Branwen ferch Llŷr
Branwen ferch Llŷr [ ˈbranwen verx ɬiːr ] ("Branwen, the daughter of Llŷr") is the title of the second branch of the Mabinogi in Welsh mythology . The narrative is included in both Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch ("The White Book of Rhydderch") and Llyfr Coch Hergest ("The Red Book of Hergest").
Content and people involved
- For a detailed table of contents see Bran the Blessed and Branwen
Matholwch , the King of Ireland , woos Branwen, the daughter of Llŷr and sister of the Britannian King Bran the Blessed. Although the troublemaker Efnisien , Nissyen's brother, wants to thwart this, the wedding takes place in Aberffraw . However, Branwen is mistreated after the birth of her son Gwern in Ireland and asks her brother for help. A British army, which also includes Pryderi and Branwen's other brother Manawydan , moves to Ireland, an attempt at reconciliation is again thwarted by Efnisia and a fight ensues. All Britons fall, except for seven who bring the head of Bran back home. Branwen dies from grief over the devastation of two countries for her sake too. In all of Ireland only five pregnant women survive, who with their sons through incest found and populate the now newly emerging five provinces.
While this is happening in Ireland, Bran's son Caradawg , who he left behind as governor in Wales, is evicted from Caswallawn .
In the third branch of Mabinogi , Manawydan fab Llŷr ("Manawydan, the son of Llŷr"), the action is continued immediately after the return of the Britons.
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 .
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .
- Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts. The four branches of the Mabinogi . Dtv Munich, April 1999, ISBN 3-423-12628-0 .
- Ingeborg Clarus : Celtic Myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter Verlag 1991, ppb edition Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2000, 2nd edition, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 .