Twrch Trwyth

A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Twrch Trwyth [W twrch, male boar]. Magical but ferocious boar that Culhwch is required to hunt; the comb and razor lying between the ears of the beast are required to trim the hair of Ysbaddaden Bencawr. This arduous task requires the assistance of Mabon and Arthur himself. In speaking to Arthur, the boar explains that he was once a king and that he has been changed into his present shape for committing some unspecified evil. More likely is the explanation that Twrch Trwyth is yet another manifestation of the divine boar from earliest Celtic mythology; allusion to him exists also in other early texts.

Bibliography

See John Rhyˆs , Celtic Folklore (Oxford, 1901), 509–15, 519–30, et passim;
Rachel Bromwich and and D. Simon Evans 's annotations in Culhwch ac Olwen (Cardiff, 1992);
John Carey , ‘A Tuatha Dé Miscellany’, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 39 (1992), 41 ff.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Twrch Trwyth." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Twrch Trwyth." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-TwrchTrwyth.html

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Twrch Trwyth." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-TwrchTrwyth.html

Learn more about citation styles