Editing Gofannon

{{for|the Roman settlement in Wales|Gobannium}}
{{Infobox deity
| type         = Welsh
| name         = Gofannon
| deity_of     = [[Blacksmithing]] and the [[forge]]<ref name="IoMGGofannon" />
| cult_center  = Wales
| weapon       = [[Hammer]]
| battles      = [[Cad Goddeu]]
| symbol       = Possibly the [[anvil]] and hammer
| consort      = <!-- or | consorts = -->
| parents      = [[Dôn]] (mother) and [[Beli Mawr]]<ref name="IoMGGofannon">{{cite book |last=d'Este |first=Sorita |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Isles_of_the_Many_Gods/4GhrBAAACAAJ?hl=cy |title=The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Britain worshipped during the First Millennium through to the Middle Ages |last2=Rankine |first2=David |date=2007 |publisher=Avalonia |page=148 |language=English}}</ref> (father)
| siblings     = [[Penarddun]], [[Arianrhod]], [[Amaethon]], [[Gwydion]], [[Gilfaethwy]], and [[Lludd Llaw Eraint|Nudd]]<ref name="IoMGGofannon" />
| offspring    = <!-- or | children = -->
| gender       = Male
| equivalent1_type = Gaulish
| equivalent1 = [[Gobannus]]/Gobannos
| equivalent2_type = Irish
| equivalent2 = [[Goibniu]], Goibhniu
}}
'''Gofannon''' ({{IPA|cy|ɡɔˈvanɔn}}) is a [[Middle Welsh]] reflex of [[Gobannus]], one of the [[List of Celtic deities|deities]] worshipped by the [[Celts|ancient Celts]].<ref name="Routledge">{{cite book |title= An Encyclopaedia of Religions|last=Canney |first= Maurice Arthur |year= 1921|publisher= G. Routledge & sons, Ltd|pages= 167|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FRoMAAAAIAAJ&dq=Gofannon&pg=PA167}}</ref> He features in [[Welsh mythology|Middle Welsh literature]] as a great [[Smith (metalwork)|metal worker]] and as the son of [[Dôn]].<ref name="Routledge"/> His name can be compared with the [[Old Irish]] ''gobae'' (gen. ''gobann'') ‘[[blacksmith|smith]]’, [[Middle Welsh]] / [[Cornish language|Cornish]] / [[Breton language|Breton]] ''gof'' (pl. ''gofein'') ‘[[blacksmith|smith]]’, [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] ''gobedbi'' ‘with the [[blacksmith|smiths]]’, all of which are cognate with [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] ''[[gabija]]'' ‘sacred home fire’, ''gabus'' ‘gifted, clever’.<ref>Václav Blažek, “Celtic ‘smith’ and his colleagues”, in ''Evidence and Counter-Evidence: Festschrift for F. Kortlandt 1'', eds. Alexander Lubotsky, Jos Schaeken & Jeroen Wiedenhof. Amsterdam; New York: Rodopi, 2008, pp. 35-53.</ref> His apparent counterpart in [[Irish mythology]], [[Goibniu]], in addition to his [[metallurgy|duties as a smith]], also takes on the role of a divine hero who brewed an ale of immortality, in addition to being an architect and builder.<ref name="Routledge"/>

In [[Welsh mythology]], Gofannon killed his nephew, [[Dylan Ail Don]], not knowing who he was.<ref>{{cite book |title= Gods, Heroes & Kings|last=Fee|first= Christopher R. |author-link=Christopher R. Fee|year= 2001|publisher= Oxford University Press US|isbn= 0-19-517403-8|pages= 68|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=sFlLHEIuVlgC&dq=Gofannon+killed+his+nephew,+Dylan&pg=PA68}}</ref> One of the tasks given to [[Culhwch]] if he were to win the hand of [[Olwen]] was to get Gofannon to sharpen his brother [[Amaethon]]'s plough.<ref>{{cite book |title= Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia|last=Koch|first=John T. |year= 2005|publisher= ABC-CLIO|isbn= 1-85109-440-7|pages= 862|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=f899xH_quaMC&dq=sharpen+Culhwch+Olwen+Gofannon+to+Amaethon&pg=PA826}}</ref>

Rankine and d'Este (2007), examining ''Talieisin's First Address'' from the [[Red Book of Hergest]], also allude to Gofannon being a magician,<ref name="IoMGGofannon" /> with the ''First Address'' stating:

{{Verse translation|
{{lang|cy|[[Middle Welsh]]
neubum gan wyr keluydon
gan uath hen gan gouannon
gan euuyd gan elestron
ry ganhymdeith achwysson
blỽydyn ygkaer gofannō.}}
|
[[Modern English]]
I have been with artful men
With [[Math fab Mathonwy|Math]] or with Gofannon
With [[Eufydd fab Dôn|Eunydd]], with [[Elestron fab Dôn|Elestron]]
In company with Achwyson
For a year in Caer Gofannon.}}

== Bibliography ==
* d'Este, Sorita; Rankine, David (2007). ''The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Britain worshipped during the First Millennium through to the Middle Ages''. Avalonia.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}

[[Category:Smithing gods]]
[[Category:Welsh gods]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]