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The eleven tales known as The Mabinogion were preserved in two manuscripts known as The White Book of Rhydderch and the Red Book of Hergest. These manuscripts were penned during 1300 to 1425, the White Book being the earlier of the two. The stories in these manuscripts are much older, and many were originally oral tales. The Mabinogion is considered to be one of the most important collections of Celtic tales originating in Wales. The Three Romances are the most "modern" (later Medieval) tales in the collection and are Welsh versions of stories originally by the French troubador Chretién de Troyes. This is in contrast to "The Tale of Culhwch and Olwen", which is one of the oldest Arthurian stories.

The name Mabinogion is a late invention, coined by Lady Charlotte Guest. The name derives from the Welsh term mabinogi and is...