Olwen
InWelsh mythology,Olwen(orOlwyn) is the daughter of the giantYsbaddadenand cousin ofGoreu.She is the heroine of the storyCulhwch and Olwenin theMabinogion.Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so whenCulhwch(sometimes spelled as Kilhwch) comes to court her, he is given a series of immensely difficult tasks which he must complete before he can win her hand. With the help of his cousinKing Arthur,Culhwch succeeds and the giant dies, allowing Olwen to marry her suitor.
Description
[edit]In the taleCulhwch and Olwenin the Mabinogion, she is described as a vision of beauty: wearing a flaming-red dress with a red-goldtorcand many golden rings, she has "hair yellower than thebroom",red (ruddy) cheeks, white skin and pale hands. She is also depicted as having the ability to spring white flowers from every step she takes.[1][2]
Other tales
[edit]The name "Olwen" reappears in the non-ArthurianfolktaleEinion and Olwen,about asheep herderwho travels to theOtherworldto marry Olwen; they later have a son namedTaliesin.[2][3]The tale was collected at the turn of the 20th century but is related toCulhwch and Olwen.
English author and publisher of the Mabinogion,Lady Charlotte Guestnoted that Olwen became the object of later poetry byDafydd ap Gwilymand Sion Brwynog. The latter begins a poem with the verseOlwen gulael lan galon( "Olwen of slender eyebrow, pure of heart" ).[4]
Etymology
[edit]The meaning of the name Olwen is "white footprint"[5]or "white track".[2]According to legend, she was so gentle and fragile that whitetrefoilswould grow in her footprints. Some authorities consider her to have been originally asolar goddess,based on the etymology of her name and light-related attributes.[6][7]
ProfessorJohn T. Kochstates that "recentWelshgenerally employsolwynrather thanrhodfor 'wheel'. "[8]
Notable persons with this name
[edit]- Olwen Brogan,British archaeologist
- LadyOlwen Carey Evans,DBE, daughter of British Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
- Olwen Fouéré,Breton-Irish actress on stage and in film
- DameOlwen Hufton,British historian of early modern Europe, women's history and social history
- Olwen Wymark,American playwright and author
- Olwen Davies, Headmistress ofSt Swithun's SchoolandSt. Mary's Hall,and sister of the conductorMeredith Davies
- British singer, actressPetula Clarkborn Petula Sally Olwen Clark.
- Olwen Burton, American physicist and scientist.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Bane, Theresa.Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology.McFarland and Company. 2013. p. 260.ISBN978-0-7864-7111-9
- ^abcBruce, Christopher W., ed. (1998)."Olwen ('White Track')".The Arthurian Name Dictionary.Routledge. p. 384.ISBN978-1-136-75538-5.
- ^"The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries: Section I: The Living Fairy-Faith: Chapter II. Taking of Evidence: V. In Wales".sacred-texts.
- ^The Mabinogion, from the Llyfr Coch o Hergest and Other Ancient Welsh Manuscripts; with an English Translation and Notes by Lady Charlotte Guest.Part IV. Containing Kilhwch and OlwenPublication Recor. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans. 1849. p. 320.
- ^"Welshol"footprint, track" andgwen"white, fair, blessed" ", cited fromhttp:// behindthename /name/olwen
- ^Simon Andrew Stirling, The Grail: Relic of an Ancient Religion, 2015
- ^Monaghan, Patricia.The Encyclopedia of Celtic Myth and Folklore.Facts on File. 2004. p. 369.ISBN0-8160-4524-0
- ^Koch, John T. (1989). "Some Suggestions and Etymologies Reflecting upon the Mythology of the Four Branches".Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium.9:1–10.JSTOR20557203.
