#branwen ferch llŷr

[gingersnaptaff]

Comprehensive list of couples that need therapy - Mabinogion edition:

1. Rhiannon and Pwyll - Famously stupid dude marries famously smart woman. Nothing bad happens. (Oh, ur son's mysteriously disappeared, and ur wife's maids say ur wife ATE HIM?! Punish ur wife for seven years, make her become a horse, and give people rides like an uber. Don't think twice about this.) 6/10. I think couples therapy would probably help. At the very least Pwyll might fuckin think about things.

2. Branwen and Matholwch - Um, well, their marriage causes a war. And Matholwch is an ASS. I don't think couples therapy would've saved them. I think Branwen should've been allowed to fuckin deck him. 9/10

3. Brân and the Pair Dadeni. Um, the couple that slays together stays together. WAIT! NO, NOT LIKE THAT! WKDKDKF (The Pair Dadeni got blown up. They cannot have couples therapy.) 0/10

4. Manawydan and Rhiannon - They Do Not need couples therapy. They are very well-adjusted. Manawydan makes shoes, and Rhiannon just chills. They talk a lot. Rhiannon calls Manawydan a bad bud to Pryderi, though so there is that. In his defence, Pryderi was stuck to a golden bowl at the time and unable to speak. 4/10

5. Cigfa and Pryderi - Both idiots whom I love. Both snooty. Pryderi takes offence to shoemaking, and Cigfa takes offence to farming—match made in heaven. 0/10

6. Gwydion and Gilfaethwy - They fucked. They're brothers and they fucked. Their uncle made them become animals and they fucked. I think they just need therapy, never mind couples therapy. 100/10

7. Blodeuwedd and Lleu - Woman made out of flowers marries man who doesn't pay attention to her. Woman kills man. Man becomes eagle, and woman becomes owl. It's a tale as old as time. Yes, they NEED couples therapy. 1000/10

8. Arthur and Gwenhwyfar - Honestly, they kinda need it. There's no Lancelot, but Arthur is still an idiot. Plus, he has a list of worldly possessions that are super important to him, and his wife is like seventh. 5/10

9. Cai and Bedwyr - They do not need couples therapy. They just need naps because they're tired of dealing with Arthur's shit. 0/10

10. Peredur and Angharad - Manic pixie dream boy and exasperated golden-handed woman. They're also cousins? 6/10

11. Geraint and Enid - These two need therapy. Geraint so he can stop being an abusive sick and Enid because she's spent so long putting up with Geraint's dickishness. 10/10

12. Owain and Luned (and, by extension, the Lady of the Well) - Do they need therapy? Not they just need to work out their misunderstandings. Still, therapy would kinda benefit them. 4/10

13. Macsen and Elen - Roman Emperor who saw pretty lady in dream. He needs therapy. 7/10

14. Gwenhwyfar and Edern ap Nudd - MY GOD, THEY NEED THERAPY! Edern sending a dwarf to whip Gwen's lady? Edern whipping Geraint? Insulting the woman who is sometimes seen to be his lover? BRUH, 10/10

15. Gwyn ap Nudd and Creiddylad - Ehudjfjfjf Gwyn tries to kidnap Creiddylad and then is forced to fight for her. He kills a man in the battle that Creiddylad's fiancé wages to get her back and then makes the son of the man EAT HIS HEART?!?!? (Gwyn still has a cute dog, though) A million out of 10.

16. Dylan ail Don and the waves - 0/10. Dylan is in his lane. Moisturised. Flourishing. (Just don't do an Uncle Gofannon and smash his head in with a hammer.)

(This is supposed to be funny. Pls don't yell at me.)

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: Welsh folklore

Welsh folklore is a rich tapestry of myths, legends, and traditional stories that have been passed down through generations, shaping the cultural identity of the Welsh people. Rooted in a landscape steeped in history and mysticism, Welsh folklore reflects the unique character of Wales and its people. Let's take a deep dive into some key aspects of Welsh folklore:

The Mabinogion:

The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh prose tales, comprising some of the earliest literary works in the Welsh language. It consists of four branches: Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, Branwen ferch Llŷr, Manawydan fab Llŷr, and Math fab Mathonwy.

These tales are a blend of mythology, legend, and fantasy, featuring gods, heroes, and magical elements. Notable characters include Pryderi, Rhiannon, and Bran the Blessed.

The Red Dragon:

The Red Dragon is a symbol deeply ingrained in Welsh folklore and mythology. Legend has it that the red dragon was the emblem of Cadwaladr, a legendary king of Gwynedd. The dragon is associated with Welsh identity and pride and is prominently featured on the national flag of Wales.

King Arthur and the Welsh Connection:

The legendary King Arthur has strong ties to Welsh folklore. While the broader Arthurian legend is widespread, some key elements, such as the magical sword Excalibur and the wizard Merlin, have roots in Welsh tales like the Mabinogion.

Places like Caerleon and the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen are often linked to Arthurian legends.

