Garwen - Geoffrey of Monmouth

The figures beneath each entry give reference numbers for the Bibliography

Next Section
Prev Section
Table Of Contents

GARWEN

One of Arthur's three mistresses, according to TRIAD 57 (q.v.). She was the daughter of Henin the Old.

# 156

GASOZEIN

This character appeared in DIU CRONE and claimed that Guinevere was his wife and that she should leave Arthur and go with him. The choice being left with Guinevere, she refused, but her brother Gotegrim believed her refusal to be wrong so, in anger, he carried her off, intending to kill her. She was rescued by Gasozein who then fought Gawain over her but eventually admitted that his claim had been false.

# 156

GAULOIS, LA RELIGION DES

In his valuable work, LA RELIGION DES GAULOIS, A. Bertrand distinguishes two elements among the Celts themselves. There are, besides the Megalithic People, the two groups of lowland Celts and mountain Celts. The lowland Celts, according to his view, started from the Danube and entered Gaul probably about 1200 BC. Unlike the Megalithic People, they spoke a Celtic tongue, though Bertrand seems to doubt their genuine racial affinity with the true Celts. They were perhaps Celticised rather than actually Celtic. They were not warlike, but a quiet folk of herdsmen, tilliers, and artificers. They did not bury, but burned their dead. At a great settlement of theirs, Golasecca, in Cisalpine Gaul, 6000 interments were found. In each case the body had been burned; there was not a single burial without previous burning. Bertrand, in his most interesting chapter on 'L'Irlande Celtique,' points out that very soon after the conversion of Ireland to Christianity, we find the country covered with monasteries, whose complete organisation seems to indicate that they were really Druidic colleges transformed 'en masse'. Caesar has told us that these colleges were like in Gaul.

# 65 - 562

GAULS

Caesar's account of Gauls: 'They who are thus interdicted [for refusing to obey a Druidical sentence] are reckoned in the number of the vile and wicked; all persons avoid and fly their company and discourse, lest they should receive any infection by contagion; they are not permitted to commence a suit; neither is any post entrusted to them...The Druids are generally freed from military service, and for paying taxes... Encouraged by such rewards, many of their own accord come to their schools, and are sent by their friends and relations. They are said there to get by heart a great number of verses. Some continue twenty years in their education.' Gauls also described by Diodorus Siculus, and by Ammianus Marcellinus, and by Dr. Rice Holmes; commerce on Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay, &c., of Gauls; religious beliefs and rites described by Julius Caesar; human sacrifices in Gaul; votive inscriptions to Aesus, Teutates, and Taranus found in Gaul; Dis, or Pluto, a most notable god of Gaul; dead carries from Gaul to Britain; Maon taken to Gaul. Ammianus Marcellinus described the Gauls thus: 'Nearly all the Gauls are of a lofty stature, fair and ruddy complexion: terrible from the sternness of their eyes, very quarrelsome, and of great pride and insolence. A whole troup of foreigners would not be able to withstand a single Gaul if he called his wife to his assistance who is usually very strong and with blue eyes; especially when, swelling her neck, gnashing her teeth, and brandishing her sallow arms of enormous size, she begins to strike blows mingled with kicks, as if they were so many missiles sent from the string of a catapult.'

# 143 - 562

GAURIEL

A warrior who married the ruler of Fluratrone, who abandoned him, but said she would return to him if he would capture three knights of Arthur for her. He did so. Afterwards, he spent a year with Arthur. He had a pet ram which he had trained to fight. The romance featuring him was German, written by Konrad von Stoffeln.

# 156

GAUVAIN

(Sir Gawain). Fellowknight with Perceval. See also: GAWAIN.

# 562

GAVRINIS, CHIROMANCY AT

In connexion with the great sepulcral monument of Gavrinis a very curious observation was made by M. Albert Maitre, an inspector of the Musée des Antiquités Nationales. There were found here - as commonly in other megalithic monuments in Ireland and Scotland - a number of stones sculptured with a singular and characteristic design in waving and concentric lines. Now if the curious lines traced upon the human hand at the roots and tips of the fingers be examined under a lens, it will be found that they bear an exact resemblance to these designs of megalithic sculpture. One seems almost like a cast of the other. These lines on the human hand are so distinct and peculiar that, as is well known, they have been adopted as a method of identification of criminals. Can this resemblance be the result of chance? Nothing like these peculiar assemblages of sculptured lines has ever been found exept in connexion with these monuments. Have we not here a reference to chiromancy - a magical art much practised in ancient and even in modern times? The hand as a symbol of power was a well-known magical emblem, and has entered largely even into Christian symbolism- note, for instance, the great hand sculptured on the under side of one of the arms of the Cross of Muiredach at Monasterboice.

