Celtic Gods: The Cymric Hero, Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr (Brave-grey Mighty-grasp)

Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr
A Cymric Arthurian Hero: Brave-grey Mighty-grasp

Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr is a Cymric (Welsh) hero known from the poem Pa Gur yw y Porthawr in the Black Book of Carmarthen and the Mabinogi of Culhwch ac Olwen where he is Arthur's gatekeeper.



Synonyms:
Cym: Brave-grey Mighty-grasp

Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr figures in the poem Pa Gur yw y Porthawr in the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin, in the tale of Culhwch ac Olwen, the tale of Iarlles y Ffynawn and in two poems of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain.

Peniarth 218 MSS version of Triad 88 names Dyfir wallt euraid (goleden-hair) as one of the splendid maidens of Arthur's court who was also the lover of Glewlwyd. In appendix IV of the trioedd Glewlwyd is named as one of the 'Three Offensive Knights in Arthur's Court'. His cynneddf was that no one could refuse him anything because of his size, his strength and his ferocity.

In the poem Pa Gur yw y Porthawr, Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr is the titular porter of a fortress to which Arthur and his men are seeking admittance. To prove their right of entry Arthur relates the feats and achievements of his men; particularly those of Cei and Bedwyr. The events of Pa Gur is closely echoed by those in the tale of Culhwch ac Olwen where Glewlwyd is presented as Arthur's gatekeeper and demands an accounting of Culhwch's credentials before allowing him admittance into the Llys. As Rachel Bromwich pointed out in Trioedd Ynys Prydain this event is closely paralleled by a later episode in Culhwch ac Olwen where the gatekeeper of Gwrnach Gawr only admits Cei into his fortress after learning from him the nature of his distinctive craft. It seems as if the two gatekeepers have been interposed with Glewlwyd originally having been the porter of Gwrnach Gawr rather than Arthur; which makes the narrative of Pa Gwr yw y Prothawr an earlier version of the episode of Cei and Gwrnach Gawr.

In the later romances Iarlles y Ffynawn and Gereint mab Erbin where Glewlwyd is the gatekeeper of Arthur's Llys but he performs his duties only on the occasions of the three major festivals (Easter, Christmas and Whitsun [originally probably Calan Mai, Calan Haf and Calan Gaeaf]) at all other times his role is performed by deputies.



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