Gwenhwyfach
Encyclopedia
Gwenhwyfach, also spelled Gwenhwyvach or Gwenhwyach, is a sister of Gwenhwyfar
(Guinevere) in early Welsh
Arthurian legend. Most of the tradition surrounding her has been lost; she is mentioned only in two of the Welsh Triads
and in the Mabinogion
tale Culhwch and Olwen
. As Richard Melville and Rachel Bromwich
note, the name Gwenhwyvach may be interpreted as "Gwenhwy-fach", or "Gwenhwy the Lesser", a back-formation
derived from an incorrect interpretation of her sister's name as "Gwenhwy-fawr", "Gwenhwy the Great".
Gwenhwyfach first appears in Culhwch, where her name is spelled Gwenhwyach and she is just one of the 200 men, women, dogs, and horses that the hero Culhwch
invokes to punctuate his request that King Arthur
help him find his love Olwen
. Both Triads that mention Gwenhwyfach speak of the enmity between her and her sister that led to the Battle of Camlann
. Triad 53 lists as one of the "Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain" the slap Gwenhwyvach gave to her sister that caused the Strife of Camlann. In calling Camlann one of Britain's "Three Futile Battles", Triad 84 mentions it was started because of a dispute between the sisters.
Triad 54 describes Medrawd
(Mordred) raiding Arthur's court and throwing Gwenhwyfar to the ground and beating her, leading some to suggest Gwenhwyfach was a mistake for Medrawd in Triad 53. This interpretation does not explain Triad 84, however.
The Lancelot-Grail
cycle includes a character known as the "False Guinevere", the half sister of the real Guinevere whose claim to be the real Guinevere is for a time accepted by Arthur. Gwenhwyfach's association with Camlann has made some modern writers associate her with Mordred as well. She appears as the traitor's wife in Thomas Love Peacock
's The Misfortunes of Elphin
(about Elffin ap Gwyddno).
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
(Guinevere) in early Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Arthurian legend. Most of the tradition surrounding her has been lost; she is mentioned only in two of the Welsh Triads
Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
and in the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
tale Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
. As Richard Melville and Rachel Bromwich
Rachel Bromwich
Rachel Bromwich was a British scholar. Her focus was on medieval Welsh literature, and was Emeritus Reader in Celtic Languages and Literature at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge until her death...
note, the name Gwenhwyvach may be interpreted as "Gwenhwy-fach", or "Gwenhwy the Lesser", a back-formation
Back-formation
In etymology, back-formation is the process of creating a new lexeme, usually by removing actual or supposed affixes. The resulting neologism is called a back-formation, a term coined by James Murray in 1889...
derived from an incorrect interpretation of her sister's name as "Gwenhwy-fawr", "Gwenhwy the Great".
Gwenhwyfach first appears in Culhwch, where her name is spelled Gwenhwyach and she is just one of the 200 men, women, dogs, and horses that the hero Culhwch
Culhwch
Culhwch , in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and Goleuddydd, a cousin of Arthur and the protagonist of the story Culhwch and Olwen...
invokes to punctuate his request that King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
help him find his love Olwen
Olwen
In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion....
. Both Triads that mention Gwenhwyfach speak of the enmity between her and her sister that led to the Battle of Camlann
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded fighting his enemy Mordred.-Historicity:...
. Triad 53 lists as one of the "Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain" the slap Gwenhwyvach gave to her sister that caused the Strife of Camlann. In calling Camlann one of Britain's "Three Futile Battles", Triad 84 mentions it was started because of a dispute between the sisters.
Triad 54 describes Medrawd
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
(Mordred) raiding Arthur's court and throwing Gwenhwyfar to the ground and beating her, leading some to suggest Gwenhwyfach was a mistake for Medrawd in Triad 53. This interpretation does not explain Triad 84, however.
The Lancelot-Grail
Lancelot-Grail
The Lancelot–Grail, also known as the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend written in French. It is a series of five prose volumes that tell the story of the quest for the Holy Grail and the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere...
cycle includes a character known as the "False Guinevere", the half sister of the real Guinevere whose claim to be the real Guinevere is for a time accepted by Arthur. Gwenhwyfach's association with Camlann has made some modern writers associate her with Mordred as well. She appears as the traitor's wife in Thomas Love Peacock
Thomas Love Peacock
Thomas Love Peacock was an English satirist and author.Peacock was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley and they influenced each other's work...
's The Misfortunes of Elphin
The Misfortunes of Elphin
The Misfortunes of Elphin is the fifth novel by Thomas Love Peacock, published in 1829. It is set in a somewhat historically-fanciful Arthurian Britain which incorporates many Welsh legends, but avoids all supernatural and mystical elements. Seithenyn appears as a major character.-External links:*...
(about Elffin ap Gwyddno).