The Mabinogion

By: Sioned Davies - Translator

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

Then they took the flowers of the oak, and the flowers of the broom, and the flowers of the meadowsweet, and from those they conjured up the fairest and most beautiful maiden that anyone had ever seen.

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion.

They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar. Dragons, witches, and giants live alongside kings and heroes, and quests of honor, revenge, and love are set against the backdrop of a country struggling to retain its independence.

Sioned Davies's lively translation re-creates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and reinvests the tales with the power of performance.

©2007 Sioned Davies (P)2018 Tantor

Decent content, poor performance

Easily one of the worst readings I’ve heard - flat, monotonous, utterly devoid of drama or feeling. It’s especially unfortunate, as the translator stresses at length the degree to which she rendered the Mabinogion to retain its oral character. I would strongly recommend sampling the other Audible version of this audiobook before making a purchase.

An interesting translation

Overall, an interesting translation and retelling of not only the four branches of the Mabinogion, but of other stories within the tradition of Wales and the Mabinogion proper. Well worth the read, and this audio fits perfectly with the Oxford World Classics edition

Good research item for fantasy writers.

Eleven Welsh myths and Arthurian romances comprise the Mabinogion. These are simple tales but have been springboards of ideas for fantasy writers for a century.
Modern translations of ancient myths and epics are clear & direct, no denying that. But they often lack love of verse and language, a touch of Tennyson or Coleridge.
A comparison may be that older translations are akin to the King James bible and newer ones to the NIV bible--or even the ERV.

Narrator sounds bored and irritated

This narrator sounds like someone is forcing him to read the stories. Very unpleasant listening and it distracts from the mythology.

Fabulous

Fans of Icelandic saga, Arthurian legend, Homeric epic will love this audiobook. Even more than the printed book because it pronounces all the strange Welsh names of characters and places. There’s a strong echo of J.R.R. Tolkien in the stories. The Mabinogion is literally wonderful.