Guest - Mabinogion

EVR.
YA\AN,
I WILL- GO WITH
THEE.
University of California Berkeley
PHILIP WHALEN COLLECTION
THE PETER AND ROSELL HARVEY

MEMORIAL FUND
EVERYMAN'S LIBRARY
EDITED BY ERNEST RHYS
ROMANCE
THE MABINOGION WITH

AN INTRODUCTION BY
REV. R. WILLIAMS, M.A.
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^MABINOGION
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FIRST ISSUE OF THIS EDITION . March 1906
May 1906; April 1910;
March 1913
CONTENTS
PAGE
PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED . . I
3
BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR . .

33
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR . . ,48

MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY . . 61
THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG . . 81
THE STORY OF LLUDD AND LLEVELYS .

89
K1LHWCH AND OLWEN . . .

-95
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY . . .
135
THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN , .

.150
PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC . .
176
GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN
..... .219
. .
......
TALIESIN 263
NOTES 287
translations of the "
"
The following texts and Mabinogion
have been published :
The Mabinogion. . . .
English translation and notes by Lady
C. E. Guest (afterwards Schreiber). 3 vols. in 7 parts. 1849
(1838-49). Second edition, 1877 > abridged edition from which
the Welsh text is omitted. Contes populaires des anciens Bretons,
Paris, 1842 ; reprinted in 1861 as, Les Romans de la Table Ronde
et les Contes des anciens Bretons. M. Th. Hersart de la Ville-
marque. Die Arthur Sage und die Mahrchen des Rothen Buchs
von Hergest. Albert Schulz (San Marte), 1841. The Boy's
Mabinogion . . . (after Lady C. E. Guest) . . with an intro-
.
duction by S. Lanier. pp. xx, 361. 1881. The Text of the

Mabinogion and other Welsh tales. . . Edited by John Rhys
.
and J. G. Evans (Series of Welsh Texts.), pp. 355. 1887. Les

Mabinogion, Traduit ..
par J. Loth.
. 2 torn. (Arbois De
Jubainville (M. H. d') Cours de litterature Celtique. Tom. 3, 4.)
!889. Tales from the Mabinogion. Edited by Meta E. Williams,
pp. xiv, 189. (The Children's Library.). 1892 (1891). The
Mabinogion. Edited by J. M. Edwards, pp. iv, 96. Gwrecsam,
1896-98. The Mabinogion. Translated by Lady C. E. Guest.
Edited by Robert Williams. Temple Classics, pp. 355. 1902.
The Mabinogion. Translated by Lady C. E. Guest. 3 vols.
(Edwards, O. M.; The Welsh Library.). 1902. The Mabinogion.
Translated by Lady C. E. Guest. Notes by Alfred Nutt. pp.
xiii, 363. 1902. Second edition, enlarged, pp. xi, 383. 1904.
Separate versions of the tales also appeared as follows :
"Pwyll"in the "Cambrian Register," vol. i; "Cambro- Briton,"

1821, ii. "Math ab Mathonwy," in the "Cambrian Quarterly,"
"Maxen Wledig," in "Y " Lludd and
1829. Greal," 1806.
" "Y
Llevelys," in Myvyrian Achaiology" and Greal," 1806.
INTRODUCTION
THE Red Book of Hergest, a fourteenth-century MS. in
the possession of Jesus College, Oxford, is a rich and varied
store of Welsh literature in prose and verse ; but down to the
middle of the nineteenth century most of its contents were
inaccessible to the general reader and even to the student.
In 1849, however, Lady Charlotte Guest published, in
three handsome volumes, the text and an English translation
of eleven tales, together with a large quantity of explanatory
and illustrative notes. In 1877 she issued, in one volume,
the English translation without the Welsh text, and with the
original notes greatly condensed. Besides the eleven tales
from the Red Book there was included, in both editions, the
tale of Taliesin from a much later MS.
The tales themselves are intrinsically so interesting from
a literary point of view, and Lady Charlotte Guest's trans-
lation of them is so good, that no apology is needed for
issuing her English version in a cheap form and without any

material change.
In early-mediaeval Wales the Bards were a class by them-
selves graduates in a particular art. To obtain admission
into the ranks of this bardic hierarchy the candidate had to
undergo a strict and definite literary training he had to:
prove himself master of certain traditional lore. The

aspirant to bardic rank was called a Mabinog. The tradi-
tional lore which he had to acquire was roughly represented
by the Matrinogi, which seems to have been at once a

course of study and a source of income, for the Mabinog
was probably allowed by custom to recite the tales he knew
for pay. Using Mabinogion as the plural of Mabinogi Lady
Charlotte Guest gives it as the general title of all the twelve
tales contained in her book, although, strictly speaking, the
title is applicable only to the four-branch tale of Pwyll^
Braniuen, Manawyddan and Math.
All the contents of this volume are older some of them
2 Introduction
much older than the MSS. in which they are found. They
divide themselves naturally into four groups as follows :
(1) The Mabinogion proper, or, to speak accurately, the

Mabinogi of the four-branches, viz. Pwyll, Braniven,
Manaivyddan and Math.
(2) The two short, old-world Welsh tales of Maxeris
Dream and Lludd and Llevelys.
y
(3) Stories of Arthur viz. Kilhwch and Olwen, Rho~
nabwy's Dream the Lady of the Fountain, Peredur

and Geraint.
(4) The
story of Taliesin.
(1) The
stories of the first group, in their underlying
substance, are pre-Christian and pre-historic ; in their

present form they are quasi-mythological. There is no
reason to doubt the theory that they are a survival of the
ancient mythology of the Celt but the action of time and
;
change has softened down the mythical element, without get-

ting rid of it altogether. The gods have ceased to be gods, but
they have not become ordinary men. In fact the substance
is so much older than the form that the story-teller could
not analyze his material even if he would. As Matthew
Arnold says "the mediaeval story-teller is pillaging an
antiquity of which he does not fully possess the secret ; he is
like a peasant building his hut on the site of Halicarnassus
or Ephesus ; he builds, but what he builds of is full of
materials of which he knows not the history, or knows by a
4
glimmering tradition merely stones not of this building,' but

:
of an older architecture, greater, cunninger, more majestical."

The tales are saturated with magic and illusion.
(2) The two tales of Maxeris Dream and Lludd and
Llevelys carry us back to the Roman administration of
Britain. They have a substratum of history. In the
Mabinogi the story-teller strove, perhaps without knowing
it, to give historical reality
to myth ; here he lets his imagi-
nation and fancy play around real persons. The two stories
challenge comparison with the Historia Regum Britannia
of Geoffrey of Monmouth, but it is not safe to assert that
there is any real connection between them. All that we can
say with any confidence is that the tales of this group stand,
Introduction 3
in point of time, somewhere between the Mabinogiw\& the
growth of the Arthurian legend in Welsh literature.

(3) The third group is made up of stories of Arthur ; but
these are of two kinds. In Kilhwch and Olwen and Rhona-
bw^s Dream Arthur is an indigenous British knight, and
the scene of action is definitely laid in Britain. The hunting
of Twrch Trwyth, which forms so important a part of the
story of Kilhwch, is thoroughly Celtic in spirit, and the
inference is that the tale must have assumed its present
form, probably in the twelfth century, before the Arthurian
legend was Normanized. In the Lady of the Fountain (or
Owain and and Geraint, Arthur and his
Lunet], Peredur
followers become Norman knights.
have From being
incidental in the earlier tales, chivalry and knight-errantry
have now become essential to the tales themselves. The
Arthurian legend had by this time permeated the literature
of Europe, and the fact reacted upon its Welsh form. The
great king still holds his court at Caerleon, but the adventures
of his knights are bound up with a certain vagueness of
geographical detail. A shadowy geography was a part of
the price paid for Catholicity.
(4) The romance of Taliesin is so fragmentary as hardly
to deserve to be called a story. The hero was in all proba-
bility a real sixth-century bard and a contemporary of
Arthur. The incidents of the tale occurred "in the be-
ginning of Arthur's time and of the Round Table," and
"Badon's fight" is treated as an event of the past. The
verse is highly allusive, and is of varying age, and the prose
part was probably written to give the whole an appearance
"
of a coherent story. The romance has no claim to rank
with the Mabinogion and other tales of the same epoch. "
Such is, in brief, a summary of the contents of this
volume. The order inwhich the tales are presented has
been changed, but in other respects no alteration has been
made in the work of Lady Charlotte Guest. In that work
doubtless there are defects. Her transcript of the Red
Book text was in parts inaccurate ; her translation does
not always give the literal meaning of the original, and,
from motives easy to explain, she left a few passages here
4 Introduction
and there untranslated. But nowhere do her mistakes or her
omissions detract seriously from the integrity of the story.
The tales are charming tales, and they are told in a
delightful language. In the translation the spirit of the
original is thoroughly preserved without resorting to any
artificially-archaic idioms. The translator set before her-
"
self a high standard to preserve in Saxon-English the
primitive simplicity of the Welsh
original." To say that she
succeeded conspicuously in her aim is to give her work the
highest praise.
R. WILLIAMS,
ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION
WHILST engaged on the Translations contained in these
volumes, and on the Notes appended to the various Tales, I
have found myself led unavoidably into a much more ex-
tensive course of reading than I had originally contemplated,
and one which in great measure bears directly upon the
earlier Mediaeval Romance.
Before commencing these labours, I was aware, generally,
that there existed a connexion between the Welsh Mabino-
gion and the Romance of the Continent but as I advanced,
;
I became better acquainted with the closeness and extent
of that connexion, its history, and the proofs by which it is

supported.
At the same time, indeed, I became aware, and still strongly
feel, that it is one thing to collect facts, and quite another to
classify and draw from them their legitimate conclusions ;
and though I am loth that what has been collected with

some pains, should be entirely thrown away, it is unwillingly,
and with diffidence, that I trespass beyond the acknowledged
province of a translator.
In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries there arose into
"
general notoriety in Europe, a body of Romance," which
in various forms retained its popularity till the Reformation.
In it the plot, the incidents, the characters, were almost
wholly those of Chivalry, that bond which united the
warriors of France, Spain, and Italy, with those of pure
Teutonic descent, and embraced more or less firmly all the
nations of Europe, excepting only the Slavonic races, not
yet risen to power, and the Celts, who had fallen from it.
It is not difficult to account for this latter omission. The
Celts, driven from the plains into the mountains and islands,
preserved their liberty, and hated their oppressors with fierce,
and not causeless, hatred. A proud and free people, isolated
both in country and language, were not likely to adopt cus-
toms which implied brotherhood with their foes.
5
6 Original Introduction
Such being the case, it is remarkable that when the chief
romances are examined, the name of many of the heroes and
their scenes of action are found to be Celtic, and those of
persons and places famous in the traditions of Wales and

Brittany. Of this the romances of Ywaine and Gawaine,
Sir Perceval de Galles, Eric and Enide, Mort d' Arthur, Sir
Lancelot, Sir Tristan, the Graal, &c., may be cited as
examples. In some cases a tendency to triads, and other
matters of internal evidence, point in the same direction.
It may seem difficult to account for this. Although the
ancient dominion of the Celts over Europe is not without
enduring evidence in the names of the mountains and
streams, the great features of a country, yet the loss of their
prior language by the great mass of the Celtic nations in
Southern Europe (ifindeed their successors in territory be
at all of their blood), prevents us from clearly seeing, and
makes us wonder, how stories, originally embodied in the
Celtic dialects of Great Britain and France, could so in-
fluence the literature of nations to whom the Celtic languages
were utterly unknown. Whence then came these internal
marks, and these proper names of persons and places, the
features of a story usually of earliest date and least likely to
change ?
These romances were found in England, France, Germany,
Norway, Sweden, and even Iceland, as early as the beginning
of the thirteenth and end of the twelfth century. The Ger-
mans, who propagated them through the nations of the
North, derived them certainly from France. Robert Wace
published his Anglo-Norman Romance of the Brut d'Angle-
terre about 1155. Sir Tristan was written in French prose
in 1170; and The Chevalier au Lion, Chevalier de PEpe'e,
and Sir Lancelot du Lac, in metrical French, by Chrestien
de Troyes, before 1200.
From these facts it is to be argued that the further back
these romances are traced, the more clearly does it appear
that they spread over the Continent from the North-west of
France. The older versions, it may be remarked, are far
more simple than the later corruptions. In them there is
less allusion to the habits and usages of Chivalry, and the
Original Introduction 7
Welsh names and elements stand out in stronger relief. It is
a great step to be able to trace the stocks of these romances
back to Wace, or to his country and age. For Wace's work
was not original. He himself, a native of Jersey, appears to
have derived much of it from the " Historia Britonum " of
Gruffydd ab Arthur, commonly known as "Geoffrey of
Monmouth," born 1128, who himself professes to have
translated from a British original. It is, however, very
possible that Wace may have had access, like Geoffrey, to

independent sources of information.
To the claims set up on behalf of Wace and Geoffrey, to
be regarded as the channels by which the Cymric tales
passed into the Continental Romance, may be added those
of a third almost contemporary author. Layamon, a Saxon
priest, dwelling, about 1200, upon the banks of the upper
Severn, acknowledges for the source of his British history,
the English Bede, the Latin Albin, and the French Wace.
The last-named however is by very much his chief, and, for
Welsh matters, his only avowed authority. His book, never-
theless, contains a number of names and stories relating to
Wales, of which no traces appear in Wace, or indeed in
Geoffrey, but which he was certainly in a very favourable
position to obtain for himself. Layamon, therefore, not only
confirms Geoffrey in some points, but it is clear, that, pro-
fessing to follow Wace, he had independent access to the
great body of Welsh literature then current. Sir F. Madden
has put this matter very clearly, in his recent edition of
Layamon. The Abbe de la Rue, also, was of opinion that
Gaimar, an Anglo-Norman, in the reign of Stephen, usually
regarded as a translator of Geoffrey of Monmouth, had
access to a Welsh independent authority.
In addition to these, is to be mentioned the English
version of Sir Tristrem, which Sir Walter Scott considered
to be derived from a distinct Celtic source, and not, like the
later Amadis, Palmerin, and Lord Berners's Canon of
Romance, imported into English literature by translation
from the French. For the Auntours of Arthur, recently
published by the Camden Society, their Editor, Mr. Robson,
seems to hint at a similar claim.
Here then are various known channels, by which portions
ofWelsh and Armoric fiction crossed the Celtic border, and
gave rise to the more ornate, and widely-spread romance of
the Age of Chivalry. not improbable that there may
It is
have existed many others. It appears then that a large
portion of the stocks of Mediaeval Romance proceeded from

Wales. Wehave next to see in what condition they are still
found in that country.
That Wales possessed an ancient literature, containing
various lyric compositions, and certain triads, in which are
arranged historical facts or moral aphorisms, has been
shown by Sharon Turner, who has established the high
antiquity of of these compositions.
many
The more Romantic Literature of Wales has been
strictly
less fortunate, though not less deserving of critical attention.
Small portions only of it have hitherto appeared in print,
the remainder being still hidden in the obscurity of ancient
Manuscripts of these the chief is supposed to be the Red
:
Book of Hergest, now in the Library of Jesus College,

Oxford, and of the fourteenth century. This contains,
besides poems, the prose romances known as Mabinogion.
The Black Book of Caermarthen, preserved at Hengwrt, and
considered not to be of later date than the twelfth century, is
said to contain poems only. 1
The Mabinogion, however, though thus early recorded in
the Welsh tongue, are in their existing form by no means
wholly Welsh. They are of two tolerably distinct classes.
Of these, the older contains few allusions to Norman customs,
manners, arts, arms, and luxuries. The other, and less
ancient, are full of such allusions, and of ecclesiastical
terms. Both classes, no doubt, are equally of Welsh root,
but the former are not more overlaid or corrupted, than
might have been expected, from the communication that so
early took place between the Normans and the Welsh ;
whereas the latter probably migrated from Wales, and were
brought back and re-translated after an absence of centuries,
1 It is also
stated, that there is in the Hengwrt Library, a MS. containing the
Graal in Welsh, as early as the time of Henry I. I had hoped to have added this
to the present collection but the death of CoL Vaughan, to whom I applied, and
;
other subsequent circumstances, have prevented me from obtaining access to it.

Original Introduction 9
with a load of Norman additions. Kilhwch and Olwen, and
the dream of Rhonabwy, may be cited as examples of the
older and purer class ; the Lady of the Fountain, Peredur,
and Geraint ab Erbin, of the later, or decorated.
Besides these, indeed, there are a few tales, as Amlyn and
Amic, Sir Bevis of Hamtoun, the Seven Wise Masters, and
the story of Charlemagne, so obviously of foreign extraction,
and of late introduction into Wales, not presenting even a
Welsh name, or allusion, and of such very slender intrinsic
merit, that although comprised in the Llyvr Coch, they have
not a shadow of claim to form part of the Canon of Welsh
Romance. Therefore, although I have translated and ex-
amined them, I have given them no place in these volumes.
There is one argument in favour of the high antiquity in
Wales of many of the Mabinogion, which deserves to be
mentioned here. This argument is founded on the topo-
graphy of the country. It is found that Saxon names of
places are very frequently definitions of the nature of the
locality to which they are attached, as Clifton, Deepden,
Bridge-ford, Thorpe, Ham, Wick, and the like ; whereas
those of Wales are more frequently commemorative of some
event, real or supposed, said to have happened on or near
the spot, or bearing allusion to some person renowned in the
story of the country or district. Such are " Llyn y Mor-
"
wynion," the Lake of the Maidens ; Rhyd y Bedd," the
Ford of the Grave; "Bryn Cyfergyr," the Hill of Assault ;
and so on. But as these names could not have preceded

the events to which they refer, the events themselves must
be not unfrequently as old as the early settlement in the
country. And as some of these events and fictions are the
subjects of, and are explained by, existing Welsh legends, it
follows that the legends must be, in some shape or other, of
very remote antiquity. It will be observed that this argu-
ment supports remote antiquity only for such legends as are
connected with the greater topographical features, as moun-
tains, lakes, rivers, seas, which must have been named at an
early period in the inhabitation of the country by man. But
there exist, also, legends connected with the lesser features,
as pools, hills, detached rocks, caves, fords, and the like,
io Original Introduction
places not necessarily named by the earlier settlers, but the
names of which are, nevertheless, probably very old, since
the words of which they are composed are in many cases
not retained in the colloquial tongue, in which they must
once have been included, and are in some instances lost from
the language altogether, so much so as to be only partially
explicable even by scholars. The argument applies likewise,
in their degree, to camps, barrows, and other artificial earth-
works.
Conclusions thus drawn, when established, rest upon a
very firm basis. They depend upon the number and appo-
siteness of the facts, and it would be very interesting to
pursue this branch of evidence in detail. In following up

this idea, the names to be sought for might thus be classed :
I. Names of the great features, involving proper names

and actions.
Cadair Idris and Cadair Arthur both involve more than a
mere name. Idris and Arthur must have been invested with
"
heroic qualifications to have been placed in such seats."
"
II. Names of lesser features, as Bryn y Saeth," Hill of
" Lake the Engulphed Court ;
the Dart ; Llyn Llyngclys," of
" Ceven
y Bedd," the Ridge of the Grave ; "Rhyd y Saeson,"
the Saxons' Ford.
III. Names of mixed natural and artificial objects, as
"
"Coeten Arthur," Arthur's Coit; Cerrig y Drudion," the
Crag of the Heroes which involve actions. And such as
;
"
embody proper names only, as Cerrig Howell," the Crag of
" Caer "
Howell ; Arianrod," the Camp of Arianrod Bron ;
Goronwy," the Breast (of the Hill) of Goronwy; "Castell

mab Wynion," the Castle of the son of Wynion ; " Nant
Gwrtheyrn," the Rill of Vortigern.
The selection of names would demand much care and
discretion. The translations should be indisputable, and,
where known, the connexion of a name with a legend should
"
be noted. Such a name as Mochdrev," Swine-town, would
be valueless unless accompanied by a legend.
It is always valuable to find a place or work called after
an individual, because it may help to support some tradition

of his existence or his actions. But it is requisite that care
Original Introduction n
be taken not to push the etymological dissection too far.
Thus, "Caer Arianrod" should be taken simply as the
" "
Camp of Arianrod," and not rendered the Camp of the
silver circle," because the latter, though it might possibly
have something to do with the reason for which the name
was borne by Arianrod herself, had clearly no reference to
its application to her camp.
appears to me, then, looking back upon what has been
It
advanced :
I. That we have throughout Europe, at an early period,
a great body of literature, known as Mediaeval Romance,

which, amidst much that is wholly of Teutonic origin and
character, includes certain well-marked traces of an older
Celtic nucleus.
II. Proceeding backwards in time, we find these romances,
their ornaments falling away at each step, existing towards
the twelfth century, of simpler structure, and with less en-
cumbered Celtic features, in the works of Wace, and other
Bards of the Langue d'Oil.
III. We
find that Geoffrey of Monmouth, Layamon, and
other early British and Anglo-Saxon historians, and minstrels,
on the one hand, transmitted to Europe the rudiments of its
afterromance, much of which, on the other hand, they drew
from Wales.
IV. Crossing into Wales we find, in the Mabinogion, the
evident counterpart of the Celtic portion of the continental
romance, mixed up, indeed, with various reflex additions
from beyond the border, but still containing ample internal
evidence of a Welsh original.
V. Looking at the connexion between divers of the more
ancient Mabinogion, and the topographical nomenclature of
part of the country, we find evidence of the great, though
indefinite, antiquity of these tales, and of an origin, which,
if not indigenous, is certainly derived from no European
nation.
It was with a general some of these conclusions,
belief in
that I commenced my and I end them with my
labours,
impressions strongly confirmed. The subject is one not
unworthy of the talents of a Llwyd or a Prichard. It might,
I think, be shown, by pursuing the inquiry, that the Cymric
nation not only, as Dr. Prichard has proved it to be, an
is
early offshoot of the Indo-European family, and a people of

unmixed descent, but that when driven out of their conquests
by the later nations, the names and exploits of their heroes,
and the compositions of their bards, spread far and wide
among the invaders, and affected intimately their tastes and
literature for many centuries, and that it has strong claims to
be considered the cradle of European Romance.
C. E. G.
DOWLAIS, August 2<?t&, 1848.

THE MABINOGION
PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED
PWYLL Dyved was lord of the seven Can-
Prince of
trevs of Dyved and once upon a time he was at Narberth
;
his chief palace, and he was minded to go and hunt, and

the part of his dominions in which it pleased him to hunt
was Glyn Cuch. So he set forth from Narbeth that night,
and went as far as Llwyn Diarwyd. And that night he
tarried there, and early on the morrow he rose and came
to Glyn Cuch, when he let loose the dogs in the wood,
and sounded the horn, and began the chase. And as he
followed the dogs, he lost his companions and whilst he
;
listened to the hounds, he heard the cry of other hounds,

a cry different from his own, and coming in the opposite
direction.
And he beheld a glade in the wood forming a level
plain,and came to the edge of the glade, he
as his dogs
saw a stag before the other dogs. And lo, as it reached
the middle of the glade, the dogs that followed the stag
overtook it and brought it down. Then looked he at
the colour of the dogs, staying not to look at the stag,
and of all the hounds that he had seen in the world, he
had never seen any that were like unto these. For their
hair was of a brilliant shining white, and their ears were
red ; and as the whiteness of their bodies shone, so did
the redness of their ears glisten. And he came towards
the dogs, and drove away those that had brought down
own dogs upon it.
the stag, and set his
And he was setting on his dogs he saw a horseman
as
coming towards him upon a large light-grey steed, with a
hunting horn round his neck, and clad in garments of
13
14 The Mabinogion
grey woollen in the fashion of a hunting garb. the And
horseman drew near and spoke unto him thus. "Chief-
"
tain," said he, I know who thou art, and I
greet thee
" " thou
not." Peradventure," said Pwyll, art of such
dignity that thou shouldest not do so." "Verily," answered

" it is not that prevents me." " What is it
he, my dignity
asked he. " By Heaven, it is by
"
then, O Chieftain ?
reason of thine own ignorance and want of courtesy."
" What "
discourtesy, Chieftain, hast thou seen in me ?
"
Greater discourtesy saw I never in man," said he, "than
to drive away the dogs that were killing the stag and to
set upon it thine own. This was discourteous, and though
I may not be revenged upon thee, yet I declare to Heaven
that I will do thee more dishonour than the value of an
hundred stags." "O Chieftain," he replied, "if I have
done ill I will redeem thy friendship." " How wilt thou
" "
redeem it ? According as thy dignity may be, but I
know not who thou art ? " "A crowned king am I in
the land whence I come." "Lord," said he, "may the
"
day prosper with thee, and from what land comest thou ?
" From 1 "
Annwvyn," answered he ; Arawn, a King of
" "
Annwvyn, am I."
" "
Lord," said he, how may I gain
thy friendship ? After this manner mayest thou," he
" There is a man whose dominions are
said. opposite to
mine, who is ever warring against me, and he is Havgan,
a King of Annwvyn, and by ridding me of this oppres-
sion, which thou canst easily do, shalt thou gain my
" "
friendship." Gladly will I do this," said he. Show
me how I may." " I will show thee. Behold thus it is
thou mayest. I will make firm friendship with thee; and
this will I do. I will send thee to Annwvyn in my stead,
and I will give thee the fairest lady thou didst ever behold
to be thy companion, and I will put my form and sem-
blance upon thee, so that not a page of the chamber, nor
an officer, nor any other man that has always followed me
shall know that it is not I. And this shall be for the space
of a year from to-morrow, and then we will meet in this
place." "Yes," said he; "but when I shall have been there
for the space of a year, by what means shall I discover him
1
Hades.
Pwyll Prince of Dyved 15
" "
of whom thou speakest ? One year from this night,"
he answered, "is the time fixed between him and me
that we should meet at the Ford ; be thou there in my
likeness, and with one stroke that thou givest him, he
shall no longer live. And if he ask thee to give him
another, give it not, how much soever he may entreat
thee, for when I did so, he fought with me next day as
" " what shall
well as ever before." Verily," said Pwyll,
" "
I do concerning my kingdom ? Said Arawn, I will
cause that no one in all thy dominions, neither man nor
woman, shall know that I am not thou, and I will go
" " will I
there in thy stead." Gladly then," said Pwyll,
"
setforward." Clear shall be thy path, and nothing shall
detain thee, until thou come into my dominions, and I
"
myself will be thy guide !
So he conducted him until he came in sight of the

" "
the Court
palace and its dwellings. Behold," said he,
and the kingdom in thy power. Enter the Court, there
is no one there who will know thee, and when thou seest
what service is done there, thou wilt know the customs

of the Court."
So he went forward to the Court, and when he came
there, he beheld sleeping-rooms, and halls, and chambers,
and the most beautiful buildings ever seen. And he went
into the hall to disarray, and there came youths and pages
and disarrayed him, and all as they entered saluted him,
And two knights came and drew his hunting-dress from
about him, and clothed him in a vesture of silk and gold.
And the hall was prepared, and behold he saw the house-
hold and the host enter in, and the host was the most
comely and the best equipped that he had ever seen.
And with them came in likewise the Queen, who was the
fairest woman that he had ever yet beheld. And she
had on a yellow robe of shining satin ; and they washed
and went to the table, and sat, the Queen upon one side
of him, and one who seemed to be an Earl on the other
side.
And he began to speak with the Queen, and he thought,
from her speech, that she was the seemliest and most
noble lady of converse and of cheer that ever was. And
1 6 The Mabinogion
they partook of meat, and drink, with songs and with
feasting; and of all the Courts upon the earth, behold
this was the best supplied with food and drink, and vessels
of gold and royal jewels.
Andthe year he spent in hunting, and minstrelsy, and

feasting,and diversions, and discourse with his com-
panions until the night that was fixed for the conflict.
And when that night came, it was remembered even by
those who lived in the furthest part of his dominions, and
he went to the meeting, and the nobles of the kingdom
with him. And when he came to the Ford, a knight
arose and spake thus. "Lords," said he, "listen well. It
is between two kings that this meeting is, and between
them only. Each claimeth of the other his land and

territory, and do all of you stand aside and leave the
fight to be between them."
Thereupon the two kings approached each other in the
middle of the Ford, and encountered, and at the first
thrust, the man who was in the stead of Arawn struck
Havgan on the centre of the boss of his shield, so that
it was cloven in twain, and his armour was broken, and
Havgan himself was borne to the ground an arm's and

a spear's length over the crupper of his horse, and he
received a deadly blow. "O Chieftain," said Havgan,
" what I was not
right hast thou to cause my death ?
injuring thee in anything, and I know not wherefore thou
wouldest slay me. But, for the love of Heaven, since
"
thou hast begun to slay me, complete thy work." Ah,
"I unto
Chieftain," he replied, may yet repent doing that
"
thee, slay thee who may, I will not do so." My trusty
Lords," said Havgan, "bear me hence. My death" has
come. I shall be no more able to uphold you." My
Nobles," also said he who was in the semblance of Arawn,
" take counsel and know who to be
ought my subjects."
"Lord," said the Nobles," "all should be, for there is no
"
king over the whole of Annwvyn but thee." Yes," he
"it is right that he who comes humbly should
replied,
be received graciously, but he that doth not come with
obedience, shall be compelled by the force of swords."
And thereupon he received the homage of the men, and
he began to conquer the country ; and the next day by
noon the two kingdoms were in his power. And theie-
upon he went to keep his tryst, and came to Glyn Cuch.
And when he came there, the King of Annwvyn was
there to meet him, and each of them was rejoiced to see
" "
the other. Verily," said Arawn, may Heaven reward
thee for thy friendship towards me. I have heard of it.
When thou comest thyself to thy dominions," said he>
"
thou wilt see that which I have done for thee." " What-
ever thou hast done for me, may Heaven repay it
thee."
Then Arawn gave to Pwyll Prince of Dyved his proper
form and semblance, and he himself took his own ; and
Arawn set forth towards the Court of Annwvyn ; and he
was rejoiced when he beheld his hosts, and his house-
hold, whom he had not seen so long ; but they had not
known of his absence, and wondered no more at his
coming than usual. And that day was spent in joy and
merriment ; and he sat and conversed with his wife and
his nobles. And when it was time for them rather to
sleep than to carouse, they went to rest.
Pwyll Prince of Dyved came likewise to his country

and dominions, and began to inquire of the nobles of the
land, how his rule had been during the past year, com-
"
pared with what it had been before. Lord," said they,
"thy wisdom was never so great, and thou wast never
so kind or so free in bestowing thy gifts, and thy justice
was never more worthily seen than in this year." " By
Heaven," said he, "for all the good you have enjoyed, you
should thank him who hath been with you ; for behold,
thus hath this matter been." And thereupon Pwyll related
the whole unto them. "Verily, Lord," said they, "render
thanks unto Heaven that thou hast such a fellowship, and
withhold not from us the rule which we have enjoyed for
this year past" "I take Heaven to witness that I will
not withhold it," answered Pwyll.
And thenceforth they made strong the friendship that
was between them, and each sent unto the other horses.
1 8 The Mabinogion
and greyhounds, and hawks, and all such jewels as they
thought would be pleasing to each other. And by reason
of his having dwelt that year in Annwvyn, and having
ruled there so prosperously, and united the two kingdoms
in one day by his valour and prowess, he lost the name
of Pwyll Prince of Dyved, and was called Pwyll Chief
of Annwvyn from that time forward.
Once upon a time, Pwyll was at Narberth his chief

palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and
with him was a great host of men. And after the first
meal, Pwyll arose to walk, and he went to the top of a
mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd
" " it is
Arberth. Lord," said one of the Court, peculiar
to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence,
without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing
" I fear not to receive wounds and blows in
a wonder."
the midst of such a host as this, but as to the wonder,
gladly would I see it. I will go therefore and sit upon
the mound."
And upon the mound he sat. And while he sat there,
they saw a lady, on a pure white horse of large size, with
a garment of shining gold around her, coming along the
highway that led from the mound ; and the horse seemed
to move at a slow and even pace, and to be coming up
" " is
towards the mound. My men," said Pwyll, there
" "
any among you who knows "
yonder lady ? There is
not, Lord," said they. Go one of you and meet her,
that we may know who she is." And one of them arose,
and as he came upon the road to meet her, she passed
by, and he followed as fast as he could, being on foot ;
and the greater was his speed, the further was she from
him. And when he saw that it profited him nothing to
follow her, he returned to Pwyll, and said unto him,
"
Lord, it is idle for any one in the world to follow her
on foot." "Verily," said Pwyll, " go unto the palace,
and take the fleetest horse that thou seest, and go after
her."
And he took a horse and went forward. And he came
to an open level plain, and put spurs to his horse ; and
the more he urged his horse, the further was she from
him. Yet she held the same pace as at first. And his
horse began to fail ; and when his horse's feet failed him,
"
he returned to the place where Pwyll was. Lord," said
" it will avail for one to follow
he, nothing any yonder
lady. I know of no horse in these realms swifter than
"
this, and it availed me not to pursue her." Of a truth,"
" there must be some illusion here. Let us
said Pwyll,
go towards the palace." So to the palace they went, and
they spent that day. And the next day they arose, and
that also they spent until it was time to go to meat. And
after the first meal,
" "
we will go the
Verily," said Pwyll,
same party as yesterday to the top of the mound. And
do thou," said he to one of his young men, " take the
swiftest horse that thou knowest in the field." And thus
did the young man. And they went towards the mound,
taking the horse with them. And as they were sitting
down they beheld the lady on the same horse, and in the
same apparel, coming along the same road. " Behold/'
"
said Pwyll, here is the lady of yesterday. Make ready,
"
youth, to learn who she is." My lord," said he, " that
will I gladly do." And thereupon the lady came opposite
to them. So the youth mounted his horse ; and before
he had settled himself in his saddle, she passed by, and
there was a clear space between them. But her speed
was no greater than it had been the day before. Then
he put his horse into an amble, and thought that not-
withstanding the gentle pace at which his horse went, he
should soon overtake her. But this availed him not ; so
he gave his horse the reins. And still he came no nearer
to her than when he went at a foot's pace. And the more
he urged his horse, the further was she from him. Yet
she rode not faster than before. When he saw that it
availed not to follow her, he returned to the place where
" " the horse can no
Pwyll was. Lord," said he, more
than thou hast seen." " I see indeed that it avails not
that any one should follow her. And by Heaven," said
"
he, she must needs have an errand to some one in this
plain, if her haste would allow her to declare it. Let us
go back to the palace." And to the palace they went,
2O The Mabinogion
and they spent that night in songs and feasting, as it
pleased them.
And the next day they amused themselves until it was
time to go to meat. And when meat was ended, Pwyll
"
said, Where are the hosts that went yesterday and the
" "
day before to the top of the mound ? Behold, Lord,
we are here," said they. "Let us go," said he, "to the
mound, to sit there. And do thou," said he to the page
who tended his horse, " saddle my horse well, and hasten
with him to the road, and bring also my spurs with
thee." And the youth did thus. And they went and sat
upon the mound ; and ere they had been there but a
short time, they beheld the lady coming by the same
road, and in the same manner, and at the same pace.
" "
Young man," said Pwyll, I see the lady coming ; give
me my horse." And no sooner had he mounted his
horse than she passed him. And he turned after her and
followed her. And he let his horse go bounding play-
fully, and thought that at the second step or the third he
should come up with her. But he came no nearer to her
than at first. Then he urged his horse to his utmost
speed, yet he found that it availed nothing to follow her.
Then said Pwyll, " O maiden, for the sake of him whom
thou best lovest, stay for me." " I will stay gladly," said
"
she, and it were better for thy horse hadst thou asked
it long since." So the maiden stopped, and she threw
back that part of her headdress which covered her face.
And she fixed her eyes upon him, and began to talk
with him. "Lady," asked he, "whence comest thou,
and whereunto dost thou journey ? " "I journey on
mine own errand," said she, " and right glad am I to see
" Then he
thee." My greeting be unto thee," said he.
thought that the beauty of all the maidens, and all the
ladies that he had ever seen, was as nothing compared to
" "
wilt thou tell me aught
her beauty. Lady," he said,
" "
concerning thy purpose? I will tell thee," said she.
" "
My chief
"
quest was to seek thee." Behold," said
Pwyll, this is to me the most pleasing quest on which
thou couldst have come; and wilt thou tell me who
thou art?" "I will tell thee, Lord," said she. "I am
Hhiannon, the daughter of Heveydd Hen, and they

sought to give me to a husband against my will. But no
husband would I have, and that because of my love for
thee, neither will I yet have one unless thou reject me.
And hither have I come to hear thy answer." "By
"
Heaven," said Pwyll, behold this is my answer. If I
might choose among all the ladies and damsels in the
world, thee would I choose." "Verily," said she, "if
thou art thus minded, make a pledge to meet me ere I
am "
given to another." The sooner I may do so, the
more pleasing will it be unto me," said Pwyll, "and
wheresoever thou wilt, there will I meet with thee." " I
will that thou meet me this day twelvemonth at the palace
of Heveydd. And I will cause a feast to be prepared,
so that it be ready against thou come." "
Gladly," said
" will I " "
he, keep this tryst." Lord," said she, remain in
health, and be mindful that thou keep thy promise ; and
now I will go hence." So they parted, and he went back
to his hosts and to them of his household. And what-
soever questions they asked him respecting the damsel,
he always turned the discourse upon other matters. And
when a year from that time was gone, he caused a hundred
knights to equip themselves and to go with him to the
palace of Heveydd Hen. And he came to the palace,
and there was great joy concerning him, with much con-
course of people and great rejoicing, and vast prepara-
tions for his coming. And the whole Court was placed
under his orders.
And the hall was garnished and they went to meat,
and thus did they sit ; Heveydd Hn
was on one side
of Pwyll, and Rhiannon on the other. And all the
rest according to their rank. And they ate and feasted
and talked one with another, and at the beginning of
the carousal after the meat, there entered a tall auburn-
haired youth, of royal bearing, clothed in a garment of
satin. And when he came into the hall, he saluted
"
Pwyll and his companions. The greeting of Heaven
"
be unto thee, my soul," said Pwyll, come thou and sit
"
down." Nay," said he, "a suitor am I, and I will do
" "
mine errand." Do so willingly," said Pwyll. Lord,"
22 The Mabinogion
" is unto thee, and it is to crave a
said he, my errand
boon of thee come." "What boon soever thou
that I
mayest ask of me, as far as I am able, thou shalt have."
"Ah," said Rhiannon, "wherefore didst thou give that
answer ?
" " Has
he not given it before the presence of
these nobles ? asked the youth. " My soul," said Pwyll,
"
"what is the boon thou askest?" "The lady whom

best I love is to be thy bride this night ; I come to ask
her of thee, with the feast and the banquet that are in
this place." And Pwyll was silent because of the answer
which he had given. " Be silent as long as thou wilt,"
"
said Rhiannon. Never did man make worse use of his
wits than thou hast done." " Lady," said he, " I knew
not who he was." " Behold this is the man to whom
they would have given me against my will," said she.
"
And he is Gwawl the son of Clud, a man of great power
and wealth, and because of the word thou hast spoken,
bestow me upon him lest shame befall thee." " Lady,"
" I understand not
said he, thine answer. Never can I
do as thou sayest." " Bestow me upon him," said she,
"
and I will cause that I shall never be his." " By what
means will that be ? " asked Pwyll. " In thy hand will I
" See that thou
give thee a small bag," said she. keep it
well, and he will ask of thee the banquet, and the feast,
and the preparations which are not in thy power. Unto
the hosts and the household will I give the feast. And
such will be thy answer respecting this. And as concerns
myself, I will engage to become his bride this night
twelvemonth. And at the end of the year be thou here,"
said she, "and bring this bag with thee, and let thy
hundred knights be in the orchard up yonder. And
when he is in the midst of joy and feasting, come thou in
by thyself, clad in ragged garments, and holding thy bag
in thy hand, and ask nothing but a bagful of food, and I
will cause that if all the meat and liquor that are in these
seven Cantrevs were put into it, it would be no fuller than
before And after a great deal has been put therein, he
will ask thee whether thy bag will ever be full. Say thou
then that it never will, until a man of noble birth and of
great wealth arise and press the food in the bag with both
* '
his feet, saying, Enough has been put therein ;
and I
will cause him to go and tread down the food in the bag,
and when he does so, turn thou the bag, so that he shall
be up over his head in it, and then slip a knot upon the
thongs of the bag. Let there be also a good bugle horn
about thy neck, and as soon as thou hast bound him in
the bag, wind thy horn, and let it be a signal between
thee and thy knights. And when they hear the sound of
the horn, let them come down upon the palace." " Lord,"
said Gwawl, "it is meet that I have an answer to my
" As
request." much of that thou hast asked as it is in
"
my power give, thou shalt have," replied Pwyll.
to My
soul," said Rhiannon unto him, "as for the feast and the
banquet that are here, I have bestowed them upon the
men of Dyved, and the household, and the warriors that
are with us. These can I not suffer to be given to any.
In a year from to-night a banquet shall be prepared for
thee in this palace, that I may become thy bride."
, So Gwawl went forth to his possessions, and Pwyll
went also back to Dyved. And they both spent that
year until it was the time for the feast at the palace of
Heveydd Hen. Then Gwawl the son of Glud set out to
the feast that was prepared for him, and he came to the
palace, and was received there with rejoicing. Pwyll,
also, the Chief of Annwvyn, came to the orchard with
his hundred knights, as Rhiannon had commanded him,
having the bag with him. And Pwyil was clad in coarse
and ragged garments, and wore large clumsy old shoes
upon his feet. And when he knew that the carousal after
the meat had begun, he went towards the hall, and when
he came into the hall, he saluted Gwawl the son of Clud,
and his company, both men and women. "Heaven
" and
prosper thee," said Gwawl, the greeting of Heaven
be unto thee." " Lord," said he, " may Heaven reward
"
thee, I have an errand unto thee." Welcome be thine
errand, and if thou ask of me that which is just, thou
shalt have it gladly." " It is "I
fitting," answered he.
crave but from want, and the boon that I ask is to have
this small bag that thou seest filled with meat." "A
"
request within reason is this," said he, and gladly shalt
24 The Mabinogion
thou have it.Bring him food." A great number of
attendants arose and began to fill the bag, but for all that
"
they put into it, it was no fuller than at first. My soul,"
" will " "
said Gwawl, thy bag be ever full ? It will not,
"
I declare to Heaven," said he, for all that may be put
into it, unless one possessed of lands, and domains, and
treasure, shall arise and tread down with both his feet the
food that is within the bag, and shall say, Enough has '
been put therein.'" Then said Rhiannon unto Gwawl

"
the son of Clud, Rise up quickly." " I will willingly
arise," said he. So he rose up, and put his two feet into
the bag. And Pwyll turned up the sides of the bag, so
that Gwawl was over his head in it. And he shut it up
quickly and slipped a knot upon the thongs, and blew his
horn. And thereupon behold his household came down
upon the palace. And they seized all the host that had
come with Gwawl, and cast them into his own prison.
And Pwyll threw off his rags, and his old shoes, and his
tattered array ; and as they came in, every one of Pwyll's
"
knights struck a blow upon the bag, and asked, What is
here?" "A Badger," said they. And in this manner
they played, each of them striking the bag, either with
his foot or with a staff. And thus played they with the
"
bag. Every one as he" came in asked, What game are
"
you playing at thus ? The game of Badger in the
Bag," said they. And then was the game of Badger in
the Bag first played.
" "
Lord," said the man in the bag, if thou wouldest
but hear me, I merit not to be slain in a bag." Said

"
Heveydd Hen, Lord, he speaks truth. It were "
fitting
that thou listen to him, for he deserves not this." Verily,"
"
said Pwyll, I will do thy counsel concerning him."
"
Behold this is my counsel then," said Rhiannon ; " thou
art now in a position in which it behoves thee to satisfy
suitors and minstrels ;
let him give unto them in thy
stead, and take a pledge from him that he will never seek
to revenge that which has been done to him. And this
"
will be punishment enough." I will do this gladly,"
said the man in the bag. "And gladly will I accept
"
it," said Pwyll, since it is the counsel of Heveydd and
Rhiannon." " Such then is our counsel," answered they.
"
I accept it," said Pwyll.
"
Seek thyself sureties." " We
will be for him/' said Heveydd, "until his men be free to
answer for him." And upon this he was let out of the
" Demand now of
bag, and his liegemen were liberated.
Gwawl his sureties," said Heveydd, "we know which
should be taken for him." And Heveydd numbered the
sureties. Said Gwawl, "Do thou thyself draw up the
" It will suffice me that it be as Rhiannon
covenant."
said," answered Pwyll. So unto that covenant were the
" " I am
sureties pledged. Verily, Lord," said Gwawl,
greatly hurt, and I have many bruises. I have need to
be anointed ;
with thy leave I will go forth. I will leave
nobles in my stead, to answer for me in all that thou shalt
" "
require." Willingly," said Pwyll, mayest thou do thus."
So Gwawl went towards his own possessions.
And the hall was set in order for Pwyll and the men of
his host, and for them also of the palace, and they went
to the tables and sat down. And as they had sat that
time twelvemonth, so sat they that night. And they ate,
and feasted, and spent the night in mirth and tranquillity.
And the time came that they should sleep, and Pwyll and
Rhiannon went to their chamber.
And next morning at the break of day, " My Lord,"
said Rhiannon, "arise and begin to give thy gifts unto
the minstrels. Refuse no one to-day that may claim thy
" Thus shall it be " both
bounty." gladly," said Pwyll,
to-day and every day while the feast shall last." So Pwyll
arose, and he caused silence to be proclaimed, and desired
all the suitors and the minstrels to show and to point out
what gifts were to their wish and desire. And this being
done, the feast went on, and he denied no one while it
lasted. And when
the feast was ended, Pwyll said unto
"
Heveydd, My
Lord, with thy permission I will set out
" "
for Dyved to-morrow." Certainly," said Heveydd, may
Heaven prosper thee. Fix also a time when Rhiannon
" "
may follow thee." By Heaven," said
Pwyll, we will
go hence together." "Wiliest thou this, Lord?" said
Heveydd. "Yes, by Heaven," answered Pwyll.
And the next day, they set forward towards Dyved,
26 The Mabinogion
and journeyed to the palace of Narberth, where a feast
was made ready for them. And there came to them
great numbers of the chief men and the most noble
ladies of the land, and of these there was none to whom
Rhiannon did not give some rich gift, either a bracelet,
or a ring, or a precious stone. And they ruled the land
prosperously both that year and the next.
And in the third year the nobles of the land began to
be sorrowful at seeing a man whom they loved so much,
and who was moreover their lord and their foster-brother,
without an heir. And they came to him. And the place
where they met was Preseleu, in Dyved. " Lord," said
"
they, we know that thou art not so young as some of
the men of this country, and we fear that thou mayest
not have an heir of the wife whom thou hast taken.
Take therefore another wife of whom thou mayest have
heirs. Thou canst not always continue with us, and
though thou desire to remain as thou art, we will not
" " we have not
suffer thee." Truly," said Pwyll, long
been joined together, and many things may yet befall.
Grant me a year from this time, and for the space of a
year we will abide together, and after that I will do
according to your wishes. So they granted it. And
before the end of a year a son was born unto him. And
in Narberth was he born and on the night that he was
;
born, women were brought to watch the mother and the

boy. And the women slept, as did also Rhiannon, the
mother of the boy. And the number of the women
that were brought into the chamber was six. And they
watched for a good portion of the night, and before
midnight every one of them fell asleep, and towards
break of day they awoke; and when they awoke, they
looked where they had put the boy, and behold he was
not there. "Oh," said one of the women, "the boy is
lost!" "Yes," said another, "and it will be small ven-
geance we are burnt or put to death because of the
if
" Is there
child." Said one of the women, any counsel
" "
for us in the world in this matter ? There is,"
" What
answered another, " I offer you good counsel."
is that?" asked they. "There is here a stag-hound
bitch, and she has a litter of whelps. Let us kill some
of the cubs, and rub the blood on the face and hands of
Rhiannon, and lay the bones before her, and assert that
she herself hath devoured her son, and she alone will
not be able to gainsay us six." And according to this
counsel it was settled. And towards morning Rhiannon
" "
awoke, and she said, Women, where is my son ?
" " ask us not
Lady," said they, concerning thy son, we
have nought but the blows and the bruises we got by
struggling with thee, and of a truth we never saw any
woman so violent as thou, for it was of no avail to
contend with thee. Hast thou not thyself devoured thy
"
son ? Claim him not therefore of us." For pity's
" Lord God knows
sake," said Rhiannon ;
the all things.
Charge me not falsely. If you tell me this from "

fear, I
assert before Heaven that I will defend you." Truly,"
"
said they, we would not bring evil on ourselves for any
"
one in the world." " For pity's sake, said Rhiannon,
" will receive no evil the truth." But for
you by telling
all her words, whether fair or harsh, she received but the
same answer from the women.
And Pwyll the chief of Annwvyn arose, and his house-
hold, and his hosts. And this occurrence could not be
concealed, but the story went forth throughout the land,
and all the nobles heard it. Then the nobles came to
Pwyll, and besought him to put away his wife, because
of the great crime which she had done. But Pwyll
answered them, that they had no cause wherefore they
might ask him" to put away his wife, save for her having
no children. But children has she now had, therefore
will I not put her away ; if she has done wrong, let her
do penance for it."
So Rhiannon sent for the teachers and the wise men,
and as she preferred doing penance to contending with
the women, she took upon her a penance. And the
penance that was imposed upon her was, that she should
remain Narberth until the end of seven
in that palace of
years, and sit every day near unto a
that she should
horse-block that was without the gate. And that she
should relate the story to all who should come there,
28 The Mabinogion
whom she might suppose not to know it already ; and
that she should offer the guests and strangers, if they
would permit her, to carry them upon her back into the
palace. But it rarely happened that any would permit.
And thus did she spend part of the year.
Now at that time Teirnyon Twryv Vliant was Lord of
Gwent Is Coed, and he was the best man in the world.
And unto his house there belonged a mare, than which
neither mare nor horse in the kingdom was more beautiful.
And on the night of every first of May she foaled, and
no one ever knew what became of the colt. And one
"
night Teirnyon talked with his wife :
Wife," said he,
"
it is very simple of us that our mare should foal
every
year, and that we should have none of her colts."
"What can be done in the matter?" said she. "This
is the night of the first of May," said he. "The vengeance
of Heaven be upon me, if I learn not what it is that
takes away the colts." So he caused the mare to be
brought into a house, and he armed himself, and began
to watch that night. And in the beginning of the night,
the mare foaled a large and beautiful colt. And it was
standing up in the place. And Teirnyon rose up and
looked at the size of the colt, and as he did so he heard
a great tumult, and after the tumult behold a claw came
through the window into the house, and it seized the
colt by the mane. Then Teirnyon drew his sword, and
struck off the arm at the elbow, so that portion of the
arm together with the colt was in the house with him.
And then did he hear a tumult and wailing, both at once.
And he opened the door, and rushed out in the direction
of the noise, and he could not see the cause of the tumult
because of the darkness of the night, but he rushed
after it and followed it. Then he remembered that he
had left the door open, and he returned. And at the
door behold there was an infant boy in swaddling-clothes,
wrapped around in a mantle of satin. And he took up
the boy, and behold he was very strong for the age that
he was of.
Then he shut the door, and went into the chamber
where his wife was. "Lady," said he, "art thou sleeping?"
" " I was
No, lord," said she, asleep, but as thou earnest
in I did awake." "Behold, here is a boy for thee if thou
" since thou hast never had one." "
wilt," said he, My
lord," said she, "what adventure is this?" "It was
thus," said Teirnyon ; and he told her how it all befell.
"Verily, lord," said she, "what sort of garments are there
upon the boy?
" " mantle of satin," said he. " He is
A
"
then a boy of gentle lineage," she replied. My lord,"
she said, "if thou wilt, I shall have great diversion and
mirth. my women unto me, and tell them
I will call
that I have been pregnant." " I will readily grant thee
to do this," he answered. And thus did they, and they
caused the boy to be baptized, and the ceremony was
performed there ; and the name which they gave unto
him was Gwri Wallt Euryn, because what hair was upon
his head was as yellow as gold. And they had the boy
nursed in the Court until he was a year old. And before
the year was over he could walk stoutly. And he was
larger than a boy of three years old, even one of great
growth and size. And the boy was nursed the second
year, and then he was as large as a child six years old.
And before the end of the fourth year, he would bribe
the grooms to allow him to take the horses to water.
" "
My lord," said his wife unto Teirnyon, where is the
colt which thou didst save on the night that thou didst
find the boy ?" "I have commanded the grooms of the
" that
horses," said he, they take care of him." "Would
it not be well, lord," said she, "if thou wert to cause him
to be broken in, and given to the boy, seeing that on the

same night that thou didst find the boy, the colt was
"
foaled and thou didst save him ? "I will not oppose
" I will allow
thee in this matter," said Teirnyon. thee
to give him the colt."
" "
Lord," said she, may Heaven
reward thee ; I will give it him." So the horse was given
to the boy. Then she went to the grooms and those
who tended the horses, and commanded them to be
careful of the horse, so that he might be broken in by
the time that the boy could ride him.
And while these things were going forward, they heard
tidings of Rhiannon and her punishment. And Teirnyorfc
3O The Mabinogion
Twryv by reason of the pity that he felt on hearing
Vliant,
this story of Rhiannon and her punishment, inquired
closely concerning it, until he had heard from many of
those who came to his court. Then did Teirnyon, often
lamenting the sad history, ponder within himself, and he
looked steadfastly on the boy, and as he looked upon
him, it seemed to him that he had never beheld so great
a likeness between father and son, as between the boy
and Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn. Now the semblance
of Pwyll was well known to him, for he had of yore been
one of his followers. And thereupon he became grieved
for the wrong that he did, in keeping with him a boy
whom he knew to be the son of another man. And the
firsttime that he was alone with his wife, he told her
that was not right that they should keep the boy with
it
them, and suffer so excellent a lady as Rhiannon to be

punished so greatly on his account, whereas the boy was
the son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn. And Teirnyon's
wife agreed with him, that they should send the boy to
Pwyll. "And three things, lord," said she, "shall we
gain thereby. Thanks and gifts for releasing Rhiannon
from her punishment; and thanks from Pwyll for nursing
his son and restoring him unto him ; and thirdly, if the
boy is of gentle nature, he will be our foster-son, and he
will do for us all the good in his power/' So it was settled
according to this counsel.

And no later than the next day was Teirnyon equipped,
and two other knights with him. And the boy, as a
fourth in their company, went with them upon the horse
which Teirnyon had given him. And they journeyed
towards Narberth, and it was not long before they reached
that place. And as they drew near to the palace, they
beheld Rhiannon sitting beside the horse-block. And
when they were opposite to her, "Chieftain," said she,
"
go not further thus, I will bear every one of you into
the palace, and this is my penance for slaying my own
"
son and devouring him." Oh, fair lady," said Teirnyon,
ci
think not that I will be one to be carried upon thy
back." "Neither will I," said the boy. "Truly," my
soul," said Teirnyon, "we will not go." So they went
forward to the palace, and there was great joy at their
coming. And at the palace a feast was prepared, because
Pywll was come back from the confines of Dyved. And
they went into the hall and washed, and Pwyll rejoiced
to see Teirnyon. And in this order they sat. Teirnyon
between Pwyll and Rhiannon, and Teirnyon's two com-
panions on the other side of Pwyll, with the boy between
them. And after meat they began to carouse and to
discourse. And Teirnyon's discourse was concerning the
adventure of the mare and the boy, and how he and his
wife had nursed and reared the child as their own. " And
behold here is thy son, lady," said Teirnyon. "And
whosoever told that lie concerning thee, has done wrong.
And when I heard of thy sorrow, I was troubled and
grieved. And I believe that there is none of this host
who will not perceive that the boy is the son of Pwyll,"
said Teirnyon. "There is none," said they all, "who
is not certain thereof."
"I
declare to Heaven," said
"
Rhiannon, that if this be true, there is indeed an end
" "
to my trouble." Lady," said Pendaran Dyved, well
hast thou named thy son Pryderi, 1 and well becomes him
thename of Pryderi son of Pwyll Chief of Annwvyn."
"Look you," said Rhiannon, "will not his own name
become him better?" "What name has he?" asked
Pendaran Dyved. " Gwri Wallt Euryn is the name that
we gave him." "Pryderi," said Pendaran, "shall his
name be." " It were more proper," said Pwyll, " that
the boy should take his name from the word his mother
spoke when she received the joyful tidings of him." And
thus was it arranged.
"Teirnyon," said Pwyll, "Heaven reward thee that
thou hast reared the boy up to this time, and, being of
gentle lineage, it were fitting that he repay thee for it."
"My lord," said Teirnyon, "it was my wife who nursed
him, and there is no one in the world so afflicted as she
at parting with him. It were well that he should bear in
mind what I and my wife have done for him." " I call
Heaven to witness," said Pwyll, " that while I live I will
support thee and thy possessions, as long as I am able to
1
The word " Pryder " or " Pryderi " means anxiety.
32 The Mabinogion
preserve own. And when he shall have power, he
my
will more maintain them than I. And if this counsel
fitly
be pleasing unto thee, and to my nobles, it shall be that,
as thou hast reared him up to the present time, I will
give him to be brought up by Pendaran Dyved, from
henceforth. And you shall be companions, and shall
both be foster-fathers unto him." " This is good counsel,"
said they all. So the boy was given to Pendaran Dyved,
and the nobles of the land were sent with him. And
Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, and his companions, set out for
his country, and his possessions, with love and gladness.
And he went not without being offered the fairest jewels
and the fairest horses, and the choicest dogs ; but he
would take none of them.
Thereupon they all remained in their own dominions.
And Pryderi, the son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn,
was brought up carefully as was fit, so that he became
the fairest youth, and the most comely, and the best
skilled in all good games, of any in the kingdom. And
thus passed years and years, until the end of Pwyll the
Chief of Annwvyn's life came, and he died.
And Pryderi ruled the seven Cantrevs of Dyved pros-
perously, and he was beloved by his people, and by all
around him. And at length he added unto them the
three Cantrevs of Ystrad Tywi, and the four Cantrevs of
Cardigan and these were called the Seven Cantrevs of
;
Seissyllwch. And when he made this addition, Pryderi

the son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn desired to take a
wife. And the wife he chose was Kicva, the daughter
of Gwynn Gohoyw, the son of Gloyw Wallt Lydan, the
son of Prince Casnar, one of the nobles of this Island.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogion.
Branwen the Daughter of Llyr 33
BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR

HERE IS THE SECOND PORTION OF THE MABINOGI
BENDIGEID VRAN, the son of Llyr, was the crowned
king of this island, and he was exalted from the crown
of London. And one afternoon he was at Harlech in
Ardudwy, at his Court, and he sat upon the rock of
Harlech, looking over the sea. And with him were his
brother Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and his brothers
by the mother's side, Nissyen and Evnissyen, and many
nobles likewise, as was fitting to see around a king. His
two brothers by the mother's side were the sons of Euros-
swydd, by his mother, Penardun, the daughter of Beli
son of Manogan. And one of these youths was a good
youth and of gentle nature, and would make peace
between his kindred, and cause his family to be friends
when their wrath was at the highest ; and this one was
Nissyen ; but the other would cause strife between his
two brothers when they were most at peace. And as
they sat thus, they beheld thirteen ships coming from
the south of Ireland, and making towards them, and they
came with a swift motion, the wind being behind them,
and they neared them rapidly. " I see ships afar," said
"
the king, coming swiftly towards the land. Command
the men of the Court that they equip themselves, and
go and learn their intent." So the men equipped them-
selves and went down towards them. And when they
saw the ships near, certain were they that they had never
seen ships better furnished. Beautiful flags of satin were
upon them. And behold one of the ships outstripped
the others, and they saw a shield lifted up above the side
of the ship, and the point of the shield was upwards, in
token of peace. And the men drew near that they might
hold converse. Then they put out boats and came
towards the land. And they saluted the king. Now the
king could hear them from the place where he was, upon
the rock above their heads. "Heaven prosper you/*
34 The Mabinogion
"
said he, and be ye welcome. To whom do these ships
belong, and who is the chief amongst you?" "Lord,"
said they, "Matholwch, king of Ireland, is here, and
these ships belong to him." "Wherefore comes he?"
asked the king, " and will he come to the land ? " " He
"
is a suitor unto said
thee, lord," they, and he will not
land unless he have his boon." "And what may that
be?" inquired the king. "He desires to ally himself
"
with thee, lord," said they, and he comes to ask Branwen
the daughter of Llyr, that, if it seem well to thee, the
Island of the Mighty may be leagued with Ireland, and
both become more powerful." "Verily," said he, "let
him come to land, and we will take counsel thereupon."
And answer was brought to Matholwch. "I. will
this
go willingly," said he. So he landed, and they received

him joyfully ; and great was the throng in the palace that
night, between his hosts and those of the Court ; and
next day they took counsel, and they resolved to bestow
Branwen upon Matholwch. Now she was one of the
three chief ladies of this island, and she was the fairest
damsel in the world.
And they fixed upon Aberffraw as the place where she
should become his bride. And they went thence, and
towards Aberffraw the hosts proceeded ; Matholwch and
his host in their ships ; Bendigeid Vran and his host by
land, until they came to Aberffraw. And at Aberffraw
they began the feast and sat down. And thus sat they
The King of the Island of the Mighty and Manawyddan
the son of Llyr on one side, and Matholwch on the other
side, and Branwen the daughter of Llyr beside him. And
they were not within a house, but under tents. No house
could ever contain Bendigeid Vran. And they began
the banquet and caroused and discoursed. And when it
was more pleasing to them to sleep than to carouse, they
went to rest, and that night Branwen became Matholwch's
bride.
And next day they arose, and all they of the Court,
and the officers began to equip and to range the horses
and the attendants, and they ranged them in order as far
as the sea.
And behold one day, Evnissyen, the quarrelsome man
of whom it is spoken above, came by chance into the
where the horses of Matholwch were, and asked
place,
whose horses they might be. " They are the horses of
Matholwch king of Ireland, who is married to Branwen,
his horses are they."
" And thus they
thy sister ;
is it
have done with a maiden such as she, and moreover my

sister, bestowing her without my consent ? They could
have offered no greater insult to me than this," said he.
And thereupon he rushed under the horses and cut off
their lips at the teeth, and their ears close to their heads,
and their tails close to their backs, and wherever he
could clutch their eyelids, he cut them to the very
bone, and he disfigured the horses and rendered them
useless.
And they came with these tidings unto Matholwch,
saying that the horses were disfigured, and injured so
that not one of them could ever be of any use again.
"
Verily, lord," said one, "it was an insult unto thee, and
as such was it meant." " Of a truth, it is a marvel to
me, that if they desire to insult me, they should have
given me a maiden of such high rank and so much
beloved of her kindred, as they have done." " Lord,"
said another, "thou seest that thus it is, and there is
nothing for thee to do but to go to thy ships." And
thereupon towards his ships he set out.
And tidings came to Bendigeid Vran that Matholwch
was quitting the Court without asking leave, and mes-
sengers were sent to inquire of him wherefore he did so.
And the messengers that went were Iddic the son of
Anarawd, and Heveydd Hir. And these overtook him
and asked of him what he designed to do, and wherefore
he went forth. " Of a truth," said he, " if I had known
I had not come hither. I have been altogether insulted,
no one had ever worse treatment than I have had here.
But one me above all." " What is
thing surprises
"
that ?
"
asked they. That Branwen the daughter of Llyr, one
of the three chief ladies of this island, and the daughter
of the King of the Island of the Mighty, should have
been given me as my bride, and that after that I should
36 The Mabinogion
have been insulted ; and I marvel that the insult was not
done me before they had bestowed upon me a maiden so

