Neu Car Morgan Mwynfawr Cadair
A magical chair or chariot belonging to Morgan Mwynfawr, one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. Whoever sat in it could instantly go wherever they wished.
Alternative Names
The Chair (or Chariot) of Morgan Mwynfawr
Introduction#
Neu Car Morgan Mwynfawr Cadair — literally “the chair or chariot of Morgan the Wealthy” — is one of the legendary Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, a set of magical objects from late medieval Welsh tradition. These thirteen items appear in several Welsh manuscript lists dating to the 15th and 16th centuries and were held to be powerful relics from an older age of heroes and enchantment.
The chair is described as a form of transport with supernatural ability: anyone who sat in it could wish themselves to their desired destination and be carried there swiftly.
The treasure is variously called simply “the chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr” or Cadair, Neu Car Morgan Mwynfawr, where cadair can mean “chair,” “seat,” or “car” in Welsh, reflecting its ambiguous nature as both a throne and a vehicle.
The Magical Transport#
Unlike ordinary vehicles or mounts, the chair operates by wish rather than by physical motion. It embodies a common motif in Celtic folklore in which special seats, stones, or objects grant instant passage or other supernatural effects. When a person sits in it, they are understood to be transported almost immediately to wherever they desire to go, without effort or need for horses, ships, or roadways.
Some later folkloric interpretations treat the chair as a precursor to later fantasy motifs of teleportation or enchanted conveyance, though its origin lies in older Welsh literary lists rather than in narrative sagas with plot scenes.
Morgan Mwynfawr#
The chair’s owner is named Morgan Mwynfawr, usually translated “Morgan the Wealthy” or “Morgan the Benevolent.” He may not be the same figure as the more familiar Morgan le Fay of later Arthurian romance; medieval Welsh sources distinguish between multiple characters named Morgan.
In Trioedd Ynys Prydain (The Welsh Triads), Morgan Mwynfawr is listed among other notable figures from early British lore. The epithet mwynfawr emphasizes either his wealth, generosity, or high status.
Because the treasures are attested primarily in lists rather than stories with action scenes, we have no surviving narrative text featuring the chair in use — it exists as a catalogued marvel, not as a plot device in a specific Welsh romance.
The Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain#
The chair is one of a set of thirteen enchanted items collectively known as the Thirteen Treasures of Britain (Tri Thlws ar Ddeg Ynys Prydain). These treasures include wondrous objects such as flaming swords, self‑playing chessboards, food‑multiplying hampers, and cloaks of invisibility.
The numbering and exact contents of the list vary slightly among manuscripts, but the chariot/seat of Morgan Mwynfawr is consistently one of the core treasures.
Symbolic Meaning#
The chair’s power — to transport the sitter instantly to any wished destination — reflects themes found in Celtic mythology of liminal spaces and instant travel. In other Celtic traditions, seats and stones are associated with sovereignty, otherworldly contact, and transformation. While the Thirteen Treasures are a late medieval Welsh tradition rather than ancient myth, they preserve echoes of cultural values: objects that solve existential problems (hunger, travel, strength, invisibility) reveal a worldview in which magic intersects daily life.
Unlike many other treasures that highlight courage or hospitality, the chair uniquely embodies freedom of movement and direction, qualities valued in societies where travel was hazardous and slow.
Sources#
The chair appears in the standard list of the Thirteen Treasures in various late-medieval Welsh manuscripts. Primary manuscript groupings include:
Peniarth MSS (51, 60, 77, 138, etc.)
Cardiff MSS (17, 19, 26, 43)
Llanstephan MSS (65, 94, 145)
BL Addl. 14,973, Mostyn MS 159
