making a magic brew which, after a year’s boiling, will produce three drops, and whoever swallows the drops will know all the secrets of the past, present, and future. Ceridwen intends it for her son Afagddu, who is ugly and whom she desires to compensate by making him wise. There is a similarity here to the boyhood of Fionn Mac Cumhail and how he tastes of the Salmon of Knowledge. As he stirs the cauldron, the magic drops fall onto the finger of Gwion Bach, who puts his finger into his mouth and obtains wisdom. Realising his danger from the enraged Ceridwen, he flees from her, but she sets out in pursuit. During the chase he transforms himself into a hare, a fish, a bird, and a grain of wheat, and Ceridwen chases him in the appropriate form of a greyhound, otter-bitch, hawk, and hen. As the hen, she swallows the grain of wheat that is Gwion Bach. Gwion Bach is later reborn from Ceridwen as Taliesin.

Gwlwlyd

[W] He will not lend Culhwch his two dun-coloured oxen to plough the hill as one of Yspaddaden’s tasks.

Gwreang

[W] Father of Gwion Bach, who eventually transmigrates as Taliesin.

Gwreidawl

[W] Father of Gwythyr.

Gwri

[W] “Gold hair.” The first name given to Pryderi.

Gwrnach

[W] A giant and owner of a magic sword that Culhwch must win for Yspaddaden the Giant.

Gwrtheryn

[W] The fifth province of Wales “between the Wye and Severn” is said to have been the land of Gwrtheryn or Vortigern (vawr-tigern—overlord, or High King). Vortigern ruled Britain when the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles, ancestors of the English, first began to invade Britain in the fifth century. His son was Gwerthefyr (Vortimer), which also signifies “supreme king.” [See Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1946/7, 51.]

Gwyar

[W] Referred to as Anna by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Morgawse by Malory, she was the sister of Arthur and wife of Lludd.

Gwyddbwyll

[W] Wooden wisdom. An ancient Welsh board game. See Fidchell.

Gwyddno

[W] “Long Shank” who rules the “drowned kingdom.” Culhwch has to get his hamper for Yspaddaden the Giant.

Gwyddno Garanhirtan

[W] The father of Elffin who finds the baby Taliesin in a stream and raises him. He is also referred to as Urien, king of Rheged, in a Taliesin poem.