Gwydion has also a tricky, fraudulent character in the Mabinogi, and although “in his life there was counsel,” yet he had a “vicious muse."[375] It is also implied that he is lover of his sister Arianrhod and father of Dylan and Llew—­the mythic reflections of a time when such unions, perhaps only in royal houses, were permissible.  Instances occur in Irish tales, and Arthur was also his sister’s lover.[376] In later belief Gwydion was associated with the stars; and the Milky Way was called Caer Gwydion.  Across it he had chased the faithless Blodeuwedd.[377] Professor Rh[^y]s equates him with Odinn, and regards both as representing an older Celto-Teutonic hero, though many of the alleged similarities in their respective mythologies are not too obvious.[378]

Amaethon the good is described in Kulhwych as the only husbandman who could till or dress a certain piece of land, though Kulhwych will not be able to force him or to make him follow him.[379] This, together with the name Amaethon, from Cymric amaeth, “labourer” or “ploughman,” throws some light on his functions.[380] He was a god associated with agriculture, either as one who made waste places fruitful, or possibly as an anthropomorphic corn divinity.  But elsewhere his taking a roebuck and a whelp, and in a Triad, a lapwing from Arawn, king of Annwfn, led to the battle of Godeu, in which he fought Arawn, aided by Gwydion, who vanquished one of Arawn’s warriors, Bran, by discovering his name.[381] Amaethon, who brings useful animals from the gods’ land, plays the same part as Gwydion, bringer of the swine.  The dog and deer are frequent representatives of the corn-spirit, of which Amaethon may have been an anthropomorphic form, or they, with the lapwing, may have been earlier worshipful animals, associated with Amaethon as his symbols, while later myth told how he had procured them from Annwfn.

The divine functions of Llew Llaw Gyffes are hardly apparent in the Mabinogi.  The incident of Blodeuwedd’s unfaithfulness is simply that of the Maerchen formula of the treacherous wife who discovers the secret of her husband’s life, and thus puts him at her lover’s mercy.[382] But since Llew is not slain, but changes to eagle form, this unusual ending may mean that he was once a bird divinity, the eagle later becoming his symbol.  Some myth must have told of his death, or he was afterwards regarded as a mortal who died, for a poem mentions his tomb, and adds, “he was a man who never gave justice to any one.”  Dr. Skene suggests that truth, not justice, is here meant, and finds in this a reference to Llew’s disguises.[383] Professor Rh[^y]s, for reasons not held convincing by M. Loth, holds that Llew, “lion,” was a misapprehension for his true name Lleu, interpreted by him “light."[384] This meaning he also gives to Lug, equating Lug and Llew, and regarding both as sun-gods.  He also equates Llaw Gyffes, “steady or strong hand,” with Lug’s