EUROPEAN THEME PARK - With respect to our history and legends

Home

THE PARK

WELSH MYTHOLOGY

SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY

HELLENIC MYTHOLOGY

ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

IRISH MYTHOLOGY

CELTIC MYTHOLOGY

SLAVIC MYTHOLOGY

Guestbook

EUROPEAN THEME PARK
With respect to our history and legends

WELSH MYTHOLOGY

Known Welsh mythology consists of ancient celtic tales originating before Roman times and embellished through the story-telling tradition over many centuries. *They first appeared in written form in the 13th and 14th centuries, recorded by the medieval monks in documents such as The White Book of Rhydderch* and Red Book of Hergest. It was not until the 19th century that Lady Charlotte Guest first published an English translation of these marvelous myths and legends.** There are eleven stories in Welsh mythology, the oldest four of which are called the proper Mabinogion (plural of Mabinogi) and recount stories of ancient Briton kings and queens and their encounters with the Otherworld and its inhabitants. The second four are shorter tales, two of which feature Arthur in his earliest incarnations. The final three are later Arthurian stories strongly influenced by French romance and the chivalric tradition. Welsh mythology consists of stories written down in the Mabinogion and other medieval texts. Deities Amaethon - god of agriculture Arawn - ruler of Annwn Arianrhod - mother of Dylan and Lleu, brother of Gwydion Bran the Blessed - son of Llyr, British king and ruler of Annwn (?) Ceridwen - goddess of fertility Don - mother goddess Dylan - sea god Gwydion - Arianrhod's brother Lleu - god of sun Llyr - sea god, possibly prototype of William Shakespeare's King Lear Manawydan - Llyr's son, sea god Other characters Arthur - king Bedwyr - Arthur's knight Blodeuedd - woman created of flowers. Was supposed to marry Lleu, but she killed him with her lover, Goronwy Branwen - Bendigeidfran's sister Caradawc - Son of Bendigeidfran Culhwch - son of Cildydd, had to kill a giant to marry his daughter, possibly one of Arthur's knights Efnisien - Bendigeidfran's halfbrother and enemy Gwalchmai - see Gawain Gwenhwyfar - Arthur's wife Gwern - son of Matholwch and Branwen, Efnisien killed him when he was three years old Gwyn ap Nudd - shadowy character sometimes called the king of the fairies and connected to the Wild Hunt Kai - the oldest Arthur's knight Mabon Math - king of Gwynedd, had to have a virgin to hold his feet Matholwch - king of Ireland, husband of Branwen, Efnisien mutilated his horses Nudd - warrior with a hand of silver Olwen - wife of Culhwch Owain - king arthur's knight Peredur - Arthur's knight Pryderi - kidnapped son of Pwyll Pwyll - king of Dyfed, for some time he also ruled in Annwn Rhiannon - Pwyll's wife, Pwyll accused her pf eating Pryderi Taliesin - bard, prophet Teirnon - Pryderi's stepfather Urien - Owain's father, knight (Were Pelles, Uther Pendragon, Vortigern, Morgan le Fay, Modred, Percival, Lancelot and Galahad also in Welsh myths)

Links / references

Links with further information about the Welsh myths and legennds. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/wfl/ WELSH MYTHOLOGY NAMES Websites relevant to the King Arthur and the knights of the round table. http://www.caerleon.net/history/arthur/ http://www.legends.dm.net/kingarthur/gawain.html http://www.kingarthursknights.com/default.asp http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/trt/

Create a free website at Webs.com