Mabinogion

late 4th-century Roman emperor of Britain and usurper of the West

thumb|right|Ceridwen by Christopher Williams (1910)

noblewoman; Welsh translator and business woman (1812-1895)

Welsh manuscript collection written between 1382-1410

Rhiannon () is a female figure in Welsh mythology and a protagonist of the Mabinogi, in its First and Third Branches. She has been described by Ronald Hutton as "one of the great female personalities in World literature", adding that "there is in fact, nobody quite like her in previous human literature". Rhiannon also appears as a character in 14th century Medieval Welsh poetry.

Welsh tale

Welsh manuscript written c. 1350

Gwydion fab Dôn () is a magician in of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes. He also appears prominently in the Welsh Triads, the Book of Taliesin and the Stanzas of the Graves.

In Welsh mythology, Arawn () was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn who appears prominently in the first branch of the Mabinogi, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of the king of Annwn was largely attributed to the Welsh psychopomp, Gwyn ap Nudd - meaning "white" (i.e. 'winter') a possible kenning for his true name. However, Arawn's memory is retained in a traditional saying found in an old Cardigan folktale:

12th-century princess consort of Deheubarth in Wales

Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr is a major character in the medieval Welsh story known as the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, which is sometimes called the "Mabinogi of Branwen" after her.

mythical giant and king (17-69)

thumb|Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed hunting with his hounds

Manawydan fab Llŷr is a figure of Welsh mythology, the son of Llŷr and the brother of Brân the Blessed and Brânwen. The first element in his name is cognate with the stem of the name of the Irish sea god Manannán mac Lir, and likely originated from the same Celtic deity as Manannán. Unlike Manannán, however, no surviving material connects him with the sea in any way except for his patronymic (llŷr is an old Welsh word for sea). Manawydan's most important appearances occur in the Second and Third Branches of the Mabinogi (the latter of which is named for him), but he is also referenced frequent

In Welsh mythology, Amaethon ( ()) was the son of Dôn, and brother to Arianrhod, Penarddun, Gilfaethwy, Gofannon, Gwydion, and Nudd. His name means "great labourer" or "great ploughman" and he is cited in Peniarth MS.98b as being responsible for the Cad Goddeu, or "Battle of Trees" against the lord of the otherworld, Arawn.

Llŷr ( (); meaning 'half-speech' or 'half-language') is a figure in Welsh mythology, related to the Irish Ler ('the Sea'), father of Manannán mac Lir. Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identity remains obscure.

three Middle Welsh Arthurian tales associated with the Mabinogion

middle Welsh prose tale

Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed after his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies from tale to tale. He is often equated with the divine son figure of Mabon ap Modron, while Jeffrey Gantz compares him to Peredur fab Efrawg, who is himself associated with the continental figure of Sir Percival de Galles.

Welsh prose tale written down in the 12th or 13th century

legendary tale in medieval Welsh literature

one of the three Welsh Romances associated with the Mabinogion

Cigfa ferch Gwyn Glohoyw (Middle Welsh: Kigua) is a minor character in Welsh mythology, the wife of King Pryderi of Dyfed. She is mentioned briefly in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, and appears more prominently in the third. Describing the character, Proinsias Mac Cana writes: "Cigfa strikes one as a slight though effective vignette of a contemporary bourgeois snob while William John Gruffydd hypothesises that the character was a later addition to the tale. John Rhys suggested a connection between Cigfa and the Irish character Ciochba.

Four Middle Welsh prose tales, created between 1050 and 1120

Efnisien fab Euroswydd (also spelled Efnissien or Efnysien) is a sadistic anti-hero in Welsh mythology, appearing prominently in the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr, the second branch of the Mabinogi. Described by Will Parker as "a study in the psychopathic personality" and an "embodiment of the forces of anti-social disruption," he is the catalyst of the tale's ultimate tragedy, and is largely responsible for the destruction of both Ireland and the Island of the Mighty. He is the son of Euroswydd and Penarddun, twin brother to Nisien, and half-brother to Brân the Blessed, Manawydan, and Branwen. T

(meaning "Alder") is a minor figure in Welsh tradition. He is the son of Matholwch, king of Ireland, and Branwen, sister to the king of Britain. He appears in the tale of Branwen, daughter of Llŷr, in which his murder at the hands of his sadistic uncle Efnysien sparks a mutually destructive battle between Britain and Ireland.

Goewin () is a figure in Welsh mythology, where she has a small but crucial role in the Math fab Mathonwy, one of the Four Branches 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 Mabinogi.

In Welsh tradition, Teyrnon Twryf Lliant is the lord of the Kingdom of Gwent and the foster father of the divine son, Pryderi. He appears most prominently in Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, but also features briefly in the early tale on the Matter of Britain, Culhwch and Olwen, as a knight of King Arthur. The name Teyrnon is widely acknowledged as deriving from the Common Brittonic *tigernonos, "great lord".

Medieval Welsh tale

thumb|"This slap was recorded in the Bardic Triads as one of the Three Fatal Slaps", F. H. Townsend's illustration from [[The Misfortunes of Elphin (1897)]]

myth

legend

Creirwy () is a figure in the Mabinogion and the Hanes Taliesin (the story of Taliesin's life), daughter of the enchantress Ceridwen and Tegid Foel ("Tacitus the Bald"). The Welsh Triads name her one of the three most beautiful maids of the Isle of Britain. Born in Penllyn in Powys, Wales, Creirwy (also known as Llywy) has a dark, hideous brother named Morfran and a foster brother, Gwion Bach (who would become the bard Taliesin). She does not appear in the stories about Afagddu and Taliesin.

Welsh manuscript of c. 1330

legendary tale