Bibliography
Matthieu Boyd
s. xx–xxi
Boyd
Works authored
Boyd, Matthieu [ed. and tr.], The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2017.
In addition to texts and English translations of the four tales, this publication also contains an introduction, map, and a section headed “In context”, with illustrations from the Welsh laws, Peniarth MS 28 (images), the Welsh Triads and Gerald of Wales’ Description of Wales (1194).
abstract:
Set in a primal past, the Mabinogi bridges many genres; it is part pre-Christian myth, part fairytale, part guide to how nobles should act, and part dramatization of political and social issues. This edition of what has become a canonical text provides a highly engaging new translation of the work, an informative introduction, and a set of background contextual materials that help place the Mabinogi in the context of medieval Welsh history and culture.
(source: Publisher)
In addition to texts and English translations of the four tales, this publication also contains an introduction, map, and a section headed “In context”, with illustrations from the Welsh laws, Peniarth MS 28 (images), the Welsh Triads and Gerald of Wales’ Description of Wales (1194).
abstract:
Set in a primal past, the Mabinogi bridges many genres; it is part pre-Christian myth, part fairytale, part guide to how nobles should act, and part dramatization of political and social issues. This edition of what has become a canonical text provides a highly engaging new translation of the work, an informative introduction, and a set of background contextual materials that help place the Mabinogi in the context of medieval Welsh history and culture.
(source: Publisher)
Works edited
Contributions to journals
Boyd, Matthieu, “The timeless tale of Bricriu's feast”, North American Journal of Celtic Studies 1:2 (November, 2017): 151–172.
abstract:
The early Irish tale Fled Bricrenn ‘Bricriu's feast’ is set at an impossible time relative to the centerpiece of the Ulster Cycle, the epic Táin bó Cúailnge. Key characters, including Bricriu himself, are not available after the Táin, while the integral episodes involving Ailill and Medb would make no sense before the Táin. The embarrassing behavior of the heroes Lóegaire and Conall is also inconsistent with the way they are portrayed in other texts. Although there are limited parallels with other kinds of medieval literature, such as the verse tradition of French Arthurian romance, these problems are most helpfully addressed by recourse to contemporary Fan Fiction studies in conjunction with the medieval concept of glossing. Even if it does contain authentic lore, Bricriu's feast comes into focus as a comically distorted, but serious-minded reflection on the rest of the Ulster Cycle, including the Táin. The major themes of this reflection include the devaluation of fame through excess of praise, and the worthiness of the hero's community to benefit from him, even as the hero's own status depends on serving their interests and enacting their values.
abstract:
The early Irish tale Fled Bricrenn ‘Bricriu's feast’ is set at an impossible time relative to the centerpiece of the Ulster Cycle, the epic Táin bó Cúailnge. Key characters, including Bricriu himself, are not available after the Táin, while the integral episodes involving Ailill and Medb would make no sense before the Táin. The embarrassing behavior of the heroes Lóegaire and Conall is also inconsistent with the way they are portrayed in other texts. Although there are limited parallels with other kinds of medieval literature, such as the verse tradition of French Arthurian romance, these problems are most helpfully addressed by recourse to contemporary Fan Fiction studies in conjunction with the medieval concept of glossing. Even if it does contain authentic lore, Bricriu's feast comes into focus as a comically distorted, but serious-minded reflection on the rest of the Ulster Cycle, including the Táin. The major themes of this reflection include the devaluation of fame through excess of praise, and the worthiness of the hero's community to benefit from him, even as the hero's own status depends on serving their interests and enacting their values.
Boyd, Matthieu, “ [Review of: Carey, John, Ireland and the Grail, Celtic Studies Publications, 11, Aberystwyth: Celtic Studies Publications, 2007.]”, Celtic Studies Association of North America Newsletter 26:2 (2009): 3–6. http://www.csub.edu/~cmacquarrie/csana.
Boyd, Matthieu, “Melion and the wolves of Ireland”, Neophilologus 93 (2009): 555–570.
abstract:
When the werewolf protagonist of the Old French lay of Melion recruits a band of other wolves in order to lay waste to Ireland, this activity—unique to Melion—is informed by the medieval Irish view of díberg ‘(wolf-like) brigandage’. These aspects of Melion’s setting and plot are major developments in the medieval werewolf tale most famously attested in Marie de France’s Bisclavret. The case of Melion has profound implications for understanding Celtic influence on Francophone literature in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
abstract:
When the werewolf protagonist of the Old French lay of Melion recruits a band of other wolves in order to lay waste to Ireland, this activity—unique to Melion—is informed by the medieval Irish view of díberg ‘(wolf-like) brigandage’. These aspects of Melion’s setting and plot are major developments in the medieval werewolf tale most famously attested in Marie de France’s Bisclavret. The case of Melion has profound implications for understanding Celtic influence on Francophone literature in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
