| Series on Celtic mythology  |
| Ancient Celtic religion |
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Druids · Bards · Vates |
| Brythonic mythology |
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Welsh mythology |
| Gaelic mythology |
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Irish mythology |
| See also |
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Celts · Gaul |
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts, prior to the Christianization of the Celtic-speaking lands The Gods and Goddesses or deities of the Celts are known from a variety of sources these include written Celtic mythology, ancient A druid was a member of the priestly and learned class in the ancient Celtic societies Etymology The word is a Loanword from descendant languages of Proto-Celtic *bardos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gwerh2 The earliest Latin writers used vates to denote "prophets" and soothsayers in general the word fell into disuse in Latin until it was revived by Virgil In Britain and Ireland the Iron Age lasted from about the 7th century BC until the Roman conquest and until the 5th century in non- Romanised Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Gallo-Roman religion was a fusion of Roman religious forms and modes of worship with Gaulish deities from Celtic polytheism. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Breton mythology is the Mythology or corpus of explanatory and herioc tales originating in Brittany, now in France. Taliesin (c 534 – c 599 (spelled as Taliessin in Alfred Lord Tennyson 's Idylls of the King and in some subsequent works was a Brythonic Cad Goddeu ( English: The Battle of the Trees) is a poem from the Book of Taliesin in which the legendary enchanter Gwydion The Welsh Triads ( Welsh Trioedd Ynys Prydein, literally "Triads of the Island of Britain " are a group of related texts in Medieval The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings Scottish mythology may refer to any of the mythologies of Scotland. The Inner and Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland are made up of a great number of large and small islands The Tuatha Dé Danann ("peoples of the Goddess Danu " Modern Irish pronunciation /t̪ˠuːəhə dʲeː d̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ/ Old Irish /tuːaθa ðʲeː The Mythological Cycle is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology, and is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan Mythology of Texts in translation Most of the important Ulster Cycle tales can be found in the following publications Thomas Kinsella, The Táin, Oxford University The Fenian Cycle or Fiannaidheacht (modern Irish Fiannaíocht) also known as the Fionn Cycle, Finn Cycle, Fianna Cycle, Finnian An Immram (plural Immrama; Modern Irish: iomramh) is one of a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld An Echtra or Echtrae (pl Echtrai) is one of a category of Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld (see Tír na Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians were a Celtic people of Hallstatt culture Prehistory Mesolithic (8000 BC - 4500 BC What little is known of pre- Christian Ireland comes from a few references in Roman writings Archaeology and Geology continue to reveal the secrets of prehistoric Scotland, uncovering a complex and dramatic past before the Romans brought Scotland Prehistoric Wales in terms of human settlements covers the period from about 230000 years ago the date attributed to the earliest human remains found in what is now Wales Mediaeval Welsh literature is the literature written in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. The Red Book of Hergest ( Welsh: Llyfr Coch Hergest) is one of the most important Medieval Welsh language Manuscripts The White Book of Rhydderch (Welsh Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch) is one of the most notable and celebrated Manuscripts in Welsh. The Book of Aneirin (Llyfr Aneirin is a late 13th century Welsh Manuscript containing Old and Middle Welsh Poetry attributed The Book of Taliesin (Llyfr Taliesin is one of the most famous Welsh Manuscripts It dates from the first half of the Fourteenth century though many of
The prose stories from the White and Red Books are known as the Mabinogion, a title given to them by their first translator, Lady Charlotte Guest, and also used by subsequent translators. Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest, (née Bertie ( May 19, 1812 – January 15, 1895) later Lady Charlotte Schreiber, was an English Poems such as Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees) and mnemonic list-texts like the Welsh Triads and the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, also contain mythological material. Cad Goddeu ( English: The Battle of the Trees) is a poem from the Book of Taliesin in which the legendary enchanter Gwydion The Welsh Triads ( Welsh Trioedd Ynys Prydein, literally "Triads of the Island of Britain " are a group of related texts in Medieval In medieval Welsh tradition as recorded in a text appended to many copies of the Welsh Triads, the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain These texts also include the earliest forms of the Arthurian legend and the traditional history of post-Roman Britain.
Other sources include the 9th century Latin historical compilation Historia Britonum (the History of the Britons) and Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th century Latin chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae (the History of the Kings of Britain), as well as later folklore, such as The Welsh Fairy Book by W. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Historia Brittonum, or The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 833 and exists in several Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c Generally a chronicle (chronica from Greek (from) is a historical account of facts and events in chronological order The Historia Regum Britanniae ( English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Jenkyn Thomas [1908].
