Gofannon

For the Roman settlement in Wales, see Gobannium.

Gofannon (Welsh pronunciation: [ɡɔˈvanɔn]) is a Middle Welsh reflex of Gobannus, one of the deities worshipped by the ancient Celts.^[2] He features in Middle Welsh literature as a great metal worker and as the son of Dôn.^[2] His name can be compared with the Old Irish gobae (gen. gobann) ‘smith’, Middle Welsh / Cornish / Breton gof (pl. gofein) ‘smith’, Gaulish gobedbi ‘with the smiths’, all of which are cognate with Lithuanian gabija ‘sacred home fire’, gabus ‘gifted, clever’.^[3] His apparent counterpart in Irish mythology, Goibniu, in addition to his duties as a smith, also takes on the role of a divine hero who brewed an ale of immortality, in addition to being an architect and builder.^[2]

Gofannon
Blacksmithing and the forge[1]
Major cult center	Wales
Weapon	Hammer
Battles	Cad Goddeu
Symbol	Possibly the anvil and hammer
Gender	Male
Genealogy
Parents	Dôn (mother) and Beli Mawr[1] (father)
Siblings	Penarddun, Arianrhod, Amaethon, Gwydion, Gilfaethwy, and Nudd[1]
Equivalents
Gaulish	Gobannus/Gobannos
Irish	Goibniu, Goibhniu

In Welsh mythology, Gofannon killed his nephew, Dylan Ail Don, not knowing who he was.^[4] One of the tasks given to Culhwch if he were to win the hand of Olwen was to get Gofannon to sharpen his brother Amaethon's plough.^[5]

Rankine and d'Este (2007), examining Talieisin's First Address from the Red Book of Hergest, also allude to Gofannon being a magician,^[1] with the First Address stating:

Middle Welsh neubum gan wyr keluydon gan uath hen gan gouannon gan euuyd gan elestron ry ganhymdeith achwysson blỽydyn ygkaer gofannō.

Modern English I have been with artful men With Math or with Gofannon With Eunydd, with Elestron In company with Achwyson For a year in Caer Gofannon.

Bibliography

• d'Este, Sorita; Rankine, David (2007). The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Britain worshipped during the First Millennium through to the Middle Ages. Avalonia.