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Celtic Myths, Legends, and Compendia
under construction - 5/15/01
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ANNALES CAMBRIAE (The Annals of Wales)
Arthurian references; timelines of Welsh battles, births, and folk migrations.
Timeline: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/annalescambriae.html
ARMES PRYDAIN (Prophecy of Britain)
Written in 930; depicts an alliance between the Celtic peoples of Britain and Brittany, along with the
Norsemen of Dublin, to overthrow the Saxon invaders of their islands. "The poem expresses a deep sense of
loss, perhaps irreversible; it is a prophecy built on false hopes."
[From Wales on Britannia, by Peter Williams]
BOOK OF THE HERGST
...
BRANWEN
One of the MABINOGION stories.
CAD GODDEU (The Battle of the Trees)
Contains verses pertaining to the magical powers of trees.
CANTRE'R GWAELOD (Canton of the Deep)
Legend of a submerged town off Cardigan Bay between Tywyn and Aberdyfi on the West Coast of Wales.
"It is said that on a quiet day, when the bay is calm, you can still hear the bells of the watchtower in
Cantre'r Gwaelod ringing under the sea."
[A retelling may be found at Welsh Legends from Glantaf.]
CANU TALIESIN (Songs of Taliesin)
Collection of poems probably assembled around 1230s; describe Battle of Gwen Ystrat
CULHWCH (or KULHWCH) AND OLWEN
Legend of a boy born in a pig-run because his mother the queen was frightened into labor by hogs. Culhwch refused his step-mother's decree that he marry her daughter; she laid a curse on him that he should have no woman but Olwen, the daughter of Ysbaddaden the giant.
[Full text version found at: http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/origins/olwen.html ]
CYFRAITH HWYEL (Law of Hwyel)
The first Welsh Law of the Land; set down during the reign of Hwyel Dda.
THE DREAM OF MACSEN WLEDIG
One of the MABINOGION stories. Macsen Wledig (Magnus Maximus, emperor of Rome) dreams of a woman and swears to make her his wife. The woman is Elen Luyddawc, daughter to a Brythonic king; she invites Macsen to marry her and they dwell in Brython for seven years. Subsequently her brothers, Cynan and Adeon, join Macsen in his conquest of Armorica.
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY
One of the MABINOGION stories.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE
Written by Bede about 731; provided extensive accounts of post-Roman occupation Anglo-Saxon
battles and migrations, particularly those related to the spread of Christianity; reviled bards
for iconization of heroes and mythic figures; earned Veneral Bede the title of "Father of English History".
GELERT
The story of Gelert, Prince Llywellyn's faithful mastiff. Llywellyn left his baby boy in the mastiff's protection,
and returned home to find the child missing and blood spattering Gelert's snout. Enraged, Llywellyn mortally wounded his
dog only to hear the baby cooing in the bushes nearby. When the prince investigated, he found the baby unharmed beside a mauled
wolf. Gelert is buried at Bedd Gelert (Gelert's Grave) in Northwest Wales.
[A retelling may be found at Welsh Legends from Glantaf.]
GERAINT AB ERBIN
One of the MABINOGION stories.
GODODDIN
Poem composed in north Britain by Aneirin in the early 7th century, relating an unsuccessful attempt to drive the
English out of Catraeth, in Northumbria.
HANES TALIESIN
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THE HOST OF HENLLYS AND THE DEFEAT OF CARN ALW
[May be found at
http://castellhenllys.pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk/english/story.htm.
AN LEANNAN SIDHE (The Fairy Lover)
Legend of Rinn of Emhain Abhlach, the fairy lover who seduces Aevgrain and takes her to the land of Faery. Referenced in the song "My Lagan Love"; may be spelled "Lenanshee".
LLUDD or LLYS AND LEFELYS
One of the MABINOGION stories.
MABINOGION
Collection of 11 Welsh folk tales dealing with heroes and Kings, assembled during the reign of Merfyn Frych ca. 816, written down during reign of Rhodri Mawr ca. 840-873. Famously translated by Lady Charlotte Guest. Four main stories are Rhiannon, Pwyll, Branwen, and Math.
[Complete text of these four may be found at http://www.gorddcymru.com/mabinogion/index.htm
and at TaffNet - Y Mabinogion.]
MAIDEN OF LLYN Y FAN
Welsh legend of the maiden who emerged from the lake, Llyn-Y-Fan-Fach, and married a local farmer, but went back into the
lake with all her animals when he touched her accidentally with iron. In other tellings, the farmer grows angry with her three times
-- striking her on the shoulder each time --- and she leaves on the third strike.
[May be found at The Shepherd of Myddvai
.]
MANAWYDAN
One of the MABINOGION stories.
MATH
One of the MABINOGION stories.
THE MATTER OF BRITAIN
The name given to a wide body of literature covering the Heroic Age of britain, including Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight and Malory's Morte d'Artur.
PEREDUR AB EVRAC (Lady of the Peredur)
One of the MABINOGION stories.
PWYLL, LORD OF DYVED
One of the MABINOGION stories. Pwyll the Lord of Dyfed meets the underworld king Arawn and the two become close allies.
[Found at The Folklore of the British Isles and
The Mabinogion.]
RED DRAGON
King Gwythyrn (Vortigern) repeatedly tries to raise a fortress to protect him from Saxons, it repeatedly falls to rubble overnight, and Merlin saves the day explaining that two dragons -- red and white -- battle beneath it. Gwythyrn digs up the dragons, who battle on. The red one, symbolizing the Celts, wins the day -- Gwythyrn and his armies win the war.
[Text found at Welsh Folktales - Red Dragon]
THE SHEPHERD OF MYDDVAI
Variation on the "Maiden of Llyn y Fan" story.
SLUMBERING ARTHUR
Tale of a shepherd carrying a stick which could direct the wielder to Arthur's resting place.
[Text found at Welsh Folktales - The Slumbering Arthur]
TRAETH LAFAR
Legend
WHITE BOOK OF RHYDDYCH
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OTHER SOURCES FOR MYTHS & LEGENDS
Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales by Marie Trevelyan
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