154:"washed his hands after slaying the red-eyed giant of Cernyw", he received a message from Rhitta, demanding his beard to patch his cloak. Arthur refused, and Rhitta marched south with his armies to claim it from him. In the resulting confrontation, Rhitta is forced to shear his own beard, and retreats "much humbled in stature but much wiser in knowledge". A variant tale claims that after receiving the demands, Arthur marched furiously up to Snowdonia and fought against the giant in a duel, in which he "lifted up his sword and struck Rhitta on the crown of the head a blow so fiercely-wounding, severely-venomous and sternly-smiting that it cut through all his head armour and his skin and his flesh and clove him in twain.", According to the story, Arthur commands that a cairn be built over his body which forms Gwyddfa Rhudda (Rhita's Cairn). Over the intervening centuries the name of Rhudda was forgotten and Gwyddfa Rhudda became known as
191:. His three sisters were all killed by Arthur through "treachery". Arthur succeeded in slaying the giantesses by nicknaming himself as "Hot Pottage" to the first sister, and "Warm Porridge" to the second sister and as "a morsel of bread" to the third, and when the first sister called for help against Hot Pottage Cribwr answered: Wench, let him cool; and in the same manner he answered the second sister, when she sought assistance against Warm Porridge. And the third sister called out that the Morsel of Bread was choking her; and to this he answered, Wench, take a smaller piece. And when Cribwr reproached Arthur for killing his sisters Arthur replied:
175:), was captured in Cyfeilog, about twelve miles from his own castle and was sentenced to death. His enemies allowed him his final request to blow on his horn three times before his death. The first time he blew, his hair and beard fell out, and on the second blast of his horn, so great was the strength and force of the sounding that all his finger and toe-nails fell off completely. On the third blast of his horn the intensity of the force of the sound caused the horn to be broken into small pieces.
150:. He marched against warring kings Nyniaw and Peibaw, overwhelmed their armies and took their beards as trophies of his victory and fashioned them into a cap for himself. The twenty-six kings of Britain assembled their armies to destroy Rhitta but were vanquished by the giant, who cut off the kings' beards and fashioned a great cape out of them to protect him from the cold. Sometime later, as
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Maelor's son, Cornippin, who was hunting with his horse and his hound, heard the sound of his father's hand and lamented over his suffering. He made to rescue his father and in riding with such haste and swiftness, he tore the head of his hound off its body. He spurred his horse onwards, leaped in
259:, Arthur's third wife. A tale tells of the imprisonment of a number of his sons by the giants of Bron Wrgan, leading to Arthur's attack on the abode to free his brothers-in-law.
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one great bound over the
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A well-known tale concerns Rhitta (or Rhudda) Gawr, a giant who held court in
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feature prominently as giant-slayers in Welsh tradition.
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destroyed the ship with his spear, a giant used the
372:"The Welsh Fairy Book: The Mantle of Kings' Beards"
171:, the giant of Castell Maelor (now the village of
187:Cribwr the Giant lived in Castell Cefn Cribwr in
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274:that he used to transport the sinful dead. When
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39:, a mythological king of Britain during the
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309:"The Giants of Wales and Their Dwellings"
210:What they have had, thou shalt have too.
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248:a number of the community's children.
93:In the Second Branch of the Mabinogi,
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251:Gogfran the Giant is recorded in the
122:, chief of giants, is the father of
55:, the chief antagonist of the early
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550:Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain
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327:"History of the Kings of Britain"
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205:If I get a real chance—surely
76:Giants are also described by
41:Second Branch of the Mabinogi
35:. Among the most notable are
200:And cease with currish anger
33:Welsh folklore and mythology
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617:The Dream of Macsen Wledig
397:Llên Gwerin Sir Gaernarfon
164:The Capture of Maelor Gawr
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282:as a toothpick and the
1140:Cavall (Cafall, Cabal)
37:Bendigeidfran fab Llyr
571:The Dream of Rhonabwy
564:Peredur son of Efrawg
476:Four Branches of the
266:tale relates how the
229:was an early king of
195:Cribwr take thy combs
142:Legend of Rhitta Gawr
62:How Culhwch won Olwen
578:Geraint son of Erbin
488:Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed
215:Other notable giants
78:Geoffrey of Monmouth
1346:Cauldron of rebirth
852:Goreu fab Custennin
837:Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr
286:as a handkerchief.
