Gofannon (Welsh pronunciation:[ɡɔˈvanɔn]) is a Middle Welsh reflex of Gobannus, one of the deities worshipped by the ancient Celts.[1] He features in Middle Welsh literature as a great metal worker and as the son of Dôn.[1] His name can be compared with the Old Irish gobae (gen. gobann) ‘smith’, Middle Welsh / Cornish / Breton gof (pl. gofein) ‘smith’, Gaulish gobedbi ‘with the smiths’, all of which are cognate with Lithuanian gabija ‘sacred home fire’, gabus ‘gifted, clever’.[2] His apparent counterpart in Irish mythology, Goibniu, in addition to his duties as a smith, also takes on the role of a divine hero who brewed an ale of immortality, in addition to being an architect and builder.[1]
In Welsh mythology, Gofannon killed his nephew, Dylan Ail Don, not knowing who he was.[3] One of the tasks given to Culhwch if he were to win the hand of Olwen was to get Gofannon to sharpen his brother Amaethon's plough.[4]
^ abcCanney, Maurice Arthur (1921). An Encyclopaedia of Religions. G. Routledge & sons, Ltd. p. 167.
^Václav Blažek, “Celtic ‘smith’ and his colleagues”, in Evidence and Counter-Evidence: Festschrift for F. Kortlandt 1, eds. Alexander Lubotsky, Jos Schaeken & Jeroen Wiedenhof, Amsterdam–New York: Rodopi, 2008, pp. 35-53.
^Fee, Christopher R. (2001). Gods, Heroes & Kings. Oxford University Press US. p. 68. ISBN 0-19-517403-8.
^Koch, John T. (2005). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 862. ISBN 1-85109-440-7.
Gofannon (Welsh pronunciation: [ɡɔˈvanɔn]) is a Middle Welsh reflex of Gobannus, one of the deities worshipped by the ancient Celts. He features in Middle...
is also associated with hospitality. His name is related to the Welsh Gofannon and the Gaulish Gobannus. The name Goibniu stems from a Proto-Celtic form...
healing, and poetry Gobannus, Gallo-Roman deity whose name means 'the smith' Gofannon, Welsh god of blacksmithing, ale, architecture and building Goibniu, Irish...
parallels: Irish Lugh and Welsh Lleu are cognate with Lugus, Goibniu and Gofannon with Gobannos, Macán and Mabon with Maponos, and so on. One common figure...
(Brân the Blessed) Culhwch Dylan ail Don Efnysien Euroswydd Gilfaethwy Gofannon (Govannon) - a smith god Gwern Gwydion Gwyddno Garanhir Gwyn ap Nudd Hafgan...
parallels: Irish Lugh and Welsh Lleu are cognate with Lugus, Goibniu and Gofannon with Gobannos, Macán and Mabon with Maponos, while Macha and Rhiannon may...
accidentally killed by his uncle Gofannon in the end. 'And the blow whereby he came to his death, was struck by his uncle Gofannon. The third fatal blow was...
grandson to Beli Mawr and nephew of Arianrhod, Llefelys, Penarddun, Afallach, Gofannon, Nynniaw, Peibaw, and Caswallawn. Based on their shared patronymic (ap...
ISBN 9781782640493), Tegid Tathal, Chief Bard of Albion, is asked by the god Gofannon to tell the story of Bladudd the Blemished which he does in the way of...
word gof (blacksmith), and so is also associated with the Welsh smith Gofannon from folklore. The river later became, in Welsh, Gafenni, and the town's...
'smith') characters : Goibhniu (Irish myths of the Tuatha Dé Danann cycle) or Gofannon (Welsh myths/ the Mabinogion). Brigid or Brigit, an Irish goddess, is sometimes...
well as in several French Arthurian tales under the name Griflet filz Do. Gofannon: A metalsmith considered to be, like the Irish Goibniu, a reflex of the...