Gwynn ap Nudd

Gwynn ap Nudd , in the Welsh Celtic Mythology, is one of the sovereigns of the Annwvyn, the Other World of the Celtes. He is the son of Nudd and the brother of Yder and Bebhinn. Its name comes from the Celtique vindos which means “white, honest, bright”. It is sometimes compared to the Irish Finn Mac Cumaill, whose grandfather Nuada, king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is the equivalent of Nudd.

It has a psychopompe role since one of its functions is to guide the hearts of dead towards Annwvyn, accompanied of a pack of fantastic dogs.

In the tale arthurien Kulhwch and Olwen , Creiddylad, girl of Lludd Stable-lad Ereund, the most beautiful girl of all Bretagnes, flees with Gwythyr, wire of Greidawl. But before they could consume their union, Gwynn removes the young girl. The lover raises an army, but the kidnapper is victorious and fact captive of many warriors. These noble is released only on the intervention of the King Arthur, it decides moreover that Creiddylad will remain in his/her father, without the two applicants not being able to approach it. Since this history, every year, with the calends of May, Gwynn and Gwythyr fights for Creiddylad, that will last until the last Jugement. At this time, the winner of the combat will gain the young lady.

Gwynn ap Nudd takes part in the mythical hunting of Arthur against the wild boar Twrch Trwyth.

Sources

Four Branches of Mabinogi , tale Kulhwch and Olwen , translated, presented and annotated by Pierre-Yves Lambert, Gallimard, coll “the paddle of the people”, Paris, 1993.

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