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Twrch Trwyth (; also Trwyd, Troynt (MSS.''HK''); Troit (MSS.''C1 D G Q''); or Terit (MSS. ''C2 L'')) is an enchanted
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...
in the ''
Matter of Britain The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Weste ...
'' great story cycle that
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
or his men pursued with the aid of Arthur's dog
Cavall Cavall (Middle cy, cauall RBH & WBR; modernized: ''Cafall''; ; '' la, Cabal'', var. ''Caball'' (ms.K)) was King Arthur's dog, used in the hunt for the great boar, Twrch Trwyth ( la, Troynt, Troit). Cavall was Arthur's "favourite dog", and during ...
( cy, Cafall, la, Cabal). The names of the hound and boar are glimpsed in a piece of geographical onomasticon composed in Latin in the
ninth century The 9th century was a period from 801 ( DCCCI) through 900 ( CM) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Carolingian Renaissance and the Viking raids occurred within this period. In the Middle East, the House of Wisdom was founded in Abbasid ...
, the ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' ( la, Historia Brittonum) is a purported history of the indigenous British ( Brittonic) people that was written around 828 and survives in numerous recensions that date from after the 11th century. The ''Historia B ...
''. However, a richly elaborate account of the great hunt appears in the Welsh prose romance ''
Culhwch and Olwen ''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whi ...
'', probably written around 1100. A passing reference to Twrch Trwyth also occurs in the elegy ''Gwarchan Cynfelyn'' preserved in the Book of Aneirin. The name in Welsh can be construed to mean "the boar Trwyth", and may have its analogue in the boar Triath of
Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later Early Irish ...
(see #Etymology and Irish cognate below).


''Historia Brittonum''

The earliest reference to the boar Trwyth occurs in the tract ''De Mirabilibus Britanniae'' (or ''Mirabilia'' in shorthand), variously titled in English as " Wonders of Britain". The ''Mirabilia'' is believed to be near-contemporaneous to
Nennius Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the '' Historia Brittonum'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considere ...
' ninth-century ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' ( la, Historia Brittonum) is a purported history of the indigenous British ( Brittonic) people that was written around 828 and survives in numerous recensions that date from after the 11th century. The ''Historia B ...
'' and is found appended to it in many extant manuscripts. It gives a list of marvels around Britain, one of them being the footprint left in rock by Arthur's dog
Cavall Cavall (Middle cy, cauall RBH & WBR; modernized: ''Cafall''; ; '' la, Cabal'', var. ''Caball'' (ms.K)) was King Arthur's dog, used in the hunt for the great boar, Twrch Trwyth ( la, Troynt, Troit). Cavall was Arthur's "favourite dog", and during ...
(here Latinized as ''Cabal''), made while chasing the great boar (here called ''Troynt''):


Culhwch and Olwen

Twrch is named as the son of Prince Tared (or Taredd Wledig), cursed into the form of a wild creature; he has poisonous bristles, and carries a pair of scissors, a comb and a razor on his head between his ears. In French romances such as by
Chrétien de Troyes Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ...
, Ares is the father of a knight called Tor. Some scholars consider that Tor son of Ares is the Twrch son of Tared of Culhwch and Olwen and that the authentic name is probably Ares. Culhwch is given the task by Ysbaddaden, the giant whose daughter Olwen Culhwch seeks, of obtaining the comb and scissors from Twrch's head. Later in the story it transpires there is also a razor secreted there. These implements are then to be used to cut and treat Ysbaddaden's hair (most of the tasks on the giant's long list are ultimately to do with this
ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secula ...
of hair-cutting). Further, Ysbaddaden states that the only hound who can hunt Twrch is Drudwyn, the whelp of Greid, and then goes on to list the requirements of the leash to hold Drudwyn, the only man strong enough to hold the leash. Ultimately Ysbaddaden calls on Culhwch to seek out
Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
, Culhwch's cousin, to help him hunt Twrch. Prior to the hunt, Menw son of Teirgwaedd is sent to verify that the comb and scissors are between Twrch's ears. He takes the form of a bird and flies to Twrch's lair, encountering the boar with seven piglets. Menw then tries to swoop down and snatch one of the implements from Twrch's scalp, but only manages to take one silver bristle; Twrch is agitated and shakes himself, scattering venom onto Menw, wounding him. The hunt for Twrch takes up the greater portion of the latter half of ''Culhwch and Olwen'', and it is described in great detail the geographical route of the pursuit, and those who take active part in it. Although it is Culhwch who is given the task, it is Arthur and his men who take the most prominent role in the chase, Culhwch having successfully enlisted his aid. After causing the death of several of Arthur's troop, the boar surrenders the razor, scissors, and later the comb by force, and he is driven into the sea off
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
and drowned. Yet another boar, Ysgithyrwyn or "White-Tusk, Chief of Boars", had to be captured for its tusk to complete the grooming of Ysbadadden.


