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Gwern into the fire. This causes chaos between the two countries, and they start fighting each other. The Irish forces at first appear to be losing, but by resurrecting their dead soldiers using the magical cauldron begin to win the battle. However, Efnisien sees what he has done, and regrets it. Disguised as a dead Irish soldier he is thrown into the magical cauldron, and pushes against its walls so that it breaks into four pieces. Efnisien dies in the attempt. The war is still extremely bloody, and leaves no survivors except for
Branwen, Bran, and seven Welsh soldiers. They sail home to Wales.
98:, a half-brother of Branwen and Brân, arrives at the stables and asks of the nature of the celebration. On being told, he is furious that his half sister has been given in marriage without his consent, and flying into a rage he mutilates the horses belonging to the Irish. Matholwch is deeply offended, but conciliated by Brân, who gives him a magical cauldron which can bring the dead to life; he does not know that when the dead are brought back, they will be mute and deaf.
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Brân had commanded his men to cut off his head and to "bear it even unto the White Mount, in London, and bury it there, with the face towards France." And so for seven years, his men spent feasting in
Harlech, accompanied by three singing birds and Brân's head. After the seven years they go to Gwales
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Efnysien, inspecting the house prior to the arrival of Brân and his men, uncovers the men hidden in the bags and kills them all by crushing their heads one by one. At the subsequent feast to celebrate Gwern's investiture as King of
Ireland, Efnysien, in an unprovoked moment of rage, throws his nephew
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When
Matholwch returns to Ireland with his new bride, he consults with his nobles about the occurrences in the Isle of the Mighty. They are outraged and believe that Matholwch was not compensated enough for the mutilation of his horses. In order to redeem his honor, Matholwch banishes Branwen to work
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In the ensuing war, all the Irish are killed save for five pregnant women who lived in Wales who repopulate the island, while only seven of the Welsh survive to return home with
Branwen, taking with them the severed head of Bendigeidfran. On landing in Wales at
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see the giant Brân wading the sea and report this to
Matholwch, who retreats beyond a river and destroys the bridges. However, Brân lays himself down over the river to serve as a bridge for his men, he said ("He would be a leader, let him be a bridge").
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in Penfro, where they remain for eighty years. Eventually, they go to London and bury the head of Brân in the White Mount. Legend said that as long as the head was there, no invasion would come over the sea to
Britain.
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Matholwch, fearing war, tries to reconcile with Brân by building a house big enough for him to fit into in order to do him honour. Matholwch agrees to give the kingdom to
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Branwen is treated cruelly by her husband
Matholwch as punishment for Efnysien's mutilation of the horses, though not before she gives birth to an heir,
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with human ashes. It is believed that if the story of
Branwen is based on real events, these must have taken place during the
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282:. Ed. Derick S. Thomson. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series Vol. II. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1976.
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to his leg, and he dies. Branwen, overwhelmed with grief for everyone she has lost, dies of a broken heart.
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Oi, a fab Duw! Gwae fi o'm genedigaeth. Da o ddwy ynys a ddiffeithwyd o'm hachos i!
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Ford, Patrick K. "Branwen: A Study of the Celtic
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Upon reaching Wales, they realize that Bran has been hit by a
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with a message to her brother and Brân brings a force from
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on the banks of the Alaw can be found the cairn called
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200:. It was dug up in 1800, and again in the 1960s by
361:The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore
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254:painted three paintings from the Mabinogion.
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343:. Anness Publishing Ltd. p. 109.
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402:: The Second Branch Of The Mabinogi
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363:. Facts on File, Inc. p. 56.
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260:Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
241:A Swiftly Tilting Planet
113:and sends it across the
21:Branwen (disambiguation)
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272:Welsh text and editions
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494:Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed
252:Christopher Williams
231:The Children of Llyr
204:, who found several
62:. She is married to
31:Christopher Williams
19:For other uses, see
1413:Mythological queens
1352:Cauldron of rebirth
858:Goreu fab Custennin
843:Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr
306:(1987/1988): 29–35.
210:Bedd Branwen Period
151:War against Ireland
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294:Secondary sources
279:Branwen Ferch Lyr
246:A Wrinkle in Time
216:British history.
102:in the kitchens.
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983:Mallt-y-Nos
636:Giant tales
311:Adaptations
1388:Mabinogion
1377:Categories
1357:Llech Ronw
1151:Ceffyl Dŵr
1103:Ysbaddaden
1093:Tegid Foel
1043:Penpingion
863:Gronw Pebr
838:Gilfaethwy
748:Creiddylad
733:Caswallawn
703:Blodeuwedd
656:Characters
609:Cad Goddeu
384:IMDb entry
323:References
262:, Swansea.
226:Mabinogion
214:Bronze Age
126:swineherds
1346:Excalibur
1297:Aberffraw
1269:Caer Sidi
1247:Locations
1176:Cyhyraeth
1171:Cŵn Annwn
1166:Coraniaid
1114:creatures
1083:Seithenyn
1038:Penarddun
998:Matholwch
988:Manawydan
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158:Aber Alaw
115:Irish Sea
70:Her story
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60:Penarddun
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803:Efnysien
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668:Amaethon
602:Taliesin
484:Mabinogi
220:See also
162:Anglesey
111:starling
96:Efnysien
48:Mabinogi
1324:Ludgate
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1293:Gwynedd
1283:Arberth
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833:Geraint
818:Eliwlod
783:Drudwas
753:Culhwch
718:Branwen
317:Branwen
256:Brânwen
92:Ireland
88:Harlech
84:Britain
35:Branwen
1320:London
1287:Gwales
1161:Coblyn
1028:Nisien
1008:Modron
928:Hyddwn
908:Hafgan
878:Gwrhyr
848:Goewin
823:Eufydd
708:Bedwyr
683:Arthur
549:Pa gur
457:series
367:
286:
37:, 1915
1334:Items
1301:Arfon
1279:Dyfed
1254:Annwn
1191:White
1156:Cewri
1136:Afanc
1058:Pwyll
1033:Olwen
968:Mabon
963:Llwyd
958:Lludd
938:Idris
873:Gwern
868:Gwawl
773:Cynon
743:Cigfa
673:Arawn
594:Other
304:22/23
134:Gwern
124:Some
119:Wales
107:Gwern
80:giant
1228:Pwca
1003:Menw
993:Math
953:Llŷr
948:Lleu
808:Elen
365:ISBN
284:ISBN
206:urns
58:and
56:Llŷr
1186:Red
778:Dôn
723:Cai
212:of
186:At
160:in
1379::
1307:,
1303:,
1299:,
1285:,
349:^
331:^
319:.
174:.
78:,
33:,
1326:)
1322:(
1311:)
1295:(
1289:)
1281:(
1265:)
1261:(
447:e
440:t
433:v
373:.
23:.
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