The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The Cauldron of Renovation
Bendigeid Vran gives Matholwch a cauldron with the power to restore a man killed that day by the following morning. Its limitation is explicit: the restored man cannot regain his speech. In the later battle, Evnissyen deliberately enters the vessel and breaks it. The destruction ends a renewal that had prolonged the opposing army’s capacity to fight.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryBendigeid Vran gives Matholwch a cauldron with the power to restore a man killed that day by the following morning. Its limitation is explicit: the restored man cannot regain his speech.
Further detail
LiteraryIn the later battle, Evnissyen deliberately enters the vessel and breaks it. The destruction ends a renewal that had prolonged the opposing army’s capacity to fight.
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
was at the best, except that he will not regain his speech." And thereupon he gave him great thanks, and very joyful was he for that cause. And the nextOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 398
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0398
- Original scan leaf
- 399
- Recorded leaf number
- 399
- Current Reader position
- 390
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
that he rent the cauldron into four pieces, and burst his own heart also. In consequence of that the men of the Island of the MightyOpen 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
Continue exploring
The Head of Bendigeid Vran
The severed head that accompanies the survivors’ feasts before its protective burial.
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.
Same subject and traditionCaridwen’s Cauldron of Inspiration
The year-long preparation that concentrates its power into three drops.