morfran (middle welsh: "moruran" "cormorant"; literally "sea crow", from "môr", "sea", and "brân", "crow", from common brittonic *"mori-brannos", as in french "cormoran" < l "corvus marinus") is a figure in welsh mythology. usually portrayed as a warrior under king arthur, he is noted for the darkness of his skin and his hideousness. he appears in the narratives about the bard taliesin and in the welsh triads, where he is often contrasted with the angelically handsome sanddef.