Gwenhwyfach or Gwenhwyvach, sometimes Anglicized as Guinevak, is a sister of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) in early Welsh Arthurian legend. Most of the tradition surrounding her has been lost; she is mentioned only in two of the Welsh Triads and in the Mabinogion tale Culhwch and Olwen. As Rachel Bromwich notes, the name Gwenhwyvach may have derived from "Gwenhwy-fach", or "Gwen the Lesser", in contrast to "Gwenhwy-fawr", "Gwen the Great". To anglicise (or in North American English anglicize) is to adapt a foreign word into the English language, often modifying its form to correspond to standard English French demoiselle, meaning little lady. Another common type of anglicisation is the inclusion of a foreign article as part of a noun (eg. ... Guinevere was the Queen consort of King Arthur. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, centering around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... The Welsh Triads (Welsh, Trioedd Ynys Prydein) is used to describe any of the related Medieval collection of groupings of three that preserve a major portion of Welsh folklore and Welsh literature. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh story that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. ...

Gwenhwyfach first appears in Culhwch, where she is just one of the 200 men, women, dogs, and horses that the hero Culhwch invokes to punctuate his request that King Arthur help him find his love Olwen. Both Triads that mention Gwenhwyfach speak of the enmity between her and her sister that led to the Battle of Camlann; much has been made of this in recent years. Triad 53 lists as one of the "Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain" the slap Gwenhwyvach gave to her sister that caused the Strife of Camlann. In calling Camlann one of Britain's "Three Futile Battles", Triad 84 mentions it was started because of a dispute between the sisters. In Welsh mythology, Culhwch (pronounced Kilhooch, the ch sound being the same as the Scottish Loch) was a hero who rescued Mabon from Annwn. ... King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship in both war and peace. ... In Welsh mythology, Olwen (white track) was a daughter of Ysbaddaden. ... The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded. ...

Triad 54 describes Medrawd (Mordred) raiding Arthur's court and throwing Gwenhwyfar to the ground and beating her, leading some to suggest Gwenhwyfach was a mistake for Medrawd in Triad 53. This interpretation does not explain Triad 84, however.

Gwenhwyfach's association with Camlann has made some modern writers associate her with Mordred as well. She appears as the traitor's wife in Thomas Love Peacock's Misfortunes of Elphin. Thomas Love Peacock (October 18, 1785 - January 23, 1866) was an English satirist and author. ... In Celtic mythology, Elphin (in Welsh, Elfyn) was a son of Lord Gwyddno Garanhir of Gwynedd. ...

References

• Rachel Bromwich (1963) Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain, University Of Wales Press. ISBN 0708313868. Triads: 53 and 84

External links

• Gwenhwyfach at celtnet.org.uk