Goronwy Bebyr: a Cymric Mabinogion Hero (Spear-man, the Radiant)

Synonyms:
Cym: Spear-man, the Radiant

Goronwy Bebyr o Benllyn figures in the Mabinogi of Math mab Mathonwy where, in many respects, he is the foil and counterpoints to the main hero of the latter part of the tale, Lleu Llaw Gyffes. The events concerning Goronwy Bebyr are given in full below, as they have a bearing on the discussion that follows.

Math and Gwydion form a wife for Lleu Llawgyffes made of flowers. For his marriage Math gifts the lad with the cantref of Dinoding (Eifionydd and Ardudwy) as his own. Lleu made his Llys at Mur-y-Castell in Ardudwy where he moved with his wife. One day, Lleu sets forth for Math's court in Caer Dathyl and Blodeuwedd is left alone to walk the halls of the Llys. Whereupon she heard the sound of a hunting horn. Soon after she beheld a tired tined stag followed by hounds and huntsmen. There followed men on foot and Blodeuwedd sent a youth to ask whom they might be. These men responded that this was Goronwy Bebyr, lord of Penllyn.

Goronwy pursued the stag and by the river Cynfael he had overtaken the beast and killed it. So long did the hunt take that he was abroad all day and as he departed the scene of his kill night had begun to fall. As he drew up to Lleu's Llys Blodeuwedd sent a messenger to invite him in, for, she said, Lleu would think ill of them if she allowed the stranger to depart for another land without inviting him in. Goronwy accepted the invitation gladly and Blodeuwedd came forth to greet him. From the instant she set eyes upon the handsome fair-haired stranger Blodeuwedd fell in love; a love that was obviously reciprocated and that night they were a-bed together. The following morning Goronwy made to leave but Blodeuwedd implored him to stay and so he tarried a further night.

That night, as they lay together, they conversed as to how they might always be together. The only way to achieve this, it seemed, was to enquire of Lleu Llawgyffes as to the manner by which he might be slain. The next evening Goronwy made to leave and Lleu returned home. Later that night Blodeuwedd asked Lleu how the manner of his death might be brought about, that she might protect him from such an eventuality. He replies that the manner of his death cannot be achieved readily, for he must be struck by a spear that has been a year in the making. A bath must be prepared for him beside a river and over the tub a thatch roof needst be constructed. Then, as Lleu stands with one foot on the bath and another on the back of a buck-goat standing without the roofed covering, only then can he be struck by the spear and killed.

A missive concerning the means of attaining Lleu's death was sent to Goronwy and he toiled on fashioning a poison-tipped spear. A year to the day after her conversation with Lleu regarding the means of his death Blodeuwedd coaxes her husband to where she has prepared a bath and shelter precisely as he had described. After bathing and anointing him she entices him to show her precisely the manner in which he must stand for his death to be achieved. As he places his foot upon the goat's back Goronwy Bebyr emerges from concealment behind the hill, Bryn Cyfergyr, whereupon he drops to one knee and hurls his poisoned spear at Lleu. This pierces the skilful one in the flank and with a fearful shriek Lleu flies up in the form of an eagle.

As soon as Lleu has departed Goronwy and Blodeuwedd made their way together into the Llys of Lleu and that night they slept together. The following morning Goronwy arose and subduing the land of Ardudwy he adds the realm to his own lands of Penllyn.

Tidings of what had transpired soon reached Math mab Mathonwy and Gwydion who avows never to rest until Lleu's whereabouts is discovered. Gwydion finds Lleu in eagle form upon the crown of a magical oak tree and coaxing the bird down he returns him to human form. Lleu is taken back to Caer Dathyl and for a year he is tended until he has recovered. Lleu now marches on Mur-y-Castell and Blodeuwedd makes her escape, but she is caught and Gwydion transforms her into an owl as punishment for her treachery. Now Lleu marches on Penllyn where Goronwy Bebyr has withdrawn. A messenger is sent whereby Goronwy asks of Lleu as to whether he will accept lands or money for the injustice he has suffered. But Lleu will accept no less than that Goronwy stands exactly where Lleu stood when he was injured whereupon Lleu would cast a spear at Goronwy, just as Goronwy had done to him.

Goronwy accepts these terms, but on one condition, that a stone slab is placed between him and Lleu before the spear is cast a stone slab is placed between the two men before the the spear is cast — to represent the woman who stood before them. Lleu agrees to this and the men take their respective positions. So mighty was Lleu's throw that his spear pierced the stone and Goronwy both, piercing Goronwy's body so that it emerged from out his back. Thus was Goronwy Bebyr slain. The stone through which Lleu cast his spear stands on the bank of the river Cynfael in Ardudwy to this day as testament to the skill of Lleu.

Goronwy's name also occurs in Triad 30 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain where his war band is described as one of the 'Three faithless war-bands of the Island of Britain', which refers to their desertion of their master at the end of the tale of Math mab Mathonwy.

The relationship between Lleu and Goronwy is an interesting one. At one level it is a simple tale of betrayal, murder and revenge. However, the symbolism in this tale is so strong as to invite deeper analysis. From the manner of his birth, the gaeas imposed upon him by his mother and his cyneddf of skill in all arts and crafts Lleu is obviously a magical being. This is accentuated by the manner in which his death can be brought about for he can only be killed in the in-betweens. Neither on earth nor in the air, neither on water nor on land, neither in a house nor outside of it. The in-between is a numinal space where all things are possible; even the death of an immortal being. The spear which can slay Lleu is also a magical thing, bearing the condensed spirit of the year in which it was formed (the whole nature of the waxing and waning sun). As soon as the spear pierces Lleu's side he transforms into an eagle and lodges at the crown of a magical oak tree. Another feature is Gwydion's three-day quest for Lleu. The entire episode is replete with mysticism and is highly suggestive of Odin's sacrifice of himself to himself upon the world-ash Yggdrasill. Indeed, the description of Lleu's oak is highly suggestive of Yggdrasill (for further analysis see the section on Lleu Llawgyffes. Goronwy's rôle here may be as a surrogate for Lleu himself. Indeed, he may have been an aspect of Lleu. Certainly, the symmetry between the two characters seems remarkable. They both love or are loved by Blodeuwedd; they effectively rule the same areas and attempt to kill each other in the same magical manner. Thus Goronwy may simply be an aspect of Lleu who sacrifices himself to the great oak tree. However, as for many sacrificial deities (Odin, Christ) after a period of 3 or 3³ days Lleu survives and gains revenge on the destructive aspect of himself.

Goronwy's name has not preciously been fully translated, however I suggest the following etymology, which seems perfectly in-keeping with his nature in the story of Math mab Mathonwy. The name Goronwy can be broken down into the elements gwr (man) and *rhonwy (an archaic name for spear); thus his forename can be interpreted as 'spear-man'; which is precisely his function in Math mab Mathonwy. Goronwy's epithet, Pebyr is thought to derive from the Cymric word pefr (shining, radiant [possibly in the sense of handsome]). It is quite possible that Goronwy's name isn't a name at all but rather a descriptive. Lleu's own name is interpreted as meaning 'The Bright One' so that Goronwy Bebyr's name could be an echo of Lleu's which might support the hypothesis that they were originally different aspects the same deity, with Goronwy being the 'spear-man' cypher for Lleu's sacrifice of himself to himself.

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