The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The Head of Bendigeid Vran
Bendigeid Vran instructs his companions to carry his head to the White Mount in London. Before burial, they are to spend years at Harlech and on Gwales. At Gwales the head remains a pleasant companion, and the company forgets its grief until a forbidden door is opened. Burial subsequently marks a defence against invasion within the story.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryBendigeid Vran instructs his companions to carry his head to the White Mount in London. Before burial, they are to spend years at Harlech and on Gwales.
Further detail
LiteraryAt Gwales the head remains a pleasant companion, and the company forgets its grief until a forbidden door is opened. Burial subsequently marks a defence against invasion within the story.
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
should cut ofi" his head. "And take you my head,^^ said he, "and bear it even unto the White Mount, in London, and bury itOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 406
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0406
- Original scan leaf
- 407
- Recorded leaf number
- 407
- Current Reader position
- 398
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
not more irksome to them having the head with them, than if Bendigeid Vran had been with them himself. And because of these fourscore years, itOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 408
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0408
- Original scan leaf
- 409
- Recorded leaf number
- 409
- Current Reader position
- 400
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
The Cauldron of Renovation
The vessel that returns slain warriors to life while withholding their speech.
Shared source pageBendigeid Vran
The giant king who becomes a bridge for his army and leaves a protective head behind.
Shared source pageEvnissyen
The destructive brother whose final act breaks the cauldron of renovation.
Shared source pageGwales
The island hall where the survivors of Branwen’s catastrophe spend eighty years outside remembered grief.