• The Mabinogion is a collection of eleven medieval Welsh tales, whose invention and fantastical interweaving of Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance have made it one of literature's greatest epics. This is the first new translation for 30 years.
• Sioned Davies's magnificent new translation is the first to place due emphasis on the tales' oral origins.
• The Introduction places the tales within their storytelling context and examines their central themes and the central role that public performance played in their evolution.
• Invaluable explanatory notes illuminate aspects of medieval Welsh society, highlight the relationship between the tales, cross-referencing them in a way that has never been done before.
• Glossaries of personal names and place-names translate their meanings and identify locations. A map shows the locations of the Mabinogion.
• A pronunciation guide aids the pronunciation of Welsh names.

   
'I cannot be killed indoors,' he said, 'nor out of doors; I cannot be killed on horseback, nor on foot.' 'Well,' she said, 'how can you be killed?'
  
Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as the Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar. Dragons, witches, and giants live alongside kings and heroes, and quests of honour, revenge, and love are set against the backdrop of a country struggling to retain its independence.
  
This new translation, the first for thirty years, recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.  
  
 
Extract Three, from How Culhwch won Olwen (mp3)
Extract Two, from The Dream of the Emperor Maxen (mp3)