Gwallawg mab Lleennawc: a Cymric Hero of the Old North

Synonyms:
Cym:

Gwallawg mab Lleennawc is one of the heroes of the 'Old North'. He is named in a number of early Cymric sorces, including the Harleian Genealogies IX that gives his ancestry as: Gwallavc map Laenauc map Masguic Clop mp Ceneu map Coyl Hen (The corresponding Jesus Genealogy XXXVI substitutes Mar for Masguic Clop).

In his Historia Brittonum Nennius names Gualla(u)c as a member of the confederation of Brythonic kings led by Urien Rheged in his opposition to the Berenician king Hussa as well as a number of other Saxon leaders. A descendant of Coel Hen, Gwallawg was also a cousin of Urien and thus he belongs firmly to the herotic tradition of the 'Old North'.

In the Trioedd Ynys Prydein, Gwallawg is named in Triad 5 where he is names as one of the 'Three Pillars of Battle of the Island of Britain'. The Peniarth 47 MS version of Triad 6 names him as one of the 'Three Bull-protectors of the Island of Britain'. Finally the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch and the Llyfr Coch Hergest versions of Triad 25 name him as one of the 'Three Battle-leaders of the Island of Britain'. All obvous allusions to Gwallawg's battles with the Saxons.

Gwallawg is also named poem from the Llywarch Hen cycle from the Llyfr Coch Hergest; the Dym kywardyat unhwch, also known as 'The Death of Urien'. The poem names Gwallawg (G)wallawc, marchawc trin (Gwallawg, a horseman in battle) and tells us of an apparent conflict between Elffin fab Urien and Gwallawg. Though nothing remains of the cause or the outcome of the skirmish, it may be that Gwallawg was part of the cabal that led to the assassination of Elffin's father, Urien (which is also described in this poem).

Perhaps the most important poems relating to Gwallawg come from the Llyfr Taliesin. The first of these, poem XI Gwallawg ab Llenawg is, in the main part, a list of the (innumerable) battles of Gwallawg which are listed as occurring at: Agathes, Bretwyn, Aeron, Arddunion, Coed Beit, Gwensteri, Terra, Coel Oleddyfein, Eiddyn and Gafran. The next poem, XXXVIII, Rhagoriaeth Gwallawg (The Superiority of Gwallawg) reads very much like the core of a marwnad (elegy) though it also contains other, interpolated, material. This poem is also interesting in that it is the first to mention the Yorkshire kingdm of Elmet in conjunction with Gwallawg (a enwat yn ygnat ac eluet [he was named a judge over elmet]). It has been suggested that Gwallawg was the ruler of Elmet and that his son, Ceredig is the same Ceredic of Elmet said by Nennius to have been expelled by Edwin of Northumbria early in the seventh century.

Two further references to Gwallawg occur in Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin. In the first of these, poem 33, known as Gwallawg a'r Ŵydd (Gwallawg and the Goose) which may represent the redaction of an anceint prose tale incorporated into the mythos of Gwallawg and relates the mifortunes of a one-eyed man. The next poem, 34, Ymddiddan Rhwng Gwyddenu Garanhir a Gwyn ap Nudd (The Dialogue Between Gwyddno Garanhir and Gwyn son of Nudd). In this poem Gwyn tells Gwyddno of the sites of death for a number of famous sixth-century figures but unlike the others he says of Gwallawg: 'I have not been where Gwallawg was slain / the son of a privileged stock / the affliction of England, son of Lleynawc'.

Interestingly, in the prose tales of the Mabinogion, Gwallawg is named as one of the heroes of Arthur's court only in the late tale of Gereint fab Erbin; though Gwallawg's relatives, the line of Rheged are mentioned in both Culhwch ac Olwen and Breuddwyd Rhonabwy. It is also possible that Gwallawg and the poet, Aneirin (original composer of the Gododdin) was Gwallawg's nephew. The Gododdin itself alludes to Aneirin as: 'the poem of the son of Dwywei' which makes it clear that Dwywei was Aneirin's mother. Bonedd y Seint names Dwywei as the sister of Gwallawg, in all probability making him Aneirin's uncle. (The lineage is mentioned in Bonedd y Seint as that of Saint Deinioel, who would have been Aneirin's brother).

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