Celtic Gods: The Cymric God/Hero, Afaon, The Lawgiver
Afaon
A Brythonic god, also known as Addaon and Auaon: Lawgiver

This deity/hero is known from the MAbinogi of the Dream of Rhonabwy and the Cymric Triads (both the Trioedd ynys Prydein and the Englynion y Clyweit and is named as a battle-leader and a lawgiver.

Synonyms: Addaon, Auaon
Bryth: Lawgiver

Afaon is known from the Breuddwyd Rhonabwy and the Trioedd Ynys Prydein. In the Breuddwyd Rhonabwy he is described as 'The most eloquent and wise young lad within this realm; Addaon son of Telesin' (medial 'f' and 'dd' being interchangeable in Middle Cymric). Thus Afaon/Addaon is considered to be the son of the cynfardd (early bard) Taliesin. Though the Breuddwyd Rhonabwy is a late manuscript, the relationship between Afaon and Taliesin is confirmed by poems in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein.

Triad 7 names Auaon mab Talyessin as one of the 'Three Bull-chieftains of the Island of Britain'. The next triad, 25 names Auaon man Talyessin as one of the 'Three Battle-leaders of the Island of Britain'. Thus it would seem that legend records Afaon son of Taliesin as being one of the great chieftains of the Britons. He is not named as the leader of any region thus it may be that he was a battle-leader in the Roman and post-Roman sense of a Dux Bellorum. The next triad, 33, tells us of the 'Three Unfortunate Assassinations of the Island of Britain' of which the second was the slaying of Afaon son of Taliesin by Llawgad Trwm Bargawd Eiddyn (Heavy Battle-hand of the Border of Eiddyn). We know nothing of the perpetrator of this crime, though his name suggests that he came from the region around Edinburgh in the Old North. It Afaon continued his father's allegiance with Rheged then his death may represent the internecine strife between the Brythonic kingdoms of the Old North that eventually led to their downfall and their eventual conquest by the Saxons.

Afaon is also known from the following stanzas in the Englynion y Clyweit:

A glyweist di a gant avaon
vab talyessin gerd gofyon


Did you hear that which Afaon sang
son of Taliesin, if remembered verse

Though what we know of Afaon does not indicate that he was a bard like his father, the stanzas above may represent an instance of the father's attributes being re-ascribed to his child. His name is probably derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic root *ad(u)- (law; which gives the Irish ada and the Cymric addas). Thus Afaon/Addaon is 'The Lawgiver'.



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