Contents |
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi
The most mythological stories contained in the Mabinogion collection are collectively titled The Four Branches of the Mabinogi. The Four Branches of the Mabinogi are the best known tales from the medieval Welsh prose collection known as the Mabinogion. The common thread running through the four Branches is the life of the hero Pryderi. Pryderi is the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Welsh mythology, and a king of Dyfed. He is conceived, born and named in the first Branch, fights for Bendigeidfran in Ireland in the second, loses and regains his kingdom in the third, and dies in the fourth. Bran the Blessed ( Welsh: Bendigeidfran, literally "Blessed Crow" is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world He was probably originally central to all four Branches, and remains so in the first and third, but is reduced to a passing mention in the second and fourth, which concentrate on the children of Llyr and the children of Dôn, two clans of characters who were probably once gods. Llŷr is a figure in Welsh mythology, the father of Bran, Branwen and Manawydan by Penarddun. Dôn ( Welsh pronunciation /doːn/ was a Welsh mother Goddess. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always
Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed
The first branch tells of how Pwyll, the prince of Dyfed, exchanges places for a year with Arawn, the ruler of Annwn (the underworld), defeats Arawn's enemy Hafgan, and on his return encounters Rhiannon, a beautiful maiden whose horse cannot be caught up with. This article is about the Welsh hero for the impact crater on Europa, see Pwyll (crater. Dyfed ('dɪ ved is a preserved county of Wales. Dyfed was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974. In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the Otherworld realm of Annwn. Annwn or Annwfn ( Middle Welsh Annwvn, sometimes inaccurately written Annwyn Annwyfn or Annwfyn) was the Otherworld Hafgan is a king of the otherworld Annwn, in Welsh mythology. In the Mabinogion of Welsh mythology Rhiannon is the horse goddess reminiscent of Epona from Gaulish religion. He manages to win her hand at the expense of Gwawl, to whom she is betrothed, and she bears him a son, but the child disappears soon after his birth. In Welsh mythology, Gwawl ( Gwawl fab Clud) was the son of Clud and tricks Pwyll into promising him Rhiannon. Rhiannon is accused of killing him and forced to carry guests on her back as punishment. The child has been taken by a monster, and is rescued by Teyrnon and his wife, who bring him up as their own, calling him Gwri of the Golden hair, until his resemblance to Pwyll becomes apparent. In Welsh mythology, Teyrnon (sometimes Teirnon in Middle Welsh) was the foster father of Pryderi. They return him to his real parents, Rhiannon is released from her punishment, and the boy is renamed Pryderi. Pryderi is the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Welsh mythology, and a king of Dyfed.
Branwen, Daughter of Llyr
In the second branch, Branwen, sister of Bendigeidfran (aka Bran the Blessed), king of Britain, is given in marriage to Matholwch, king of Ireland. Branwen is also the name of a character in some versions of Tristan and Iseult. Bran the Blessed ( Welsh: Bendigeidfran, literally "Blessed Crow" is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. Matholwch, King of Ireland, is a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr. Branwen's half-brother Efnisien insults Matholwch by mutilating his horses, but Bendigeidfran gives him new horses and treasure, including a magical cauldron which can restore the dead to life, in compensation. In Welsh mythology, Efnysien or Efnisien was the son of Penarddun and Euroswydd. Matholwch and Branwen have a son, Gwern, but Matholwch proceeds to mistreat Branwen, beating her and making her a drudge. Gwern is a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr, (A collection of prose stories from medieval Branwen trains a starling to take a message to Bendigeidfran, who goes to war against Matholwch. Starlings are small to medium-sized Passerine Birds in the family Sturnidae. His army crosses the Irish Sea in ships, but Bendigeidfran is so huge he wades across. The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, The Irish offer to make peace, and build a house big enough to entertain Bendigeidfran, but inside they hang a hundred bags, telling Efnisien they contain flour, when in fact they conceal armed warriors. Efnisien kills the warriors by squeezing the bags. Later, at the feast, Efnisien throws Gwern on the fire and fighting breaks out. Seeing that the Irish are using the cauldron to revive their dead, Efnisien hides among the corpses and destroys the cauldron, although the effort costs him his life. Only seven men, all Welsh, survive the battle, including Pryderi, Manawyddan and Bendigeidfran, who is mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. Pryderi is the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Welsh mythology, and a king of Dyfed. In Welsh mythology, Manawydan, son of Llyr, is the equivalent of the Irish Manannan mac Lir and a presumed sea god. Bendigeidfran asks his companions to cut off his head and take it back to Britain. Branwen dies of grief on returning home. Five pregnant women survive to repopulate Ireland.