Y Tylwyth Teg (The Fair Folk):

The Tylwyth Teg are Welsh fairies or magical beings often associated with mounds or fairy rings. They are known for their beauty and magical abilities. Crossing paths with them could lead to both blessings and misfortune, depending on the encounter.

Tales warn of the Tylwyth Teg taking humans to their underground realm, where time passes differently.

The Legend of Gelert:

The legend of Gelert is a poignant tale of loyalty and tragedy. It tells the story of Llywelyn the Great, a medieval Welsh prince, and his faithful hound Gelert. The dog is mistakenly killed by Llywelyn, who later discovers that Gelert had actually saved his son from a wolf.

The Mari Lwyd:

The Mari Lwyd is a traditional Welsh custom associated with the winter season. It involves a horse's skull mounted on a pole, decorated with ribbons and bells, carried by individuals who go from house to house, engaging in a form of door-to-door singing and challenge.

Celtic Water Spirits:

Wales, with its rivers, lakes, and coastline, has numerous tales of water spirits. Creatures like the Afanc, a lake monster, and the Gwragedd Annwn, beautiful water maidens, are part of Welsh folklore. These spirits often play pivotal roles in cautionary tales and myths.

Branwen Uerch Lyr:

The tragic tale of Branwen, the sister of the legendary King Bran the Blessed, is another prominent story in Welsh folklore. It involves betrayal, war, and the symbolic connection between Wales and Ireland.

Welsh folklore continues to inspire contemporary literature, art, and cultural expressions, maintaining a strong connection to the country's past. The tales and mythical elements contribute to the unique identity of Wales and its people, adding a layer of enchantment to the historical and natural landscape.

Taglist (reply or reblog to be added): @axl-ul @crow-flower @thoughts-fromthevoid @alderwoodbooks @harleyacoincidence @tuberosumtater @sonic-spade @theonlygardenia @holymzogynybatman @nulliel-tres @w0rkah0licz @sylvanthorn @tigertaurus22 @profiterole-reads @mathias-musings @1899adgg1997tbmd @grimmparanormalinvestigations

[birdsofrhiannon]

Mabinogi - Branwen ferch Llŷr

[strqyr]

the struggle between not knowing if the name 'branwen' is actually alluding to Branwen ferch Llŷr and thus could hint at raven and/or qrow's backstories/future vs despite not having official confirmation, still seeing a similarity or two and debating whether that counts or not even if it's not 'official', then further debating whether it's alluding to their backstories with the tribe or team strq, or if it's about future.

also like. if it is an allusion for them, is it both or just one of them? they both allude to huginn and muninn, and qrow also has the scarecrow, so would branwen allude to raven more? but then, the one similarity that tracks is to do with qrow, so?????

[branwendaughterofllyr]

White Ravens, Winter Roses - Part One

It is no secret that ASOIAF is influenced by various facets of Norse and Celtic mythology, especially in regards to the Long Night and the North. I want to discuss here parallels between ASOIAF and the Welsh epic, the Mabinogion. Specifically, the parallels between Lyanna, Sansa, and Branwen, Daughter of Llyr.

Branwen, Daughter of Llyr by Alan Lee

Branwen ferch Llŷr is the second branch of the Mabinogion, which was compiled sometime in the 12th to 13th century in the White Book of Rhydderch, but is likely far older and part of a greater oral tradition, and has connections to the Arthurian mythos which is Welsh in origin.

Here is a summary of the story of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr by Owen Sheers in his novella, White Ravens.

Bendigeidfran, son of Llyr, is the king of the island of Britain, invested with the crown of London. One day, while sitting at one of his courts in Harlech he sees several beautiful ships approaching from southern Ireland. The ships bear Matholwch, king of Ireland who asks to marry Bendigeidfran’s sister, Branwen, daughter of Llyr. Bendigeidfran agrees to the union, but during the celebrations, Bendigeidfran’s half-brother, Efnysien, objects and viciously maims Matholwch’s horses. Bendigeidfran offers Matholwch compensation in the form of a magic cauldron that can bring men back to life but without the power of speech. Matholwch and Branwen go back to Ireland where they are at first welcomed and Branwen has a son, Gwern. But after a year rumours spread about Efnysien’s insult and Matholwch has to reject Branwen to stop the uproar. Set to cook for the court, she rears a starling that, after three years, she sends to her brother with a message about her treatment. Bendigeidfran raises an army that sails to Ireland while he wades, because no ship is big enough for him. The Irish see him coming and retreat over the Liffey, destroying the bridge. But Bendigeidfran makes himself a bridge for his army to cross, and to appease him the Irish build a house, because no house has ever been big enough for him before. But they hide a hundred warriors inside. Efnysien secretly kills the warriors, and when the two sides meet openly peace is restored and Branwen’s child Gwern is made king. Calling Gwern to him, Efnysien throws the child into the fire; fighting immediately breaks out, with the Irish replenishing their ranks by throwing their dead warriors into the cauldron. Seeing this Efnysien repents and throws himself into the cauldron, stretching out to break it and his heart at the same time. Bendigeidfran, who is wounded with a poison spear in the foot, escapes, as do Branwen and seven men. Branwen dies of a broken heart. Bendigeidfran orders his men to cut off his head and carry it to the Gwynfryn in London to be buried with its face towards France. It was said no oppression could come to the island while the head was in its hiding place.

