More than half a century ago Lady Charlotte Guest gave _The Mabinogion_
to English readers in the form which, probably, will ever most delight
them. Her transcript of the Red Book of Hergest was not perfect, she
found the meaning of many a Welsh phrase obscure, but her rendering is
generally very accurate; and the Celtic tales retain in their new dress
much of the charm, which so often evades the translator, of a perfect
style formed by generations of narrating.
The Red Book of Hergest, from which _The Mabinogion_ are taken, is a
collection of tales and poems written during the fourteenth century. Some
of the Mabinogion in it have been reconstructed in Norman and Crusading
times, but they contain reminiscences of a more distant period, often but
half understood by the later story-teller. Among these are "The Dream of
Rhonabwy," "The Lady of the Fountain," and "Peredur the son of
Evrawc"--the three which happen to come first in the Red Book. These are
Christian, but with distant glimpses of Celtic heathenism. The
adventures are all grouped around Arthur and his knights; and a kind of
connection is given to the three tales by the presence of Owen and his
mysterious ravens.
Others, especially the four Mabinogion properly so called and the Tale of
Lludd and Llevelys, are far older; they are older than Christianity, and
older than Arthur.
In this new edition of Lady Guest's translation I have put, in the form
of footnotes, what appears to me to be a more correct or a more literal
rendering of some of the passages of the Welsh. This course makes it
unnecessary to tamper with the charming translation that has become a
classic of the English language.
I am very grateful to the Principal and Fellows of Jesus College for
access to the Red Book, to Dr J. Gwenogvryn Evans for permission to use
his edition and to Lord Wimborne (the Ivor of Lady Guest's dedication)
for information kindly given.