Y Cwn Annwn Part 1

The Hounds of Annwn

This is my rendition of one particular account of the hounds of Annwn. It appears in the first branch of the Mabinogi.

The Mabinogion were old Celtic Welsh stories, initially oral in form and then recorded as manuscript in medieval times.

These dogs appear in legend elsewhere in more dramatic fashion, occasionally as giant fierce warrior dogs of the underworld and even as hell hounds.

I am grateful to the new translation by Sioned Davies (OUP, 2007) for my 'near enough' accurate rendition of this cracking tale.

The first branch of the Mabinogi tells of the hounds of Annwn.

How the pack of them hunt and bring down a stag in the forest near Narberth. They are coloured white all over except for their ears which are as red as fresh blood.

This capture is witnessed by Pwyll, the prince of Dyfed who is out hunting that morning on his horse with his own pack of dogs. They have been beaten to the prey by these unknown hounds. With no one else to see him, Pwyll drives them away to allow his own dogs to gather around and claim the fallen deer.

Pwyll is caught out when, at that very moment, their master arrives on a dapple-grey horse. He stares silently at Pwyll, who assumes that the stranger renders no greeting as he is of a higher rank than a prince. Pwyll is correct in this assumption, as the other rider announces he is Arawn, the King of Annwn, which is the 'other world', a magical land unseen in mortal life. His hounds, by their true nature, are spectral and only when he makes them into flesh for them to hunt in the forest, are they coloured in such a way.

But he does not render any greetings to Pwyll for that reason, but because the prince has been guilty of a great discourtesy in driving the King’s hounds away when they were fully entitled to their prize.

Pwyll must answer for that insult.

Pwyll is mortified, as any minor mid Wales prince would be for offending the King of Annwn. He asks how can he make amends?

Only by killing my challenger to the other world, Arawn replies, and explains that Pwyll must take his place in a year and a day when he is due to meet his most dangerous opponent, Hafgan, in mortal combat.

Pwyll, bound by his honour, accepts immediately. He points out though that Hafgan (who he mercifully knows nothing about) will expect to meet the King in combat rather than a mid-Wales earthly prince.

Arawn has an answer to that. He proposes that they exchange bodies, shape shift into each other’s identities and then immediately return to their respective lands until Pwyll discharges his debt in a year and a day.

Arawn then 'sweetens the pill' for Pwyll.

First, he offers valuable tactical advice in how to tackle Hafgan, as after all he will be a supernatural warrior for Pwyll, a mere mortal, to overcome. Whatever Pwyll does, if he is successful in rendering a fatal blow upon Hafgan at all, he must not, on any account, render a second strike. Arawn explains that this will have the opposite effect and will bring Hafgan back to life. Arawn has fallen foul of this himself in the past.

He also adds that (on the plus side) Pwyll, looking exactly like the King, will get to sleep each night with the Queen. She happens to be the most beautiful, most desirable woman who has ever walked on (or in) both worlds. He will have a whole year of those delightful passionate nights with her until he is due to meet Hafgan (although he might need a good night’s sleep before the challenge itself).

So off Pwyll goes, in Arawn’s shape and, of course, escorted by the hounds, all the way back to the kingdom of Annwn.

To be continued.