There has been some speculation that Bran Stark is connected to Bendigeidfran, whose name translates to “Magnificent Crow” or “Blessed Crow” and is usually anglicized as Bran the Blessed. Bran the Blessed had a reputation for wisdom and was the owner of the cauldron that revives the dead, and was grievously injured by a poisonous spear. Scholars have also noted connections between Bran the Blessed and the Fisher King, keeper of the Holy Grail (which in some legends can restore the fallen), who is also speculated to be connected to Bran Stark as the Fisher King is gravely injured by a spear, unable to sire children or hunt. But that’s another meta.

I want to talk about how Branwen’s story mirrors Lyanna’s and Sansa’s. Lyanna and Branwen leave home, resulting in feud between their husband/lover and their brother(s), are isolated from their home and family, lose their sons, and die after their brother rescues them. Branwen’s death from a broken heart, after both of her brothers die, echoes Lyanna’s own death in childbirth following the demises of her father, brother, and Rheagar. 

Sansa goes south in order to marry the prince, just Lyanna went south, and Branwen went across the sea to Ireland, and bitterly regrets it in the end. Joffrey frequently punishes Sansa’ for her brother’s victories and her family’s opposition, bringing to mind Branwen’s own unjust punishment from her husband because of her brother’s actions, which included being banished to the kitchens and daily beatings. Both Branwen and Sansa are put aside by their husband/betrothed because of the enmity between them and their brothers.

What is most striking is the deep longing for home Branwen and Sansa express.

“Verily, lord,” said his men to Matholch, “forbid now the ships and the ferry-boats, and the coracles, that they go not into Wales, and such as come over from Wales hither, imprison them, that they go not back for this thing to be known there.” And he did so; and it was thus for no less than three years.  And Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the kneading-trough, and she taught it to speak, and she taught the bird what manner of man her brother was. And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the despite with which she was treated, and she bound the letter to the root of the bird’s wing, and sent it toward Wales.

- The Mabinogion, tr. Lady Charlotte Guest

Branwen is almost always depicted as looking across the sea to Wales, sending the sterling to her brother.

From the high battlements of the gatehouse, the whole world spread out below them. Sansa could see the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's hill, where her father had died. At the other end of the Street of the Sisters stood the fire-blackened ruins of the Dragonpit. To the west, the swollen red sun was half-hidden behind the Gate of the Gods. The salt sea was at her back, and to the south was the fish market and the docks and the swirling torrent of the Blackwater Rush. And to the north…  She turned that way, and saw only the city, streets and alleys and hills and bottoms and more streets and more alleys and the stone of distant walls. Yet she knew that beyond them was open country, farms and fields and forests, and beyond that, north and north and north again, stood Winterfell. 

-Sansa VI, AGOT

Sansa is trapped in King’s landing, yearning repeatedly to go north, to go home.

I pray for Robb's victory and Joffrey's death . . . and for home. For Winterfell.

-Sansa III, ACOK

Branwen and Sansa are both forced to wait for their brothers to rescue them, again paralleling Ned traveling South for his sister, Lyanna. It’s could be interpreted through Ned’s dreams of Lyanna screaming for him while the kings guard block his way to the tower, that in the end Lyanna too wanted to return home, and became an unwilling prisoner. 

“And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light."No," Ned said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends." As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. "Eddard!" she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death."Lord Eddard," Lyanna called again.” -Eddard X, AGOT

That Sansa, Lyanna, and Branwen are unwilling imprisonmened by men who were ostensibly romantically involved with them could be just a case of a common trope, but the fact they went willingly at first and are waiting to be rescued by their brothers unites them into similar narratives.

There is also a motif of birds that connect Branwen and Sansa. “Branwen” translates as “white raven,” bringing to mind Sansa’s own monikers of “Little Bird” and “Little Dove.” Birds are traditional symbols of freedom, and it is situational irony that Sansa and Branwen both take on the roles of caged birds

"Some septa trained you well. You're like one of those birds from the Summer Isles, aren't you? A pretty little talking bird, repeating all the pretty little words they taught you to recite."

-Sansa II, AGOT

Branwen’s freedom comes about from a bird, a starling she sends to her brother, whereas the letter Sansa writes is the opposite of Branwen’s secret message detailing her terrible circumstances. Cersei essentially dictates Sansa’s letter to Robb and Catelyn, cementing Sansa’s hostage status. It also recalls Lyanna’s isolation at the Tower of Joy, unable to communicate with her family.

So lovely. The snow-clad summit of the Giant’s Lance loomed above her, an immensity of stone and ice that dwarfed the castle perched upon its shoulder. Icicles twenty feet long draped the lip of the precipice where Alyssa’s Tears fell in summer. A falcon soared above the frozen waterfall, blue wings spread wide against the morning sky. Would that I had wings as well.” - Alayne I, AFFC

Here we have Sansa’s desire for freedom laid out in a wish for wings, a wish for flight. She wants to be free as a bird, or rather “a wolf with big leather wings like a bat” (Arya XII, ASOS). Unlike Lyanna and Branwen, Sansa has been able to make her escape, first from KL, where the wold with bat wings quotes comes out of, and as of AFFC, she is descending from the Eyrie, which literally means a nest of a large bird of prey. But even now, she is still captive in all the most important ways, at the mercy of Littlefinger. 

There is also the tragedy of all of their lives, affecting both the women themselves and bringing about the destructions of others. 

"Alas," said she, "woe is me that I was ever born; two islands have been destroyed because of me!" Then she uttered a loud groan, and there broke her heart.

-The Mabinogion, tr. Lady Charlotte Guest

Branwen puts the blame on herself, despite having her agency routinely seized from her by her brothers and husband. She is the cause of the war, just Lyanna was the cause of Robert’s Rebellion, and Branwen’s fate is constantly defined by the men around her, just as Lyanna acts a symbol.

Lyanna as the beautiful woman causing a war immediately puts in mind Helen of Troy, but there’s another figure that is similar to both Lyanna and Branwen: Deirdre of the Sorrows.

Deirdrê by Helen Stratton

Deirdre was prophesied to bring ruin upon all of Ireland with her beauty (similar to “two islands [being] destroyed because of [Branwen]), and does so by running away with her lover, Naoise, slighting the king she was betrothed to, Conchobar. The spiteful Conchobar’s revenge results in the deaths of Naoise and his brothers, and Deirdre ultimately commits suicide.

Prince Rhaegar loved his Lady Lyanna, and thousands died for it.

-The Kingbreaker, ADWD

Lyanna deeply echoes women like Branwen and Deirdre, who are fought over, imprisoned, and die.

Sansa herself considers suicide after the death of her father, connecting herself to Branwen who dies of grief and shame, and Deirdre, who cannot bear life with the man who killed her lover.

Perhaps I will die too, she told herself, and the thought did not seem so terrible to her. If she flung herself from the window, she could put an end to her suffering, and in the years to come the singers would write songs of her grief. Her body would lie on the stones below, broken and innocent, shaming all those who had betrayed her. Sansa went so far as to cross the bedchamber and throw open the shutters … but then her courage left her, and she ran back to her bed, sobbing.

-Sansa VI, AGOT

Here, Sansa is directly connected to all the beautiful dead women in the songs, be that Branwen, Deirdre, Lyanna, and even Ashara Dayne and Elia Martell. Ashara Dayne threw herself off a cliff because of a broken heart, again echoing the deaths of Branwen and Deirdre. Whether or not Ashara really did so or even why, is again, another theory, but the story is there. Elia Martell’s forced stay at King’s Landing and her children’s death is deeply reminiscent of the captivity of Branwen and the murder of her son Gwern.

Many have criticized GRRM for the deaths of many of the women of the previous generation of ASOIAF, and leaving them uncharacterized and nebulous figures. See the Dead Ladies Club metas for more on this subject. I have hopes that we will get more characterization of these women in future books, especially in the case of Elia.

 @lostlittlesatellites wrote a meta about Sansa acting as a deconstruction of “The Princess in the Tower” trope, and I would like to echo her sentiment that Sansa is trapped physically, but is also isolated by the constraints the world of ASOIAF puts on girls and woman.

And this brings me to my idea that Lyanna is the trope played straight, while Sansa subverts it. Lyanna dies after her brother reaches her, just as Branwen does. But Robb never saves Sansa.

He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once.

-Eddard IV, AGOT

Sansa parallels

"You never knew Lyanna as I did, Robert," Ned told him. "You saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath.”

-Eddard VII, AGOT

My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel

-Sansa V, ASOS

It has to be noted that Sansa and Lyanna disobeyed their fathers for “love” and ended up as the princess in the tower. 

And in terms of character, Lyanna has quite a few similarities that she shares with Sansa rather than Arya (though there is something to be said about how the two Stark girls are two different aspects of Lyanna.) Lyanna weeps when she hears Rhaegar plays the high harp, and ran off on a romantic adventure. All very Sansa like traits. 

But while Lyanna ends up meeting her death in Tower of Joy, Sansa’s own story has been much more complicated at the books continue. Her imprisonment is as much mental as physical. She cannot rely on her brothers, who are dead or disappeared or bound by other duties. And even her “love story” with her southern prince is cut short and diverted from Lyanna’s story, as she is cast off by Joffrey in the end. Sansa remains unrescued, passed from captivity to captivity, but in the end, she will be the one to save herself. I believe that Sansa will escape during or just after the Tourney of the Winged Knights, and bring her subversion of Lyanna’s story, which began at the Tourney of Harrenhal, full circle, as she has to rescue herself in order to truly fly free.

