Kulhwch ac Olwen

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The Welsh saga Mal y kavas Kulhwch Olwen ("How Kulhwch Olwen has won"), Kulhwch ac Olwen or Culhwch ac Olwen [ 'kilhux ak' olwen ] ("Kulhwch and Olwen") is one of the oldest surviving Welsh sagas the Arthurian storytelling circle (the legend of King Arthur ). This work, written in the middle of the 14th century, is based on much older stories orally recited by the awenydd (bards, poets) in the 6th to 7th centuries, which were summarized in the written record, which can be recognized by certain inconsistencies in content.

The legend tells in the Cymrian language and in traditional metrics Kulhwch's advertisement for Olwen , the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden . Since Ysbaddaden would have to die at his daughter's wedding, he presents the suitor with a large number of almost impossible tasks. With the help of King Arthur, his uncle, and his companions, Kulhwch can solve them and win Olwen, which at the same time brings Ysbaddaden to violent death.

Manuscripts

Kulhwch ac Olwen is in the collective manuscripts Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch ("The White Book of Rhydderch") from the first half of the 14th century and Llyfr Coch Hergest ("The Red Book of Hergest"), which were written between 1382 and 1410, recorded. The first manuscript is named after the person who commissioned the Rhydderch font from Ienan Llwyd (* around 1324, † around 1398) from Parcrhydderch. This manuscript was written in Strata Florida Convent near Aberystwyth . The most important part of the “white book” are the Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi (“Four branches of Mabinogi”) . In the Llyfr Coch Hergest you can find an extension and addition to this narrative.

The older recording in Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch , called Peniarth 4, is the shorter, it ends with the doorkeeper talk in front of the giant Wrnach's castle and the forcible capture of his sword. The entire story is told in the Llyfr Coch Hergest , although, due to style comparisons , younger insertions can also be recognized in the text passages that already appear in the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch . The story can be recognized as originally oral tradition: Ysbaddaden's catalog of tasks, for example, contains some old mythical and fairytale-like themes that no longer appear in the further course of the story and are apparently intended to be saved from being forgotten by the author; these are most of the unfulfilled and therefore no longer mentioned requirements.

The manuscript of the "Red Book" is now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University . The Peniarth manuscript in the 'White Book' is now in the collections of the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth .

contents

Kulhwch comes to Arthur and finds Olwen

Kulhwch at the court of King Arthur, painting by Arthur Gaskin, 1901

Goleuddydd , the wife of Prince Kilydd , Kelyddon's son, suffers mental confusion during pregnancy and gives birth to her son in a pig's hole, which is why he named Kulhwch ( Kymrisch : kil , “the Koben”, “the Kuhle”, hwch , “the pig “) Receives. As she dies, she asks her husband not to remarry until 'a thorn bush with two tips' grows on her grave . After seven years this happens and Kilydd wants to marry the wife of King Doged, whom he therefore kills without scruples and brings his wife and daughter to his court. In order to consolidate her position, the stolen woman tries to marry her daughter to Kulhwch, which Kulhwch refuses. That is why she puts the cynnedyf (obligation, taboo) on him , stating that he must not marry anyone other than Olwen, the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. Kilydd advises his son to seek help from his uncle, King Arthur. Kulhwch rides splendidly equipped to Arthur's court and comes into the hall despite resistance from the goalkeeper Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr and the knight Kei . Arthur promises to grant his every request

[…] Besides my ship and my cloak and Caledvwlch, my sword, and Rhongomyant, my lance, and Wynebbwrthucher, my shield, and Carnwennan, my knife, and Gwenhwyfar , my wife.

Kulhwch first asked Arthur to shave his hair (a rite of initiation or kinship) and second, to help him marry Olwen with the help of his warriors, whom he lists by name. He calls about 220 heroes, of which the aforementioned Kei, Bedwyr fab Bedrawg , Arthur's nephew Gwalchmei fab Gwyar , the poet Taliesin , Manawydan , Gereint , gwrhyr gwalstawd ieithoedd Gwalstawd Ieithoedd , Sgilti Ysgafndroed , Teithi , teyrnon and Tegid Foel are the most important. He also refers to women, including Gwenhwyfar, her sister Gwenhwyfach , Essyllt “Blondhaar” and Essylt “Weißhals”, Creiddylad and Urien's daughter Morfudd ferch Urien . The beautiful Creiddylad, as well as the heroes Gwynn and Gwythyr , who are courting her, are the main characters of an intermediate story , but the two men also help with the fulfillment of the tasks.

