrhod, as the new maiden.	0:19:03	0:19:07
-Thus begins another series -of marvellous events.	0:19:07	0:19:11
-Arianrhod must prove -her virginity...	0:19:12	0:19:14
-..by stepping over -Math's magic wand.	0:19:15	0:19:18
-But a small child drops from her, -and something else.	0:19:18	0:19:22
-Gwydion picks up this other thing...	0:19:23	0:19:26
-..hides it in a chest -and looks after it.	0:19:26	0:19:30
-Arianrhod places a number of curses -on her child.	0:19:31	0:19:34
-He may not have a name, weapons, -or a wife of this world.	0:19:35	0:19:40
-Through magic, Gwydion -manages to overcome every curse.	0:19:40	0:19:44
-For the final curse, he and Math -combine their magical skills...	0:19:44	0:19:49
-..to create a wife out of flowers -for Lleu, Arianrhod's son.	0:19:49	0:19:54
-This is Blodeuwedd.	0:19:54	0:19:55
-This is one of the settings for the -Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi.	0:20:14	0:20:20
-It's a castle called Mur Castell, -in Ardudwy.	0:20:20	0:20:23
-After Math and Gwydion created -Blodeuwedd as a wife for Lleu...	0:20:24	0:20:28
-..the king gave them this castle -as a home.	0:20:29	0:20:32
-Mur Castell, or Tomen y Mur, -as it's now called.	0:20:33	0:20:37
-Lleu goes away, leaving Blodeuwedd -here with the servants.	0:21:04	0:21:08
-She is restless.	0:21:09	0:21:11
-Then suddenly she hears a hunting -horn and the sounds of a hunt.	0:21:11	0:21:16
-Over this ridge behind me -appears Gronw Pebyr from Lleyn.	0:21:16	0:21:21
-She invites him into the castle, -and they fall in love.	0:21:21	0:21:26
-Ultimately, they conspire -to kill Lleu.	0:21:26	0:21:29
-Many people have tried to interpret -the Branches.	0:21:35	0:21:38
-There are novels, -recent animations, plays.	0:21:39	0:21:42
-'Blodeuwedd' by Saunders Lewis must -be the most well-known of them all.	0:21:43	0:21:48
-I would argue that he's changed -quite a lot of the story...	0:21:49	0:21:54
-..though he says in the introduction -that he hasn't.	0:21:54	0:21:58
-He changes the emphasis.	0:21:58	0:22:00
-He was a Catholic...	0:22:00	0:22:02
-..and a man with patriarchal -attitudes towards life.	0:22:02	0:22:05
-Oh, heir to my fate, -listen to my secret.	0:22:09	0:22:12
-I have for you now an heir.	0:22:13	0:22:16
-Do you know for sure?	0:22:17	0:22:18
-Do you know for sure? - -As every wife knows.	0:22:18	0:22:19
-As every wife knows.	0:22:19	0:22:20
-Oh, my queen!	0:22:21	0:22:22
-Let fate decree it shall be a son.	0:22:22	0:22:24
-Let fate decree it shall be a son. - -It is a son.	0:22:24	0:22:26
-Let fate decree it shall be a son.	0:22:26	0:22:26
-I swear it.	0:22:26	0:22:27
-To him, family and succession -are important.	0:22:28	0:22:31
-He uses this - he adds this -to the original tale.	0:22:31	0:22:36
-When Lleu returns, -he finds Blodeuwedd full of joy.	0:22:37	0:22:40
-Of course, she's been sleeping -with Gronw Pebyr!	0:22:41	0:22:44
-But she suggests -that she has an heir for him.	0:22:44	0:22:49
-He's delighted, because his mother's -curses sought to deny him an heir.	0:22:49	0:22:54
-But her 'heir' is Gronw Pebyr, -not a baby at all.	0:22:54	0:22:59
-I can picture him now, -placing his lips upon my lips.	0:22:59	0:23:04
-He shall be a hunter. -His horn shall stir the deer.	0:23:04	0:23:09
-I shall teach him -his father's accomplishments.	0:23:10	0:23:13
-How to throw a spear and a needle?	0:23:13	0:23:15
-How to throw a spear and a needle? - -And row a boat...	0:23:15	0:23:16
-And row a boat...	0:23:16	0:23:17
-..and make shoes for his mother...	0:23:18	0:23:20
-..so that she shall not walk -barefooted through the dew.	0:23:20	0:23:24
-The name 'Lleu' in itself -suggests something.	0:23:24	0:23:27
-'Lleu' means 'light' - -he's a sun god.	0:23:28	0:23:31
