The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh prose tales, incorporating history, mythology and folklore. It is thought that the stories first started to be written down in the second half of the 11th century, but based on a much older oral tradition. The earliest copy of the complete Mabinogion is the 'Red Book of Hergest' (c.1400). An earlier manuscript called 'The White Book of Rhydderch' (c.1325) is incomplete but more than likely contained all eleven tales when it was whole. Fragments of these tales appear elsewhere, the earliest of which is believed to be 'Peniarth 6' which dates to c.1225.

Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest published the first English translations between 1838 and 1849 (using just the 'Red Book of Hergest'; 'The White Book of Rhydderch' had not been discovered at that time), deriving the title Mabinogion from the group of four related stories that begin the collection, 'The Four Branches of the Mabinogi' ('Pwyll', 'Branwen', 'Manawyddan' and 'Math'). The second group of stories, 'The Four Independent Native Tales', includes 'Kulhwch and Olwen', 'Lludd and Llefelys', 'The Dream of Macsen' and 'The Dream of Rhonabwy'. The collection finishes with a group of three Arthurian romances, 'Owein and Luned' (or 'The Lady of the Fountain'), 'Geraint and Enid', and 'Peredur Son of Efrawg', which show French influence.