The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
Gwales
The companions enter a beautiful hall on Gwales with three doors. They remain there for eighty years, experiencing a joyful company in which their losses are forgotten. Opening the door facing Cornwall restores their memory and sorrow. The spell’s ending obliges them to complete the journey and bury Bendigeid Vran’s head.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryThe companions enter a beautiful hall on Gwales with three doors. They remain there for eighty years, experiencing a joyful company in which their losses are forgotten.
Further detail
LiteraryOpening the door facing Cornwall restores their memory and sorrow. The spell’s ending obliges them to complete the journey and bury Bendigeid Vran’s head.
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
sorrow whatsoever. And there they remained fourscore years, unconscious of having ever spent a time more joyous and mirthful. And they were not more weary thanOpen 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
Source 2
The Mabinogion
was closed, that which looked towards Cornwall, " See, yonder," said Manawyddan, " is the door that we may not open." And that night theyOpen 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 Head of Bendigeid Vran
The severed head that accompanies the survivors’ feasts before its protective burial.
Same subject and traditionAnnwvyn in Pwyll’s Tale
The otherworld kingdom entered through an exchange of royal appearance and duty.
Same subject and traditionEnchanted Dyved
The familiar kingdom emptied by thunder and mist in Manawyddan’s tale.