Nyniaw: a Cymric God, also known as Nynnio, Nynio, Nynyaw, Nynnyaw

Synonyms: Nynnio, Nynio, Nynyaw, Nynnyaw
Cym:

Nyniaw, along with the man sometimes considered to be his brother, Peibiaw are rather shadowy figures in Cymric mythos. The earliest mention of them occurs as a passing reference in the Mabinogion of Culhwch ac Olwenwhere one of the tasks assigned to Culhwch's by Ysbaddaden is to yoke together two horned oxen to the plough. These oxen are located on the slopes of two separate mountains and the tale goes on to say that the oxen were Nyniaw and Peibiaw; whom god turned into oxen on account of their sins.

Nyniaw is also mentioned in the Mabinogion of Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys where Beli Mawr's sons are named as Lludd, Caswallon, Nyniaw and Llefelys. Geoffrey of Monmouth also mentions Nyniaw in his Historia Regum Britannie and tells us that Lludd quarrelled with Nyniaw about renaming the city in his honour (apparently Nyniaw wanted to keep the original name of Trinovantum). Unfortunately we are not told how the tale ended. As well as these references Nyniaw is also named in the Llyfr Llandaf where it is said that Marchell, his great-grand-daughter, was the mother of Brychan Brycheiniog the father to no less than 48 saints.

The tale of Nyniaw and Peibiaw's transformation into oxen is given by Taliesin Williams in the notes to his poem Colyn Dolphyn> Taliesin Williams, of course, is the son of Iolo Marogannwg and as such the tale could be considered suspect (indeed, Iolo himself names Nyniaw and Peibiaw as the two oxen used by Hu Gadarn in pulling the addanc from the lake). In this instance though the tale of Nyniaw and Peibiaw seems to be a genuine folk tale and a fuller account is given by Gwyn Jones in his book Welsh Legends and Folk Tales. The tale is related below:

The full tale can be seen here: The Legend of Rhudda, Gawr but to summarize: Long ago two kings lived in the realm of Prydain and one would be hard-pressed to say which one was the vainest and most arrogant of the two. One day they happened to be walking across one of Nyniaw's fields and, modest as ever, he turned to his companion and remarked: 'I do not believe that there is a larger or more even field in the world than this field of mine. What do you think, Peibiaw, have you ever seen it equal?'

'Ah,' Peibiaw replied, 'you are obviously no judge of land, for I have at least half a score better at home. I think that you had better come and see what a proper field looks like some time.'

'My flocks, then,' remarked Nyniaw as he first pointed here and then there and everywhere. 'Tell the truth now, did you ever see herds and flocks so numerous and fine?'

'Often', his rival responded, 'and they all belong to me.'

'I think you boast,' Nyniaw rejoindered. 'However, if you meet me here tonight and I shall show you such fields that will make your mouth run dry and your eyes water.'

That night they came to the same place when the moon was full and a fleece of stars painted the ribbon of the milky way. 'Now look upwards,' Nyniaw said, 'and behold my most beauteous and extensive field.'

Peibiaw gazed upwards, but bewildered he enquired: 'where is it then?'

The whole firmament of heaven,' Nyniaw responded. 'As far as the eye can discern that is my whole field. Deny it, if you dare...'

'Why should I deny this,' Peibiaw responded, 'when I see me entire flock graze free of charge across its entire expanse.'

'Where, then, are they?' enquired Nyniaw, shocked.

'Those clusters and galaxies of stars,' replied Peibiaw, 'are my milk-white cattle and my snow-white sheep. And flock ever had a shepherdess wondrous as mine.'

'Who then is she?' demanded Nyniaw.

She is the moon, great and golden and leads them where the pasture is at its richest.'

'They shall not graze in my pasture...' threatened Nyniaw.

'Believe me, they shall...' retorted Peibiaw.

This volley of yeas and nays continued for some time until one shouted: 'Over my dead body' and the other retorted with: 'Over mine' and they came to blows. This escalated until their armies were brought to bear and their kingdoms were laid waist and their armies slain — all over the grazing rights to the firmament.

Tales of the two kings' folly eventually reached the ears of Rhudda Gawr who at the time was ruler of North Wales. He berated the limitless folly of the two men, adding: 'surely they know that the grazing rights of the firmament are mine!'. Rhudda amassed his armies and marched on the two warring kings. He easily overwhelmed their remaining forces and imposed peace. Utterly vanquishing Nyniaw and Peibiaw he marked his disapproval of their presumption by removing their beards all in one piece and from these he fashioned a cap for himself. This done he wondered out that night to number his seep up in the firmament.

The matter might have ended here had not the other 26 sovereigns taken offence at the outrage afforded to Nyniaw and Peibiaw and amassed their armies to march on Rhudda. However, Rhudda easily defeated them and taking the kings' beards he stitched them into a cloak for himself. The kings of neighbouring realms attack next but Rhudda takes their beards as well. Until Rhudda hears of a new young king in the south, one known as Arthur. However, Arthur defeats Rhudda and forces him to take his own beard and weave it into the his own cloak; which he is then forced to wear for the remainder of his life as a mark of his shame.

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