James Baquet The book called “The Mabinogion” should be on every shelf — though most people haven’t even heard of it. This collection of 11 stories of Arthurian and pre-Arthurian lore contains the earliest prose stories (as opposed to poetry) in British literature. One of my favorites of these is called “Culhwch and Olwen,” which some say J.R.R. Tolkien (author of “The Lord of the Rings”) borrowed from for one of his tales. Culhwch’s mother dies just after he was born. His father marries a widow, who insists Culhwch marry his new stepsister. When he refuses, the stepmother curses him to love no one but Olwen, the beautiful daughter of Ysbaddaden, a “Chief Giant.” Culhwch falls irretrievably in love with the maiden without ever seeing her. He rides to the court of his cousin King Arthur where, with his gleaming armor, his sturdy courser, and his ruby-collared greyhounds by his side, he cuts quite a figure. Arthur offers him food and drink, but he will have none. Only, he says, he has come to ask a boon of the king: He would marry Olwen. Arthur confesses he has never heard of her, but will send out riders to find her. But by year’s end, the term of the agreement, no news of Olwen has surfaced. Disappointed, Culhwch prepares to leave. But Sir Cai insists that he, along with five other knights also gifted with supernatural powers, will accompany Culhwch to find the girl. Approaching a great castle, they ask a herdsman whose it might be. He discourages them, saying no one who has gone there has ever returned alive. But the herdsman’s wife tells them that Olwen comes to their house from the castle every Saturday to do her wash. When she does, Culhwch proposes to her. She accepts, on the condition that he complete the tasks her father will set. The giant sets him around 40 nearly-impossible labors, knowing that on the day of his daughter’s marriage, he will die. The text only tells us a few of the challenges — acquiring magic items and slaying monsters, for example, as with Hercules — but he did all with the help of Arthur and his men. In the end, the giant is killed, and Olwen is free to marry Culhwch, son of King Cilydd. Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. slender dogs used in hunting 2. wife of one’s father by a later marriage 3. fast horse used in battle 4. one who keeps cows 5. shining 6. not able to be reversed 7. writing in ordinary language, not verse 8. puts a spell on 9. come to light, appeared 10. favor | 