Brân the Blessed’s Family Tree

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Family

• Lir(parent),Penarddun(parent),Branwen(sibling),Manannán mac Lir(sibling)— Marriage

  Llŷr and Penarddun are the parents of Brân the Blessed, Branwen, and Manannán mac Lir — the royal family of the Island of the Mighty whose fates unfold across the Second and Third Branches of the Mabinogi.

Enemy of

• Matholwch

  Brân the Blessed waged war on Matholwch, King of Ireland, after learning that Matholwch had degraded Branwen from queen to kitchen slave. Brân waded across the Irish Sea with his warband, and the ensuing battle destroyed nearly all of both nations.

Associated with

• Branwen

  Branwen sent a starling across the sea with a letter tied to its wing, telling Brân the Blessed of her degradation. The giant-king waded the Irish Sea, his body serving as a bridge for his army, and invaded Ireland to rescue Branwen.

• Pair Dadeni

  Brân the Blessed possessed the Pair Dadeni and gave it to Matholwch as peace-gift to atone for Efnysien's mutilation of the Irish king's horses. The cauldron that was meant to seal friendship instead prolonged the slaughter when it raised Ireland's dead warriors in the final battle.