#gwalchmai ap gwyar

[gingersnaptaff]

who are the main characters in welsh arthurian mythos?

Hi anon! You know, I looked at this question and just fuckin DIED with GLEE! Ehdhdjdhdjd I LOVE SHIT LIKE THIS!!!!! SHDJDJDH

First off, Arthur is pretty big. He's less a king and more of a warlord, but there's still a lot of cultural reverence for him in Welsh things. Seriously, Henry VII - a notable faux-Welshman - named his firstborn son Arthur purely because he was going to be Prince of Wales. Also, in Culhwch and Olwen his retinue has TWO Welsh GODS in it - Manawydan and Pryderi (my beloveds.) Idk what they're doing in it but I am inordinately pleased that they are there.

Also, Uther Pendragon / Uther Ben. Taliesin wrote a poem about him which is super fun. (Also, oddly enough Taliesin himself HAS been linked into Arthurian legends on multiple occasions. He's also another Arthur-type in that he's still regarded as tooling the line between mythical and real.)

Gwenhwyfar is also important even though she takes a back seat. Speculation is rife about whether she had a quest/myth about her (sorta like Culhwch and Olwen) and also her name means 'white phantom!' BRING IT BACK. I, for one, think she definitely did have a quest attributed to her in which Arthur had to do something to get her hand in marriage but idk WHAT.

Also, she's a GIANT!!!!!!!! EJDJDKDKDKD

Gwalchmai is also Super Important. There's speculation as to whether he was a mythical character who got implanted into the mythos or if he was always Atthur's nephew. Basically, he's a giant and he kills giants. Seriously, he's CONSTANTLY killing giants in the mythos. Plus he is called 'Gwalchmai Golden / Silver-tongued' in poetry too. In the Mabinogion, he's very often the one to soothe discord between the other knights so he's very diplomatic too.

Cai and Bedwyr, obviously! They come as a pair. Do Not Separate. Now, Cai is sometimes also seen to be a giant but his dad is Cynyr Ceinfarfog who was a real king. He ruled Dyfed and was the dad of Saint Non and, therefore, grandad to SAINT DAVID. (Wales' patron saint!) So Cai, like Arthur, has a saintly lineage. Before the French Romances shifted his character into the more recognisable Kay, Arthur's grumpy seneschal, Cai was a warrior of great renown. And literally superhuman. Like, nobody would received from.a blow from his sword, he could brave fire and water like nobody else, he has the ability to go nine nights and days without sleep or the need to breathe. He's a ledge.

Now, Bedwyr! Again he's a great warrior and ONE-ARMED. He's called Bedwyr Bedrydant (Bedwyr of the Perfect Sinew) and he's HOT SHIT. Seriously, he's like the most beautiful Knight in Arthur's court. The 10th-century poem 'pa gur' says that assailants 'fell by the hundred / before Bedwyr of the Perfect sinew ... fighting with Garwlwyd/ furious with sword and shield.' (Also, BTW Garwlwyd is possibly a werewolf.)

They have to put up with SO MUCH SHIT from Arthur's escapades it's ridiculous. They had to convince Arthur not to intervene in a King abducting a princess and carrying her back to his court, ffs. Give them a HOLIDAY. WITH SALMON TAXIS.

Now, I would say Merlin BUT he is added later into the mythology. He isn't there straight off. But he is Welsh. He's FUN. He was apparently based on Myrddin Wyllt. He went mad, and lived in a forest. His bestie was a king who died.

Now, I also think Owain, and Geraint on account of their having stories written about them but they're two kings who got folded into the mythos a bit later. Urien (Owain's dad) is another example.

Also, Macsen Wledig too. But again writers melded him in later. And I mean this in the sense that he and Arthur share similarities in how they're perceived in Welsh culture.

Anyways, anon, I hope this helps. I'm probably forgetting a TONNE of characters (Peredur, for one.) But I Don't want to bore you or make anybody trawl through this unwillingly so I shall stop! Hopefully, this helps! Thank u for the question!!!!

[thepastisaroadmap]

[ID: part of a sentence from a Wikipedia page, which says "Gwalchmei ap Gwyar (meaning "son of Gwyar"), or Gwalchmai, and throughout the Middle Ages was known in Latin as Galvaginus, Gualgunus (Gualguanus, Gualguinus), Gualgwinus, Walwanus (Walwanius), Waluanus, Walwen, etc.; in Old French (and sometimes English) primarily as Gavain (Gavaine) and also as Gauvain (Gauvaine), Gauvan (Gauvayn), Gauven (Gauvein/Gauveyn), Gavan (Gavane) or Gavayn (Gavayne); in Middle High German as Gâwein or Gâwân; in Italian dialects as Gavino, Galvagin or Galvano; in Old Spanish as Galván; in Old Portuguese as Galvam or Galvão; and in Middle English also as Gawaine, Gawan (Gawane), Gawayn (Gawayne), Gawein (Gaweine), Gaweyn (Gaweyne), Gauwein (Gauweine), Gauweyn (Gauweyne) or Wawen (Wowen), among" [text cuts off]. End ID]

“average arthurian knight has 3 names" factoid actualy just statistical error. average knight has 1 name. names gawain, who lives in a castle & has over 10,000 names, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[bloededhoine]

you know what's very important to me? that figures from the arthurian cycle be called by their original names. no english bullshit.

