Celtic Mythology: Captivating Celtic Myths of Celtic Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Legendary Creatures Read online

Bedwyr (BED-weer):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Branwen (BRAN-wen):

  Main character in the second branch of the Mabinogion; sister of Manawydan

  Cantref (KAHN-trev):

  Welsh word for county

  Celli Weg (KEL-thee WEGG):

  Place in Cornwall mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Celyddon (kell-ITH-on):

  Grandfather of Culhwch; father of Cilydd

  Ceredigion (KAIR-eh-DIG-ee-ahn):

  Region of western Wales along the central coast

  Cilydd (KILL-ith):

  Father of Culhwch

  Clud (CLID):

  Father of Gwawl

  Culhwch (KILL-hooch):

  Welsh hero, possibly an analogue to the pig-god Moccus

  Custennin (kiss-TEN-nin):

  Shepherd and father of Goreu

  Cwm Cerwyn (KOOM KAIR-win):

  Place in Wales mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Cyledyr Wyllt (kill-EH-deer WITHLT):

  One of the knights of King Arthru

  Cynddelig Cyfarwydd (kin-THEH-lig kih-VAHR-with):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Doged (DOH-ged):

  King who is slain and whose wife is taken to be wife to Cilydd after the death of Goleuddydd

  Drych Ail Cybdar (DRICH AIL KIB-dahr):

  One of the three fastest men in King Arthur’s realm

  Dyfed (DUH-ved):

  Place name in the Mabinogion

  Esgair Oerfel (ESS-geyer OHR-vell):

  Place in Ireland mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Glyn Ystun (GLINN ISS-tin):

  Place in Wales mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Goleuddydd (go-LAI-thith):

  Mother of Culhwch

  Goreu (GOHR-ai):

  Son of Custennin

  Gorsedd Arberth (GOAR-seth AHR-bairth):

  Welsh place name; hill near the court of Pwyll

  Grugyn Gwrych Eraint (GRIG-in GOOR-ich AIR-eyent)

  One of the sons of the boar Twrch Trwyth

  Gwalchmai mab Gwyar (GWAHLCH-meye mahb GOO-yahr):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Gwawl (GOO-owl):

  Rival of Pwyll for the hand of Rhiannon

  Gwent Is Coed (GWENT iss COYD):

  Place name in the Mabinogion; seat of the nobleman Teyrnon Twrf Liant

  Gwri Wallt Euryn (GOO-ree WALTHT AI-rin):

  Childhood name of Pryderi, son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and foster-son of Teyrnon

  Gwyn (GWIN):

  Character in the story of Culhwch and Olwen

  Gwyrhyr Gwstad Ieithoedd (GOOR-heer GOO-stahd ee-YAI-thoyth):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Hafgan (HAHV-gahn):

  Rival of Arawn for lands in Annwfn

  Hafren (HAHV-ren):

  River in Wales

  Hyfaidd Hen (HUH-veth HEN):

  “Old Hyfaidd”; Father of Rhiannon

  Kai (KEYE):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Llyr (THLEER):

  Father of Branwen and Manawydan; Welsh analogue of the Irish Lir

  Mabinogion (mah-bi-NOH-gyon):

  Collection of Welsh myths and legends

  Mabon (MAH-bohn):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Manawydan (mah-NAH-wih-dan):

  Main character in the third branch of the Mabinogion; brother of Branwen

  Math (MAHTH):

  Main character in the fourth branch of the Mabinogion

  Mathonwy (MAHTH-on-wee):

  Father of Math

  Menw (MEN-oo):

  One of the knights of King Arthur

  Modron (MOH-drohn):

  Father of Mabon

  Nudd (NITH):

  Father of Gwyn

  Olwen (OHL-wen):

  Bride of Culhwch and daughter of Ysbaddaden Pencawr

  Porth Clais (POHRTH KLEYESS):

  Place in Wales mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Pryderi (prih-DAIR-ee):

  Son of Pwyll and Rhiannon

  Prydwen (PRID-wen):

  The name of King Arthur’s ship

  Pwyll (POO-ilth):

  Lord of Dyfed; friend of Arawn, husband of Rhiannon, father of Pryderi

  Teirgwaedd (TAIR-gweyeth):

  Father of Menw

  Teyrnon Twrf Liant (TAI-eer-non TOORV LEE-ahnt):

  Nobleman who takes in the foundling son of Pwyll and Rhiannon

  Twrch Trwyth (TOORCH TROO-with):

  A king who was changed into a giant boar

  Ysbaddaden Pencawr (ISS-bah-THAH-den pen-KOWR):

  Chief of the giants and father of Olwen

  Ystrad Tywi (UH-strahd TUH-wee):

  One of the cantrefs mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Ystrad Yw (uh-STRAHD EE-oo):

  Place in Wales mentioned in the Mabinogion

  Other Names and Words

  Pronunciation of personal names from “The Drowned City of Ys” and “The Romance of Tristan and Iseult” are mostly given according to Old French standards, except for “Tintagel,” which has a Modern English pronunciation, and “Menez-Hom,” which is Breton.

