The Mabinogion

"Y Mabinogi" or "Mabinogion" is the collective name given by scholars to 11 assorted stories appearing in two Medieval manuscripts (dated uncertainly between the 11th and 13th centuries), "The White Book of Rhydderch" and "The Red Book of Hergest." In the manuscripts themselves, the name "Mabinogi" only refers to to the "four branches," the stories of Pwyll, Branwen, Manwyddan, and Math. Thus, the term "Mabinogion" is sometimes used to refer to only these four stories, sometimes for all 11 (or these 11 plus another which was added in the first English translation).

The first complete printing of these 11 stories appeared in parts 1838-1845 then in toto in 1849, with an English translation by Lady Charlotte Guest. Lady Guest also included "Taliesin," a story from a sixteenth-century manuscript, and this story appears in some but not all subsequent Mabinogion editions.

This title record, dated 1849 for the year of the first complete edition, refers to all anthologies with any translation that collect either the eleven medieval tales or the twelve that Lady Guest included.

• First printing of this edition stated to be March 1906 on reverse of title page. Data taken from Google Books scan of third printing.
• This edition includes all twelve translated stories from Guest's 1849 edition but in a different order. The notes are those of the 1849 edition, rearranged along with the stories. The introduction by R. Williams is new in this edition.