Math: a Cymric God (Bear)

Synonyms:
Cym: Bear

Math is a figure known from the Cymric Mabinogi tale that bears his name: the Math fab Mathonwy (a full translation of the tale can be found here: Mabinogi of Math). The relevant portions of the tale are summarized below:

Math fab Mathonwy was the arglwydd of Gwynedd and he had this cyneddf; that he could not survive were his feet not in the lap of a maiden, save when this was prevented by the advent of war. The maiden currently with him was Goewin daughter of Pebin of Dôl Pebin in Arfon; she benig the fairest maiden of her age. Now, Math's particular cyneddf prevented him from making the customary circuit of his country and he had to remain in his main llys of Caer Dathyl in Arfon; thus Gilfaethwy mab Dôn and Gwydion mab Dôn, the sons of his sister, both members of his household, making this circuit in his stead.

Goewin dwelt with Math constantly, but Gilfaethwy mab Dôn had set his affections upon her, loving her so much that he knew not what he should do on her account. His appearance and demeanour were altered by his love for her, such that it was no longer easy to recognize him. But they are careful as Math's cynneddf (magical peculiarity) is that he can hear any conversation caught by the wind, no matter how quietly it is whispered.

Gwydion decides to aid his borther, howerver, as Math is can only leave his maiden during time of war, Gwydion starts a war with Pryderi of Dyfed and steals the swine of Annwfn by exchanging them for gifts of steeds and greyhounds he has engendered from mushrooms. As a result there is war between Gwynedd and Dyfed and Math marches out with his host to meet the hosts of Dyfed in battle. This allows Gwydion to aid his brother Gilfaethwy.html in raping Math's foot-holder, Goewin. During the ensuing war Gwydion kills Pryderi and secures the magical swine of Annwfn for Math. As punishment for the rape of Goewin (whom Math now marries) Gwydion and Gilfaethwy are turned successively, by dint of Math's magic and the aplication of his hulath (magic staff) into male and female deer, swine and wolves to spend a year in each form and to bear sons one upon the other. Each time they bear the pair bear a son, one on the other and Math turns the whelps into men, naming them after the beasts from which they were transformed:

Tri Mab Gilfaethwy en-wir,
Tri chenryssaddad cywir,
Bleiddwn, Hydwn, Hychddwn Hir

Three sons of Gilfaethwy the wicked,
Three champions, great
Bleiddwn, Hydwn and Hychddwn the tall.

However, once the punishment is concluded and the rift between Gwydion and Math is healed. Math now has Gwydion and Gilfaethwy attend him. 'Men,' he said, 'peach have thou attained, and thou shalt likewise have friendship. Now give counsel unto me; which maiden shall I seek?'

Gwydion urges Math to seek out their sister, 'Arianrhod ferch Dôn your niece, the daughter of your sister.' She is brought and Math tests her to see whether she is a virgin. Upon stepping over Math's magic staff she bears a child, Dylan and a small dark object that Gwydion covers in cloth and hides in a chest at the foot of his bed. One morning Gwydion hears a cry and opens the chest to find a child there. This child is reared by a wet-nurse and grows very rapidly. At age two the child makes his own way to Math's llys.

Arianrhod places three dihenydd (a fate) on the boy, that he shall not gain a name unless she gives it to him, herself; he will not bear arms unless she gives them to him; and she shall not gain a wife of the race of men currently populating the earth. By dint of his magics Gwydion overcomes the first two fates, thus he is named Lleu Llaw Gyffes and given arms, but the third challenge is too great even for him and he and the boy, Lleu return to Math's llys at Dinas Dinlle to enlist Math's aid. Gwydion and Lleu go to Math's court where Gwydion complains bitterly of Arianrhod's obstacles. Math aids Gwydion in creating a wife for Lleu. They took the flowers of oak, the flowers of broom and the flowers of meadowsweet and from these they charmed the fairest and most graceful maiden that was ever beheld. And they baptized her according to how she was birthed and called her Blodeuwedd. After the marriage had been consummated and they had all feasted Math bestows the gift of the cantref of Dinodig on Lleu and there he and Blodeuwedd set-up court.

It is said, at the end of the Mabinogi of Math fab Mathonwy that when Math finally died Lleu took over the rule of Gwynedd from him.

In the tale Math is the master mage and there are things Math can do which even Gwydion is incapable of. The tale aslo tells us that Mathonwy is the uncle of Gwydion, Gilfaethwy and Arianrhod which makes him the brother of the goddess Dôn. This also leads us to a peculiarity of the Gwynedd line, as represented in the Mabinogi of Math fab Mathonwy in that all the main characters, Gwydion, Gilfaethwy and Arianrhod are known by their matronymics. Even Dylan and Lleu are born fatherless (though there is a hint that Gwydion is their father) as is Blodeuwedd, for she is created from flowers. Even Math himself may be referred to in terms of the matronymic for Mathonwy may be a female name, as in the girl's name Gwenonwy though other names ending in -onwy are male (cf Daronwy). It is also possible, as Rachel Bromwich has discussed in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein that Mathonwy simply represents a duplicative echo of Math, a phenomenon seen in a number of the 'spurious' patronymics of Arthur's knights in the Mabinogion of Culhwch ac Olwen. What is not in doubt is that the houses of Mathonwy and Dôn followed a system of matrilinear descent. Even Math's cynneddf of having a virgin foot-holder who in some respects represents the spirit of his realm.

Math is therefore the greatest Mage in the Mabinogi and as such he has cognates in the Irish tradition: Math mac Úmóir in drui the druid of the Tuatha Dé Danann and Matgen, the sorcerer of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the second battle of Moytura. They are both functional and name congnates of Math. Etymologically, the name Math (and its Irish cognates) are related to Gaulish names such as Matunus and are derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical element Matu- (bear). Thus Math is the mage-Bear and his name hints at the role of the bear as the avatar of the seer.

As well as the Mabinogi, Math is also known form a number of other Cymric sources. The first of these is Triad 28 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain which names Math as one of the 'Three Great Enchanters of the Island of Britain' and goes on to say that he taught these enchantments to Gwydion. Math is also mentioned in the Llyfr Taliesin poem, the Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees) where the narrator of the poem speaks of being engendered by Math and of the creation of a second Math. The poem Prif Gyfarch Taliesin in the Llyfr Taliesin also names Math and Gwydion as great enchanters. In the same volume, Math is named in the poem Marwnad Aedon: Math ac euuyd. hutwyt geluyd... (Math and Efydd fashioned by magic a skilled poet). Another epithet of Math, found in the work of the gogynfeirdd and the Llyfr Taliesin poems is Math Hen (Math the Old), possibly relating to the antiquity of the character.

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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