-He still retains elements -of his former divinity.	0:23:32	0:23:35
-He's not easy to kill.	0:23:38	0:23:40
-He must be placed in an extremely -strange situation.	0:23:41	0:23:44
-He must stand on a river bank - -between water and land...	0:23:46	0:23:50
-..that 'between' element.	0:23:51	0:23:52
-He must place one foot on a trough, -or bath - cleanliness.	0:23:53	0:23:58
-And his other foot must rest on a -billy goat's back - uncleanliness.	0:23:58	0:24:04
-He wears trousers but no shirt.	0:24:04	0:24:06
-He's not within a building -but there's a roof above him.	0:24:06	0:24:11
-There's a series -of 'in-between' situations.	0:24:11	0:24:15
-And when all's said and done, -he doesn't get killed.	0:24:16	0:24:20
-He turns into an eagle.	0:24:20	0:24:22
-What happens there?	0:24:22	0:24:24
-He turns into another aspect -of himself.	0:24:24	0:24:27
-The eagle was a creature -sacred to the sun god.	0:24:27	0:24:32
-SCREAMS	0:24:33	0:24:35
-The eagle shelters -in an old oak tree.	0:24:54	0:24:58
-Trees had special significance -for the Celts.	0:24:59	0:25:02
-They had their own magical -and sacred qualities.	0:25:03	0:25:06
-It's not by accident -that the eagle shelters in an oak.	0:25:08	0:25:12
-He is in a sacred space -until he is taken from there.	0:25:13	0:25:18
-SCREAMS	0:25:25	0:25:27
-Llech Gronw - 'Gronw's Stone'.	0:25:43	0:25:45
-Lleu and Gronw -stand on the river bank.	0:25:46	0:25:49
-Lleu holds a spear, -and Gronw stands here.	0:25:49	0:25:53
-And Gronw says, "Because I was -deceived by Blodeuwedd's wiles...	0:25:53	0:25:58
-"..let me place this stone -that we see beside the river...	0:26:00	0:26:04
-"..between me and the spear."	0:26:05	0:26:07
-Lleu agrees. He throws his spear, -which goes through the stone...	0:26:07	0:26:12
-..and breaks Gronw's spine.	0:26:12	0:26:14
-He's killed instantly.	0:26:14	0:26:16
-There's lots of conjecture -concerning locations and so on.	0:26:17	0:26:20
-But here, there's a stone with -a hole through it, beside a river.	0:26:21	0:26:26
-What more could you expect?	0:26:26	0:26:29
-HE GRUNTS	0:26:30	0:26:31
-As film makers...	0:26:45	0:26:47
-..we sometimes have to change or -adapt aspects of the original text.	0:26:47	0:26:52
-Perhaps those who told these stories -did the same.	0:26:53	0:26:57
-I like to believe we're simply -perpetuating that tradition.	0:26:57	0:27:01
-One prominent example -is when Lleu, at the end...	0:27:01	0:27:05
-..gets his chance -to take revenge on Gronw.	0:27:05	0:27:09
-In the original text, he throws -the spear and that's that.	0:27:09	0:27:13
-But in our story, -he lifts the spear to throw it...	0:27:13	0:27:18
-..and then he decides -to be merciful to Gronw.	0:27:18	0:27:22
-He turns away, but Gronw -throws a knife at him.	0:27:23	0:27:27
-Lleu has to defend himself, -and that's how he kills Gronw.	0:27:27	0:27:32
-At the end...	0:27:49	0:27:51
-..Blodeuwedd is transformed -into an owl by Gwydion.	0:27:51	0:27:55
-That's very interesting.	0:27:56	0:27:57
-The author says it's in an owl's -nature to avoid daylight...	0:27:58	0:28:02
-..and that other birds -instinctively attack owls.	0:28:03	0:28:07
-Gwydion!!	0:28:11	0:28:13
-The punishment is appropriate...	0:28:22	0:28:25
-..because Blodeuwedd is originally -a creature of the sun...	0:28:25	0:28:28
-..created from flowers.	0:28:29	0:28:30
-She was created to be beautiful, -but she's turned into an owl...	0:28:31	0:28:36
-..a bird of the night, -which doesn't show its face...	0:28:36	0:28:40
-..and which has no beauty.	0:28:40	0:28:42
-Blodeuwedd loses everything she has.	0:28:43	0:28:45
-Again, the owl happens to have -strong associations...	0:28:46	0:28:49
-..in the Celtic imagination.	0:28:49	0:28:52
-The Celts regarded the owl -as a bird of the night...	0:28:53	0:28:58
