The welsh Corgi Club

A

ABRED, a synonym for ANNWN, the innermost circle from which all life sprang.

ACHREN, a synonym for the "Otherworld"

AETHLEM, one of two hunting dogs in the saga of Culhhwch and Olwen that can only be held by Cyledyr. The other is ANED.

AFAGDDU, utter darkness. The son of Tegid Foel of Penllyn and Ceridwen. Afagddu has a brother MORFAN, a warrior with Arthur.

ALBION, an ancient Celtic name for Britain.

AMAETHON, son of Don and the god of agriculture.

AMR, Son of Arthur.

ANNWN, A traditional name for the Cymrig Otherworld. It is also referred to as CAER FEDDWID which means "COURT OF INTOXITATION" where sparkling wine is the normal beverage. A land where a fountain flows with sweet wine and where age and sickness are unknown

ARANRHOD, daughter of Don and sister of GWYDION.

ARAWN, king of ANNWN and lord of DYFED.

ARBETH, chief court of Pwyll.

ARDDU, a black stone on the Llanberis side of Snowdonia.

ARTHUR, the most famous of Celtic mythological figures.

B

BACH BYCHAN, "Little little - one", who was TRYSTANS servant.

BARDSEY, an Island off the extreme western end of the Lleyn Penninsula in Gwynedd. This is where MERLIN, with nine of his attendants and thirteen treasures of Britain, eventually goes and is held in a deep magical for all time sleep .

BEDWINI, Arthur's bishop.

BEDWYR, a warrior of Arthur`s court who accompanies CULHWCH in his search for OLWEN and wounds the gian YSBYDDADEN.

BENDIGEDIG VRAN, Bran the Blessed.

BLEHERIS, a Welsh bard.

BLODEUWEDD, "FLOWER ASPECT" a beautiful maiden conjured out of the flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet by GWYDION and MATH to be the bride of LLEU LLAW GYFFES. She is unfaithful and attempts to kill LLEU in favour of her lover GORONW PEBR, but LLEU kills him and BLODEUWEDD is turned into an owl, outcast among even the birds.

BRANWEN, Daughter of Llyr and sister of BRAN and MANAWYDAN. BRANWEN marries the Irish king MATHOLWCH, they have a son "GWERN" . She has a half brother EFNISIEN, who insults MATHOLWCH, and MATHOLWCH is forced by his people to to make BRANWEN suffer for the outrage. For three years she forced to work in the kitchen, and here she rears a young starling and teaches this bird to speak, conveying to her brother BRAN, who is ruler of the Island of the Mighty, news of her unhappiness.

BRIAREUS, The guard who watches over the sleeping MYRDDIN on Bardsey Island.

BWBACHOD, Welsh household sprites, like brownies or pixies. In modern Welsh,

BWBACH is a SCARECROW.

C

CACMWRI, a servant of Arthur who helps track down the magical boar TRWCH TRWYD.

CADW, the only man who is allowed to shave YSPADDADEN the GIANT

CADWALADR, King of Gwynedd.

CADWALLON, Seventh century king of Gwynedd who managed to reunite the Celts of Wales and Cumbria for a short while.

CAE HIR, Lover of GOLWG HAFDDYDD.

CAER FFEDDWID, Synonym for the Otherworld

CAER WYDR, Fortress of Glass.

CARIAD, My love.

CASWALLON, Son of Beili.

CEI, The churlish steward to Arthur.

CELEMON, Daughter of Cei.

CENFERCHYN, Gave OWAIN 300 ravens and whenever he went forth with this army he was victorious.

CERIDWEN, Wife of TEGID FOEL, and mother of AFAGDDU.

CEUGANT, The concept of infinity, the outer of three concentric circles representing the totality of being in Welsh cosmogony.

CLUST, "The Hearer". He could hear an ant move at 50 miles distant.

CREIDDYLAD, Daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint.

CREIRWY, "Dear One". Daughter of CERIDWEN and TEGID FOEL.

CULHWCH, Son of CILYDD and GLOEUDYDD.

CUNEDDA, Cunedda and his eight sons settled in Wales and founded the Welsh Kingdoms.

CUSTENNIN, A Giant shepherd who helps Culhwch in his quest for Olwen

CWN ANNWN, The hounds of the Otherworld, translated as the "hounds of hell". Folklore in Wales has created many evil creatures with white bodies and red ears, racing through the countryside on dark stormy nights pursuing the souls of unshriven men or unbaptised children.

