Rhiannon

She’s a female figure in Welsh mythology. She’s a protagonist of the Mabinogi, in its First & Third Branches.

In the Mabinogi, Rhiannon is a strong-willed ruler, a lady of the courts, & a devoted mom. She’s intelligent, politically strategic, famed for her sophisticated conversation & striking looks, as well as her wealth & the generosity of her gifts, especially to minstrels.

In the First Branch, Rhiannon chooses Pwyll, prince of Dyfed (Southwest Welsh), as her consort. Breaking her contract with Gwawl, another prince. Her choice employs 2 hudiaul enchantments: an uncatchable horse, & an almost unfillable bag.

With Pwyll, she had a son named Pryderi. She endures tragedy when her newborn kid is kidnapped. She’s accused of infanticide. She’s cleared, later, when the kid is found. Pryderi inherits the Lordship of Dyfed.

In the Third Branch, Rhiannon as a widow marries Manawydan, the usurped heir of the British royal family. She has further trials & adventure with him, her son, & his wife, involving various enchantments. Chiefly the desolation of all Dyfed, 7 years of vengeance by Gwawl’s magician friend, Llwyd.

The Adar Rhiannon/Birds of Rhiannon also tell about her paradoxical enchantment power: far yet near, living & dead. They originally appear both in the Mabinogi & Culhwch ac Olwen. She’s associated, strongly, with horses. So is Pryderi, her son. The mom & son are frequently depicted as mare & foal. Sometimes she sits on her horse in a calm, stoic way.

Rhiannon first appears at Gorsedd Arberth, an ancestral mound near 1 of the chief courts of Dyfed. Pwyll, the prince of Dyfed, accepted the challenge of the mound’s magical tradition to show rywedawtl, a marvel, or else deal out blows.

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But Rhiannon always remains ahead of them. Though her horse never does more than amble. On the 3rd day, he finally follows her himself & doesn’t do any better. He finally appeals to her to stop him. Rhiannon chided him for not considering this before.

THen tells him she’s sought him out to marry him. Because she preferred Pwyll to her then-current fiance, Gwawl ap Clud. Pwyll gladly agrees. But at their wedding feast at HER dad’s court, an unknown man asks Pwyll to grant him a request. He does it without asking what it is first.

The unknown man was Rhiannon’s spurred ex-fiance, Gwawl & his request was Rhiannon. Rhiannon admonishes Pwyll a 2nd time for his rash promise. But gives Pwyll a way out. She holds a 2nd wedding feast for Gwawl.

Rhiannon stationed Pwyll’s men outside in the orchard. She instructs Pwyll you come into the hall cosplaying as a beggar, humbly as king Gwawl to fill a certain “small bag” with food. Rhiannon enchants the bag couldn’t be filled by “normal” means.

Gwawl is persuaded to step into the bag to control its magic. Which means Pwyll could trap Gwawl in the bag. Pwyll’s men rushed in & surround the hall. they then beat & kick Gwawl while he’s trapped in the bag.

To save his life, Gwawl is forced to give up Rhiannon completely. He also had to give up his revenge. Rhiannon marries Pwyll. THen she goes to Dyfed as its queen. After 2 years of marital bliss, Pwyll’s nobles start to pressure him for an heir.

He refuses to “set aside” Rhiannon for being barren. And voila, in the 3rd year of their marriage, their son was born. On the night of his birth, the newborn disappears while in the care of 6 of Rhiannon’s maids, who were sleepy.

Terrified of receiving capital punishment, the maids unalived a puppy & smear its blood on Rhiannon’s sleeping face. In the morning, they (the maids) accuse Rhiannon of infanticide & cannibalism.

Rhiannon gets advice from her advisers. She offers to undergo a penance. Pwyll us again urged to put Rhiannon aside. Pwyll refuses & sets her penance instead. Rhiannon’s penance was that she must every day by the gate of the castle, at the horse block, to tell her story to travelers.

She also had to carry travelers on her back. Few accepted this offer though. As the story ends Pwyll maintains Rhiannon’s state as his queen. Their son was found by Teyrnon, the Lord of Gwent-Is-Coed (South-Eastern Wales).

He found the baby by his door after trying to protect his horse who’d just given birth. He & his wife claimed the baby boy as their own, naming him: Gwri Wallt Euryn (Gwri of the Golden Hair).

The kid grew up at a superhuman pace with a big affinity for horses. Teyrnon, who once served Pwyll as courtier, recognizes the kid’s physical resemblance to his bio dad. Teyrnon returns the kid to his family.

After being reunited with Rhiannon, the kid is formally named, in the traditional way, via his mom’s 1st direct words to him: Pryderi. Eventually, Pwyll dies. Pryderi rules Dyfed, marrying Cigfa of Gloucester.

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