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Owain mab Urien (or Owein) (d. circa 595) was the son of Urien, king of Rheged c. 590 AD, and fought with his father against the Angles of Bernicia. The historical figure of Owain became incorporated into the Arthurian cycle of legends where he was known as Owain, Yvain, Ewain or Uwain. In his legendary guise he is the main character in Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.

The Historical Owain

Our chief references to the historical Owain appear in the poems of Taliesin, Urien's bard. The poem Gweith Argoed Llwyfain ("The Battle of Argoed Llwyfain") tells of Owain's part in a battle between the men of Rheged under Urien and the men of Bernicia under "Fflamddwyn" (Firebrand), possibly the Anglian king Theodoric. When Fflamddwyn demands hostages, Owain shouts defiance and inspires the men of Rheged to fight rather than give tribute to the English.

Taliesin also composed Marwnad Owain, an elegy to Owain. In the poem, it is said that Owain slew Fflamddwyn:

  Pan laddodd Owain Fflamddwyn  Nid oedd fwy nogyd cysgaid
  Cysgid Lloegr llydan nifer    A lleufer yn eu llygaid
  A rhai ni ffoynt haeach       A oeddynt hyach na rhaid
  Owain a'u cosbes yn ddrud     Mal cnud yn dylud defaid

  When Owain slew Fflamddwyn it was no more to him than to sleep
  The wide host of Lloegr [England] sleeps with the light in their eyes
  And those that did not flee were braver than was needed
  Owain punished them harshly like a pack of wolves chasing sheep

He inherited the kingdom of Rheged when his father passed, but he died defending it from other Britons. When he fell so did the kingdom.

The Owain of Legend

Over the centuries, the history of Owain known to storytellers faded sufficiently that he was incorporated into Welsh Arthurian legend and stories about him spread to continental Europe. He appears in the Mabinogion tale The Dream of Rhonabwy, and Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain, the Knight of the Lion and the related Mabinogion story Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain are devoted to his exploits. The character appears as an excellent knight in the later romances, the Lancelot-Grail cycle and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, under one spelling of his name or another.

In The Dream of Rhonabwy, he plays a game of chess against Arthur while Rhonabwy looks on and the Saxons prepare to fight. The outlines of Chrétien's Yvain, the Knight of the Lion and Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain are essentially the same; Owain hears of a magical storm-making fountain in the forest of Broceliande and seeks it out, only to find it defended by an excellent knight. He defeats this warrior and marries his wife Laudine, but forsaking his marital duties for knightly exploits, he loses her love. With the aid of a lion he rescues from a serpent, he completes several adventures and is eventually reunited with his lady. He appears in most of the later accounts, his importance indicated by his close friendship with Gawain and the passage in the Mort Artu where he is one of the last knights to die before Arthur.

Almost all versions of the Arthurian story have him as Urien's son and Arthur's nephew, and the later accounts assume his mother is Morgan Le Fay, if not one of the King's other half sisters. He has a half brother called Owain the Bastard after him, the product of a union between Urien and his senechal's wife. The Welsh give him a twin sister, Morvydd, and as Arthur's maternal nephew he is a cousin to Gawain and the Orkney clan.

