Because the Mabinogion is based on pre-Christian Wales, I felt that it was important to research this time period and the beliefs. This is because my film is going to be set in this time period, so knowing as much as I can about it will be extremely useful.
Some of the earliest evidence of a pre-Christian religion in Wales are the stone circles. The most well known one is the Stone henge in England, but another can be found in Pembrokeshire, Wales, as well as many other Welsh locations. It was believed that these sites were used for religious rituals, but there is no evidence of this remaining.
The making of metal was believed to be an act of magic, and the early welsh people smelted various kinds of metals such as gold and copper for offerings to their gods. The religious leaders of the time were known as druids, and they existed even beyond the Roman invasion of Britain. The Celtic religion was tolerated under Roman rule for the most part, even if the rule of the druids was over. However, the worship of celtic gods was tolerated because it proved to be no threat to the roman rule. However, the religion did not survive after roman rule.
Various characters from the mabinogion are prominent in welsh beliefs and mythology, though there are some things that tend to be different. In the mabinogion, the cwn annwn belonged to Arawn, who resided over Annwn. However, in the actual mythology, they are associated with Gwynn Ap Nudd, the king of the fair folk.
One of the main things to note, however, is that the stories of the mabinogion were written long after Wales was dominated by the christian religion. The gods of pre-Christian Wales were changed to heroes and kings to satisfy any religions conflicts.
Possible deities of the time include:
Arawn, the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn. It is debated on whether or not he or Gwynn ap Nudd ruled over the otherworld, but Arawn appears prominently in the first branch of the mabinogion.
Afallach: The father of Modron, he was associated with the Island of Avalon.
Blodeuwedd: A woman made of flowers to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, in the fourth branch of the mabinogion. She betrays him and is turned into an owl.
Ceridwen: An enchantress, and the mother of Morfran and Creirwy. She possessed the cauldron of poetic inspiration, and she once swallowed her servant who is reborn through her as the poet Taliesin.
Cyhyraeth: A ghostly spirit that has a disembodied moaning voice that sounds before a persons death.
Gwenn Teir Bronn: A Breton holy woman who supposedly lived in the 6th century.
Gwyn ap Nudd: The king of the Tylwyth Teg, or the fair folk. Described as a great warrior with a blackened face. He is associated with the wild hunt.
Llefelys: The king of France in mythology. His brother Ludd is the king of Britain.
Ludd Llaw Eraint: Known as Ludd of the silver hand, he is a legendary hero, and the father of Gwynn ap Nudd. In some tales he is known as the king of Britain, while his brother rules France.
Mabon ap Modron: The son of Modron. Both he and his mother were likely deities, descending from a divine mother-son pair.
Modron: May have been the origin of Morgan Le Fay. She is the mother of Mabon,who was stolen from her when he was three days old and rescued by King Arthur. She is a fertility and harvest deity, and she appears as a washerwoman.
Rhiannon: Rhiannon was a queen who appears in the Mabinogion. She is often compared to the horse goddess, Epona.
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