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Ysbaddaden

Ysbaddaden Bencawr; "Chief of Giants," is the primary antagonist of the Welsh romance Culhwch ac Olwen. A vicious giant residing in a nigh unreachable castle, he is the father of Olwen and uncle of Goreu fab Custennin. So huge is his frame, he requires great forks to prop up his eyelids.

Role in Welsh tradition[]

Culhwch's father, King Cilydd son of Celyddon, loses his wife Goleuddydd after a difficult childbirth. When he remarries, the young Culhwch rejects his stepmother's attempt to pair him with his new stepsister. Offended, the new queen puts a curse on him so that he can marry no one besides the beautiful Olwen, daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. Though he has never seen her, Culhwch becomes infatuated with her, but his father warns him that he will never find her without the aid of his famous cousin Arthur. The young man immediately sets off to seek his kinsman. He finds him at his court in Celliwig in Cornwall and asks for support and assistance.

Arthur agrees to help, and sends six warriors to join Culhwch in his search for Olwen. They travel onwards until they come across the "fairest of the castles of the world", and meet Ysbaddaden's shepherd brother, Custennin. They learn that the castle belongs to Ysbaddaden, that he stripped Custennin of his lands and murdered the shepherd's twenty-three children out of cruelty. Custennin set up a meeting between Culhwch and Olwen, and the maiden agrees to lead Culhwch and his companions to Ysbadadden's castle. The warrior Cai pledges to protect the twenty-fourth son, Goreu with his life.

The knights attack the castle by stealth, killing the nine porters and the nine watchdogs, and enter the giant's hall. Upon their arrival, Ysbaddaden attempts to kill Culhwch with a poison dart, but is outwitted and wounded, first by Bedwyr, then by the enchanter Menw, and finally by Culhwch himself. Eventually, Ysbaddaden relents, and agrees to give Culhwch his daughter on the condition that he completes a number of impossible tasks (anoethau), including hunting the Twrch Trwyth and recovering the exalted prisoner Mabon ap Modron. Culhwch accepts the giant's child and, with the help of Arthur and his knights, eventually completes the numerous tasks.

With the anoethau completed, Culhwch, Goreu and others who "wished ill to Ysbaddaden Bencawr" ride to his court. The giant's beard, skin and flesh are shaved off by Caw of Pictland and, accepting his humiliation and defeat, he is dragged away by Goreu, who avenges his murdered brothers by beheading the giant. Ysbaddaden's head is placed on the spike of the citadel, Goreu claims his uncle's lands as his own, and Olwen is free to marry her love.

           Legends

Notable Legends
Ape Men | Beldams | Bogeyman | Bunyip | Centaurs | Chupacabra | Cyclops | Dragons | Demons | Devil | Dullahan | Fairies | Ghosts | Ghost Pirates | Ghouls| Giants | Goblins | Golems | Gremlins | Grim Reaper | Hags | Headless Horseman | Kraken | Lake Monsters | Loch Ness Monster | Medusa | Minotaur | Monsters | Mothman | Mummies | Ogres | Revenants | Sea Monsters | Sirens | Skeletons | Spiders | Swamp Monsters | Trolls | Umibōzu | Undead | Vampires | Wendigo | Werewolves | Wyverns | Yeti | Zombies

Theology Legends (Demonology, Gods & Spirits)
Main: Theology Villains

Humans & Humanoids
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Ghosts, Paranormal Beings & Spirits
Bloody Mary| Bell Witch| Black Monk of Pontefract| Banshees| Duppy| Crew of the Flying Dutchman| El Silbón| Hendrik Van der Decken| Hanako-San| Hinnigami| Lord William de Soulis| La Llorona| La Santa Compaña| La Sayona| La Viuda| Tunche| Teke Teke| Onryo| Poltergeists| Stingy Jack| Mackenzie Poltergeist| Nameless Thing of Berkeley Square|

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Aliens (AC) | Greys| Reptoids| Hopskinville Goblins| Flatwoods Monster| Men in Black| Xenu