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 '''Owain mab Urien''' (or '''Owein''') (d. ''circa'' [[595]]) was the son of [[Urien Rheged|Urien]], king of [[Rheged]] c. [[590]] AD, and fought with his father against the [[Angles]] of [[Bernicia]].
-Our chief reference to the historical Owain is in the poems of [[Taliesin]], Urien's [[bard]]. The [[poem]] ''Gweith Argoed Llwyfain'' ("The Battle of Argoed Llwyfain") tells of Owain's part in a battle between the men of [[Rheged]] under Urien and the men of Bernicia under "Fflamddwyn" (Firebrand), possibly the Anglian king [[Theodoric of Bernicia|Theodoric]]. When Fflamddwyn demands hostages, Owain shouts defiance and inspires the men of Rheged to fight rather than give tribute to the English.
+==The Historical Owain==
+Our chief  to the historical Owain  in the poems of [[Taliesin]], Urien's [[bard]]. The [[poem]] ''Gweith Argoed Llwyfain'' ("The Battle of Argoed Llwyfain") tells of Owain's part in a battle between the men of [[Rheged]] under Urien and the men of Bernicia under "Fflamddwyn" (Firebrand), possibly the Anglian king [[Theodoric of Bernicia|Theodoric]]. When Fflamddwyn demands hostages, Owain shouts defiance and inspires the men of Rheged to fight rather than give tribute to the English.
 Taliesin also composed ''Marwnad Owain'', an [[elegy]] to Owain. In the poem, it is said that Owain slew Fflamddwyn:
@@ Line 17: / Line 19: @@
 He inherited the kingdom of Rheged when his father passed, but he died defending it from other Britons. When he fell so did the kingdom.
-The Welsh figure of Owain became incorporated into the [[Arthurian legend|Arthurian cycle of legends]] where he was known as '''Owain''', '''Yvain''', '''Ewain''' or '''Uwain'''. He appears in the [[Mabinogion]] tale [[The Dream of Rhonabwy]], and [[Chrétien de Troyes]]'s [[Yvain, the Knight of the Lion]] and the related [[Mabinogion]] story '''Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain''' are devoted to his exploits. The character appears as an excellent knight in the later romances, the [[Lancelot|Lancelot-Grail]] cycle and [[Sir Thomas Malory]]'s [[Le Morte d'Arthur]], under one spelling of his name or another.
+==The Owain of Legend==
+   of Owain  incorporated into  [[Arthurian legend]]        . He appears in the [[Mabinogion]] tale [[The Dream of Rhonabwy]], and [[Chrétien de Troyes]]'s [[Yvain, the Knight of the Lion]] and the related [[Mabinogion]] story '''Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain''' are devoted to his exploits. The character appears as an excellent knight in the later romances, the [[Lancelot|Lancelot-Grail]] cycle and [[Sir Thomas Malory]]'s [[Le Morte d'Arthur]], under one spelling of his name or another.
 In ''The Dream of Rhonabwy'', he plays a game of chess against Arthur while Rhonabwy looks on and the Saxons prepare to fight. The outlines of [[Chrétien de Troyes|Chrétien]]'s [[Yvain, the Knight of the Lion]] and  '''Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain''' are essentially the same; Owain hears of a magical storm-making fountain in the forest of [[Broceliande]] and seeks it out, only to find it defended by an excellent knight. He defeats this warrior and marries his wife [[Laudine]], but forsaking his marital duties for knightly exploits, he loses her love. With the aid of a lion he rescues from a serpent, he completes several adventures and is eventually reunited with his lady. He appears in most of the later accounts, his importance indicated by his close friendship with [[Gawain]] and the passage in the ''Mort Artu'' where he is one of the last knights to die before [[King Arthur|Arthur]].
-Almost all versions of the Arthurian story  have him as [[Urien]]'s son and [[King Arthur|Arthur]]'s nephew, and the later accounts assume his mother is [[Morgan Le Fay]], if not one of the King's other half sisters. He has a half brother called [[Owain the Bastard]] after him, the product of a union between Urien and his senechal's wife. The Welsh give him a twin sister, Morvydd, and as Arthur's maternal nephew he is a cousin to Gawain and the Orkney clan.
+Almost all versions of the Arthurian story have him as [[Urien]]'s son and [[King Arthur|Arthur]]'s nephew, and the later accounts assume his mother is [[Morgan Le Fay]], if not one of the King's other half sisters. He has a half brother called [[Owain the Bastard]] after him, the product of a union between Urien and his senechal's wife. The Welsh give him a twin sister, Morvydd, and as Arthur's maternal nephew he is a cousin to Gawain and the Orkney clan.