"
exalted as she." Truly, lord, it was not the will of any
that are of the Court," said they,
" nor of
any that are of
the council, that thou shouldest have received this insult ;
and as thou hast been insulted, the dishonour is greater
unto Bendigeid Vran than unto thee." "Verily," said
he, "I think so. Nevertheless he cannot recall the
insult." These men returned with that answer to the
place where Bendigeid Vran was, and they told him
what reply Matholwch had given them. "Truly," said
" there are no means
he, by which we may prevent his
going away at enmity with us, that we will not take."
"Well, lord/ said they, "send after him another
embassy." "I will do so," said he. "Arise, Manawyd-
dan son of Llyr, and Heveydd Hir, and Unic Glew
Ysgwyd, and go after him, and tell him that he shall
have a sound horse for every one that has been injured.
And beside that, as an atonement for the insult, he shall
have a staff of silver, as large and as tall as himself, and
a plate of gold of the breadth of his face. And show
unto him who it was that did this, and that it was done
against my will ; but that he who did it is my brother,
by the mother's side, and therefore it would be hard for
me to put him to death. And let him come and meet
"
me," said he, and we will make peace in any way he
may desire."
The embassy went after Matholwch, and told him all
these sayings in a friendly manner, and he listened there-
" "
unto. Men," said he, I will take counsel." So to the
council he went. And in the council they considered
that if they should refuse this, they were likely to have
more shame rather than to obtain so great an atonement.
They resolved therefore to accept it, and they returned
to the Court in peace.
Then the pavilions and the tents were set in order
after the fashion of a hall ; and they went to meat, and
as they had sat at the beginning of the feast, so sat they
there. And Matholwch and Bendigeid Vran began to
discourse ; and behold it seemed to Bendigeid
while they talked, that Matholwch was not so cheerful
as he had been before. And he thought that the chief-
tain might be sad, because of the smallness of the atone-
ment which he had, for the wrong that had been done
him. " "
Oh, man," said Bendigeid Vran, thou dost not
discourse to-night so cheerfully as thou wast wont And
if it be because of the smallness of the atonement, thou
shalt add thereunto whatsoever thou mayest choose, and

to-morrow I will pay thee the horses." " Lord," said he,
"Heaven reward thee." "And I will enhance the
"
atonement," said Bendigeid Vran, for I will give unto
thee a cauldron, the property of which is, that if one of
thy men beslain to-day, and be cast therein, to-morrow
he be as well as ever he was at the best, except that
will
he will not regain his speech." And thereupon he gave
him great thanks, and very joyful was he for that cause.
And the next morning they paid Matholwch the horses
as long as the trained horses lasted. And then they
journeyed into another commot, where they paid him with
colts until the whole had been paid, and from thenceforth
that commot was called Talebolion.
Anda second night sat they together. "My lord,"
"
said Matholwch, whence hadst thou the cauldron which
thou hast given me?" "I had it of a man who had
been in thy land," said he, "and I would not give it
" Who "
except to one from there." was it ? asked he,
"Llassar Llaesgyvnewid ; he came here from Ireland
with Kymideu Kymeinvoll, his wife, who escaped from
the Iron House in Ireland, when it was made red hot
around them, and fled hither. And it is a marvel to me
that thou shouldst know nothing concerning the matter."
" "
Something I do know,"
said he, and as much as I
know One day I was hunting in Ireland,
I will tell thee.
and I came to the mound at the head of the lake, which
is called the Lake of the Cauldron. And I beheld a
huge yellow-haired man coming from the lake with a
cauldron upon his back. And he was a man of vast size,
and of horrid aspect, and a woman followed after him.
And if the man was tall, twice as large as he was the
woman, and they came towards me and greeted me.
38 The Mabinogion
*
Verily,' asked I, 'wherefore are you journeying?'
*
Behold, this/ said he to me, 'is the cause that we
journey. At the end of a month and a fortnight this
woman will have a son and the child that will be born
;
at the end of month and the fortnight will be a

the.
warrior fully armed.' So I took them with me and main-
tained them. And they were with me for a year. And
that year I had them with me not grudgingly. But
thenceforth was there murmuring, because that they were
with me. For, from the beginning of the fourth month
they had begun to make themselves hated and to be
disorderly in the land ; committing outrages, and molest-
ing and harassing the nobles and ladies ; and thence-
forward my people rose up and besought me to part with
them, and they bade me to choose between them and my
dominions. And I applied to the council of my country
to know what should be done concerning them ; for of
their own free will they would not go, neither could they
be compelled against their will, through fighting. And [the
people of the country] being in this strait, they caused a
chamber to be made all of iron. Now when the chamber
was ready, there came there every smith that was in
Ireland, and every one who owned tongs and hammer.
And they caused coals to be piled up as high as the top
of the chamber. And they had the man, and the woman,
and the children, served with plenty of meat and drink ;
but when it was known that they were drunk, they began
to put fire to the coals about the chamber, and they blew
it with bellows until the house was red hot all around
them. Then was there a council held in the centre of

the floor of the chamber. And the man tarried until the
plates of iron were all of a white heat ; and then, by
.
reason of the great heat, the man dashed against the

plates with his shoulder and struck them out, and his
wife followed him ; but except him and his wife none
escaped thence. And then I suppose, lord," said
Matholwch unto Bendigeid Vran, "that he came over
" Doubtless he came "
unto thee." here," said he, and
" In what
gave unto me the cauldron." manner didst
"
thou receive them ? "I dispersed them through every
part of my dominions, and they have become numerous
and are prospering everywhere, and they fortify the
places where they are with men and arms, of the best
that were ever seen."
That night they continued to discourse as much as
they would, and had minstrelsy and carousing, and when
it was more
pleasant to them to sleep than to sit longer,
they went to rest. And thus was the banquet carried on
with joyousness ; and when it was finished, Matholwch
journeyed towards Ireland, and Branwen with him, and
they went from Aber Menei with thirteen ships, and
came to Ireland. And in Ireland was there great joy
because of their coming. And not one great man or
noble lady visited Branwen unto whom she gave not
either a clasp, or a ring, or a royal jewel to keep, such as
it was honourable to be seen departing with. And in
these things she spent that year in much renown, and
she passed her time pleasantly, enjoying honour and
friendship. And in the meanwhile it chanced that she
became pregnant, and in due time a son was born
unto her, and the name that they gave him was Gwern
the son of Matholwch, and they put the boy out to
be foster-nursed, in a place where were the best men of
Ireland.
And behold in the second year a tumult arose in
Ireland, on account of the insult which Matholwch had
received in Cambria, and the payment made him for his
horses. And his foster-brothers, and such as were
nearest unto him, blamed him openly for that matter.
And he might have no peace by reason of the tumult
until they should revenge upon him this disgrace. And
the vengeance which they took was to drive away Branwen
from the same chamber with him, and to make her cook
for the Court ; and they caused the butcher after he had
cut up the meat tocome to her and give her every day
a blow on the ear,and such they made her punishment.
" "
Verily, lord," said his men to Matholwch, forbid
now the ships and the ferry boats and the coracles, that
they go not into Cambria, and such as come over from
Cambria hither, imprison them that they go not back for
4O The Mabinogion
this thing to be known there." And he did so ; and it
was thus for not less than three years.
And Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the
kneading trough, and she taught it to
speak, and she
taught the bird w.hat manner of man her brother was.
And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the despite with
which she was treated, and she bound the letter to the
root of the bird's wing, and sent it towards Britain.
And the bird came to this island, and one day it found
Bendigeid Vran at Caer Seiont in Arvon, conferring
there, and it alighted upon his shoulder and ruffled its
feathers, so that the letter was seen, and they knew that
the bird had been reared in a domestic manner.
Then Bendigeid Vran took the letter and looked upon
it And when he had read the letter he grieved exceed-
ingly at the tidings of Bran wen's woes. And immediately
he began sending messengers to summon the island
together. And he caused sevenscore and four countries
to come unto him, and he complained to them himself
of the grief that his sister endured. So they took
counsel. And in the council they resolved to go to
Ireland, and to leave seven men as princes here, and
Caradawc, the son of Bran, as the chief of them, and
their seven knights. In Edeyrnion were these men left.
And for this reason were the seven knights placed in the
town. Now the names of these seven men were, Cara-
dawc the son of Bran, and Heveydd Hir, and Unic Glew
Ysgwyd, and Iddic the son of Anarawc Gwalltgrwn, and
Fodor the son of Ervyll, and Gwlch Minascwrn, and
Llassar the son of Llaesar Llaesgygwyd, and Pendaran
Dyved as a young page with them. And these abode
as seven ministers to take charge of this island ; and
Caradawc the son of Bran was the chief amongst them.
Bendigeid Vran, with the host of which we spoke,
sailed towards Ireland, and it was not far across the sea,
and he came to shoal water. It was caused by two
rivers ; the Lli and the Archan were they called ; and
the nations covered the sea. Then he proceeded with
what provisions he had on his own back, and approached
the shore of Ireland.
Bran wen the Daughter of Llyr 41
Now the swineherds of Matholwch were upon the sea-
shore, and they came to Matholwch. "Lord," said they,
" "
greeting be unto thee," Heaven protect you," said
" " " " we
he, have you any news ? Lord," said they,
have marvellous news, a wood have we seen upon the
sea, in a place where we never yet saw a single tree."
"
This is indeed a marvel," said he ; " saw you aught
else?" "We saw, lord," said they, "a vast mountain
beside the wood, which moved, and there was a lofty
ridge on the top of the mountain, and a lake on each
side of the ridge. And the wood, and the mountain,
and all these things moved." " Verily," said he, " there
is none who can know aught concerning this, unless it be
Bran wen."
"
Messengers then went unto Branwen. Lady," said
they,
"
what thinkest thou that this is ? " " The men of
the Island of the Mighty, who have come hither on hear-
" What is
ing of my ill-treatment and my woes." the
" "
forest that is seen upon the sea ? asked they. The
yards and the masts of ships," she answered. "Alas,"
"
said they, what is the mountain that is seen by the side
" "
of the ships ? Bendigeid Vran, my brother," she
"
replied, coming to shoal water ; there is no ship that
can contain him in it." " What is the lofty ridge with
the lake on each side thereof?" "On looking towards
this island he is wroth, and his two eyes, one on each
side of his nose, are the two lakes beside the ridge."
The warriors and the chief men of Ireland were
brought together in haste, and they took counsel
" "
Lord," said the nobles unto Matholwch, there is no
other counsel than to retreat over the Linon (a river
which is in Ireland), and to keep the river between thee
and him, and to break down the bridge that is across the
river, for there is a loadstone at the bottom of the river
that neither ship nor vessel can pass over." So they
retreated across the river, and broke down the bridge.
Bendigeid Vran came to land, and the fleet with him
"
by the bank of the river. Lord," said his chieftains,
" knowest thou the
nature of this river, that nothing can
* "
go across it, and there is no bridge over it ? What,"
42 The Mabinogion
" is " "
There
said they, thy counsel concerning a bridge ?
" that he who be
is none," said he, except will chief, let
him be a bridge. I will be so," said he. And then was
that saying first uttered, and it is still used as a proverb.
And when he had lain down across the river, hurdles
were placed upon him, and the host passed over thereby.
And as he rose up, behold the messengers of Matholwch
came to him, and saluted him, and gave him greeting in
the name of Matholwch, his kinsman, and showed how that
of his goodwill he had merited of him nothing but good.
" For Matholwch has
given the kingdom of Ireland to
Gwern the son of Matholwch, thy nephew and thy sister's
son. And this he places before thee, as a compensation
for the wrong and despite that has been done unto
Branwen. And Matholwch shall be maintained where-
soever thou wilt, either here or in the Island of the
Mighty." Said Bendigeid Vran, "Shall not I myself
have the kingdom? Then peradventure I may take
counsel concerning your message. From this time until
then no other answer will you get from me." " Verily,"
said they, "the best message that we receive for thee,
we convey it unto thee, and do thou await our
will
message unto him." "I will wait," answered he, "and

do you return quickly."
The messengers set forth and came to Matholwch.
"Lord," said they, "prepare a better message for
Bendigeid Vran. He would not listen at all to the
message that we bore him." "My friends," said
Matholwch, "what may be your counsel?" "Lord,"
said they, "there is no other counsel than this alone.
He was never known to be within a house, make there-
fore a house that will contain him and the men of the
Island of the Mighty on the one side, and thyself and thy
host on the other ; and give over thy kingdom to his will,
and do him homage. So by reason of the honour thou
doest him in making him a house, whereas he never
before had a house to contain him, he will make peace
with thee." So the messengers went back to Bendigeid
Vran, bearing him this message.
And he took counsel, and in the council it was resolved
that he should accept this, and this was all done by the
advice of Branwen, and lest the country should be
destroyed. And this peace was made, and the house
was built both vast and strong. But the Irish planned a
crafty device, and the craft was that they should put
brackets on each side of the hundred pillars that were in
the house, and should place a leathern bag on each
bracket, and an armed man in every one of them. Then
Evnissyen came in before the host of the Island of the
Mighty, and scanned the house with fierce and savage
looks, and descried the leathern bags which were around
" What "
the pillars. is in this bag ? asked he of one
"
of the Irish. Meal, good soul," said he. And Evnis-
syen felt about it until he came to the man's head, and he
squeezed the head until he felt his fingers meet together
in the brain through the bone. And he left that one
and put hand upon another, and asked what was
his
"
therein. Meal," said the Irishman. So he did the
like unto every one of them, until he had not left alive,
of all the two hundred men, save one only ; and when he
came to him, he asked what was there. " Meal, good
soul," said the Irishman. And he felt about until he felt
the head, and he squeezed that head as he had done the
others. And, albeit he found that the head of this one
was armed, he left him not until he had killed him. And
then he sang an Englyn :
1 '
There is in this bag a different sort of meal,
The ready combatant, when the assault is made
By his fellow- warriors, prepared for battle."
Thereupon came the hosts unto the house. The

men of the Island of Ireland entered the house on
the one side, and the men of the Island of the Mighty
on the other. And as soon as they had sat down
there was concord between them; and the sovereignty
was conferred upon the boy. When the peace was
concluded, Bendigeid Vran called the boy unto him,
and from Bendigeid Vran the boy went unto Mana-
wyddan, and he was beloved by all that beheld
him. And from Manawyddan the boy was called by
44 The Mabinogion
Nissyen the son of Eurosswydd, and the boy went unto
him lovingly. "Wherefore," said Evnissyen, "comes
not my nephew the son of my sister unto me ? Though
he were not king of Ireland, yet willingly would I fondle
"
the boy." Cheerfully let him go to thee," said Bendigeid
"
Vran, and the boy went unto him cheerfully. By my
confession to Heaven," said Evnissyen in his heart,
"
unthought of by the household is the slaughter that I
will this instant commit."
Then he arose and took up the boy by the feet, and
before any one in the house could seize hold of him, he
boy headlong into the blazing fire. And when
thrust the
Branwen saw her son burning in the fire, she strove to
leap into the fire also, from the place where she sat
between her two brothers. But Bendigeid Vran grasped
her with one hand, and his shield with the other.
Then they all hurried about the house, and never was
there made so great a tumult by any host in one house
as was made by them, as each man armed himself.
Then said Morddwydtyllyon, "The gadflies of Mord-
dwydtyllyon's Cow!" And while they all sought their
arms, Bendigeid Vran supported Branwen between his
shield and his shoulder.
Then the Irish kindled a fire under the cauldron of
renovation, and they cast the dead bodies into the
cauldron until it was full, and the next day they came
forth fighting-men as good as before, except that they
were not able to speak. Then when Evnissyen saw the
dead bodies of the men of the Island of the Mighty
nowhere resuscitated, he said in his heart, " Alas woe is !
me, that I should have been the cause of bringing the

men of the Island of the Mighty into so great a strait.
Evil betide me if I find not a deliverance therefrom."
And he among the dead bodies of the Irish,
cast himself
and two unshod Irishmen came to him, and, taking him
to be one of the Irish, flung him into the cauldron. And
he stretched himself out in the cauldron, so that he rent
the cauldron into four pieces, and burst his own heart
Also.
In consequence of that the men of the Island of the
Mighty obtained such success as they had ; but they were
not victorious, for only seven men of them all escaped, and
Bendigeid Vran himself was wounded in the foot with a
poisoned dart. Now the seven men that escaped were
Pryderi, Manawyddan, Gluneu Eil Taran, Taliesin,
Ynawc, Grudyen the son of Muryel, and Heilyn the son
of Gwynn Hen.
And Bendigeid Vran commanded them that they
"
should cut off his head. And take you my head," said
" and bear it even unto the White
he, Mount, in London,
and bury it there, with the face towards France. And a
long time will you be upon the road. In Harlech you
will be feasting seven years, the birds of Rhiannon singing
unto you the while. And all that time the head will be
to you as pleasant company as it ever was when on my
body. And at Gwales in Penvro you will be fourscore
years, and you may remain there, and the head with you
uncorrupted, until you open the door that looks towards
Aber Henvelen, and towards Cornwall. And after you
have opened that door, there you may no longer tarry,
set forth then to London to bury the head, and go straight
forward."
So they cut and these seven went forward
off his head,
therewith. And Branwen was
the eighth with them, and
they came to land at Aber Alaw, in Talebolyon, and they
sat down to rest. And Branwen looked towards Ireland
and towards the Island of the Mighty, to see if she could
descry them. "Alas," said she, "woe is me that I was
ever born two islands have been destroyed because of
;
me " Then she utttered a loud groan, and there broke

!
her heart. And they made her a foursided grave, and

buried her upon the banks of the Alaw.
Then the seven men journeyed forward towards
Harlech, bearing the head with them ; and as they went,
behold there met them a multitude of men and of women.
'Have you any tidings?" asked Manawyddan. "We
have none," said they, " save that Caswallawn the son of
Beli has conquered the Island of the Mighty, and is
crowned king in London." "What has become," said
" of
they, Caradawc the son of Bran, and the seven men
46 The Mabinogion
" "
who were left with him in this island ? Caswallawn
came upon them, and slew six of the men, and Caradawc's
heart broke for grief thereof; for he could see the sword
that slew the men, but knew not who it was that wielded
it. Caswallawn had flung upon him the Veil of Illusion,
so that no one could see him slay the men, but the sword
only could they see.- And it liked him not to slay
Caradawc, because he was his nephew, the son of his
cousin. And now he was the third whose heart had
broke through grief. Pendaran Dyved,who had remained
as a young page with these men, escaped into the wood,"
said they.
Then they went on to Harlech, and there stopped to
rest,and they provided meat and liquor, and sat down to
eat and to drink. And there came three birds, and began
singing unto them a certain song, and all the songs they
had ever heard were unpleasant compared thereto and ;
the birds seemed to them to be at a great distance from

them over the sea, yet they appeared as distinct as if they
were close by, and at this repast they continued seven
years.
And at the close of the seventh year they went forth to
Gwales in Penvro. And there they found a fair and regal
spot overlooking the ocean ; and a spacious hall was
therein. And they went into the hall, and two of its doors
were open, but the third door was closed, that which
looked towards Cornwall. "See, yonder," said Mana-
"
wyddan, is the door that we may not open." And that
night they regaled themselves and were joyful. And of
all they had seen of food laid before them, and of all
they had heard of, they remembered nothing ; neither of

that, nor of any sorrow whatsoever. And there they
remained fourscore years, unconscious of having ever
spent a time more joyous and mirthful. And they
were not more weary than when first they came, neither
did they, any of them, know the time they had been there.
And it was not more irksome to them having the head
with them, than if Bendigeid Vran had been with them
himself. And because of these fourscore years, it was
" The enter-
called the Entertaining of the noble Head.'
taining of Branwen and Matholwch was in the time thai
they went to Ireland.
" Evil betide
One day said Heilyn the son of Gwynn,
me, if I do not open the door to know if that is true
which is said concerning it." So he opened the door
and looked towards Cornwall and Aber Henvelen. And
when they had looked, they were as conscious of all
the they had ever sustained, and of all the
evils
friends and companions they had lost, and of all the
misery that had befallen them, as if all had happened
in that very spot; and especially of the fate of their
lord. And because of their perturbation they could not
rest, but journeyed forth with the head towards London.
And they buried the head in the White Mount, and
when was buried, this was the third goodly conceal-
it
ment ;
it was the third ill-fated disclosure when
and
it was disinterred, inasmuch as no invasion from across
the sea came to this island while the head was in that
concealment.
And thus is the story related of those who journeyed
over from Ireland.
In Ireland none were left alive, except five pregnant
women in a cave in the Irish wilderness ; and to these
fivewomen in the same night were born five sons, whom
they nursed until they became grown-up youths. And
they thought about wives, and they at the same time
desired to possess them, and each took a wife of the
mothers of their companions, and they governed the
country and peopled it.
And these five divided it amongst them, and because
of this partition are the five divisions of Ireland still so
termed. And they examined the land where the battles
had taken place, and they found gold and silver until they
became wealthy.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi, concerning
the blow given to Branwen, which was the third unhappy
blow of this island; and concerning the entertainment of
Bran, when the hosts of sevenscore countries and ten
went over to Ireland to revenge the blow given to
Branwen; and concerning the seven years' banquet in.
48 The Mabinogion
Harlech, and the singing of the birds of Rhiannon,
and the sojourning of the head for the space of fourscore
years.
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR

HERE IS THE THIRD PORTION OF THE MABINOGI
WHEN the seven men of whom we spoke above had
buried the head of Bendigeid Vran, in the White Mount
in London, with its face towards France; Manawyddan
gazed upon the town of London, and upon his com-
panions, and heaved a great sigh ; and much grief and
heaviness came upon him. "Alas, Almighty Heaven,
woe is me," he exclaimed, "there is none save myself
without a resting-place this night" " Lord," said Pryderi,
" be not so sorrowful.
Thy cousin is king of the Island
of the Mighty, and though he should do thee wrong, thou
hast never been a claimant of land or possessions. Thou
"
art the third disinherited prince." Yea," answered he,
"
but although this man is my cousin, it grieveth me to
see any one in the place of my brother Bendigeid Vran,
neither can I be happy in the same dwelling with him."
" Wilt thou follow the counsel of another ? " said
PryderL
" I stand in need of "
and what
counsel," he answered,
" " Seven Cantrevs remain unto
may that counsel be ?
" wherein Rhiannon
me," said Pryderi, my mother dwells,
I will bestow her upon thee and the seven Cantrevs with
her, and though thou hadst no possessions but those
Cantrevs only, thou couldst not have seven Cantrevs
fairer than they. Kicva, the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw,
is my wife, and since the inheritance of the Cantrevs
belongs to me, do thou and Rhiannon enjoy them, and

if thou ever desire any possessions thou wilt take these."
" I do " Heaven reward thee for
not, Chieftain," said he ;
" I would show thee the best
thy friendship." friendship
in the world if thou wouldst let me."
"I
will, my friend,"
said he,
" and Heaven reward thee. I will go with thee
Manawyddan the Son of Llyr 49
" Thou
to seek Rhiannon and to look at thy possessions."
wilt do well," he answered. "And I believe that thou
didst never hear a lady discourse better than she, and
when she was in her prime none was ever fairer. Even
now her aspect is not uncomely."
They set forth, and, however long the journey, they
came at length to Dyved, and a feast was prepared for
them against their coming to Narberth, which Rhiannon
and Kicva had provided. Then began Manawyddan
and Rhiannon to sit and to talk together, and from their
discourse his mind and his thoughts became warmed
towards her, and he thought in his heart he had never
beheld any lady more fulfilled of grace and beauty than
" "
she. Pryderi," said he, I will that it be as thou didst
say." "What saying was that?" asked Rhiannon.
"Lady," said Pryderi, "I did offer thee as a wife to
"
Manawyddan the son of Llyr." By that will I gladly
"
abide," said Rhiannon. Right glad am I also," said
" Heaven reward him who hath
Manawyddan ; may
shown unto me friendship so perfect as this."
And before the feast was over she became his bride.
"
Said Pryderi, Tarry ye here the rest of the feast, and I
will go into Lloegyr to tender my homage unto Caswallawn
" "
the son of Bell" Lord," said Rhiannon, Caswallawn
is in Kent, thou mayest therefore tarry at the feast, and
wait until he shall be nearer." "We
will wait," he
answered. So they finished the feast And they began
to make the circuit of Dyved, and to hunt, and to take
their pleasure. And as they went through the country,
they had never seen lands more pleasant to live in, nor
better hunting grounds, nor greater plenty of honey and
fish. And such was the friendship between those four,
that they would not be parted from each other by night
nor by day.
And in the midst of all this he went to Caswallawn at
Oxford, and tendered his homage ; and honourable wa&
his reception there, and highly was he praised for offering
his homage.
And after his return, Pryderi and Manawyddan feasted
and took their ease and pleasure. And they began a
50 The Mabinogion
feast at Narberth, for it was the chief palace ; and there
originated all honour. And when they had ended the
first meal that night, while those who served them ate,
they arose and went forth, and proceeded all four to the
Gorsedd of Narberth, and their retinue with them. And
as they sat thus, behold, a peal of thunder, and with the
violence of the thunderstorm, lo there came a fall of mist,
so thick that not one of them could see the other. And
after the mist it became light all around. And when they
looked towards the place where they were wont to see
cattle,and herds, and dwellings, they saw nothing now,
neither house, nor beast, nor smoke, nor fire, nor man,
nor dwelling ; but the houses of the Court empty, and
desert, and uninhabited, without either man or beast
within them. And truly all their companions were lost
to them, without their knowing aught of what had be-
fallen them, save those four only.
" In the name of "
Heaven," cried Manawyddan, where
are they of the Court, and all my host beside these ?
Let us go and see." So they came into the hall, and
there was no man ; and they went on to the castle, and
to the sleeping-place, and they saw none ; and in the
mead-cellar and in the kitchen there was nought but
desolation. So they four feasted, and hunted, and took
their pleasure. Then they began to go through the land
and the possessions that they had, and they visited
all
the houses and dwellings, and found nothing but wild
beasts. And when they had consumed their feast and
all their provisions,they fed upon the prey they killed in
hunting, and the honey of the wild swarms. And thus
they passed the first year pleasantly, and the second ; but
at the last they began to be weary.
" " we
must not bide thus.
Verily," said Manawyddan,
Let us go into Lloegyr, and seek some craft whereby we
may gain our support." So they went into Lloegyr, and
came as far as Hereford. And they betook themselves
to making saddles. And Manawyddan began to make
housings, and he gilded and coloured them with blue
enamel, in the manner that he had seen it done by Llasar
Llaesgywydd. And he made the blue enamel as it was
made by the other man. And therefore is it still called
Calch Lasar [blue enamel], because Llasar Llaesgywydd
had wrought it.
And as long as that workmanship could be had of
Manawyddan, neither saddle nor housing was bought of
a saddler throughout all Hereford ; till at length every
one of the saddlers perceived that they were losing much
of their gain, and that no man bought of them, but him
who could not get what he sought from Manawyddan.
Then they assembled together, and agreed to slay him
and his companions.
Now they received warning of this, and took counsel
whether they should leave the city. " By Heaven," said
" it is not
Pryderi, my counsel that we should" quit the
town, but that we should slay these boors." Not so,"
"
said Manawyddan, for if we fight with them, we shall have
evil fame, and shall be put in prison. It were better
for us to go to another town to maintain ourselves."
So they four went to another city.
" What craft shall we take ? " said " We
will
Pryderi.
make shields," said Manawyddan. " Do we know any-
" "
thing about that craft ? said Pryderi. We will try,"
answered he. There they began to make shields, and
fashioned them after the shape of the good shields they
had seen ; and they enamelled they, as them had done
the saddles. And they prospered in that place, so that
not a shield was asked for in the whole town, but such as
was had of them. Rapid therefore was their work, and
numberless were the shields they made. But at last they
were marked by the craftsmen, who came together in
haste, and their fellow-townsmen with them, and agreed
that they should seek to slay them. But they received
warning, and heard how the men had resolved on their
" " these men
destruction. Pryderi," said Manawyddan,
desire to slay us." " Let us not endure this from
these
boors, but let us rather fall upon them and slay them."
" Not he answered " Caswallawn and his
so," ; men
will
hear of it, and we shall be undone. Let us go to another
town." So to another town they went.
"What craft shall we take?" said Manawyddan.
52 The Mabinogion
" Whatsoever thou wilt that
we know," said Pryderi.
"Not so," he replied, " but let us take to making shoes,
for there is not courage enough among cordwainers either
" I
to fight with us or to molest us." know nothing
"
thereof," said Pryderi. But I know," answered Mana-
"
wyddan ; and I will teach thee to stitch. We
will not
attempt to dress the leather, but we will buy it ready

dressed and will make the shoes from it."
So he began by buying the best cordwal that could be
had in the town, and none other would he buy except
the leather for the soles ; and he associated himself with
the best goldsmith in the town, and caused him to make
clasps for the shoes, and to gild the clasps, and he marked
how it was done until he learnt the method. And
therefore was he called one of the three makers of Gold
Shoes ; and, when they could be had from him, not a
shoe nor hose was bought of any of the cordwainers in
the town. But when the cordwainers perceived that their
gains were failing (for as Manawyddan shaped the work,
so Pryderi stitched it), they came together and took
<x>unsel, and agreed that they would slay them.
" "
these men are minded
Pryderi," said Manawyddan,
to slay us." " Wherefore should we bear this from the
boorish thieves ?
"
said Pryderi.
" Rather let us
slay
" "
we will not
them all." Not so," said Manawyddan,
slay them, neither will we remain in Lloegyr any longer.
Let us set forth to Dyved and go to see it."
So they journeyed along until they came to Dyved, and
they went forward to Narberth. And there they kindled
fire and supported themselves by hunting. And thus
they spent a month. And they gathered their dogs
around them, and tarried there one year.
And one morning Pryderi and Manawyddan rose up
to hunt, and they ranged their dogs and went forth from
the palace. And some of the dogs ran before them and
came to a small bush which was near at hand ; but as
soon as they were come to the bush, they hastily drew
back and returned to the men, their hair bristling up
" Let us
greatly. go near to the bush," said Pryderi,
* and see what is in it." And as
they came near, behold,
a wild boar of a pure white colour rose up from the bush.
Then the dogs, being set on by the men, rushed towards
him ; but he left the bush and fell back a little way from
the men, and made a stand against the dogs without
retreating from them, until the men had come near.
And when the men came up, he fell back a second time,
and betook him to flight. Then they pursued the boar
until they beheld a vast and lofty castle, all newly built,
in a place where they had never before seen either stone
or building. And the boar ran swiftly into the castle and
the dogs after him. Now when the boar and the dogs
had gone into the castle, they began to wonder at finding
a castle in a place where they had never before seen any
building whatsoever. And from the top of the Gorsedd
they looked and listened for the dogs. But so long as
they were there they heard not one of the dogs nor aught
concerning them.
"Lord," said Pryderi, "I will go into the castle to get
" "
tidings of the dogs." Truly," he replied, thou wouldst
be unwise to go into this castle, which thou hast never
seen till now. If thou wouldst follow my counsel, thou
wouldst not enter therein. Whosoever has cast a spell
over this land has caused this castle to be here," " Of a
truth," answered Pryderi, "I cannot thus give up my
dogs." And for all the counsel that Manawyddan gave
him, yet to the castle he went.
When he came within the castle, neither man nor
beast, nor boar nor dogs, nor house nor dwelling saw he
within it. But in the centre of the castle floor he beheld
a fountain with marble work around it, and on the margin
of the fountain a golden bowl upon a marble slab, and
chains hanging from the air, to which he saw no end.
And he was greatly pleased with the beauty of the gold,
and with the rich workmanship of the bowl, and he went
up to the bowl and laid hold of it. And when he had
taken hold of it his hands stuck to the bowl, and his feet
to the slab on which the bowl was placed, and all his
joyousness forsook him, so that he could not utter a
word. And thus he stood.
And Manawyddan waited for him till near the close of
54 The Mabinogion
the day. And late in the evening, being certain that he
should have no tidings of Pryderi or of the dogs, he went
back to the palace. And as he entered, Rhiannon looked
at him. "Where," said she, "are thy companion and
" " "
thy dogs ? Behold," he answered, the adventure
that has befallen me." And he related it all unto her
"
An evil companion hast thou been," said Rhiannon,
"
and a good companion hast thou lost." And with that
word she went out, and proceeded towards the castle
according to the direction which he gave her. The gate
of the castle she found open. She was nothing daunted,
and she went in. And as she went in, she perceived
Pryderi laying hold of the bowl, and she went towards
him. "Oh, my lord," said she, "what dost thou^do
"
here ? And she took hold of the bowl with him ; and
as she did so her hands became fast to the bowl, and her
feet to the slab, and she was not able to utter a word.
And with that, as it became night, lo, there came thunder
upon them, and a fall of mist, and thereupon the castle
vanished, and they with it.
When Kicva the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw saw that
there was no one in the palace but herself and Mana-
wyddan, she sorrowed so that she cared not whether she
lived or died. And Manawyddan saw this. " Thou art
in the wrong," said he, "if through fear of me thou grievest
thus. I call Heaven to witness that thou hast never seen
friendship more pure than that which I will bear thee, as
long as Heaven will that thou shouldst be thus. I declare
to thee that were I in the dawn of youth I would keep
my faith unto Pryderi, and unto thee also will I keep it.
Be there no fear upon thee, therefore," said he, " for

