Arawn

Arawn. Lord and king of Annwfn, the Welsh Otherworld, in several early narratives. Initially Arawn has a rival and archenemy Hafgan, who is eliminated in an alliance with Pwyll. Arawn and Pwyll struck up a friendship while hunting and agreed to change shapes and kingdoms for one year. No one discovered the ploy, not even Arawn's beautiful queen, whose chastity Pwyll respected. At the end of the year Pwyll disposed of Hafgan with a single blow. When he returned to his mortal shape, Pwyll learned that Arawn had been a just and wise king in his absence. The two remained strong friends.

Arawn owned a magic cauldron [Preiddiau Annwfn, the Spoils of Annwfn), one of the treasures of Britain, which Arthur coveted. He gave the pigs to Pryderi, son of Pwyll, which were to play such an important part in Welsh legend. The theft of Arawn's animals by Amaethon led to the Battle of the Trees, Cad Goddeu. In more recent Welsh legend, Arawn is displaced as ruler of the Otherworld by Gwyn ap Nudd. Some commentators see a parallel between Arawn and Tethra, a leader of the Fomorians in Irish tradition. R. S. Loomis suggested that Arawn was an antecedent of the Arthurian figure Alain li Gros, a keeper of the Grail. See also Pwyll, the first branch of the *Mabinogi.