Blog 3

In “Manawydan Son of Llyr”, the Third Branch of the Maginobi in The Maginobian, the central characters, Manawydan, Pryderi, Rhiannon, and Cigfa encounter trouble in Wales. Their land is beautiful and full of life, but the returning trope of magical influence destroys the land as they remembered it. Their misfortune comes swiftly because of their neglect to the past wrongdoings of Pwyll to usurp marriage to Rhiannon. The characters are unaware of such an impact on their future. As the characters resort to a life of hunting, surviving, and eventually becoming lower-class craftsmen, it becomes clear that their regal lifestyle has no meaning anymore. The parallel is that the group leaves Wales attempting to sell their goods in England therefore leaving their esteemed lives behind. 

Additionally, there is a theme of acceptance in this branch of Maginobi. Acceptance of a challenging burden is also a lesson of Christian teachings where God instructs his children to take up the cross. Rather than ask for God’s grace and good fortune, the children should move through life with God and ask for the strength to take on His challenges. Manawydan does just that. The characters accept their fate as being cursed by magic and Manawydan accepts the arrangement to spare the mouse in favor of the lives of Pryderi and Rhiannon. Manadywan goes on to live with Cigfa amidst their missing friends and accepts God’s will, saying to Cigfa, “I give thee God surety that thou hast not seen a comrade truer than thou wilt find me, so long as God will that thou be this way.” (Jones and Jones, p 40) The two were now alone with nobody to reconcile them, but instead of wishing for death the two resolved to shoulder God’s will and take on their days of misery. Afterwhich moment, the two are filled with courage and seek to rekindle their methods of craftsmanship in the hopes of surviving through their discomfort. 

Chapter 19 of Medieval Philosophy cites Centuries on Charity “Book II” with “So long as you have evil habits, do not refuse to undergo hardships, so that you may be humbled by them and vomit out pride.” (Foltz, p 181) Though the evil habits are that of the deceased Pwyll, family relation curses Pryderi and Rhiannon as well as the others with the magic misfortune of a similarly deceased land in Wales. The hardship they must undergo is the lack of riches and importance. In other words, being leaders of a land without life. However, their pride is tested when Manawydan attempts to kill the mice that ate his crops and rather than get revenge, he offers forgiveness in exchange for the lives of others. This is also a Christian lesson taught to us through the parables to extend forgiveness rather than hold a grudge and wish death against others. In this case, it earns the lives of others back and resolves further conflict between the rule of Rhiannon/Pryderi and Gwawl. The main characters can then return to their old lifestyle rather than suffer under their existing circumstances.