Culhwch

‘Pig pen’
Cilhwch, Kilhugh, Kilhwch, Kulhwch

Hero of Culhwch and Olwen, a Welsh tale from the eleventh century or earlier and is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose tales. The Red Book of Hergest, about 1400, has a complete version of the story. The White Book of Rhydderch ,from about 1325, has a fragmented version. The title didn’t exist in the early manuscripts and is thus a later invention.

Culhwch was the son of Kilwydd (Cilydd) and Goleuddydd, sister of Eigyr, and Arthur’s aunt. During the course of her pregnancy Goleuddydd went insane and wandered aimlessly around the countryside. The pains of labour restored her sanity just as she was in the middle of a herd of swine, the shock of her returning senses causing her to give birth immediately. She named the child Culhwch (‘pig pen’) to reflect the fact that he had been born in a pig run, for hwch means ‘pig’.

After Goleuddydd died, Kilwydd remarried, although the name of his second wife remains unknown. She told Culhwch that he would only love Olwen, the daughter of the chief giant Ysbaddaden. Culhwch fell in love with her at the mere mention of her name. Culhwch traveled to Arthur’s court at the height of its glory, and demanded his cousin’s assistance in finding Olwen. Arthur assigned Cei, Bedwyr, Cynddylig the Guide, Gwrhyr the Interpreter of Languages, Gwalchmai fab Gwyar, and Menw fab Teirgwaedd – the greatest of his warriors – to go with Culhwch to the fortress of Ysbaddaden.

At length the party came to a shepherd whose wife proved to be the aunt of Culhwch. Although she had lost twenty-three of her twenty-four sons to Yspaddaden, she vowed to help Culhwch meet Olwen, who came to wash her hair at the woman’s cottage every Saturday. The companions learned that Ysbaddaden was fated to die upon his daughter’s marriage, and that Olwen would not marry without her father’s permission.

Olwen came as the woman had said that Saturday, and when she met Culhwch she agreed to become his wife on condition that he ask her father for her hand, warning him not to flinch from any condition he might set. On three successive days Culhwch and his companions went to Yspaddaden’s castle. On each occasion the giant told them to come back the following morning and, as they returned their backs on the castle, hurled a poisoned stone at them. Culhwch and his friends were always too quick and caught the stone and threw it back. On the fourth day, as the poisoned stones had taken effect on the giant, Yspaddaden agreed to Culhwch’s suit, provided he complete a list of forty tasks.

The tasks involved obtaining magic artifacts from a plethora of fearsome monsters, obtaining the assistance of certain renowned warriors, tending to vast parcels of Ysbaddaden’s land in a short period of time (the felling and burning of a thicket, plughing its ashes into a field, and sowing the new field with flax) and a number of other impossible deeds. The second part of the tasks infolved the collection of a variety of provisions for the wedding feast, like retrieving a set of shears and a comb from between the ears of Twrch Trwyth, an enchanted boar (with which to barber Yspaddaden). Ysbaddaden placed numerous conditions on the hunt for Twrch Trwyth: certain warriors had to accompany the party, certain hounds had to be employed, certain leashes were needed to hold the hounds, certain warriors were needed to hold the leashes, and so on.

The giant imposed innumberable conditions, and, as Yspaddaden mentioned each, he added that it would be impossible to fulfil. Culhwch, remembering the advice of Olwen, simply replied that he could accomplish any task with ease. He returned to Arthur’s court, invoked Arthur’s promise to help him, and sat back while Arthur and his men scrambled to meet all of Ysbaddaden’s requirements. Among the more interesting of the subsequent adventures are Arthur’s trip to Ireland to obtain a cauldron from Diwrnach, the slaying of the boar Ysgithyrwyn, the assault on the cave of the Black Hag, and the epic hunt for Twrch Trwyth. Finally, unable to stand the continual opposition of the giant, even though he had completed all the tasks set him, Culhwch gathered together all the giant’s enemies, returned to the castle and killed Yspaddaden. Culhwch married Olwen, and the two remained faithful to each other throughout their lives.

The Arthurian version

Arthurian legend sticks fairly closely to the Welsh roots, though, as is always the way, the story was enhanced to fit the theme the writers sought to follow. The principal facts of Culhwch’s birth remain the same as in the original Welsh version, though now he is said to be the cousin of King Arthur, his mother now being made the sister to Igraine.

After Goleuddydd had died, Culhwch’s father remarried, though the name of Culhwch’s stepmother remains unknown. She put Culhwch under an obligation to marry none other than Olwen, the daughter of the chief giant Yspaddaden (or Thornogre Thistlehair). Realising the enormity of his task, Culhwch went to the court of his cousin, Arthur, to ask for his help in winning the hand of Olwen. When Culhwch arrived at Arthur’s court, he was met by Glewlwyd, the gatekeeper, who declared that Culhwch was the most handsome youth he had ever laid eyes on.