-..associated with darkness -and misfortune.	0:28:58	0:29:01
-There are a great many superstitions -concerning owls...	0:29:01	0:29:05
-..harbingers of death, and so on.	0:29:05	0:29:08
-The final Branch finishes unhappily.	0:29:15	0:29:17
-There is no future. -Lleu is all alone.	0:29:17	0:29:21
-He has no hope of getting a wife -because of his mother's curse...	0:29:21	0:29:26
-..and no hope of an heir.	0:29:27	0:29:29
-It's not like the other Branches.	0:29:29	0:29:32
-It shows what can happen...	0:29:32	0:29:34
-..if people, especially the sexes, -fail to respect each other.	0:29:34	0:29:39
-888	0:29:51	0:29:51
-888 - -888	0:29:51	0:29:53
-Every year in Wales, people gather -for a special pilgrimage.	0:29:55	0:29:59
-It's an attempt...	0:29:59	0:30:01
-..to keep the mediaeval oral -storytelling tradition alive.	0:30:01	0:30:05
-But where did these legends -originate? Who was their author?	0:30:05	0:30:10
-We don't know who wrote -the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.	0:30:10	0:30:15
-It's problematic when you're dealing -with an oral tradition.	0:30:15	0:30:19
-Stories are passed on and everyone -makes little changes to them.	0:30:20	0:30:24
-Many people have tried to suggest -authors for the Four Branches.	0:30:30	0:30:34
-If we could discover an author, -it would seem to confer status.	0:30:35	0:30:40
-Some have suggested Sulien, -Bishop of St David's.	0:30:40	0:30:43
-Sulien and his son -were literary people.	0:30:44	0:30:47
-Sulien spent time in Ireland...	0:30:47	0:30:49
-..and of course, Ireland is involved -in the Second Branch.	0:30:49	0:30:54
-His son, Rhygyfarch, wrote the -Latin version of 'Buchedd Dewi'...	0:30:54	0:30:58
-..about the life of St David.	0:30:58	0:31:01
-We know he wrote.	0:31:01	0:31:03
-But that doesn't mean -they wrote the Four Branches.	0:31:03	0:31:07
-When you start talking -about copying...	0:31:07	0:31:10
-..you run into -a very difficult problem.	0:31:10	0:31:14
-Say, for example, -that a storyteller tells a story...	0:31:15	0:31:19
-..and someone tries -to write down this story.	0:31:19	0:31:22
-He'd have to stop the storyteller -in order to catch up.	0:31:22	0:31:27
-That would destroy the story.	0:31:27	0:31:30
-Did the author have to learn -the story and then write it down?	0:31:32	0:31:37
-Or had a storyteller -learned how to write?	0:31:38	0:31:41
-I would think there'd be differences -between the story told orally...	0:31:42	0:31:47
-..and the written version.	0:31:48	0:31:50
-Writing is a very slow -and laborious process.	0:31:51	0:31:54
-Ultimately, it would interfere -with the words being spoken.	0:31:55	0:32:00
-I believe that it was only -in the written form...	0:32:02	0:32:06
-..that all these episodes -were brought together.	0:32:06	0:32:09
-I feel, with regard to models -in other countries...	0:32:10	0:32:14
-..that it was the episodes -that were important, orally.	0:32:14	0:32:18
-The story of Pwyll -visiting the Underworld...	0:32:18	0:32:21
-..the story of Pwyll wooing -and marrying Rhiannon.	0:32:21	0:32:24
-I feel the author was the first -to bring them all together.	0:32:25	0:32:29
-The Branches have been recorded -in manuscripts.	0:32:31	0:32:34
-Thus they have been handed down -and interpreted throughout the ages.	0:32:35	0:32:39
-Now begins another important episode -in our story.	0:32:40	0:32:43
-The manuscripts are a vital part -of the Branches' history.	0:32:43	0:32:47
-The earliest volume containing -all Four Branches of the Mabinogi...	0:32:48	0:32:52
-..is the White Book of Rhydderch...	0:32:53	0:32:55
-..which is kept in the -National Library in Aberystwyth.	0:32:55	0:32:59
-It dates back -to the mid 14th century.	0:32:59	0:33:03
-This manuscript was copied -for a man called Rhydderch...	0:33:03	0:33:07
