Arawn

Arawn.

Arawn was a Welsh fairy god, who rules over the kingdom of Annwn, which is either part of the Otherworld. He is also the god of the dead, war, revenge and terror, as well as the father of Jöris.

Biography

Arawn was an ally to Pwyll Pen Annwn, a legendary Human hero from Welsh mythology. Pwyll mistakenly stumbles into the realm of Annwn and finds white hounds with red ears feeding on a stag. Pwyll chases the hounds off, only to learn that the hounds belonged to Arawn, ruler of Annwn.

To pay for the misdeed, Arawn asks Pwyll to trade places with him for a year and a day and defeat Hafgan, Arawn's rival, at the end of this time, something Arawn has attempted but has been unable to do. Arawn, meanwhile, takes Pwyll's place as lord of Dyfed. Arawn and Pwyll become good friends because when Pwyll wore Arawn's shape, he slept chastely with Arawn's wife.

A friendship between the two realms is retained long after Pwyll's death; in the fourth branch, Pryderi, Pwyll's son and lord of Dyfed has received a gift of otherworldly pigs from Arawn. These pigs are eventually stolen by a Venedotian magician and trickster, Gwydion fab Don. Gwydion poses as a bard, and asks to be rewarded for his poems and music with the pigs Pryderi owned.

According to Pryderi, he is still in a pact with Arawn and cannot give the pigs to anyone. Gwydion then tricks Pryderi into trading him the pigs (as that is allowed in the deal with Arawn), which eventually leads to Pryderi's invasion of Gwynedd. In the ensuing war, Gwydion kills Pryderi in single combat.