Arthur agreed to help his cousin, though he confessed that he had never heard of Olwen or her father. He sent messengers to seek them out, but, after a year, they all returned unsuccessful. A new party was formed to help Culhwch in his quest, this party being made up of exactly the same participants of the original Welsh quest, though now Cei becomes Sir Kay, and Bedwyr becomes Sir Bedivere. Each was chosen for his own particular skill.

Kay could stay for nine days without either sleeping or breathing. He could alter his height at will and had a body temperature that was so high that during he storm he never got wet, and in cold weather his companions could kindle their fires from him. Bedivere, though he had only one arm, was faster with his sword than three others fighting together. Gwalchmai fab Gwyar never gave up on any quest he had started, and Menw fab Teirgwaedd was a master of spells that would preserve the company in heathen lands. The final two, Cynddylig and Gwrhyr, were chosen for the talents their titles imply.

After some time the party came across a shepherd whose wife turned out to be an aunt of Culhwch. Even though she had already lost twenty-three of her twenty-four sons to the giant Yspaddaden, she agreed to help Culhwch meet Olwen, who came to the woman’s cottage every Saturday to wash her hair.

When they met, Olwen asked Culhwch to come to their castle and request her hand. However, she warned him not to flinch from any conditions her father might set. For three days Culhwch and his companions went to Yspaddaden’s castle. On each occasion the giant told them to return the following morning and then, as they turned their backs, threw a poisoned stone at them. The party, however, were always too quick and, catching it, threw it back, which greatly concerned the giant. On the fourth day he agreed to Culhwch’s suit, but imposed on him three monumental tasks. The first of these involved felling and burning a thicket, ploughing its ashes into a field and sowing it with flax. The second was to obtain a variety of items for the wedding feast, and the third was to obtain various items and preparations necessary to barber the giant, among which was a razor and comb from between the ears of the great boar Twrch Trwyth.

Innumerable other conditions were imposed, each of which Yspaddaden told Culhwch was impossiple to fulfil. Each time Culhwch simply replied that could complete the task with ease. Finally, with the help of King Arthur, who was most notably present in the hunt for Twrch Trwyth, he completed all the tasks set him and returned to the giant’s castle in the company of all the giant’s enemies. There the giant was killed and Olwen became Culhwch’s wife, the couple remaining faithful for the rest of their lives.

As can be seen, the later Arthurian version closely follows the Welsh origins, the most notable differences being the relationship to King Arthur and that monarch’s participation in some, if not all, of the tasks set by the giant Yspaddaden.

Fflam | The Legend of King Arthur
Ffleudor (Fflewdwr Fflam Wledic) | The Legend of King Arthur
Fflergant | The Legend of King Arthur
Fflewdwr Fflam Wledic | The Legend of King Arthur

Henbedestyr (Hen Beddestyr) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hengydymdeith (Hen Gedymeddeith) | The Legend of King Arthur
Henwas (Hen Was the Swift) | The Legend of King Arthur
Henwyneb (Hen Wyneb) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hir | The Legend of King Arthur
Hiratrwm (Hir Atrym) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hirerwm (Hir Erwn) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hueil | The Legend of King Arthur
Hunabwy (Huabwy) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hwyr Ddyddwg (Hwyrddyddwg) | The Legend of King Arthur
Hyfaidd Unllen (Hefeydd) | The Legend of King Arthur

Indeg | The Legend of King Arthur
Iona | The Legend of King Arthur
Isgofan Hael | The Legend of King Arthur
Isperyr Ewingath | The Legend of King Arthur

Ol | The Legend of King Arthur
Osla Gyllellvawr | The Legend of King Arthur

Panawr Pen Bagad | The Legend of King Arthur
Paris | The Legend of King Arthur
Perif (Peryf) | The Legend of King Arthur
Percos (Fercos) | The Legend of King Arthur

Uchtryd Ardywad Kad | The Legend of King Arthur

Wadu | The Legend of King Arthur

Yscawin | The Legend of King Arthur
Yscudydd (Ysgudydd) | The Legend of King Arthur
Yskyrdav (Ysgardaf) | The Legend of King Arthur
Ysperni | The Legend of King Arthur

Source
Culhwch and Olwen | Late 11th century

Nightbringer.se

‘Pig pen’
Cilhwch, Kilhugh, Kilhwch, Kulhwch

The Arthurian version

What’s the difference between enchanters, sorcerers, and wizards?

Chrétien’s Yder

… and the work continues.

Culhwch

‘Pig pen’Cilhwch, Kilhugh, Kilhwch, Kulhwch

The Arthurian version

‘Pig pen’
Cilhwch, Kilhugh, Kilhwch, Kulhwch