For a year Arthur's messengers search in vain for Olwen's whereabouts, after which Kulhwch and Kei set off themselves with a select group of knights. Eventually they find the huge castle, 'the largest castle of the castles in the world' , and meet a shepherd and his flock. This is Ysbaddaden's brother Custenhin , the brother-in-law of Kulhwch's mother Goleuddydd, who after initial hesitation promises to help them. Custenhin's son Goreu , whom his mother keeps hidden in a chest for fear of Ysbaddaden - he has already killed 23 sons for her - joins the group as a fighter. His mother promises to help her nephew Kulhwch meet Olwen in secret. When she comes, both are immediately inflamed in love for one another. Olwen warns Kulhwch of the anger of her father, who kills every courtship because he had been prophesied that he would die a violent death on the day of their marriage.

Ysbaddaden holds his eyelids open (illustration by John D. Batten, 1892)
Go to my father and stop for me. And however much he will ask of you, promise to do it and you will receive me. But if he has doubts, you will not win me and you will be lucky enough to get away with your life.

The men advance to Ysbaddaden and woo Olwen. The giant has his servants lift his heavy eyelids with forks, looks at Kulhwch and shows her away. The poisoned stone spear he throws at them is caught by Bedwyr fab Bedrawg and thrown back into the giant's kneecap. This is repeated over the next two days, with Kulhwch piercing Ysbaddaden's eyeball on the last throw.

Ysbaddaden's demands

Now the giant is ready to negotiate and gives the suitor 40 almost unsolvable tasks (anoetheu) , some of which are mentioned as preparation for the wedding feast. They are enumerated point by point, but in the rest of the story only about ten of them are dealt with. After every request from Ysbaddaden, Kulhwch replies stereotypically:

It's easy for me to do, even if you think it's difficult.
  1. A wooded hill is to be cleared, plowed, sown and harvested in one day so that food and drink are available for the wedding guests
  2. This requires the help of Amaethon , the plowman
  3. His brother Govannon , the blacksmith, has to sharpen the plowshares
  4. Gwlwlydd Wineu's two oxen are to be stolen for plowing
  5. The "yellowish-pale white" and the "piebald" must go in one yoke
  6. Two more oxen, enchanted kings, are also to be carried in a harness
  7. A barren field has to let flaxseed ripen in one day so that a headscarf for Olwen can be woven from it (is filled with the help of ants)
  8. Honey without drones and bees in it is needed for brewing honey beer
  9. The cup from Llywr fab Llywryon ( llywr = "full") is the only one that can hold this strong brew
  10. The magical basket of Gwyddneu Garanhir , which can provide twenty-seven men with their favorite foods at once, must be stolen
  11. Gwlgawd Gododdin's (drinking) horn has to be brought for the wedding reception
  12. Teirtu's harp, which plays by itself if it wants, is also necessary for the wedding
  13. The birds of the Rhiannon are supposed to amuse the giants at the celebration
  14. The magical cauldron of Dyrnwch is required for the wedding feast (will be fulfilled)
  15. The tusks of the boar Ysgithyrwyn , which are to be torn out alive, must be brought in as razors (will be fulfilled)
  16. Only Odgar, son of King Aedd of Ireland can do this
  17. King Cadw of Scotland is the only one allowed to keep the tusks
  18. The blood of the "pitch black witch" is required to straighten Ysbaddaden's hair (is fulfilled)
  19. This blood can only be kept warm in the bottles of the dwarf Gwddolwyn
  20. The milk required for the wedding party must be stored in the bottles of Rhynnon "Steifbart" so that it does not get sour
  21. Ysbaddaden's hair can only be tamed by a comb and scissors between the ears of the boar Twrch Trwyth (will be fulfilled)
  22. The dog puppy Drudwyn , owned by Greid fab Eri, is necessary for boar hunting (is fulfilled)
  23. The only strap that Drudwyn can hold must be removed from Cors Cantewin "Hundertklau" (fulfilled)
  24. The only collar that will hold on to this strap is to remove Canhastyr Cannlaw "Hundred Hand"
  25. Only Kilydd Canhastyr's “Hundertgriff” chain holds the belt and collar together
  26. Since only Mabon can lead the puppy, he can be found and released from his prison (is fulfilled)
  27. Mabon has to ride Gwynn Mygdwynn "dark mane", Gweddw's horse on the boar hunt (is fulfilled)
  28. To find Mabon, his cousin Eidoel fab Aer must first be found (will be fulfilled)
  29. Ireland's chief dog handler, Garselid, is necessary for boar hunting
  30. The dog paddock must be braided from the beard of Dillus the "bearded" in order to lead the required dogs; his whiskers have to be torn out with wooden pliers during his lifetime (will be fulfilled)
  31. Only Kynedyr fab Herwn the "wild one" can tame the dogs (is fulfilled, the name there is Kyledyr the "mad one")
  32. Gwynn can also be won as a hunting helper (will be fulfilled)
  33. Gwynn has to ride the "black" horse, Moro Oerfeddawg
  34. Gwilenhin, the King of France, has to be part of the hunt
  35. Alun's son from Demetia has to uncouple the dogs
  36. Aned and Aethlem, who are fast as the wind, must hunt the Twrch Trwyth
  37. Arthur and his handler must personally take part in the hunt (will be fulfilled)
  38. Kilydd Kyvwlch's sons Bwlch, Kyvwlch and Syvwylch with their swords Glas, Glesig and Gleisar, their dogs Call, Cuall and Cavall, their horses Hwyrddyddwg, Drwgddyddwg and Llwyrddyddwg, as well as their wives Och, Garym and other relatives named Diaspar, are also needed
  39. The sword of Wrnach the giant must be stolen (will be fulfilled)
  40. Kulhwch's lot will be wakefulness without sleep at night, but he will not succeed in any of it

