As a practising Druid, I have always been drawn to the stories, folklore, and history of the Brythonic peoples. As I’ve walked the path, however, I’ve found myself increasingly led towards the Welsh myth cycle in particular. One of the key manuscripts in welsh folklore is the Mabinogion (or Mabinogi by the correct translation.) I have owned this book for a long while now and am familiar with its tales and characters, but recently I decided to see if I could delve further into the legendary figures behind these wonderful stories.
Sadly, there is a sore lack of literature available on the original pre-Christian Welsh deities and much of what there is was altered to a more Christian slant by the monks who committed these oral stories to paper. What I was looking for was a purely pagan examination that could cut through those changes to the true stories lying beneath. ‘Gods and Goddesses of Wales’ by Halo Quin did just that!
The author’s companionable tone and down to earth practical style of exploration lends this book the air of setting out on a quest with a knowledgeable friend and guide at your side. The reader is led through each newly revealed story within the four branches, immersing themselves in the rich landscape of ancient Wales, before meeting and exploring the personality and motivation of each of the legendary characters contained within each tale. Once each deity has been properly met the author offers insightful and practical suggestions of the many ways to honour each of them. The journey ends on a guided meditation, allowing the reader to journey on their own, discovering more and perhaps even meeting each figure in person.
This was a fantastic read and it has been wonderful to experience these educational tales gloss-free and how they were originally intended. The only thing which could have improved this body of work is hearing the bard themselves relate the tales orally – I will keep my fingers crossed that in time an audio version of this text will become available… or, better yet, a live performance by the author.