Math

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Math , full name Math fab Mathonwy [ maːθ vaːb ma'θonwi ] or Math ap Mathonwy ("Math, son of Mathonwy"), is King of Gwynedd in the Celtic mythology of Wales . His nephews are Gwydyon and Gilfaethwy , and his niece is Arianrhod .

mythology

In the "Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi" ( Math fab Mathonwy , "Math, son Mathonwys") is the story of Math and its beautiful Fußhalterin ( mittelkymrisch troedawg from Troed - "foot") Goewin told, after he

[...] could not live otherwise than to put both of his feet on the crevice that gapes between the thighs of a virgin, unless the raging of war prevents him.

When Gilfaethwy falls in love with Goewin, his brother Gwydion wants to help him and provokes a war against Pryderi , so that Math has to leave his foot holder. However, instead of Gilfaethwy, Gwydyon rapes Goewin (in another version, Gilfaethwy is the perpetrator). She can therefore no longer exercise her office as a foothold, as this is only possible for a virgin.

When Math returns to his court Caer Dathyl in Arfon , he learns of Goewin's fate and offers her to marry her, which is also what happens. As a punishment for a period of three years, he turns his nephews into stag and hind, boar and sow, wolf and she-wolf. He takes their cubs from them and transforms them into human children: Bleiddwn, Hyddwn and Hychdwn.

After that, Math transforms his nephews back into people, on the condition that they find a new virgin in whose lap he can put his feet. Gwydion proposes his sister, Arianrhod, but it turns out that she is pregnant. One child, Dylan , is a sea creature, while the other at birth is just a lump that Gwydion hides in a box.

His mother Arianrhod gives this child Llew Llaw Gyffes the cynnedyf ( Welsh for “ taboo ”, compare Irish geis ) that he should never have a human wife. That's why Gwydion turns to Math and together they create a woman named Blodeuwedd from oak, gorse, daisies and lilies , who Llew also marries, but who soon betrays him with Goronwy and wants to murder him.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts. P. 141, note 72.1: It is unclear whether the name Mathonwy refers to Math's father or mother.
  2. ↑ a b Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 266 f.
  3. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 829.
  4. ↑ Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts . P. 72 ff.