Gwalchmei. [W] "Hawk ofMay." One of Arthur's retinue who serves as a peacemaker between Trystan and March ap Meirchion. He was Arthur's nephew. He seems to have been transformed into Sir Gawain in the medieval sagas.

Gwales. [W] An island off the coast of southwest Wales (Grassholm) where the seven survivors of the war between Bran and Matholwch spent four score years on their journey back to the Island of the Mighty. They are oblivious of the passage of time until a forbidden door opens and allows them to continue their journey.

Gwawl. [W] "Light," son of the goddess Clud. The suitor of Rhiannon who is eventually overcome by Pwyll. His friend Llwydd takes revenge on Pwyll and Rhiannon for his ill treatment.

Gweddw. [W] Owner of a magic horse, Gwynn Mygdwn, the only horse that will bear Mabon.

Gwen. [W] "The White Swan," daughter of Cynwal Hundred Hogs. One of the most beautiful maidens in Britain.

Gwenhwyach. [W] Sister of Gwenhwyfar.

Gwenhwyfar .[W] Most popularly known as Guinevere, the wife of Arthur. The name is spelled in a variety of ways, including Guanhumara in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia. The name is an equivalent of the Irish Finnbhair. From her appearance in the Arthurian sagas, she has her counterparts in Helen of Troy and Persephone. Her beauty and abduction bring betrayal, war, and ultimate disaster. The name became very popular in Wales after the conquest of 1282.

Gwenlliant. [W] One of the most beautiful maidens in Britain. Gwent Is-Coed. [W] See Teyrnon. Gwent is the area of southeast Wales.

Gwern. [W] Son of Branwen, daughter of Llyr, and of Matholwch of Ireland. On him is bestowed the sovranty of Ireland in an attempt to avoid battle between Matholwch and Bran. But he is cast into a blazing fire at the age of three by his uncle Efnisien and his death precipitates the great battle between his uncle Bran and his father Matholwch.

Gwion Bach. [W] Son of Gwreang of Llanfair. A boy who features in a tale about the origin of Taliesin. Taliesin is Gwion Bach reincarnated. He is seen as helping to stir Ceridwen's cauldron. She is making a magic brew which, after a year's boiling, will produce three drops, and whoever swallows the drops will know all the secrets of the past, present, and future. Ceridwen intends it for her son Afagddu, who is ugly and whom she desires to compensate by making him wise. There is a similarity here to the boyhood of Fionn Mac Cumhail and how he tastes of the Salmon of Knowledge. As he stirs the cauldron, the magic drops fall onto the finger of Gwion Bach, who puts his finger into his mouth and obtains wisdom. Realising his danger from the enraged Ceridwen, he flees from her , but she sets out in pursuit. During the chase he transforms himself into a hare, a fish, a bird, and a grain of wheat, and Ceridwen chases him in the appropriate form of a greyhound, otter-bitch, hawk, and hen. As the hen, she swallows the grain of wheat that is Gwion Bach. Gwion Bach is later reborn from Ceridwen as Taliesin.

Gwlwlyd. [W] He will not lend Culhwch his two dun-coloured oxen;! to plough the hill as one of Yspaddaden's tasks.

Gwreang. [W] Father of Gwion Bach, who eventually transmigrates as Taliesin.

Gwreidawl. [W] Father of Gwythyr.

Gwri. [W] "Gold hair." The first name given to Pryderi

Gwrnach. [W] A giant and owner of a magic sword that Culhwch must win for Yspaddaden the Giant.

Gwrtheryn. [W] The fifth province of Wales "between the Wye and Severn" is said to have been the land of Gwrtheryn or Vortigern (vawr-tigern--overlord, or High King). Vortigern ruled Britain when the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles, ancestors of the English, first began to invade Britain in the fifth century .His son was Gwerthefyr (Vortimer), which also signifies "supreme king." [See Transactiom of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1946/7, 51.]

Gwyar. [W] Referred to as Anna by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Morgawse by Malory, she was the sister of Arthur and wife of Lludd.

Gwyddbwyll. [W] Wooden wisdom. An ancient Welsh board game. See Fidchell.

Gwyddno. [W] "Long Shank" who rules the "drowned kingdom. Culhwch has to get his hamper for Y spaddaden the Giant.

Gwyddno Garanhirtan. [W] The father of Elffin who finds the baby Taliesin in a stream and raises him. He is also referred to as urien king of Rheged, in a Taliesin poem.

Gwydion. [W] Son of Don. He is referred to as the best storyteller in the world. [Pedeir Keinc y Mabinogi, ed. I. Williams, Cardiff, 1930, p. 69.] He appears to be the father of his sister Aranrhod's son, LIeu LIaw Gyffes. He saves the child and rears him and through his art cures him when he has been wounded by Gronw. To help his brother, Gilfaethwy, obtain Goewin, the maiden who is the foot holder of Math, son of Mathonwy, he tricks Pryderi into going to war with Math. In the battle he slays Pryderi by trickery.

Gwydre. [W] A son of Arthur killed hunting the Twrch Trwyth.
Gwyn ap Nudd. [W] A king of the Otherworld who appears as a warrior and hunter in the saga of Culhwch and Olwen. He also features in the tale of Creiddylad, daughter of LIudd LIaw Ereint. He abducts Creiddylad, even though she is about to marry Gwythyr, son of Gwreidawl. Arthur besieges him in his fortress, and finally it is ordained that Gwyn and Gwythyr should fight an annual combat and whoever wins that combat on doomsday will be the victor. The name Gwyn is cognate with the Irish Fionn.

Gwyn Dun Mane. [W] A steer belonging to Gweddw that Culhwch has to obtain for Yspaddaden the Giant.

Gwynedd. The northwestern kingdom of Wales, which includes Ynys Mon (Anglesey). It is now a counry covering 3,869 square kilometres. Math, son of Mathonwy, is Lord of Gwynedd.

Gwynfyd. [W] "Purity." The second of three concentric circles in Cymric cosmogony that represent good over evil.

Gwyngelli. [W] A companion of Arthur's who seizes the four feet of the Twrch Trwyth and plunges him under water during the hunt in the story of Culhwch and Olwen.

Gwynn Mygddwn. [W] A magical horse owned by Gweddw. It is the only horse Mabon can ride.

Gwythyrap Gwreidawl. [W] His bride-to-be is abducted by Gwyn ap Nudd and he has to fight an annual combat with Gwyn, ordained by Arthur, until doomsday. Whoever is victor on doomsday may have the girl. See also Creiddylad.