Manawyddan, son of Llyr
Pryderi and Manawyddan return to Dyfed, where Pryderi marries Cigfa and Manawyddan marries Rhiannon. Dyfed ('dɪ ved is a preserved county of Wales. Dyfed was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974. In Welsh mythology, Cigfa or Cigva is the wife of King Pryderi of Dyfed and a prominent character in the Third Branch of the However a mist descends on the land, leaving it empty and desolate. The four support themselves by hunting at first, then move to England where they make a living making saddles, shields and shoes of such quality that the local craftsmen cannot compete, and drive them from town to town. Eventually they return to Dyfed and become hunters again. While hunting, a white boar leads them to a mysterious castle. Pryderi, against Manawyddan's advice, goes inside, but does not return. Rhiannon goes to investigate and finds him clinging to a bowl, unable to speak. The same fate befalls her, and the castle disappears. Manawyddan and Cigfa return to England as shoemakers, but once again the locals drive them out and they return to Dyfed. They sow three fields of wheat, but the first field is destroyed before it can be harvested. The next night the second field is destroyed. Manawyddan keeps watch over the third field, and when he sees it destroyed by mice he catches their leader and decides to hang it. A scholar, a priest and a bishop in turn offer him gifts if he will spare the mouse, but he refuses. When asked what he wants in return for the mouse's life, he demands the release of Pryderi and Rhiannon and the lifting of the enchantment over Dyfed. The bishop agrees, because the mouse is in fact his wife. He has been waging magical war against Dyfed because he is a friend of Gwawl, whom Pwyll, Pryderi's father humiliated.
Math, son of Mathonwy
While Pryderi rules Dyfed in south Wales, Gwynedd in north Wales is ruled by Math, son of Mathonwy. History Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England In Welsh mythology, Math fab Mathonwy, also called Math ap Mathonwy (Math son of Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd who needed to rest his feet in the lap His feet must be held by a virgin, except while he is at war. Math's nephew Gilfaethwy is in love with Goewin, his current footholder, and Gilfaethwy's brother Gwydion tricks Math into going to war against Pryderi so Gilfaethwy can have access to her. In Welsh mythology, Gilfaethwy was a son of the goddess Dôn and brother of Gwydion and Arianrhod in the Fourth Branch of the Goewin is a figure in Welsh mythology. Math fab Mathonwy 's foot-holder she was raped by Gilfaethwy. Gwydion kills Pryderi in single combat, and Gilfaethwy rapes Goewin. Math marries Goewin to save her from disgrace, and banishes Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, transforming them into a breeding pair of deer, then pigs, then wolves. After three years they are restored to human form and return.
Math needs a new foot-holder, and Gwydion suggests his sister, Arianrhod, but when Math magically tests her virginity, she gives birth to two sons. Arianrhod is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. One, Dylan, immediately takes to the sea. Dylan Ail Don ( Dylan Eil Ton, Dylan O'Taine, Dylan ElTon, Dylan Aldon, Dylan Ui Dan) is a character in the Welsh mythic The other child is raised by Gwydion, but Arianrhod tells him he will never have a name or arms unless she gives them to him, and refuses to do so. But Gwydion tricks her into naming him Llew Llaw Gyffes and giving him arms. Lleu Llaw Gyffes (/ɬeɨ ɬau gəfes/ sometimes misspelled Llew Llaw Gyffes is a figure of Welsh mythology. She then tells him he will never have a wife of any race living on earth, so Gwydion and Math make him a wife from flowers, called Blodeuwedd. In Welsh mythology, Blodeuwedd or Blodeuedd, ( Middle Welsh composite name from blodeu 'flowers blossoms' + gwedd 'face aspect appearance' But Blodeuwedd falls in love with a hunter called Gronw Pebyr, and they plot to kill Llew. In Welsh mythology, Gronw Pebr, lord of Penllyn is a character in the fourth of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion, the tale of Math fab Mathonwy Blodeuwedd tricks Llew into revealing the means by which he can be killed, but when Gronw attempts to do the deed, Llew escapes, transformed into an eagle.
Gwydion finds Llew and transforms him back into human form, and turns Blodeuwedd into an owl. Gronw offers to compensate Llew, but Llew denies and insists on returning the blow that was struck against him. Gronw pleads to hide behind a rock when he attempts to kill him. Llew agrees. He kills Gronw with his spear, which is thrown so hard it pierces him through the stone he is hiding behind.
Lludd and Llefelys
Another mythological story included in the Mabinogion collection is the tale of Lludd and Llefelys. Lludd Llaw Eraint, "Lludd of the Silver Hand" son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. Llefelys ( Middle Welsh Orthography Llevelys Lleuelys) is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the tale of Lludd and Llefelys Lludd is king of Britain, and his brother, Llefelys, is king of France. Lludd's kingdom is beset by three menaces: the Coraniaid, a demonic people who can hear everything; a terrible scream that is heard every May Eve that terrifies the people; and the continual disappearance of the provisions of the king's court. Lludd asks Llefelys for help, speaking to him through a brass tube so the Coraniaid can't hear. Llefelys creates a potion of crushed insects in water which destroys the Coraniaid when sprinkled on them. The scream, he discovers, comes from two dragons fighting. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide He gets the dragons drunk on mead and buries them in the centre of Britain. Mead (ˈmiːd is a fermented Alcoholic beverage made of Honey, Water, and Yeast. He then overcomes the wizard who is stealing all of Lludd's provisions and makes him serve Lludd.
Culhwch and Olwen
While Culhwch and Olwen, also found in the Mabinogion collection, is primarily an Arthurian tale, in which the hero Culhwch enlists Arthur's aid in winning the hand of Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden the Giant, it is packed with background detail, much of it mythological in nature. Culhwch and Olwen ( Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those Culhwch (kʉlˈhuːχ kil-HOOKH with the final consonant of Scottish "loch" in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. In Welsh romance Culhwch and Olwen, Ysbaddaden the giant is the father of the beautiful Olwen. Characters such as Amaethon, the divine ploughman, Mabon ap Modron, the divine son, and the psychopomp Gwyn ap Nudd make appearances, the latter in an endless seasonal battle with Gwythr ap Greidawl for the hand of Creiddylad. In Welsh mythology, Amaethon or Amathaon ( Welsh ?‘great ploughman’ was a son of Dôn and a presumed agricultural Deity. In Welsh mythology, Mabon ("divine son" was the son of Modron ("divine mother" Many religious belief systems have a particular spirit, Angel, or Deity whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the Afterlife In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd (/ˈgwɨn ap ˈnɨːð/ sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) was king of the Tylwyth Teg (the " In Welsh mythology, Gwythr ap Greiddawl was a rival of Gwyn ap Nudd, a God (male deity connected with the otherworld. Creiddylad is a daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint in Welsh mythology. The conditions placed on Culhwch by his mother are similar to those placed on Llew Llaw Gyffes by Arianrhod, and Culhwch's arrival at Arthur's court is reminiscent of the Irish god Lug's arrival at the court of king Nuada in Cath Maige Tuireadh. Lleu Llaw Gyffes (/ɬeɨ ɬau gəfes/ sometimes misspelled Llew Llaw Gyffes is a figure of Welsh mythology. Arianrhod is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings Lugh (ˈluː modern Irish Lú, earlier Lug) is an Irish Deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant Cath Maige Tuired ("The Battle of Mag Tuired" is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish Mythology.
Characters
The Welsh had been Christian for many centuries before their former mythology was written down, and their gods had long been transformed into kings and heroes of the past. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Many of the characters who exhibit divine characteristics fall into two rival families, the Plant Dôn (Children of Dôn) and the Plant Llyr (Children of Llyr). Dôn ( Welsh pronunciation /doːn/ was a Welsh mother Goddess. Llŷr is a figure in Welsh mythology, the father of Bran, Branwen and Manawydan by Penarddun.
