| Gofannon | |
|---|---|
| Major cult center | Wales |
| Weapon | Hammer |
| Battles | Cad Goddeu |
| Symbol | Possibly theanvil and hammer |
| Gender | Male |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Dôn (mother) andBeli Mawr[1] (father) |
| Siblings | Penarddun,Arianrhod,Amaethon,Gwydion,Gilfaethwy, andNudd[1] |
| Equivalents | |
| Gaulish | Gobannus/Gobannos |
| Irish | Goibniu, Goibhniu |
Gofannon (Welsh pronunciation:[ɡɔˈvanɔn]) is aMiddle Welsh reflex ofGobannus, one of thedeities worshipped by theancient Celts.[2] He features inMiddle Welsh literature as a greatmetal worker and as the son ofDôn.[2] His name can be compared with theOld Irishgobae (gen.gobann) ‘smith’,Middle Welsh /Cornish /Bretongof (pl.gofein) ‘smith’,Gaulishgobedbi ‘with thesmiths’, all of which are cognate withLithuaniangabija ‘sacred home fire’,gabus ‘gifted, clever’.[3] His apparent counterpart inIrish mythology,Goibniu, in addition to hisduties as a smith, also takes on the role of a divine hero who brewed an ale of immortality, in addition to being an architect and builder.[2]
InWelsh mythology, Gofannon killed his nephew,Dylan Ail Don, not knowing who he was.[4] One of the tasks given toCulhwch if he were to win the hand ofOlwen was to get Gofannon to sharpen his brotherAmaethon's plough.[5]
Rankine and d'Este (2007), examiningTalieisin's First Address from theRed Book of Hergest, also allude to Gofannon being a magician,[1] with theFirst Address stating:
Middle Welsh | Modern English |