The Welsh pantheon is divided into two camps: the Children of Don and the Children of Llyr. The Children of Llyr are generally held to represent dark, natural forces, as opposed to the "civilized" aspect of the Children of Don. The two groups war throughout mythology, as recounted in The Mabinogion. It is possible that the Children of Llyr were the indiginous gods of the Neolithic tribes, or possibly the Picts.
At any rate, this is the family of Llyr:
- Llyr: "The Sea"--shadowy figure, god of the sea. Equivalent to the Irish Lir and later made into the legendary King Lear.
- Penardun: "Sovereignity"--goddess of the land and daughter of Don.
- Bran: "The Raven" also called Bendigedfran and Bran the Blessed. King of Britain; giant god of plenty, god of music, and owner of a cauldron of rebirth. He is later made into The Fisher King of the Grail legend, and in The History of the Kings of Britian is confused with the historical Brennius.
- Branwen: "White Raven" also called Bronwen "White Breast" a goddess of tragic love, she later reappears in the Tristan romances as Brangwain. Her tale is told in the Mabinogion.
- Creiddylad: "???" sometimes the daughter of Lludd, she is the origin of Cordelia.
- Efniessin: loosely "The Bad One" antihero and trickster figure, he brings discord to the family. god of discord.
- Niessin: loosely "The Nice One" twin of Efniessin, a god of peace.
- Manawyddan ap Llyr: usurped king of Britain, god of wisdom and patience; equivalent of the Irish Manannan mac Lir.
- Rhiannon: "Great Queen" wife of both Pwyll and Manawyddan, a horse goddess and queen of the otherworld, an aspect of the Mother Goddess or Modron. Mother of Pryderi.
- Pwyll: "Sense, Judgement" ironic, as he is a foolhardy character. God of the underworld after a deal with Arawn, called "Pwyll pen Annwn."
- Arawn: "Silver Tongue"? "Gray One"? "Orator"? God of the underworld Annwn or Annwfn; Pwyll made a deal with him to switch places for one year.