# 562

GAWAIN

1. The eldest son of King Lot and Morgause and one of Arthur's most prominent knights. In Welsh tradition his father is sometimes given as Gwyar, but sometimes Gwyar is said to be his mother. In French he is called variously Gauvain, Gauwain, Gayain etc. In Latin he is Walganus, in Dutch Walewein and in Irish Balbhuaidh. In Welsh his name is Gwalchmai (hawk of May or hawk of the plain). R. S. Loomis argues that Gawain and Gwalchmai were originally different characters and that the Welsh identified their hero Gwalchmai with the Continental Gawain. He suggests that Gawain is in origin the MABINOGION character Gwrvan Gwallt-avwy and that his name may have arisen from Welsh gwallt-avwyn (hair like rain) or gwallt-advwyn (fair hair). R. Bromwich disagrees and argues that Gawain and Gwalchmai were always identical. - The father of Gawain was King Lot who, in his early days, was a page to Arthur's sister, Morgause, on whom he fathered Gawain, who was baptized and set adrift in a cask. (In DE ORTU WALUUANII his mother is called Anna rather than Morgause). He was rescued by fishermen and eventually found his way to Rome where he was knighted by Pope Sulpicius. Arriving at Arthur's court, he became one of the king's most important knights. In early romance he is depicted as a mighty champion, though in later stories, for example, French tales, and Malory whom they influenced, he is less likeable. He married in various tales Ragnell, Amurfine, the daughter of the Carl of Carlisle and the daughter of the king of Sorcha. In WALWEIN he became the husband or lover of Ysabele, while in Italian romance he was said to be the lover of Morgan's daughter, Pulzella Gaia. He had sons called Florence, Lovel and Guinglain. After Arthur's rift with Lancelot, he became violently opposed to that knight. He was killed with a club when Arthur was landing in Britain to oppose Mordred. Gawain had a peculiar gift that he grew stronger towards noon and this led to speculation about his being a solar hero in origin. Surprisingly, the same gift is attributed to Escanor, one of his opponents. Gawain's death did not mark his last appearance in the Arthurian saga for his ghost subsequently appeared to the king. According to Breton tradition, he actually survived Arthur's last battle and Arthur abdicated in his favour. Gawain's horse was called Gringalet. William of Malmesbury says his grave was dicovered at Ros, a place which cannot be identified with certainty, in the reign of King William II (1087-1100). His skull was supposed to be in Dover Castle. - The story of the beheading contest which features in the tales of Gawain and the Green Knight (see GREEN KNIGHT), the Carl of Carlisle (see CARL OF CARLISLE) and Gawain and the Turk (see GROMER) has a parallel in Irish mythology where Cu Roi, King of Munster, proclaimed CuChulain champion of Ireland. The decision was rejected by two other champions, so Cu Roi arrived in the guise of a giant at Emhain Macha (modern Navan Fort) where the King of Ulster had his court, and challenged each of the three to behead him, on condition that he could afterwards do the same to them. Each of CuChulain's rivals tried but, when the head was sliced off, Cu Roi replaced it and neither of them would let him have his turn. When CuChulain cut off Cu Roi's head and once again the latter replaced it on his shoulders, CuChulain was prepared to let him strike him as agreed, whereupon Cu Roi disclosed who he was and declared CuChulain unrivalled champion. The similarity of these tales may indicate a common source, or even that Gawain is identical in origin with CuChulain as the tales about him may be indigenous to the north of England; in ancient times, the north-west of England contained a tribe called the Setantii, while the original name of CuChulain was Setanta. It may well have been that CuChulain was a Setantii hero with a reputation on both sides of the Irish sea, whose memory was kept alive under the name of Gawain by the medieval descendants of the Setantii in England. J. Matthews points out that the story of Gawain's birth and his being set adrift in a cask parallels that of his brother Mordred and suggests that originally Gawain was Arthur's son, who fathered him incestuously on his sister who, in the original story was Morgan. The adult Gawain became Morgan's knight and his story is predated by the mythical tale of the Celtic god Mabon whose mother, Modron (earlier Matrona), is the prototype of Morgan. He also suggests that Galahad replaced Gawain as a Grail quester because of Gawain's pagan associations. That Perceval similarly replaced Gawain was suggested earlier by J. L. Weston.
2. A knight called 'the Brown', who had the baby Gawain baptized. See: GREEN KNIGHT, and ULLABH.

GEASA

A kind of Taboo. See: GEIS.

GEENA MAC LUGA

Son of Luga, one of Finn's men; Finn teaches the maxims of the Fianna to Geena mac Luga.

