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100 Named Arthurian Women #2: Indeg

Indeg ferch Garwy Hir/Indeg daughter of Garwy the Tall, one of the Three Concubines of Arthur from Number 57 of the Welsh Triads.

Trioedd Ynys Prydein (The Triads of the Island of Britain), translated by Rachel Bromwich

Welsh poets such as Dafydd ap Gwilym made allusions to her beauty, but her story, assuming there was one, has sadly not survived.

98 more to go.

#arthuriana #arthurian legends #arthurian mythology #welsh triads #trioedd ynys prydein #welsh mythology #my art #arthurian women #indeg ferch garwy hir #king arthur

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(Source: The Welsh Triads, translation by Rachel Bromwich)

In this particular triad, Guinevere (or Guineveres in this case) is referred to, not as "Brenhines" (which is the modern word for queen), but as "Riein" or "Rhiain", which is apparently a more archaic term for either queen, maiden or lady. Also, as shown above, Rhiain is the root component of the female name "Rhiannon", famously the name of Pwyll's wife in the Mabinogion.

The word Riein and its male version, Rhi, seemed to have been an older pan-celtic term for a monarch, with the Irish having different terms for specific King-types such as Ard-Ri (High King), Ri Ciugne (Provincial King), and Ri Tuath (Tribal King).

The Modern Welsh Brenin/Brenhines seems to have come from the word Brigantinos, meaning "preeminent" or "exalted".

#sadly im not too much of an expert on how welsh/brythonic titles evolved historically #stuff like tywysoges and teyrnon coming into usage #queen guinevere #welsh triads #arthuriana #welsh mythology #arthurian legends #arthurian legend #etymology #mabinogion

I think the funniest thing the Welsh did in regard to Sir Tristan was taking the accusation made by his political enemies that he used magic to perform his deeds, like in Straussberg's story:

(Source: Tristan, by Gottfried von Straussberg)

...and just running with it:

(Source: The Welsh Triads - The Twenty-Four Knights of Arthur's Court)

So now, Tristan is one of Camelot's magical specialists, alongside the traditional Menw. They even gave Tristan additional magical abilities in Trystan ac Essyllt [LINK] where whoever he spills blood from will die whilst any person who spills Tristan's blood will also die. OP power, I say!

Which kinda begs the question though: Is Tristan's abilities something conceived by Welsh Storytellers of later times? Or was it something that was always present to a degree in Welsh Tradition (like with other heroes) and it served as the very inspiration for the continental romances' plot device?

#tbh the accusation of sorcery by the jealous barons rings a bit hollow and oddly specific #when Iseult has a magical background thanks to her mother and her own healing skill #sir tristan #tristan and iseult #welsh triads #welsh arthuriana #arthuriana #arthurian mythology #arthurian legends #superhuman feats of the knights of the round table #trystan ac essyllt

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(Source: The Welsh Triads, translated by Rachel Bromwich)

Sir Kay: "...Arthur...remind me again, why do we let these three waltz in whenever they please?"

BTW, the "Heledd" referred to in these triads is probably to be identified with the sister of Cynddylan of Powys, who sang the eponymous series of englyn-poems.