Arawn

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Arawn [ 'araun ] is a prince of the Otherworld Annwn and subordinate and opponent of Hafgan in Welsh mythology .

mythology

In the story Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed ( Pwyll , Prince of Dyfed ), the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi , the Mabinogi chases a stag with his hunting dogs, only to discover that Arawn's pack has hunted the same animal with more success. He drives away the strange dogs, although they can be recognized as otherworld animals by their red ears.

"Between me and God", he [Arawn] said, "your own stupidity and insolence." "What insolence, sir, did you see in me?" "I have never seen a greater insolence in a man", he said, " than this: to chase away the pack that killed the deer and to give it to your own pack to eat. "

As atonement, Arawn now demands that Pwyll swap places with him for a year and a day. During this time, Arawn wants to administer Pwyll's empire in Pwyll's guise and he has to defeat Hafgan , an enemy of Arawn, which Arawn was unable to do despite several attempts. Pwyll manages this because he learns Hafgans' only weakness and can exploit Arawn, namely to kill him with the first blow. Although Arawn changed the appearance of Pwyll to completely resemble him, he did not sleep with Arawn's wife for a year. That's why Arawn becomes friends with him, and Pwyll is also awarded the title Pen Annwn ("Prince of Annwn"). The kingdom of Pwylls made Arawn rich and prosperous during this time through his wise reign. The otherworldly herd of pigs that Arawn gives to Pwyll (pigs were previously unknown on earth) later becomes the reason for the death of Pwyll's son Pryderi (see Math fab Mathonwy , "Math, the son of Mathonwys").

In the 13th century Llyfr Taliesin (“The Book of Taliesin ”) Arawn's quarrel with Gwydyon , the son of the Dôn , is mentioned, whose outcome led to the Cad Goddeu , the battle of the trees.

Riding Arawn with his dogs, the Cŵn Annwn , and the Mallt-y-Nos is sometimes compared to the wild hunt . The name Arawn is possibly related to that of the Celtic god Iuppiter - Arubianos .

literature

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts. P. 10.
  2. ↑ on an inscription in Stöttheim / Bedaium near Traunstein ( CIL 03, 5575 ): In h (onorem) d (omus) d (ivinae) I (ovi) O (ptimo) M (aximo) / Arub (iano) et Sancto / Bed (aio) Vind (ius) Verus / b (ene) f (iciarius) co (n) s (ularis) leg (ionis) II Ital (icae) / P (iae) F (idelis) Sever (ianae) ex voto / pos (uit) Id (ibus) Mai (i) s / Imp (eratore) d (omino) n (ostro) Seve / ro Alexandro Aug (usto) II et Marcel / lo II co (n) s (ulibus)