[ofbloodandfaith]

Day 12 of 30 Days of Manawydan

Places associated with this deity and their worship

Dyfed - His stepson Pryderi is Prince of Dyfed as was his father Pwll

Arberth - The town plays a high-profile role in Welsh mythology, where it is the chief palace of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, and a key setting in both the first and third branches of the Mabinogi.

Gwales - the island where Manawydan and the other surviving knights rested with Bran the Blessed’s talking head. Grassholm has been identified with Gwales, an island in the medieval Welsh story Branwen ferch Llŷr (Branwen the daughter of Llŷr), one of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. Gwales is the site of a fabulous castle where the severed head of Brân the Blessed is kept miraculously alive for eighty years while his companions feast in blissful forgetfulness, until the opening of a forbidden door that faces Cornwall recalls them to their sorrow and the need to bury the head at the White Mount (the Tower of London). Brân is the Welsh for 'Raven', which have a legendary connection with the Tower of London

London (ludgate) -  Where Bran the Blessed’s head was buried "London" is an ancient name, attested already in the first century AD, usually in the Latinised form Londinium;[62] for example, handwritten Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio ("in London").[63]Over the years, the name has attracted many mythicising explanations. The earliest attested appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136.[62] This had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud.[64]Modern scientific analyses of the name must account for the origins of the different forms found in early sources Latin (usually Londinium), Old English (usually Lunden), and Welsh (usually Llundein), with reference to the known developments over time of sounds in those different languages. It is agreed that the name came into these languages from Common Brythonic; recent work tends to reconstruct the lost Celtic form of the name as *[Londonjon] or something similar. This was adapted into Latin as Londinium and borrowed into Old English, the ancestor-language of English.[65]The toponymy of the Common Brythonic form is much debated. A prominent explanation was Richard Coates's 1998 argument that the name derived from pre-Celtic Old European *(p)lowonida, meaning "river too wide to ford". Coates suggested that this was a name given to the part of the River Thames which flows through London; from this, the settlement gained the Celtic form of its name, *Lowonidonjon.[66] However, most work has accepted a Celtic origin for the name, and recent studies have favoured an explanation along the lines of a Celtic derivative of a proto-Indo-European root *lendh- ('sink, cause to sink'), combined with the Celtic suffix *-injo- or *-onjo- (used to form place-names). Peter Schrijver has specifically suggested, on these grounds, that the name originally meant 'place that floods (periodically, tidally)'.[67][65]

Ireland - Manawydan went to Ireland to negotiate peace with the king after he beat his wife their sister The long-standing traditional view, once widely accepted,[by whom?] is that the Celtic language, Ogham script and culture were brought to Ireland by waves of invading or migrating Celts from mainland Europe. This theory draws on the Lebor Gabála Érenn, a medieval Christian pseudo-history of Ireland along with the presence of Celtic culture, language and artefacts found in Ireland such as Celtic bronze spears, shields, torcs and other finely crafted Celtic associated possessions. The theory holds that there were four separate Celtic invasions of Ireland. The Priteni were said to be the first, followed by the Belgae from northern Gaul and Britain. Later, Laighin tribes from Armorica (present-day Brittany) were said to have invaded Ireland and Britain more or less simultaneously. Lastly, the Milesians (Gaels) were said to have reached Ireland from either northern Iberia or southern Gaul.[27] It was claimed that a second wave named the Euerni, belonging to the Belgae people of northern Gaul, began arriving about the sixth century BC. They were said to have given their name to the island.[28][29]The theory was advanced in part because of lack of archaeological evidence for large-scale Celtic immigration, though it is accepted that such movements are notoriously difficult to identify. Some proponents of this theory hold that it is likely that there was migration of smaller groups of Celts to Ireland, with sufficiently regular traffic to constitute a "migration stream", but that this was not the fundamental cause of Insular Celticisation.[citation needed] Historical linguists are sceptical that this method alone could account for the absorption of Celtic language, with some saying that an assumed processional view of Celtic linguistic formation is 'an especially hazardous exercise'.[30][31] Genetic lineage investigation into the area of Celtic migration to Ireland has led to findings that showed no significant differences in mitochondrial DNA between Ireland and large areas of continental Europe, in contrast to parts of the Y-chromosome pattern. When taking both into account a study drew the conclusion that modern Celtic speakers in Ireland could be thought of as European "Atlantic Celts" showing a shared ancestry throughout the Atlantic zone from northern Iberia to western Scandinavia rather than substantially central European.[32]

Annwn - the otherworld where his wife Rhiannon comes from and her first husband Pwll pen Annwn (head of Annwn) was partially head off. Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn (in Middle Welsh, /ˈænuːn/ Annwvn, Annwyn, Annwyfn, Annwvyn, or Annwfyn) is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn (or, in Arthurian literature, by Gwyn ap Nudd), it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease was absent and food was ever-abundant. It became identified with the Christian afterlife in paradise (or heaven). Middle Welsh sources suggest that the term was recognised as meaning "very deep" in medieval times.[1] The appearance of a form antumnos on an ancient Gaulish curse tablet which means an (other) tumnos (world), however, suggests that the original term may have been *ande-dubnos, a common Gallo-Brittonic word that literally meant "underworld".[2] The pronunciation of Modern Welsh Annwn is [ˈanuːn].Mythical locations[edit]In both Welsh and Irish mythologies, the Otherworld was believed to be located either on an island or underneath the earth. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi, it is implied that Annwn is a land within Dyfed, while the context of the Arthurian poem Preiddeu Annwfn suggests an island location. Two other otherworldly feasts that occur in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi are located in Harlech in northwest Wales and on Ynys Gwales in southwest Pembrokeshire.

