Date Thesis Awarded

5-2024

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

Religious Studies

Advisor

Mark McLaughlin

Committee Members

Andrew Tobolowsky

William Hutton

Abstract

The Welsh Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi [The Four Branches of the Mabinogi] were four related stories written by an unknown author based off of Welsh oral tradition, which contained elements of their old mythology. Among these stories was Math uab Mathonwy, which is notable for its complicated nature. This paper seeks to look at how the narrative structure and rhetorical purpose of the author of the Pedeir Keinc Mabinogi transformed the mythological material that was incorporated into Math uab Mathonwy, using the proto-Indo-European idea of the warrior and his sins as an example. For this purpose, the historical background and the milieu that Math was passed down orally and then written down in was established. Then, the paper will look at Christian influence and the nature of the family seen in Math. From there, the paper examines the reflective structure of the narrative and shows how the narrative demonstrates the importance of social codes by portraying conflict between those in favor of order and those living outside of societal norms. Finally, the paper looks at the proto-Indo-European warrior, as formulated by Georges Dumezil, and demonstrates that it was transformed and bifurcated in Math into the figures of Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gwydion ab Don, in order to fit with the narrative structure and purpose of the author.

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