- guinevere = gwenhwyfar/gwenivar/gwynnever

- merlin = myrddin/marzhin/merzhin

- morgan le fay = môrgen y dylwythen deg/morgen an spyrys

- uther = uthyr

- mordred = medrawd

- gawain = gwalchmai ap gwyar

king arthur is an anti-english figure. why anglicise his story?

[gingersnaptaff]

Listening to Gwilym Morus Baird's 'Celtic Source' podcast and I'm just putting out that he's done five episodes on Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as its relationship to the Mabinogi. (Also he's done an episode on the Welsh King Arthur.) If anybody wants to listen then they're on Spotify and youtube! They're pretty fascinating!

(Tagging @gwalch-mei @sickfreaksirkay and @filletedfennysnake and @dullyn they'd be right up ur alley I feel.)

Okay, BYE!

[gingersnaptaff]

Doing more on @gwalch-mei 's Christmas present (which I keep referring to as Gwyn and Gwalch's Gossip Corner (feat. An Appearance From Everybody's Favourite Scamp, Llacheu) and thought u might all like this bit about Gwalchmai talking about Medrawd. (Also, dw for anybody interested - I.e. @dullyn just said 'Pryderi has fun uncle status' that WILL be the case in this!)

[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]

*Waves* doing a Christmas gift for @gwalch-mei and could not resist throwing in some casual angst.

[gingersnaptaff]

🧑‍❤️‍💋‍🧑😈📝 for the arthurian ask game!!

🧑‍❤️‍💋‍🧑 What is a ship you discovered you enjoy this year?

Gawain x Lancelot. Like wahhhh the YEARNING. THE YEARNINNNG. Also, ooof you can see how they love each other and then that love just turns to betrayal the second Gawain's brothers are killed because they were murdered by the man he loved, the man who's destined to kill him. I'm going CRAZY. Forget Lance and Guin, THIS IS THE REAL LOVE STORY OF ARTHURIANA. Also, Gwalchmai x Peredur which is sort of similar but they're just SO SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER. (Also, um, Gwyn and Dylan which, yes, they are my creations but thanks to u, @dullyn and @believerindaydreams am genuinely thinking Dylan might make it unscathed even though he's destined to die and it's ALL OF YOUR FAULTS!!! Respectfully.)

😈 Who is a character you discovered this year? (Negative, beloathed)

Technically I did know about Tristan before this year but I did not know the depths of my RAGE towards him. Just... man, what the FUCK? Also GERAINT. Once again knew of him, but did not know how HATED he would become. Enid deserves better. She's so downtrodden. Headcanoning that she is in a sapphic relationship with Guinevere as we speak. She used Welsh law to divorce Geraint and moved into the Queen's apartments.

[gingersnaptaff]

Desire, ghost, nightmare?

Doing this for Arthur babyyyyyyy, and also, because I am on Gwalchmai kick, Gwalchmai! (Been re-editing and like I love him.)

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

For Arthur, it's definitely the fact that he wants to be king. That's solidly up there even though his parents and Emrys have dragged him to do it. It's all he's ever known, it's literally etched into his blood, so he legit Needs to do it. He's honestly really open with that because let's not forget he's a blockhead youth of sixteen so he's telling every fucker alive he's gonna be king, and I think, honestly, he wouldn't kill for it but he'd maim if he had to! It's war, he'll fight enemies, he'll beat down others. The only thing he wouldn't do is kill kids.

For Gwalchmai it's definitely trying to get Arthur to admit what he did, as well as becoming a great warrior. He's a little less hot-headed than his cousin though, so tends to be more reconciliatory although this does mean he's also roped into Arthur's schemes more often than he'd like to be, so I also think he really wants to get out of Arthur's shadow but that's for a later book. Also, yes, I do absolutely think he would go feral if pressed. I have talked about how in the Mabinogion Gwalchmai is legit the most peaceful man in existence but we forget that he's a giant killer. He will be a sneaky shit if necessary to accomplish his goals.

