The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
Arawn
Arawn identifies himself as a king of Annwvyn after Pwyll drives his hounds away from their quarry. Rather than demand immediate punishment, he proposes a service that Pwyll can perform in his place. After the exchange, Pwyll’s people praise the justice of the rule they unknowingly received from Arawn. The friendship is therefore confirmed in Pwyll’s own country as well as in the otherworld.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryArawn identifies himself as a king of Annwvyn after Pwyll drives his hounds away from their quarry. Rather than demand immediate punishment, he proposes a service that Pwyll can perform in his place.
Further detail
LiteraryAfter the exchange, Pwyll’s people praise the justice of the rule they unknowingly received from Arawn. The friendship is therefore confirmed in Pwyll’s own country as well as in the otherworld.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the narrative in Charlotte Guest’s 1877 collection, including its particular spellings and arrangement of tales. Characters, enchantments and explanations of place names are presented as features of these stories; the translation alone does not establish their historical reality or a single original religious meaning.
Original passages
Source 1
The Mabinogion
answered he; " Arawn, a King of Annwvyn, am I." " Lord," said he, " how may I gain thy friendship ? " " After thisOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 365
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0365
- Original scan leaf
- 366
- Recorded leaf number
- 366
- Current Reader position
- 357
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
free in bestowing thy gifts, and thy justice was never more worthily seen than in thisOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 368
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0368
- Original scan leaf
- 369
- Recorded leaf number
- 369
- Current Reader position
- 360
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed