Amaethon himself does not appear in the Fourth Branch, and is referenced twice elsewhere in the Welsh tradition: in an elergy found in the Book of Taliesin, and in a late prose sequence found in MS P 98 B, in which Amaethoan (sic.) [Once] when Cai and Bedwyr were sitting on top of Pumlumon on Carn Gwylathyr,433 in the strongest wind in the world, they looked around them and could see a great smoke over to the south, far away from them [which was] not being blown at all by the wind.434, And then Cai said "By the hand of my friend, look over there at the warrior's fire. [Meanwhile], the trimming of the sword had been completed, and Cai put it into the hand of Wrnach Gawr, as though to [let him] look to see if the work pleased him. is represented in conflict with the forces of Annwfn (led, significantly, by Brân son of Llŷr), in the run up to the Cad Achren or Battle of the Trees. maior). The name Gwyddno is reminisicent of the Guipno found in the HG 5 whom, as we have already suggested, appears to have represented the ousted branch of the Strathclyde dynasty which took refuge in a Pictish court community, where Gwyddno's son Neithon/Nechtan seems to have been born. 235 Brys uab Bryssach. 425 Ny chacharwyt neb kyn dostet yn llwrw carchar a mi lit. Again, nothing more is known about this figure who does not appear again in Culhwch ac Olwen or anywhere else in the Welsh tradition. And Sandde Pryd Angel142 - no man laid a spear upon him at Camlan, because of his beauty everyone thought he was an angel fighting alongside them.143 And Saint Cynwyl,144 one of the three men who escaped from Camlan, he was the last to be parted from Arthur on Hengroen his horse. The word maer was used in medieval Wales to denote a variety of court officials and royal appointees. 'a man from whom no-one fared the better' 502 Gwylydyn Saer 'Gwylddwn the Builder'. May the blessing I give be as full as your grace and your faith and your praise within this Island. And [as for] my life, it is high time to take it away.". As Sims-Williams suggests (1982, p.604), the term 'steward' might be an appropriate translation in this case. And as they came inside the cave, they were seized by the hag, and she laid hold of Hygwyd by the hair of his head and threw him to the floor. I will not deceive anyone who holds faith with me. 143 See n.141 above. Culhwch and Olwen — Culhwch ac Olwen Culhwch and Olwen Author(s) anonymous Language Middle Welsh Date c. 1100 … Wikipedia Culhwch Ac Olwen — (français: Culhwch et Olwen ) est l un des contes les plus anciens de ce que l on appelle Mabinogion, conservés dans le Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch (Livre Blanc de Rhydderch) et le Llyfr Coch Hergest (Livre Rouge de Rhydderch). 195 Gweir Gwrhyd Enwir 'Gwair False Valour'. Sims-Williams (1992, p.64 n.31) suggests that this name (Ysgawin), if it is the correct form, may have arisen as an eponym from Porth Ysgewin in Gwent. ", Spoke Menw son of Teirgwaedd "Do not be afraid to go there.306 I will cast a spell307 on the dog so that he will not do any harm to anyone.". 141 Yn gythreul canhorthwy. It will be worse now when I make my way on upward slopes.338 Like the sting of a gadfly did the poisoned iron hurt me!339 Cursed be the smith who has made it and the anvil on which it was made, so painful it is!". The words spoken by a different hag to a different queen, but the circumstances are otherwise identical. See p.### for the possible significance of this traditional Arthurian feat within Culhwch ac Olwen. ", "Though you may get that [...] There is no-one in the world who can pull it off his head except Odgar son of Aedd, King of Ireland. And the next day, with grandeur and smart combs set in [their] hair, they came to the hall. ", "As much as I know I will tell. And they went from there to Llwch Tawy.522 Then Grugyn Gwrych Eraint separated from them and went from there to Din Tywi.523 And from there he went over to Ceredigion, along with Eli and Trachmyr and a multitude together with them. And Caw took the tusk. See p.### for a full discussion of the demographics and geopolitics of Ynys Prydein in this text. 445 Greid's appearance here may be explained by his fame as one of the 'Exalted Prisoners'. Brys son of Brysethach235 from the front of the Black Fernbrakes of Prydein,236 and Gruddlwyn Gorr;237 Bwlch and Cyfwlch and Syfwlch sons of Cledyf Cyfwlch.238 Three gleaming glimmers were their three shields, three stabbing strikes their three spears, three keen carvers their three swords;239 Glas, Gleisig and Gleisiad240 their three hounds; Call, Cuall, Cafall241 their three horses; Hwyr Ddyddwg and Drwg Dddyddwg and Llwyr Ddyddwg242 their three wives; Och and Garym and Diasbad243 their three grandchildren; Lluched and Neued and Eisiwed244 their three daughters; Drwg and Gwaeth and Gwaethaf their three maids.245. And then he killed Huandaw, Gogigwr and Penpingion, the three servants of Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr499 so that, God knows, there was not a servant in the world in his possession except Llaesgymyn himself,500 a man who was no use to anyone.501 And along with those he killed many of the men of the country and Gwylddyn Saer,502 Arthur's chief builder. 