Some stories fade as soon as you read them, and some stay with you for life, informing your attitudes, your conscience, and your vision of the world around you. And sometimes, they kickstart unexpected obsessions.
When I was about eleven years old, on my summer holidays (just after New Year), I borrowed a book from my cousin, who I was staying with at the time. The book was The Earth Witch, by Louise Lawrence (the pen name of Elizabeth Holden, an English writer with a passion for Wales). It took me right out of the world I knew and into a damp, dark landscape of brooding, eerie power, a world where nature is menacing and terrible as well as life-giving. This was my first glimpse of the beliefs and mythology of old Wales, revealed through the prism of a modern setting. It's a story that doesn't retell any one particular myth, but draws on the author's wide knowledge of tales of the Mabinogion and other myths and folklore. The richness of intertextual references whet my appetite for hunting down those old stories, as if somehow I could find the "truth" contained in the fiction. I craved knowledge of Welsh landscape, history and literature and mythology. From then on, I was hooked on the subject, even though I lived on the other side of the world and had no Welsh heritage at all.
The best place to start for anyone wanting to read Welsh mythology is, of course, the Mabinogion, a collection of myths (the Four Branches of the Mabinogi), tales and romances (Welsh versions of Arthurian tales). There are, of course, plenty of debates about accuracy of translation, origins of stories and so on, which I won't enter into here, as I'm certainly no expert!
One of my favourite stories from the Mabinogion is the story of Lleu, Goronwy and Blodeuwedd (also spelled Blodeuedd), contained in "Math, Son of Mathonwy", one of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. The Visit Wales website has a light, easy-to-read retelling (along with a couple of other tales), and some links to local websites that give readers a look at the real backdrops of the tales. Even if you can't or won't visit Wales, a look at the landscape really helps bring the stories to life.
The following experimental film, inspired by the Lleu-Blodeuwedd-Goronwy story, also gives a look at some relevant locations.
This particular story, while not very long, has been retold and reinterpreted many times. One famous and very enjoyable example (yes, for adults as well as younger readers!) is Alan Garner's book, The Owl Service. I first read it as an adult and found it quite compelling.
The following tale, of Bran and Branwen (from the branch "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr"), is a straightforward retelling for children (and will suit those who don't enjoy experimental interpretations).
For a broad and fascinating look at Wales, which ties myth and history together with landscape and culture (an "evocation of every aspect of Welshness"), try Jan Morris's Wales: Epic Views of a Small Country. It allowed me armchair travel to Wales, when I was too far away and too poor to afford a real trip, and later, when I finally made it there, it gave me plenty of background information on a place that was every bit as fascinating and beautiful as I expected it to be, and even more so.
Books ignited my obsession, but a visit only fuelled it...
This post has, obviously, barely scratched the surface of the wealth of literature out there. Any suggestions on further Welsh-themed reading would be more than welcome!
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