Editing Pwyll (section)

==Role in Welsh mythology and English literature==

The stories of Pwyll greatly influenced the literature and story-telling of England, Ireland and Wales. The oral tradition of the Celts along with the highly fluid nature of society (caused by nearly constant conquest from circa 50 B.A.D. to circa 1500 A.D.) aided in the promiscuous Welsh literary tradition. Shadows of Pwyll's story-lines can be seen in the early Irish tale ''[[Fled Bricrenn|Fled Bricrend]]'', which in turn greatly influenced the Gawain poet. Shared themes include: "ritualized competitions between two noblemen to win the hand of a lady; ritualized missions or 'errands,' always involving some request; battles in which the combatants are pledged to return to the same place in exactly one year's time; elaborate tricks in which the participants make similar arrangements; repeated chains of events in which the supernatural figures prominently."<ref>Black, Joseph. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: volume 1: the medieval period. 2nd edition. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2009. 246. Print.</ref>