Gwyn ap Nudd

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In Welsh mythology, Gwyn or Gwynn ap Nudd was the ruler of Annwn (the Underworld). He escorted the souls of the dead there, and led a pack of supernatural hounds, the Cŵn Annwn (see also Wild Hunt).

In the early Arthurian story Culhwch and Olwen, he abducted a maiden called Creiddylad after she eloped with Gwythr ap Greidawl, Gwyn's long-time rival. Gwyn and Gwythr's fight, which began on May Day, represented the contest between summer and winter. He helped Culhwch hunt the boar Twrch Trwyth. In later legends Gwyn is king of the tylwyth teg or "fair folk".

Gwyn means "fair, bright, white" and is cognate with Irish fionn. His father, Nudd, is related to the Celtic deity Nodens. The Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhail, whose grandfather was Nuada, is probably related to this figure.

Etymology

This theonym appears to be derived from Proto-Celtic *Windos meaning "white masculine [divinity]" or "whitening masculine [spirit]" (q.v. [1] [2] [3]). Following accepted sound laws elucidating systematic diachronic phonological sound change in Celtic proto-linguistics (q.v. [4] [5] [6] [7]), the Romano-British form of this Proto-Celtic theonym is likely to have been *Vindos.pl:Gwyn ap Nudd sv:Gwyn ap Nudd