The children of Dôn
Dôn, daughter of Mathonwy, was the matriarch of one family. Dôn ( Welsh pronunciation /doːn/ was a Welsh mother Goddess. Her husband is usually given as Beli. Beli Mawr ( Beli the Great) was an ancestor Deity in Welsh mythology. Her children include:
This family also includes Arianrhod's sons Dylan and Llew Llaw Gyffes. Arianrhod is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. In Welsh mythology, Gilfaethwy was a son of the goddess Dôn and brother of Gwydion and Arianrhod in the Fourth Branch of the For the Wales settlement see Gobannium. Gofannon was one of the deities worshipped by the ancient Celts. In Welsh mythology, Amaethon or Amathaon ( Welsh ?‘great ploughman’ was a son of Dôn and a presumed agricultural Deity. Dylan Ail Don ( Dylan Eil Ton, Dylan O'Taine, Dylan ElTon, Dylan Aldon, Dylan Ui Dan) is a character in the Welsh mythic Lleu Llaw Gyffes (/ɬeɨ ɬau gəfes/ sometimes misspelled Llew Llaw Gyffes is a figure of Welsh mythology. Caswallawn (the historical Cassivellaunus), Lludd, Nyniaw, Llefelys, and Penarddun are named as children of Beli Mawr, who is sometimes viewed as the husband of Dôn. Cassivellaunus was a historical British chieftain who led the defence against Julius Caesar 's second expedition to Britain in 54 BC. Cassivellaunus was a historical British chieftain who led the defence against Julius Caesar 's second expedition to Britain in 54 BC. Lludd Llaw Eraint, "Lludd of the Silver Hand" son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. Llefelys ( Middle Welsh Orthography Llevelys Lleuelys) is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the tale of Lludd and Llefelys Penarddun is a figure in Welsh mythology, the wife of Llŷr and a daughter of Beli Mawr. Beli Mawr ( Beli the Great) was an ancestor Deity in Welsh mythology.
The children of Llŷr
Llŷr, the patriarch of the other family, is possibly a borrowing of the Irish sea-god Lír. The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings In Irish mythology, Lir or Ler ("the sea" was the god of the sea father of Manannan mac Lir, and a son of Elatha. A foreign origin is further suggested by his epithet Llediaith ("half-speech"). An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a His wife is usually given as Penarddun, and their children include:
- Manawydan
- Bendigeidfran (Bran the Blessed)
- Branwen
Penarddun also had two sons, Nisien and Efnisien, by Eurosswydd. Penarddun is a figure in Welsh mythology, the wife of Llŷr and a daughter of Beli Mawr. In Welsh mythology, Manawydan, son of Llyr, is the equivalent of the Irish Manannan mac Lir and a presumed sea god. Bran the Blessed ( Welsh: Bendigeidfran, literally "Blessed Crow" is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. Branwen is also the name of a character in some versions of Tristan and Iseult. Nisien is a figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Penarddun and Euroswydd and twin brother of Efnisien. In Welsh mythology, Efnysien or Efnisien was the son of Penarddun and Euroswydd. Euroswydd is a figure in Welsh mythology, the father of Nisien and Efnysien by Penarddun, daughter of Beli Mawr. Caradawg (the historical Caratacus) is named as a son of Bendigeidfran. Caratacus ( Brythonic *Caratācos, Greek Καράτακος; variants Latin Caractacus, Greek Καρτάκης
Other probable deities
- Arawn
- Afallach
- Blodeuwedd
- Ceridwen
- Creiddylad
- Cyhyraeth
- Gwenn Teir Bronn
- Gwyn ap Nudd
- Llefelys
- Lludd Llaw Eraint
- Mabon ap Modron
- Modron
- Rhiannon
Other characters
Arthurian characters
- Ambrosius (Ambrosius Aurelianus)
- Arthur (King Arthur)
- Bedwyr (Bedivere)
- Cai (Kay)
- Cadwr (Cador)
- Caradog Freichfras (Caradoc)
- Culhwch
- Trystan (Tristan)
- Essyllt (Iseult)
- Geraint
- Gwalchmai (Gawain)
- Gwenhwyfach
- Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern)
- Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere)
- Mabon and Modron
- Macsen Wledig (Magnus Maximus)
- Medrawd
- Myrddin Emrys and Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin)
- Olwen
- Owain (Ywain)
- Peredur (Perceval)
- Urien
- Uther Pendragon
Orthography
