Gwyn ap Nudd
Encyclopedia
Gwyn ap Nudd (ˈɡwɨn ap ˈnɨːð, sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) is a Welsh mythological figure, the king of the Tylwyth Teg
or "fair folk
" and ruler of the Welsh Otherworld
, Annwn
. Described as a great warrior with a "blackened face", Gwyn is intimately associated with the otherworld in medieval Welsh literature
, and is associated with the international tradition of the Wild Hunt
.
) and is consequently grandson to Beli Mawr
. His siblings include Edern
, a warrior who appears in a number of Arthurian texts, and Owain ap Nudd, who is mentioned briefly in Geraint and Enid. Gwyn's relationship with his sister (and lover) Creiddylad
is described in Culhwch and Olwen
. Through his father, Gwyn's uncles and aunts include Arianrhod
, Llefelys
, Penarddun
, Afallach and Caswallawn. As a result, he is related both to the House of Llŷr
(through his paternal aunt Penarddun) and to the House of Dôn
, through his grandfather Beli.
from her betrothed, Gwythyr ap Greidawl. In retalliation, Gwythyr raised a great host against Gwyn, leading to a vicious battle between the two. Gwyn was victorious and, following the conflict, captured a number of Gwythyr's noblemen including Nwython and his son Cyledr
. Gwyn would later murder Nwython, and force Cyledr to eat his father's heart. As a result of his torture at Gwyn's hands, Cyledr went mad, earning the epithet Wyllt.
After the intervention of Arthur
, Gwyn and Gwythr agreed to fight for Creiddylad every May Day
until Judgement Day. The warrior who was victorious on this final day would at last take the maiden. This fight probably represented the contest between summer and winter
and is a variant of the Holly King myth. According to Culhwch and Olwen, Gwyn was "placed over the brood of devils in Annwn
, lest they should destroy the present race".
hand, Culhwch ap Cilydd
must complete a number of seemingly impossible tasks given to him by Olwen's father, the giant Ysbaddaden
. One of these tasks is to retrieve the comb and scissors from the head of the vicious boar, Twrch Trwyth
. As it is impossible to hunt the boar without Gwyn's aid, he is called upon to join Arthur
and his retinue against Twrch Trwyth. During the hunt, he is mounted on Du y Moroedd, the only horse that can carry him. Both Gwyn and Gwythyr set out with Arthur to retrieve the blood of Orddu, witch of the uplands of hell.
Gwyn appears prominently in the medieval poem The Dialogue of Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwyddno Garanhir, found in the Black Book of Carmarthen
. In this narrative, Gwyn, returning from battle, chances upon Gwyddno
, king of Cantre'r Gwaelod, and grants him his protection. Gwyn then relates his exploits on the battlefield and his role as a psychopomp
, a mysterious figure who gathers the souls of fallen British warriors, such as Bran the Blessed
, Meurig ap Carreian, Gwendoleu ap Ceidaw
and Llacheu ab Arthur. His skill in combat is extolled in this poem; he is described as "the hope of armies" and "hero of hosts" and, when asked from which region he comes, he simply replies: "I come from battle and conflict." The poem ends with Gwyn's proclamation:
His role as a psychopomp is paralleled in his later tradition as leader of the Wild Hunt, in which he leads a pack of supernatural hounds known as the Cŵn Annwn
to harvest human souls. In Welsh folklore, to hear the baying of Gwyn's hounds was a portent of imminent death in the family. In The Dialogue, Gwyn is also accompanied by a hound, namely as Dormarth of the ruddy nose.
Gwyn apparently witnessed a "conflict" before Caer Vandwy, an otherworldy fortress mentioned in Preiddeu Annwfn
.
Over time, Gwyn's role would diminish and, in later folklore, he was regarded as the king of the Tylwyth Teg
, the fairies of Welsh lore. He appears as a simpler figure in Buchedd Collen (The Life of Saint Collen
), in which he and his retinue are vanquished from Glastonbury Tor
with the use of holy water
. As late as the fourteenth century, Welsh soothsayers would invoke Gwyn's name before entering woodlands, proclaiming: "to the king of Spirits, and to his queen--
Gwyn ap Nudd,
you who are yonder in the forest,
for love of your mate,
permit us to enter your dwelling."
The celebrated fourteenth-century bard
, Dafydd ap Gwilym
refers to Gwyn in a number of texts, suggesting that the character was widely-known in Wales during the medieval period. In Y Dylluan, he describes the eponymous owl
as the "fowl of Gwyn ap Nudd", while in Y Niwl, he is described as the "trickster of men with his dark face" and his talaith (family or tribe, presumably the Tylwyth Teg
) as talaith y gwynt, "the nation of the wind." Gwyn is again mentioned in Y Pwll Mawn, in which the bard tells an unfortunate autobiographical account in which he and his horse were almost drowned in a lake, described as the "fish lake of Gwyn ap Nudd" and "the palace of the elves and their children."
