- Gwenhwyfach
Gwenhwyfach or Gwenhwyvach, sometimes Anglicized as Guinevak, is a sister of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) in early Welsh
Arthurian legend . Most of the tradition surrounding her has been lost; she is mentioned only in two of theWelsh Triads and in theMabinogion tale "Culhwch and Olwen ". AsRachel Bromwich notes, the name Gwenhwyvach may have derived from "Gwenhwy-fach", or "Gwenhwy the Lesser", in contrast to "Gwenhwy-fawr", "Gwenhwy the Great".Gwenhwyfach first appears in "Culhwch", where she is just one of the 200 men, women, dogs, and horses that the hero
Culhwch invokes to punctuate his request thatKing Arthur help him find his loveOlwen . Both Triads that mention Gwenhwyfach speak of the enmity between her and her sister that led to theBattle of Camlann ; much has been made of this in recent years. Triad 53 lists as one of the "Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain" the slap Gwenhwyvach gave to her sister that caused the Strife of Camlann. In calling Camlann one of Britain's "Three Futile Battles", Triad 84 mentions it was started because of a dispute between the sisters.Triad 54 describes Medrawd (Mordred) raiding Arthur's court and throwing Gwenhwyfar to the ground and beating her, leading some to suggest Gwenhwyfach was a mistake for Medrawd in Triad 53. This interpretation does not explain Triad 84, however.
The
Lancelot-Grail cycle includes a character known as the "False Guinevere", the half sister of the real Guinevere whose claim to be the real Guinevere is for a time accepted by Arthur. Gwenhwyfach's association with Camlann has made some modern writers associate her with Mordred as well. She appears as the traitor's wife inThomas Love Peacock 's "The Misfortunes of Elphin" (Elffin ap Gwyddno ).References
*Rachel Bromwich (1963) "Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain", University Of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1386-8. Triads: 53 and 84
External links
* [http://www.celtnet.org.uk/gods_g/gwenhwyfach.html Gwenhwyfach at celtnet.org.uk]
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