Gwydion

Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx

• attestation: Gwydion returned with the swine he had got by magic and deceit from Pryderi, prince of Dyfed, as related in the Mabinogi (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter I: Undine's Kymric Sisters)

  "The passage in the Mabinogi * relates to Gwydion returning with the swine he had got by dint of magic and deceit from Pryderi, prince of Dyfed, and runs thus in Lady Charlotte Guest's translation: 'So they journeyed on to the highest town of ArBech-"

• attestation: I feel sure that some of the materials at least were Welsh, besides the characters known to Welsh mythology as Nefyd Naf Neifion, Gwyn ab Nud, Gwydion ab D6n, Dylan, and Ceridwen, who have been reckle (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter II: The Fairies' Revenge)

  "I feel sure that some of the materials at least were Welsh, besides the characters known to Welsh mythology as Nefyd Naf Neifion, Gwyn ab Nud, Gwydion ab D6n, Dylan, and Ceridwen, who have been recklessly introduced into it."

• relationship: After saying that her name was Nefyn (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter II: The Fairies' Revenge)

  "After saying that her name was Nefyn, daughter of Nefyd Naf Neifion, and niece to Gwyn son of Nud, and Gwydion son of DCn, she calmed his feelings on"

• relationship: At midnight a knight arrived, who said the funeral was to be at three that morning, and told them that their brother would come back to them, as Gwydion ab Don was going to give him a heart that no we (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter II: The Fairies' Revenge)

  "At midnight a knight arrived, who said the funeral was to be at three that morning, and told them that their brother would come back to them, as Gwydion ab Don was going to give him a heart that no weight could break, that Eilonwy was soon to be wedded to one of the finest and bravest of the knights of Gwerd^onau ILion, and that their parents were with Gwyn ab Nud in the Gwaelodion."

• attestation: He was seen then to walk away arm in arm with Gwydion ab Don to a ship that was -in waiting, and most enchanting music was heard by those on shore; but soon the ship sailed away, hardly touching the t (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter II: The Fairies' Revenge)

  "He was seen then to walk away arm in arm with Gwydion ab Don to a ship that was -in waiting, and most enchanting music was heard by those on shore; but soon the ship sailed away, hardly touching the tops of the billows."

• relationship: His mother and his brothers went with him to search for his father's body, and with him came Gwydion ab D6n and Gwyn ab Nud", but he would not be wakened (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter II: The Fairies' Revenge)

  "His mother and his brothers went with him to search for his father's body, and with him came Gwydion ab D6n and Gwyn ab Nud", but he would not be wakened."

• relationship: 90, which speak of Math ab Mathonwy teaching his magic to Gwydion, who as his sister's son was to succeed him in his kingdom; and of a certain Rhudlwm Dwarf teaching his magic to Colt, son of CoHfrewi (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume I > Chapter V: The Fenodyree and his Friends)

  "But another kind of succession is mentioned in the Welsh Triads, i. 32, ii. 20, iii. 90, which speak of Math ab Mathonwy teaching his magic to Gwydion, who as his sister's son was to succeed him in his kingdom; and of a certain Rhudlwm Dwarf teaching his magic to Colt, son of CoHfrewi, his nephew."

• attestation: flatly contradicts this part of the Triad, namely to the effect that Gwydion, nephew of Math king of Gwyned and a great magician, came to Pryderi's court at Rhudlan, near Dolau Bach or Highmead on the (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter IX: Place-name Stories)

  "flatly contradicts this part of the Triad, namely to the effect that Gwydion, nephew of Math king of Gwyned and a great magician, came to Pryderi's court at Rhudlan, near Dolau Bach or Highmead on the Teifi in what is now the county of Cardigan, and obtained some of the swine by deceiving the king."

• attestation: Now Gwydion, having heard of them, visited Pryderi's court, and by magic and enchantment deceived the king (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter IX: Place-name Stories)

  "Now Gwydion, having heard of them, visited Pryderi's court, and by magic and enchantment deceived the king."

• attestation: Ah, my men/ said Gwydion, ' let us make for the fastness of Gwyned with these beasts: the country is being raised in pursuit of us (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter IX: Place-name Stories)

  "'Ah, my men/ said Gwydion, ' let us make for the fastness of Gwyned with these beasts: the country is being raised in pursuit of us.'"

• attestation: Pryderi, in consequence of Gwydion's deceit (pp (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter IX: Place-name Stories)

  "Pryderi, in consequence of Gwydion's deceit (pp. 69, 501, 525), makes war on Math and the children of D6n: he faUs in it, and his army gives hostages to Math."