Heaven is my witness that thou shalt meet with all the
friendship thou canst wish, and that it is in my power to
show thee, as long as it shall please Heaven to continue
"
us in this grief and woe." Heaven reward thee," she
"
said, and that is what I deemed of thee." And the
damsel thereupon took courage and was glad.
" " it
Truly, lady," said Manawyddan, is not fitting for
us to stay here, we have lost our dogs, and we cannot
get food. Let us go into Lloegyr ; it is easiest for us to
" " we will
find support there." Gladly, lord," said she,
do so." And they set forth together to Lloegyr.
" " what craft wilt thou follow ? Take
Lord," said she,
up one that is seemly." "Noneother will I take,"
answered he, "save that of making shoes, as I did
"
formerly." Lord," said she, "such a craft becomes not
"
a man so nobly born as thou." By that however will I
abide," said he.
So he began his craft, and he made all his work of the
finest leather he could get in the town, and, as he had
done at the other place, he caused gilded clasps to be
made for the shoes. And except himself all the cord-
wainers in the town were idle, and without work. For as
long as they could be had from him, neither shoes nor
hose were bought elsewhere. And thus they tarried there
a year, until the cordwainers became envious, and took
counsel concerning him. And he had warning thereof,
and it was told him how the cordwainers had agreed
together to slay him.
" " wherefore should this be borne
Lord," said Kicva,
" " " we will
from these boors ? Nay," said he, go back
unto Dyved." So towards Dyved they set forth.
Now Manawyddan, when he set out to return to
Dyved, took with him a burden of wheat. And he
proceeded towards Narberth, and there he dwelt. And
never was he better pleased than when he saw Narberth
again, and the lands where he had been wont to hunt
with Pryderi and with Rhiannon. And he accustomed
himself to fish, and to hunt the deer in their covert. And
then he began to prepare some ground, and he sowed a
croft, and a second, and a third. And no wheat in the
world ever sprung up better. And the three crofts
prospered with perfect growth, and no man ever saw
fairer wheat than it.
And thus passed the seasons of the year until the
harvest came. And he went to look at one of his crofts,
and behold it was ripe. " I will reap this to-morrow,"
said he. And that night he went back to Narberth, and
on the morrow in the grey dawn he went to reap the
croft, and when he came there he found nothing but the
56 The Mabinogion
bare straw. Every one of the ears of the wheat was cut
from off the stalk, and all the ears carried entirely away,
and nothing but the straw left And at this he marvelled
greatly.
Then he went to look at another croft, and behold
that also was " " this will
ripe. Verily," said he, I reap
to-morrow." And on the morrow he came with the
intent to reap it, and when he came there he found
"
nothing but the bare straw. Oh, gracious Heaven," he
"
exclaimed, I know that whosoever has begun my ruin
is completing it, and has also destroyed the country
with me."
Then he went to look at the third croft, and when he
came there, finer wheat had there never been seen, and
this also was ripe.
" Evil betide " if I
me," said he,
watch not here to-night Whoever carried off the other
corn will come in like manner to take this. And I will
know who it is." So he took his arms, and began to
watch the croft. And he told Kicva all that had befallen,
"Verily," said she, "what thinkest thou to do?" "I
will watch the croft to-night," said he.
And he went to watch the croft. And at midnight, lo,
there arose the loudest tumult in the world. And he
looked, and behold the mightiest host of mice in the
world, which could neither be numbered nor measured.
And he knew not what it was until the mice had made
their way into the croft, and each of them climbing up
the straw and bending it down with its weight, had cut
off one of the ears of wheat, and had carried it away,
leaving there the stalk, and he saw not a single stalk
there that had not a mouse to it. And they all took
their way, carrying the ears with them.
In wrath and anger did he rush upon the mice, but he
could no more come up with them than if they had been
gnats, or birds in the air, except one only, which though
it was but
sluggish, went so fast that a man on foot could
scarce overtake it And after this one he went, and he
caught it and put it in his glove, and tied up the opening
of the glove with a string, and kept it with him, and
returned to the palace. Then he came to the hall where
Kicva was, and he lighted a fire, and hung the glove by
" What hast thou "
the string upon a peg. there, lord ?
"
said Kicva. A thief," said he, " that I found robbing
" What kind of thief
me." may it that
be, lord, thou
couldst put into thy glove?" said she. "Behold I will
tell thee," he answered. Then he showed her how his
fields had been wasted and destroyed, and how the mice
came to the last of the fields in his sight. " And one of
them was less nimble than the rest, and is now in my
glove ; to-morrow I will hang it, and before Heaven, if I
had them, I would hang them all." " My lord," said
" this is
she, marvellous ; but yet it would be unseemly
for a man of dignity like thee to be hanging such a
reptile as this. And if thou doest right, thou wilt not
meddle with the creature, but wilt let it go." "Woe
"
betide me," saidhe, if I would not hang them all
could catch them, and such as I have I will hang."
I
"Verily, lord," said she, "there is no reason that I

should succour this reptile, except to prevent discredit
unto thee. Do therefore, lord, as thou wilt" " If I
knew of any cause in the world wherefore thou shouldst
succour it, I would take thy counsel concerning it," said
" but as I know of
Manawyddan, none, lady, I am
minded to destroy it." " Do so willingly then," said
she.
And then he went to the Gorsedd of Narberth, taking
the mouse with him. And he set up two forks on the
highest part of the Gorsedd. And while he was doing
this, behold he saw a scholar coming towards him, in old
and poor and tattered garments. And it was now seven
years since he had seen in that place either man or beast,
except those four persons who had remained together
until two of them were lost.
"
"My lord," said the scholar, "good day to thee."
Heaven prosper thee, and my greeting be unto thee.
And whence dost thou come, scholar ? " asked he. " I
come, lord, from singing in Lloegyr and wherefore dost
;
thou inquire?" "Because for the last seven years,"

answered he, "I have seen no man here save four
secluded persons, and thyself this moment." "Truly,
58 The Mabinogion
"I
lord," said he, go through this land unto mine own.
And what work art thou upon, lord ? " "I am hanging
a thief that I caught robbing me," said he. "What
manner of thief is that ? " asked the scholar. "
I see a
creature in thy hand like unto a mouse, and ill does it
become a man of rank equal to thine to touch a reptile
such as this. Let it go forth free." "I will not let it go
free, by Heaven," said he ;
"I caught it
robbing me, and
the doom of a thief will I inflict upon it, and I will hang
" "
it." Lord," said he, rather than see a man of rank
equal to thine at such a work as this, I would give thee
a pound which I have received as alms, to let the reptile
" I will not "
go forth free." let it go free," said he, by
"
Heaven, neither will I sell it." As thou wilt, lord," he
"
answered ; except that I would not see a man of rank
equal to thine touching such a reptile, I care nought."
And the scholar went his way.
And as he was placing the crossbeam upon the two
forks, behold a priest came towards him upon a horse
covered with trappings. " Good
day to thee, lord,"
" Heaven
said he. prosper thee," said Manawyddan ;
"thy blessing." "The blessing of Heaven be upon
"
thee. And what, lord, art thou
doing ? "I am
hanging a thief that I caught robbing me," said he.
"
What manner of thief, lord ? " asked he. " A creature,"
he answered, " in form of a mouse. It has been robbing
me, and I am inflicting upon it the doom of a thief."
"Lord," said he, "rather than see thee touch this
reptile, I would purchase its freedom." "By my con-
fession to Heaven, neither will I sell it nor set it free."
"It is true, lord, that it is worth nothing to buy ; but
rather than see thee defile thyself by touching such a
reptile as this, I will give thee three pounds to let it go."
" " take
I will not, by Heaven," said he, any price for
it. As it ought, so shall it be hanged." "Willingly,
lord, do thy good pleasure." And the priest went his
way.
Then he noosed the string around the mouse's
neck, and as he was about to draw it up, behold, he
saw a bishop's retinue with his sumpter-horses, and his
attendants. And the bishop himself came towards him.
And he stayed his work. " Lord bishop," said he, " thy
" Heaven's
blessing." blessing be unto thee," said he ;
"
what work art thou upon?" "Hanging a thief that I
"
caught robbing me," said he. Is not that a mouse that
I see in thy hand ?
" " " And she
Yes," answered he.
has robbed me." " Aye," said he, " since I have come
at the doom of this reptile, I will ransom it of thee. I
I will give thee seven pounds for it, and that rather than
see a man of rank equal to 'thine destroying so vile a
reptile as this. Let it loose and thou shalt have the
money." "I declare to Heaven that I will not set it
loose." "If thou wilt not loose it for this, I will give
thee four-and-twenty pounds of ready money to set it
" I will
free." not set it free, by Heaven, for as much
"
again," said he. If thou wilt not set it free for this, I
will give thee all the horses that thou seest in this plain,
and the seven loads of baggage, and the seven horses
that they are upon." "By Heaven, I will not," he
replied. "Since for this thou wilt not, do so at what
"I " I
price soever thou wilt." will do so," said he.
will that Rhiannon and Pryderi be free," said he. " That
"
thou shalt have," he answered. Not yet will I loose
the mouse, by Heaven." "What then wouldst thou?"
"
That the charm and the illusion be removed from the
seven Cantrevs of Dyved." "This shalt thou have
also ; set therefore the mouse free." " I will
not set it
said he.
" I will know who the mouse
free, by Heaven,"
"
may be." "She is my wife." Even though she be, I
will not set her free. Wherefore came she to me?"
" To " I am
despoil thee," he answered. Llwyd the son
of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm over the seven Cantrevs
of Dyved. And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of
Clud, from the friendship I had towards him, that I cast
the charm. And upon Pryderr did I revenge Gwawl
the son of Clud, for the game of Badger in the Bag,
that Pwyll Pen Annwvyn played upon him, which he did
unadvisedly in the Court of Heveydd Hn. And when
it was known that thou wast come to dwell in the
land,
my household came and besought me to transform them
60 The Mabinogion
into mice, that they might destroy thy com. And it
was my own household that went the first night. And
the second night also they went, and they destroyed
thy two crofts. And the third night came unto me my
wife and the ladies of the Court, and besought me to
transform them. And I transformed them. Now she
is pregnant And had she not been pregnant thou
wouldst not have been able to overtake her ; but since
this has taken place, and she has been caught, I will
restore thee Pryderi and Rhiannon ; and I will take the
charm and from off Dyved. I have now told
illusion
" I will
thee who she Set her therefore free/'
is. not
set her free, by Heaven," said he. "What wilt thou
more ? " he asked. " I will that there be no more charm
upon the seven Cantrevs of Dyved, and that none shall
be put upon it henceforth." "This thou shalt have,"
" Now set her free," " I will
said he. not, by my faith,"
he answered. "What wilt thou furthermore?" asked
" "
he. Behold," said he, this will I have that vengeance
;
be never taken for this, either upon Pryderi or Rhiannon,

"
or upon me." All this shalt thou have. And truly thou
hast done wisely in asking this. Upon thy head would
have lighted all this trouble." "Yea," said he, "for
fear thereof was it, that I required this." "Set now my
wife at liberty." "I will not, by Heaven," said he,
"until I see Pryderi and Rhiannon with me free."
"Behold, here they come," he answered.
And thereupon behold Pryderi and Rhiannon. And
he rose up to meet them, and greeted them, and sat
down beside them. " Ah, Chieftain, set now my wife
"
at liberty," said the bishop. Hast thou not received
all thou didst ask?" "I will release her gladly," said
he. And thereupon he set her free.
Then Llwyd struck her with a magic wand, and she
was changed back into a young woman, the fairest ever
seen.
"Look around upon thy land," said he, "and then
thou wilt see it and peopled, as it was in its
all tilled
best state." And he rose up and looked forth. And
when he looked he saw all the lands tilled, and full of
Math the Son of Mathonwy 61
herds and dwellings. "What bondage," he inquired,
"has there been upon Pryderi and Rhiannon?" " Pryderi
has had the knockers of the gate of my palace about his
neck, and Rhiannon has had the collars of the asses,
after they have been carrying hay, about her neck."
And such had been their bondage.
AnJ by reason of this bondage is this story called the
Mabinogi of Mynnweir and Mynord.
And thus ends this portion of the MabinogL
MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY

THIS IS THE FOURTH PORTION OF THE MABINOGI
MATH the son of Mathonwy was lord over Gwynedd^
and Pryderi the son of Pwyll was lord over the one-and-
twenty Cantrevs of the South ; and these were the seven
Cantrevs of Dyved, and the seven Cantrevs of Morganwc,
the four Cantrevs of Ceredigiawn, and the three of Ystrad
Tywi.
At that time, Maththe son of Mathonwy could not
exist unless his feet were in the lap of a maiden, except
only when he was prevented by the tumult of war. Now
the maiden who was with him was Goewin, the daughter
of Pebin of D61 Pebin, in Arvon, and she was the fairest
maiden of her time who was known there.
And Math dwelt always at Caer Dathyl, in Arvon,
and was not able to go the circuit of the land, but
Gilvaethwy the son of Don, and Eneyd the son of Don,
his nephews, the sons of his sisters, with his household,
went the circuit of the land in his stead.
Now the maiden was with Math continually, and
Gilvaethwy the son of Don set his affections upon her,
and loved her so that he knew not what he should do
because of her, and therefrom behold his hue, and his
aspect,and his spirits changed for love of her, so that it
was not easy to know him.
One day his brother Gwydion gazed steadfastly upon
62 The Mabinogion
him. " " what aileth "
Youth," said he, thee ? Why,"
" what seest thou in me ? " "I
replied he, see," said he,
"that thou hast lost thy aspect and thy hue; what,
" "
therefore, aileth thee ?
" that which aileth
My lord brother," he answered,
me, it will not profit me that I should
own to any." "What may it be, my soul?" said he.
"Thou knowest," he said, "that Math the son of
Mathonwy has this property, that if men whisper together,
in a tone how low soever, if the wind meet it, it becomes
known unto him." " Yes," said Gwydion, " hold now
thy peace, I know thy intent, thou lovest Goewin."
When he found that his brother knew his intent, he
"
gave the heaviest sigh in the world. Be silent, my
soul, and sigh not," he said. "It is not thereby that
thou wilt succeed. I will cause," said he, " if it cannot
be otherwise, the rising of Gwynedd, and Powys, and
Deheubarth, to seek the maiden. Be thou of glad cheer
therefore,and I will compass it."
So they went unto Math the son of Mathonwy.
"
Lord," said Gwydion, "I have heard that there have
come to the South some beasts, such as were never
known in this island before."
" What are they called ?
"
" " And what
he asked. Pigs, lord." kind of animals
are they?" "They are small animals, and their flesh
is better than the flesh of oxen." "They are small,
then?" "And they change their names. Swine are
"
Who owneth them ? " "
they now called." Pryderi the
son of Pwyll ; they were sent him from Annwvyn, by
Arawn the king of Annwvyn, and still they keep that
name, half hog, half pig." "Verily," asked he, "and by
"
what means may they be obtained from him ? "I will
go, lord, as one of twelve, in the guise of bards, to seek
" But it be that he will refuse
the swine." may you,"
" not be evil, lord," said he ;
said he. My journey will
" I will not come back without the swine." "
Gladly,"
said he, "go thou forward."
So he and Gilvaethwy went, and ten other men with
them. And they came into Ceredigiawn, to the place
that is now called Rhuddlan Teivi, where the palace of
Pryderi was. In the guise of bards they came in, and
they were received joyfully, and Gwydion was placed
beside Pryderi that night.
"
Of a truth," said Pryderi, " gladly would I have a
tale from some of your men yonder." "Lord," said
Gwydion, "we have a custom that the first night that
we come to the Court of a great man, the chief of song
recites. Gladly will I relate a tale." Now Gwydion was
the best teller of tales in the world, and he diverted all
the Court that night with pleasant discourse and with
tales, so that he charmed every one in the Court, and it
pleased Pryderi to talk with him.
And after this, "Lord," said he unto Pryderi, "were it
more pleasing to thee, that another should discharge my
errand unto thee, than that I should tell thee myself
what it is?" "No," he answered, "ample speech hast
thou." "Behold then, lord," said he, "my errand. It
is to crave from thee the animals that were sent thee
from Annwvyn." "Verily," he replied, "that were the
easiest thing in the world to grant, were there not a
covenant between me and my land concerning them.
And the covenant is that they shall not go from me,
until they have produced double their number in the
land." " Lord," said he, " I can set thee free from those
words, and this is the way I can do so ; give me not the
swine to-night, neither refuse them unto me, and to-
morrow I will show thee an exchange for them."
And that night he and his fellows went unto their
lodging, and they took counsel. "Ah, my men," said
" we
he, shall not have the swine for the asking/*
"Well," said they, "how may they be obtained?" "I
will cause them to be obtained," said Gwydion.
Then he betook himself to his arts, and began to work
a charm. And he caused twelve chargers to appear, and
twelve black greyhounds, each of them white-breasted,
and having upon them twelve collars and twelve leashes,
such as no one that saw them could know to be other
than gold. And upon the horses twelve saddles, and
every part which should have been of iron was entirely
of gold, and the bridles were of the same workmanship.
And with the horses and the dogs he came to Pryderi.
64 The Mabinogion
"Good day unto thee, lord," said he. "Heaven
prosper thee," said the other, "and greetings be unto
thee." "Lord," said he, "behold here is a release for
thee from the word which thou spakest last evening
concerning the swine; that thou wouldst neither give
nor sell them. Thou mayest exchange them for that
which is better. And I will give these twelve horses, all
caparisoned as they are, with their saddles and their
bridles, and these twelve greyhounds, with their collars
and their leashes as thou seest, and the twelve gilded
shields that thou beholdest yonder." Now these he had
formed of fungus. "Well," said he, "we will take
counsel." And they consulted together, and determined
to give the swine to Gwydion, and to take his horses and
his dogs and his shields.
Then Gwydion and his men took their leave, and
"
began to journey forth with the pigs. Ah, my com-
"
rades," said Gwydion, it is needful that we journey with
speed. The illusion will not last but from the one hour
to the same to-morrow."
And that night they journeyed as far as the upper part
of Ceredigiawn, to the place which, from that cause, is
called Mochdrev still. And the next day they took their
course through Melenydd, and came that night to the
town which is likewise for that reason called Mochdrev
between Keri and Arwystli. And thence they journeyed
forward ; and that night they came as far as that Com mot
in Powys, which also upon account thereof is called
Mochnant, and there tarried they that night. And they
journeyed thence to the Cantrev of Rhos, and the place
where they were that night is still called Mochdrev.
"
My men," said Gwydion, " we must push forward to
the fastnesses of Gwynedd with these animals, for there
is a gathering of hosts in
pursuit of us." So they
journeyed on to the highest town of Arllechwedd, and
there they made a sty for the swine, and therefore was
the name of Creuwyryon given to that town. And after
they had made the sty for the swine, they proceeded to
Math the son of Mathonwy, at Caer Dathyl. And when
they came there, the country was rising. "What news
" "
is there here ? asked Gwydion. Pryderi is assembling
one-and-twenty Cantrevs to pursue after you," answered
" It
they. is marvellous that you should have journeyed
so slowly." "Where are the animals whereof you went

" "
in quest ? said Math. They have had a sty made for
them in the other Cantrev below," said Gwydion.
Thereupon, lo, they heard the trumpets and the host
in the land, and they arrayed themselves and set forward
and came to Penardd in Arvon.
And at night Gwydion the son of Don, and Gilvaethwy
his brother, returned to Caer Dathyl ; and Gilvaethwy
took Math the son of Mathonwy's couch. And while
he turned out the other damsels from the room discourte-
ously, he made Goewin unwillingly remain.
And when they saw the day on the morrow, they went
back unto the place where Math the son of Mathonwy
was with his host; and when they came there, the
warriors were taking counsel in what district they should
await the coming of Pryderi, and the men of the South.
So they went in to the council. And it was resolved to
wait in the strongholds of Gwynedd, in Arvon. So
within the two Maenors they took their stand, Maenor
Penardd and Maenor Coed Alun. And there Pryderi
attacked them, and there the combat took place. And
great was the slaughter on both sides; but the men of
the South were forced to flee. And they fled unto the
place which is still called Nantcall. And thither did
they follow them, and they made a vast slaughter of them
there, so that they fled again as far as the place called
Dol Pen Maen, and there they halted and sought to
make peace.
Andthat he might have peace, Pryderi gave hostages,
Gwrgi Gwastra gave he and three-and-twenty others, sons
of nobles. And after this they journeyed in peace even
unto Traeth Mawr ; but as they went on together towards
Melenryd, the men on foot could not be restrained from
shooting. Pryderi dispatched unto Math an embassy to
pray him to forbid his people, and to leave it between
him and Gwydion the son of Don, for that he had
caused all this. And the messengers came to Math.
66 The Mabinogion
"Of a truth," said Math, "I call Heaven to witness, if
itbe pleasing unto Gwydion the son of Don, I will so
leave it gladly. Never will I compel any to go to fight,
but that we ourselves should do our utmost."
"Verily," said the messengers, "Pryderi saith that it
were more fair that the man who did him this wrong
should oppose his own body to his, and let his people
remain unscathed." "I declare to Heaven, I will not
ask the men of Gwynedd to fight because of me. If I
am allowed to fight Pryderi myself, gladly will I oppose
my body to his." And this answer they took back to
" " I shall
Pryderi. Truly," said Pryderi, require no one
to demand my rights but myself."
Then these two came forth and armed themselves, and
they fought. And by force of strength, and fierceness,
and by the magic and charms of Gwydion, Pryderi was
slain. And at Maen Tyriawc, above Melenryd, was he
buried, and there is his grave.
And the men of the South set forth in sorrow towards
their own land ;
nor
is it a marvel that they should grieve,
seeing that they had lost their lord, and many of their
best warriors, and for the most part their horses and their
arms.
The men of Gwynedd went back joyful and in triumph.
"Lord," said Gwydion unto Math, "would it not be
right for us to release the hostages of the men of the
South, which they pledged unto us for peace ? for we
ought not to put them in prison." "Let them then be
set free," saith Math. So that youth, and the other
hostages that were with him, were set free to follow the
men of the South.
Math himself went forward to Caer Dathyl. Gilvae-
thwy the son of Don, and they of the household that
were with him, went to make the circuit of Gwynedd
as they were wont, without coming to the Court. Math
went into his chamber, and caused a place to be pre-
pared for him whereon to recline, so that he might put
his feet in the maiden's lap. "Lord," said Goewin,
"seek now another to hold thy feet, for I am now a
wife." "What meaneth this?" said he. "An attack,
lord, was made unawares .upon me ; but I held not my
peace, and there was no one in the Court who knew not
of it. Now the attack was made by thy nephews, lord,
the sons of thy sister, Gwydion the son of Don, and
Gilvaethwy the son of Don; unto me they did wrong, "I
and unto thee dishonour." " Verily," he exclaimed,
will do to the utmost of my power concerning this
matter. But first I will cause thee to have compensation,
and then have amends made unto myself. As for
will I
thee, I will take thee to be my wife, and the possession

of my dominions will I give unto thy hands."
And Gwydion and Gilvaethwy came not near the
Court, but stayed in the confines of the land until it was
forbidden to give them meat and drink. At first they
came not near unto Math, but at the last they came.
"Lord," said they, "good day to thee." "Well," said"
he, "is it to make me compensation that ye are come ?
"
Lord," they said,
"
we are at thy will." " By my will I
would not have lost my warriors, and so many arms as I
have done. You cannot compensate me my shame,
setting aside the death of Pryderi. But since ye come
hither to be at my will, I shall begin your punishment
forthwith."
Then he took magic wand, and struck Gilvaethwy,
his
so that he became a deer, and he seized upon the other
hastily lest he should escape from him. And he struck
him with the same magic wand, and he became a deer
" Since now
also. ye are in bonds, I will that ye go forth
together and be companions, and possess the nature of
the animals whose form ye bear. And this day twelve-
month come hither unto me."
At the end of a year from that day, lo there was a loud
noise under the chamber wall, and the barking of the
dogs of the palace together with the noise. "Look,"
" what is without." " (l
I have
said he, Lord," said one,
looked there are there two deer, and a fawn with them."
;
Then he arose and went out. And when he came he

beheld the three animals. And he lifted up his wand.
" As
ye were deer last year, be ye wild hogs each and
either of you, for the year that is to come." And there-
68 The Mabinogion
upon he struck them with the magic wand. "The young
one will I take and cause to be baptized." Now the
name that he gave him was Hydwn. " Go ye and be
wild swine, each and either of you, and be ye of the
nature of wild swine. And this day twelvemonth be
ye here under the wall."
At the end of the year the barking of dogs was heard
under the wall of the chamber. And the Court as-
sembled, and thereupon he arose and went forth, and
when he came forth he beheld three beasts. Now these
were the beasts that he saw; two wild hogs of the
woods, and a well-grown young one with them. And
he was very large for his age. "Truly," said Math,
"
this one will I take and cause to be baptized." And
he struck him with his magic wand, and he become a
fine fair auburn-haired youth, and the name that he gave
him was Hychdwn. " Now as for you, as ye were wild
hogs last year, be ye wolves each and either of you for
the year that is to come." Thereupon he struck them
with his magic wand, and they became wolves. " And
be ye of like nature with the animals whose semblance
ye bear, and return here this day twelvemonth beneath
this wall."
And at the same day at the end of the year, he heard
a clamour and a barking of dogs under the wall of the
chamber. And he rose and went forth. And when he
came, behold, he saw two wolves, and a strong cub with
them. "This one will I take," said Math, "and I will
cause him to be baptized ; there is a name prepared for
him, and that is Bleiddwn. Now these three, such are
they :
The three sons of Gilvaethwy the false,

The three faithful combatants,
Bleiddwn, Hydwn, and Hychdwn the Tall."
Then he struck the two with his magic wand, and they
resumed their own nature. "Oh men," said he, "for
the wrong that ye did unto me sufficient has been your
punishment and your dishonour. Prepare now precious
ointment for these men, and wash their heads, and equip
them." And this was done.
And after they were equipped, they came unto him.
"
Oh men," said he, " you have obtained peace, and you
shall likewise have friendship. Give your counsel unto
"
me, what maiden I shall seek." Lord," said Gwydion
the son of Don, "it is easy to give thee counsel ; seek
Arianrod, the daughter of Don, thy niece, thy sister's
daughter."
And they brought her unto him, and the maiden came
in. "Ha, damsel," said he, "art thou the maiden?"
"I know not, lord, other than that I am." Then he
took up his magic wand, and bent it. "Step over this,"
said he, "and I shall know if thou art the maiden."
Then stepped she over the magic wand, and there
appeared forthwith a fine chubby yellow-haired boy.
And at the crying out of the boy, she went towards the
door. And thereupon some small form was seen ; but
before any one could get a second glimpse of it, Gwydion
had taken it, and had flung a scarf of velvet around it
and hidden it. Now the place where he hid it was the
bottom of a chest at the foot of his bed.
"
Verily," said Math the son of Mathonwy, concerning
the fine yellow-haired boy, " I will cause this one to be
baptized, and Dylan is the name I will give him."
So they had the boy baptized, and as they baptized him
he plunged into the sea. And immediately when he was
in the sea, he took its nature, and swam as well as the
best fish that was therein. And for that reason was he
called Dylan, the son of the Wave. Beneath him no
wave ever broke. And the blow whereby he came to
his death, was struck by his uncle Govannon. The third
fatal blow was it called.
As Gwydion one morning on his bed awake, he
lay
heard a cry in the chest at his feet ; and though it was
not loud, it was such that he could hear it. Then he
arose in haste, and opened the chest and when he opened
:
it, he beheld an infant boy stretching out his arms from
the folds of the scarf, and casting it aside. And he took

up the boy in his arms, and carried him to a place where
70 The Mabinogion
he knew there was a woman that could nurse him. And
he agreed with the woman that she should take charge of
the boy. And that year he was nursed.
And at the end of the year he seemed by his size as
though he were two years old. And the second year he
was a big child, and able to go to the Court by himself.
And when he came to the Court, Gwydion noticed him,
and the boy became familiar with him, and loved him
better than any one else. Then was the boy reared at
the Court until he was four years old, when he was as big
as though he had been eight.
And one day Gwydion walked forth, and the boy
followed him, and he went to the Castle of Arianrod,
having the boy with him; and when he came into the
Court, Arianrod arose to meet him, and greeted him and
bade him welcome. "Heaven prosper thee," said he.
"Who is the boy that followeth thee?" she asked.
" "
This youth, he is thy son," he answered. Alas," said
" what has come unto thee that thou shouldst
she, shame
me thus? wherefore dost thou seek my dishonour, and
" "
retain so long as this ?
it Unless thou suffer dishonour
greater than that of my bringing up such a boy as this,
" What is the
small will be thy disgrace." name of the
" " "
boy ? said she. Verily," he. replied, he has not yet
a name." "Well," she said, "I lay this destiny upon
him, that he shall never have a name until he receives
one from me." " Heaven bears me witness," answered he,
" that thou art a wicked woman. But the boy shall have
a name how displeasing soever it may be unto thee. As
for thee, that which afflicts thee is that thou art no longer
called a damsel." And thereupon he went forth in wrath,
and returned to Caer Dathyl and there he tarried that
night.
And the next day he arose and took the boy with him,
and went to walk on the seashore between that place
and Aber Menei. And there he saw some sedges and
seaweed, and he turned them into a boat. And out of
dry sticks and sedges he made some Cordovan leather,
and a great deal thereof, and he coloured it in such a
manner that no one ever saw leather more beautiful than
it. Then he made a to the boat, and he and the
sail
boy went in it to the port of the castle of Arianrod. And

he began forming shoes and stitching them, until he was
observed from the castle. And when he knew that they
of the castle were observing him, he disguised his aspect,
and put another semblance upon himself, and upon the
" What men are
boy, so that they might not be known.
those in yonder boat?" said Arianrod. "They are
cordwainers," answered they. "Go and see what kind
of leather they have, and what kind of work they can do."
So they came unto them. And when they came he
was colouring some Cordovan leather, and gilding it.
And the messengers came and told her this. "Well,"
"
said she, take the measure of my foot, and desire the
cordwainer to make shoes for me." So he made the
shoes for her, yet not according to the measure, but larger.
The shoes then were brought unto her, and behold they
were too large. " These are too large," said she, " but he
shall receive their value. Let him also make some that
are smaller than they." Then he made her others that
were much smaller than her foot, and sent them unto her.
"Tell him that these will not go on my feet," said she.
And they told him this. "Verily," said he, "I will not
make her any shoes, unless I see her foot." And this was
told unto her. " " I will
Truly," she answered, go unto
him."
So she went down to the boat, and when she came
there, he was shaping shoes and the boy stitching them.
"Ah, lady," said he, "good day to thee." "Heaven
"I
prosper thee," said she. marvel that thou canst not
manage to make shoes according to a measure/' "I
"
could not," he replied, but now I shall be able."
Thereupon behold a wren stood upon the deck of the
boat, and the boy shot at it, and hit it in the leg between
the sinew and the bone. Then she smiled. "Verily,"
said she, "with a steady hand did the lion aim at it."
"
Heaven reward thee not, but now has he got a name.
And a good enough name it is. Llew Llaw Gyffes be he
called henceforth."
Then the work disappeared in seaweed and sedges,
72 The Mabinogion
and he went on with it no further. And for that reason
was he called the third Gold-shoemaker. " Of a truth,"
"
said she, thou wilt not thrive the better for doing evil
unto me." "I have done thee no evil yet," said he.
Then he restored the boy to his own form. " Well," said
" I will
she, lay a destiny upon this boy, that he shall
never have arms and armour until I invest him with
them." " By Heaven," said he, " let thy malice be what
it may, he shall have arms."
Then they went towards Dinas Dinllev, and there

