Branwen ferch Llŷr
Branwen ferch Llŷr; "Branwen, daughter of Llŷr" is a legendary tale from medieval Welsh literature and the second of the four branches of the Mabinogi. It concerns the children of Llŷr; Bendigeidfran (literally "Brân the Blessed"), high king of Britain, and his siblings Manawydan and Branwen, and deals with the latter's marriage to Matholwch, king of Ireland. Matholwch's mistreatment of the British princess leads to a mutually destructive war between the two islands, the deaths of most of the principal characters, and the ascension of Caswallon fab Beli to the British throne. Along with the other branches, the tale can be found in the medieval Red Book of Hergest and White Book of Rhydderch. It is followed directly by the third branch, Manawydan fab Llŷr.
| Branwen ferch Llŷr | |
|---|---|
| "Branwen, daughter of Llŷr" | |
The Two Kings (sculptor Ivor Robert-Jones, 1984) near Harlech Castle, Wales. Bendigeidfran carries the body of his nephew Gwern, following the latter's death at Efnysien's hands. | |
| Author(s) | Unknown, generally believed to be a scribe from Dyfed. |
| Language | Middle Welsh |
| Date | Earliest manuscript dates to 14th century; tale believed to be much older. |
| Series | Four Branches of the Mabinogi |
| Genre | Welsh mythology |
| Subject | Second branch of the Mabinogi. The assembly of Branwen and Matholwch and the Assembly of the Noble Head. |
| Setting | Mostly Ireland, also Harlech, London and Aberffraw. |
| Period covered | Mythological |
| Personages | Bran the Blessed, Matholwch, Branwen, Efnysien, Manawydan, Pryderi, Taliesin, Gwern |
It has been suggested that the tale derives in part from the third-century BC Gallic invasion of the Balkans, identifying Brân with the Gallic chieftain Brennus. Nikolai Tolstoy has suggested that the present version of the legend may have been influenced by the eleventh-century battles of Brian Boru and Máel Sechnaill, while Will Parker has proposed that the branch is distantly related to the Irish tales of Cath Maige Mucrama and Immram Brain as well as the early Arthurian texts The Spoils of Annwfn and How Culhwch won Olwen.