104-105), so this would be a rare example in the court list of a hero being designated by their matronymic in place of the usual patronymic or epithet. 'it would not overcome another to give love to me' 321 pan at pawb eu damsathyr lit. And Caw of Pryden463 mounted Lamrei, Arthur's mare, rushing forward at the sound of the barking. The boy was sent for and he came to court. ISBN 0-7083-1127-X. And they resolved to go to seek her; and they slew the king, and brought away his wife and one daughter that she had along with her. And I want all of that done in one day. The significance of this claim is uncertain (see p.### below) 398 This stylised passage is an almost verbatim repetition of a similar passage that occurs at the end of the Court List. Identified as one of Arthur's mistresses in the late Triad 57. Nothing else is known of Tangwen herself. A certain Dyuyr mab Alun Dyfed is known from later (and derivative) court lists in Breudwydd Ronabwy and Geraint ac Enid and a certain Run map Alun Dyfed is referenced in the Black Book Graves Stanzas (LLDC 18.24). "316, "Culhwch son of Cilydd son of Celiddon Wledic, from Goleuddydd daughter of Anlawd Wledic his mother, and he comes to ask for Olwen. Arthur took a gold comb, and [a pair] of shears with silver loops upon it, and he combed his hair. 66 See p.### n.### above for more on the origins of this name, and its relationship with the Irish Findabair. Again the language might be construed as archaic: enghi 'to give birth, paturate' is only found elsewhere in the Law tracts (CO p.xvii). 197 c.f. And Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Ieithoedd asked him "For the sake of the one who made you into this shape, if you can speak, I ask one of you to come to speak with Arthur.". 'good it will be for you if you escape with your life with you.' He receives a brief mention in the Fourth Branch, where he is held to be responsible for the death of his nephew Dylan. 103 Of the five sons of Seithfed (lit. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Some kind of prodigious 'strong-man' features in most versions of the 'Six Go Through the World' tale-type, and this is one of several variants of the type that occur in the Arthurian court list. It is generally agreed that the texts are older than these manuscripts, that Culhwch and Olwen is the oldest of the eleven, and The Dream of Rhonabwy most likely the latest. Cas the son of Saidi, Gwrvan Gwallt Avwyn, and Gwyllennhin the king of France, and Gwittart the son of Oedd king of Ireland, Garselit Wyddel, Panawr Pen Bagad, and Ffleudor the son of Nav, Gwynnhyvar mayor of Cornwall and Devon (the ninth man that rallied the battle of Camlan). "393, "Though you may get that [...] Until Gwilhenin king of France394 comes, Twrch Trwyth will never be hunted without him. 'Heel and Sole Heel and Sole Bonfire'. The opera programme opened with a work of timeless modernism - Harrison Birtwistle's Gawain . And they walked up to the hall. 193 Gweir Dathar Wenidawc. No more is known about this figure if indeed this is the correct interpretation. 7 It is not clear from this passage whether the swineherd fosters the child for the duration of his infancy or whether he is taken straight to the court. Except for the son of a rightful king of the land, or a craftsman who would bring his craft, no-one is allowed inside [now]. 89 Uchdryt Ardwyat Kat. the Horseman'. And from there he sent Menw son of Teirgwaedd to see if there were treasures between the ears of Twrch Trwyth, as it would have been so demeaning465 to go and get into a fight with him if he did not have the treasures. The best walker was he, and the best rider. This figure appears in the anomalous Triad 1, and in certain other later texts which show signs of the influence of Culhwch ac Olwen. For more on Beli Mawr see p.### ff. 'If it might be greatest the gift which we give, the greater will be our nobility' 56 ar y gorwyd y doeth y mywn lit. The name Amaethon derives from the root amaeth (< Gaulish ambactus) 'ploughman' + -onus/-ona suffix, often used in divine names in the pre-Christian Gallo-Brittonic world (c.f. 81 Adwy m. Geraint This is usually emended to Cadwy (the C having attached itself to the preceding ac 'and'). This name appears at two points in the text of Y Gododdin (###refs###), strengthening the suggestion of the influence of the 'Gwynedd connection' on this body of Arthurian lore (see also n.