Matholwch

Matholwch is in the Celtic mythology, king of Ireland Branwen ferch Llyr in the saga ( " Branwen, the daughter Llŷrs " ), in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. The spelling Matholwch is Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch ( "The White Book of Rhydderch ' ) to read and Llyfr Coch Hergest ( " The Red Book of Hergest " ), in the older manuscript Peniarth 6 is still the version Mallowch available. This is possibly the original form of the name, which was later matched to Mathonwy.

Mythology

Matholwch, king of Ireland, comes to Bran, King of Britain to ask for the hand of his sister Branwen. Bran agrees to the marriage, but Branwen's half-brother Efnisien is angry that he was not asked for permission. In revenge, he massacred Matholwchs horses, making it almost comes to a fight, though Matholwch has already spent a night with Branwen.

Bran manages to calm the tempers again by including new horses and a boiler gives the Irishman who raised the dead back to life.

Matholwch Branwen marries and together they travel to Ireland, where her son Gwern is born. Nevertheless, the marriage is not happy and experienced as his subjects of the massacre of the horses, banished Matholwch Branwen in the kitchen, where she has to work hard and is beaten. Appalled by the fate of his sister, Bran gathers his men around him and moved to Ireland. When rumors of a wandering forest Matholwch reach, he gets scared because he suspects that it is the giant Bran, who wanders through the sea. To calm him down, he can build a palace, which is the first time large enough for the Giants. He also promises to make his son Gwern king.

At a ceremony in the newly built palace Irish nobleman who are familiar with the way things do not agree with flour sacks, to overwhelm the Welsh hide. Efnisien guess their plan and suffocated the men in the bags, but when he throws his nephew Gwern into the fire, the contest breaks out. Efnisien dies in the destruction of the miracle boiler, Bran is mortally wounded and Matholwch also falls in battle. Finally, survive only seven Welsh and Irish five pregnant women whose children populate the country again. The Welsh return with Branwen and the severed head of Bran's back home.