Sioned Davies's magnificent translation is the first to place due emphasis on the tales' oral origins. Intended for performance, the tales have been translated with regard to the rhythm and tempo of the originals, preserving their formulaic elements and displaying the rhetorical passages.
An 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.
Indexes 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.