Teyrnon Twrf Gwliant: a Cymric Hero, also known as Teirnon (Great King, Roar of the Sea)

Synonyms: Teirnon Twrf Lliant
Cym: Great King, Roar of the Sea

Teyrnon Twrf Gwliant is a hero of the Mabinogi of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed. It is he who rescues both the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon from the beast that had snatched him and Rhiannon herself from the fate imposed on her for supposedly murdering her own son. The tale is related below:

Upon the birth of the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon in Arberth (their main Llys) both Rhiannon the babe's mother and the women set to watch over him fall into a deep sleep. By the morning the infant in gone and fearful of retribution for their negligence they kill the pups of a stag hound and smear Rhiannon with their blood. Theny they pretend to awake and raise the alarm. Despite Rhiannon's pleading the women would not change their tale and Rhiannon is forced to do penance for a crime she has not comitted. For seven years from that day she is to stand near a horse-block. She should relate her tale to all who came ther and then offer to carry the strangers upon her back into the Llys.

During those days Teyrnon Twrf Gwliant who was lord of Gwent-is-Coed and he was the best man in the world. In his posession was a mare which was the most beautiful in the entire realm. On the night of every first of May she foaled, and no one ever knew what became of the colt. However, this year, Teyrnon was determined to see what bewfell the foal so he had the mare stabled and arming himself he sat to see what transpired. At the beginning of the night the mare birthed a handsome foal and as Teyrnon rose up to gaze at it there was a commotion at the window and a huge claw extended inwards to seize the colt by its mane. Rushing forward Teyrnon struck at the arm with his sword, severing it at the elbow. It dropped the colt and ran away with a scream but Teyrnon pursued it outside. But the creature escaped and Teyrnon returned to the stable. At the door he saw an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Taking the child he entered his wife's chamber and told her of what he'd found. The child was wrapped in silks, revealing him to have been of gentle lineage but Teyrnon's wife is determined to raise him as her own. They had him baptized as Gwri Wallt Eurun (Brave of the Golden Hair) for his hair was of a golden colour and for the bravery he had shown during the night of his abduction. He was nursed in the court until a year old when he could walk stoutly and was larger than a child of three. Before his fourth year he would bribe the grooms to allow him to take the Llys' horses to water. At this time Gwri is given the colt who was born on the sam night as he.

At this time Teyrnon heard tidings of what had befallen Rhiannon and feeling sorry for her he inquired more deeply into her story. Which is when Teyrnon looked closely at Gwri and for thie first time saw the semblance between the child and Pwyll Pen Annwfn. Determined to right the wrong he had done Teyrnon takes the boy and journeys to Pwyll's Llys. They both refuse Rhiannon's offer of carrying them into the Llys and at the feast that night Teyrnon relates his tale and presents Rhiannon with her son. Pwyll enquires of the boy's name and Rhiannon re-names him Pryderi for all the worry that he had caused her.

Teyrnon's name is derived from the Brythonic Tigernos (Great King) and his epithet Twrf Gwliant is derived from Twrf Lliant (Roar of the Sea). It is possible that Teyrnon represents the lost vestiges of a sea deity and that the foal that was stolen from him every first of May was a sea-steed, part of the foamy wave.

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