he brought up Llew Llaw Gyffes, until he could manage
any horse, and he was perfect in features, and strength,
and stature. And then Gwydion saw that he languished
through the want of horses and arms. And he called
him unto him. "Ah, youth," said he, "we will go
to-morrow on an errand together. Be therefore more
" That I
cheerful than thou art." will," said the youth.
Next morning, at the dawn of day, they arose. And
they took way along the sea coast, up towards Bryn
Aryen. And at the top of Cevn Clydno they equipped
themselves with horses, and went towards the Castle of
Arianrod. And they changed their form, and pricked
towards the gate in the semblance of two youths, but the
aspect of Gwydion was more staid than that of the other.
11 "
Porter," said he, go thou in and say that there are
here bards from Glamorgan." And the porter went in.
"The welcome of Heaven be unto them, let them in,"
said Arianrod.
With great joy were they greeted. And the hall was
arranged, and they went to meat. When meat was
ended, Arianrod discoursed with Gwydion of tales and
stories. Now Gwydion was an excellent teller of tales.
And when it was time to leave off feasting, a chamber
was prepared for them, and they went to rest.
In the early twilight Gwydion arose, and he called
unto him his magic and his power. And by the time
that the day dawned, there resounded through the land
uproar, and trumpets and shouts. When it was now
day, they heard a knocking at the door of the chamber,
and therewith Arianrod asking that it might be opened.
Up and opened unto her, and she entered
rose the youth
" "
and a maiden with her. Ah, good men," she said, in
evil plight are we/' "Yes, truly," said Gwydion, "we
have heard trumpets and shouts; what thinkest thou
"
that they may mean? "Verily," said she, "we cannot
see the colour of the ocean by reason of the ships,
all
side by side. And they are making for the land with all
the speed they can. can we do ? " said she.
And what
"Lady," said
Gwydion, "there is none other counsel
than to close the castle upon us, and to defend it as best
we may." " Truly," said she, "may Heaven reward you.
And do you defend it. And here may you have plenty
of arms."
And thereupon went she forth for the arms, and
behold she returned, and two maidens, and suits of
armour for two men, with her. "Lady," said he, "do
you accoutre this stripling, and I will arm* myself with
the help of thy maidens. Lo, I hear the tumult of the
men approaching." "I will do so, gladly." So she
armed him fully, and that right cheerfully. " Hast thou
" "
finished arming the youth ? said he. I have finished,"
she answered. " I likewise have finished," said Gwydion.
"Let us now take off our arms, we have no need of
them." "Wherefore?" said she. "Here is the army
around the house." " Oh, lady, there is here no army."
" " "
Oh," cried she, whence then was this tumult ? "The
tumult was but to break thy prophecy and to obtain
arms for thy son. And now has he got arms without
any thanks unto thee." "By Heaven," said Arianrod,
"
thou art a wicked man. Many a youth might have lost
his life through the uproar thou hast caused in this
Cantrev to-day. Now will I lay a destiny upon this
"
youth," she said, that he shall never have a wife of the
race that now inhabits this earth." "Verily," said he,
"thou wast ever a malicious woman, and no one ought
to support thee. A wife shall he have notwithstanding."
They went thereupon unto Math the son of Mathonwy,
and complained unto him most bitterly of Arianrod.
Gwydion showed him also how he had procured arms
" "
for the youth. Well," said Math, we will seek, I and
74 The Mabinogion
thou, by charms and illusion, to form a wife for him out
of flowers. He has now come to man's stature, and he
is the comeliest youth that was ever beheld." So they
took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the
broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and
produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most
graceful that man ever saw. And they baptized her, and
gave her the name of Blodeuwedd.
After she had become his bride, and they had feasted,
said Gwydion, "It is not easy for a man to maintain
"
himself without possessions." Of a truth," said Math,
"I will give the young man the best Cantrev to
" " " "
hold." Lord," said he, what Cantrev is that ? The
Cantrev of Dinodig," he answered. Now it is called at
this day Eivionydd and Ardudwy. And the place in the
Cantrev where he dwelt, was a palace of his in a spot
called Mur y Castell, on the confines of Ardudwy. There
dwelt he and reigned, and both he and his sway were
beloved by all.
One day he went forth to Caer Dathyl, to visit Math
the son of Mathonwy. And on the day that he set out
for Caer Dathyl, Blodeuwedd walked in the Court And
she heard the sound of a horn. And after the sound of
the horn, behold a tired stag went by, with dogs and
huntsmen following it. And after the dogs and the
huntsmen there came a crowd of men on foot. " Send
a youth," said she, " to ask who yonder host may be."
So a youth went, and inquired who they were. " Gronw
Pebyr is this, the lord of Penllyn," said they. And thus
the youth told her.
Gronw Pebyr pursued the stag, and by the river
Cynvael he overtook the stag and killed it And what
with flaying the stag and baiting his dogs, he was there
until the night began to close in upon him. And as the
day departed and the night drew near, he came to the
gate of the Court "Verily," said Blodeuwedd, "the
Chieftain will speak ill of us if we let him at this hour
"
depart to another land without inviting him in." Yes,
" it will be most to invite
truly, lady," said they, fitting
him."
Then went messengers to meet him and bid him in.
And he accepted her bidding gladly, and came to the
Court, and Blodeuwedd went to meet him, and greeted
" " Heaven
him, and bade him welcome. Lady," said he,
repay thee thy kindness."
When they had disaccoutred themselves, they went
to sit down. And Blodeuwedd looked upon him, and
from the moment that she looked on him she became
filled with his love. And he gazed on her, and the same
thought came unto him as unto her, so that he could not
conceal from her that he loved her, but he declared unto
her that he did so. Thereupon she was very joyful.
And alltheir discourse that night was concerning the
affectionand love which they felt one for the other, and
which in no longer space than one evening had arisen.
And that evening passed they in each other's company.
The next day he sought to depart. But she said, " I
pray thee go not from me to-day." And that night he
tarried also. And that night they consulted by what
means they might always be together. " There is none
other counsel," said he, "but that thou strive to learn
from Llew Llaw Gyffes in what manner he will meet his
death. And this must thou do under the semblance of
solicitude concerning him."
The next day Gronw sought to depart. "Verily,"
"
said she, I will counsel thee not to go from me to-day."
"
At thy instance will I not go," said he, " albeit, I must
say, there is danger that the chief who owns the palace
" "
may return home." To-morrow," answered she, will
I indeed permit thee to go forth."
The next day he sought to go, and she hindered him
not.
"
Be mindful," said Gronw, " of what I have said
unto thee, and converse with him fully, and that under
the guise of the dalliance of love, and find out by what
means he may come to his death."
That night Llew Llaw Gyffes returned to his home.
And the day they spent in discourse, and minstrelsy, and
feasting. And at night they went to rest, and he spoke
to Blodeuwedd once, and he spoke to her a second time.
But, for all this, he could not get from her one word.
76 The Mabinogion
" What " " art thou " "
I was
aileth thee ?
said he, well ?
"
thinking," said she, of that which thou didst never
think of concerning me ; for I was sorrowful as to thy
" Heaven
death, lest thou shouldst go sooner than I."
"
reward thy care for me," said he, but until Heaven
" "
take me I shall not easily be slain For the sake of
Heaven, and for mine, show me how thou mightest be
slain.
"
My memory in guarding is
"
better than thine."
I will tell thee gladly," said he. Not easily can I be
slain, except by a wound. And the spear wherewith I
am struck must be a year in the forming. And nothing
must be done towards it except during the sacrifice on
Sundays." "Is this certain?" asked she. "It is in
truth," he answered. "And I cannot be slain within
a house, nor without. I cannot be slain on horseback
nor on foot." " Verily," said she, " in what manner then
canst thou be slain?" "I will tell thee," said he.
"
By making a bath for me by the side of a river, and
by putting a roof over the cauldron, and thatching it
well and tightly, and bringing a buck, and putting it
beside the cauldron. Then if I place one foot on the
buck's back, and the other on the edge of the cauldron,
whosoever strikes me thus will cause my death." " Well,"
"
said she, I thank Heaven that it will be easy to avoid this."
No sooner had she held this discourse than she sent
to Gronw Pebyr. Gronw toiled at making the spear,
and that day twelvemonth it was ready. And that very
day he caused her to be informed thereof.
"Lord, "said Blodeuwedd unto Llew, "I have been
thinking how it is possible that what thou didst tell me
formerly can be true ; wilt thou show me in what manner
thou couldst stand at once upon the edge of a cauldron
"
and upon a buck, if I prepare the bath for thee ? "I
will show thee," said he.
Then she sent unto Gronw, and bade him be in
ambush on the hill which is now called Bryn Kyvergyr,
on the bank of the river Cynvael. She caused also to be
collected all the goats that were in the Cantrev, and had
them brought to the other side of the river, opposite
Bryn Kyvergyr.
"
And the next day she spoke thus. Lord," said she,
"
I have caused the roof and the bath to be prepared,
and lo! they are ready." "Well," said Llew, "we will
go gladly to look at them."
The day after they came and looked at the bath.
Wilt thou go into the bath, lord ? said she. " Willingly
" "
will I go in," he answered. So into the bath he went,

and he anointed himself. "Lord," said she, "behold
the animals which thou didst speak of as being called
bucks." "Well," said he, "cause one of them to be
caught and brought here." And the buck was brought.
Then Llew rose out of the bath, and put on his trowsers,
and he placed one foot on the edge of the bath and the
other on the buck's back.
Thereupon Gronw rose up from the hill which is called
Bryn Kyvergyr, and he rested on one knee, and flung
the poisoned dart and struck him on the side, so that
the shaft started out, but the head of the dart remained
in. Then he flew up in the form of an eagle and gave
a fearful scream. And thenceforth was he no more
seen.
As soon as he departed Gronw and Blodeuwedd went
together unto the palace that night. And the next day
Gronw arose and took possession of Ardudwy. And
after he had overcome the land, he ruled over it, so that
Ardudwy and Penllyn were both under his sway.

Then these tidings reached Math the son of Mathonwy.
And heaviness and grief came upon Math, and much
more upon Gwydion than upon him. " Lord," said
" never rest until have tidings of
Gvvydion,
"
I shall I
"
my
nephew." Verily," said Math, may Heaven be thy
strength." Then Gwydion set forth and began to go
forward. And he went through Gwynedd and Powys to
the confines. And when he had done so, he went into
Arvon, and came to the house of a vassal, in Maenawr
Penardd. And he alighted at the house, and stayed
there that night. The man of the house and his house-
hold came in, and last of all came there the swineherd.
Said the man of the house to the swineherd, " Well,
youth, hath thy sow come in to-night?" "She hath,' :
78 The Mabinogion
said he, "and is this instant returned to the pigs."
" Where doth this sow go to ? " said Gwydion. " Every
day, when the sty is opened, she goeth forth and none
can catch sight of her, neither is it known whither she
"
goeth more than if she sank into the earth." Wilt
thou grant unto me," said Gwydion, "not to open the
" " This will I
sty until I am beside the sty with thee ?
do, right gladly," he answered.
That night they went to rest ; and as soon as the
swineherd saw the light of day, he awoke Gwydion.
And Gwydion arose and dressed himself, and went with
the swineherd, and stood beside the sty. Then the
swineherd opened the sty. And as soon as he opened
it, behold she leaped forth, and set off with great speed.
And Gwydion followed her, and she went against the
course of a river, and made for a brook, which is now
called Nant y Llew. And there she halted and
began feeding. And Gwydion came under the tree,
and looked what it might be that the sow was feeding on.
And he saw that she was eating putrid flesh and vermin.
Then looked he up to the top of the tree, and as he
looked he beheld on the top of the tree an eagle, and
when the eagle shook itself, there fell vermin and putrid
flesh from off it, and these the sow devoured. And it
seemed to him that the eagle was Llew. And he sang
an Englyn :
" Oak that grows between the two banks ;
Darkened is the sky and hill

!
Shall I not tell him by his wounds,

That this is Llew ? "
Upon this the eagle came down until he reached the

centre of the tree. And Gwydion sang another Englyn :
" Oak that grows in upland ground,

Is not wetted by the rain ? Has it not been drenched
it
By nine score tempests ?

"
It bears in its branches Llew Llaw Gyffes !
Then the eagle came down until he was on the lowest

branch of the tree,and thereupon this Englyn did
Gwydion sing :
" Oak that grows beneath the steep ;
Stately and majestic is its aspect !
Shall I not speak it ?

"
That Llew will come to my lap ?
And the eagle came down upon Gwydion's knee. And

Gwydion struck him with his magic wand, so that he
returned to his own form. No one ever saw a more
piteous sight, for he was nothing but skin and bone.
Then he went unto Caer Dathyl, and there were
brought unto him good physicians that were in Gwynedd,
and before the end of the year he was quite healed.
" "
Lord," said he unto Math the son of Mathonwy, it
is full time now that I have retribution of him by whom
I have suffered all this woe." "Truly," said Math, "he

will never be able to maintain himself in the posses-
"
sion of that which is thy right." Well," said Llew, "the
sooner I have my right, the better shall I be pleased."
Then they called together the whole of Gwynedd, and
set forth to Ardudwy. And Gwydion went on before
and proceeded to Mur y Castell. And when Blodeuwedd
heard that he was coming, she took her maidens with her,
and fled to the mountain. And they passed through the
river Cynvael, and went towards a court that there was
upon the mountain, and through fear they could not
proceed except with their faces looking backwards, so
that unawares they fell into the lake. And they were all
drowned except Blodeuwedd herself, and her Gwydion
overtook. And he said unto her, " I will not slay thee,
but I will do unto thee worse than that. For I will turn
thee into a bird; and because of the shame thou hast
done unto Llew Llaw Gyffes, thou shalt never show
thy face in the light of day henceforth ; and that through
fear of all the other birds. For it shall be their nature
to attack thee, and to chase thee from wheresoever they
may find thee. And thou shalt not lose thy name, but
shalt be always called Blodeuwedd." Now Blodeuwedd
is an owl in the language of this present time, and for
this reason is the owl hateful unto all birds. And even
now the owl is called Blodeuwedd.
Then Gronw Pebyr withdrew unto Penllyn, and he
8o The Mabinogion
dispatched thence an embassy. And the messengers he
sent asked Llew Llaw Gyffes if he would take land, or
domain, or gold, or silver, for the injury he had received.
" I
will not, by my confession to Heaven," said he.
"Behold this is the least that I will accept from him;
that he come to the spot where I was when he wounded
me with the dart, and that I stand where he did, and
that with a dart I take my aim at him. And this is the
very least that I will accept."
And this was told unto Gronw Pebyr. "Verily," said
" is it needful for me to do thus ?
he, My faithful warriors,
and my household, and my foster-brothers, is there not
"
one among you who will stand the blow in my stead ?
"
There is not, verily," answered they. And because of
their refusal to suffer one stroke for their lord, they are
"
called the third disloyal tribe even unto this day. Well,"
said he,"I will meet it."
Then they two went forth to the banks of the river
Cynvael, and Gronw stood in the place where Llew Llaw
Gyffes was when he struck him, and Llew in the place
where Gronw was. Then said Gronw Pebyr unto Llew,
"
Since it was through the wiles of a woman that I did
unto thee as I have done, I adjure thee by Heaven to let
me place between me and the blow, the slab thou seest
yonder on the river's bank." "Verily," said Llew, "I
" "
will not refuse thee this." Ah," said he, may Heaven
reward thee." So Gronw took the slab and placed it
between him and the blow.
Then Llew flung the dart at him, and it pierced the
slab and went through Gronw likewise, so that it pierced
through his back. And thus was Gronw Pebyr slain.
And there is still the slab on the bank of the river
Cynvael, in Ardudwy, having the hole through it. And
therefore is it even now called Llech Gronw.
A second time did Llew Llaw Gyffes take possession
of the land, and prosperously did he govern it. And, as
the story relates, he was lord after this over Gwynedd.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.
The Dream of Maxen Wledig 81
THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG

MAXEN WLEDIG was emperor of Rome, and he was a
comelier man, and a better and a wiser than any emperor
that had been before him. And one day he held a
"
council of kings, and he said to his friends, I desire to
go to-morrow to hunt." And the next day in the morn-

ing he set forth with his retinue, and came to the valley
of the river that flowed towards Rome. And he hunted
through the valley until mid-day. And with him also
were two-and-thirty crowned kings, that were his vassals ;
not for the delight of hunting went the emperor with
them, but to put himself on equal terms with those
kings,
And the sun was high in the sky over their heads
and the heat was great. And sleep came upon Maxen
Wledig. And his attendants stood and set up their
shields around him upon the shafts of their spears to
protect him from the sun, and they placed a gold
enamelled shield under his head ; and so Maxen slept.
And he saw a dream. And this is the dream that he
saw. He was journeying along the valley of the river
towards its source ; and he came to the highest mountain
in the world. And he thought that the mountain was as
high as the sky ; and when he came over the mountain,
it seemed to him that he went
through the fairest and
most level regions that man ever yet beheld, on the other
side of the mountain. And he saw large and mighty
rivers descending from the mountain to the sea, and
towards the mouths of the rivers he proceeded. And as
he journeyed thus, he came to the mouth of the largest
river ever seen. And he beheld a great city at the
entrance of the river, and a vast castle in the city, and he
saw many high towers of various colours in the castle.
And he saw a fleet at the mouth of the river, the largest
ever seen. And he saw one ship among the fleet ; larger
was it by far, and fairer than all the others. Of such part
of the ship as he could see above the water, one plank
82 The Mabinogion
was gilded and the other silvered over. He saw a bridge
of the bone of a whale from the ship to the land, and he
thought that he went along the bridge, and came into
the ship. And a sail was hoisted on the ship, and along
the sea and the ocean was it borne. Then it seemed
that he came to the fairest island in the whole world, and
he traversed the island from sea to sea, even to the
furthest shore of the island. Valleys he saw, and steeps,
and rocks of wondrous height, and rugged precipices.
Never yet saw he the like. And thence he beheld an
island in the sea, facing this rugged land. And between
him and this island was a country of which the plain was
as large as the sea, the mountain as vast as the wood.
And from the mountain he saw a river that flowed
through the land and fell into the sea. And at the
mouth of the river he beheld a castle, the fairest that
man ever saw, and the gate of the castle was open, and
he went into the castle. And in the castle he saw a fair
hall, of which the roof seemed to be all gold, the walls of
the hall seemed to be entirely of glittering precious gems,
the doors all seemed to be of gold. Golden seats he saw
in the hall, and silver tables. And on a seat opposite to
him he beheld two auburn-haired youths playing at chess.
He saw a silver board for the chess, and golden pieces
thereon. The garments of the youths were of jet-black
satin, and chaplets of ruddy gold bound their hair,
whereon were sparkling jewels of great price, rubies, and
gems, alternately with imperial stones. Buskins of new
Cordovan leather on their feet, fastened by slides of red
gold.
And beside a pillar in the hall he saw a hoary-headed
man, in a chair of ivory, with the figures of two eagles of
ruddy gold thereon. Bracelets of gold were upon his
arms, and many rings were on his hands, and a golden
torque about his neck ; and his hair was bound with a
golden diadem. He was of powerful aspect. A chess-
board of gold was before him, and a rod of gold, and
a steel file in his hand. And he was carving out
chessmen.
And he saw a maiden sitting before him in a chair of
ruddy gold. Not more easy than to gaze upon the sun
when brightest, was it to look upon her by reason of her
beauty. A vest of white silk was upon the maiden, with
clasps of red gold at the breast ;
and a surcoat of gold
tissue upon her, and a frontlet of red gold upon her head,
and rubies and gems were in the frontlet, alternating with
pearls and imperial stones. And a girdle of ruddy gold
was around her. She was the fairest sight that man ever
beheld.
The maiden arose from her chair before him, and he
threw his arms about the neck of the maiden, and they
two sat down together in the chair of gold and the chair
:
was not less roomy for them both, than for the maiden
alone. And as he had his arms about the maiden's
neck, and his cheek by her cheek, behold, through the
chafing of the dogs at their leashing, and the clashing of the
shields as they struck against each other, and the beating
together of the shafts of the spears, and the neighing of
the horses and their prancing, the emperor awoke.
And when he awoke, nor spirit nor existence was left
him, because of the maiden whom he had seen in his
sleep, for the love of the maiden pervaded his whole
frame. Then his household spake unto him. " Lord,"
said they, "is it not past the time for thee to take thy
food?" Thereupon the emperor mounted his palfrey,
the saddest man that mortal ever saw, and went forth
towards Rome.
And thus he was during the space of a week. When
they of the household went to drink wine and mead out
of golden vessels, he went not with any of them. When
they went to listen to songs and tales, he went not with
them there ; neither could he be persuaded to do any-
thing but sleep. And as often as he slept, he beheld in
his dreams the maiden he loved best ; but except when
he slept he saw nothing of her, for he knew not where in
the world she was.
One day the page of the chamber spake unto him ;
now, although he was page of the chamber, he was king
" "
of the Romans. Lord," said he, all the people revile
thee." "Wherefore do they revile me?" asked the
84 The Mabinogion
emperor. "Because they can get neither message nor
answer from thee as men should have from their lord.
This is the cause why thou art spoken evil of." " Youth,"
" do thou
said the emperor, bring unto me the wise men
of Rome, and I will tell them wherefore I am sorrowful."
Then the wise men of Rome were brought to the
emperor, and he spake to them. "Sages of Rome," said
" I have seen a dream. And in the dream I beheld
he,
a maiden, and because of the maiden is there neither
"
life, nor spirit, nor existence within me." Lord," they
"
answered, since thou judgest us worthy to counsel thee,
we will give thee counsel. And this is our counsel ; that
thou send messengers for three years to the three parts of
the world to seek for thy dream. And as thou knowest
not what day or what night good news may come to thee,
the hope thereof will support thee."
So the messengers journeyed for the space of a year,
wandering about the world, and seeking tidings concern-
ing his dream. But when they came back at the end
of the year, they knew not one word more than they
did the day they set forth. And then was the emperor
exceeding sorrowful, for he thought that he should
never have tidings of her whom best he loved.
Then spoke the king of the Romans unto the emperor.
"
Lord," said he, "go forth to hunt by the way thou didst
seem to go, whether it were to the east, or to the west."
So the emperor went forth to the hunt, and he came to
" "
the bank of the river. Behold," said he, this is where
I was when I saw the dream, and I went towards the
source of the river westward."
And thereupon thirteen messengers of the emperor's
set forth, and before them they saw a high mountain,
which seemed to them to touch the sky. Now this was
the guise in which the messengers journeyed ; one sleeve
was on the cap of each of them in front, as a sign that
they were messengers, in order that through what hostile
land soever they might pass no harm might be done them.
And when they were come over this mountain, they
beheld vast plains, and large rivers flowing there through.
" " the land which our master saw."
Behold," said they,
And they went along the mouths of the rivers, until
they came to the mighty river which they saw flowing to
the sea, and the vast city, and the many-coloured high
towers in the castle. They saw the largest fleet in the
world, in the harbour of the river, and one ship that was
" Behold
larger than any of the others. again," said they,
"the dream that our master saw." And in the great
ship they crossed the sea, and came to the Island of
Britain. And they traversed the island until they came
" "
to Snowdon. Behold," said they, the rugged land
that our master saw." And they went forward until
they saw Anglesey before them, and until they saw
Arvon likewise. "Behold," said they, "the land our
master saw in his sleep." And they saw Aber Sain,
and a castle at the mouth of the river. The portal of
the castle saw they open, and into the castle they went,
and they saw a hall in the castle. Then said they,
"
Behold, the hall which he saw in his sleep." They
went into the hall, and they beheld two youths playing
at chess on the golden bench. And they beheld the
hoary-headed man beside the pillar, in the ivory chair,
carving chessmen. And they beheld the maiden sitting
on a chair of ruddy gold.
The messengers bent down upon their knees. " Em-
" "
press of Rome, all hail !
Ha, gentles," said the
"
maiden, ye bear the seeming of honourable men, and
"
the. badge of envoys, what mockery is this ye do to me ?
" We mock thee
not, lady ; but the Emperor of Rome
hath seen thee in his sleep, and he has neither life nor
spirit left because of thee. Thou shalt have of us there-
fore the choice, lady, whether thou wilt go with us and
be made empress of Rome, or that the emperor come
" "
hither and take thee for his wife ? Ha, lords," said
* '
the maiden, I will not deny what ye say, neither will I
believe it too well. If the emperor love me, let him come
here to seek me."
And by day and night the messengers hied them back.
And when their horses failed, they bought other fresh
ones. And when they came to Rome, they saluted the
emperor, and asked their boon, which was given to them
86 The Mabinogion
"
according as they named it. We be thy guides,
will
" over
lord,"said they, sea and over land, to the place
where is the woman whom best thou lovest, for we know
her name, and her kindred, and her race."
And immediately the emperor set forth with his army.
And these men were his guides. Towards the Island of
Britain they went over the sea and the deep. And he
conquered the Island from Beli the son of Manogan,
and his sons, and drove them to the sea, and went
forward even unto Arvon. And the emperor knew the
land when he saw it. And when he beheld the castle of
Aber "
Look said
" there is the castle
Sain, yonder," he,
wherein I saw the damsel whom I best love." And he
went forward into the castle and into the hall, and there
he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son of
Eudav, playing at chess. And he saw Eudav the son of
Caradawc, sitting on a chair of ivory carving chessmen.
And the maiden whom he had beheld in his sleep, he
saw sitting on a chair of gold. " Empress of Rome,"
" all hail " And the
said he, !
emperor threw his arms
about her neck ; and that night she became his bride.
And the next day in the morning, the damsel asked
her maiden portion. And he told her to name what she
would. And she asked to have the Island of Britain for
her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together
with the three adjacent Islands, to hold under the empress
of Rome ; and to have three chief castles made for her,
in whatever places she might choose in the Island of
Britain. And she chose to have the highest castle
made at Arvon. And they brought thither earth from
Rome that it might be more healthful for the emperor to
sleep, and sit, and walk upon. After that the two other
castles were made for her, which were Caerlleon and
Caermarthen.
And one day the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen,
and he came so far as the top of Brevi Vawr, and there
the emperor pitched his tent. And that encamping place
is called Cadeir Maxen, even And because
to this day.
that he built the castle with a myriad of men, he called it
Caervyrddin. Then Helen bethought her to make high
roads from one castle to another throughout the Island
of Britain. And the roads were made. And for this
cause are they called the roads of Helen Luyddawc, that
she was sprung from a native of this island, and the men
of the Island of Britain would not have made these great
roads for any save for her.
Seven years did the emperor tarry in this Island.
Now, at that time, the men of Rome had a custom, that
whatsoever emperor should remain in other lands more
than seven years should remain to his own overthrow,
and should never return to Rome again.
So they made a new emperor. And this one wrote a
letter of threat to Maxen. There was nought in the
"
letter but only this. If thou comest, and if thou ever
comest to Rome." And even unto Caerlleon came this
letter to Maxen, and these tidings. Then sent he a letter
to the man who styled himself emperor in Rome. There
was nought in that letter also but only this. " If I come
to Rome, andif I come."
Andthereupon Maxen set forth towards Rome with
his army, and vanquished France and Bugundy, and
every land on the way, and sat down before the city of
Rome.
A
year was the emperor before the city, and he was no
nearer taking it than the first day. And after him there
came the brothers of Helen Luyddawc from the Island
of Britain, and a small host with them, and better
warriors were in that small host than twice as many
Romans. And the emperor was told that a host was
seen, halting close to his army and encamping, and no
man ever saw a fairer or better appointed host for its size,
nor more handsome standards.
And Helen went to see the hosts, and she knew the
standards of her brothers. Then came Kynan the son
of Eudav, and Adeon the son of Eudav, to meet the
emperor. And the emperor was glad because of them,
and embraced them.
Then they looked at the Romans as they attacked the
city. Said Kynan to his brother, " We will try to attack
the city more expertly than this." So they measured by
88 The Mabinogion
night the height of the wall, and they sent their carpenters
to the wood, and a ladder was made for every four men
of their number. Now when these were ready, every
day at mid-day the emperors went to meat, and they
ceased to fight on both sides till all had finished eating.
And in the morning the men of Britain took their food,
and they drank until they were invigorated. And while
the two emperors were at meat, the Britons came to the
city, and placed their ladders against it, and forthwith they
came in through the city.
The new emperor had no time to arm himself when
they fell upon him, and slew him, and many others with
him. And three nights and three days were they sub-
duing the men that were in the city and taking the castle.
And others of them kept the city, lest any of the host of
Maxen should come therein, until they had subjected all
to their will.
" I
Then spake Maxen to Helen Luyddawc. marvel,
"
lady," said he, that thy brothers have not conquered
this city for me."
" "
Lord, emperor," she answered, the
wisest youths in the world are my brothers. Go thou
thither and ask the city of them, and if it be in their
possession thou shalt have it gladly." So the emperor
and Helen went and demanded the city. And they told
the emperor that none had taken the city, and that none
could give it him, but the men of the Island of Britain.
Then the gates of the city of Rome were opened, and

the emperor sat on the throne, and all the men of Rome
submitted themselves unto him.
The emperor then said unto Kynan and Adeon,
" " I have now had
Lords," said he, possession of the
whole of my empire. This host give I unto you to
vanquish whatever region ye may desire in the world."
So they set forth and conquered lands, and castles,
and cities. And they slew all the men, but the women
they kept alive. And thus they continued until the
young men had come with them were grown grey-
that
headed, from the length of time they were upon this
conquest.
"
Then spoke Kynan unto Adeon his brother, Whether
Lludd and Llevelys 89
wilt
"
thou rather," said he, tarry in this land, or go back
into the land whence thou didst come forth?" Now
he chose to go back to his own land, and many with
him. But Kynan tarried there with the other part and
dwelt there.
And they took counsel and cut out the tongues of the
women, lest they should corrupt their speech. And
because of the silence of the women from their own
speech, the men of Armorica are called Britons. From
that time there came frequently, and still comes, that
language from the Island of Britain.
And this dream is called the Dream of Maxen Wledig,
emperor of Rome. And here it ends.
HERE IS THE STORY OF LLUDD AND

LLEVELYS
BELI the Great, the son of Manogan, had three sons,
Lludd, and Caswallawn, and Nynyaw ; and according to
the story he had a fourth son called Llevelys. And after
the death of Beli, the kingdom of the Island of Britain
fell into the hands of Llud his eldest son; and Lludd
ruled prosperously, and rebuilt the walls of London, and
encompassed it about with numberless towers. And
after that he bade the citizens build houses therein, such
as no houses in the kingdoms could equal. And more-
over he was a mighty warrior, and generous and liberal
in giving meat and drink to all that sought them. And
though he had many castles and cities this one loved he
more than any. And he dwelt therein most part of the
year, and therefore was it called Caer Lludd, and at last
Caer London. And after the stranger-race came there,
it was called London, or
Lwndrys.
Lludd loved Llevelys best of all his brothers, because
he was a wise and discreet man. Having heard that the
king of France had died, leaving no heir except a
daughter, and that he had left all his possessions in her
hands, he came to Lludd his brother, to beseech his
90 The Mabinogion
counsel and aid. And that not so much for his own
welfare, as to seek to add to the glory and honour and
dignity of his kindred, if he might go to France to woo
the maiden for his wife. And forthwith his brother
conferred with him, and this counsel was pleasing unto
him.
So he prepared ships and filled them with armed
knights, and set forth towards France. And as soon
as they had landed, they sent messengers to show the
nobles of France the cause of the embassy. And by the
joint counsel of the nobles of France and of the princes,
the maiden was given to Llevelys, and the crown of the
kingdom with her. And thenceforth he ruled the land
discreetly, and wisely, and happily, as long as his life
lasted.
After a space of time had passed, three plagues fell on
the Island of Britain, such as none in the islands had
ever seen the like of. The first was a certain race that
came, and was called the Coranians ; and so great was
their knowledge, that there was no discourse upon the face
of the Island, however low it might be spoken, but what,
if the wind met it, it was known to them. And through
this they could not be injured. 1
The second plague was a shriek which came on every
May-eve, over every hearth in the Island of Britain.
And this went through people's hearts, and so scared
them, that the men lost their hue and their strength, and
the women their children, and the young men and the
maidens lost their senses, and all the animals and trees
and the earth and the waters, were left barren.
The third plague was, that however much of pro-
visions and food might be prepared in the king's
courts, were there even so much as a year's provision
of meat and drink, none of it could ever be found,
except what was consumed in the first night. And two of
these plagues, no one ever knew their cause, therefore
1
The version in the Greal adds, "And their coin was fairy
"
money ; literally, dwarfs money that is, money which, when
:
received, appeared to be good coin, but which, if kept, turned

into pieces of fungus, &c.
was there better hope of being freed from the first
than from the second and third.

