Llwydawg Govynnyad

Llwydawg Govynnyad is a named member of Twrch Trwyth’s band of swine, distinguished in the hunt by his lethal resistance to Arthur’s forces. He survives successive losses among the boars and kills men at multiple points along the pursuit before the narrative reports his own death at Ystrad Yw.

Identity and Place in the Hunt

The account introduces Llwydawg alongside Grugyn Gwrych Ereint as a companion who closes with Arthur’s huntsmen at Dyffryn Llychwr. The two kill all but one of the hunters. When Arthur and his host reach the scene and set their dogs upon them, Twrch Trwyth comes to their assistance. Llwydawg’s first appearance therefore establishes him not as a solitary quarry but as an active defender within Twrch’s group.

The pursuit then follows the boars across a chain of places, and Llwydawg remains among the few who survive. At Dyffryn Amanw, Twrch’s other young swine are killed; of the group, only Grugyn and Llwydawg are said to continue with him. Their survival marks them as the last named companions still accompanying Twrch through this stretch of the chase.

Resistance and Separation

At Llwch Ewin, Arthur overtakes Twrch, who makes a stand and kills men and dogs. The party then moves on to Llwch Tawy, where Grugyn separates from the others and goes to Din Tywi. Llwydawg’s route diverges: he proceeds with a multitude to Ceredigiawn, then reaches Garth Gregyn. The narration tracks the two surviving companions separately, giving Llwydawg a distinct course through the later pursuit rather than treating the boars as an undifferentiated group.

At Garth Gregyn, Llwydawg fights amid the assembled people and kills Rhudvyw Rhys and many others. The brief account gives no further description of the encounter, but its placement emphasizes that even after the hunt has reduced Twrch’s company to a small remnant, Llwydawg remains a serious danger to those pursuing them.

Final Encounter and Death

Llwydawg goes from Garth Gregyn to Ystrad Yw, where men from Armorica meet him. He kills Hirpeissawg, king of Armorica, as well as Llygatrudd Emys and Gwrbothu, identified as Arthur’s maternal uncles. The narrative then states that Llwydawg himself is slain, without naming who kills him or describing the manner of his death. His ending is thus recorded amid the accumulating losses of the pursuit: his final actions take the lives of prominent opponents, but the account closes his part in the hunt with his own death.

Narrative Role

Llwydawg’s part in the hunt is built from successive encounters rather than a personal history or stated motive. First he and Grugyn help decimate the huntsmen; then he persists as one of Twrch’s last surviving companions; finally, his route brings him into conflict with the Armorican force and Arthur’s kin. His sequence of appearances makes the pursuit costly on both sides, while his death marks the end of one of Twrch’s remaining named defenders.