Efnisien

1.Efnisien is the troublemaker. He likes nothing more than causing problems between people, whether it's between Wales and Ireland, or himself and his family. Although he does love to create mischief, he can also be argued to be a hero. he has his country at heart, and it is his sacrifice of his own life that keeps the Irish army from regenerating and killing his entire country.

2. No other myths/stories/folklore about Efnisien exist from this time period.

3. To the author of Branwen Daughter of Llyr, Efnisien represents the ultimate hero to the people of Wales. He forsees the trouble with his sister and the Irish king and takes action on it, keeping Wales and Ireland from having a true alliance, which works out well for Britain in the end. His breaking of the cauldron keeps it from being a very dangerous weapon against not only the Welsh people, but any other country that would have had conflict with Ireland. If it wasn't for Efnisien's causing the trouble with Ireland in the first place, Bendigeidfran would never have been mortally wounded and his head would never have become the protector of Great Britain.

4. I find Efnisein to be very likeable. It is much easier to relate to the character who doesn't always do the right thing than it is to the ones like Bendigeidfran, who are considered "perfect." No one likes a perfect person, except for maybe themselves. For the rest of us, the ones who are constantly getting into, or being the cause of trouble are the ones who hit closest to home. They remind us of ourselves and make us feel good by showing us how sometimes the greatest heroes are the ones who don't always get it right.

5. see above- Efnisien breaking the cauldron

6. One of the most prominent literary terms that comes to mind when discussing Efnisien is situational irony. The evidence of his troublemaking (ex: mutilation of horses, kneading the "flour" bags, throwing Gwern into the fire) causes the reader to believe that he wouldn't regret what he has done and go on doing exactly the same thing. But the author surprises us by describing his tremendous heroic act where he fakes death to be thrown into the cauldron. It is this act, and the breaking of that cauldron, that ultimately results in the victory of the Welsh army over the Irish. It is a surprise to the reader to find that Efnisien does have his country at heart, when he seems to be doing everything in his power the ruin the peace with Ireland.