Women and marriage in Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi

‘Women and Marriage in Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi’ explores the experience of marriage as portrayed in the tales of the Four Branches, particularly from the perspective of the female characters. It has frequently been suggested that in the tales of Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi, the emphasis is on the importance of the stability of the social group – with marriage being an essential part of social order - and that where women and men abide by their roles and obligations, social chaos can be avoided. The thesis, keeping this in mind, takes into account issues such as kinship relationships, agency and independence and the effect of social expectations for the roles of married women, before and after marriage. The thesis attempts to analyse the diverse features of the various marital relationships from the perceived experience of the women in each of the Four Branches. The analysis also takes into account medieval Welsh law – in particular the Welsh laws of women and the laws relating to Sarhaed (insult and honour) – along with contemporary scholarly research and opinion. The thesis concludes by querying whether the fundamental gender inequalities inherent in medieval Welsh society inevitably meant that the experience of marriage for women was frequently one of subjection and diminishment, as depicted in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

ma

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Clunie, Grace

• HQ Y teulu. Priodas. Benyw.
• PN Llenyddiaeth (Cyffredinol)

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:1740