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Math son of Mathonwy
Mawr
Melyngar
Math son of Mathonwy. The High King of Prydain. Math is a descendant of the Lady Don and Belin, King of the Sun; Prince Gwydion is his son, and Caer Dathyl in the Eagle Mountains of northern Prydain is his home. In Taran's adventures, Math is more spoken of than seen. Gwydion seems to act as Math's arm and tends to affairs throughout Prydain. At Caer Dathyl, Taran sees Math borne about on a litter of gold.
One of the stories in The Mabinogion is named for this man. He ruled from Caer Dathal. Nothing is said of any children of his own; rather, he associated with his nephews, the children of Don his sister. Math could not live unless his feet lay in a virgin's lap or he was going to war. When Gwydyon arranged for Math to be at war while Gilvaethwy defiled the virgin, Math changed them both into deer, pigs, and wolves in turn, one year each as punishment. No magical powers, however, are apparent in Alexander's Math.
Mawr. One of the cantrevs of Prydain's southern region. Mawr is one of the cantrevs whose armies joins with the Horned King for his assault on Caer Dathyl.
Mawr was part of the name of a place in northern Wales called Y Traeth Mawr, which means "the big strand" [7, p. 103, note 12]. The forces of Gwydyon and Pryderi made truce near that place, and the two leaders fought in one-on-one combat. Mawr may have been simply a location name that Alexander decided to include in Prydain without any other connection.
Melyngar. The horse of Prince Gwydion. She nearly trampled Taran while crossing Great Avren because the boy held onto her saddle and lost his footing. As a warhorse, Melyngar knows how to fight and tries to fight off the warriors that attack Gwydion and Taran. When Gwydion disappears and is assumed dead, Melyngar accompanies Taran and his companions on their quest. She carries their supplies and weapons and anyone who falls ill or weak.
Melyngar probably came from Lady Charlotte Guest's notes to The Mabinogion, which mention Gwydion's nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, as having a horse called Melyngan [8].
