Maelor Gawr
Early Celtic giant king whose horn blasts caused bodily destruction.
Maelor Gawr is an early Celtic king and giant of Welsh mythology, said to have lived at Castell Maelor (also known as Dinas Maelor) in Penparcau, near Aberystwyth, before the coming of Brutus to this island. His story is sometimes associated with the folklore of giants in Wales, though it does not appear in the known text 'Cewri Cymru' ('The Giants of Wales') by Sion Dafydd Rhys.
- Field
- Mythology, Folklore
- Nationality
- Welsh
- Known for
- Being a giant king captured and executed after blowing his horn three times
- Residence
- Castell Maelor, Penparcau, near Aberystwyth
Lore & Background
Maelor Gawr was captured in the cwmwd of Cyfeiliog, about twelve miles from his own castle, and sentenced to death. His enemies allowed him a final request: to blow his horn three times. On the first blast, his hair and beard fell out; on the second, all his finger and toe-nails fell off; on the third, the horn itself broke into small pieces. The fate of his sons and the specific details of their deeds are not recorded in canonical Welsh folklore sources.
Reader's Guide
Maelor Gawr represents a figure from early Welsh mythology, preserved in a late sixteenth-century manuscript by Sion Dafydd Rhys. His tale, though brief, illustrates themes of familial loyalty, supernatural strength, and tragic fate common in Celtic legend. The story of his son Cornippyn's headless dog has persisted in contemporary folklore around Penparcau village, where the dog is said to roam mournfully, still searching for its owner. This enduring myth links the ancient narrative to local identity and oral tradition. Maelor's significance lies not in historical fact but in his role as a cultural touchstone, reflecting how medieval and early modern Welsh writers compiled and transmitted native lore. The account also highlights the interplay between giant mythology and landscape, with specific locations like Castell Maelor and the Ystwyth river grounding the legend in a real geography. As a record of pre-Brutus Britain, Maelor's story contributes to the broader corpus of Welsh mythological kings and giants, offering insight into how the Welsh imagined their ancient past.
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