| Carnwennan | |
|---|---|
| Arthurian legend element | |
| First appearance | Welsh Triads |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Fictional dagger |
| Owners | King Arthur |
Carnwennan ("Little White Hilt") was thedagger ofKing Arthur in the WelshArthurian legends.
InCulhwch and Olwen, Arthur names it as one of the few things in the world which he will not give toCulhwch. Later, he uses it to slay the witch Orddu, the daughter of the witch Orwen, by slicing her in half.[1] In theWelsh Triads, Carnwennan is listed alongside Arthur's spearRhongomyniad and Arthur's swordCaledfwlch as sacred weapons given to him by God: "the sacred weapons that God had given him: Rhongomiant his spear, Caledfwlch a sword, and Carnwennan his dagger" (Bromwich's translation).[2]
Carnwennan is exclusive to the Welsh traditions of Arthur.Geoffrey of Monmouth'sHistoria Regum Britanniae excludes it, though it mentions the swordCaliburn (a Latinization of Caledfwlch) and the lance Ron (likely an abbreviation of Rhongomyniad). InThomas Malory'sLe Morte d'Arthur, Arthur has a dagger which he uses to kill a giant, but it is not named.
Its name is sometimes given as "Carnwenhau" which comes from mistaken transcriptions of the handwritten texts.
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Note: some of the existing swords are named after earlier legendary ones. | ||||||
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