ABSTRACT
It has long been recognized that the Four Branches of the Mabinogi are among the finest literary creations of the Middle Welsh period, and represent a noteworthy contribution to European literature. The fact that the Mabinogi is grouped into four “Branches” is significant in this context, for such a grouping takes the emphasis away from the tendency to regard the tales as a linear continuum. Friendships are noticeably an important theme in the Mabinogi, as we can tell quite early in our reading of the First Branch. When Pwyll is required to make amends for his ignorance and his incivility, Arawn begins by arranging a bond of friendship between them which is stated explicitly: “Mi a wnaf a thi gedymdeithas gadarn”. The role of the women in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi has so far not been adequately defined or examined, though no one would deny that women play a significant part in the tales.
