The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
Matholwch
Matholwch arrives seeking Branwen as his wife, bringing Ireland into an alliance with her family. The injury done to his horses turns the marriage negotiations towards compensation. Under pressure from his own circle, he later isolates Branwen and forbids traffic with Britain so that her treatment will not become known there. Her bird-message breaks that imposed silence.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryMatholwch arrives seeking Branwen as his wife, bringing Ireland into an alliance with her family. The injury done to his horses turns the marriage negotiations towards compensation.
Further detail
LiteraryUnder pressure from his own circle, he later isolates Branwen and forbids traffic with Britain so that her treatment will not become known there. Her bird-message breaks that imposed silence.
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
" " Lord," said they, " Matholwch, king of Ireland, is here, and these ships belong to him." " Wherefore comes he ? " askedOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 395
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0395
- Original scan leaf
- 396
- Recorded leaf number
- 396
- Current Reader position
- 387
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
said his men to Matholwch, " forbid now the ships and the ferry boats and the coracles, that they go not into Cambria, and such as come overOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 401
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0401
- Original scan leaf
- 402
- Recorded leaf number
- 402
- Current Reader position
- 393
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Branwen
The princess whose marriage alliance becomes the centre of a catastrophe between two islands.
Same subject and traditionArianrod
The mother who places conditions on Llew’s name, arms and marriage.
Same subject and traditionArthur in the Mabinogion
The courtly ruler whose household gathers the companions and quests of Guest’s Welsh romances.
Same subject and traditionCaridwen
The maker of an inspiration-cauldron whose intended gift is diverted to Gwion Bach.