Cad Goddeu (Welsh: The Battle of the Trees) is a sixth-century Welsh poem from the Book of Taliesin. It tells the story of a battle fought between Gwydion and Bran. Gwydion won the battle by making the trees of the forest come to animated life and fight for him (hence the name). Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Book of Taliesin (Welsh: Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous Welsh manuscripts. ... In Welsh mythology, Gwydion was a son of the goddess Don. ... Bran the Blessed (aka Bendigeidfran) was a character in Welsh mythology, a son of Llyr and Penarddun, who appears in the Mabinogion. ...

The battle originated when Amaethon stole a dog, a lapwing, and a roebuck from Arawn, the god of the Underworld (called Annwn). Robert Graves, who speculated that Bran and Arawn were names for the same Underworld god, wrote that the battle was probably not meant as a physical one but rather a struggle of wits and scholarship. Gwydion's forces could only be defeated if the name of his companion, Lady Achren was guessed (her name meant "Trees"), and Arawn's host could only be defeated if Bran's name were guessed (which Gwydion did). In Welsh mythology, Amaethon was a god of agriculture, a son of the goddess Don. ... *For other members of the canine family, see Canidae. ... Binomial name Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the Peewit or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. ... Roe Deer Categories: Stub | Deer ... In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the Lord of the Underworld, which was called Annwn. ... Annwn or Annwfn, ( under-world or un-world, sometimes inaccurately written Annwyn, Annwyfn or Annwfyn) was the Otherworld, the land of souls that had departed this world in Welsh mythology. ... Portrait of Robert Graves (circa 1974) by Rab Shiell Robert von Ranke Graves (July 24, 1895–December 7, 1985) was an English scholar, best remembered for his work as a poet and novelist. ...

The trees who fought in the battle were also part of the Druidic alphabet known as Ogham, where each sound is represented by a pattern of notches and a particular tree. Each tree had a meaning and significance of its own, which was why Gwydion was able to win the battle: he guessed Bran's name by the Alder branch Bran was carrying--the alder being one of Bran's prime symbols. Ogham (Old Irish Ogam) was an alphabet used primarily to represent Gaelic languages that was probably often written in wood in early times. ... Species About 20-30 species, see text. ...

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