Gwyn is often associated with the Wild Hunt
, in a role akin to Woden
or Herne the Hunter
. Some traditions name Gwyn's chief huntsman as Iolo ap Huw, who, every Halloween
, "may be found cheering Cŵn Annwn
over Cader Idris".
fionn. As such, he has some connection to the Irish
hero Fionn mac Cumhail, whose grandfather was Nuada
. The name of his father Nudd appears to derive from the Celtic
deity
Nodens
.
Gwyn is in everyday use as a common noun and adjective: it also remains a popular personal name. The Brythonic form of this name would have been *Windos, the name of a Celtic deity in ancient Gaul
. Especially in Old and Middle Welsh, "gwyn" also has the connotations of "pure, sacred, holy". The feminine form, Gwen, is the root of Gwenhwyfar, the original Welsh form of Guinevere
.
Tylwyth teg
The Tylwyth Teg is the common term in Wales for fairies. A synonym, Bendith y Mamau, means "Blessing of the Mothers". Until the early 19th century it was commonly believed that the Tylwyth Teg, described as ethereal, beautiful and fair-haired, dwelt in a number of places in Wales as genii loci...
or "fair folk
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
" and ruler of the Welsh Otherworld
Otherworld
Otherworld, or the Celtic Otherworld, is a concept in Celtic mythology that refers to the home of the deities or spirits, or a realm of the dead.Otherworld may also refer to:In film and television:...
, Annwn
Annwn
Annwn or Annwfn was the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, or much later by Gwyn ap Nudd, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease is absent and food is ever-abundant. It later became Christianised and identified with the land of souls that had departed...
. Described as a great warrior with a "blackened face", Gwyn is intimately associated with the otherworld in medieval Welsh literature
Medieval Welsh literature
Medieval Welsh literature is the literature written in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. This includes material from the fifth century, when Welsh was in the process of becoming distinct from the British language, to the works of the 16th century....
, and is associated with the international tradition of the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
.
Family
Gwyn is the son of Nudd (otherwise known as LluddLludd Llaw Eraint
Lludd Llaw Eraint, "Lludd of the Silver Hand", son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. As Nudd Llaw Eraint he is the father of Gwyn ap Nudd...
) and is consequently grandson to Beli Mawr
Beli Mawr
Beli Mawr was an ancestor figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies. He is the father of Caswallawn, Arianrhod, Lludd Llaw Eraint, Llefelys, and Afallach. In certain medieval genealogies he is listed as the husband of Anna, cousin of the Virgin Mary...
. His siblings include Edern
Edern ap Nudd
Edern ap Nudd is a warrior of Arthur's court in early Arthurian tradition. As the son of Nudd , he is the brother of Gwyn, Creiddylad and Owain ap Nudd...
, a warrior who appears in a number of Arthurian texts, and Owain ap Nudd, who is mentioned briefly in Geraint and Enid. Gwyn's relationship with his sister (and lover) Creiddylad
Creiddylad
Creiddylad is a figure from Welsh mythology known from the early medieval Welsh Arthurian tale of Culhwch ac Olwen, one of the tales of the Mabinogion. She is the daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint...
is described in Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
. Through his father, Gwyn's uncles and aunts include Arianrhod
Arianrhod
Arianrhod is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy; the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr...
, Llefelys
Llefelys
Llefelys is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the medieval Welsh tale Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys. In the tale, Llefelys is king of France while his brother Lludd is king of Britain...
, Penarddun
Penarddun
Penarddun is a figure in Welsh mythology, the wife of Llŷr. The Second Branch of the Mabinogi names Bran, Branwen, and Manawydan as her children by Llŷr, and ascribes to her two additional sons by Euroswydd: Nisien, a good man, and Efnysien, a conniving troublemaker...
, Afallach and Caswallawn. As a result, he is related both to the House of Llŷr
Llyr
Llŷr is a figure in Welsh mythology, the father of Brân, Brânwen and Manawydan by Penarddun. The Welsh Triads mention he was imprisoned by Euroswydd; the Second Branch of the Mabinogi names Euroswydd as the father of Penarddun's younger two sons, Nisien and Efnisien. Llŷr corresponds to Lir in...
(through his paternal aunt Penarddun) and to the House of Dôn
Dôn
Dôn was a Welsh mother goddess. She does not play a direct part in the action of the Mabinogi, though many characters in that cycle are related to her. She is the mother of Arianrhod, Gwydion, Gilfaethwy, Gofannon, Eufydd, Elestron and Amaethon. Patrick K...
, through his grandfather Beli.