[gotojobin]

Bran and the Magic Cauldron #Bran #theMagicCauldron #MagicCauldron The story of Bran is told in the Mabinogion, a cycle of Welsh legends. The legends appear in either or both of two Medieval Welsh manuscripts the: Red Book of Hergest (Llyfr Coch Hergest), and the White Book of Rhydderch (Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch).  Mabinogion means 'tales of youth'; although this only applies to a few of the stories it became the name of the entire collection. The Mabinogion is one of the masterpieces of world literature. The stories are partly based on early medieval historical events interlaced with Celtic mythology and folklore, including that of the ancient Celtic gods and goddesses.  The Mabinogion consists of the four connected narratives (called 'the branches') followed by additional stories. The Four Branches of the Mabinogi are the most mythological stories and the oldest of the collection. They include: - Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed (Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed)  - Branwen Ferch Llŷr (Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr)  - Manawydan Fab Llŷr (Manawyddan, son of Llŷr)  - Math Fab Mathonwy (Math, son of Mathonwy)  It is from the second of the branches: - Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr that the story has been adapted. The White Book of Rhydderch was written around 1350, and the Red Book of Hergest about 1382-1410. Scholars agree, however, that the tales are older than the existing manuscripts, and probably came from earlier texts written somewhere within the 12th century. The tales themselves may have been told for many hundreds of years before being written down. 

[useless-walesfacts-archive-blog]

In the story of Branwen Ferch Llŷr, her half brother Efnisien throws her baby into a fire, because he felt insulted.

[gingersnaptaff]

Me again! Bringing in some hot gossip about the Welsh Laws of Women. (By which I mean from the laws of Hywel Dda.)

No. No! Don't run away, it's good shit, I promise!

So, the legal majority for a girl was twelve. This is different to a boy. Under Welsh law, they didn't become men until they were 14, and, if they were high-ranking, were fostered out to other nobles, whereas girls were kept at home, hence the 'father's platter.' What's interesting to me is that after she became a woman she was entitled to hold her own property as an unmarried woman and 'go wherever she pleased.'

I realise I am saying that verbatim to what I've highlighted but like think about it!!!! She wasn't bound to her family - except in marriage but I'll get into that - and she legally had the right to go bye byes! Her father didn't rule her life, basically. She's a free spirit.

NOW, the right to land is pretty tricky, on account of different parts of Wales having different customs. You gotta remember that Wales was NEVER really united* under one big fish until AFTER the Normanic Conquest, and even then that took some fuckin doing.

(*Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Owain Gwynedd, and Llywelyn Fawr are exceptions. That's the House of Aberffraw, bb!)

So, in South Wales, it seems more prevalent to give land to a lady's descendants when there were no men to take up the land. This is far better than in North Wales (and may I just say as a North Walian *clears throat* WHAT THE FUCK?) where basically Salic Law applied which is basically where u gotta give it to a male descendent. Female lineal descendants were excluded. Boo!!!

BUT!!! However, matrilineal bloodlines should not be discounted. Royal women still had claims to the throne that could be used by their descendants to press their claim. Owain Glyndŵr did this. I suspect if u were related to a Welsh lady you could try and do it but, pls, don't use this tumblr post to try and convince the jury. It's on you, bud.

MAWWIAGE. IT'S WHAT BWINGS US TOGETHER.

Now, there are two forms of marriage. Your normal one where your parents pick for you or at the very least gift u to your husbando like in Culhwch and Olwen, and the one where you can ELOPE. Because Welsh law didn't see marriage as a religious thing the sanctity of marriage wasn't in question so, therefore, you could have a little fun and y'know nyoom after your chosen beau. (Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan did this. She's ace.)

The Mabinogi gives us a lot of good shit about the gift of kin stuff. Branwen gets gifted to Matholwch by Bendigeidfran, all fine and dandy. BUT Welsh law states that your relatives - mam, dad, grandads, grandmum's, great-grandad's and grrat-grandmum's - needed to take counsel cuz y'know it's a big fuckin thing, giving somebody in marriage. So, that's why Efnisien is so upset because he wasn't given a say. He thinks he is legally entitled to do so. However, he's only her half-brother so not full-blooded. Therefore, he's unable to have a say because he isn't fully related to her.

(A lot of Welsh law is prevaricated on kin ties.)

