Kulhwch

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Kulhwch [ 'kilhux ] or Culhwch is the son of Goleuddydd in Welsh mythology , who gives birth to her child in a pig hole. That is why the boy is given the name Kulhwch ( Kymrian : kil , “the Koben”, “the Kuhle”, hwch , “the pig”, Birkhan translates as Cul-hwch , “lean pig”, “young pig”).

The Welsh saga Mal y kavas Kulhwch Olwen ("How Kulhwch Olwen has won"), or Kulhwch ac Olwen ("Kulhwch and Olwen") for short , is recorded in the collective manuscript Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch ("The white book of Rhydderch"). It is named after the person who commissioned the font Rhydderch from Ienan Llwyd (* around 1324, † around 1398) from Parcrhydderch, and it was written in the mid-14th century in the Strata Florida monastery near Aberystwyth . The most important part of the “white book” are the Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi (“Four branches of Mabinogi)” .

mythology

Kulhwch at the court of King Arthur

Since the youthful hero Kulhwch does not want to marry the daughter of his father Cilydd's second wife , he goes to the court of King Arthur on his advice . Splendidly equipped, he arrives at the gate of the royal court.

The boy rode on a four winters old, hollow-hoofed horse with a shiny gray head, articulated legs and bridled with a bridle made of golden tubes. He was sitting on a golden saddle and had two sharp silver spears in one hand, [...] around his waist a sword with a gold handle and a golden blade, a small round shield with gold embossing, [...] around him a square purple cloak and a red and gold one in each of its corners Apple, each worth a hundred cows.

He passes through a magical insult ( welsh : anghlod , Irish : Glam dícenn ) against the doorkeeper glewlwyd gafaelfawr Gafaelfawr up to the throne room before.

If you open the gate, it will be good, if you do not open it, I will use diatribes against your master and disgraceful words against you. And I will utter three screams at the door of this gate, […] And which of the women in the court is pregnant will have a miscarriage and those of them who are not pregnant will have their laps painfully inverted so that they will get off today to never again be conceived of a womb.

Thereupon he is admitted immediately and demands from Arthur as a non-refusable request that he cut his hair and get the hand of Olwen , the daughter of Ysbaddaden . The haircut by the king was both an initiation rite and a gesture of submission. Now the king sends out scouts to find Ysbaddaden's castle, but they return without having achieved anything.

With the help of five companions, including Mabon and Govannon , Kulhwch finally finds the giant's castle. They want advice from Ysbaddaden's brother, the giant shepherd Custenhin . But only when Custenhin's wife recognizes her sister Goleuddydd's son in Kulhwch, he is ready. He invites Olwen to visit him and Kulhwch confesses his love to her. But the girl makes it clear to him that her father will only agree to this under difficult conditions. For he must die after their engagement, that's his cynnedyf (obligation, taboo). Kulhwch then tried three times to speak to Ysbaddaden, three times he threw a stone spear at him, and only the fourth time did he announce his conditions.

Then the giant Ysbaddaden asked: “Is it you who asks my daughter?” - “It is I who asks her.” - “I wish your promise that you will deal honestly with me.” - “You have it. "-" When I receive what I will tell you, you will receive my daughter. "-" Name what you want to name. "

Ysbadadden now demands the solution of forty tasks, with Kulhwch answering stereotypically each time:

"That is easy for me to fulfill, even if you may think that it is difficult."

This includes, among other things, the robbery of the mythical Dyrnwch cauldron , which can be found in Ireland . Artus, Kulhwch and the other companions sail with the ship Prydwen from Wales to Ireland and back again with the boiler (see also Preiddeu Annwfn ). The most dangerous tasks are that Kulhwch, with the help of Arthur and Gwynn fab Nudd, must win the tusks of the boar Ysgithyrwyn , as well as the comb and scissors that the boar Twrch Trwyth wears between his ears. The last task is to get the blood of the "Black Witch", with Gwythyr playing an important role. With the help of Arthur, the task is solved and Ysbaddaden has to agree to his daughter's wedding. The giant is “combed and shaved” with the tusks, boar's comb and scissors, Kulhwch's companions shave his beard and hair, including his skin, cut off his ears and finally Goreu chops off his head. So the prophecy comes true and Ysbaddaden dies at Olwen's wedding.

When performing the tasks ( anoetheu ), Kulhwch almost always only plays a spectator role; the work is done by King Arthur and his companions.

Kulhwch is also mentioned in the Englynion y Clyweid ("The Proverbs of the Wise").

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture . P. 90 f.
  2. Helmut Birkhan: Nachantike Keltenrezeption. P. 149.
  3. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 473.
  4. Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2 p. 36 f.
  5. Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2 p. 38.
  6. a b Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the Emperor Arthur. Part 2 p. 57.
  7. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 278 ff.