Bogeymen
Abo Ragl Ma Slokha| Black Annis| Black Volga's Driver| Bugbears| Boggarts| Baba Yaga| Coco| Krampus| Grýla| Yule Cat| Yule Lads| Sack Man| Sacamantecas| Namahage| Metminwi| Tokoloshe| Whipfather| Wewe Gombel|

Monsters, Animals & Anthropomorphic Beings
Afanc | Ahuizotl | Akhlut | Akkorokamui | Amarok | Amemasu | A-mi’-kuk | Ao Ao | Averasboro Gallinipper | Bakeneko | Basilisk | Boneless | Chaneques | Chimera | Cirein-cròin | Clurichaun | Cockatrice | Count Dracula| Cuegle | Cuélebre/Culebre | Devil Monkeys | Dip | Dragon | Dry Body | El Comelenguas | Erymanthian Boar | Escornau | Fouke Monster | Giants of Voronezh | Goblins | Golden Cicada | Grendel | Grendel's Mother | Groundhogs | Hidebehind | Harpies | Herensuge | Hydra | Ijiraq | Jackalopes | Jasy Jatere | J'ba Fofi | Jiangshi | Krampus| Kappa | Kigatilik | Kinie Ger | Kurupi | Liches | La Cegua | Lambton Worm | Leviathan | Manticores | Michigan Dogman | Mikari Baba | Monster of Mount Bandai | Morag | Mordred | Morgan le Fay | Mungoon-Gali | Nekomata | Ojáncanu | Onamazu | Orcs | Otesánek | Paparrasolla | Pesanta | Pombero | Qallupilluk | Rougarou| Redcaps (Robin Redcap) | River Mumma | Scylla | Sphinx | Stymphalian Birds | Tailypo | Tarasque | Te Wheke-a-Muturangi | Tikbalang | Tizheruk | Thardid Jimbo | Thinan-malkia | Tokoloshe | Trolls | Trauco | Tupilaq | Typhon | Undead | Whowie | Will O' The Wisp

Cryptids
Beast of Bray Road | Beast of Gévaudan | Black Eyed Children | Black Stick Men | Blue Devil | Cherufe | Devil Monkeys | Dog-headed Men | Emela-Ntouka | Enfield Horror | Fear Liath | Flatwoods Monster | Ghosts | Goatman | Grafton Monster | Greys | Highgate Vampire | Hoop Snake | Indrid Cold | Jackalopes | Jersey Devil | Kelpie of Loch Ness | Kongamato | Malawi Terror Beast | Mamlambo | Manananggal | Maricoxi | Mngwa | Momonjii | Morag | Morbach Werewolf | Nobusuma | Ogua | Pope Lick Monster | Popobawa | Pukwudgies | Reptoids | Roc | Ropen | Salawa | Sea Serpents | Shadow People | Sheepsquatch | Slide-Rock Bolter | Snallygaster | Spring Heeled Jack | Tanuki | Thunderbird | Two-Toed Tom | Water Horses | White-Eyed Children | Yowie

Urban Legends
Aliens (AC) | Amanda the Doll | Black Goo | Bloody Mary | Bunnyman | Charlie | China Doll | Clown Doll | Crisis | Crying Boy | Ghost (Johnny, I Want My Liver Back) | Ghost Trains | Hairy-Armed Woman | Hatman | Homey the Clown | Hook Killer | Illuminati | John and Susan Buckley | Joliet the Haunted and Cursed Doll | Kankandara | Kidney Thieves | Kunekune | La Tunda | Licking Maniac | The Man Upstairs | Martinez Dog Demon | Melon Heads | Men in Black | Momo | Mystery Killer | Nain Rouge | Nameless Thing of Berkeley Square | Orie Chef | Paimon | Patasola | Rain Man | Robert the Doll | The Seeker | Skinned Tom | The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water | Teke Teke

Possessed Objects
Amanda the Doll | China Doll | Clown Doll | Coffin on Wheels | Curse Jar | Ghost Trains | Joliet the Haunted and Cursed Doll | Painting of the French War | Robert the Doll

See Also
Theology Villains | Creepypasta Villains | SCP Foundation Villains | Trevor Henderson Villains

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