The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: Gwynedd and the Glamorgan Bards

Abstract

Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi or 'The Four Branches of the Mabinogi', surely the work of an author from Gwynedd or north-west Wales, are twelfth-century tales of love and adventure; and one character in them is Gwydion, a magician of Gwynedd. Amongst his exploits is disguising himself as a poet from Glamorgan (in South Wales) and thereby deceiving a Gwynedd sorceress, who is fooled into welcoming him as a story-teller and entertainer. In a similar way he had already tricked a prince of Dyfed (or south-west Wales). Although pure legend, the episodes have a semi-historical parallel in bards who unwittingly produced conflict between Deheubarth (southern Wales) and Glamorgan. According to the antiquary Rice Merrick (d. 1587), the feud was the result of royal passion, as at Troy. Its Helen was the wife of Iestyn (d. 1100?), Lord of Glamorgan; its Paris was Rhys (d. 1093), Prince of Deheubarth. Rhys became obsessed with Iestyn's wife after hearing poets describe her. Yet she was loyal to her husband as Helen was not to Menelaus. Disappointed in his lust, Rhys began threatening his neighbour. Hence an antagonism between Dyfed and Glamorgan that led to disaster for both. The 'Glamorgan bards' in these two narratives are the theme of this paper, with three main conclusions: (a) The sources are evidence neither for the eleventh century nor for the special excellence of verse in Glamorgan; (b) Glamorgan's representation in the Four Branches is consistent with authorship by a member of Gwynedd's ruling house who (through marriage) lived in Dyfed; (c) there is, in contrast, no link whatever between the tales and the Celtic monastery of Clynnog (in west Gwynedd), despite assertions by some.