##168## above). The name Selyf (< Solomon) was particularly popular amongst the Powysian elite. Mascen, Emrys, Ceredic of Strathclyde and Cunedda). 226 Hyt na bei well y'r rethri a'r trosteu a'r tulatheu noc y'r man geirch ygwaelawt yr ysubawr lit. 3 Gwedy y west genti lit. The name Casnar itself is a noun meaning 'hero, lord', but it also has the adjectival meaning 'fierce, wrathful, fierce' and its corresponding substantives 'anger, pain, grief'. Then he stood at bay, and then he killed Echel Forddwyt Twll,520 and Arwyli Eil Gwyddog Gwyr,521 and many men and dogs besides. Culhwch and Olwen contains a version of an 'International Popular Tale' known as 'The Oldest Animals'.The gist of which (in the form we find it here) is that a group of heroes, upon a quest, visit a succession of animals each one older than the last until they come to the oldest animal of all who helps the heroes fulfill their quest. 'Lloch of the Striking Hand'. And because of the clamour and the barking that arose then, Twrch Trwyth came to defend them. 310 Meredic a wyr. See p.### below for more discussion on the fluid boundaries between the human, Christian world of the Arthurian court community against which it nominally counterposed bestial/pagan world beyond it. Amaethon could therefore be rendered as 'The Great Ploughman' or 'The Plough God'. Glyuden Saer 'Glwydyn the Craftsman'. The patronymic in the Triad text is given as Dewrarth Wledig (< dewr- 'hard' + arth 'bear'). ", "Though you may get that [...] The Birds of Rhiannon:364 the ones which can wake the dead and put the living to sleep I want to entertain me that night. Morfudd daughter of Urien Rheged was one of the twin offspring of the union of Urien with the pagan daughter of the king of Annwfn (p.###), the other being Owain Rheged. Here I suggested that a pre-existing tradition of Pryderi as a protector of the herds of Dyfed may have been the inspiration for this anecdote relating to Ôl and his father's pigs. This figure is otherwise unknown. Gwadyn Ossol, if he stood upon the top of the highest mountain in the world, it would become a level plain under his feet. 70 Asswynaw y gyuarws ohonaw ar... lit. And from there they came, the two of them, over to Celli Wig in Cornwall, and the leash from Dillus Farfog with them, and Cai gave it into the hand of Arthur. He did not kill [any] of the pigs apart from one pigling. Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou shalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name. Both Tegfan and Tegyr play no further role in Culhwch ac Olwen and are otherwise unknown in the extant Welsh tradition. From at least as early as the thirteenth century he was identified with the Galfredian Gualguainus (Gawain of Continental Romance), though there is no obvious etymological correspondence between these two names. a number of connections between this text and Culhwch ac Olwen, and both seem to draw on the same pool of hagiographic and secular genealogy and legend. subjunctive < gorbot 454 Mwyngddwn. 98 Eskeir Gulhwch Gonyn Cawn. Osla Gyllellfawr,182 who would carry Bronllafn Ferllydan;183 when Arthur would come with his hosts to the brink of a torrent,184 a narrow place over the water would be sought, and the knife would be sheathed and laid down across the torrent185 - it would be a [wide] enough bridge for the three realms of Britain and their adjacent islands,186 and their booty. And Eidyol the son of Ner, and Glywyddn Saer (who constructed Ehangwen, Arthur's Hall). 169 Morgant Hael 'Morgant the Generous'. He will have another peculiarity: no-one suffers water or fire better than him.177 He will have another peculiarity: there will not be another retainer or steward like him. For the use of [g]oruc as an auxillary verb, see GMW p.160. And his courser cast up four sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air, about his head, now above, now below. ", "Though you may get that, there is that which you will not get. 'before the getting of the taking of the comb' 536 Kaffel dayar ohonaw ynteu a'e draet lit. And Arthur went thence to Celli Wig in Cornwall to bathe himself and cast off his weariness. Triumphant was Cai. And coming back from there to the Severn, [Twrch Trwyth] was then waylaid by the veteran warriors of this island, and he was driven by sheer force533 into the Severn. 436 yn deivan lit. His stepmother said unto him, "It were well for thee to have a wife, and I have a daughter who is sought of every man of renown in the world. The head of a spear will come away from its shaft, which will draw blood from the wind and return again to its shaft."406. 388 'The two whelps' would appear to be a reference to the two whelps of the bitch of Rhymhi, whose capture (evidently as one of the anoethau) is described below.