The giant ends many of these tasks with the sentence: "... you will not be able to force him!"

The solution to the tasks

The hunt for the otherworld boars twrch trwyth is the actual principal, since Ysbaddaden wants for his shaving comb and scissors from the bristles of the boar. The most detailed account of the legend is dedicated to this hunt. Kulhwch is only passively involved in all tasks, Arthur takes on the actual work.

First they come to the castle of the giant Wrnach to steal his sword - before the entrance they have to convince the doorkeeper. Then they search for and free the captured Mabon, find the dogs necessary for the hunt for the boar - Kei, who braids the leash out of Dillus' whiskers, is mocked by Arthur with an englyn (poem, aphorism ) and reacts offended.

A coupling line made kei,
From the beard of Dillus vab Ereu:
If he is still alive, Kei wouldn't be for the better!
Kei was angry at this, making it difficult for the warriors of this island [Britain] to restore peace between Kei and Arthur. From then on, Kei no longer cared if Arthur felt powerless or if his men were slain.

The companions cultivate a barren field, hunt the boar Ysgithyrwyn 'Weißhauer' in Ireland, conquer the magical basket of Gwyddnos and the magical cauldron of Dyrnwch (here Arthur lends his sword to the Irish Llenleawg despite the above-mentioned refusal to Kulhwch) and start hunting in Ireland on the Twrch Trwyth. Arthur only succeeds in killing the boar's smallest piglet, which himself flees with his other sons across the Irish Sea to Wales. Many hunters are killed, but also a few young pigs from the herd, until the Severn succeeds in snatching the Twrch Trwyth's scissors and comb that it carries in its mane. However, the boar managed to break free, swim to Cornwall , which it devastated, and flee out to sea.

Arthur asked, “Is there anything more miraculous that we have not obtained?” One of the men replied, “Yes! The blood of the pitch black witch, the daughter of the pure white witch from the end of the valley of suffering in the upper land of hell. "

Arthur finds the witch's den, throws Carnwennan's knife at her, splits her in two and collects her blood, for that was also one of Ysbaddaden's demands. Then they ride to the giant's castle, Caw of Scotland shears off his beard, skin and flesh, and ears down to the bones. Ysbaddaden asks for death, previously accusing Kulhwch rightly that Arthur actually did everything. Goreu cuts off his head, throws the body on a dung heap and sticks his head on a pole as a sign of his seizure of the castle and territory.

And that night Kulhwch slept with Olwen, and as long as they lived she was his only wife. Arthur's multitudes, however, dispersed, each going to his own country. And so Kulhwch Olwen, the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden, won.

Explanations

Kulhwch ac Olwen one of the oldest extensive works of the Arthurian tradition in Wales and is therefore contrary to the later free of influence from the mainland, especially French Arthurian romances ( Arthur the King is called only in these novels, the original kymrische name is Arthur ) . It is a more popular saga in terms of style, which contains many old mythological motifs. It is probably a compilation of older fragments that were still available at the time, but are now lost, which one or more narrators ( cyfarwydd , "connoisseur", "expert") put together to form an epic - which can be recognized by inconsistencies in content. The "oldest bards " in Wales are referred to as cynfeirdd . Century and from own creations should have shaped these present works. The five poets Taliesin , Aneirin , Talhaearn, Blwchfardd and Cian are known by name, Llywarch Hen is sometimes also assigned to them, their successors are called "younger bards" or "court poets" (gogynfeirdd) . The extent to which the present narrative is an original poem or compilation can no longer be determined with certainty. The enumerations occurring in the work (Glewlwyd's boasting of his war deeds, Kulhwch's "catalog" of the heroes at Arthurshof and Ysbaddaden's demands) are partly invented lists in strict metrics for the sake of rhyme, which are apparently also intended to show the skills of cyfarwydd during the lecture.

