| Manawydan fab Llŷr | |
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| "Manawydan, son of Llŷr""The Mabinogi of the Collar and the Hammer" | |
.jpg) Opening lines of the third branch of the Mabinogi: And after the travellers buried Bendigeidfran's head in the Gwynfryn in London with his face towards France, Manawydan looked at the town and at his friends, and sighed deeply. (Bodleian Library's manuscript) | |
| Author(s) | Unknown, generally believed to be a scribe fromDyfed.[1] |
| Language | Middle Welsh |
| Date | Earliest manuscript dates to 14th century; tale believed to be much older. |
| Series | Four Branches of the Mabinogi |
| Genre | Welsh mythology |
| Subject | Third branch of the Mabinogi. Return ofPryderi andManawydan to Britain, wasting ofDyfed, imprisonment ofRhiannon and Pryderi, their subsequent release and the restoration of Dyfed. |
| Setting | MainlyDyfed, alsoEngland. |
| Period covered | Mythological |
| Personages | Manawydan,Pryderi,Rhiannon,Cigfa,Caswallon fab Beli,Llwyd ap Cil Coed |
Manawydan fab Llŷr; "Manawydan, the son of Llŷr" is a legendary tale frommedieval Welsh literature and the third of the four branches of theMabinogi. It is a direct sequel to the second branch,Branwen ferch Llŷr, and deals with the aftermath ofBran's invasion ofIreland and the horrific enchantment that transforms Dyfed into awasteland. The chief characters of the tale areManawydan, rightful king of Britain, his friendPryderi, the king ofDyfed and their respective wivesRhiannon andCigfa. Along with the other branches, the tale can be found in the medievalRed Book of Hergest andWhite Book of Rhydderch. Allusions to the tale can be found in two old triads retained in theTrioedd Ynys Prydein.[2]
Will Parker has suggested that the branch draws heavily on theExpulsion of the Déisi, the tale of theIrish tribe that settled in South-West Wales during the Dark Ages and founded theKingdom of Dyfed, as well as the Irish sagaCath Maige Mucrama, which shares a number of structural and thematic similarities withManawydan. He describes the third branch as the "foundation myth of the Cymbro-Gaelic royal house of Dyfed..."[3]
The branch is followed by the tale ofMath fab Mathonwy, in which the setting is transferred from Dyfed toGwynedd.
Having honoured the last requests of his brotherBendigeidfran, by burying his head facing France so as to ward off invasion,Manawydan accompanies his friendPryderi to the kingdom ofDyfed, where the latter is reunited with his wifeCigfa. During his stay, Manawydan marriesRhiannon, Pryderi's widowed mother, while Pryderi heads off toKent to pay homage to the usurperCaswallon. Soon after, a magical mist descends on the land leaving it empty of all domesticated animals and humans apart from the four protagonists.
Pryderi and Manawydan travel toEngland to make a living from various trades, but are forced to leave one town after another to avoid conflict with other tradesmen who resented their superior skills. Returning to Dyfed, Manawydan and Pryderi go hunting and, coming across a whiteboar, follow it to a huge, towering fort. Against Manawydan's advice, Pryderi enters the fort and is drawn towards a beautiful golden bowl. Upon touching the bowl, his feet stick to the floor, his hands stick to the bowl and he loses the power of speech. Manawydan waits in vain for his return before giving news of his disappearance to Rhiannon. Chiding her husband for his poor companionship, Rhiannon too enters the fort and suffers the same fate as her son. In a "blanket of mist", Pryderi, Rhiannon and the fort itself, vanish. Cigfa weeps at the loss of her husband, but is comforted by Manawydan, and the two head off to England before being driven out, once again, due to their superior craftmanship.
Upon returning to the wasteland, they sow three fields of wheat but the first field is destroyed before it can be harvested. The next night the second field is destroyed. Manawydan keeps watch over the third field and when he sees it destroyed by mice he catches one and decides to hang it the next day. Ascholar, apriest and abishop in turn offer him gifts if he will spare the mouse but he refuses. When asked what he wants in return for the mouse's life he demands the release of Pryderi and Rhiannon and the lifting of the enchantment over Dyfed. Thebishop agrees because the mouse is in fact his wife. It is revealed that the catalyst of their suffering was the enchanterLlwyd ap Cil Coed, who sought revenge for the humiliation of his friendGwawl ap Clud at the hands ofPwyll andRhiannon. The enchantment over Dyfed is lifted.
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