In the second branch, Branwen, the sister of Bendigeidfran (king of Great Britain) is given in marriage to Matholwch, king of Ireland. Branwen's half-brother insults Matholwch, mutilating his horses, but Bendigeidfran gives him new horses and treasure, including a magical cauldron that can resurrect the dead, in compensation. Matholwch and Branwen have a son (Gwern). Matholwch begins to mistreat Branwen, hitting him and making her a slave to work. Branwen trains a starling to bring a message to Bendigeidfran, who goes to war against Matholwch. His navy crosses the Irish Sea by boat, but it is so huge that it wades. The Irishman offers to make peace and build a house large enough to enter Bendigeidfran, but inside they hang a hundred bags and tell Efnisien that they contain flour, when in fact they hide armed warriors. Efnisien kills the soldiers by chafando the bosas. After the feat, Efnisien throws Gwern to the fire and the fight breaks out. Seeing that the Irish are using the cauldron to revive their dead, Efnisien hides between bodies and destroys the cauldron, although it costs him his life. Only seven men, all of them Welsh, survive the battle, including Pryderi, Manawyddan and Bendigeidfran, who are mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. Bendigeidfran asks her colleagues to cut off her head and take her back to Britain. Branwen dies of regret back home. Five pregnant women survive to repopulate Ireland.
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