And thereupon King Lludd felt great sorrow and care,
because that he knew not how he might be freed from
these plagues. And he called to him all the nobles of
his kingdom, and asked counsel of them what they
should do against these afflictions. And by the
common counsel of the nobles, Lludd the son of Beli
went to Llevelys his brother, king of France, for he
was a man great of counsel and wisdom, to seek his
advice.
And they made ready a fleet, and that in secret and
in silence, lest that race should know the cause of their
errand, or any besides the king and his counsellors.
And when they were made ready, they went into their
ships, Lludd and those whom he chose with him. And
they began to cleave the seas towards France.
And when these tidings came to Llevelys, seeing that
he knew not the cause of his brother's ships, he came
on the other side to meet him, and with him was a
fleet vast of size. And when Lludd saw this, he left
all the ships out upon the sea except one only; and
in that one he came to meet his brother, and he
likewise with a single ship came to meet him. And
when they were come together, each put his arms
about the other's neck, and they welcomed each other
with brotherly love.
After that Lludd had shown his brother the cause
of his errand, Llevelys said that he himself knew the
cause of the coming to those lands. And they took
counsel together to discourse on the matter other-
wise than thus, in order that the wind might not catch
their words, nor the Coranians know what they might
say. Then Llevelys caused a long horn to be made
of brass, and through this horn they discoursed. But
whatsoever words they spoke through this horn, one
to the other, neither of them could hear any other but
harsh and hostile words. And when Llevelys saw this,
and that there was a demon thwarting them and
disturbing through this horn, he caused wine to be
92 The Mabinogion
put therein to wash it. And through the virtue of
the wine the demon was driven out of the horn.
And when their discourse was unobstructed, Llevelys
told his brother that he would give him some insects
whereof he should keep some to breed, lest by chance
the like affliction might come -a second time. And
other of these insects he should take and bruise in
water. And he assured him that it would have power
to destroy the race of the Coranians. That is to say,
that when he came home to his kingdom he should
call together all the people both of his own race and of
the race of the Coranians for a conference, as though
with the intent of making peace between them ; and that
when they were all together, he should take this charmed
water, and cast it over all alike. And he assured him
that the water would poison the race of the Coranians,
but that it would not slay or harm those of his own
race.
"
Andthe second plague," said he, " that is in thy
dominion, behold it is a dragon. And another dragon
of a foreign race is fighting with it, and striving to
overcome it. And therefore does your dragon make
a fearful outcry. And on this wise mayest thou come
to know this. After thou hast returned home, cause
the Island to be measured in its length and breadth,
and in the place where thou dost find the exact
central point, there cause a pit to be dug, and cause a
cauldron full of the best mead that can be made to
be put in the pit, with a covering of satin over the
face of the cauldron. And then, in thine own person
do thou remain there watching, and thou wilt see the
dragon fighting in the form of terrific animals. And
at length they will take the form of dragons in the
air. And last of all, after wearying themselves with fierce
and furious fighting, they will fall in the form of two
pigs upon the covering, and they will sink in, and the
covering with them, and they will draw it down to the
very bottom of the cauldron. And they will drink up
the whole of the mead ; and after that they will sleep.
Thereupon do thou immediately fold the covering
around them, and bury them in a kistvaen, in the
strongest place thou hast in thy dominions, and hide
them in the earth. And as long as they shall bide in
that strong place no plague shall come to the Island
of Britain from elsewhere.
"The cause of the third plague," said he, " is a mighty
man of magic, who take thy meat and thy drink and
thy store. And he through illusions and charms causes
every one to sleep. Therefore it is needful for thee in
thy own person to watch thy food and thy provisions.
And lest he should overcome thee with sleep, be there
a cauldron of cold water by thy side, and when thou art
"
oppressed with sleep, plunge into the cauldron
Then Lludd returned back unto his land. And
immediately he summoned to him the whole of his own
race and of the Coranians. And as Llevelys had taught
him, he bruised the insects in water, the which he cast
over them all together, and forthwith it destroyed the
whole tribe of the Coranians, without hurt to any of
the Britons.
And some time after this, Lludd caused the Island
to be measured in its length and in its breadth. And
in Oxford he found the central point, and in that place
he caused the earth to be dug, and in that pit a
cauldron to be set, full of the best mead that could be
made, and a covering of satin over the face of it. And
he himself watched that night. And while he was there,
he beheld the dragons fighting. And when they were
weary they fell, and came down upon the top of the
satin, and drew it with them to the bottom of the
cauldron. And when they had drunk the mead they
slept. And in their sleep, Lludd folded the covering
around them, and in the securest place he had in
Snowdon, he hid them in a kistvaen. Now after that
this spot was called Dinas Emreis, but before that, Dinas
Ffaraon. And thus the fierce outcry ceased in his
dominions.
And when this was ended, King Lludd caused an
exceeding great banquet to be prepared. And when
it was ready, he placed a vessel of cold water by his
94 The Mabinogion
side, and he in his own proper person watched it. And
as he abode thus clad with arms, about the third watch
of the night, lo, he heard many surpassing fascinations
and various songs. And drowsiness urged him to sleep.
Upon this, lest he should be hindered from his purpose
and be overcome by sleep, he went often into the water.
And at last, behold, a man of vast size, clad in strong,
heavy armour, came in, bearing a hamper. And, as he
was wont, he put all the food and provisions of meat
and drink into the hamper, and proceeded to go with
it forth. And nothing was ever more wonderful to
Lludd, than that the hamper should hold so much.
And thereupon King Lludd went after him and spoke
unto him thus. " Stop, stop," said he, " though thou
hast done many insults and much spoil erewhile, thou
shalt not do so any more, unless thy skill in arms and
thy prowess be greater than mine."
Then he instantly put down the hamper on the floor,
and awaited him. And a fierce encounter was between
them, so that the glittering fire flew out from their arms.
And at the last Lludd grappled with him, and fate
bestowed the victory on Lludd. And he threw the
plague to the earth. And after he had overcome him
" How
by strength and might, he besought his mercy.
can I grant thee mercy," said the king, "after all the
many injuries and wrongs that thou hast done me?"
"
All the losses that ever I have caused thee," said he,
"
I will make thee atonement for, equal to what I have
taken. And I will never do the like from this time
forth. But thy faithful vassal will I be." And the king
accepted this from him.
And thus Lludd freed the Island of Britain from the
three plagues. And from thenceforth until the end of
his life, in prosperous peace did Lludd the son of Beli
rule the Island of Britain. And this Tale is called the
Story of Lludd and Llevelys. And thus it ends.
Kilhwch and Olwen 95
KILHWCH AND OLWEN

OR THE
TWRCH TRWYTH
KILYDD the son of Prince Kelyddon desired a wife as
a helpmate, and the wife that he chose was Goleuddydd,
the daughter of Prince Anlawdd. And after their union,
the people put up prayers that they might have an heir.
And they had a son through the prayers of the people.
From the time of her pregnancy Goleuddydd became
wild, and wandered about, without habitation ; but when
her delivery was at hand, her reason came back to her.
Then she went to a mountain where there was a swine-
herd, keeping a herd of swine. And through fear of the
swine the queen was delivered. And the swineherd
took the boy, and brought him to the palace ; and he
was christened, and they called him Kilhwch, because
he had been found in a swine's burrow. Nevertheless
the boy was of gentle lineage, and cousin unto Arthur ;
and they put him out to nurse.
After this the boy's mother, Goleuddydd, the daughter
of Prince Anlawdd, fell sick. Then she called her
husband unto her, and said to him, " Of this sickness I
shall die, and thou wilt take another wife. Now wives
are the gift of the Lord, but it would be wrong for thee
to harm thy son. Therefore I charge thee that thou
take not a wife until thou see a briar with two blossoms
upon my grave." And this he promised her. Then she
besought him to dress her grave every year, that nothing
might grow thereon. So the queen died. Now the
king sent an attendant every morning to see if anything
were growing upon the grave. And at the end of the
seventh year the master neglected that which he had
promised to the queen.
One day the king went to hunt, and he rode to the
place of burial to see the grave, and to know if it were
time that he should take a wife ; and the king saw the
briar. And when he saw it, the king took counsel
96 The Mabinogion
where he should find a wife. Said one of his counsellors,
"I know awife that will suit thee well, and she is the
wife of King Doged." And they resolved to go to seek
her; and they slew. the king, and brought away his wife
and one daughter that she had along with her. And
they conquered the king's lands.
On a certain day, as the lady walked abroad, she came
to the house of an old crone that dwelt in the town, and
that had no tooth in her head. And the queen said to
"
her, Old woman, tell me that which I shall ask thee,
for the love of Heaven. Where are the children of the
man who has carried me away by violence ? " Said the
" He has
crone, not children." Said the queen, " Woe
"
is me, that I should have come to one who is childless !
Then said the hag, " Thou needest not lament on

account of that, for there is a prediction he shall have
an heir by thee, and by none other. Moreover, be not
sorrowful, for he has one son."
The home with joy and she asked her
lady returned ;
consort, "Wherefore hast thou concealed thy children

from me?" The king said, "I will do so no longer."
And he sent messengers for his son, and he was brought
to the Court. His stepmother said unto him, " It were
well for thee to have a wife, and I have a daughter who
"
is sought of every man of renown in the world." I am
not yet of an age to wed," answered the youth. Then
said she unto him, "I declare to thee, that it is thy
destiny not to be suited with a wife until thou obtain
Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr." And
the youth blushed, and the love of the maiden diffused
itself through all his frame, although he had never seen
"
her. And his father inquired of him, What has come
" "
over thee, my son, and what aileth thee ? My step-
mother has declared to me that I shall never have a
wife until I obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden
Penkawr." " That will be easy for thee," answered his
"
father. Arthur is thy cousin. Go, therefore, unto
Arthur, to cut thy hair, and ask this of him as a boon."
And the youth pricked forth upon a steed with head
dappled grey, of "four winters old, firm of limb, with
shell-formed hoofs, having a bridle of linked gold on his
head, and upon him a saddle of costly gold. And in
the youth's hand were two spears of silver, sharp, well-
tempered, headed with steel, three ells in length, of an
edge to wound the wind, and cause blood to flow, and
swifter than the fall of the dewdrop from the blade of
reed-grass upon the earth when the dew of June is at
the heaviest. A gold-hilted sword was upon his thigh,
the blade of which was of gold, bearing a cross of inlaid
gold of the hue of the lightning of heaven his war-horn :
was of ivory. Before him were two brindled white-

breasted greyhounds, having strong collars of rubies
about their necks, reaching from the shoulder to the
ear. And the one that was on the left side bounded
across to the right side, and the one on the right to the
left, and like two sea-swallows sported around him. And
his courser cast up four sods with his four hoofs, like
four swallows in the air, about his head, now above, now
below. About him was a four-cornered cloth of purple,
and an apple of gold was at each corner, and every one
of the apples was of the value of an hundred kine. And
there was precious gold of the value of three hundred
kine upon his shoes, and upon his stirrups, from his
knee to the tip of his toe. And the blade of grass bent
not beneath him, so light was his courser's tread as he
journeyed towards the gate of Arthur's Palace.
Spoke the youth, "Is there a porter?" "There is;
and if thou boldest not thy peace, small will be thy
welcome. I am Arthur's porter every first day of
January. And during every other part of the year but

this, the office is filled by Huandaw, and Gogigwc, and
Llaeskenym, and Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head
to save his feet, neither towards the sky nor towards the
earth, but like a rolling stone upon the floor of the
court."
"
"Open the portal." "I will not open it"
" "
Wherefore not ? The knife is in the meat, and the
drink is in the horn, and there is revelry in Arthur's
Hall, and none may enter therein but the son of a king
of a privileged country, or a craftsman bringing his
craft. But there will be refreshment for thy dogs, and
E
98 The Mabinogion
; and for thee there will be collops cooked
for thy horses
and peppered, and luscious wine and mirthful songs, and
food for fifty men shall be brought unto thee in the
guest chamber, where the stranger and the sons of other
countries eat, who come not unto the precincts of the
Palace of Arthur. Thou wilt fare no worse there than
thou wouldest with Arthur in the Court. A
lady shall
smooth thy couch, and shall lull thee with songs ; and
early to-morrow morning, when the gate is open for the
multitude that come hither to-day, for thee shall it be
opened first, and thou mayest sit in the place that thou
shalt choose in Arthur's Hall, from the upper end to the
" That will
lower." Said the youth, I not do. If thou
openest the gate, it is well. If thou dost not open it, I
will bring disgrace upon thy Lord, and evil report upon
thee. And I will set up three shouts at this very gate,
than which none were ever more deadly, from the top ol
Pengwaed in Cornwall to the bottom of Dinsol, in the
North, and to Esgair Oervel, in Ireland. And all the
women in this Palace that are pregnant shall lose their
offspring ; and such as are not pregnant, their hearts
shall be turned by illness, so that they shall never bear
" What
children from this day forward." clamour soever
thou mayest make," said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, "against
the laws of Arthur's Palace shalt thou not enter therein,
until I first go and speak with Arthur."
Then Glewlwyd went into the Hall. And Arthur
" Hast thou
said to him, news from the gate ? " " Half
of my life is past, and half of thine. I was heretofore in
Kaer Se and Asse, in Sach and Salach, in Lotor and
Fotor ; and I have been heretofore in India the Great
and India the Lesser and I was in the battle of Dau
;
Ynyr, when hostages were brought from

the twelve
Llychlyn. And have also been in Europe, and in
I
Africa, and in the islands of Corsica, and in Caer

Brythwch, and Brythach, and Verthach ; and I was
present when formerly thou didst slay the family of
Clis the son of Merin, and when thou didst slay Mil Du
the son of Ducum, and when thou didst conquer Greece
in the East. And 1 have been in Caer Oeth and
Annoeth, and in Caer Nevenhyr nine supreme
;
sovereigns, handsome men, saw we there, but never did

I behold a man of equal dignity with him who is now at
" If
the door of the portal." Then said Arthur, walking
thou didst enter in here, return thou running. And
every one that beholds the light, and every one that
opens and shuts the eye, let them shew him respect, and
serve him, some with gold-mounted drinking-horns,
others with collops cooked and peppered, until food and
drink can be prepared for him. It is unbecoming to
keep such a man as thou sayest he is, in the wind and

"
the rain." Said Kai, By the hand of my friend, if thou
wouldest follow my counsel, thou wouldest not break
through the laws of the Court because of him." "Not
so, blessed Kai. It is an honour to us to be resorted to,
and the greater our courtesy the greater will be our
renown, and our fame, and our glory."
And Glewlwyd came to the gate, and opened the gate
before him and although all dismounted upon the horse-
;
block at the gate, yet did he not dismount, but rode in

"
upon his charger. Then said Kilhwch, Greeting be
unto thee, Sovereign Ruler of this Island and be this
;
greeting no less unto the lowest than unto the highest,

and be it equally unto thy guests, and thy warriors, and thy
chieftains let all partake of it as completely as thyself.
And complete be thy favour, and thy fame, and thy glory,
throughout all this Island." "Greeting unto thee also,"
"
said Arthur ; sit thou between two of my warriors, and
thou shalt have minstrels before thee, and thou shalt
enjoy the privileges of a king born to a throne, as
long as thou remainest here. And when I dispense
my presents to the visitors and strangers in this Court,
they shall be in thy hand at my commencing." Said the
" I came not here to consume meat and drink
youth, ;
but if I obtain the boon that I seek, I will requite it thee,

and extol thee ; and if I have it not, I will bear forth thy
dispraise to the four quarters of the world, as far as thy
renown has extended." Then said Arthur, " Since thou
wilt not remain here, chieftain, thou shalt receive the
boon whatsoever thy tongue may name, as far as the
ioo The Mabinogion
wind dries, and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves,
and the sea encircles, and the earth extends save only
;
my ship and my mantle ; and Caledvwlch, my sword; and

;
Rhongomyant, my lance; and Wynebgwrthucher, my

shield ; and Carnwenhau, my dagger and Gwenhwy var,
;
my wife. By the truth of Heaven," thou shall have it

cheerfully, name what thou wilt." I would that thou
bless my hair." "That shall be granted thee."
And Arthur took a golden comb, and scissors, whereof
the loops were of silver, and he combed his hair. And
Arthur inquired of him who he was. "For my heart
warms unto thee, and I know that thou art come of my
blood. Tell me, therefore, who thou art." " I will tell
thee," said the youth. "I am Kilhwch, the son of
Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by Goleuddydd,
my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd." "That
is true," said Arthur ;
" thou art
my cousin. Whatsoever
boon thou mayest ask, thou shalt receive, be it what it
"
may that thy tongue shall name." Pledge the truth of
Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof." " I
" I crave of
pledge it thee, gladly." thee then, that
thou obtain for me Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden
Penkawr; and this boon I likewise seek at the hands
of thy warriors. I seek it from Kai, and Bedwyr, and
Greidawl Galldonyd, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl,
and Greid the son of Eri, and Kynddelig Kyvarwydd,
and Tathal Twyll Goleu, and Maelwys the son of
Baeddan, and Crychwr the son of Nes, and Cubert the
son of Daere, and Percos the son of Poch, and Lluber
Beuthach, and Corvil Bervach, and Gwynn the son of
Nudd, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and Gadwy the
son of Geraint, and Prince Fflewddur Fflam, and Ruawn
Pebyr the son of Dorath, and Bradwen the son of Moren
Mynawc, and Moren Mynawc himself, and Dalldav the
son of Kimin C6v, and the son of Alun Dyved, and the
son of Saidi, and the son of Gwryon, and Uchtryd
Ardywad Kad, and Kynwas Curvagyl, and Gwrhyr
Gwarthegvras, and Isperyr Ewingath, and Gallcoyt
Govynynat, and Duach, and Grathach, and Nerthach,
the sons of Gwawrddur Kyrvach (these men came
forth the confines of hell), and Kilydd Can-
from
hastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw, and Cors Cant-Ewin,
and Esgeir Gulhwch Govynkawn, and Drustwrn
Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and Lloch Llaw-
wynnyawc, and Aunwas Adeiniawc, and Sinnoch the
son of Seithved, and Gwennwynwyn the son of Naw,
and Bedyw the son of Seithved, and Gobrwy the son of
Echel Vorddwyttwll, and Echel Vorddwyttwll himself,
and Mael the son of Roy col, and Dad weir Dallpenn,
and Garwyli the son of Gwythawc Gwyr, and Gwythawc
Gwyr himself, and Gprmant the son of Ricca, and
Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, and Digon the son of
Alar, and Selyf the son of Smoit, and Gusg the son of
Atheu, and Nerth the son of Kedarn, and Drudwas the
son of Tryffin, and Twrch the son of Perif, and Twrch
the son of Annwas, and lona king of France, and Sel
the son of Selgi, and Teregud the son of laen, and
Sulyen the son of laen, and Bradwen the son of laen,
and Moren the son of laen, and Siawn the son of laen,
and Cradawc the son of laen. (They were men of
Caerdathal, of Arthur's kindred on his father's side.)
Dirmyg the son of Kaw, and Justic the son of Kaw, and
Etmic the son of Kaw, and Anghawd the son of Kaw,
and Ovan the son of Kaw, and Kelin the son of Kaw,
and Connyn the son of Kaw, and Mabsant the son of
Kaw, and Gwyngad the son of Kaw, and Llwybyr the
son of Kaw, and Coth the son of Kaw, and Meilic the
son of Kaw, and Kynwas the son of Kaw, and Ardwyad
the son of Kaw, and Ergyryad the son of Kaw, and Neb
the son of Kaw, and Gilda the son of Kaw, and Calcas
the son of Kaw, and Hueil the son of Kaw (he never
yet made a request at the hand of any Lord). And
Samson Vinsych, and Taliesin the chief of the bards,
and Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and Llary the son of
Prince Kasnar, and Ysperni the son of Fflergant king of
Armorica, and Saranhon the son of Glythwyr, and Llawr
Eilerw, and Annyanniawc the son of Menw the son of
Teirgwaedd, and Gwynn the son of Nwyvre, and Fflam
the son of Nwyvre, and Geraint the son of Erbin, and
Ermid the son of Erbin, and Dyvel the son of Erbin, and
IO2 The Mabinogion
Gwynn the son of Ermid, and Kyndrwyn the son of
Ermid, and Hyveidd Unllenn, and Eiddon Vawr Vrydic,
and Reidwn Arwy, and Gormant the son of Ricca
(Arthur's brother by his mother's side ; the Penhynev of
Cornwall was his father), and Llawnrodded Varvawc, and
Nodawl Varyf Twrch, and Berth the son of Kado, and
Rheidwn the son of Beli, and Iscovan Hael, and Iscawin
the son of Panon, and Morvran the son of Tegid (no one
struck him the battle of Camlan by reason of his
in
ugliness ; thought he was an auxiliary devil. Hair

all
had he upon him like the hair of a stag). And Sandde
Bryd Angel (no one touched him with a spear in the
battle of Camlan because of his beauty; all thought he
was a ministering angel). And Kynwyl Sant (the third
man that escaped from the battle of Camlan, and he was
the last who parted from Arthur on Hengroen his
horse). And Uchtryd the son of Erim, and Eus
the son of Erim, and Henwas Adeinawg the son of
Erim, and Henbedestyr the son of Erim, and Sgilti
Yscawndroed the son of Erim. (Unto these three
men belonged these three qualities, With Henbedestyr
there was not any one who could keep pace, either on
horseback or on foot ; with Henwas Adeinawg, no four-
footed beast could run the distance of an acre, much less
could it go beyond it; and as to Sgilti Yscawndroed,
when he intended to go upon a message for his Lord, he
never sought to find a path, but knowing whither he was
to go, if his way lay through a wood he went along the
tops of the trees. During his whole life, a blade of reed
grass bent not beneath his feet, much less did one ever
break, so lightly did he tread.) Teithi Hen the son of
Gwynhan (his dominions were swallowed up by the sea,
and he himself hardly escaped, and he came to Arthur ;
and his knife had this peculiarity, that from the time that
he came there no haft would ever remain upon it, and
owing to this a sickness came over him, and he pined
away during the remainder of his life, and of this he
died). And Carneddyr the son of Govynyon Hen, and
Gwenwynwyn the son of Nav Gyssevin, Arthur's champion,
and Llysgadrudd Emys, and Gwrbothu Hen (uncles unto
Arthur were they, his mother's brothers). Kulvanawyd
the son of Goryon, and Llenlleawg VVyddel from the
headland of Ganion, and Dyvynwal Moel, and Dunard
king of the North, Teirnon Twryf Bliant, and Tegvan
Gloff, and Tegyr Talgellawg, Gwrdinal the son of Ebrei,
and Morgant Hael, Gwystyl the son of Rhun the son of
Nwython, and Llwyddeu the son of Nwython, and Gwydre
the son of Llwyddeu (Gwenabwy the daughter of [Kaw]
was his mother, Hueil his uncle stabbed him, and hatred
was between Hueil and Arthur because of the wound).
Drem the son of Dremidyd (when the gnat arose in the
morning with the sun, he could see it from Gelli Wic
in Cornwall, as far off as Pen Blathaon in North Britain).
And Eidyol the son of Ner, and Glwyddyn Saer (who
constructed Ehangwen, Arthur's Hall). Kynyr Keinvar-
vawc (when he was told he had a son born he said to
'
his wife, Damsel, if thy son be mine, his heart will be
always cold, and there will be no warmth in his hands ;
and he will have another peculiarity, if he is my son he
will always be stubborn ; and he will have another pecu-
liarity, when he carries a burden, whether it be large or

small, no one will be able to see it, either before him or
at his back ; and he will have another peculiarity, no one
will be able to resist fire and water so well as he will ;
and he will have another peculiarity, there will never be
a servant or an officer equal to him '). Henwas, and
Henwyneb (an old companion to Arthur). Gwallgoyc
(another ;
when he came to a town, though there were
three hundred houses in it, if he wanted anything, he
would not let sleep come to the eyes of any one whilst he
remained there). Berwyn the son of Gerenhir, and Paris
king of France, and Osla Gyllellvawr (who bore a short
broad dagger. When Arthur and his hosts came before
a torrent, they would seek for a narrow place where they
might pass the water, and would lay the sheathed
dagger across the torrent, and it would form a bridge
sufficient for the armies of the three Islands of
Britain,and of the three islands adjacent, with their
spoil). Gwyddawg the son of Menestyr (who slew Kai,
and whom Arthur slew, together with his brothers, to
IO4 The Mabinogion
revenge Kai). Garanwyn the son of Kai, and Amren
the son of Bedwyr, and Ely Rheu Rhwyd Dyrys,
Amyr,and
and Rhun Rhudwern, and Eli, and Trachmyr (Arthur's
chief huntsmen). And Llwyddeu the son of Kelcoed,
and Hunabwy the son of Gwryon, and Gwynn Godyvron,
and Gweir Datharwenniddawg, and Gweir the son of
Cadell the son of Talaryant, and Gweir Gwrhyd Ennwir,
and Gweir Paladyr Hir (the uncles of Arthur, the
brothers of his mother). The sons of Llwch Llawwyn-
nyawg (from beyond the raging sea). Llenlleawg
Wyddel, and Ardderchawg Prydain. Cas the son of
Saidi, Gwrvan Gwallt Avwyn, and Gwyllennhin the king
of France, and Gwittart the son of Oedd king of Ireland
Garselit Wyddel, Panawr Pen Bagad, and Ffleudor the
son of Nav, Gwynnhyvar mayor of Cornwall and Devon
(the ninth man that rallied the battle of Cam Ian). Keli
and Kueli, and Gilla Goes Hydd (he would clear three
hundred acres at one bound : the chief leaper of Ireland
was he). and Gwadyn Ossol, and Gwadyn Odyeith.
Sol,
(Sol could stand all day upon one foot. Gwadyn Ossol, if
he stood upon the top of the highest mountain in the world,
it would become a level plain under his feet. Gwadyn
Odyeith, the soles of his feet emitted sparks of fire when
they struck upon things hard, like the heated mass when
drawn out of the forge. He cleared the way for Arthur
when he came to any stoppage.) Hirerwm and Hiratrwm.
(The day they went on a visit three Cantrevs provided
for their entertainment, and they feasted until noon and
drank until night, when they went to sleep. And then
they devoured the heads of the vermin through hunger,
as if they had never eaten anything. When they made a
visit they left neither the fat nor the lean, neither the hot
nor the cold, the sour nor the sweet, the fresh nor the
salt, the boiled nor the raw.) Huarwar the son of
Aflawn (who asked Arthur such a boon as would satisfy
him. It was the third great plague of Cornwall when
he received it None could get a smile from him but
when he was satisfied). Gware Gwallt Euryn. The two
cubs of Gast Rhymi, Gwyddrud and Gwyddneu Astrus.
Sugyn the son of Sugnedydd (who would suck up the sea
on which were three hundred ships so as to leave nothing
but a dry strand. He was broad-chested). Rhacymwri,
the attendant of Arthur (whatever barn he was shown,
were there the produce of thirty ploughs within it, he
would strike it with an iron flail until the rafters, the
beams, and the boards were no better than the small
oats in the mow upon the floor of the barn). Dygy-
flwng and Anoeth Veidawg. And Hir Eiddyl, and
Hir Amreu (they were two attendants of Arthur).
And Gwevyl the son of Gwestad (on the day that he
was sad, he would let one of his lips drop below his
waist, while he turned up the other like a cap upon his
head). Uchtryd Varyf Draws (who spread his red
untrimmed beard over the eight-and-forty rafters which
were in Arthur's Hall). Elidyr Gyvarwydd. Yskyrdav
and Yscudydd (two attendants of Gwenhwyvar were they.
Their feet were swift as their thoughts when bearing a
message). Brys the son of Bryssethach (from the Hill of
the Black Fernbrake in North Britain). And Grudlwyn
Gorr. Bwlch, and Kyfwlch, and Sefwlch, the sons of Cled-
dyf Kyfwlch, the grandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch. (Their
three shields were three gleaming glitterers ; their three
spears were three pointed piercers; their three swords
were three grinding gashers ; Glas, Glessic, and Gleisad.
Their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall. Their three
horses, Hwyrdyddwd, and Drwgdyddwd, and Llwyr-
dyddwg. Their three wives, Och, and Garym, and
Diaspad. Their three grandchildren, Lluched, and
Neved, and Eissiwed. Their three daughters, Drwg,
and Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oil. Their three hand-
maids, Eheubryd the daughter of Kyfwlch, Gorascwrn
the daughter of Nerth, Ewaedan the daughter of
Kynvelyn Keudawd Pwyll the half-man.) Dwnn Dies-
sicUnbenn, Eiladyr the son of Pen Llarcau, Kynedyr
Wyllt the son of Hettwn Talaryant, Sawyl Ben Uchel,
Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, Gwalhaved the son of
Gwyar, Gwrhyr Gwastawd leithoedd (to whom all tongues
were known), and Kethcrwm the Priest. Gust the son
of Clustveinad (though he were buried seven cubits
beneath the earth, he would hear the ant fifty miles off
106 The Mabinogion
rise from her nest in the morning). Medyr the son of
Methredydd (from Gelli Wic he could, in a twinkling,
shoot the wren through the two legs upon Esgeir Oervel
in Ireland). Gwiawn Llygad Cath (who could cut a
haw from the eye of the gnat without hurting him). Ol
the son of Olwydd (seven years before he was bora his
father's swine were carried off, and when he grew up a
man he tracked the swine, and brought them back in
seven herds). Bedwini the Bishop (who blessed Arthur's
meat and drink). For the sake of the golden-chained
daughters of this island. For the sake of Gwenhwyvar
its chief lady, and Gwennhwyach her sister, and Rathtyeu
the only daughter of Clemenhill, and Rhelemon the
daughter of Kai, and Tannwen the daughter of Gweir
Datharwenfddawg. Gwenn Alarch the daughter of
Kynwyl Canbwch. Eurneid the daughter of Clydno
Eiddin. Eneuawc the daughter of Bedwyr. Enrydreg
the daughter of Tudvathar. Gwennwledyr the daughter
of Gwaledyr Kyrvach. Erddudnid the daughter of
Tryffin. Eurolwen the daughter of Gwdolwyn Gorr.
Teleri the daughter of Peul. Indeg the daughter of
Garwy Hir. Morvudd the daughter of Urien Rheged.
Gwenllian Deg the majestic maiden. Creiddylad the
daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint. (She was the most
splendid maiden in the three Islands of the mighty, and
in the three Islands adjacent, and for her Gwythyr the
son of Greidawl and Gwynn the son of Nudd fight every
first of May until the day of doom.) Ellylw the daughter
of Neol Kynn-Crog (she lived three ages). Essyllt
Vinwen and Essyllt Vingul." And all these did Kilhwch
the son of Kilydd adjure to obtain his boon.
Then said Arthur, " Oh chieftain, I have never
!
heard of the maiden of whom thou speakest, nor of

her kindred, but I will gladly send messengers in search
of her. Give me time to seek her." And the youth
" I will
said, willingly grant from this night to that at
the end of the year to do so." Then Arthur sent
messengers to every land within his dominions to seek
for the maiden ; and at the end of the year Arthur's
messengers returned without having gained any know-
ledge or intelligence concerning Olwen more
than on the
first day. Then said Kilhwch, " Every one has received
his boon, and I yet lack mine. I will depart and bear
away thy honour with me." Then said Kai, "Rash

chieftain dost thou reproach Arthur ? Go with us, and
!
we will not part until thou dost either confess that the
maiden exists not in the world, or until we obtain her."
Thereupon Kai rose up. Kai had this peculiarity, that
his breath lasted nine nights and nine days under water,
and he could exist nine nights and nine days without
sleep. A wound from Kai's sword no physician could
heal. Very subtle was Kai. When it pleased him he
could render himself as tall as the highest tree in the
forest. And he had another peculiarity, so great was
the heat of his nature, that, when it rained hardest, what-
ever he carried remained dry for a handbreadth above
and a handbreadth below his hand ; and when his com-
panions were coldest, it was to them as fuel with which to
light their fire.
And Arthur called Bedwyr, who never shrank from

any enterprise upon which Kai was bound. None was
equal to him in swiftness throughout this island except
Arthur and Drych Ail Kibddar. And although he was
one-handed, three warriors could not shed blood faster
than he on the field of battle. Another property he had ;
his lance would produce a wound equal to those of nine
opposing lances.
And Arthur called to Kynddelig the Guide, " Go thou
upon this expedition with the chieftain." For as good a
guide was he in a land which he had never seen as he
was in his own.
He called Gwrhyr Gwalstawt leithoedd, because he
knew all tongues.
He called Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, because he
never returned home
without achieving the adventure of
which he went He was the best of footmen
in quest.
and the best of knights. He was nephew to Arthur, the
son of his sister, and his cousin.
And Arthur called Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, in
order that if they went into a savage country, he might
io8 The Mabinogion
cast a charm and an illusion over them, so that none
might see them whilst they could see every one.
They journeyed until they came to a vast open plain,
wherein they saw a great castle, which was the fairest of
the castles of the world. And they journeyed that day
until the evening, and when they thought they were nigh
to the castle, they were no nearer to it than they had
been in the morning. And the second and the third
day they journeyed, and even then scarcely could they
reach so far. And when they came before the castle,
they beheld a vast flock of sheep, which was boundless
and without an end. And upon the top of a mound
there was a herdsman, keeping the sheep. And a rug
made of skins was upon him ; and by his side was a
shaggy mastiff, larger than a steed nine winters old.
Never had he lost even a lamb from his flock, much less
a large sheep. He let no occasion ever pass without
doing some hurt and harm. All the dead trees and
bushes in the plain he burnt with his breath down to the
very ground.
"
Then said Kai, Gwrhyr Gwalstawt leithoedd, go thou
" "
and salute yonder man." Kai," said he, I engaged
not to go further than thou thyself." " Let us go then
together," answered Kai. Said Menw the son of Teirg-
"
waedd, Fear not to go thither, for I will cast a spell
upon the dog, so that he shall injure no one." And they
went up to the mound whereon the herdsman was, and
"
they said to him, How dost thou fare,O herdsman ? "
"No less fair be it to you than to me."
"Truly, art
thou the chief?" injure me but
"There is no hurt to
" Whose are the
my own." l sheep that thou dost keep,
" "
and to whom does yonder castle belong ? Stupid are
ye, truly !
Through the whole world is it known that
"
this is the castle of Yspaddaden Penkawr." And who
"
art thou ? "I am called Custennin the son of Dyfne-
dig,and my brother Yspaddaden Penkawr oppressed me
because of my possessions. And ye also, who are ye ? "
" We are an
embassy from Arthur, come to seek Olwen
1
This dialogue consists of a series of repartees with a play upon
words, which it is impossible to follow in the translation.
the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr." "Oh men!
the mercy of Heaven be upon you, do not that for all
the world. None who ever came hither on this quest
has returned alive." And the herdsman rose up. And
as he arose, Kilhwch gave unto him a ring of gold.
And he sought to put on the ring, but it was too small
for him, so he placed it in the finger of his glove. And
he went home, and gave the glove to his spouse to keep.
And she took the ring from the glove when it was
given her, and she said, "Whence came this ring, for
thou art not wont to have good fortune?" "I went,'
said he, "to the sea to seek for fish, and lo, I saw a
corpse borne by the waves. And a fairer corpse than it
did I never behold. And from its finger did I take this
"
ring." O man does the sea permit its dead to wear
!
"
jewels ? Show me then this body." Oh wife, him to
whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in the
evening." "And who is he?" asked the woman.
" Kilhwch the son of
Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyd-
don, by Goleuddydd the daughter of Prince Anlawdd, his
mother, who is come to seek Olwen as his wife." And
when she heard that, her feelings were divided between
the joy that she had that her nephew, the son of her
sister, was coming to her, and sorrow because she had
never known any one depart alive who had come on that
quest.
And they went forward to the gate of Custennin the
herdsman's dwelling. And when she heard their foot-
steps approaching, she ran out with joy to meet them.
And Kai snatched a billet out of the pile. And when
she met them she sought to throw her arms about their
necks. And Kai placed the log between her two hands,
and she squeezed it so that it became a twisted coil.
"Oh woman," said Kai, " if thou hadst squeezed me
thus, none could ever again have set their affections on
me. Evil love were this." They entered into the house,
and were served ; and soon after they all went forth to
amuse themselves. Then the woman opened a stone
chest that was before the chimney-corner, and out of it
arose a youth with yellow curling hair. Said Gwrhyr,
no The Mabinogion
"
It isa pity to hide this youth. I know that it is not
his own crime that is thus visited upon him."
" This is
but a remnant," said the woman. "
Three-and-twenty of
my sons has Yspaddaden Penkawr slain, and I have no
more hope of this one than of the others." Then said
"
Kai, Let him come and be a companion with me, and
he shall not be slain unless I also am slain with him."
And they ate. And the woman asked them, "Upon
what errand come you here?" "We come to seek
Olwen for this youth." Then said the woman, " In the
name of Heaven, since no one from the castle hath yet
"
seen you, return again whence you came." Heaven is
our witness, that we will not return until we have seen
1
the maiden.' Said Kai, "Does she ever come hither,
so that she may be seen?" "She comes here every
Saturday to wash her head, and in the vessel where she
washes, she leaves all her rings, and she never either
comes herself or sends any messengers to fetch them."
" Will " " Heaven
she come here if she is sent to ?
knows that I will not destroy my soul, nor will I betray
those that trust me ; unless you will pledge me your faith
that you will not harm her, I will not send to her."
"
We pledge it," said they. So a message was sent, and
she came.
The maiden was clothed in a robe of flame-coloured
silk, and about her neck was a collar of ruddy gold, on
which were precious emeralds and rubies. More yellow
was her head than the flower of the broom, and her skin
was whiter than the foam of the wave, and fairer were
her hands and her fingers than the blossoms of the wood
anemone amidst the spray of the meadow fountain. The
eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the three-mewed
falcon was not brighter than hers. Her bosom was more
snowy than the breast of the white swan, her cheek was
redder than the reddest roses. Whoso beheld her was
filled with her love. Four white trefoils sprung up
wherever she trod. And therefore was she called Olwen.
She entered the house, and sat beside Kilhwch upon
the foremost bench ; and as soon as he saw her he knew
her. And Kilhwch said unto her, "Ah! maiden, thou
Kilhwch and Olwen in
art she whom I have loved ; come away with me, lest
they speak evil of thee and of me. Many a day have I
loved thee." " I cannot do this, for I have pledged my
faith to my father not to go without his counsel, for his
life will last only until the time of my espousals. What-
ever is, must be. But I will give thee advice if thou
wilt take it. Go, ask me of my father, and that which
he shall require of thee, grant it, and thou wilt obtain
me ; but if thou deny him anything, thou wilt not obtain
me, and it will be well for thee if thou escape with thy
"I
life." promise all this, if occasion offer/' said he.
She returned to her chamber, and they all rose up and
followed her to the castle. And they slew the nine
porters that were at the nine gates in silence. And they
slew the nine watch-dogs without one of them barking.
And they went forward to the hall.
"The greeting of Heaven and of man be unto thee,
Yspaddaden Penkawr," said they. "And you, where-
fore come you?" "We come to ask thy daughter
Olwen, for Kilhwch the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince
Kelyddon." "Where are my pages and my servants?
Raise up the forks beneath my two eyebrows which have
fallen over my eyes, that I may see the fashion of my
son-in-law." And they did so. "Come hither to-
morrow, and you shall have an answer."
They rose to go forth, and Yspaddaden Penkawr seized
one of the three poisoned darts that lay beside him, and
threw it after them. And Bedwyr caught it, and flung
it, and pierced Yspaddaden Penkawr grievously with it
through the knee. Then he said, "A cursed ungentle

