Manawydan in the context of "Llŷr"

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⭐ Core Definition: Manawydan

Manawydan fab Llŷr is a figure of Welsh mythology, the son of Llŷr and the brother of Brân the Blessed and Brânwen. The first element in his name is cognate with the stem of the name of the Irish sea god Manannán mac Lir, and likely originated from the same Celtic deity as Manannán. Unlike Manannán, however, no surviving material connects him with the sea in any way except for his patronymic (llŷr is an old Welsh word for sea). Manawydan's most important appearances occur in the Second and Third Branches of the Mabinogi (the latter of which is named for him), but he is also referenced frequently in medieval poetry and the Welsh Triads.

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👉 Manawydan in the context of Llŷr

Llŷr (Welsh: Llŷr Llediaith (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɬɨːr ˈɬɛðjaiθ]); Lleddiaith meaning 'half-speech' or 'half-language') is a figure in Welsh mythology, related to the Irish Ler ('the Sea'), father of Manannán mac Lir. Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identity remains obscure.

Llŷr appears as the father of Brân, Brânwen and Manawydan by Penarddun in the Branwen, Daughter of Llyr, the Second Branch of the Mabinogi.

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Manawydan in the context of Brân the Blessed

Brân the Blessed (Welsh: Bendigeidfran or Brân Fendigaidd, literally "Blessed Crow") is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. He appears in several of the Welsh Triads, but his most significant role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is a son of Llŷr and Penarddun, and the brother of Brânwen, Manawydan, Nisien and Efnysien. The name "Brân" in Welsh is usually translated as crow or raven.

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Manawydan in the context of Penarddun

Penarddun is a figure in Welsh mythology, the wife of Llŷr. The Second Branch of the Mabinogi names Bran, Branwen, and Manawydan as her children by Llŷr, and ascribes to her two additional sons by Euroswydd: Nisien, a good man, and Efnysien, a conniving troublemaker. The Welsh Triads call Llŷr one of the Three Exalted Prisoners of Britain for his captivity at Euroswydd's hands; this likely refers to a lost tradition of the birth of Penarddun's younger sons. The Mabinogi names Penarddun as a daughter of the ancestor Beli Mawr, but the genealogy is confused; it is possible she was meant to be his sister rather than daughter.

The name Penarddun can be translated as "Chief Beauty" or "Most Fair" (Welsh pen "head, chief, foremost" + arddun "fair, beautiful (of a girl)".

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