• attribution: The Mabinogi of Math ab Mathonwy relates how Math and Gwydion made out of various flowers a most beautiful woman whom they named Blodeuwed^ (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "The Mabinogi of Math ab Mathonwy relates how Math and Gwydion made out of various flowers a most beautiful woman whom they named Blodeuwed^, that is to say ij;(?«6?ys, or flowerlike,"

• attestation: He was no more seen until Gwydion, searching for him far and wide in Powys and Gwyned, came to Arfon, where one day he followed the lead of a mysterious sow, until the beast stopped under an oak at Na (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "He was no more seen until Gwydion, searching for him far and wide in Powys and Gwyned, came to Arfon, where one day he followed the lead of a mysterious sow, until the beast stopped under an oak at Nanttle."

• attestation: There Gwydion found the sow devouring rotten flesh and maggots, which fell from an eagle whenever the bird shook himself at the top of the tree (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "There Gwydion found the sow devouring rotten flesh and maggots, which fell from an eagle whenever the bird shook himself at the top of the tree."

• attestation: to him the eagle came lower and lower, till at last he descended on Gwydion's lap (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "to him the eagle came lower and lower, till at last he descended on Gwydion's lap."

• attestation: Then Gwydion struck him with his wand, so that he assumed his own shape of ILew ILawgyffes, and nobody ever saw a more wretched looking man, we are told: he was nothing but skin and bones (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "Then Gwydion struck him with his wand, so that he assumed his own shape of ILew ILawgyffes, and nobody ever saw a more wretched looking man, we are told: he was nothing but skin and bones."

• attestation: Gwydion punished Blodeuwed, as follows: — Gwydion, having overtaken her in her flight, is made to say, ' I shall not kill thee (Ny laddf i di): I shall do what is worse for thee, and that is to let th (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "Gwydion punished Blodeuwed, as follows: — Gwydion, having overtaken her in her flight, is made to say, ' I shall not kill thee (Ny laddf i di): I shall do what is worse for thee, and that is to let thee go in the form of a bird.'"

• attestation: It is above all things, however, to be noted that none of the stories in point, whether Irish or Welsh, contain any suggestion of the hero's life coming to an end, or in any way perishing; ILew lives (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "It is above all things, however, to be noted that none of the stories in point, whether Irish or Welsh, contain any suggestion of the hero's life coming to an end, or in any way perishing; ILew lives on to be transformed, under the stroke of Gwydion's wand, from being an eagle to be a man again; and Tuan mac"

• relationship: of Mathonwy king of Gwyned, and his sister's son, Gwydion ab Don, to whom as his successor he duly taught his magic; then come the arch-enchanter Arawn, king of Annwn, and CaswaHon ab Beli, represente (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XI: Folklore Philosophy)

  "of Mathonwy king of Gwyned, and his sister's son, Gwydion ab Don, to whom as his successor he duly taught his magic; then come the arch-enchanter Arawn, king of Annwn, and CaswaHon ab Beli, represented as winning his kingdom by the sheer force of magic."

• attestation: Gwydion, the bard and arch-magician, and (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "For it is from her that Gwydion, the bard and arch-magician, and"

• relationship: The last stage in the Welsh history of Don consists of her translation to the skies, where the constellation of Cassiopeia is supposed to constitute Lys Don or D6n's Court, as the Corona Borealis is i (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "The last stage in the Welsh history of Don consists of her translation to the skies, where the constellation of Cassiopeia is supposed to constitute Lys Don or D6n's Court, as the Corona Borealis is identified with Caer Arianrhod or 'the Castle of Don's Daughter'; but, as was perhaps fitting, the dimensions, of both are reduced to comparative littleness by Caer Givydion, 'the Magician Gwydion's Battlements,' spread over the radiant expanse of the whole Milky Way'."

• relationship: Stern has some doubts as to the Welsh DOn being a female; but it would have been more satisfactory if he had proved his surmise, or at any rate shown (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "Stern has some doubts as to the Welsh DOn being a female; but it would have been more satisfactory if he had proved his surmise, or at any rate shown that D6n has nothing to do with DamoHn or Donann, I am satisfied with such a passage in the Mtdnnogi of Math as that where Gwydion, addressing Math, describes Arianrhod, daughter of DOn, in the words, dy nith utrch dy chbaery * thy niece daughter of thy sister': see the Mabmqgion, p. 68, and, for similar references to other children of Don, consult pp. 59 and 65."