The mentioned inconsistencies in the text include, for example, that Kulhwch's mother Goleuddydd is the sister of Custenhin's wife, i.e. Kulhwch's aunt, and that Custenhin himself is named as Ysbaddaden's brother in the text variation of the "Red Book of Hergest" (Llyfr Coch Hergest) - it it would be unlikely that Kulhwch knew his relatives so little that he would never have heard of Olwen and their residence. Custenhin's son Goreu is therefore related to Arthur as a nephew as Kulhwch. In the fight against the Twrch Trwyth, Arthur's follower Cacamwry drowns in the Severn, in the next chapter he fights the witch and is subject to her despite his previously described insurmountability. Ysbaddaden hurls a stone spear (llechwayw) at Kulhwch, but curses, hit himself, the blacksmith, the anvil and the forge through which the spear was forged. Birkhan therefore suspects an iron spear, the blade of which was shaped in the form of an ancient stone slab (llech) . Of the 40 tasks that the giant sets, only ten are fulfilled in the text, and Arthur's companions do not always adhere to the exact requirements of Ysbaddaden (for example, Arthur's companions named are supposed to fulfill certain tasks, but do not do so; for the hunt the boar Ysgithyrwyn must first be found and tamed, but in the end Arthur's dog Cavall solves the task alone; the boar is killed before its tusks are broken). The sword of the giant Wrnach was originally intended to kill Ysbaddaden, this connection has been lost in the course of the compilations.

Traces of the Irish tale Tochmarc Emire (“The Advertise for Emer”) can also be recognized after Doris Edel. Further echoes of motifs from other legends: The two doorkeeper conversations in front of the castles by Arthur and Wrnach are almost identical in text to their Irish counterparts when Lugh entered the fortress of Túatha Dé Danann and to the Cymrian fragment Pa ŵr yw'r porthor? ; Kulhwch's cynnedyf , only allowed to marry Olwen, corresponds to Arianrhods geis (command, taboo; Irish word for the Cymric cynnedyf ) against Llew Llaw Gyffes ; the Goreu hidden in the box is also reminiscent of Llew; Ysbaddaden's heavy eyelids, which must be lifted by servants, have their counterpart in the Irish Balor with the evil eye .

The name of Kilydd's father, Kelyddon, refers to Caledonia (Scotland) and the Hen Ogledd ("Old North"). The catalog of heroes, which Kulhwch lists, was designed very generously by the compiler of the story , both in terms of time and geography (Birkhan calls it a "curious, sometimes grotesque and comical hodgepodge" ). Irish heroes also belong to the Artus Court , such as Conchobar mac Nessa as Cnychwr , Fergus mac Róich as Ffercos , Loegaire Buadach as Lluber Beudach and Conall Cernach as Corvil Bervach ; these heroes all come from the Ulster cycle , the Finn cycle only represents Caílte mac Rónáin , who is the model for Sgilti Ysgafndroed. In the tasks that Ysbaddaden sets, many of the themes that are still known today, fairy-tale-like and apparently due to the comedy, can be recognized.

Kei's later reluctance towards Arthur is justified here, because Arthur's englyn insults him, although from today's perspective this is a rather harmless three-liner. Kei's deserved reprimand at the beginning of the story, when he refused to let Kulhwch into the hall, throws a crooked light on the pedantic knight, while Arthur appears in this scene as the first representative of "courtly culture". The compiler of the saga must have already known about Kei's change in the continental Arthurian novels to a quarrelsome and petty troublemaker.

Matière de Bretagne

All Welsh Arthurian tales have a continental counterpart, usually several, with the exception of Breuddwyd Rhonabwy ("Rhonabwy's Dream") and Kulhwch ac Olwen . These two legends are only passed down in the Cymrian language.