son-in-law, truly. I shall ever walk the worse for his
rudeness, and shall ever be without a cure. This
poisoned iron pains me like the bite of a gadfly. Cursed
be the smith who forged it, and the anvil whereon it was
wrought !So sharp is it "!
That night also they took up their abode in the house

of Custennin the herdsman. The next day with the
dawn they arrayed themselves in haste and proceeded to
the castle, and entered the hall, and they said, " Yspad-
daden Penkawr, give us thy daughter in consideration of
ii2 The Mabinogion
her dower and her maiden fee, which we will pay to thee
and to her two kinswomen likewise. And unless thou
wilt do so, thou shalt meet with thy death on her account."
Then he said, "Her four great-grandmothers, and her
four great-grandsires are yet alive, it is needful that I take
counsel of them."
"
Be it so," answered they, " we will
go to meat." As they rose up, he took the second dart
that was beside him, and cast it after them. And Menw
the son of Gwaedd caught it, and flung it back at him,
and wounded him in the centre of the breast, so that it
came out at the small of his back. " cursed ungentle
A
"
son-in-law, truly," said he, the hard iron pains me like
the bite of a horse-leech. Cursed be the hearth whereon
it was heated, and the smith who formed it ! So sharp is
it!
Henceforth, whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a
scant in my breath, and a pain in my chest, and I shall
often loathe my food." And they went to meat.
And the third day they returned to the palace. And
"
Yspaddaden Penkawr said to them, Shoot not at me
again unless you desire death. Where are my attendants ?
Lift up the forks of my eyebrows which have fallen over
my eyeballs, that I may see the fashion of my son-in-law."
Then they arose, and, as they did so, Yspaddaden
Penkawr took the third poisoned dart and cast it at
them. And Kilhwch caught it and threw it vigorously,
and wounded him through the eyeball, so that the dart
came out at the back of his head. " A cursed ungentle
son-in-law, truly! As long as I remain alive, my eyesight
will be the worse. Whenever I go against the wind, my
eyes will water ; and peradventure my head will burn, and
I shall have a giddiness every new moon. Cursed be the
fire in which it was forged. Like the bite of a mad dog
is the stroke of this poisoned iron." And they went to
meat.
And the next day they came again to the palace, and
"
they said, Shoot not at us any more, unless thou desirest
such hurt, and harm, and torture as thou now hast, and
"
even more." Give me thy daughter, and if thou wilt
not give her, thou shalt receive thy death because of her."
"Where is he that seeks my daughter? Come hither
where I may see thee." And they placed him a chair
face to face with him.
Said Yspaddaden Penkawr, "Is it thou that seekest
" " It is " I must
my daughter ? I," answered Kilhwch.
have thy pledge that thou wilt not do towards me other-
wise than is just, and when I have gotten that which I
shall name, my daughter thou shalt have." "I
promise
"
thee that willingly," said Kilhwch, name what thou wilt."
"
do so," said he.
I will
"
Seest thou yonder vast hill ?
"
"I see it." " I require
that it be rooted up, and that the grubbings be burned
for manure on the face of the land, and that it be ploughed
and sown in one day, and in one day that the grain ripen.
And of that wheat I intend to make food and liquor fit
for the wedding of thee and my daughter. And all this
I require done
in one day."
"
be easy for me to compass this, although thou
It will
mayest think that it will not be easy."

"
Though this be easy for thee, there is yet that which
will not be so. No husbandman can till or prepare this
land, so wild is it, except Amaethon the son of Don, and
he will not come with thee by his own free will, and thou
wilt not be able to compel him."
" It will be
easy for me to compass this, although thou
"
Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou
wilt not get. Govannon the son of Don to come to the
headland to rid the iron, he will do no work of his own
good will except for a lawful king, and thou wilt not be
able to compel him."
"
It will be easy for me to compass this."
"
wilt not get ; the two dun oxen of Gwlwlyd, both yoked
together, to plough the wild land yonder stoutly. He

will not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt not
be able to compel him."
" It will
be easy for me to compass this."
"
wilt not get; the yellow and the brindled bull yoked
together do I require."
1
14 The Mabinogion
"
"
wilt not get; the two horned oxen, one of which is
beyond, and the other this side of the peaked mountain,
yoked together in the same plough. And these are
Nynniaw and Peibaw whom God turned into oxen on
account of their sins."
"
"
wilt not get. Seest thou yonder red tilled ground ? "
" I see it"
"When first I met the mother of this maiden, nine
bushels of flax were sown therein, and none has yet
sprung up, neither white nor black; and I have the
measure by me still. I require to have the flax to sow in
the new land yonder, that when it grows up it may make
a white wimple for my daughter's head, on the day of thy
wedding."
"
It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou

"
wilt not get Honey that is nine times sweeter than the
honey of the virgin swarm, without scum and bees, do I
require to make bragget for the feast."
" It will be
" The vessel of
Llwyr the son of Llwyryon, which is of
the utmost value. There is no other vessel in the world
that can hold this drink. Of his free will thou wilt not
get it, and thou canst not compel him."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. The basket of Gwyddneu Garanhir, if the
whole world should come together, thrice nine men at a
time, the meat that each of them desired would be found
within it. I require to eat therefrom on the night that
my daughter becomes thy bride. He will give it to no

one of his own free will, and thou canst not compel
him."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. The horn of Gwlgawd Gododin to serve us
with liquor that night. He will not give it of his own
free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
" It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou
wilt not get. The harp of Teirtu to play to us that night.
When a man desires that it should play, it does so of
itself, and when he desires that it should cease, it ceases.
And this he will not give of his own free will, and thou
wilt not be able to compel him."
"

wilt not get. The cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, the
steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, king of Ireland, to
boil the meat for thy marriage feast."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. It is needful for me to wash my head, and
shave my beard, and I require the tusk of Yskithyrwyn
Penbaedd to shave myself withal, neither shall I profit by
its use if it be not plucked alive out of his head."
" It will be
wilt not get. There is no one in the world that can
pluck it out of his head except Odgar the son of Aedd,
king of Ireland."
"
It will be easy for me to compass this/'

wilt not get. I will not trust any one to keep the tusk
except Gado of North Britain. Now the threescore

Cantrevs of North Britain are under his sway, and of his
own free will he will not come out of his kingdom, and
thou wilt not be able to compel him."
n6 The Mabinogion
"

"
wilt not get. I must spread out my hair in order to
shave it, and it will- never be spread out unless I have the
blood of the jet-black sorceress, the daughter of the pure
white sorceress, from Pen Nant Govid, on the confines
of Hell."
"

"
wilt not get. I will not have the blood unless I have it
warm, and no vessels will keep warm the liquid that is

put therein except the bottles of Gwyddolwyd Gorr,
which preserve the heat of the liquor that is put into them
in the east, until they arrive at the west. And he will
not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt not be
able to compel him."
" It will be
"
Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt
not get. Some will desire fresh milk, and it will not be
possible to have fresh milk for all, unless we have the
bottles of Rhinnon Rhin Barnawd, wherein no liquor ever
turns sour. And he will not give them of his own free
will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. Throughout the world there is not a comb
or scissors with which I can arrange my hair, on account
of its rankness, except the comb and scissors that are
between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, the son of Prince
Tared. He will not give them of his own free will, and
thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"
"
not get. It will not be possible to hunt Twrch Trwyth
without Drudwyn the whelp of Greid, the son of Eri."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. Throughout the world there is not a leash
that can hold him, except the leash of Cwrs Cant
Ewin."
" It will
"
wilt not get. Throughout the world there is no collar
that will hold the leash except the collar of Canhastyr
Canllaw."
"

"
wilt not get. The chain of Kilydd Canhastyr to fasten
the collar to the leash."
"

"
wilt not get. Throughout the world there is not a
huntsman who can hunt with this dog, except Mabon
the son of Modron. He was taken from his mother
when three nights old, and it is not known where he now
is, nor whether he is living or dead."
" It will
"
wilt not get. Gwynn Mygdwn, the horse of Gweddw,
that is as swift as the wave, to carry Mabon the son of
Modron to hunt the boar Trwyth. He will not give him
of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel
him."
"

"
wilt not get. Thou wilt not get Mabon, for it is not
known where he is, unless thou find Eidoel, his kins-
man in blood, the son of Aer. For it would be useless
to seek for him. He is his cousin."
n8 The Mabinogion
" Itwill be easy for me to compass this,
although thou
"
wilt not get. Garselit the Gwyddelian is the chief hunts-
man of Ireland ; the Twrch Trwyth can never be hunted
without him."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. A leash made from the beard of Dillus
Varvawc, for that is the only one that can hold those two
cubs. And the leash will be of no avail unless it be
plucked from his beard while he is alive, and twitched
out with wooden tweezers. While he lives he will not
suffer this to be done to him, and the leash will be of no
use should he be dead, because it will be brittle."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. Throughout the world there is no hunts-
man that can hold those two whelps except Kynedyr
Wyllt, the son of Hettwn Glafyrawc ; he is nine times
more wild than the wildest beast upon the mountains.
Him wilt thou never get, neither wilt thou ever get my
daughter."
" It will be
"
wilt not get It is not possible to hunt the boar Trwyth
without Gwynn the son of Nudd, whom God has placed
over the brood of devils in Annwvyn, lest they should
destroy the present race. He will never be spared thence."
" It will be
"
wilt not get There is not a horse in the world that can
carry Gwynn to hunt the Twrch Trwyth, except Du, the
horse of Mor of Oerveddawg."
" It will be
11
wilt not get. Until Gilennhin the king of France shall
come, the Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted. It will be
unseemly for him to leave his kingdom for thy sake, and
he will never come hither."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. The Twrch Trwyth can never be hunted
without the son of Alun Dyved ; he is well skilled in
letting loose the dogs."
"

"
wilt not get. The Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless
thou get Aned and Aethlem. They are as swift as the
gale of wind, and they were never let loose upon a beast
that they did not kill him."
11

"
wilt not get ;
Arthur and his companions to hunt the
Twrch Trwyth. He is a mighty man, and he will not
come for thee, neither wilt thou be able to compel him."
"

"
not get. The Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless
thou get Bwlch, and Kyfwlch the grand-
[and Sefwlch],
sons of Cleddyf Difwlch. Their three shields are three
gleaming glitterers. Their three spears are three pointed
piercers. Their three swords are three griding gashers,
Glas, Glessic, and Clersag. Their three dogs, Call, Cuall,
and Cavall. Their three horses, Hwyrdydwg, and
Drwgdydwg, and Llwyrdydwg. Their three wives, Och,
and Garam, and Diaspad. Their three grandchildren,
Lluched, and Vyned, and Eissiwed. Their three
daughters, Drwg, and Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oil.
Their three handmaids [Eheubryd, the daughter of
Kyfwlch; Gorasgwrn, the daughter of Nerth ; and
I2O The Mabinogion
Gwaedan, the daughter of Kynvelyn]. These three men
shall sound the horn, and all the others shall shout, so
that all will think that the sky is falling to the earth."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. The sword of Gwrnach the Giant ; he will
never be slain except therewith. Of his own free will he
will not give it, either for a price or as a gift, and thou
wilt never be able to compel him."
" It will be
"
wilt not get. Difficulties shalt thou meet with, and nights
without sleep, in seeking this, and if thou obtain it not,
neither shalt thou obtain my daughter."
" Horses shall I and and
have, chivalry ; my and
lord
kinsman Arthur obtain for me all these things. And
will
I shall gain thy daughter, and thou shalt lose thy life."
" Go forward. And thou shalt not be chargeable for
food or raiment for my daughter while thou art seeking
these things ; and when thou hast compassed all these
marvels, thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife."
All that day they journeyed until the evening, and then
they beheld a vast castle, which was the largest in the
world. And lo, a black man, huger than three of the
men of this world, came out from the castle. And they
spoke unto him, "Whence comest thou, O man?"
"From the castle which you see yonder." "Whose
asked they. " Stupid are ye truly, O
"
castle is that ?
men. There is no one in the world that does not know
to whom this castle belongs. the castle of Gwrnach
It is
" What treatment there for guests and
the Giant." is
" " Oh
strangers that alight in that castle ? Chieftain,
!
Heaven protect thee. No guest ever returned thence

alive, and no one may enter therein unless he brings with
him his craft."
Then
they proceeded towards the gate. Said Gwrhyr
Gwalstawt leithoedd, "Is there a porter?" "There is.
And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in thy head, where-
" " " I will not
fore dost thou call ? Open the gate."
" wilt thou not ?
" " The knife is
open it." Wherefore
in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is
revelry in the hall of Gwrnach the Giant, and except for
a craftsman who brings his craft, the gate will not be
" "
opened to-night." Verily, porter," then said Kai, my
craft bring I with me." "What is thy craft?" "The
am " I will
best burnisher of swords I in the world." go
and tell this unto Gwrnach the Giant, and I will bring
thee an answer."
So the porter went in, and Gwrnach said
to him,
"Hast thou any news from the gate?" "I have.
There is a party at the door of the gate who desire to
come in." " Didst thou inquire of them if they possessed
any art ?
"
"I did inquire," said he, " and one told me
that he was well skilled in the burnishing of swords."
"We have need of him then. For some time have I
sought for some one to polish my sword, and could find
no one. Let this man enter, since he brings with him
his craft" The porter thereupon returned and opened
the gate. And Kai went in by himself, and he saluted
.
Gwrnach the Giant. And a chair was placed for him

opposite to Gwrnach. And Gwrnach said to him, " Oh
man is it true that is reported of thee, that thou knowest
!
how to burnish swords ? " "I know full well how to do

so," answered Kai. Then was the sword of Gwrnach
brought to him. And Kai took a blue whetstone from
under his arm, and asked him whether he would have it
"
burnished white or blue. Do with it as it seems good
to thee, and as thou wouldest if it were thine own."
Then Kai polished one half of the blade and put it in his
hand. "Will this please thee?" asked he. "I would
rather than all that is in my dominions that the whole
of it were like unto this. It is a marvel to me that
such a man as thou should be without a companion."
" Oh noble !
sir, I have a companion, albeit he is not
skilled in this art." "Who may he be?" "Let the
porter go forth, and I will tell him whereby he may know
him. The head of his lance will leave its shaft, and
122 The Mabinogion
draw blood from the wind, and will descend upon its
shaft again." Then the gate was opened, and Bedwyr
entered. And Kai said, " Bedwyr is very skilful, although
he knows not this art"
And there was much discourse among those who were
without, because that Kai and Bedwyr had gone in.
And a young man who was with them, the only son of
Custennin the herdsman, got in also. And he caused
all his companions to keep close to him as he passed the
three wards, and until he came into the midst of the
castle. And his companions said unto the son of Cus-
" Thou hast done this Thou art the best of all
tennin, !
men." And thenceforth he was called Goreu, the son of

Custennin. Then they dispersed to their lodgings, that
they might slay those who lodged therein, unknown to
the Giant.
The sword was now polished, and Kai gave it unto the
hand of Gwrnach the Giant, to see if he were pleased
with his work. And the Giant said, " The work is good,
I am content therewith." Said Kai, " It is thy scabbard
that hath rusted thy sword, give it to me that I may take
out the wooden sides of it and put in new ones." And
he took the scabbard from him, and the sword in the
other hand. And he came and stood over against the
Giant, as if he would have put the sword into the
scabbard ; and with it he struck at the head of the Giant,
and cut off his head at one blow. Then they despoiled
the castle, and took from it what goods and jewels they
would. And again on the same day, at the beginning of
the year, they came to Arthur's Court, bearing with them
the sword of Gwrnach the Giant.
Now, when they told Arthur how they had sped,
"
Arthur said, Which of these marvels will it be best for
us to seek first ?
" " It will be '"
to seek
best," said they,
Mabon the son of Modron ; and he will not be found
unless we first find Eidoel the son of Aer, his kinsman."
Then Arthur rose up, and the warriors of the Islands of
Britain with him, to seek for Eidoel; and they pro-
ceeded until they came before the Castle of Glivi, where
Eidoel was imprisoned. Glivi stood on the summit of
and he said, "
his castle, Arthur, what requirest thou of
me, since nothing remains to me in this fortress, and I
have neither joy nor pleasure in it ; neither wheat nor
oats ? Seek not therefore to do me harm." Said Arthur,
" Not to thee came I but to seek for the
injure hither,
prisoner that with thee." " I will give thee my prisoner,
is
though I had not thought to give him up to any one ;

and therewith shalt thou have my support and my aid."
His followers said unto Arthur, " Lord, go thou home,
thou canst not proceed with thy host in quest of such
" It
small adventures as these." Then said Arthur, were
well for thee,Gwrhyr Gwalstawt leithoedd, to go upon
thou knowest all languages, and art familiar
this quest, for
with those of the birds and the beasts. Thou, Eidoel,
oughtest likewise to go with my men in search of thy
cousin. And as for you, Kai and Bedwyr, I have hope
of whatever adventure ye are in quest of, that ye will
achieve it Achieve ye this adventure for me."
They went forward until they came to the Ousel
of Cilgwri. And Gwrhyr adjured her for the sake of
"
Heaven, saying, Tell me if thou knowest aught of
Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken when three
nights old from between his mother and the wall." And
" When I first
the Ousel answered, came here, there was
a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then a young
bird ; and from that time no work has been done upon
it, save the pecking of my beak every evening, and now
there is not so much as the size of a nut remaining

thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me, if
during all that time I have ever heard of the man for
whom you inquire. Nevertheless I will do that which is
right, and that which it is fitting that I should do for an
embassy from Arthur. There is a race of animals who
were formed before me, and I will be your guide to
them."
So they proceeded to the place where was the Stag
of Redynvre. "
Stag of Redynvre, behold we are come
to thee, an embassy from Arthur, for we have not heard
of any animal older than thou. Say, knowest thou
aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken from
124 The Mabinogion
his mother when three nights old ? " The Stag said,
"
When first I came hither, there was a plain all around
me, without any trees save one oak sapling, which grew
up to be an oak with an hundred branches. And that
oak has since perished, so that now nothing remains of it
but the withered stump ; and from that day to this I
have been here, yet have I never heard of the man for
whom you inquire. Nevertheless, being an embassy from
Arthur, I will be your guide to the place where there is
an animal which was formed before I was."
So they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of
Cwm Cawlwyd. "Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, here is an
embassy from Arthur; knowest thou aught of Mabon
the son of Modron, who was taken after three nights
" " If I
from his mother ? knew I would tell you. When
first I came hither, the wide valley you see was a wooded
glen. And a race of men came and rooted it up. And

there grew there a second wood and this wood is the
;
third. My wings, are they not withered stumps ? Yet all

this time, even until to-day, I have never heard of the
man for whom you inquire. Nevertheless, I will be the
guide of Arthur's embassy until you come to the place
where is the oldest animal in this world, and the one that
has travelled most, the Eagle of Gwern Abwy."
"
Gwrhyr said, Eagle of Gwern Abwy, we have come
to thee an embassy from Arthur, to ask thee if thou
knowest aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was
taken from his mother when he was three nights old."
The Eagle said, <C I have been here for a great space of
time, and when I first came hither there was a rock here,
from the top of which I pecked at the stars every evening ;
and now it is not so much as a span high. From that
day to this I have been here, and I have never heard of
the man for whom you inquire, except once when I went
in search of food as far as Llyn Lly w. And when I came
there, I struck my talons into a salmon, thinking he
would serve me as food for a long time. But he drew
me into the deep, and I was scarcely able to escape from
him. After that I went with my whole kindred to attack
him, and to try to destroy him, but he sent messengers,
and made peace with me ; and came and besought me
to take fifty fish Unless he know
spears out of his back.
something of him whom you seek, I cannot tell who may.
However, I will guide you to the place where he is."
So they went thither ; and the Eagle said, " Salmon of
Llyn Llyw, I have come to thee with an embassy from
Arthur, to ask thee if thou knowest aught concerning
Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken away at three
nights old from his mother." "As much as I know I
will tell thee. With every tide I go along the river
upwards, until I come near to the walls of Gloucester,
and there have I found such wrong as I never found
elsewhere; and to the end that ye may give credence
thereto, let one of you go thither upon each of my twa
"
shoulders. So Kai and Gwrhyr Gwalstawt leithoedd went
upon the two shoulders of the salmon, and they proceeded
until they came unto the wall of the prison, and they heard
a great wailing and lamenting from the dungeon. Said
" "
Gwrhyr, Who is it that laments in this house of stone ?
"
Alas, there is reason enough for whoever is here to
lament It is Mabon the son of Modron who is here
imprisoned; and no imprisonment was ever so grievous
as mine, neither that of Llud Llaw Ereint, nor that of
Greid the son of Eri." " Hast thou hope of being released
for gold or for silver, or for any gifts of wealth, or
" " through
battle and fighting ? By fighting will whatever I may
gain be obtained."
Then they went thence, and returned to Arthur, and
they told him where Mabon the son of Modron was
imprisoned. And Arthur summoned the warriors of the
Island, and they journeyed as far as Gloucester, to the
place where Mabon was in prison. Kai and Bedwyr
went upon the shoulders of the fish, whilst the warriors of
Arthur attacked the castle. And Kai broke through the
wall into the dungeon, and brought away the
prisoner
upon his back, whilst the fight was going on between the
warriors. And Arthur returned home, and Mabon with
him at liberty.
Said Arthur, "Which of the marvels will it be best

126 The Mabinogion
for us now to seek first?" "It will be best to seek for
the two cubs of Cast Rhymhi." "
Is it known," asked
" where she is ? " " She is in
Arthur, Aber Deu Cleddyf,"
said one. Then Arthur went to the house of Tringad,
in Aber Cleddyf, and he inquired of him whether he
had heard of her there. " In what form may she be ? "
"She is in the form of a she-wolf," said he "and with
;
her there are two cubs." " She has often slain
my herds,
and she is there below in a cave in Aber Cleddyf."
So Arthur went in his ship Prydwen by sea, and the
others went by land, to hunt her. And they surrounded
her and her two cubs, and God did change them again
for Arthur into their own form. And the host of Arthur
dispersed themselves into parties of one and two.
On a certain day, as Gwythyr the son of Greidawl was

walking over a mountain, he heard a wailing and a
grievous cry. And when he heard it, he sprang forward,
and went towards it. And when he came there, he drew
his sword, and smote off an ant-hill close to the earth,
whereby escaped being burned in the fire. And the
it
ants him, "Receive from us the blessing of

said to
Heaven, and that which no man can give we will give
thee." Then they fetched the nine bushels of flax-seed
which Yspaddaden Penkawr had required of Kilhwch,
and they brought the full measure without lacking
any, except one flax-seed, and that the lame pismire
brought in before night.
As Kai and Bedwyr sat on a beacon earn on the

summit of Plinlimmon, in the highest wind that ever was
in the world, they looked around them, and saw a great
smoke towards the south, afar off, which did not bend
with the wind. Then said Kai, " By the hand of my
friend, behold, yonder is the fire of a robber!" Then
they hastened towards the smoke, and they came so near
to it, that they could see Dillus Varvawc scorching a wild
"
boar. Behold, yonder is the greatest robber that ever
" Dost thou
fled from Arthur," said Bedwyr unto Kai.
know him ? M " I do know him," answered Kai, " he is
Dillus Varvawc, and no leash in the world will be able
to hold Drudwyn, the cub of Greid the son of Eri, save
a leash made from the beard of him thou seest yonder.
And even that will be useless, unless his beard be plucked
alive with wooden tweezers; for if dead, it will be brittle."
" "
What thinkest thou that we should do concerning
this ?
" Let us suffer him," said Kai, "
said Bedwyr. to eat as
much as he will of the meat, and after that he will fall
asleep." Andduring that time they employed them-
selves in making the wooden tweezers. And when Kai
knew certainly that he was asleep, he made a pit under
his feet, the largest in the world, and he struck him a
violent blow, and squeezed him into the pit. And there
they twitched out his beard completely with the wooden
tweezers ; and after that they slew him altogether.
And from thence they both went to Gelli Wic, in
Cornwall, and took the leash made of Dillus Varvawc's
beard with them, and they gave it into Arthur's hand,
Then Arthur composed this Englyn
Kai made a leash
Of Dillus son of Eurei's beard.
Were he alive, thy death he'd be.
And thereupon Kai was wroth, so that the warriors of

the Island could scarcely make peace between Kai and
Arthur. And thenceforth, neither in Arthur's troubles,
nor for the slaying of his men, would Kai come forward
to his aid for ever after.
"
Said Arthur, Which of the marvels is it best for us
now " "
to seek ? It is best for us to seek Drudwyn, the
cub of Greid the son of Eri."
A
little while before this,
Creiddylad the daughter of
Lludd Llaw Ereint, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl,
were betrothed. And before she had become his bride,
Gwyn ap Nudd came and carried her away by force ;
and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl gathered his host
together, and went to fight with Gwyn ap Nudd. But
Gwyn overcame him, and captured Greid the son of Eri,
and Glinneu the son of Taran, and Gwrgwst Ledlwnv
128 The Mabinogion
and Dynvarth his son. And he captured Penn the son
of Nethawg, and Nwython, and Kyledyr Wyllt his son.
And they slew Nwython, and took out his heart, and
constrained Kyledyr to eat the heart of his father. And
therefrom Kyledyr became mad. When Arthur heard of
this, he went to the North, and summoned Gwyn ap
Nudd before him, and set free the nobles whom he had
put in prison, and made peace between Gwyn ap Nudd
and Gwythyr the son of Griedawl. And this was the
peace that was made : that the maiden should remain
in her father's house, without advantage to either of them,
and that Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl
should fight for her every first of May, from thenceforth
until the day of doom, and that whichever of them
should then be conqueror should have the maiden.
And when Arthur had thus reconciled these chieftains,
he obtained Mygdwn, Gweddw's horse, and the leash of
Cwrs Cant Ewin.
And after that Arthur went into Armorica, and with
him Mabon the son of Mellt, and Gware Gwallt Euryn,
to seek the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic. And when
he had got them, he went to the West of Ireland, in
search of Gwrgi Severi ; and Odgar the son of Aedd
king of Ireland went with him. And thence went Arthur
into the North, and captured Kyledyr Wyllt; and he
went after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd. And Mabon the son
of Mellt came with the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic
in his hand, and Drudwyn, the cub of Greid the son of
Eri. And Arthur went himself to the chase, leading his
own dog Cavall. And Kaw, of North Britain, mounted
Arthur's mare Llamrei, and was first in the attack. Then
Kaw, of North Britain, wielded a mighty axe, and abso-
lutely daring he came valiantly up to the boar, and clave
his head in twain. And Kaw took away the tusk. Now
the boar was not slain by the dogs that Yspaddaden had
mentioned, but by Cavall, Arthur's own dog.
And after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd was killed, Arthur
and his host departed to Gelli Wic in Cornwall. And
thence he sent Menw the son of Teirgwaedd to see if
the precious things were between the two ears of Twrch
Trwyth, since it were useless to encounter him if they
were not there. Albeit it was certain where he was, for
he had laid waste the third part of Ireland. And Menw
went to seek for him, and he met with him in Ireland, in
Esgeir Oervel. And Menw took the form of a bird;
and he descended upon the top of his lair, and strove
to snatch away one of the precious things from him, but
he carried away nothing but one of his bristles. And the
boar rose up angrily and shook himself so that some of
his venom fell upon Menw, and he was never well from
that day forward.
After this Arthur sent an embassy to Odgar, the son
of Aedd king of Ireland, to ask for the cauldron of
Diwrnach Wyddel, his purveyor. And Odgar commanded
him to give it. But Diwrnach said, " Heaven is my
witness, if it would avail him anything even to look at
it, he should not do so." And the embassy of Arthur
returned from Ireland with this denial. And Arthur set
forward with a small retinue, and entered into Prydwen,
his ship, and went over to Ireland. And they proceeded
into the house of Diwrnach Wyddel. And the hosts of
Odgar saw their strength. When they had eaten and
drunk as much as they desired, Arthur demanded to
have the cauldron. And he answered, " If I would have
given it to any one, I would have given it at the word of
Odgar king of Ireland."
When he had given them this denial, Bedwyr arose
and seized hold of the cauldron, and placed it upon the
back of Hygwyd, Arthur's servant, who was brother, by
the mother's side, to Arthur's servant, Cachamwri. His
office was always to carry Arthur's cauldron, and to place
fire under it. And Llenlleawg Wyddel seized Caledvwlch,
and brandished it. And they slew Diwrnach Wyddel and
his company. Then came the Irish and fought with them.
And when he had put them to flight, Arthur with his
men went forward to the ship, carrying away the cauldron
full of Irish money. And he disembarked at the house
of Llwydden the son of Kelcoed, at Forth Kerddin in
Dyved. And there is the measure of the cauldron.
Then Arthur summoned unto him all the warriors that
130 The Mabinogion
were in the three Islands of Britain, and in the three Islands
adjacent, and all that were in France and in Armorica,
in Normandy and in the Summer Country, and all that
were chosen footmen and valiant horsemen. And with all
these he went into Ireland. And in Ireland there was
great fear and terror concerning him. And when Arthur
had landed in the country, there came unto him the
saints of Ireland and besought his protection. And he
granted his protection unto them, and they gave him
their blessing. Then the men of Ireland came unto
Arthur, and brought him provisions. And Arthur went
as far as Esgeir Oervel in Ireland, to the place where the
Boar Trwyth was with his seven young pigs. And the
dogs were let loose upon him from all sides. That day
until evening the Irish fought with him, nevertheless he
laid waste the fifth part of Ireland. And on the day
following the household of Arthur fought with him, and
they were worsted by him, and got no advantage. And
triethird day Arthur himself encountered him, and he
fought with him nine nights and nine days without so
much as killing even one little pig. The warriors inquired
of Arthur what was the origin of that swine ; and he told
them that he was once a king, and that God had trans-
formed him into a swine for his sins.
Then Arthur sent Gwrhyr Gwalstawt leithoedd, to en-
deavour to speak with him. And Gwrhyr assumed the form
of a bird, and alighted upon the top of the lair, where he
was with the seven young pigs. And Gwrhyr Gwalstawt
"
leithoedd asked him, By him who turned you into this
form, if you can speak, let some one of you, I beseech
you, come and talk with Arthur." Grugyn Gwrych
Ereint made answer to him. (Now his bristles were like
silver wire, and whether he went through the wood or
through the plain, he was to be traced by the glittering