CYFARWYDD, A professional storyteller.

CYMON, A warrior at Arthur's court.

CYNDDELIG, A member of Arthur's retinue who guides Culhwch in his quest for Olwen

CYNDDYLAN, Son of CYNDRWYN, lord of Pengwern.

D

DISSULL, A giant, the hair of whose beard could create the only leash for the dogs in the hunting pack that MABON controlsin the hunt for TWRCH TRWYTH.

DIWRNACH, An Irishman, who owned the magic cauldron that ARTHUR manages to loot on a trip to Ireland.

DON, Welsh equivalent of DANU, the "mother goddess". There are many rivers throughout the Celtic world that bear her name, the Rivers DON in Durham and Yorkshire are derived from her, while the name is also cognate with the DANUBE.

DORMATH, The hound of GWYN ap Nudd.

DRAGON, Mythical beasts which abound in Celtic mythology, they guard fortresses and palaces and usually live at the bottom of lakes. Throughout the Celtic world, the Dragons are a traditional motif. A Dragon was displayed on the war banner of MACSEN WLEDIG. This is thought to be the origin of the RED DRAGON banner of Wales.

DREM, The seer who could see any happening from Cornwall in the south to Alba in the north.

DYFED, The southwestern kingdom of Wales that, in Welsh myth seems to occupy the same role as MUNSTER in Irish myth. It has a mysterious realm within or beside it. ANNWN the Otherworld is just to the west of Dyfed and the magical island of GWAWL just off the west coast of DYFED.

DYLAN EIL TON, "Sea , Son of the Wave". The yellow haired son of ARANRHOD and twin of LLEU. At the moment he is born he makes for the sea and receives the sea`s nature, able to swim as well as any fish.

E

EDERYN, Son of NUDD and brother of GWYN. a warrior in Arthur's army, he slays three giants.

EFNISIEN, half brother of BRAN, BRANWEN, and MANAWYDAN.

EIDDIG, used as a name for any jealous husband in Medieval Welsh love poetry.

ELEN, also HELEN, daughter of EUDAF from whom the kings of Cornwall claim descent.

ELFFIN, son of GWYDDNO, an unlucky youth who was fishing with his father when they caught a leather bag. inside this bag was a baby, they decided to raise him and named him TALIESIN.

ELI, one of Arthur's two huntsmen, the other being Trachmyr.

EMRAIS, also known as SNOWDONIA.

ENID, daughter of a chieftain fallen on evil days who is wooed by GERAINT.

ENGLYN, A Welsh verse in strict metre in three or four lines with one rhyme.

ERECHWYDD, An unlocated kingdom in the sixth century AD.

ERGYNG, Herefordshire.

ERYRI, Snowdon.

ESYLLT, "of the white neck"

EWAIS. A district in north Gwent.

EXCALIBUR, The magic sword of Arthur.

G

GALAHAD, Originally GWALCHAFED, "Falcon of Summer" who became famous in the medieval versions of the Artjurian sagas as the only knight to find the Holy Grail.

GALAN MAI, A Welsh Spring festival on May 1st.

GAST RHYMRI, A dog who's cub hounds comprise the pack with which MABON has to hunt the TWRCH TRWYD.

GAWAIN, Sir Gawain, A companion and fellow knight to PEREDUR. Geinir, One of Arthur's warriors.

GERAINT, It is thought he is based on the Dumnonian king who rode onto Gododdin to recapture Catraeth (Catterick) from the Anglo Saxons, and he is Enids lover who doubts her loyalty.

GILDAS, "The Wise One" British Celtic saint.

GILFAETHWY, Son of DON who falls in love with GOEWIN daughter of PEBIN.

GILLA STAGSHANK, The chief leaper of Ireland who can leap across any distance.He is asked to help CULHWCH in his quest.

GLEWLWYD, "Of the Mighty Grasp" a door keeper at Arthur's fortress.

GLUNEU, Son of TARAN.

GLYN CUCH, The place where PWYLL, encountered ARAWN, king of ANNWN (the Otherworld)

GLYN RHOSYN, The spot where St David lit the sacred fire after a ritualistic encounter with the druids.

