Bran the Blessed
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Bran the Blessed or Bran Vendigaid (aka Bendigeidfran) was a character in Welsh Triads, a son of Llyr and Penarddun, who appears in the Mabinogion. He was king of Great Britain and a giant. The name "Bran" translates as "raven" in Brythonic Celtic.
Matholwch, King of Ireland, visited Bran to ask for the hand of Bran's sister Branwen in marriage. Bran agreed to this, but while the feasting to celebrate the betrothal was going on, Efnisien, a half-brother of Branwen and Bran arrived and asked what was going on. When told, he was furious that Branwen had been given in marriage without his permission, and vented his spleen by mutilating Matholwch's horses. Matholwch was deeply angered until Bran gave him a magic cauldron which restored the dead to life.
Once in Ireland, Branwen was treated cruelly by her husband, Matholwch, and was forced to work in the kitchen. She tamed a starling and sent it across the Irish Sea with a message to her brother Bran, who sailed from Wales to Ireland to rescue her with his brother, Manawydan. When Matholwch saw the giant, he asked for peace and built a house big enough for him. Matholwch agreed to let Bran live with them and give the kingdom to Gwern, his son by Branwen. The Irish lords didn't like the idea, so they hid themselves in flour bags to attack the Welsh. Efnisien guessed what was happening and killed them inside the bags by squeezing their heads, then threw Gwern into the fire.
In the ensuing war, the Irish at first had the advantage because of Matholwch's magic cauldron. When the Irish dead were placed in it, they came to life and were able to fight as well as ever. Efnisien lay down among the dead and was placed in the cauldron, then broke it, bursting his heart and dying in the process. The Welsh eventually won the war, but only seven men survived. Bran himself was mortally wounded and ordered that his head should be cut off. On the return of the survivors to Wales, Branwen died of grief for all the destruction on her account and was buried beside the River Alaw in Anglesey.
Bran's head was buried in London. Legend said that as long as the head was there, Great Britain would be safe from invasion. This legend was allegedly known in the time of King Arthur, who desired to be the only protector of Great Britain, and therefore had the head of Bran dug-up. However, when terrible events occurred throughout the country, Arthur wisely had the head replaced, in the mound on which now sits the Tower of London. The legend of the ravens at the Tower relates to consequences of removing Bran's head from its resting place.nl:Bran (mythologie) pl:Bran the Blessed sv:Bran