235:Germanus of Auxerre
71:Gwalchmai fab Gwyar
762:Cymidei Cymeinfoll
657:Afaon fab Taliesin
636:Lludd and Llefelys
624:Englynion y Beddau
502:Manawydan fab Llŷr
495:Branwen ferch Llŷr
222:Historia Brittonum
128:Culhwch fab Cilydd
107:Cymidei Cymeinfoll
95:Branwen ferch Llyr
53:Ysbaddaden Bencawr
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807:Elffin ap Gwyddno
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529:Culhwch and Olwen
509:Math fab Mathonwy
264:maritime folklore
255:as the father of
115:Culhwch and Olwen
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877:Gwyddno Garanhir
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1387:Welsh giants
1342:(Caledfwlch)
1227:Twrch Trwyth
1149:
1135:Brenin Llwyd
1062:Saint Cyllin
887:Gwyn ap Nudd
757:Cyledr Wyllt
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610:Welsh Triads
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379:. Retrieved
376:Sacred-Texts
375:
366:
358:
338:. Retrieved
333:
321:
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253:Welsh Triads
250:
239:
225:claims that
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60:
27:
16:
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1303:Caer Dathyl
1232:Tylwyth Teg
1106:Animals and
1067:Saint Eigen
977:Mallt-y-Nos
630:Giant tales
227:Benlli Gawr
183:Cribwr Gawr
169:Maelor Gawr
103:Pair Dadeni
49:Cader Idris
1371:Categories
1351:Llech Ronw
1145:Ceffyl Dŵr
1097:Ysbaddaden
1087:Tegid Foel
1037:Penpingion
857:Gronw Pebr
832:Gilfaethwy
742:Creiddylad
727:Caswallawn
697:Blodeuwedd
650:Characters
603:Cad Goddeu
411:, pp. 3–4.
290:References
272:underworld
257:Gwenhwyfar
120:Ysbaddaden
45:Idris Gawr
1340:Excalibur
1291:Aberffraw
1263:Caer Sidi
1241:Locations
1170:Cyhyraeth
1165:Cŵn Annwn
1160:Coraniaid
1108:creatures
1077:Seithenyn
1032:Penarddun
992:Matholwch
982:Manawydan
897:Gwalchmei
822:Euroswydd
752:Cyhyraeth
687:Beli Mawr
672:Arianrhod
520:Arthurian
276:St. David
189:Morgannwg
173:Penparcau
157:Yr Wyddfa
148:Snowdonia
57:Arthurian
1257:Celliwig
1253:Cornwall
1202:Gwyllion
1175:Dreigiau
1082:Taliesin
1057:Rhiannon
937:Llefelys
917:Hychddwn
847:Gofannon
797:Efnysien
732:Ceridwen
692:Bleiddwn
682:Afallach
662:Amaethon
596:Taliesin
478:Mabinogi
381:5 August
340:5 August
334:yorku.ca
284:mainsail
1318:Ludgate
1309:Ireland
1299:Ardudwy
1287:Gwynedd
1277:Arberth
1212:Morgens
1197:Gwyllgi
1092:Teyrnon
1072:Sanddef
1047:Pryderi
1042:Peredur
1017:Myrddin
1012:Morfran
1007:Morfydd
907:Hefeydd
892:Gwythyr
882:Gwydion
827:Geraint
812:Eliwlod
777:Drudwas
747:Culhwch
712:Branwen
242:Gwynedd
65:. Both
1314:London
1281:Gwales
1155:Coblyn
1022:Nisien
1002:Modron
922:Hyddwn
902:Hafgan
872:Gwrhyr
842:Goewin
817:Eufydd
702:Bedwyr
677:Arthur
543:Pa gur
451:series
336:. 1999
152:Arthur
67:Arthur
51:, and
18:Giants
1328:Items
1295:Arfon
1273:Dyfed
1248:Annwn
1185:White
1150:Cewri
1130:Afanc
1052:Pwyll
1027:Olwen
962:Mabon
957:Llwyd
952:Lludd
932:Idris
867:Gwern
862:Gwawl
767:Cynon
737:Cigfa
667:Arawn
588:Other
330:(PDF)
268:Devil
231:Powys
124:Olwen
84:Tales
59:tale
28:cewri
23:Welsh
1222:Pwca
997:Menw
987:Math
947:Llŷr
942:Lleu
802:Elen
383:2023
342:2023
280:mast
219:The
69:and
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