THE GIANTS DAUGHTER

CULHWCH & OLWEN

Culhwch received his name from the pig run in which he was born. As a young man he angered his stepmother, who swore that he would never know the touch of a woman until he won the hand of Olwen, the beautiful daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden.

Culhwch went to the court of Arthur, his cousin, to ask for help. There a group of extraordinary characters was assembled to accompany him in his search for Ysbaddaden's castle. In their travels they encountered the giant's herdsman whose wife turned out to be Culhwch's aunt. When she heard of his quest, she was reluctant to help, having lost 23 of her 24 sons to the giant. Nevertheless, she arranged a meeting between Culhwch and Olwen.

Olwen was more beautiful than Culhwch could have imagined and he swore his undying love for her. Olwen was equally smitten, but she would not leave her father without his consent because it was destined that he would die on her wedding day. Culhwch would have to go to Ysbaddaden, she said, and ask him what he would accept in exchange for her hand.

Culhwch and his companions fought their way into the castle where Ysbaddaden kept them waiting for three days for his reply. Eventually he relented and gave Culhwch a daunting list of tasks to perform. There were 39 in all, many of which revolved around the hunting of Twrch Trwyth, the son of Prince Taredd, who had been magically transformed into a wild bore.

Ysbaddaden was particularly keen to acquire a comb and shears from between the ears of the boar: none of his own were strong enough to give him a decent shave.

Arthur himself led the expedition which finally tracked down Twrch Trwyth and his seven young pigs to Tsgeir Oervel in Ireland. After a long and bitter battle, Arthur and his men chased them across the sea to Wales. There they continued to create havoc before the boar was driven into the river Sevrn. As he struggled against the current, tow of Arthur's men snatched the comb and shears from between his ears.

Culhwch returned to Ysbaddaden's castle with these and all the other objects he had been challenged to collect. He claimed Olwen as his bride, and the giant was shaved of his beard. Then Goreu, the last remaining son of the herdsman, cut of Ysbaddaden's head and displayed it on a stake.

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