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Math the son
of Mathonwy
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The tale of Math the son of Mathonwy is the fourth branch of the Mabinogion. The first part of the tale tells how Gywdion, the cunning magician, helps his brother to deflower the lovely Goewin, Math’s virgin foot-holder. Math punishes the brothers by turning them into animals for three years. Gwydion then causes his sister Arianrod to give birth to a son in unexpected and embarrassing circumstances. Arianrod refuses to acknowledge her son, but Gwydion tricks her into naming and arming him. Equipped with a name and arms, Llew now needs a wife, so when Arianrod bars him from taking a human wife, Gwydion and Math proceed to make him a woman out of flowers – Blodeuwedd. Llew and Blodeuwedd live happily until she falls in love with another man. Together they conspire to kill Llew, but Gwydion brings Llew back and the illicit lovers meet their doom. Blodeuwedd is transformed into an owl, and her lover, sheltering behind a stone, is killed by Llew’s unstoppable spear. The story is taken from the translation of Lady Charlotte Guest, with the language modernised. |
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