GODEU, A synonym for the "Otherworld".

GOEWIN, Daughter of PEBIN.

GOFANNON, Son of DON.

GOGIGWR, A doorkeeper at Arthur's fort.

GOLEUDDYDD, Wife of CILYDD and mother of CULHWCH.

GOLWG HAFFDDYDD, "Aspect of a Summer's Day"

GONEMANS, A warrior who trains PEREDUR.

GRONWY PEDBYR, Lord of Penllyn, lover of BLODEUWEDD, wife of LLEU LLAW GYFFES.

GRUDYE, Son of MURYEL.

GWALCHMAI, "Hawk of May", he serves as a peace maker between TRYSTAN and MARCH ap MEIRCHION.

GWALES, An island off the south west coast of Wales, known now as GRASSHOLM.

GWAWL, "LIGHT" son of the goddess CLUD.

GWEDDW, Owner of the magic horse "GWYN MYGDWN". GWEN, "The White Swan" one of the most beautiful maidens in Britain.

GWENHWYACH, Sister of GWENHWYFAR.

GWENHWYFAR, Wife of Arthur. The name became very popular in Wales after the conquest of 1282.

GWERN, Son of BRANWEN.

GWION BACH, A boy who features in the tale about the origin of TALIESIN.

GWLWLYD, He will not lend CULHWCH his two dun coloured oxen to plough the hill as one of YSPADDADENS tasks.

GWREANG, Father of GWION BACH.

GWREIDAWL, Father of GWYTHYR.

GWRI, "Gold Hair". The first name given to PRYDERI.

GWYDDNO, "Long Shank" WHO RULES THE DROWNED KINGDOM.

GWYDDNO GARANHIRTAN, The father of ELFFIN who finds the baby TALIESIN in a and raises him.

GWYDION, Son of DON,he is referred to as the best story teller in the world.

GWYDRE, Son of Arthur killed hunting the TWRCH TRWYTH. GWYN ap NUDD. A king of the Otherworld.

GWYNFYD, "Purity". The second of three concentric circles in Cymric cosmsgony that represents good over evil.

GWYNNGELLI, A companion of Arthur's who seizes the four feet of the TWRCH TRWYTH and plunges him under water during the hunt in the story of CULHWCH and OLWEN.

GWYNN MYGDDWN, A magical horse owned by GWEDDW. It is the only horse MABON can ride.

S

SALMON OF LLYN LLYW, the oldest and wisest of living things, who eventually tells CULHWCH where MABON is held prisoner.

SANDDA, "Angel face" a warrior at Arthur's fortress who was so fair, no man dared attack him during the Battle of Camluan, for fear he was an angel. He is asked to help Culhwch in his quest.

SGLITI, "Lightfoot" the greatest runner in Arthur's entourage and never needed a road to run as he could run across the treetops.

SUGYN, "The thirsty". He once drank a whole ocean and left 300 ships stranded on the sand.

SYFWLCH, With BWLCH and CYFWLCH, they were three of Arthur's warriors who possessed the brightest and sharpest weapons.

SULEVIA, Gaulish goddess that CAESAR seems to associate with MINERVA. Patroness of the art of HEALING, she was honoured at the thermal springs in Bath.

SIRONA, Gaulish goddess whose name means "star"

SIONAN, She visited the WELL of KNOWLEDGE, at the source of the Shannon, even though it was forbidden. The water of the well rose up and chased her westward and drowned her. The path of the water became the river SHANNON. This story relates to that of BOANN and the formation of the BOYNE.

SACRA, a name applied to Ireland, in an account of the voyage of Himilco the Phoenician in 510 BC.

SAMALILIATH, a Parthalon who introduced ale into Ireland according to the myths.

SADB, a daughter of BODB DEARG, she was turned into a "fawn" by the "Dark Druid", escaping death when two of Ffions hounds refused to kill it, the fawn takes on SADB`S mortal form and becomes Ffion`s mistress. They live happily for a while until the DARK DRUID discovers them and turns SADB back into a fawn. She vanishes and Ffion searches for her, until he finds a naked boy who has been raised by a fawn near BEN BULBEN.Ffion recognises the boy as his son by SADB and names him OISIN which means little fawn.

SEQUENA, Gaulish goddess of the source of the SEINE.

©Thomas Jones-Rees 2002