Etymology and Irish cognate

As previously noted, the Welsh word ''twrch'' means "wild boar, hog, mole", so Twrch Trwyth means "the boar Trwyth". Its Irish cognate may be Triath, King of the Swine ( sga, Triath ri torcraide) or the Torc Triath mentioned in ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'', also recorded as
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...
''Orc tréith'' "Triath's boar" in '' Sanas Cormaic''.
Rachel Bromwich Rachel Bromwich (30 July 1915 – 15 December 2010) born Rachel Sheldon Amos, was a British scholar. Her focus was on medieval Welsh literature, and she taught Celtic Languages and Literature in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic a ...
regards the form ''Trwyth'' as a late corruption. In the early text ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' ( la, Historia Brittonum) is a purported history of the indigenous British ( Brittonic) people that was written around 828 and survives in numerous recensions that date from after the 11th century. The ''Historia B ...
'', the boar is called ''Troynt'' or ''Troit'', a Latinisation likely from the Welsh ''Trwyd''. Further evidence that ''Trwyd'' was the correct form appears in a reference in a later poem.


Popular culture

*Twrch Trwyth is the name of a Welsh traditional dance group based in Clwb Ifor Bach,
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...
.Folk Wales
Retrieved October 2012 *Y Twrch Trwyth is also the mascot of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (formally Amman Valley Comprehensive School and Amman Valley Grammar School) in Ammanford,
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
,
South West Wales South West Wales is one of the regions of Wales consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. This definition is used by a number of government agencies and private organisations including ...
. * In the 2016 summer event of the mobile game '' Fate/Grand Order'', Twrch Trwyth is the final boss.


See also

* Henwen, a sow from Cornwall that made a run from the south end to the north tip of Wales, and bore
Cath Palug (also , , , literally 'Palug's cat') was a monstrous cat in Welsh legend, given birth in by the pig Henwen of Cornwall; the cat was later to haunt the Isle of Anglesey, and was said to have killed 180 warriors when Sir Kay went to the island t ...
* Ysgithyrwyn Chief Boar (Ysgithrwyn Pen Beidd, Yskithyrwynn Pennbeidd, "White-tusk chief of Boars")


Notes


References

;(Texts of Culhwch) *(ed.,tr.) (Geraint ab Erbin (W).. p. 4 (E)..p. 67; Kilhwch ac Olwen (W).. p. 195 (E)..p. 249) * (Revised edition 1993; Indexed 1989; first published Everyman Library 1949) ;(Texts of the Mirabilia of Historia Brittonum) *(ed.) *(ed.) (Latin text of the "De Mirabilibus Britanniae", §73) *(ed., tr.) * (unable to identity author by his monogaram "R") ;(Critical studies) *


External links


Reference to Historia Britonum and notes on the Hunt
{{Arthurian Legend Mythological pigs Welsh mythology Welsh legendary creatures Arthurian characters Pigs in literature