It was during the time of Arthur that the Faery sought integration with the Volsungrs whose island they shared. Unfortunately the king of the Volsungr colony at the north of the island had no interest in marrying his daughter to one of them, and Arthur's men assisted his cousin Culhwch in performing a daunting series of tasks to win the hand of Olwen, the giant king's daughter, after which her father still opposed the marriage.
His name was Ysbaddadden. He was so bad that all his enemies gathered specifically in order to visit him when they learned he was going to die. He didn't like it when the Faery threw spears at him; it made him rather grumpy. In fact, in the process of being besieged, Ysbaddadden became so bored that his servants had to bring forks to prop up his eyelids –or at least, so goes the tale.
The gallant suitor had an enormous and affectionate Volsungr aunt. She seems to have been the most dangerous adversary in the story, for when he visited her with one of Arthur's strongest men, the seasoned warrior narrowly escaped death by hugging and needed all his skills to escape her overwhelming embrace.
The story of the giant princess and her gallant but diminutive Faery prince seems to have sparked a bit of fifth millennium humour. The Britons were not blind to the comic possibilities of the situation, and I think they had a fine time with Cuhlwch's obsession even while going to great lengths to assist him. But amid all the joking a very important alliance was being created, and in order to make it happen the Faery had to kill the giant king who opposed it. Integration with the giants was crucial to the little people's well being. When the royal family had Volsungr blood, there was peace. When it did not, trouble was brewing.
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