Pennod 12 – Arthur y Barbwr

Arthur the Barber

As ‘Culhwch and Olwen’ is such a big tale and such an important one, we’ve devoted two entire episodes to discussing it. We explain in this this episode why this medieval story is so interesting and why this literary text is so interesting. Here’s an opportunity to see the original Welsh Arthur at his best, in the middle of the feats and excess of a court full of wondrous characters. But here also is a story about Culhwch’s attempt to find and marry Olwen, and a traditional folk tale about a hero wedding the giant’s daughter serves that serves as a framework for a great many adventures.
This tale is graced by an abundance of Arthurian characters, including some who will be familiar to followers of ‘Yr Hen Iaith’ (such as the gatekeeper Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr, for example, dubbed ‘Friend of the Pod’ by Richard Wyn Jones). And, by the way, why does Culhwch go to Arthur in order to have his hair cut?