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Gwenhwyfach
A Cymric Arthurian figure: Blessed the Lesser
Gwenhwyfach is a Cymric (Welsh) heroine known from the Welsh Triads and the Mabinogi of Culhwch ac Olwen where she is named as Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere's) sister. They are in oppostion to one another and Gwenhwyfach causes the battle of Camlann due to a blow struck on her sister Guinevere. |
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Cym: Blessed the Lesser
Little is known about Gwenhwyfach save for references in triads 53 and 84 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain and the tale of Culhwch ac Olwen. In Culhwch ac Olwen Gwenhwyfach is simply mentioned as Gwenhwyfar's sister.
The Trioedd Ynys Prydein sheds more light on the ralationship between Gwenhwyfach and her sister Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere). Triad 53 describes the 'Three Harmful Blows' of the Island of Britain where Gwenhwyfach strikes Gwenhwyfar and by this causes the Action of the Battle of Camlann. It has been suggested that Medrawd should be substituted for the name of Gwenhwyfach in this poem. However, the enmity between Medrawd and Arthur comes out of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Arthurian works and earlier native tradition does not point towards this enmity. The case for retaining Gwenhwyfach's name here is supported by tirad 84 which describes the 'Three Futile Battles of the Island of Britain'; the worst of these being the battle of Camlan which was caused by a dispute between Gwenhwyfar and Gwenhwyfach.
These poems would suggest that in the original tradition Arthur's final battle at Camlan occurred because of a dispute between Arthur's women; which would fit with an older matrilineal tradition. The enmity betweeen Gwenhwyfar and Gwenhwyfach may alsoo be seen in their names in that one (probably false) etymology for Gwenhwyfar is Gwen-hwy-fawr (White/Blessed the great) as opposed to the etymology of Gwen-hwy-fach (White/Blessed the lesser).
If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.
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