Dywel fab Erbin

Dywel fab Erbin is not presented in the surviving sources with a mythic origin story; he is attested as a member of a dynastic kin-group (son of Erbin, brother of Geraint and Ermid) and as one of Arthur's retinue at Celliwig. The literary record that preserves him consists of medieval Welsh poems and the early Arthurian tale Culhwch ac Olwen, which place him within the corpus of named heroic warriors commemorated by poetry rather than offering a narrative of supernatural origin or founding exploits.

The supplied sources give no physical or iconographic description of Dywel. He is characterized by his social relations (son of Erbin; brother to Geraint and Ermid) and by actions recorded in verse — principally his conduct in battle and the fact of his death with his men — rather than by clothing, weapons, stature, or other corporeal detail. The poetic notices function to memorialize his role as a warrior rather than to provide an archaeological or visual portrait.

The sources attribute to Dywel a martial role and exemplary battlefield conduct: he is named as a knight of Arthur's court at Celliwig and is recorded as having led men in battle. The Black Book of Carmarthen (Dialogue of Myrddin and Taliesin) states, 'At the last, they slew Dyel, The son of Erbin, with all his men,' indicating he died in combat while commanding followers. An englyn in the Stanzas of the Graves praises his independence and valor — 'He would not be a vassal to a king; Blameless, he would not shrink from battle.' No supernatural powers or magical abilities are ascribed in the provided material.