Gwydion | Welsh Mythology, Magic & Poetry | Britannica (original) (raw)

Gwydion, in the Welsh Mabinogion, a son of the goddess Dôn, a master of magic and poetry and a somewhat dubious character. He assisted in raping a virgin servant girl of his uncle, King Math; for his punishment he was made to live as a stag, a sow, and a wolf with the rapist as his counterpart—the two producing children together. Later, however, he was the cunning protector of his sister Aranrhod’s unwanted child Lleu Llaw Gyffes, probably the Welsh version of the pan-Celtic deity Lugus. Aranrhod gave birth to Lleu during a test of her virginity and Gwydion had to trick her into giving him a name and weapons, apparently the duties of a mother.