The Abduction of Creiddylad
Gwyn plays a prominent role in the early Arthurian tale Culhwch and Olwen in which he abducts his sister CreiddyladCreiddylad
Creiddylad is a figure from Welsh mythology known from the early medieval Welsh Arthurian tale of Culhwch ac Olwen, one of the tales of the Mabinogion. She is the daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint...
from her betrothed, Gwythyr ap Greidawl. In retalliation, Gwythyr raised a great host against Gwyn, leading to a vicious battle between the two. Gwyn was victorious and, following the conflict, captured a number of Gwythyr's noblemen including Nwython and his son Cyledr
Cyledr Wyllt
Cyledr Wyllt is a warrior and madman in Welsh mythology, known from the early Arthurian tale Culhwch and Olwen....
. Gwyn would later murder Nwython, and force Cyledr to eat his father's heart. As a result of his torture at Gwyn's hands, Cyledr went mad, earning the epithet Wyllt.
After the intervention of Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, Gwyn and Gwythr agreed to fight for Creiddylad every May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
until Judgement Day. The warrior who was victorious on this final day would at last take the maiden. This fight probably represented the contest between summer and winter
Calan Mai
In Wales, May 1 is a holiday known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf, which means the first day of summer. Celebrations start on the evening before, known as May Eve, with bonfires; as with Calan Gaeaf, the night before is an Ysbrydnos, or "spirit night," when spirits are out and about and divination is...
and is a variant of the Holly King myth. According to Culhwch and Olwen, Gwyn was "placed over the brood of devils in Annwn
Annwn
Annwn or Annwfn was the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, or much later by Gwyn ap Nudd, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease is absent and food is ever-abundant. It later became Christianised and identified with the land of souls that had departed...
, lest they should destroy the present race".
As part of Arthur's retinue
Before he can win Olwen'sOlwen
In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion....
hand, Culhwch ap Cilydd
Culhwch
Culhwch , in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and Goleuddydd, a cousin of Arthur and the protagonist of the story Culhwch and Olwen...
must complete a number of seemingly impossible tasks given to him by Olwen's father, the giant Ysbaddaden
Ysbaddaden
; "Ysbaddaden, Chief of Giants," is the primary antagonist of the Welsh romance Culhwch ac Olwen. A vicious giant residing in a nigh on unreachabe castle, he is the father of Olwen and uncle of Goreu fab Custennin...
. One of these tasks is to retrieve the comb and scissors from the head of the vicious boar, Twrch Trwyth
Twrch Trwyth
Twrch Trwyth is an enchanted wild boar in the Arthurian legend. The hunt for Twrch Trwyth by King Arthur was the subject of a popular stock narrative in medieval Welsh literature...
. As it is impossible to hunt the boar without Gwyn's aid, he is called upon to join Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and his retinue against Twrch Trwyth. During the hunt, he is mounted on Du y Moroedd, the only horse that can carry him. Both Gwyn and Gwythyr set out with Arthur to retrieve the blood of Orddu, witch of the uplands of hell.
Other Exploits
Black Book of Carmarthen
The Black Book of Carmarthen is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written entirely or substantially in Welsh. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen, and is referred to as black due to...
. In this narrative, Gwyn, returning from battle, chances upon Gwyddno
Gwyddno Garanhir
Gwyddno Garanhir was the supposed ruler of a sunken land off the coast of Wales, known as Cantre'r Gwaelod. He was the father of Elffin ap Gwyddno, the foster-father of the famous Welsh poet, Taliesin, in the legendary account given in the late medieval Chwedl Taliesin .-Legend:The basket of...
, king of Cantre'r Gwaelod, and grants him his protection. Gwyn then relates his exploits on the battlefield and his role as a psychopomp
Psychopomp
Psychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage...
, a mysterious figure who gathers the souls of fallen British warriors, such as Bran the Blessed
Bran the Blessed
Brân the Blessed is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. He appears in several of the Welsh Triads, but his most significant role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is a son of Llŷr and Penarddun, and the brother of Brânwen, Manawydan, Nisien and Efnysien...
, Meurig ap Carreian, Gwendoleu ap Ceidaw
Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio
Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio or Gwenddolau was a Brythonic king who ruled in Arfderydd . This is in what is now south-west Scotland and north-west England in the area around Hadrian's Wall and Carlisle during the sub-Roman period in Britain...
and Llacheu ab Arthur. His skill in combat is extolled in this poem; he is described as "the hope of armies" and "hero of hosts" and, when asked from which region he comes, he simply replies: "I come from battle and conflict." The poem ends with Gwyn's proclamation:
His role as a psychopomp is paralleled in his later tradition as leader of the Wild Hunt, in which he leads a pack of supernatural hounds known as the Cŵn Annwn
Cwn Annwn
In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the Wild Hunt, presided over by Gwynn ap Nudd...
to harvest human souls. In Welsh folklore, to hear the baying of Gwyn's hounds was a portent of imminent death in the family. In The Dialogue, Gwyn is also accompanied by a hound, namely as Dormarth of the ruddy nose.