-..who lived in Llangeitho.	0:33:07	0:33:09
-It was probably copied...	0:33:09	0:33:11
-..at the Cistercian abbey -of Strata Florida...	0:33:11	0:33:14
-..15 to 18 miles -east of Aberystwyth.	0:33:14	0:33:17
-The second volume -containing the complete version...	0:33:18	0:33:21
-..is the Red Book of Hergest...	0:33:21	0:33:23
-..which is owned -by Jesus College, Oxford.	0:33:24	0:33:27
-It's kept at the Bodleian Library -in Oxford.	0:33:27	0:33:30
-The White Book -is a very important volume...	0:33:30	0:33:34
-..but it's not the earliest record -of the Four Branches.	0:33:34	0:33:38
-A manuscript dating -from the late 13th century...	0:33:38	0:33:42
-..contains two small fragments...	0:33:42	0:33:44
-..concerning the story of Branwen -and the story of Manawydan.	0:33:44	0:33:48
-Just a page each remain of these.	0:33:49	0:33:52
-But they demonstrate a written -tradition for the Mabinogi...	0:33:52	0:33:56
-..that is much earlier -than the White Book.	0:33:56	0:33:59
-Today, we have Four Branches -of the Mabinogi...	0:34:01	0:34:05
-..but was it three branches, -originally?	0:34:05	0:34:07
-The boundary between the Second -and Third Branches is indistinct.	0:34:08	0:34:12
-The author seems to have difficulty -separating these two Branches...	0:34:12	0:34:16
-..and, of course, three -was an important, magical number...	0:34:16	0:34:20
-..in the mediaeval period.	0:34:20	0:34:22
-The Three Branches -of the Mabinogi, perhaps?	0:34:22	0:34:25
-Or there may be branches missing.	0:34:25	0:34:28
-In both the White Book -and the Red Book...	0:34:28	0:34:32
-..the copyist doesn't say, -"And so ends the Mabinogi."	0:34:32	0:34:36
-With other stories...	0:34:36	0:34:38
-..you get, "And so ends the tale -of the Lady of the Fountain."	0:34:38	0:34:43
-But there is no, "And so end -the Four Branches of the Mabinogi."	0:34:44	0:34:49
-So I sometimes wonder whether there -are fifth, sixth, seventh branches.	0:34:49	0:34:54
-Festivals throughout Wales...	0:34:56	0:34:57
-..perpetuate one of the nation's -most precious traditions...	0:34:57	0:35:01
-..storytelling.	0:35:01	0:35:03
-A short story to begin with.	0:35:03	0:35:06
-You have a choice - a story about -a giant, or one about an old woman.	0:35:06	0:35:11
-This is the second Dyffryn Conwy -Storytelling Festival.	0:35:12	0:35:16
-It's a chance for everyone...	0:35:16	0:35:18
-..to hear all kinds of stories.	0:35:18	0:35:20
-"Oi! I want beer! I want wine!	0:35:21	0:35:24
-"I want bread! I want meat!"	0:35:24	0:35:27
-The people of Pontypridd looked out -of their windows and saw this giant.	0:35:27	0:35:33
-"No! Go away, you great, big, -hairy, ugly giant!	0:35:33	0:35:37
-If the audience showed great -interest in some particular part...	0:35:38	0:35:42
-..they would elaborate -on that part of the story.	0:35:43	0:35:46
-And if the audience -showed no interest...	0:35:47	0:35:50
-..the story would be condensed.	0:35:50	0:35:52
-I would think that's what happened.	0:35:52	0:35:55
-The storyteller would react to his -audience as he told the story.	0:35:55	0:35:59
-He was angry, he was furious, -he wanted to kill these people.	0:36:00	0:36:05
-We're a group -of professional storytellers.	0:36:05	0:36:08
-There's a link between us -and the storytellers of past ages.	0:36:08	0:36:13
-There was just one bird left - -the owl.	0:36:13	0:36:17
-In this festival, -we tell stories, of course.	0:36:17	0:36:20
-There are trips along the river -and through woodlands.	0:36:21	0:36:24
-People can learn the art -of storytelling.	0:36:25	0:36:29
-The other birds -were so cross with the owl...	0:36:29	0:36:33
-..they said, "Owl, -you are banished to the night!"	0:36:33	0:36:37
-When these tales -were translated into English...	0:36:37	0:36:40
