Hueil mab Caw
Encyclopedia
In Welsh tradition
, Heuil mab Caw (also spelled Huail or Hueil mab Caw) was a Pict
ish warrior and traditional rival of King Arthur's
. He was one of the numerous sons of Caw of Prydyn, and brother to Saint Gildas
and is generally identified with the Scottish chieftain Cuillus.
The Latin
Life of Gildas
by Caradoc of Llancarfan describes Hueil as an "active warrior and most distinguished soldier", who led a number of violent and sweeping raids from Scotland down into Athur's territory. As a result, Arthur marched on Hueil and pursued him as far as the Isle of Mann, where he killed the young plunderer. Giraldus Cambrensis alludes to this tradition, claiming that Gildas destroyed "a number of outstanding books" praising Arthur after hearing on the death of his brother.
A variation of Hueil's death, chronicled by Elis Gruffudd, is as follows:
The feud between Hueil and Arthur is further alluded to in the early Arthurian tale Culhwch and Olwen
in which Hueil alongside his many brothers is a knight of Arthur's court and is described as having "never submitted to a lord's hand." The text refers to an incident in which Hueil stabbed his nephew, Gwydre ap Llwydeu, which was the source of the enmity between them. The Welsh Triads
refer to Hueil as one of the three "battle-diademed" warriors alongside Cai
and Drustan
, but inferior to Bedwyr
.
Hueil is further mentioned in the late twelfth century Englynion y Clyweit, a collection of proverbial englyns
attributed to various historical and mythological heroes. The text describes him as "the son of Caw, whose saying was just" and claims that he once sang the proverb "Often will a curse fall from the bosom."
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
, Heuil mab Caw (also spelled Huail or Hueil mab Caw) was a Pict
PICT
PICT is a graphics file format introduced on the original Apple Macintosh computer as its standard metafile format. It allows the interchange of graphics , and some limited text support, between Mac applications, and was the native graphics format of QuickDraw.The original version, PICT 1, was...
ish warrior and traditional rival of King Arthur's
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. He was one of the numerous sons of Caw of Prydyn, and brother to Saint Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
and is generally identified with the Scottish chieftain Cuillus.
The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Life of Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
by Caradoc of Llancarfan describes Hueil as an "active warrior and most distinguished soldier", who led a number of violent and sweeping raids from Scotland down into Athur's territory. As a result, Arthur marched on Hueil and pursued him as far as the Isle of Mann, where he killed the young plunderer. Giraldus Cambrensis alludes to this tradition, claiming that Gildas destroyed "a number of outstanding books" praising Arthur after hearing on the death of his brother.
A variation of Hueil's death, chronicled by Elis Gruffudd, is as follows:
The feud between Hueil and Arthur is further alluded to in the early Arthurian tale Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
in which Hueil alongside his many brothers is a knight of Arthur's court and is described as having "never submitted to a lord's hand." The text refers to an incident in which Hueil stabbed his nephew, Gwydre ap Llwydeu, which was the source of the enmity between them. The Welsh Triads
Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
refer to Hueil as one of the three "battle-diademed" warriors alongside Cai
Sir Kay
In Arthurian legend, Sir Kay is Sir Ector's son and King Arthur's foster brother and later seneschal, as well as one of the first Knights of the Round Table. In later literature he is known for his acid tongue and bullying, boorish behavior, but in earlier accounts he was one of Arthur's premier...
and Drustan
Tristan
Tristan is one of the main characters of the Tristan and Iseult story, a Cornish hero and one of the Knights of the Round Table featuring in the Matter of Britain...
, but inferior to Bedwyr
Bedivere
In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay...
.
Hueil is further mentioned in the late twelfth century Englynion y Clyweit, a collection of proverbial englyns
Englyn
Englyn is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as cynghanedd.- The Eight Types :There are eight types of...
attributed to various historical and mythological heroes. The text describes him as "the son of Caw, whose saying was just" and claims that he once sang the proverb "Often will a curse fall from the bosom."