Amaethon

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Amaethon fab Dôn [ a'maiθon vaːb doːn ], also Amathaon , is a legendary figure from the Welsh four branches of Mabinogi .

mythology

Amaethon is a son of the mother goddess Dôn . He is the only one who is able to plow a huge field together with his brother, the blacksmith Govannon . His brother has to sharpen the plowshares on the outskirts. Plowing is one of the tasks given to Arthur , Kulhwch, and the other knights in the story, Kulhwch and Olwen, by the giant Ysbaddaden .

"[...] a farmer who could till this land, but no one will be able to do it, except Amaethon, the son of Dôn."

interpretation

Amaethon is often interpreted as a reference to an ancient Celtic-British god of agriculture. Its name is derived from the Celtic Ambaxtonos ("Great farm hand").

The three sons of the Dôn represent three important classes:

  • Gwydyon is the druid , the "scholar"
  • Govannon is the handyman
  • Amaethon is the farmer

See also

literature

  • Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
  • Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, Lit-Verlag, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-8258-7563-6 .

Individual evidence

  1. Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 57 f.
  2. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 609.