Also for all u Rhiannon lovers out there - like me - the Welsh law was on her side when she fought to free herself from Gwawl ap Clud. (Although the badger-in-a-sack game was a bit much.) Welsh law forbade a woman from being married against her will. Yeah, your family could try and capture you and bring you back but like if you'd bonked the lad you could stay. You'd made your choice. Nobody can take that away from you. All that was needed in a personal bestowal was continued cohabitation. *clicks teeth, finger guns.*

Also, there are marriage laws too, but I don't want to clutter up the feed too much, or overly ramble. Suffice to say there's some fun ones!

[gingersnaptaff]

Most chill to least - Welsh mythology and Arthurian edition. Inspired by a convo @gwalch-mei and I had last night. Seriously I was severely sleep deprived so yeah.

0. Culhwch. He just exists in his own story like I can't say much else. Sorry, mate.

1. Manawydan / Brân (they're brothers but like Manawydan is legit usurped by a guy who kills his nephew and just completely fucks off to Dyfed to live in peace with his horse goddess wife and her rash son. Brân, before he gets his head cut off, is super chill but also nearly gets the whole of the Britons wiped out. (Long story)

2. Rhiannon. Unproblematic. Never done anything wrong in her LIFE.

3. Palomides. (I know he has beef with Tristan but like SAME.)

4. Honestly, Gwalchmai is super chill.

5. Aranrhod. Wants to be left alone by her stupid idiotic brothers. Or smash Gwydion's head in. Either really.

6. Branwen. Chill, yes, but I do also headcanon that she wanted to kill her half-brother as well as her husband and raze Ireland to the ground for all she endured.

7. Peredur / Percival. More Peredur because he is the most chillest and unfazed lad ever but still.

8. Galahad. Just... the vibe gives is super chill war criminal in a way I cannot explain.

9. Arthur. Except for the time in Welsh myth where he just casually kills a dude for necking one of his mistresses. Or y'know the May Day massacre.

10. Gwenhwyfar. (Guinevere is also chill but she would hunt those who wronged her down for sport if necessary. Gwenhwyfar, in contrast, would maim if needed. Seems largely content with the fact her husband is in love with his boat. Also just... yeah.)

11. Bedwyr. Puts up with Arthur's crap so it necessitates he would Have To Be Chill.

12 / 13. Lancelot and Gawain. They're together because their shenanigans are unmatched.

14/15. Lludd and Llefelys. They near killed each other because of some magical imps they have NO CHILL. Tbf they also immediately made up but like ugyftci

16. Dylan Ail Don, my beloved. He is the god of the waves. (Also, Llŷr too because as god of the sea, he would go off if he was not imprisoned somewhere.)

17. Kay. A lil more hot-headed in certain interpretations. Would, I think, also smack the shit out of Arthur if pressed. (Kay is also here for me because he is a cantankerous bastard but, like, wouldn't u be if u had to deal with half the shit he did.)

18. Fuckin Mordred man endjsjdjx CHILL MY DUDE PLS.

19. Arawn and Pwyll. Just the entirety of branch one of the Mabinogionmakes me think they just are both chill and terribly not.

20/21 Gaheris and Gareth are also a package deal. I know gawain and lance are quite high up the list whereas the rest of the Orkney aren't but like it's a big fat lie. They're just better at hiding it.

22/23. Gwydion and Gilfaethwy

24/25 Blodeuwedd and Lleu. They need couples therapy and QUICKLY

26/27. Owain and Morfudd (they are grandkids of arawn so u THINK THEY CHILL?))

28. Gwyn ap Nudd (no chill. Cut out a man's heart and then made the man's son eat it. Get some therapy, Gwyn, plîs.)

29. Bors and Hector ngl

27. Tor and Lamorak. Just. I mean.

28. Efnisien. oh God oh fuck oh boi

29. Pryderi, in all honesty. Like for having a mum who is legit super chill (apart from when she chews Pwyll and Manawydan out) he is remarkably rash.

30. Fuckin GERAINT

31. Agravaine. Man is just... he just... well, y'know.

32. Cerridwen. She chased Taliesin down and I bet she was fuming the entire time. Literally ate him and gave birth to him.

33. Enid. She is not chill and honestly I know she seems like she is but I bet she wanted to kill geraint cuz I would. Let her fly off the handle holy shit.

34. Morgan. I think she is allowed to be as unchill as she can and wishes to be.

35. Iseult / Esyllt. Nothing more than vibes honestly but still.

36. Olwen. Again nothing but vibes but she is a giant's daughter and like cyvyvuvh

[gingersnaptaff]

I do believe if the Arthurian crowd and Welsh gods got migraines then Gwyn apNudd and Arawn would be working through the pain (Gwyn is also cuddling Dormarch and Arawn the Cŵn Annwfn), Cai is clinging to Bedwyr because he's tall enough that he acts like a sun shield for the bright light, Trystan is probs sobbing in Esyllt's arms as she holds him like 'dude,' Gwenhwyfar and Gwalchmai are both slaying giants to try and make the pain go away, Arthur's asking Morgan Tud for medical cures, Branwen, Enid, and Blodeuwedd are drinking tisanes, Manawydan and Rhiannon are chilling in a dark room while Pryderi and Cigfa gather as much ice as they can to bundle into a bag and put on their foreheads.

