Cigfa
Encyclopedia
Cigfa ferch Gwyn Glohoyw (Middle Welsh: Kigua) is a minor character in Welsh mythology
, the wife of King Pryderi
of Dyfed
. She is mentioned briefly in the First Branch
of the Mabinogi, and appears more prominently in the third. Describing the character, Proinsias Mac Cana writes: "Cigfa strikes one as a slight though effective vignette of a contemporary bourgeois snob while William John Gruffydd
hypothesises that the character was a later addition to the tale." John Rhys
suggested a connection between Cigfa and the Irish
character Ciochba.
, in which a saint named Mechyll fab Echwys is the grandson of Gwyn Glohoyw and great-grandson of Gloyw Walltlydan. Cigfa herself is not mentioned in the genealogy.
Some time after their marriage, Pryderi leaves Dyfed to fight under Bendigeidfran
in Ireland
. He is one of only seven warriors to survive the battle, and returns home with Manawydan
, rightful king of Britain, whom he married to his mother Rhiannon
. The four friends live happily until they ascend the mound at Gorsedd Arberth and the kingdom turns into a barren wasteland
, and all of its inhabitants disappear except for the four members of Pryderi's family.
While out hunting one day, Pryderi follows a white boar
and does not return, so his mother Rhiannon goes looking for him. She finds him motionless inside a mysterious building, touching a golden bowl. She tries to free him, but becomes enchanted herself when she puts her hand on the object. Manawydan and Cigfa stay together, the former promising to protect the latter, and finally free their spouses when they capture a mouse
that is actually the wife of Llwyd ap Cil Coed
, Rhiannon's enemy, and force the magician to lift the curses plaguing their land.
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
, the wife of King Pryderi
Pryderi
Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed following his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies from tale to tale...
of Dyfed
Kingdom of Dyfed
The Kingdom of Dyfed is one of several Welsh petty kingdoms that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in south-west Wales, based on the former Irish tribal lands of the Déisi from c 350 until it was subsumed into Deheubarth in 920. In Latin, the country of the Déisi was Demetae, eventually to...
. She is mentioned briefly in the First Branch
Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed
; "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed," is a legendary tale from medieval Welsh literature and the first of the four branches of the Mabinogi. It tells of the friendship between Pwyll, prince of Dyfed, and Arawn, lord of the Otherworld, of the courting and marriage of Pwyll and Rhiannon and of the birth and...
of the Mabinogi, and appears more prominently in the third. Describing the character, Proinsias Mac Cana writes: "Cigfa strikes one as a slight though effective vignette of a contemporary bourgeois snob while William John Gruffydd
William John Gruffydd
Professor William John Gruffydd was a Welsh academic, poet, writer, and politician.-Family and Education:...
hypothesises that the character was a later addition to the tale." John Rhys
John Rhys
Sir John Rhys was a Welsh scholar, fellow of the British Academy, celticist and the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford University.-Early years and education:...
suggested a connection between Cigfa and the Irish
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
character Ciochba.
Role in Welsh tradition
After ascending to the throne of Dyfed, Pryderi searches for a wife and marries Cigfa, whose ancestry is recorded as "Cigfa, daughter of Gwyn Glohoyw, son of Gloyw Walltlydan, son of Casnar Wledig". A similar lineage can be found in Bonedd y SaintBonedd y Saint
The Bonedd y Saint is a Welsh genealogical tract detailing the lineages of the early Brythonic saints. There are a number of different manuscripts in existence dating from the early 13th to the late 17th century, although the material is much older in origin.-External links:***...
, in which a saint named Mechyll fab Echwys is the grandson of Gwyn Glohoyw and great-grandson of Gloyw Walltlydan. Cigfa herself is not mentioned in the genealogy.
Some time after their marriage, Pryderi leaves Dyfed to fight under Bendigeidfran
Bran the Blessed
Brân the Blessed is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. He appears in several of the Welsh Triads, but his most significant role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is a son of Llŷr and Penarddun, and the brother of Brânwen, Manawydan, Nisien and Efnysien...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He is one of only seven warriors to survive the battle, and returns home with Manawydan
Manawydan
Manawydan fab Llŷr is a figure of Welsh mythology, the son of Llŷr and the brother of Brân the Blessed and Brânwen. The first element in his name is cognate with the stem of the name of the Irish sea god Manannán mac Lir, and likely originated from the same Celtic deity as Manannán...
, rightful king of Britain, whom he married to his mother Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, mother to the Demetian hero Pryderi and wife to Pwyll . She is probably a reflex of the Celtic Great Queen goddess Rigantona and may also be associated with the horse goddess Epona.She appears in both the first and third branches of the Mabinogi...
. The four friends live happily until they ascend the mound at Gorsedd Arberth and the kingdom turns into a barren wasteland
Wasteland (mythology)
The Wasteland is a Celtic motif that ties the barrenness of a land with a curse that must be lifted by a hero. It occurs in Irish mythology and French Grail romances, and hints of it may be found in the Welsh Mabinogion....
, and all of its inhabitants disappear except for the four members of Pryderi's family.
While out hunting one day, Pryderi follows a white boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
and does not return, so his mother Rhiannon goes looking for him. She finds him motionless inside a mysterious building, touching a golden bowl. She tries to free him, but becomes enchanted herself when she puts her hand on the object. Manawydan and Cigfa stay together, the former promising to protect the latter, and finally free their spouses when they capture a mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
that is actually the wife of Llwyd ap Cil Coed
Llwyd ap Cil Coed
Llwyd ap Cil Coed is a character in the Third Branch of The Mabinogi, known also as the story of Manawydan ap Llŷr.-Role in the Third Branch:...
, Rhiannon's enemy, and force the magician to lift the curses plaguing their land.