-..in the 19th century...	0:36:41	0:36:43
-..not just the Four Branches -but other mediaeval legends too...	0:36:43	0:36:47
-..eleven of them in all, -they needed a title.	0:36:47	0:36:51
-'-ion' is a plural suffix in Welsh.	0:36:51	0:36:55
-'Dyn' - 'Dynion'. -'Marchog' - 'Marchogion'.	0:36:56	0:36:58
-So the title 'Mabinogion' -was adopted as a label.	0:36:58	0:37:03
-In the manuscripts, it's practically -always written as 'Mabinogi'.	0:37:03	0:37:07
-Only in one instance -does 'Mabinogion' appear.	0:37:08	0:37:11
-That might have been a misprint.	0:37:12	0:37:14
-In the manuscript, another word -appears just before 'Mabinogion'...	0:37:14	0:37:18
-..the word 'dyledogion'.	0:37:18	0:37:20
-The misprint may have arisen because -of confusion between the two words.	0:37:20	0:37:25
-The '-ion' may have jumped down -to 'Mabinogion'.	0:37:25	0:37:29
-But the term 'Mabinogion', -though it may be incorrect...	0:37:29	0:37:33
-..has become very useful.	0:37:33	0:37:35
-It's used to cover the Four Branches -and the other legends...	0:37:35	0:37:40
-..'Culhwch and Olwen,' 'The Dream -of Macsen,' 'The Three Romances'.	0:37:40	0:37:44
-They all come under the title -'Mabinogion'.	0:37:44	0:37:47
-Charlotte Guest was the first -to popularise the term.	0:37:48	0:37:52
-She used it for her own translation -of the 'Mabinogion'...	0:37:52	0:37:56
-..in the mid 19th century.	0:37:56	0:37:58
-She belonged to that period...	0:37:59	0:38:02
-..when people rediscovered Arthur -and the Middle Ages.	0:38:02	0:38:06
-She was an Englishwoman...	0:38:07	0:38:08
-..who came to Wales when she married -John Guest, the Dowlais ironmaster.	0:38:09	0:38:14
-From the 1830s onwards, -she published her version...	0:38:14	0:38:18
-..of the Four Branches, -and other translations.	0:38:18	0:38:21
-People have doubted how much of the -work she actually did herself.	0:38:21	0:38:26
-Did she receive help from people -like John Jones ('Tegid')?	0:38:26	0:38:31
-But, today, -people appreciate what she did.	0:38:31	0:38:34
-Her texts are of a high standard.	0:38:34	0:38:37
-Scholarly notes accompany them.	0:38:37	0:38:39
-Her translations became popular -and improved these texts' status...	0:38:39	0:38:44
-..and the Welsh texts -consequently became popular.	0:38:44	0:38:47
-Wales rediscovered them -through Charlotte Guest.	0:38:47	0:38:49
-Very few titles were used -in the Middle Ages.	0:38:50	0:38:54
-The opening words of a story -were normally used as a label.	0:38:54	0:38:59
-We call the First Branch -'Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed'...	0:38:59	0:39:03
-..because they're the first words.	0:39:03	0:39:05
-But the Second Branch -opens with the words...	0:39:05	0:39:09
-.."Bendigeidfran, son of Llyr, was -the crowned king of this island."	0:39:09	0:39:14
-But in Lady Charlotte Guest's -translation...	0:39:14	0:39:17
-..the Second Branch is entitled -'Branwen, daughter of Llyr'.	0:39:17	0:39:21
-I wonder whether she sympathised -with Branwen.	0:39:21	0:39:24
-Like Branwen, she had left -her own country.	0:39:25	0:39:29
-There's an entry in her diary...	0:39:30	0:39:32
-..where she mentions a house -the family owned in Sully.	0:39:32	0:39:37
-He diary records her -looking out to sea in Sully...	0:39:39	0:39:43
-..and seeing someone -putting furniture in a boat...	0:39:43	0:39:47
-..and setting sail for England.	0:39:48	0:39:50
-"And I sometimes wish -I were going with him."	0:39:51	0:39:54
-There's a touch of -homesickness there.	0:39:55	0:39:58
-A few years before Charlotte Guest -started work on the Mabinogi...	0:40:00	0:40:04
-..an important archaeological -discovery was made in Anglesey.	0:40:05	0:40:08
-A decision was made to excavate a -place reputed to be Branwen's grave.	0:40:08	0:40:13
