Pwyll

In Celtic mythology, Pwyll was a lord of Dyfed.

In the Mabinogion (Welsh mythology), Arawn, god of the underworld, forced Pwyll to trade places with him for a year and a day as punishment for having set his own dogs against Arawn's pack, while Arawn took Pwyll's place at his palace in Dyfed. Pwyll defeated Hafgan, Arawn's rival, at the end of this time, who could only be killed by a mortal. Arawn and Pwyll became good friends because Pwyll did not sleep with Arawn's wife.

Pwyll then met Rhiannon, who appeared to Pwyll as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was too fast. After three days, he spoke and Rhiannon told him she would rather marry him than her fiance, Gwawl. After a year and a day, he won her from Gwawl with her assistance. Their first son disappeared while in the care of several of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. To avoid the blame, they smeared blood from a puppy on Rhiannon, who was asleep.

The child appeared in the court of King Teyrnon, whose mares had just given birth but the foals had disappeared. Teirnon watched his stables and saw a mysterious beast coming to take the foal; Tiernon stopped the beast and found the child outside the stable. He and his wife adopted him. The child grew to adulthood in only seven years and was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to the stable. Teyrnon realized who the child was and returned him to Pwyll and Rhiannon, who named him Pryderi (worry).