Editing Branwen (section)

==Her story==
The story opens with Branwen's brother, [[Brân the Blessed]],<ref name="EoM"/> [[giants (Welsh folklore)|giant]] and King of [[Albion|Britain]], sitting on a rock by the sea at [[Harlech]] and seeing the vessels of Matholwch, King of [[Ireland]], approaching. Matholwch has come to ask for the hand of Branwen in marriage. Brân agrees to this, and a feast is held to celebrate the betrothal. During the feast, [[Efnysien]], a half-brother of Branwen and Brân, arrives at the stables and asks of the nature of the celebration. On being told, he is furious that his half sister has been given in marriage without his consent, and flying into a rage he mutilates the horses belonging to the Irish. Matholwch is deeply offended, but conciliated by Brân, who gives him a magical cauldron which can bring the dead to life; he does not know that when the dead are brought back, they will be mute and deaf.

When Matholwch returns to Ireland with his new bride, he consults with his nobles about the occurrences in the Isle of the Mighty. They are outraged and believe that Matholwch was not compensated enough for the mutilation of his horses. In order to redeem his honor, Matholwch banishes Branwen to work in the kitchens.<ref name="ECMF"/>

Branwen is treated cruelly by her husband Matholwch as punishment for Efnysien's mutilation of the horses, though not before she gives birth to an heir, [[Gwern]].  She tames a [[starling]] and sends it across the [[Irish Sea]] with a message to her brother and Brân brings a force from [[Wales]] to Ireland to rescue her.

Some [[swineherd]]s see the giant Brân wading the sea and report this to Matholwch, who retreats beyond a river and destroys the bridges. However, Brân lays himself down over the river to serve as a bridge for his men, he said ("He would be a leader, let him be a bridge").

Matholwch, fearing war, tries to reconcile with Brân by building a house big enough for him to fit into in order to do him honour. Matholwch agrees to give the kingdom to [[Gwern]], his son by Branwen, to pacify Brân. The Irish lords do not like the idea, and many hide themselves in flour bags tied to the pillars of the huge, newly built house to attack the Welsh.

Efnysien, inspecting the house prior to the arrival of Brân and his men, uncovers the men hidden in the bags and kills them all by crushing their heads one by one. At the subsequent feast to celebrate Gwern's investiture as King of Ireland, Efnysien, in an unprovoked moment of rage, throws his nephew Gwern into the fire. This causes chaos between the two countries, and they start fighting each other. The Irish forces at first appear to be losing, but by resurrecting their dead soldiers using the magical cauldron begin to win the battle. However, Efnysien sees what he has done, and regrets it. Disguised as a dead Irish soldier he is thrown into the magical cauldron, and pushes against its walls so that it breaks into four pieces. Efnysien dies in the attempt. The war is still extremely bloody, and leaves no survivors except for Branwen, Bran, and seven Welsh soldiers. They sail home to Wales.

Upon reaching Wales, they realize that Bran has been hit by a [[poisoned arrow]] to his leg, and he dies. Branwen, overwhelmed with grief for everyone she has lost, dies of a broken heart.