  The pronunciation guide is the same as the one given above, with the exception of the front-rounded u, which does not exist in Irish or English.

  ü = front-rounded u as in Modern French cru

  Andret (AHN-dret):

  One of the four evil nobles of Cornwall

  Baie de Douarnenez (BAI de DOO-ahr-neh-NEHZ):

  Bay along the Brittany coast

  Baie de Trepasses (BAI de tre-PASS-eh):

  Bay along the Brittany coast

  Blanchefleur (blahnsh-FLOOR):

  Mother of Tristan; wife of Rivalen; sister of Mark

  Brangien (BRAN-zhee-en):

  Iseult’s maid

  Corentin (KOH-ren-tin):

  Hermit who aids Gradlon; later Bishop of Cornouaille

  Cornouaille (kor-noo-AY):

  Region of Brittany

  Dahut (dah-HÜT):

  Daughter of King Gradlon of Cornouaille

  Denoalen (deh-NOH-ah-len):

  One of the four evil nobles of Cornwall

  Dinas (DEE-nass):

  Seneschal of Cornwall and friend of Tristan

  Epona (eh-POH-nah):

  Celtic horse goddess

  Gondoit (GON-doh-eet):

  One of the four evil nobles of Cornwall

  Gorvenal (GOHR-ve-nahl):

  Squire to Tristan

  Gradlon (GRAHD-lon):

  King of Cornouaille

  Guenelon (GWEN-eh-lon):

  One of the four evil nobles of Cornwall

  Guenole (gwen-oh-LAI):

  Abbot of the monastery of Landevennec

  Hoel (HOH-el):

  Duke of Brittany; father of Iseult of Brittany and Kaherdin; father-in-law of Tristan

  Iseult (ee-SOOLT):

  1. Wife of King Mark of Cornwall; lover of Tristan

  2. Daughter of Hoel and wife of Tristan

  Kaherdin (KAH-her-din):

  Son of Hoel and companion of Tristan

  Kariado (kah-ree-AH-do):

  Nobleman who woos Iseult of Cornwall

  Korrigan (KOHR-rih-gan):

  An Otherworldly creature in Breton myth

  Landevennec (lahn-de-VEN-nek):

  Monastery in Brittany

  Lyonesse (lee-oh-NESS):

  Country in France in Arthurian legend

  Mark (MAHRK):

  King of Cornwall

  Menez-Hom (MEH-nez HOHM):

  Forest in Brittany

  Moccus (MOK-kuss):

  Celtic pig god

  Morgan (MOHR-gan):

  Breton duke who threatens the realm of Lyonesse and kills Rivalen

  Morholt (MOHR-hohlt):

  Irish knight killed in single combat by Tristan; uncle of Iseult

  Perinis (PEHR-in-ees):

  Iseult’s squire

  Quimper (KEEM-pehr):


  City in Brittany

  Rivalen (REE-vah-len):

  King of Lyonesse; father of Tristan; husband of Blanchefleur

  Rohalt (ro-HAHLT):

  Marshal of Lyonesse; foster-father of Tristan

  Roman (roh-MAHN):

  Old French word for a narrative verse poem, often having to do with courtly love

  Tintagel (tin-TAI-jel):

  Castle on the coast of Cornwall; seat of King Mark

  Tristan (TRISS-tan):

  Knight who serves King Mark of Cornwall; lover of Iseult

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  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Augusta, Lady Gregory. Cuchulain of Muirthemne: The Story of the Men of the Red Branch of Ulster. London: J. Murray, 1902.

  Bedier, Joseph. The Romance of Tristan and Iseult. Trans. Hilaire Belloc. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1917.

  Cross, Tom Peete and Clark Harris Slover, eds. Ancient Irish Tales. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1936.

  Davies, Sioned, trans. The Mabinogion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

  Delaney, Frank. Legends of the Celts. New York: Sterling Publishing, Inc., 1991.

  Eddy, Steve and Claire Hamilton. Celtic Myths. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 2001.

  Ford, Patrick, trans and ed. The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977.

  Guest, Lady Charlotte. The Mabinogion: From the Welsh of the Llyfr coch o Hergest (The Red Book of Hergest) in the Library of Jesus College, Oxford. London: Quaritch, 1877.

  Hodges, Margaret. The Other World: Myths of the Celts. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973.

  Kinsella, Thomas, trans. The Tain: Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969.

  Macalister, R. A. Stewart. Lebor gabala Erenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland. Vols. 2-5. Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1939-1941, 1956.

  Mac Cana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., 1970.

  Markale, Jean. The Epics of Celtic Ireland: Ancient Tales of Mystery and Magic. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2000.

  O'Connor, Ulick. Irish Tales and Sagas. Dublin: Town House and Country House, 1996.

  Price, Bill. Celtic Myths. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials, 2008.

  Rolleston, Thomas William. Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race. London: Harrap, 1911.

  Squire, Charles. The Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland. London: A. Constable, 1906.

  Zaczek, Iain. Chronicles of the Celts. New York: Sterling Publishing, Inc., 1997.