Dylan and Llŷr are magicking up water for the ice. Culhwch trying to ensure that everybody is super chill even though they keep demanding fuckin marvels to distract themselves. (Geraint and Lleu are this fuckin close to murdering each other in a pain-induced frenzy.)

Brân's head is the one that's given everybody the migraine. Surprisingly, as Lludd and Llefelys will say later, the Corianaid didn't get a look in even though they were headache-inducing enough. Brân can fuckin NATTER when he wants to, as Arthur discovers after digging up his head.

[gingersnaptaff]

Thinking about Manawydan, Bendigeidfran and Branwen today and how they all must've felt to have their lives upended by the carnage again Matholwch's steeds their half-brother - slighted, hot-tempered, bitter Efnisien - committed.

Do you think they realised when the grooms brought the news, or did they have an inkling before then? Did they hear the steeds' screams but just dismissed them as being the howls of the sea or an owl? Do you think Branwen knew Matholwch was an abusive man after she was greeted with cold silences from him once she'd awoken, or do you think she only found out after they returned to Ireland? Did she foresee the destruction her summons would cause lot before she made the plea?

Do you think Bendigeidfran had an inkling of his demise at the hands of a poisoned speartip? Did the ravens whisper it to him? Crowed it in his ear alongside visions of his head being cut off, being buried, being dug up in a hubristic fit by a King who'd perish in battle just as he'd done. Did he give Matholwch the Pair Dadeni as a gift without thinking about the consequences, or did he know of them - of the conflict that might ignite - because he was the son of the sea and the sea knows all?

And Manawydan. Do you think he knew he'd be the only one of his siblings left behind? That he'd have no home to go back to, no kingdom, no family? Did his perceptiveness fail him, his kingship now in tatters?

(Do you think he blamed himself for hailing Matholwch back once the Irish boats had crashed back into the tide, steadily sailing away without their bride? And yet... he still persuaded the Irish king to return because his older brother, his lord wanted to build a bridge?)

[gingersnaptaff]

Helo, drunk as a skunk so if u want to pls ask me things about Arthuriana or Welsh myth if u want!!!

[gingersnaptaff]

I forgot that there was a Welsh Mabinogion musical about the Second Branch (Branwen) called Branwen: Dadeni. So now, I need you all to listen to this absolute banger:

The whole show used to be on BBC iPlayer but it isn't now. It was gorgeous though. 😭

[ofbloodandfaith]

Caradog ap Bran (sometimes spelled as Caradoc) is the son of the British king Bran the Blessed in Welsh mythology and literature, who appears most prominently in the second branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is further mentioned in the Welsh Triads and in certain medieval Welsh genealogies. Caradog is the grandson of the sea god Llŷr, the nephew of Manawydan, Branwen, Efnisien and Nisien. Role in Welsh tradition The Irish king Matholwch sails to Harlech to speak with Bran the Blessed, high king of the Island of the Mighty and to ask for the hand of his sister Branwen in marriage, thus forging an alliance between the two islands. Bendigeidfran agrees to Matholwch's request, but the celebrations are cut short when Efnisien, a half-brother to the children of Llŷr, brutally mutilates Matholwch's horses, angry that his permission was not sought in regards to the marriage. Matholwch is deeply offended until Bran offers him compensation in the form of a magic cauldron that can restore the dead to life. Pleased with the gift, Matholwch and Branwen sail back to Ireland to reign. Once in Matholwch's kingdom, Branwen gives birth to a son, Gwern, but Efnysien's insult continues to rankle among the Irish and, eventually, Branwen is mistreated, banished to the kingdom and beaten every day. She tames a starling and sends it across the Irish Sea with a message to her brother Bendigeidfran, who raises a huge host in preparation for invasion. A council is held among the British and it is decided that seven men should stay behind to defend Britain; Bran's son Caradog is given seniority over the chieftains, namely Hefeydd the Tall, Unig Strong Shoulder, Iddig ab Anarawd, Ffodor ab Erfyll, Wlch Bone Lip, Llassar fab Llasar Llaes Gyngwyd and Pendaran Dyfed. Bran's host sails across the Irish Sea. Upon Bran's departure, Caradog and his men are attacked by his uncle, Caswallawn fab Beli, who murders Caradog's men whilst concealed by a cloak of invisibility. Caradog, whom Caswallawn had not intended to kill, breaks his heart in despair at the deaths of his kinsmen, and Caswallawn ascends to the throne. Caradog's paternal uncle Manawydan learns of his nephew's death upon his return from Ireland and submits to the usurper. The triads allude to both Caradog's role as a defender of Britain and to his death; Triad 13 names him as one of the Chief Defenders of Britain, while Triad 95 refers to him as one of the three people who broke their hearts out of bewilderment.

Caradog ap Bran - Wikipedia