In this last talk on Peredur and the Three Romances of The Mabinogion, we take a look at one of the more overlooked elements in the famous Grail procession scene, and find that the Bleeding Lance is best understood in the context of Celtic myth, where its meaning becomes clear.
The Mabinogion tale of Peredur contains a version of the famous grail scene that so fascinated medieval audiences across Europe. But in a Welsh context, this scene has several other meanings, just as profound and just as pertinent to the study of Celtic storytelling.
In this first video on the Mabinogion romance of Peredur we see how symbolic colours and martial arts witches give the hero a brief respite from his constant fighting.
In this third video on the Mabinogion story of Geraint, we delve into the many enchanted mists contained in this old Welsh story, and trying to discern what the mists mean . . .
In this second video on the story of Geraint from the Mabinogion, we look at how medieval Welsh storytellers wove repeating patterns and symmetry into their stories. In Geraint, this technique is used to deepen the theme of the hero’s journey.
The threshold figure is a common motif in Celtic myth. In this talk I look at some Welsh examples and explore what it means.
The lion is one of the most prominent symbols in the Mabinogion tale of Owain. But what is its meaning and how old is it?
The story of Owain ab Urien travelled far in medieval Europe, mainly through Chretian de Troyes Old French classic Yvain (12th century), which although popular seems to have been stripped of its older more mythic elements. Yet on the story’s return to Wales in the 13th century, the Welsh storytellers appear to have reinvested the text with myth, renovating and remaking the story as they claimed it back.
In the 13th century story of Owain we find one of the most ancient mythic figures to be found in European literature, the many-faced Lord of Animals.
Celtic myths are symbolic, so we need to interpret them to draw out their wisdom. As a result, it’s probably worth asking if interpretation was ever a part of the Celtic storytelling tradition?