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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is unusual about the dwarfs who speak the praise of Peredur (apart from their lack of height)?

2. Why does Enid scream?

3. What colors are worn by the horse and rider who first meets Rhonabwy?

4. How many maidens does Cynon see in the castle?

5. Which of the following is not promised to Culhwch by the porter if he stays in the guest house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Peredur's mother raise him in seclusion?

2. Why does Glewlwyd Mighty-Grasp recommend that Culhwch should be admitted to Arthur's court?

3. Why does Cynon first approach the Hideous Herdsman?

4. Why does Gereint decide to follow the knight and the dwarf?

5. How does Llud deal with the plague of the scream?

6. Where do Owein and Arthur play their games of gwyddbwyll?

7. How is Owein healed after his madness?

8. Why is Cei angry at the two dwarfs?

9. Why does the author of "The Dream of Rhonabwy" say that nobody can remember the tale without a book?

10. Who teaches Peredur in the ways of knighthood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the character of Cei as he appears in the earlier tales and as he appears in the later romances, and describe how the portrayal of this character has changed over time. Use quotes from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the stories that follow the folk-tale motif of the Ill-treated Wife. For each, explain why the woman in question receives ill treatment, what she does about the treatment and how her story is resolved. Your answer should deal with the stories of the following women:

(a) Branwen (Branwen daughter of Llyr)

(b) Rhiannon (Pwyll Prince of Dyfed)

(c) Enid (Gereint son of Erbin)

Essay Topic 3

Several of the tales in The Mabinogion seem to have the transition from boyhood to manhood as their theme. Choose two of the tales below and for each, describe the attributes that the main character must gain in order to prove that he is a man, and how he obtains these. Choose from:

(a) "Culhwch and Olwen"

(b) "Math son of Mathonwy"

(c) "Peredur son of Efrawg"

(see the answer keys)

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