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

Nobody haunts them yet BUT they will. (Uthyr will haunt Arthur, and Llewdwn Gwalchmai. Their dads are super super important to these lads and I think they're constantly compared to them every damn day. Can't say much cuz I'm still wringing things out!)

nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

Arthur constantly has nightmares until Gwyn and Dylan come on the scene, normally about Emrys and what he did to him as a kid. (Again, spoilers!) He's keeping thst shit to himself because nothing can touch the Pen y Draig, the son of Uthyr Ben. He's got to be fuckin unassailable lest the men see him as a weakling.

Gwalchmai, in contrast, doesn't have nightmares but he has night terrors once his mother announces that she's pregnant again. He can't work out why but he suspects it's because the gods are displeased. He tells his little brother, Gwalhafed, and they're both like 'ehejdjdj' because what can this MEAN? Their mum, Gwyar, would also get told but not by them. She'd worry about him though because that's her firstborn boy and he's not telling her why he's being troubled by gods-given nightmares.

[gingersnaptaff]

anything I'd like! I'd whistle but I'm genuinely bad at it (no idea how to effectively do that in written form either so, ✨y'know✨)

okay okay okay. I got it. only if you're up for it, of course–! but I've got it.

if it well and truly is an Anything Goes type situation, then I'd request that you write the most self-indulgent thing you can. And I'm not asking for that in a weird way!! I know how that sentence has gotta read sans verbal tone, and I promise I'm not sitting here leering like a creep at my phone or anything hahaha. I just well and truly love everything you write, and as with most creative pursuits, the magic tends to exalt where its wielder exalts in the process in some manner. sO-! whatever calls to you most during these trying times is just perfect by my standards.

signéd,

one Extremely sleep-deprived 🧡, circa two whole seconds before I went back to fiddling with the idea of making an arthuriana-centric sideblog to better pester u by

Me being like 'MAKE THAT SIDEBLOG!!' but only once u have had enough SLEEP, 🧡. (I can't say anything though and you have my sympathy.) Me being like u mean I can make my 'Manawydan and Pryderi's Excellent Adventure' thing I was gonna do? Ehjfjx Oh, NO. O.O (Also, Gwyn and Gwalchmai's Gossip Corner Part 2 because i have IDEAS.)

[gingersnaptaff]

I read the mention in your post about Gwalhafed ap Gwyar. It's such a shame he's not featured anywhere else, besides the places he features in the Welsh Arthuriana. I'd like have to know more about him.

Hi Anon!!! This is pretty much all we know about Gwalhafed. I've tried looking for the poem that he's mentioned in that's written by Llygad Gŵr (he was a eulogist active in the court of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last true Prince of Wales) but so far, I haven't found it. I'll add it to this post when I do! The fact that he's (apparently) seen as the origin of the name Galahad is, perhaps, a bit of a stretch. I'd say it's more because they sound similar than because they share any actual meaning or root.

(Also, Gwalchmai and Gwalhafed being named after birds of prey makes me think that his parents DEFO loved birds. I know they're fictional but still.)

[telomeke]

[ID text–

Screenshot of an extract from Wikipedia showing various versions of the name Gawain. The extract reads as follows:

Gwalchmei ap Gwyar (meaning "son of Gwyar"), or Gwalchmai, and throughout the Middle Ages was known in Latin as Galvaginus, Gualgunus (Gualguanus, Gualguinus), Gualgwinus, Walwanus (Walwanius), Waluanus, Walwen, etc.; in Old French (and sometimes English) primarily as Gavain (Gavaine) and also as Gauvain (Gauvaine), Gauvan (Gauvayn), Gauven (Gauvein/Gauveyn), Gavan (Gavane) or Gavayn (Gavayne); in Middle High German as Gâwein or Gâwân; in Italian dialects as Gavino, Galvagin or Galvano; in Old Spanish as Galván; in Old Portuguese as Galvam or Galvão; and in Middle English also as Gawaine, Gawan (Gawane), Gawayn (Gawayne), Gawein (Gaweine), Gaweyn (Gaweyne), Gauwein (Gauweine), Gauweyn (Gauweyne) or Wawen (Wowen), among

End ID.]

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“average arthurian knight has 3 names" factoid actualy just statistical error. average knight has 1 name. names gawain, who lives in a castle & has over 10,000 names, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[booknerd71388]

Gawain Gwalchmei ap Gwyar Gwalchmai Galvaginus Gualgunus Gualgwinus Walwanus Waluanus Walwen Gavain Gauvain Gauvan Gauven Gavan Gavayn Gâwein Gâwân Gavino Galvagin Galvano Galván Galvam Galvão Gawaine Gawan Gawayn Gawein Gaweyn Gauwein Gauweyn Wawen you were named after my favorite Knight of the Round Table

“average arthurian knight has 3 names" factoid actualy just statistical error. average knight has 1 name. names gawain, who lives in a castle & has over 10,000 names, is an outlier adn should not have been counted