#menw ap teirgwaedd

[gawrkin]

Arthur, the Wizard-king

Since King Arthur is a bard (albeit a frivolous one) in Welsh Myth, that technically means Arthur is a magician in some capacity.

Bards/Poets in Celtic Culture and Myth are combo of newscaster, historian, genealogist, prophet and entertainer. They are essentially lore keepers - Walking libraries for a mostly illiterate society. Which is why they are placed in an esteemed social status. They not only entertain but can prophesize the future, rouse one's companions to action and curse people with satires, on top of preserving knowledge through poetic forms.

Taliesin and Myrddin Wyllt are examples of from welsh lore. In Irish myth, there's Laidcenn, Niall (of the nine hostages)'s poet, and I remember some poet-warrior threatened to lampoon Cu Chulainn.

I think evidence that points to Arthur's magic is in the story Gwyn, Gwythyr and Creiddylad:

If you interpret Gwyn and Gwythyr as mortal men, Arthur magically oath-bound two men to fight each other until judgement day, granting them immortality in the process.

If you interpret Gwyn and Gwythyr are divine beings, then Arthur cursed two gods to fight each other annually and organized the seasons.

No matter how you cut it, Arthur is pretty magically strong. Other magical facts about Arthur include:

Welsh Triads saying Arthur had the ability to render the land infertile for seven years wherever he walks.

Arthur having an invisibility cloak, like Harry Potter. It was called "Gwenn", apparently.

Oral Folklore that says that Arthur can shapeshift into a raven or chough. Which is why it's bad luck to kill one.

Uther, Arthur's dad, being the creator of one of the "Three great enchantments of Britain", which was then taught to Menw ap Teirgwaedd, an enchanter knight of Arthur's. In his death-song, Uther even boasts about being a "great enchanter". (unless I'm mistaken)

[tiodolma]

According to the Welsh Triads (a poetic compilation in groups of three), Uther Pendragon is said to be the creator of one of the three great enchantments of the Island of Britain, which he taught to Menw ap Teirgwaedd. While the enchantment itself is not described, Menw appears in other stories as a magician-knight in Arthur's court, most notably "Culhwch and Olwen". The Other Great Enchantments were created by Math ap Mathonwy and Rudlwm the Dwarf. Notably, Merlin is largely absent in these triads except as a bard. It seems Uther was originally a Wizard-king (per Celtic Standards of Heroism) like his brother, Aurelius Ambrosius.

oh wow this is fascinating

http: //norin77.50megs.com/triads.htm

Uther is in

TRIAD 28

Three Great Enchantments of the Island of Britain:

The Enchantment of Math son of Mathonwy (which he taught to Gwydion son of Don), and the Enchantment of Uthyr Pendragon (which he taught to Menw son of Teirgwaedd), and the Enchantment of Gwythelyn/Rudlwm the Dwarf (which he taught to Coll son of Collfrewy his nephew).

http:// mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-transformation-of-uther-pendragon_9.html

so there is a piece of work which said Uther Pendragon taught magic/enchantment to Menw

Moreover Book of Taleisin clues us that he was probably a shapeshifter who could turn into some kind of fox or comet "gorlassar" or gorlois

We need to take another look at the relevant lines of "Marwnat Vthyr Pen" (Elegy of Uther Pendragon, Book of Taliesin), where the hero calls himself gorlassar: It is I who commands hosts in battle: I’d not give up between two forces without bloodshed. It’s I who’s called the very blue [or, given the context, 'the great blaze, conflagration'; cf. Irish forlassar, from the intensive prefix plus lasar, 'fire, flame']: my ferocity snared my enemy. It is I who’s a leader in darkness: Our God, Chief of the Sanctuary, transforms me. It’s I who’s like ['eil' here means like/similar to, not 'second' - unless God is to be considered the 'first'] a candle/luminary [transf. star, sun, moon; fig. leader, hero] in the gloom: I’d not give up fighting without bloodshed between two forces.

sourced from this blog:

http:// mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/02/uthers-star-and-comet-of-442-ad.html

there's a suggestion that "gorlassar" could be linked to Gorlois.

.........

tbf i wouldnt be suprised if merlin got reinvented by monmouth by merging the welsh triad (possible actual shapeshifter) uthyr pendragon + aurelius ambrosius + the warlord bard Myrddin who famously got mad in the forest.

[gawrkin]

(From The Welsh Triads, translated and edited by Rachel Bromwich)

Man, the concept of Wizard-King Uther Pendragon...

Like, the idea Uther never really needed Merlin for anything magical - he would've just it done by himself.

Also, the implication that Uther is very magically powerful. The other people listed in this triad are nothing to scoff at: Math and Gwydion are the two supreme magician characters of the Mabinogi. Gwythelyn/Rudlwm the Dwarf is unknown, but his protege, Coll ap Collfrewy, is a powerful swineherd who owned Henwen, the magic pig that gave to a bunch of things, including the dreaded monster Cath Palug.

Neither Merlin nor Blaiddud (the Necromancer King from Historia Regum Britanniae and father of King Leir) are included here. AFAIK, Merlin's magical deeds are seemingly never lauded by the surviving Welsh poetIc material.