Six
Mabinogion carvings feature in the entrance to the oak hall. These
carvings were done by Phil Forder who lives in Pembrokeshire. They
were done in the same oak used for the construction of this hall
and each carving was stained in oils to give it its rich colours.
Phil is an artist, writer and art teacher. The Mabinogion is a
collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. They
are partly based on early medieval historical events, but may hark
back to older iron age traditions. Its name comes from a
misunderstanding made by the Mabinogion's first English translator,
Lady Charlotte Guest: she found in one story the Welsh word
mabynogyon and assumed it was the plural form of the Welsh
mabinogi. The word mabinogi itself is something of a puzzle,
although it appears to be related to the Welsh mab or "son,
boy".
These carvings are based on stories that originate from West Wales.
BOLDEUWEDD
Lleu was disowned by his mother, Arianrhod who cursed him three times. His uncle Gwydion took pity on him and brought him up as his own. Gwydion, being a magician , was able to undo two of the curses but the third was more difficult as Lleu was cursed never to have a human wife. Gwydion, therefore created a wife for Lleu from flowers. She was called Bledeuwedd. Blodeuwedd was not faithful to Lleu and fell in love with the hunter Gronw Befr. Together they plotted to murder Lleu. As he was enchanted they devised a method to kill him by placing one foot on a goat, the other in water, then running him through with a spear that had taken a year to hew. However, the spear missed Lleu's heart and instead of dying he flew off as an injured eagle. Gwydion spotted the injured eagle and lured it down and once healed it took on the form of his nephew once again. Blodeuwedd and Gronw Befr fled in fear but were soon captured. For their crimes Blodeuwedd was transformed into an owl and Gronw was speared in the same manner that he had devised to kill Lleu.
BRANWEN
Branwen was given in marriage to the king of Ireland in a bid to bring peace between the two lands by her brother, the giant Bran, the king of Gwynedd. However, once in Ireland, Matholwch , the king, quickly tires of her and she made to work in the kitchens.She sends a message to her brother with a starling telling him of her misfortune. Incensed, Bran brings an army to Ireland to avenge Rhiannon,s treatment. However, the Irish have gained possession of a magic cauldron that can bring their dead warriors back to life. This causes the Welsh heavy casualties. The trickster Efnisien, one of Bran's men who secretly loves Rhiannon, fights his way furiously into the heart of the Irish camp but in his frenzy he mistakenly kills Branwen's son. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself, he throws himself into the magic cauldron and smashes it from the inside. As a result he dies. Only seven Welsh warriors survive the war and even Bran the giant is mortally wounded. Unable to walk, he instructs his men to hack off his head and carry it back to Wales. Branwen grieves for all the pain that has come from her marriage.
PWYLL
Pwyll, the Prince of Dyfed, was chasing a stag through a dense forest with his dogs, but was unable to catch it. Persevering through dense undergrowth he eventually caught up with it but it had, unfortunately, already been brought down by another pack of dogs. Seeing he was alone, Pwyll, drove these dogs away and set his own on the stag. However, he was seen by Arawn, King of Annwn (the Underworld), whose dogs he has just deprived of their prey. To make peace Pwyll and Arawn agree to swap both kingdoms and physical bodies for a year. Pwyll finds that as Arawn he is at war with Hafgan in the underworld whom he defeats. Arawn also has a beautiful wife who pursues Pwyll, with all her charms, believing him to be her husband. Pwyll avoids all her advances. After a year they return to their former selves and Arawn is amazed at Pwyll's honour. They become life long friends.
GWYDION
Math was the king of Gwynedd as well as being a powerful magician, however, he could only maintain his power as long as he rested his feet in the lap of a maiden every evening. The maiden's name was Goewin. Math had two nephews, Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. Gwydion was also a magician though of a lesser calibre than Math. Unfortunately, Gilfaethwy fell in love with Goewin and together with Gwydion he decided to win her. They devised a plan.
Gwydion Blodeuwedd Pywll Branwen Manwydan Rhiannon
News came to Gwynedd that in Narberth, Pryderi the prince, had obtained some new animals, never seen before, called pigs. Gwydion and Gilfaethry travelled to Dyfed. They managed to persuade Pryderi to part with his pigs in return for a herd of magnificent horses and matching hounds. These however, were conjured up from a pack of rats. Which after a short time returned to their original form. Pryderi was furious at being tricked and with his army pursues the thieves to Gwynedd. As king, Math, with his troops goes to meet the invasion and, as planned, Gilfaethwy rapes Goewin in his absence. On returning, Math is furious with his nephews and marries Goewin in an attempt to restore her respect. He banishes his nephews into the forest having cast a spell over them transforming them first into deer, then wolves and then boar. Each time the two have to produce offspring before the spell is lifted.
RHIANNON
Rhiannon, the beautiful daughter of Hyfaidd Hen, and Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, wish to wed but in doing so they make a mortal enemy of Gwawl, who has been promised Rhiannon as bride against her wishes. Together they trick Gwawl into giving up his claim by persuading him to get inside a sack which they subsequently tie up. Pwyll's soldiers beat him with sticks. Rhiannon and Pwyll have a son together who one night disappears. The maidservants, not wanting to be blamed for negligence, smear blood over sleeping Rhiannon and spread the word she has eaten her child. As a penance Rhiannon is forced to carry on her back every stranger who visits the town of Narberth, where Pwyll holds court.
However, elsewhere in the kingdom, a weird beast is terrorizing the people feeding on young foals. No one has ever seen it as it stalks by night. One evening a nobleman, Teyrnon Twrfliant, is watching a mare give birth in his stable when a claw comes through the roof and seizes the new born foal. Horrified, Teyrnon cuts off this foot and chases the beast as it limps off into the night. When he returns he finds a baby boy in the place of the foal. He recognises it as Pwyll's and Rhiannon's son, Pryderi, whom he takes to them, and subsequently Rhiannon is restored as queen.
MANAWYDAN
Manawydan was one of the seven warriors who returned with the head of Bran from Ireland. On his return he finds he has lost all that he had owned. Pryderi the prince and his wife Cigfa reward him by granting him Rhiannon (Pryderi's mother) as his wife plus land n Dyfed.. They all live happily at Narberth until one morning they awake to find that a curse has descended upon the kingdom and all buildings and people have disappeared. The four nobles live by hunting in the forest until they are forced to move to England where they survive by their skill as tradesmen. After many years they return and find the curse is still there. One day they give chase to a magnificent white boar that leads them to a wondrous castle they have never seen before. Pryderi and Rhiannon enter and find a golden pot suspended in the courtyard, upon touching it they are held fast. The castle then disappears leaving a bewildered Manwydan and Cigfa. They together farm the land only to find that every night their crops, when ripened, are destroyed by plagues of mice. Manawydan catches the fattest one and decides to hang it by the neck for stealing his wheat, but before he does so three strangers , in turn, appear and plead for him to show mercy, which Manawydan refuses to do. Eventually the final stranger reveals himself to be Llwyd mab Cilcoed, a friend of Gwawl, on whose behalf he was acting. Once he utters his name the curse on Dyfed is lifted and the mice are transformed back to the people and the fattest mouse into the wife of Llwyd mab Cilcoed. The spell, now undone, also releases Rhiannon and Pryderi who return from their imprisonment and are reunited with their spouses.