Carnwennan

Carnwennan is Arthur’s dagger and the weapon with which he overcomes the witch in her cave. Its appearance marks the decisive turn in the attempt to obtain her blood, a marvel required for Culhwch’s quest: after others fail to subdue her, Arthur acts himself, and the blood is secured.

Identity and Use

The text identifies Carnwennan as Arthur’s dagger, without describing its shape or giving it any stated magical property. Its significance rests on a single, consequential use: at the cave entrance, Arthur strikes the witch with it and defeats her. The account presents the weapon as an instrument of direct action rather than as an object with powers of its own.

Role in the Quest

Arthur’s intervention follows repeated failures. Two attendants enter the cave and are driven out; two more meet greater difficulty, and all four must be helped away. Arthur then approaches the entrance and uses Carnwennan to defeat the witch. Her blood is collected afterward, completing this part of the effort to obtain the marvels demanded by Yspaddaden Penkawr. The dagger’s narrative importance is therefore concentrated in its use at the moment when the quest’s previous attempts have proved insufficient.