up in Cisalpine Gaul among a Celtic population. One episode recounted by Livy, which he ascribed to an event in 345 b.c. during a campaign by the Romans against the Celts of northern Italy, is remarkably similar to an episode in the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailgne in which the goddess of death and battles, the Mórrígán, in the form of a crow, attacks Cúchulainn, who has spurned her love. The crow, or raven, was the symbol of the Celtic goddess of death and battles. Livy has a crow attack a Celtic chieftain to protect a Roman and hide the Roman with its wings. Such examples could well indicate, on further research, that a strong case could be made for Gaulish traditions to be cognate with the Celtic traditions of Ireland and Wales that have survived in written form.

Gauvain

[W] Sir Gawain, a companion and fellow knight to Peredur (Perceval). While Gawain is best known through a Middle English poem, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (written ca. 1370), the poem shows a strong Celtic source, though from Irish rather than Welsh. Written by an unknown poet, the story is a variation on part of “Bricriu’s Feast” and its variants in Irish. It is regarded as the greatest single Arthurian legend in English and a masterpiece of Middle English writing. In the middle of a feast at Arthur’s court a green giant on horseback bursts in and challenges the knights to chop off his head on condition that he be allowed to return the blow in one year. Sir Gawain accepts. Having chopped off the giant’s head, the giant calmly picks it up and leaves. Gawain has to set out for the Green Chapel, where he is to present himself for the blow. He comes to a castle where he is entertained by Bercilak and his beautiful wife. The wife tempts Gawain. For two days he resists and then he accepts a gift of a green sash from the lady. Finally, at the chapel, the green knight strikes at his neck. Three times the axe descends; twice it is deflected (because twice he resisted the adulterous temptation), but the third time the axe nicks his neck because he accepted a gift from the lady. The green knight is Bercilak. The ruse is planned by Morgan le Fay, but Gawain has triumphed.

For the Irish version of the beheading game see Uath Mac Imoman.

Gawain

[W] See Gauvain.

Gawlgawd, Horn of

[W] Culhwch has to obtain it for Yspaddaden the Giant.

Gebann

[I] Father of Cliodhna, Irish goddess of beauty.