# 562

GEIS GEAS GEASE GES GEISSI

# 548: The violation of Gease (or Gessa, plur. for Geis) is such a sure omen of approaching death that it might almost be inferred that a hero is safe from harm while his gease remain inviolate. Then, as his time approaches its end, he finds himself in situations where he cannot avoid breaking them, just as Greek heroes unwittingly work their own undoing when their fated hour has come and their divine guardians have forsaken them. Nowhere is this process so dramatically depicted as in 'The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel, where in the course of the events which lead up to his death Conaire violates one after another the gease laid upon him, by the King of the Birds, before he was installed King of Ireland. These gease were:

1. Thou shalt not go right-handwise round Tara and left-handwise round Brega.
2. The crooked beasts of Cerna must not be hunted by thee.
3. Thou shalt not be away from Tara for nine nights in succession.
4. Thou shalt not stay a night in a house from which firelight can be seen after sunset and into which one can see from outside.
5. Three Reds shall not go before thee to the house of Red.
6. No plunder shall be taken in thy reign.
7. After sunset a company of one woman or one man shall not enter the house in which thou art.

# 189 - 377 - 383 p 315 ff - 548 - 562 - 769

GELON

Defeat of Hamilcar by Gelon at Himera.

# 562

GELORWYDD

A warrior in the GODDODDIN, the great Celtic epic of battle and bravery. He is called 'the Gem of Baptism' because he gave extreme unction to the dying on the field of battle with his own blood.

# 454 - 610

GENEIR

Knight of Arthur's court.

# 562

GENERON

In Thomas Heywood's LIFE OF MERLIN, a castle of Vortigern which takes the place of the tower that keeps falling down in other versions of the story.

# 156

GENII CUCULLATI

On the Continent, Genius Cucullatus ( a name given to certain distinctive cult images in Celtic Europe during the Roman period) appear as single images, often in the form of giants or dwarves, but in Britain, the deities are idiosyncratic in being frequently depicted as triple dwarfs. Continental representations display very overt fertility symbolism; the figures often carry eggs, for instance on a wooden image at Geneva. On occasions, the cucullus itself could be removed to expose a phallus. British Genii Cucullati (a CUCULLUS is a hood fastened to a cloak or coat) are destinctive in their triplistic imagery. They appear in two main distributional clusters: in the region of Hadrian's Wall and among the Dobunni of the Cotswolds. At Housesteads in Northumberland, a triple image from a small shrine, of perhaps third century AD, in the Vicus (the civil settlement) attached to the Roman fort, displays the trio swathed in heavy hooded capes reaching to their feet. The interest in this particular group is that the face of the central divinity is clearly masculine, whilst his companions have softer, rounded facial contours, suggestive rather of female physiognomy. An alternative is that the faces instead reflect differing ages, an older deity flanked by two youths. This imagery may thus reflect either the presence of both male and female aspects of a given divine concept or the span of life, from youth to maturity. This latter pattern occurs among the Germanic Mother-goddesses.

GENTLE ANNIS (ANNIE)

The weather spirit responsible for the south-westerly gales on the Firth of Cromarty. The Firth is well protected from the north and east, but a gap in the hills allows the entry of spasmodic squally gales. These gives Gentle Annis a bad reputation for treachery. A day will start fine and lure the fisher out, then, in a momemt, the storm sweeps round and his boat is imperilled. D. A. Mackenzie suggests that Gentle Annis is one aspect of the Cailleach Bheur. 'Annis' may come from the Celtic goddess Anu, which has been suggested, as the origins of Black Annis of the Dane Hills. It may be, however, that these half-jocular personifications have no connection with mythology.

# 100 - 415

GENTRY, THE

One of the many euphemistic names for the fairies, used in Ireland. As Kirk says, 'the Irish use to bless all they fear Harme of'.

# 100 - 370

GENVISSA

Geoffrey maintains she was a daughter of the Roman Emperor Claudius. She married Arviragus and, when Arviragus revolted against Claudius, she arranged peace between them.

# 156

GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH

# 562: (1100?-1154) Bishop of St Asaph; his 'Historia Regum Britaniae' (The History of the Kings of Britain) written to commemorate Arthur's exploits. He also wrote Vita Merlini or Life of Merlin.

# 100: Supposititious author (though the supposition is well supported) of the VITA MERLINI, who must be recorded as the first inspiration of the Arthurian Romances. His HISTORIA BRITONUM gives the history of Arthur from the intrigues which led to his birth, from his discovery and through his career to the time of his death. Arthur, who had been almost certainly a patriot and cavalry leader who led the defence of the Britons against the Saxons in post-Romans days, was already a legendary figure entwined with mythology and fairy-lore in Wales and Brittany, but it was the works of Geoffrey of Monmouth which introduced him to literature both in France and England. Geoffrey was a man versed in all the learning of his time and of considerable charm of manner, a member of the pleasant circle of the 12th-century scolars. Some people denounced HISTORIA as 'a lying book' and told jocular stories about how favourably it was received by possessing devils, but it had a considerable influence, and played a valuable part in welding the Saxons, Britons and Normans together into a nationality, as well as providing the Matter of Britain with a source upon which poets and romancers could draw from that time till the present day.

# 100 - 243 - 562

Next Section
Prev Section
Table Of Contents