Overview: Explore the magic of Welsh mythology, and how to incorporate the wisdom of these enigmatic tales into the very fabric of your magical and spiritual practices here within the pages of Pagan Portals: Y Mabinogi: Exploring the Magic and Wisdom of Welsh Mythology.

Verdict: Y Mabinogi is a dutifully crafted introductory guide to the enchanting tales found within the four branches of the Mabinogi by author Mhara Starling. Each chapter explores the themes, characters, magic, and wonder of Welsh mythology, and is delivered in an accessible, approachable narrative.

It also considers issues such as: Are the characters in the Mabinogi Gods? How can we draw inspiration from these stories for our magical or spiritual practices? And what can the four branches teach us about the world around us, as well as ourselves?

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi - or Pedair Cainc Y Mabinogi - are the earliest prose stories in the literature of Britain. Originally written in Wales in Middle Welsh, but widely available in translations, the Mabinogi is generally agreed to be a single work in four parts, or branches.

The interrelated tales can be read as mythology, political themes, romances, or magical fantasies. The tales are popular today in book format, as storytelling or theatre performances; they appear in recordings and on film and continue to inspire reinterpretations in artwork and modern fiction, such as the New Stories of the Mabinogion series and The Assembly of the Severed Head by Hugh Lupton.

Each Branch contains several tale episodes in a sequence, and each Branch is titled with the name of a leading protagonist. These titles are Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan and Math, but this is a modern custom; the Branches are not titled in the mediaeval manuscripts. Only one character appears in all four Branches, Pryderi, though he is never dominant or central to any of the Branches.

Pwyll Prince of Dyfed tells of the heroic and magical sojourn of Pwyll in Annwfn, his shapeshifting, chastity and a duel, which all establish a mighty alliance. The formidable Rhiannon courts him, and he helps her win her freedom to marry him. The strange abduction at birth of their baby son follows, with his rescue, fostering and restoration by the good lord Teyrnon of the Kingdom of Gwent. The child is named Pryderi.

Branwen Daughter of Llŷr follows Branwen’s marriage to the King of Ireland, who abuses her due to insult by her half brother, Efnysien. A tragically genocidal war develops fomented by Efnysien, in which a Cauldron which resurrects the dead figures, and the giant king Bran’s head survives his death in an enchanted idyll. Pryderi is merely named as a war survivor, and Branwen dies, heartbroken.

Manawydan Son of Llŷr brother of Branwen, heir to the throne of Britain, becomes Pryderi’s good friend during the war. Pryderi arranges his friend’s marriage to Rhiannon. The land of Dyfed is devastated. Journeys in England setting up craft businesses follow. An enchanted trap removes Pryderi and Rhiannon: Manawydan becomes a farmer. He cannily negotiates their release, as well as the restoration of the land, by confronting the villain behind it all.

Math Son of Mathonwy is a dark sequence of deception and treachery: war with Dyfed, the death of Pryderi, the double rape of a virgin girl, and the rejection of an unwanted hero son by proud Arianrhod. Gwydion her magician brother is the architect of all these destinies. He adds an artificially incubated pregnancy, and a synthetic woman. She, Blodeuwedd, creates a treacherous love triangle, murder in a peculiar manner. Gwydion makes a shamanic journey of redemption.

What Mhara expertly does here is lovingly provide the most perfect introduction into all of the aforementioned via a style of prose that is not only easy to read, never too complex to mentally digest, but also formulates into being an enduring smorgasbord of history, mythology, culture and so much more that should resonate within all those who read it; whether they are all-knowing of the subject matter to hand or simply an inquisitive newcomer.

In closing, the best way to use this book is as a guide for the curious Pagan, or as a stepping stone for those who wish to delve deeper into the Mabinogi but do not know where to start. But what this book is not is a translation of the tales themselves, so if that is what you are looking for, please pick up a good translation of the texts, read the stories thoroughly, and then read this book alongside them to gain further context.

About the Author - Born and raised in North Wales, and a first language Welsh speaker, Mhara Starling is a Welsh Folk Witch, and writes on the subjects of Welsh mythology, folklore, and magic. She lives in Chester, UK.

Official Book Purchase Link