Math fab Mathonwy (branch)
Math fab Mathonwy, "Math, the son of Mathonwy" is a legendary tale from medieval Welsh literature and the final of the four branches of the Mabinogi. It tells of a vicious war between the north and the south, of the birth of Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Dylan ail Don, of the tyngedau of Arianrhod, and of the creation of Blodeuwedd, a woman made of flowers. The chief characters of the tale are Math, king of Gwynedd, his nephew Gwydion, a magician, warrior and trickster, and Gwydion's own nephew, Lleu, cursed by his mother Arianrhod.
| Math fab Mathonwy | |
|---|---|
| "Math, the son of Mathonwy" | |
Opening lines of the fourth branch of the Mabinogi in the Red Book of Hergest: Math son of Mathonwy was Lord of Gwynedd. And Pryderi, son of Pwyll, was Lord of twenty-one 'hundreds' in the south. | |
| Author(s) | Unknown, generally believed to be a scribe from Dyfed. |
| Language | Middle Welsh |
| Date | Earliest manuscript dates to 14th century; tale believed to be much older. |
| Series | Four Branches of the Mabinogi |
| Genre | Welsh mythology |
| Subject | Fourth branch of the Mabinogi. Death of Pryderi, birth of Lleu, creation of Blodeuwedd, death and resurrection of Lleu. |
| Setting | Mainly Gwynedd, also Dyfed, |
| Period covered | Mythological |
| Personages | Gwydion, Lleu, Math, Blodeuwedd, Gronw Pebr, Arianrhod, Pryderi, Goewin, Gilfaethwy |
Along with the other branches, the tale can be found in the medieval Red Book of Hergest and White Book of Rhydderch. Allusions to the tale can be found in two old triads retained in the Trioedd Ynys Prydain
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