Hello! My name is Emma Burns and I am a junior majoring in linguistics. For the past year I have worked at the 7th street studio and maker space, as well as helped in leading the botany club. When I’m not busy with work or school, I enjoy taking walks, crafting, napping, and occasionally rearranging my room (which may or may not happen 30 times a semester). My greatest weakness is that I wish so desperately to be a morning person, I end up starting every day with failure; my greatest strength is that, in spite of such failure, I still believe I could become a morning person if I really set my mind to it. Nevertheless, I am excited to see what this year of life has in store for me!
The third tale of The Mabinogion regales the travels of Manawydan Son of LLyr. Within this telling (specifically pages 42-45), Manawydan becomes seemingly obsessed with a mouse he captured stealing his crop (pg42). All who come across Manawydan and the mouse persuade him to let go of the poor creature, even going so far as to offer money and land for its release. However, Manawydan simply cannot bear to free such a thief. However, with the publicity of this mock execution, Manawydan is able to successfully draw out the true villain of this tale. Only once the enemy promised to release Rhiannon and Pryderi, as well as lift the spell upon Dyfed, will Manawydan return the creature to him. In a moral sense, this entire dilemma seems to be a direct repercussion of Pwyll’s invention of the Badger in the Bag game (pg. 45). Viewing that as perhaps the ‘original sin’ of the people of Dyfed, therein lies an explanation for the tragedy they have endured since. In a moral sense, this story could serve as a forewarning on unnecessary violence and the cycle of hatred and revenge. In a more religious subtext, however, the faux execution of the mouse resembles a sort of ritualistic banishment of evil (pg. 45)
“I cast the enchantment over the seven cantrefs of Dyfed; and to avenge Gwawl son of Clud, through friendship for him, did I cast the enchantment; and on Pryderi did I avenge the playing of Badger in the Bag on Gwawl son of Clud…”
The Mabinogion pg. 44-45