of two other children by Pendarddun. His sons Efnysien and Nisien, the former twisted, ruthless and sadistic, and largely responsible for the mutually destructive war against the Irish, the latter kind and gentle. Both are killed in the final battle, Efnysien having sacrificed himself to destroy the Pair Dadeni or "Cauldron of Rebirth", which was granting the Irish the temporary victory. Matholwch: King of Ireland, who married Branwen thus forging an alliance between his people and Bran's. His mistreatment of his wife led to the British invasion and the eventual destruction of both nations. His death is never described in the narrative, but is implicit. Kingdom of Dyfed Pwyll "Head of Annwn": King of Dyfed and eponymous hero of the first branch of the Mabinogi. He swaps places with the otherworldly king Arawn for a year, earning his lifelong friendship, and later wins the lady Rhiannon from her suitor Gwawl. Rhiannon: Sometimes associated with the horse goddess Epona. Ronald Hutton states that a horse is the only thing they have in common. Following Pwyll's death at the end of the first branch, she marries Manawydan, the rightful heir to the throne. Pryderi: Pwyll and Rhiannon's son, and the king of Dyfed following his father's death. He is the only character to appear in every branch, although with varying degrees of prominence. He fights under Brân in Ireland in the second branch, is imprisoned by the magician Llwyd ap Cil Coed, and later rescued by his stepfather Manawydan in the third, and is killed in single combat against Gwydion in the fourth following the theft of his otherworldly pigs at the magician's hands. He is often equated with the divine son, Mabon ap Modron. Cigfa, wife of Pryderi. Teyrnon: The lord of Gwent in the service of Pwyll. He finds the infant Pryderi and raises him as his own, returning him to the Demetian court when he is of age. He is mentioned briefly in Culhwch ac Olwen. Family of Beli Mawr Beli Mawr is an ancestor figure mentioned in various sources. Though obscure as a character, several of the many descendants attributed to him figure strongly in Welsh tradition. Works derived from Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae name him as a King of Britain. The Second Branch of the Mabinogi name Beli as the father of Penarddun, though this may be a mistake for brother. Beli's more prominent children