Branwen Daughter of Llyr

Motif: the mutilation of horses
The animals in Branwen Daughter of Llyr hold a lot of significance. The horses, which symbolize wealth and status for both kings, could be argued to be one of the causes of the war. Efnisein's brutal mutilation of the horses is a deliberate act of trying to provoke the Irish king, Malthowch, to declare war. Not only does he ruin the property of the Irish king, but he also is insulting the whole purpose for Malthowch's coming to Wales in the first place. Unfortunately, his plans are ruined by his brother. But, his actions do serve the purpose of putting the idea of continued hostility into the mind of Malthowch, causing him to doubt later that his marriage to Branwen had anything to do with keeping the peace. Malthowch's people make him believe that Bendigeidfran's payment wasn't sufficient for the insult that was made towards them when they were just trying to make an alliance. Luckily for Efnisein, his mutilation of the horses was just enough to make the Irish mad enough to provoke the war that he had been planning.