Each branch of The Mabinogion reveals an adventure or trial that most of the characters must overcome in order to achieve some level of success. The effects of these trials or tests serve to measure the strengths, weaknesses, and leadership abilities that each character may or may not innately contain. According to both the noun and verb definitions of “test” found in the OED (the ones chosen specifically for this assignment), to test someone or something is to determine his existence, quality or genuineness; it is a means, especially in a religious context, of testing beliefs or opinions. In Entry 3 of Noun1, test is specifically attributed to the Test Act of 1673 , which was a statute excluding those who refused to take the oath of allegiance from entering into public office. This definition seems to fall in line not only with some characters of The Mabinogion, but also characters found in Beowulf and The Song of Roland; characters who readily took oaths of loyalty and were stalwart defenders of their lords and fellow countrymen. …show more content…
As the first figure introduced in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Pwyll is presented as the flawed and somewhat lackadaisical prince of Dyfed. Once he meets Arawn of Annwn, his “existence, quality, [and] genuineness” is tested by means of a supernatural switch of roles and lives. As a result of this test, Pwyll grows and matures as a person and a leader. He also establishes a strong bond with Arawn and remains loyal to him. The outcome of Pwyll’s test/adventure marks the great literary beginnings of Welsh history and sets the stage for the rest of The