-And indeed, traces of cremated bones -were discovered there.	0:40:14	0:40:18
-This news appeared in the press.	0:40:18	0:40:21
-It's evident from her work that -Charlotte Guest knew about this.	0:40:22	0:40:26
-The name Branwen -became quite well-known.	0:40:26	0:40:29
-It must be one more reason...	0:40:30	0:40:32
-..why Charlotte Guest chose the name -Branwen for the Second Branch.	0:40:32	0:40:37
-888	0:40:45	0:40:45
-888 - -888	0:40:45	0:40:46
-Despite their antiquity...	0:40:46	0:40:47
-..the Mabinogi have fired the -imaginations of people of all ages.	0:40:47	0:40:52
-The are very popular -among children and young people.	0:40:52	0:40:55
-Bendigeidfran told the boy...	0:40:56	0:40:58
-.."Go and talk to your uncle."	0:40:58	0:41:01
-And Gwern walked towards Efnisien, -and Efnisien bent down.	0:41:02	0:41:06
-And everyone else thought...	0:41:06	0:41:08
-..that Efnisien was going to whisper -into the boy's ear.	0:41:08	0:41:12
-But he bent down -and grabbed the boy's feet...	0:41:13	0:41:17
-..lifted him, whirled him around, -and threw him into the fire.	0:41:17	0:41:22
-It's one thing for a child -to read a story himself.	0:41:23	0:41:27
-But a story -told by a good storyteller...	0:41:27	0:41:31
-..can make it much more vivid -for a child.	0:41:31	0:41:35
-It's an oral thing.	0:41:35	0:41:37
-The task with the Mabinogi...	0:41:37	0:41:39
-..is to preserve the glory -of the oral recitation.	0:41:39	0:41:43
-Ships raising their sails and -setting out over the sea to Ireland.	0:41:44	0:41:49
-Unfortunately, we know little about -how these tales were performed.	0:41:51	0:41:55
-After all, everyone told stories.	0:41:58	0:42:00
-In the Second Branch, Matholwch -accepts the Cauldron of Rebirth...	0:42:01	0:42:05
-..as compensation -from Bendigeidfran.	0:42:06	0:42:08
-And Matholwch tells Bendigeidfran -a story...	0:42:09	0:42:12
-..about how he himself received -the Cauldron in the first place.	0:42:12	0:42:17
-He says, "Once upon a time, -I was out hunting."	0:42:17	0:42:22
-That's a traditional formula -for beginning a story.	0:42:22	0:42:25
-Telling tales was commonplace.	0:42:26	0:42:28
-Is it a true story?	0:42:29	0:42:31
-That's a great question. -Is it a true story?	0:42:32	0:42:36
-There are three possibilities...	0:42:36	0:42:38
-..that it's totally false, totally -true, or somewhere in between.	0:42:38	0:42:42
-Who thinks -it's somewhere in between?	0:42:43	0:42:45
-Interesting.	0:42:46	0:42:48
-There are some terribly violent -episodes in the Mabinogi.	0:42:48	0:42:52
-But they are not unsuitable -for children.	0:42:52	0:42:55
-Some elements of violence -arouse our curiosity.	0:42:55	0:42:58
-Why does Efnisien -do these awful things?	0:42:58	0:43:01
-Go to your Uncle Efnisien.	0:43:02	0:43:04
-Despicable child -of a shameful union.	0:43:05	0:43:08
-You shall be the first Irishman -to burn.	0:43:09	0:43:12
-This will settle your father, -once and for all!	0:43:13	0:43:17
-SHOUTS AND SCREAMS	0:43:17	0:43:19
-No! Not the fire!	0:43:25	0:43:27
-Efnisien!	0:43:28	0:43:29
-Efnisien is an interesting character -with a very dark side to him.	0:43:31	0:43:36
-He's the story's catalyst - -he mutilates Matholwch's horses.	0:43:36	0:43:40
-He kills his little nephew and -we can't see much reason for this.	0:43:40	0:43:45
-But he turns out to be a hero -in the end.	0:43:45	0:43:50
-He shatters the Cauldron -which is so dangerous to the Welsh.	0:43:50	0:43:55
-For sake of the Isle of the Mighty!	0:44:00	0:44:03
-Efnisien, a half-brother, is half -in the family and half outside it.	0:44:12	0:44:17
-He's on the boundary, not quite in -or out, and so he's dangerous.	0:44:17	0:44:22
-In the Four Branches, people try -to work out the right way to act...	0:44:23	0:44:29
