Cym: Netherworld
Annwfn is the Welsh netherworld, a realm that literally means 'Beneath or Beyond the Deeps or Depths'. Typically it is reached though a cave or opening in the earth or (more rarely) beneath a lake or pool. One of the best known descriptions of this realm comes from the Mabinogi of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed. In this tale, Pwyll departed his chief court of Arberth to go hunting in his favourite haunt of Glyn Cuch. One morning, as he set his dogs to the hunt he sounded his horn and began the hunt. Soon he had lost his companions, but he heard the barking of hounds other than his own. Coming to a glade he saw the hounds, beast with shining-white coats and blood-red ears, as they took down the stag. Chasing these dogs away he set his own hounds on the stag. But as he was doing this he saw a horseman approach upon a light-grey steed. The rider berates Pwyll for his discourtesy in setting his own hounds to a stag that had already been brought down. Pwyll offers to redeem himself of the stranger's friendship. The man tells Pwyll that he is Arawn from the realm of Annwfn. Arawn, of course, is the lord of the Cymric/Brythonic nether-realm of Annwfn (literally the un-deep) and his spectral hounds (the cŵn Annwfn (Hounds of Annwfn) are the creatures and badges of his realm. Pwyll apologises for his transgression and offers recompense to Arawn.
For his part Arawn makes this proposition. He and Pwyll will change places and for a year they will live each other's lives. At the end of this time, at the end of the year, Pwyll shall meet Arawn's enemy, Hafgan, by the ford. At that point, Pwyll is to strike Hafgan a single blow and by that slay him, but only a single blow can be struck, or Hafgan will rise again. Pwyll readily agrees, and Arawn duly leads him to his own realm, until they are in sight of Arawn's castle. There he beholds a beautiful realm and one of the richese dwellings he has ever seen. Pwyll is cloaked in Arawn's form and dwells in his castle for a year. He is araigned in rich vestments, eats the best food, drinks the best wine, hunts every day and entertains and is entertaied by Arawn's wife. When night comes, Pwyll and Arawn's wife retreat to bed together, but they stat on opposite sides of the bed and do not commuicate until morning. Thus matters were for a whole year. At the end of the year, Pwyll goes to the ford and prepares for single combat with Havgan. He strikes a single blow that cleaves Havgan's shield and armour and sends him tumbling from his horse. Though Hafgan pleads for a killing blow, Pwyll refuses and thus Hafgan dies. For Pwyll's aid to him, and because Pwyll behaved so chivalrously towards his wife, he wins Arawn's friendship and is named 'Pwyll Pen Annwnf' (Pwyll Lord of Annwfn). Pwyll is also given a gift of Annwfn swine from Arawn's own herd.
Annwfn is also mentioned in the poem, Preiddeu Annwfn (the Spoils of Annwfn). Here, Arthur and his men make a raid on Annwfn to steal away it's treasures. According to the poems, a company equal to three loads of Arthur's vessel, Prydwen ventured forth, but only seven men returned.
During the later Middle Ages, under Christian influence, Annwfn became conflated with Uffern, the Brythonic hell, it is from this point that Annwfn becomes the dwelling place of Gwyn fab Nudd and his Wild Hunt of disposessed souls. But the original Annwfn was never the dwelling place of the spirits of the dead. Rather it was a paradise parallel to the earthly realm.
During late Victorian times and the early 20th century, Annwfn was re-habilitated, with stories emerging of Annwfn as a a realm of the tylwyth teg (fair folk).
Origins of the Name
The name, Annw(f)n derives from the Middle Cymric words dwfn (the world) and -an (in). Literally it is the Welsh arallfyd (netherwold), a paradise that exists in parallel to the worlds of man. It can be reached beneath a lake or through crossing a waterway (though there is no description of the entranceway in the tale of Pwyll, Arawn is seen in Glyn Cych, through which the river Cuch runs). In the tale of Preiddeu Annwfn Arthur and his men sail to Annwfn. Annwfn can also be reached through fissures in rocks or thorugh caves. For example, Dafydd ap Gwilym refers to the lair of a fox as '[t]ŷ annedd hyd Annwn' (a house, dwelling unto Annwfn). In another poem, Dafydd ap Gwilym refers to Annwfn as the place where Summer retreats to as Winter arrives.
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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