Variations in the spelling of names are due to the fact that many English translations use the original Middle Welsh orthography of the texts instead of Modern Welsh orthography for their spelling. In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the Otherworld realm of Annwn. According to one Welsh tradition, Afallach was the father of Modron. In Welsh mythology, Blodeuwedd or Blodeuedd, ( Middle Welsh composite name from blodeu 'flowers blossoms' + gwedd 'face aspect appearance' In Welsh medieval legend, Ceridwen was a magician mother of Taliesin, Morfran, and a beautiful daughter Crearwy (or Creirwy Creiddylad is a daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint in Welsh mythology. The cyhyraeth (kəˈhəreθ also spelled as cyheuraeth (probably from the noun cyhyr "muscle tendon flesh" + the termination -aeth; meaning Saint Gwen Teirbron (French Blanche; Latin Alba Trimammis or Candida; possibly English Wite) was a Breton holy woman who supposedly In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd (/ˈgwɨn ap ˈnɨːð/ sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) was king of the Tylwyth Teg (the " Llefelys ( Middle Welsh Orthography Llevelys Lleuelys) is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the tale of Lludd and Llefelys Lludd Llaw Eraint, "Lludd of the Silver Hand" son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. In Welsh mythology, Mabon ("divine son" was the son of Modron ("divine mother" In Welsh mythology, Modron ("divine mother" was a daughter of Avalloc, derived from the Gaulish Goddess Matrona. In the Mabinogion of Welsh mythology Rhiannon is the horse goddess reminiscent of Epona from Gaulish religion. In Welsh mythology, Cigfa or Cigva is the wife of King Pryderi of Dyfed and a prominent character in the Third Branch of the Gwern is a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr, (A collection of prose stories from medieval In Welsh mythology, Math fab Mathonwy, also called Math ap Mathonwy (Math son of Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd who needed to rest his feet in the lap Matholwch, King of Ireland, is a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr. Pryderi is the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Welsh mythology, and a king of Dyfed. This article is about the Welsh hero for the impact crater on Europa, see Pwyll (crater. Taliesin (c 534 – c 599 (spelled as Taliessin in Alfred Lord Tennyson 's Idylls of the King and in some subsequent works was a Brythonic In Welsh mythology, Teyrnon (sometimes Teirnon in Middle Welsh) was the foster father of Pryderi. Ambrosius Aurelianus, called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere was a war leader of the Romano-British King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere ( Welsh: Bedwyr French: Bédoier also spelt Bedevere) is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Cador ( Latin: Cadorius) was a legendary Duke of Cornwall, known chiefly through Geoffrey of Monmouth 's pseudo-historical Caradoc Vreichvras (more correctly in Welsh, Caradog Freichfras, meaning Caradoc Strong (or Stout Arm) was a semi-legendary ancestor to the kings Culhwch (kʉlˈhuːχ kil-HOOKH with the final consonant of Scottish "loch" in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and Sir Tristan ( Latin / Brythonic: Drustanus; Welsh: Drystan; also known as Tristran, Tristram, etc Iseult (alternatively Isolde, Yseult, Isode, Isoude, Isotta) is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior Gawain (ˈgɔːwɪn or /gəˈweɪn/ also called Gwalchmei Gawan Gauvain Walewein etc Gwenhwyfach or Gwenhwyvach, sometimes Anglicized as Guinevak, is a sister of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere in early Welsh Arthurian legend Vortigern (ˈvɔrtɨɡɝːn also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen and in Welsh Gwrtheyrn was a 5th century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among Vortigern (ˈvɔrtɨɡɝːn also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen and in Welsh Gwrtheyrn was a 5th century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among Guinevere was the legendary Queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first In Welsh mythology, Mabon ("divine son" was the son of Modron ("divine mother" In Welsh mythology, Modron ("divine mother" was a daughter of Avalloc, derived from the Gaulish Goddess Matrona. Magnus Maximus (ca 335&ndash August 28, 388) also known as Maximianus, was an Hispanic usurper of the Western Roman Empire Mordred or Modred ( Welsh: Medraut, Medrod, etc is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. Owain mab Urien (or Owein) (died c 595 was the son of Urien, king of Rheged c Sir Ywain (also called Owain, Yvain, Ewain or Uwain) is a Knight of the Round Table and the son of King Urien Peredur is the name of a number of men from the boundaries of history and legend that was Dark Age Britain. Percival or Perceval is one of King Arthur 's legendary Knights of the Round Table. Urien was a late 6th century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom in northern England and southern Scotland. Middle Welsh (Cymraeg Canol is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 14th centuries of which much more remains than for any earlier The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific Writing system to write the language Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic
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