-..while facing terrible calamities -or wonderful enchantments.	0:44:29	0:44:33
-We can compare the stories -in the Mabinogi...	0:44:34	0:44:37
-..with the soap operas -we see on television today.	0:44:37	0:44:41
-The old Celts obviously needed -a little spice in their lives...	0:44:41	0:44:46
-..during long, cold evenings.	0:44:46	0:44:48
-They wanted to hear stories -about people behaving abominably.	0:44:49	0:44:54
-Love, hate, unfaithfulness, -who was sleeping with who...	0:44:54	0:44:57
-..who takes revenge on who.	0:44:57	0:45:00
-That's what people enjoy, -even today.	0:45:00	0:45:03
-# SONG IN GAELIC #	0:45:03	0:45:05
-The stories deal with things -that are strange and wondrous.	0:45:21	0:45:26
-The strange and the wondrous still -appeal very strongly to people.	0:45:28	0:45:33
-Though they are strange and -wondrous, they involve real people.	0:45:35	0:45:39
-It's a combination -that's never out of fashion.	0:45:41	0:45:45
-It has a cohesion -that belongs to true art.	0:45:46	0:45:49
-# SONG IN GAELIC #	0:45:50	0:45:52
-Animation is an excellent medium -for presenting the fantastic.	0:45:58	0:46:02
-It's possible to show Bendigeidfran -as a huge man...	0:46:02	0:46:06
-..and when he gets angry, -he grows even bigger...	0:46:07	0:46:11
-..he becomes a giant who can walk -through the sea to Ireland.	0:46:11	0:46:17
-We can create Blodeuwedd.	0:46:20	0:46:21
-We can show the process -by which Blodeuwedd is created...	0:46:22	0:46:26
-..which isn't possible -in a stage play.	0:46:27	0:46:30
-The Four Branches receive -a new lease of life and survival...	0:46:33	0:46:38
-..with this new animated film.	0:46:38	0:46:40
-People will watch it -and react to it.	0:46:41	0:46:44
-The Four Branches will also survive -so long as storytelling survives...	0:46:44	0:46:49
-..people tell these tales...	0:46:50	0:46:51
-..and as long as anyone reads them.	0:46:52	0:46:55
-I've been working -on a new translation...	0:47:00	0:47:03
-..of the 11 tales of the Mabinogion, -and I'm really enjoying it.	0:47:03	0:47:08
-I compare the way other people -have translated them...	0:47:08	0:47:12
-..Charlotte Guest, for example.	0:47:12	0:47:14
-I'm trying to bring an oral feel -to this new translation.	0:47:14	0:47:19
-These stories were originally -written in order to be read aloud.	0:47:20	0:47:24
-They say that Tolkien -was inspired by the Mabinogi...	0:47:30	0:47:34
-..when he wrote -'The Lord of the Rings'.	0:47:34	0:47:37
-This material belongs to the nation -and it will always inspire.	0:47:37	0:47:42
-These tales...	0:47:42	0:47:45
-..also appeal -to an ancient memory, possibly...	0:47:46	0:47:49
-..that is within us Welsh people.	0:47:49	0:47:52
-Especially if you live in a place -associated with these legends.	0:47:52	0:47:57
-Something very special -develops in such places.	0:47:58	0:48:01
-You create a link between the -present and a wondrous old world.	0:48:01	0:48:06
-Some of that wonder -comes through from that past...	0:48:07	0:48:11
-..via memory and imagination...	0:48:11	0:48:12
-..into the lives of people today.	0:48:13	0:48:15
-The Four Branches of the Mabinogi...	0:48:18	0:48:20
-..are rooted in our landscape -and in our history.	0:48:21	0:48:24
-They are an integral part -of our nation's mythology.	0:48:24	0:48:28
-And what is a nation...	0:48:30	0:48:32
-..but the fruit of its people's -history and mythology?	0:48:32	0:48:36
-This is what -secures our existence...	0:48:38	0:48:41
-..as children of the Welsh nation.	0:48:41	0:48:43
-This is our heritage.	0:48:47	0:48:49
-This is the foundation -for our future.	0:48:50	0:48:53
-S4C subtitles by -TROSOL Cyf.	0:49:12	0:49:15
	0:49:15	0:49:17

Dirgelwch y Mabinogi

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