In contrast to the later Arthurian novels , magical abilities are ascribed to the heroes as a matter of course; already in the Matière de Bretagne these are repositioned to knightly courage and courtly behavior. Even a collective achievement, such as the capture of Olwen, which Ysbaddaden rightly criticizes, and not an individual act of the hero Kulhwch, is not found in the Arthurian novels. In that Kulhwch ac Olwen does not focus on the deeds of a single hero and the development of his character, this saga differs from the "Three Romances" ( Y Tair Rhamant ), but is comparable to "Who is the gatekeeper?" (Pa ŵr yw 'r porthor?) . While the continental novels show a further development of the hero in every respect (see Peredur fab Efrawg ), this "life in the ascending line" is completely alien to Kulhwch .

The white goddess

In his novel The White Goddess, Robert Graves referred to Kulhwch ac Olwen in a subordinate clause in the fictional Celtic reception typical of him . In his free interpretation of the Celtic plant names for the letters of the Ogham and the Cló-Gaelach alphabet for the wild apple, which does not appear in the original letter designations, he writes:

Olwen, the laughing Aphrodite of the Welsh legend, always appears with the wild apple.

This characterization of Olwen does not appear in the text by Kulhwch ac Olwen , nor does the comparison Olwen = Aphrodite seem appropriate.

See also

literature

Web links

  • Literature on Kulhwch ac Olwen in the Opac of the Regesta Imperii
  • Susanna Berndt: Celtic interpretation of existence and the Latène art: Investigations into the visual implementation of the island Celtic mythology and the Celtic interpretation of existence in the Latène art on the basis of Austrian finds . GRIN Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-638-92136-7 , pp. 324 ff . ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ the verse form is the englyn (= three to four verses, which are connected by end rhyme and alliteration according to fixed rules)
  2. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 473.
  3. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 176 f.
  4. ↑ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 279 f: Once "grass grows over it", the memory is extinguished ...
  5. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 223, note 17; - Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 297: Caledvwlch ("Hart-Scharte"), from it Caliburnus and Excalibur ; Rhongomyant ("killing spear"); Wynebbwrthucher ("face of the evening"); Carnwennan ("white handle"); the coat makes you invisible; the name of the ship Prydwen is mentioned later; all objects come from the otherworld
  6. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 40. (for the entire quote)
  7. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 163.
  8. ↑ Gwalchmai (Gawain) is only mentioned as a rider and no longer appears in the plot, although he is one of the most famous knights at court
  9. ↑ possibly corresponds to the two isolates, "Blondhaar" and "Weißhand", in the French and German Tristan novels
  10. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 54.
  11. ↑ that is why Ysbaddaden is portrayed as one-eyed as well as two-eyed in the tradition
  12. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 57.
  13. ↑ the medieval writer of Peniarth 4 in the "White Book of Rhydderch" shortens this answer after a few repetitions to two words: hawd and kyt ("light" and "if")
  14. ↑ Honey beer (bragod) is brewed from water, malt, honey and spices and is stronger than mead (medd) or beer (cwrw)
  15. ↑ here as a place name for the country south of the Firth of Forth
  16. ↑ these birds delighted the companions of Bran on their wandering through Wales
  17. ↑ Uncoupling the dogs is in itself a royal privilege
  18. ↑ It is not stated whether these are humans or hunting dogs
  19. ↑ here the love of the Welsh for triads can be seen
  20. ↑ Since this is actually not a requirement, but rather a threat, the number of tasks is given by the commentators as 39 or 40, depending on the situation
  21. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, pp. 57–65 (for the entire task list)
  22. ↑ the doorkeeper remains nameless, the conversation is almost literally identical to that between Kulhwch and Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr - this is where the manuscript of Peniarth 4 in the White Book of Rhydderch ends
  23. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 78.
  24. ↑ an Irish name in Kymrian spelling
  25. ↑ a b Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 90 f.
  26. ↑ Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 225.
  27. ↑ Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 222 f.
  28. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, pp. 165, 171.
  29. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 230, note 58.
  30. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 165.
  31. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 231, note 64.
  32. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, pp. 80, 231 f, notes 64, 65.
  33. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 236, note 89.
  34. ^ Doris Edel: Heroes on Free Feet , Koninklijke Nederlandske Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Letterkunde, Nieuvre Reeks, deel 107, 1980.
  35. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Post-ancient Celtic reception. P. 129.
  36. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 240 f, note 112.
  37. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 175.
  38. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 238, note 101.
  39. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 161 ff. (Explanations for the entire paragraph)
  40. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Post-ancient Celtic reception. P. 125 ff. (Explanations for the entire paragraph)
  41. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. P. 97 f.
  42. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 2, p. 138.
  43. ↑ see Irish language # writing and spelling
  44. ^ Robert Graves: The white goddess , Reinbek near Hamburg, 1981, p. 46.
  45. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Post-ancient Celtic reception. P. 570.