Gwyn apparently witnessed a "conflict" before Caer Vandwy, an otherworldy fortress mentioned in Preiddeu Annwfn
Preiddeu Annwfn
Preiddeu Annwfn or Preiddeu Annwn is a cryptic early medieval Welsh poem of sixty lines found in the Book of Taliesin. The text recounts an expedition with King Arthur to Annwfn or Annwn, a Welsh otherworld...
.
Later Tradition
Tylwyth teg
The Tylwyth Teg is the common term in Wales for fairies. A synonym, Bendith y Mamau, means "Blessing of the Mothers". Until the early 19th century it was commonly believed that the Tylwyth Teg, described as ethereal, beautiful and fair-haired, dwelt in a number of places in Wales as genii loci...
, the fairies of Welsh lore. He appears as a simpler figure in Buchedd Collen (The Life of Saint Collen
Saint Collen
St Collen's Church, Llangollen|thumb|rightSaint Collen was a 7th-century monk who gave his name to Llangollen . St Collen is said to have arrived in Llangollen by coracle and founded a church beside the river there. As there are no other churches in Wales dedicated to St. Collen, it is possible...
), in which he and his retinue are vanquished from Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor is a hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St. Michael's Tower. The site is managed by the National Trust. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument ....
with the use of holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
. As late as the fourteenth century, Welsh soothsayers would invoke Gwyn's name before entering woodlands, proclaiming: "to the king of Spirits, and to his queen--
Gwyn ap Nudd,
you who are yonder in the forest,
for love of your mate,
permit us to enter your dwelling."
The celebrated fourteenth-century bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
, Dafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym , is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym (c. 1315/1320 – c. 1350/1370), is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym...
refers to Gwyn in a number of texts, suggesting that the character was widely-known in Wales during the medieval period. In Y Dylluan, he describes the eponymous owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
as the "fowl of Gwyn ap Nudd", while in Y Niwl, he is described as the "trickster of men with his dark face" and his talaith (family or tribe, presumably the Tylwyth Teg
Tylwyth teg
The Tylwyth Teg is the common term in Wales for fairies. A synonym, Bendith y Mamau, means "Blessing of the Mothers". Until the early 19th century it was commonly believed that the Tylwyth Teg, described as ethereal, beautiful and fair-haired, dwelt in a number of places in Wales as genii loci...
) as talaith y gwynt, "the nation of the wind." Gwyn is again mentioned in Y Pwll Mawn, in which the bard tells an unfortunate autobiographical account in which he and his horse were almost drowned in a lake, described as the "fish lake of Gwyn ap Nudd" and "the palace of the elves and their children."
Gwyn is often associated with the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
, in a role akin to Woden
Woden
Woden or Wodan is a major deity of Anglo-Saxon and Continental Germanic polytheism. Together with his Norse counterpart Odin, Woden represents a development of the Proto-Germanic god *Wōdanaz....
or Herne the Hunter
Herne the Hunter
In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. His appearance is notable in the fact that he has antlers upon his head....
. Some traditions name Gwyn's chief huntsman as Iolo ap Huw, who, every Halloween
Calan Gaeaf
Calan Gaeaf is the name of the first day of winter in Wales, observed on 1 November. The night before is Nos Galan Gaeaf , an Ysbrydnos when spirits are abroad...
, "may be found cheering Cŵn Annwn
Cwn Annwn
In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the Wild Hunt, presided over by Gwynn ap Nudd...
over Cader Idris".
Etymology
Gwyn means "fair, bright, white", cognate with the IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
fionn. As such, he has some connection to the Irish
Irish mythology
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 medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
hero Fionn mac Cumhail, whose grandfather was Nuada
Nuada
In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu , known by the epithet Airgetlám , was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is cognate with the Gaulish and British god Nodens...
. The name of his father Nudd appears to derive from the Celtic
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Nodens
Nodens
Nodents is a Celtic deity associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. He was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, and possibly also in Gaul...
.
Gwyn is in everyday use as a common noun and adjective: it also remains a popular personal name. The Brythonic form of this name would have been *Windos, the name of a Celtic deity in ancient Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. Especially in Old and Middle Welsh, "gwyn" also has the connotations of "pure, sacred, holy". The feminine form, Gwen, is the root of Gwenhwyfar, the original Welsh form of Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
.
External links
- Vindos : etymology and history of Vindos as related to Gwynn ap Nudd and Fionn mac Cumhaill