According to Welsh tradition, Afaon fab Taliesin (also spelled as Addaon) was the son of the bard

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the ''Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...

and a member of King Arthur's retinue. He appears both in the ''

Welsh Triads The Welsh Triads ( cy, Trioedd Ynys Prydein, "Triads of the Island of Britain") are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a ...

'' and in the medieval Arthurian tale ''

Breuddwyd Rhonabwy ''The Dream of Rhonabwy'' ( cy, Breuddwyd Rhonabwy) is a Middle Welsh prose tale. Set during the reign of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys (died 1160), its composition is typically dated to somewhere between the late 12th through the late 14th c ...

''.

Role in Welsh tradition

According to the ''Dream of Rhonabwy'', Afaon fought alongside Arthur at the

Battle of Badon The Battle of Badon /ˈbeɪdən/ also known as the Battle of Mons Badonicus ( la, obsessio isBadonici montis, "Blockade/Siege of the Badonic Hill"; ''Bellum in monte Badonis'', "Battle on Badon Hill"; ''Bellum Badonis'', "Battle of Badon"; Old W ...

as one of his chief counsellors. He recklessly rode past Arthur prior to the battle, splashing the king in his haste, and was rebuked by

Elffin ap Gwyddno :''The variant spelling 'Elphin' may refer to Saint Elphin, the town of Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland or the Diocese of Elphin, cathedral in Sligo Town, Co. Sligo, Ireland. Elphin is also a village in Sutherland, Scotland.'' In Welsh mytholo ...

. Despite his recklessness, he was referred to by

Iddog ap Mynio Iddog ap Mynio, also known as Iddog Cordd Prydain is a character in the early Welsh tale ''The Dream of Rhonabwy''. He was the messenger at the Battle of Camlann and, in a bid to halt peace talks, twisted both Arthur's Arthur's was a London gen ...

as "the wisest and most accomplished in the kingdom". He is alluded to several times in the

. Triad 7 calls him one of the "Three Bull-Chieftains of the Island of Britain", together with two other sons of bards. Triad 25 names him one of the "Three Battle-Rulers of the Island of Britain". Triad 33 describes his death at the hands of Llawgat Trwm Bargod Eidyn (Heavy Battle-Hand of the Border of

Eidyn Eidyn was the region around modern Edinburgh in Britain's sub-Roman and early medieval periods, approximately the 5th–7th centuries. It centred on the stronghold of Din Eidyn, thought to have been at Castle Rock, now the site of Edinburgh Cast ...

) as one of the "Three Unfortunate Slaughters of the Island of Britain". An alternate version of this triad, 33 W., titled "Three Savage Men of the Island of Britain, who performed the Three Unfortunate (Ill-omened) Slaughters", renders the killer's name slightly differently as Llongad Grwm Fargod Eidyn (Llongad the Bent of the Border of Eidyn). Afaon is further mentioned in the late twelfth century ''Enlyngion y Clyweit'', a collection of proverbial

englyn (; plural ) is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent kno ...

s attributed to various historical and mythological heroes. The text claims that he once sang the proverb "The cheek will not conceal the anguish of the heart".''Englynion y Clyweit''

References

Sources

* Welsh mythology Arthurian characters {{fantasy-char-stub