#MythologyMonday A brief foray across the Irish Sea today! The Irish Manannán mac Lir is often considered cognate with the Mabinogion's Manawydan fab Llŷr. Still, even though they may well have developed from a common older mythological figure, their surviving stories share relatively little. One version of a tale of Manannán sees him disguise himself as Fíachna, king of Ulster, in order to sleep with the king's wife, Cáintigern. Mongán mac Fíachnai, prince of the Cruthin, is conceived as a result of this union. The story would seem to have clear parallels with Uther Pendragon's impersonation of Gorlois in order to seduce Igraine, and the resulting conception of King Arthur. It's not clear though if one story borrowed from the other, or, possibly, if both draw on an older shared mythological motif. Image showing John Sutton's sculpture of Manannán mac Lir, in County Derry, Ireland. Photo by Mat Tuck.

#ScreenShotSaturday Such a calm, pastoral shot across the fields of Dyfed... That little whisp of dark, magical looking mist creeping along the stream bed couldn't possibly be anything to worry about, right?? The first hints of the magical curse about to befall Pryderi's lands begin to manifest!

#FolkloreSunday In early Welsh literature, the pale-furred, red-eared Cŵn Annwn are the hunting dogs of the Welsh Otherworld of Annwn, running ahead of their lords, Arawn and Gwyn ap Nudd. Under Christianity came a reframing of these stories, to fit a binary vision of heaven and hell. Annwn slid into the infernal, the Cŵn Annwn recast as the Hounds of Hell! Illustration, 'The Lords of Annwn' by Giles Watson, 2009.

#ScreenShotSaturday Oh, why am I sharing a screen when I could show you Pryderi walking around the location?? Here's a short clip, the same location as earlier, just before the cursed fog sweeps across Pryderi's lands. Not polished or presentation quality, just me playing around in the daily build!

#ScreenshotSaturday Some more detailing work in and around Pryderi's home at Arberth to share this week. Dinefwr and Dolwyddelan, shown in the accompanying reference shots, were two of the most important references, alongside several of the other 'native' Welsh castles. Castles in Wales can broadly be divided into those built by the native Welsh Princes, and those built by the invading English, with some notable differences in their styles and locations. The English castles tend to be massive, oppressive fortresses, like Conwy and Harlech, intended to project royal power as much as defend territory. The Welsh Princes, commanding fewer available resources, built smaller fortifications, that by necessity relied more heavily on natural defences. A pleasing consequence is that they're often located in more spectacular locations: on the tops of craggy hills, overlooking mountain passes, or at the edges of imposing lakes.

#BannedBooksWeek Apparently this week is 'Banned Books Week'! While the tales of the Mabinogion were never outright prohibited, the language they were originally written in, and the culture they formed a part of, were subject to centuries of discrimination and suppression. From the 'Laws in Wales Acts' of the 16th Century, through to the 'Welsh Not' forcing the use of English on school children well into the 20th Century, language restriction has been one of the principle tools of oppression in the region. Welsh literature also faced restrictions on publication, in particular during the religious conflicts of the 16th Century, when some Welsh-language books had to be printed in secret. Censorship is not always about just banning individual books; suppression of the language that stories are told in is an insidious means of achieving the same aim. It's something to keep in mind anytime laws are proposed restricting, or imposing, the use of specific languages.

#FolkloreSunday Orddu, daughter of Orwen, was one of the the Three Witches of the Uplands of Hell. When Culhwch is given the impossible task of drawing blood from her, he allies with his uncle, King Arthur, as well as Gwyn ap Nudd, the Lord of the Fairy Folk. Arriving at her cave, Gwyn holds Arthur back, telling him it would be unseemly for a King to be seen confronting an old woman. Instead, they send in a series of Arthur's warriors, each of whom is beaten senseless by the sorceress, only dragged to safety by Arthur's steed, Llamrei. Enraged, Arthur draws his dagger Carnwennan, and rushes into the cave. He cleaves the witch in two with his blade, collecting her blood in a flask. With the last of Culhwch's impossible tasks complete, the retinue returns to the giant Ysbaddaden, and Culhwch can finally claim Olwen as his bride.

Interested in both the Middle Ages and video games? You're in for a treat next week! I had the pleasure of giving a keynote talk at this event last year, overall a super interesting occasion - very much looking forward to seeing the presentations this year! middleagesinmoderngames.net/…

#WordsOnWednesday The island of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), off the north west coast of Wales, is home to many tales of myth and magic. One of these stories is that of Cath Palug, a monstrous feline who was one of the three great plagues of Ynys Môn. Born as a kitten to the great white sow Henwen of Cornwall, at the black rock in Llanfair, it was cast into the sea and later found by the sons of Palug. Raised without knowing its true nature, the kitten grew into a monstrous cat-beast, wreaking havoc on the island. In various accounts, the creature is hunted down by the warrior Cai, or even Arthur himself, but not before killing near two hundred men of Arthur's retinue. Image from medieval floor mosaic of King Arthur hunting Cath Palug.

#WordsOnWednesday Today is Owain Glyndŵr Day, commemorating the last native Prince of Wales, and his historic rebellion against the English. The Cistercian monastery of Strata Florida Abbey was an important focus of religious power at the time, as well as a major intellectual and literary centre. During the rebellion, the monks remained loyal to Glyndŵr. Consequently, they were violently evicted from the monastery, which was then plundered and used as a military base by the forces of Henry IV. There is a strong argument that at least some parts of the White Book of Rhydderch, one of the two principal sources for the stories of the Mabinogion, may have been scribed at this location. The patron of the work, Rhydderch ab Ieuan Llwyd, lived relatively nearby and had connections to the abbey. The specific dialect of the writing is also typical of that area. Photo of the archway to the main nave at Strata Florida, by William M. Connolley.

#MythologyMonday The sorceress Ceridwen was the keeper of the Cauldron of Awen, source of all knowledge and inspiration. Some scholars suggest her origins lie in an earlier pagan goddess of prophecy, although others attribute her perceived divine status to more modern neo-pagan practices. The sculpture of Ceridwen shown in the photo is by Sam Holland, shown at the 2025 National Eisteddfod in Wrexham.

#FairyTaleTuesday "I know why there is an echo in a hollow; Why silver gleams; why breath is black; why liver is bloody; Why a cow has horns; why a woman loves." 'The Book of Taliesin' is a 14th century vellum manuscript, preserving the much older poetry attributed to the great bard Taliesin. The works contained within its pages contain prophecy, transformation, arcane learnings, tales of Arthur's voyage to the Otherworld, stories of magical cauldrons, and much more. While there was an historical figure named Taliesin, a 6th century poet, the pages of this book belong to a later persona: the quasi-supernatural bard of legend, born with the gift of secret cosmological knowledge.