of his bristles.) And this was the answer that Grugyn
made: "By him who turned us into this form, we will
not doso, and we will not speak with Arthur. That we
have been transformed thus is enough for us to suffer,
" I will tell
without your coming here to fight with us."
you Arthur
,
comes but to fight for the comb, and the
razor, and the which are between the two ears of
scissors
"
Twrch Trwyth." Said Grugyn, Except he first take his
life, he will never have those precious things. And to-
morrow morning we will rise up hence, and we will
go into Arthur's country, and there will we do all the
mischief that we can."
So they set forth through the sea towards Wales. And
Arthur and his hosts, and his horses and his dogs, entered
Prydwen, that they might encounter them without delay.
Twrch Trwyth landed in Forth Cleis in Dyved, and
Arthur came to Mynyw. The next day it was told to
Arthur that they had gone by, and he overtook them as
they were killing the cattle of Kynnwas Kwrr y Vagyl,
having slain all that were at Aber Gleddyf, of man and
beast, before the coming of Arthur.
Now when Arthur approached, Twrch Trwyth went on
and Arthur and his hosts followed him
as far as Preseleu,
thither, and Arthur sent men to hunt him; Eli and
Trachmyr, leading Drudwyn the whelp of Greid the son
of Eri, and Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, in another
quarter, with the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic, and
Bedwyr leading Cavall, Arthur's own dog. And all the
warriors ranged themselves around the Nyver. And there
came there the three sons of Cleddyf Divwlch, men who
had gained much fame at the slaying of Yskithyrwyn
Penbaedd; and they went on from Glyn Nyver, and
came to Cwm Kerwyn.
And there Twrch Trwyth made a stand, and slew four
of Arthur's champions, Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and
Tarawc of Allt Clwyd, and Rheidwn the son of Eli Atver,
and Iscovan Hael. And after he had slain these men,
he made a second stand in the same place. And there
he slew Gwydre the son of Arthur, and Garselit Wyddel,
and Glew the son of Ysgawd, and Iscawyn the son of
Panon and there he himself was wounded.
;
And the next morning before it was day, some of the

men came up with him. And he slew Huandaw, and
Gogigwr, and Penpingon, three attendants upon Glewlwyd
Gavaelvawr, so that Heaven knows he had not an
attendant remaining, excepting only Llaesgevyn, a man
132 The Mabinogion
from whom no one ever derived any good. And together
with these he slew many of the men of that country, and
Gwlydyn Saer, Arthur's chief Architect.
Then Arthur overtook him at Pelumyawc, and there he
slew Madawc the son of Teithyon, and Gwyn the son of
Tringad, the son of Neved, and Eiryawn Penllorau.
Thence he went to Aberteivi, where he made another
stand, and where he slew Kyflas the son of Kynan, and
Gwilenhin king of France. Then he went as far as Glyn
Ystu, and there the men and the dogs lost him.
Then Arthur summoned unto him Gwyn ab Nudd, and
he asked him if he knew aught of Twrch Trwyth. And
he said that he did not.
And all the huntsmen went to hunt the swine as far
as Dyffryn Llychwr. And Grugyn Gwallt Ereint and
Llwydawg Govynnyad closed with them and killed all
the huntsmen, so that there escaped but one man only.
And Arthur and his hosts came to the place where
Grugyn and Llwydawg were. And there he let loose the
whole of the dogs upon them, and with the shout and
barking that was set up, Twrch Trwyth came to their
assistance.
And from the time that they came across the Irish sea,
Arthur had never got sight of him until then. So he set
men and dogs upon him, and thereupon he started off
and went to Mynydd Amanw. And there one of his
young pigs was killed. Then they set upon him life for
life, and Twrch Llawin was slain, and then there was
slain another of the swine, Gwys was his name. After
that he went on to Dyffryn Amanw, and there Banw and
Bennwig were killed. Of all his pigs there went with him
alive from that place none save Grugyn Gwallt Ereint and
Llwydawg Govynnyad.
Thence he went on to Llwch Ewin, and Arthur overtook
him there, and he made a stand. And there he slew
Echel Forddwytwll, and Garwyli the son of Gwyddawg
Gwyr, and many men and dogs likewise. And thence
they went to Llwch Tawy. Grugyn Gwrych Ereint parted
from them there, and went to Din Tywi. And thence he
proceeded to Ceredigiawn, and Eli and Trachmyr with
him, and a multitude likewise. Then he came to Garth
Gregyn, and there Llwydawg Govynnyad fought in the
midst of them, and slew Rhudvyw Rhys and many others
with him. Then Llwydawg went thence to Ystrad Yw,
and there the men of Armorica met him, and there he
slew Hirpeissawg the king of Armorica, and Llygatrudd
Emys, and Gwrbothu, Arthur's uncles, his mother's
brothers, and there was he himself slain.
Twrch Trwyth went from there to between Tawy and
Euyas, and Arthur summoned all Cornwall and Devon
unto him, to the estuary of the Severn, and he said to the
of this
" Twrch has slain
warriors Island, Trwyth many
of my men, but, by the valour of warriors, while I live he
shall not go into Cornwall. And I will not follow him
any longer, but I will oppose him life to life. Do ye as
ye will." And he resolved that he would send a body of
knights, with the dogs of the Island, as far as Euyas, who
should return thence to the Severn, and that tried warriors
should traverse the Island, and force him into the Severn.
And Mabon the son of Modron came up with him at the
Severn, upon Gwynn Mygdwn, the horse of Gweddw, and
Goreu the son of Custennin, and Menw the son of
Teirgwaedd ; this was betwixt Llyn Lliwan and Aber
Gwy. And Arthur fell upon him together with the
champions of Britain. And Osla Kyllellvawr drew near,
and Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and Kacmwri the
servant of Arthur, and Gwyngelli, and they seized hold of
him, catching him first by his feet, and plunged him in
the Severn, so that it overwhelmed him. On the one side,
Mabon the son of Modron spurred his steed and snatched
his razorfrom him, and Kyledyr Wyllt came up with him
on the other side, upon another steed, in the Severn, and
took from him the scissors. But before they could obtain
the comb, he had regained the ground with his feet, and
from the moment that he reached the shore, neither dog,
nor man, nor horse could overtake him until he came to
Cornwall. If they had had trouble in getting the jewels
from him, much more had they in seeking to save the
two men from being drowned. Kacmwri, as they drew
him forth, was dragged by two millstones into the deep,
134 The Mabinogion
And as Osla Kyllellvawr was running after the boar, his
knife had dropped out of the sheath, and he had lost it,
and after that, the sheath became full of water, and its
weight drew him down into the deep, as they were drawing
him forth.
Then Arthur and his hosts proceeded until they over-
took the boar in Cornwall, and the trouble which they
had met with before was mere play to what they en-
countered in seeking the comb. But from one difficulty
to another, the comb was at length obtained. And then
he was hunted from Cornwall, and driven straight forward
into the deep sea. And thenceforth it was never known
whither he went; and Aned and Aethlem with him.
Then went Arthur to Gelli Wic, in Cornwall, to anoint
himself, and to rest from his fatigues.
Said Arthur, " Is there any one of the marvels yet
"
unobtained ? Said one of his men, "There is the
blood of the witch Orddu, the daughter of the witch
Owen, of Pen Nant Govid, on the confines of Hell."
Arthur set forth towards the North, and came to the place
where was the witch's cave. And Gwyn ab Nudd, and
Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, counselled him to send
Kacmwri, and Hygwyd his brother, to fight with the
witch. And as they entered the cave, the witch seized
upon them, and she caught Hygwyd by the hair of his
head, and threw him on the floor beneath her. And
Kacmwri caught her by the hair of her head, and dragged
her to the earth from off Hygwyd, but she turned again
upon them both, and drove them both out with kicks
and with cuffs.
And Arthur was wroth at seeing his two attendants
almost slain, and he sought to enter the cave but Gwyn
;
and Gwythyr said unto him, " It would not be fitting or

seemly for us to see thee squabbling with a hag. Let
Hiramreu and Hireidil go to the cave." So they went.
But if great was the trouble of the first two that went,
much greater was that of these two. And Heaven knows
that not one of the four could move from the spot, until
they placed them all upon Llamrei, Arthur's mare. And
then Arthur rushed to the door of the cave, and at the
The Dream of Rhonabwy 135
door he struck at the witch, with Carnwennan his dagger,
and And
clove her in twain, so that she fell in two parts.
Kaw, of North Britain, took the blood of the witch and
it.
kept
Then Kilhwch set forward, and Goreu the son of Custen-
nin with him, and as many as wished ill to Yspaddaden
Penkawr. And they took the marvels with them to his
court. And Kaw of North Britain came and shaved his
beard, skin, and flesh clean off to the very bone from ear
" Art thou " "I
to ear. shaved, man ? said Kilhwch.
" Is "
am shaved," answered he. thy daughter mine now ?
"
She is thine," said he, " but therefore needest thou not
thank me, but Arthur who hath accomplished this for
thee. By my free will thou shouldest never have had her,
for with her I lose my life." Then Goreu the son of
Custennin seized him by the hair of his head, and dragged
him after him to the keep, and cut off his head and
placed it on a stake on the citadel. Then they took
possession of his castle, and of his treasures.
And that night Olwen became Kilhwch's bride, and-
she continued to be his wife as long as she lived. And the
hosts of Arthur dispersed themselves, each man to his
own country. And thus did Kilhwch obtain Olwen, the
daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY

MADAWC the son of Maredudd possessed Powys within
its boundaries, from Porfoed to Gwauan in the uplands
of Arwystli. And at that time he had a brother, lorwerth
the son of Maredudd, in rank not equal to himself. And
lorwerth had great sorrow and heaviness because of the
honour and power that his brother enjoyed, which he
shared not. And he sought his fellows and his foster-
brothers, and took counsel with them what he should
do in this matter. And they resolved to dispatch some
of their number to go and seek a maintenance for him.
Then Madawc offered him to become Master of the
136 The Mabinogion
Household and to have horses, and arms, and honour,
and to fare like as himself. But lorwerth refused this.
And lorwerth made an inroad into Loegria, slaying
the inhabitants, and burning houses, and carrying away
prisoners. And Madawc took counsel with the men of
Powys, and they determined to place an hundred men in
each of the three Com mots of Powys to seek for him.
And thus did they in the plains of Powys from Aber Cei-
rawc,and in Allictwn Ver, and in Rhyd Wilure, on the
Vyrnwy, the three best Commots of Powys. So he was
none the better, he nor his household, in Powys, nor in
the plains thereof. And they spread these men over the
plains as far as Nillystwn Trevan.
Now one of the men who was upon this quest was
called Rhonabwy. And Rhonabwy and Kynwrig Vrych-
goch, a man of Mawddwy, and Cadwgan Vras, a man of
Moelvre in Kynlleith, came together to the house of
Heilyn Goch the son of Cadwgan the son of Iddon. And
when they came near to the house, they saw an old hall,
very black and having an upright gable, whence issued a
great smoke ; and on entering, they found the floor full
of puddles and mounds ; and it was difficult to stand
thereon, so slippery was it with the mire of cattle. And
where the puddles were, a man might go up to his ankles
in water and dirt. And there were boughs of holly spread
over the floor, whereof the cattle had browsed the sprigs.
When they came to the hall of the house, they beheld
cells full of dust, and very gloomy, and on one side an
old hag making a fire. And whenever she felt cold, she
cast a lapful of chaff upon the fire, and raised such a
smoke, that it was scarcely to be borne, as it rose up the
nostrils. And on the other side was a yellow calf-skin on
the floor ; a main privilege was it to any one who should
get upon that hide.
And when they had sat down, they asked the hag
where were the people of the house. And the hag spoke
not, but muttered. Thereupon behold the people of the
house entered a ruddy, clownish, curly-headed man, with
;
& burthen of faggots on his back, and a pale slender

woman, also carrying a bundle under her arm. And they
barelywelcomed the men, and kindled a fire with the
boughs. And the woman cooked something, and gave
them to eat, barley bread, and cheese, and milk and
water.
And there arose a storm of wind and rain, so that it
was hardly possible to go forth with safety. And being
weary with their journey, they laid themselves down and
sought to sleep. And when they looked at the couch, it
seemed to be made but of a little coarse straw full of dust
and vermin, with the stems of boughs sticking up there-
through, for the cattle had eaten all the straw that was
placed at the head and the foot. And upon it was
stretched an old russet-coloured rug, threadbare and
ragged ;
and a coarse sheet, full of slits, was upon the
rug, and an ill-stuffed pillow, and a worn-out cover upon
the sheet. And after much suffering from the vermin,
and from the discomfort of their couch, a heavy sleep fell
on Rhonabwy's companions. But Rhonabwy, not being
able either to sleep or to rest, thought he should suffer
less if he went to lie upon the yellow calf-skin that was
stretched out on the floor. And there he slept.
As soon as sleep had come upon his eyes, it seemed to
him that he was journeying with his companions across
the plain of Argyngroeg, and he thought that he went
towards Rhyd y Grots on the Severn. As he journeyed, he
heard a mighty noise, the like whereof heard he never
before ; and looking behind him, he beheld a youth with
yellow curling hair, and with his beard newly trimmed,
mounted on a chestnut horse, whereof the legs were grey
from the top of the forelegs, and from the bend of the
hindlegs downwards. And the rider wore a coat of
yellow satin sewn with green silk, and on his thigh was a
gold-hiked sword, with a scabbard of new leather of Cor-
dova, belted with the skin of the deer, and clasped with
gold. And over this was a scarf of yellow satin wrought
with green silk, the borders whereof were likewise green.
And the green of the caparison of the horse, and of his
rider, was as green as the leaves of the fir-tree, and the
yellow was as yellow as the blossom of the broom. So
fierce was the aspect of the knight, that fear seized upon
138 The Mabinogion
them, and they began to flee. And the knight pursued
them. And when the horse breathed forth, the men
became distant from him, and when he drew in his breath,
they were drawn near to him, even to the horse's chest.
And when he had overtaken them, they besought his
" You have it "
mercy. gladly," said he, fear nought."
"
Ha, chieftain, since thou hast mercy upon me, tell me
"
also who thou art," said Rhonabwy. I will not conceal
my lineage from thee, I am Iddawc the son of Mynyo, yet

not by my name, but by my nickname am I best known."
" And wilt thou tell us what "
"I will
thy nickname is ?
tell you ;
Iddawc Cordd Prydain." " Ha, chieftain,"
it is
" "
said Rhonabwy, why art thou called thus ? "I will tell
thee. I was one of the messengers between Arthur and
Medrawd his nephew, at the battle of Cam Ian and I was
;
then a reckless youth, and through my desire for battle,

I kindled strife between them, and stirred up wrath, when
I was sent by Arthur the Emperor to reason with Me-
drawd, and to show him, that he was his foster-father and
his uncle, and to seek for peace, lest the sons of the
Kings of the Island of Britain, and of the nobles, should
be slain. And whereas Arthur charged me with the fairest
sayings he could think of, I uttered unto Medrawd the
harshest I could devise. And therefore am I called
Iddawc Cordd Prydain, for from this did the battle of
Camlan ensue. And three nights before the end of the
battle of Camlan I left them, and went to the Llech Las
in North Britain to do penance. And there I remained
doing penance seven years, and after that I gained
pardon."
Then lo they heard a mighty sound which was much
!
louder than that which they had heard before, and when
they looked round towards the sound, they beheld a
ruddy youth, without beard or whiskers, noble of mien,
and mounted on a stately courser. And from the
shoulders and the front of the knees downwards the horse
was bay. And upon the man was a dress of red satin
wrought with yellow silk, and yellow were the borders of
his scarf. And such parts of his apparel and of the
trappings of his horse as were yellow, as yellow were they
as the blossom of the broom, and such as were red, were
as ruddy as the ruddiest blood in the world.
Then, behold the horseman overtook them, and he
asked of Iddawc a share of the little men that were with
" That which is
him. fitting for me to grant I will grant,
and thou shalt be a companion to them as I have been."
And the horseman went away. " Iddawc," inquired
" who was that horseman ? " "
Rhonabwy, Rhuvawn
Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach."
And they journeyed over the plain of Argyngroeg as
far as the ford of Rhyd y Groes on the Severn. And for
a mile around the ford on both sides of the road, they
saw tents and encampments, and there was the clamour
of a mighty host. And they came to the edge of the
ford, and there they beheld Arthur sitting on a flat island
below the ford, having Bedwini the Bishop on one side
of him, and Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw on the other.
And a tall, auburn-haired youth stood before him, with
his sheathed sword in his hand, and clad in a coat and
cap of jet-black satin. And his face was white as ivory,
and his eyebrows black as jet, and such part of his wrist
as could be seen between his glove and his sleeve, was
whiter than the lily, and thicker than a warrior's ankle.
Then came Iddawc and they that were with him,
and stood before Arthur and saluted him. " Heaven
"
grant thee good," said Arthur. And where, Iddawc,
"
didst thou find these little men ? "I found them,
lord, up yonder on the road." Then the Emperor
smiled. "Lord," said Iddawc, "wherefore dost thou
" " "
laugh ? Iddawc," replied Arthur, I laugh not ; but
it
pitieth me that men of such stature as these should
have this island in their keeping, after the men that
"
guarded it of yore." Then said Iddawc, Rhonabwy,
dost thou see the ring with a stone set in it, that is upon
the Emperor's hand ?
"
"I see it," he answered. " It
is one of the properties of that stone to enable thee to
remember that thou seest here to-night, and hadst thou
not seen the stone, thou wouldest never have been able
to remember aught thereof."
After this they saw a troop coming towards the ford.
140 The Mabinogion
" "
to whom does yonder
Iddawc," inquired Rhonabwy,
" "
troop belong ? They are the fellows of Rhuvawn
Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach. And these men are
honourably served with mead and bragget, and are
freely beloved by the daughters of trie kings of the
Island of Britain. And this they merit, for they were
ever in the front and the rear in every peril." And he
saw but one hue upon the men and the horses of this
troop, for they were all as red as blood. And when one
of the knights rode forth from the troop, he looked like a
pillar of fire glancing athwart the sky. And this troop
encamped above the ford.

Then they beheld another troop coming towards the
ford, and these from their horses' chests
upwards were whiter
than the lily, and below blacker than jet. And they saw
one of these knights go before the rest, and spur his horse
into the ford in such a manner that the water dashed
over Arthur and the Bishop, and those holding counsel
with them, so that they were as wet as if they had been
drenched in the river. And as he turned the head of
his horse, the youth who stood before Arthur struck
the horse over the nostrils with his sheathed sword, so
that, had it been with the bare blade, it would have been
a marvel if the bone had not been wounded as well as
the flesh. And the knight drew his sword half out of
"
the scabbard, and asked of him, Wherefore didst thou
strike my horse ? Whether was it in insult or in counsel
unto me?" "Thou dost indeed lack counsel. What
madness caused thee to ride so furiously as to dash the
water of the ford over Arthur, and the consecrated
Bishop, and their counsellors, so that they were as wet
" "
as if they had been dragged out of the river ? As
counsel then will I take it." So he turned his horse's
head round towards his army.
" " "
Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, who was yonder knight ?
" The most
eloquent and the wisest youth that is in this
"
island ; Adaon, the son of Taliesin." Who was the
man that struck his horse?" "A youth of froward
nature ; Elphin, the son of Gwyddno."
Then spake a tall and stately man, of noble and
4 <4- ^ A/t L /> > ") d^

flowing speech, saying that it was a marvel that so vast a
host should be assembled in so narrow a space, and that
it was a still greater marvel that those should be there
at that time who had promised to be by mid-day in

the battle of Badon, righting with Osla Gyllellvawr.
"Whether thou mayest choose to proceed or not, I
will proceed." "Thou sayest well," said Arthur, "and
"
we will go altogether." Iddawc," said Rhonabwy,
"who was the man who spoke so marvellously unto
"
Arthur erewhile ? "A man who may speak as boldly
as he listeth, Caradawc Vreichvras, the son of Llyr Marini,
his chief counsellor and his cousin."
Then Iddawc took Rhonabwy behind him on his
horse, and that mighty host moved forward, each troop
in its order, towards Cevndigoll. And when they came to
the middle of the ford of the Severn, Iddawc turned his
horse's head, and Rhonabwy looked along the valley of
the Severn. And he beheld two fair troops coming
towards the ford. One troop there came of brilliant
white, whereof every one of the men had a scarf of white
satin with jet-black borders. And the knees and the
tops of the shoulders of their horses were jet-black,
though they were of a pure white in every other part.
And their banners were pure white, with black points to
them all.
"Iddawc," said
"
Rhonabwy, "who are yonder pure
"
white troop ? They are the men of Norway, and
March the son of Meirchion is their prince. And he is
cousin unto Arthur." And further on he saw a troop,
whereof each man wore garments of jet-black, with
borders of pure white to every scarf ; and the tops of
the shoulders and the knees of their horses were pure
white. And their banners were jet-black with pure
white at the point of each.
" "
Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, who are the jet-black
" "
troop yonder ? They are the men of Denmark, and
Edeyrn the son of Nudd is their prince."
And when they had overtaken the host, Arthur and
hisarmy of mighty ones dismounted below Caer Badou,
and he perceived that he and Iddawc journeyed the same
142 The Mabinogion
road as Arthur. And after they had dismounted he
heard a great tumult and confusion amongst the host,
and such as were then at the flanks turned to the centre,
and such as had been in the centre moved to the flanks.
And then, behold, he saw a knight coming, clad, both
he and his horse, in mail, of which the rings were whiter
than the whitest lily, and the rivets redder than the
ruddiest blood. And he rode amongst the host.
"
Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "will yonder host flee?"
"
King Arthur never fled, and if this discourse of thine
were heard, thou wert a lost man. But as to the knight
whom thou seest yonder, it is Kai. The fairest horse-
man is Kai in all Arthur's Court ; and the men who are
at the front of the army hasten to the rear to see Kai ride,
and the men who are in the centre flee to the side, from
the shock of his horse. And this is the cause of the
confusion of the host."
Thereupon they heard a call made for Kadwr, Earl of
Cornwall, and behold he arose with the sword of Arthur
in his hand. And the similitude of two serpents was
upon the sword in gold. And when the sword was
drawn from its scabbard, it seemed as if two flames of
fire burst forth from the jaws of the serpents, and then,
so wonderful was the sword, that it was hard for any one
to look upon it. And the host became still, and the
tumult ceased, and the Earl returned to the tent.
" " who
Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, is the man who bore
" "
the sword of Arthur ? Kadwr, the Earl of Cornwall,
whose duty it is to arm the King on the days of battle
and warfare."
And they heard a call made for Eirynwych Amheibyn.
Arthur's servant, a red, rough, ill-favoured man, having
red whiskers with bristly hairs. And behold he came
upon a tall red horse with the mane parted on each side,
and he brought with him a large and beautiful sumpter
pack. And the huge red youth dismounted before
Arthur, and he drew a golden chair out of the pack, and
a carpet of diapered satin. And he spread the carpet
before Arthur, and there was an apple of ruddy gold at
each corner thereof, and he placed the chair upon the
carpet. And so large was the chair that three armed
warriors might have sat therein. Gwenn was the name of
the carpet, and it was one of its properties that whoever
was upon it no one could see him, and he could see every
one. And it would retain no colour but its own.
And Arthur sat within the carpet, and Owain the
"
son of Urien was standing before him. Owain," said
" thou play chess ?
"
"I will, Lord," said
Arthur, wilt
Owain. And the red youth brought the chess for Arthur
and Owain ; golden pieces and a board of silver. And
they began to play.
And while they were thus, and when they were best
amused with their game, behold they saw a white tent
with a red canopy, and the figure of a jet-black serpent
on the top of the tent, and red glaring venomous eyes in
the head of the serpent, and a red flaming tongue. And
there came a young page with yellow curling hair, and
blue eyes, and a newly-springing beard, wearing a coat
and a surcoat of yellow satin, and hose of thin greenish -
yellow cloth upon his feet, and over his hose shoes of
parti-coloured leather, fastened at the insteps with golden
clasps. And he bore a heavy three-edged sword with a
golden hilt, in a scabbard of black leather tipped with
fine gold. And he came to the place where the Emperor
and Owain were playing at chess.
And the youth saluted Owain. And Owain marvelled
that the youth should salute him and should not have
saluted the Emperor Arthur. And Arthur knew what
was in wain's thought. And he said to Owain, " Mar-
O
vel not that the youth salutes thee now, for he saluted me
erewhile ; and it is unto thee that his errand is." Then
said the youth unto Owain,
"
Lord, is it with thy leave
that the young pages and attendants of the Emperor
harass and torment and worry thy Ravens ? And if it
be not with thy leave, cause the Emperor to forbid
them." "Lord," said Owain, "thou hearest what the
youth says; if it seem good to thee, forbid them from
my Ravens." "Play thy game," said he. Then the
youth returned to the tent.
That game did they finish, and another they began,
144 The Mabinogion
and when they were in the midst of the game, behold, a
ruddy young man with auburn curling hair and large
eyes, well-grown, and having his beard new-shorn, came
forth from a bright yellow tent, upon the summit ol
which was the figure of a bright red lion. And he was
clad in a coat of yellow satin, falling as low as the small
of his leg, and embroidered with threads of red silk.
And on his feet were hose of fine white buckram, and
buskins of black leather were over his hose, whereon
were golden clasps. And in his hand a huge, heavy,
three-edged sword, with a scabbard of red deer-hide,
tipped with gold. And he came to the place where
Arthur and Owain were playing at chess. And he
saluted him. And Owain was troubled at his salutation,
but Arthur minded it no more than before. And the
"
youth said unto Owain, Is it not against thy will that
the attendants of the Emperor harass thy Ravens, killing
some and worrying others? If against thy will it be,
beseech him to forbid them." " Lord," said Owain,
" forbid "
thy men, if it seem good to thee." Play thy
game," said the Emperor. And the youth returned to
the tent.
And that game was ended and another begun. And
as they were beginning the first move of the game, they
beheld at a small distance from them a tent speckled
yellow, the largest ever seen, and the figure of an eagle
of gold upon it, and a precious stone on the eagle's head.
And coming out of the tent, they saw a youth with thick
yellow hair upon his head, fair and comely, and a scarf
of blue satin upon him, and a brooch of gold in the scarf
upon his right shoulder as large as a warrior's middle
finger. And upon his feet were hose of fine Totness,
and shoes of parti-coloured leather, clasped with gold,
and the youth was of noble bearing, fair of face, with
ruddy cheeks and large hawk's eyes. In the hand of the
youth was a mighty lance, speckled yellow, with a
newly-sharpened head; and upon the lance a banner
displayed.
Fiercely angry, and with rapid pace, came the youth
to the place where Arthur was playing at chess with
Owain. And they perceived that he was wroth. And
thereupon he saluted Owain, and told him that his
Ravens had been killed, the chief part of them, and that
such of them as were not slain were so wounded and
bruised that not one of them could raise its wings a
single fathom above the earth. "Lord," said Owain,
" forbid " " if it
thy men." Play," said he, please thee."
"
Then said Owain to the youth, Go back, and wherever
thou findest the strife at the thickest, there lift up the
banner, and let come what pleases Heaven."
So the youth returned back to the place where the
strife bore hardest upon the Ravens, and he lifted up the
banner ; and as he did so they all rose up in the airr
wrathful and fierce and high of spirit, clapping their
wings in the wind, and shaking off the weariness that
was upon them. And recovering their energy and
courage, furiously and with exultation did they, with one
sweep, descend upon the heads of the men, who had
ere while caused them anger and pain and damage, and
they seized some by the heads and others by the eyes,
and some by the ears, and others by the arms, and
carried them up into the air and in the air there was a
;
mighty tumult with the flapping of the wings of the

triumphant Ravens, and with their croaking and there
;
was another mighty tumult with the groaning of the

men, that were being torn and wounded, and some of
whom were slain.
And Arthur and Owain marvelled at the tumult as
they played at chess ;and, looking, they perceived a
knight upon a dun-coloured horse coming towards them.
And marvellous was the hue of the dun horse. Bright
red was his right shoulder, and from the top of his legs
to the centre of his hoof was bright yellow. Both the
knight and his horse were fully equipped with heavy
foreign armour. The clothing of the horse from the
front opening upwards was of bright red sendal, and from
thence opening downwards was of bright yellow sendal,
A large gold-hiked one-edged sword had the youth upon
his thigh, in a scabbard of light blue, and tipped with
Spanish laton. The belt of the sword was of dark green
/A**A*x_ vt//,^ /-.J? \P K

146 The Mabinogion
leather with golden slides and a clasp of ivory upon it,
and a buckle of jet-black upon the clasp. A helmet of
gold was on the head of the knight, set with precious
stones of great virtue, and at the top of the helmet was
the image of a flame-coloured leopard with two ruby-red
stones in its head, so that it was astounding for a warrior,
however stout his heart, to look at the face of the leopard,
much more at the face of the knight. He had in his
hand a blue-shafted lance, but from the haft to the point
it was stained crimson-red with the blood of the Ravens
and theirplumage.
The knight came to the place where Arthur and Owain
were seated at chess. And they perceived that he was
harassed and vexed and weary as he came towards them.
And the youth saluted Arthur, and told him that the
Ravens of Owain were slaying his young men and atten-
dants. And Arthur looked at Owain and said, " Forbid
thy Ravens." "Lord," answered Owain, "play thy
game." And they played. And the knight returned
back towards the strife, and the Ravens were not forbidden
any more than before.
And when they had played awhile, they heard a mighty
tumult, and a wailing of men, and a croaking of Ravens,
as they carried the men in their strength into the air,
and, tearing them betwixt them, let them fall piecemeal
to the earth. And during the tumult they saw a knight
coming towards them, on a light grey horse, and the left
foreleg of the horse was jet-black to the centre of his
hoof. And the knight and the horse were fully accoutred
with huge heavy blue armour. And a robe of honour
of yellow diapered satin was upon the knight, and the
borders of the robe were blue. And the housings of the
horse were jet-black, with borders of bright yellow. And
on the thigh of the youth was a sword, long, and three-
edged, and heavy. And the scabbard was of red cut
leather, and the belt of new red deer-skin, having upon it
many golden slides and a buckle of the bone of the sea-
iQrse, the tongue of which was jet-black. A golden
helmet was upon the head of the knight, wherein were
set sapphire-stones of great virtue. And at the top of
the helmet was the figure of a flame-coloured lion, with
a fiery-red tongue, issuing above a foot from his mouth,
and with venomous eyes, crimson-red, in his head. And
the knight came, bearing in his hand a thick ashen lance^
the head whereof, which had been newly steeped in blood r
was overlaid with silver.
And the youth saluted the Emperor: "Lord," said he,,
"carest thou not for the slaying of thy pages, and thy
young men, and the sons of the nobles of the Island of
Britain, whereby it will be difficult to defend this island
from henceforward for ever?" "Owain," said Arthur,
"forbid thy Ravens." "Play this game, Lord," said
Owain.
So they finished the game and began another ; and as
they were finishing that game, lo, they heard a great
tumult and a clamour of armed men, and a croaking of
Ravens, and a napping of wings in the air, as they flung
down the armour entire to the ground, and the men and
the horses piecemeal. Then they saw coming a knight
on a lofty-headed piebald horse. And the left shoulder
of the horse was of bright red, and its right leg from the
chest to the hollow of the hoof was pure white. And
the knight and horse were equipped with arms of speckled
yellow, variegated with Spanish laton. And there was a
robe of honour upon him, and upon his horse, divided
in two parts, white and black, and the borders of the
robe of honour were of golden purple. And above the
robe he wore a sword three-edged and bright, with a
golden hilt. And the belt of the sword was of yellow
goldwork, having a clasp upon it of the eyelid of a black
sea-horse, and a tongue of yellow gold to the clasp.
Upon the head of the knight was a bright helmet of
yellow laton, with sparkling stones of crystal in it, and
at the crest of the helmet was the figure of a griffin, with
a stone of many virtues in its head. And he had an
ashen spear in his hand, with a round shaft, coloured
with azure blue. And the head of the spear was newly
stained with blood, and was overlaid with fine silver.
Wrathfully came the knight to the place where Arthur
was, and he told him that the Ravens had slain his
148 The Mabinogion
household and the sons of the chief men of this island,
and he besought him to cause Owain to forbid his Ravens.
And Arthur besought Owain to forbid them. Then
Arthur took the golden chessmen that were upon the
board, and crushed them until they became as dust.
Then Owain ordered Gwres the son of Rheged to lower
his banner. So it was lowered, and all was peace.
Then Rhonabwy inquired of Iddawc who were the
first three men that came to Owain, to tell him his
Ravens were being slain. Said Iddawc, "They were
men who grieved that Owain should suffer loss, his
fellow-chieftains and companions, Selyv the son of Kynan
Garwyn of Powys, and Gwgawn Gleddyvrudd, and Gwres
the son of Rheged, he who bears the banner in the day
of battle and strife." "Who," said Rhonabwy, "were
the last three men who came to Arthur, and told him
that the Ravens were slaughtering his men?" "The
"
best of men," said Iddawc, and the bravest, and who
would grieve exceedingly that Arthur should have damage
in aught ; Blathaon the son of Mawrheth, and Rhuvawn
Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach, and Hyveidd
Unllenn."
And with that behold four-and-twenty knights came
from Osla Gyllellvawr, to crave a truce of Arthur for a
fortnight and a month. And Arthur rose and went to
take counsel. And he came to where a tall, auburn,
curly-headed man was a little way off, and there he
assembled his counsellors. Bedwini, the Bishop, and
Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and March the son of
Meirchawn, and Caradawc Vreichvras, and Gwalchmai
the son of Gwyar, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and
Rhuvawn Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach, and
Rhiogan the son of the King of Ireland, and Gwenwyn-
wyn the son of Nav, Howel the son of Emyr Llydaw,
Gwilym the son of Rhwyf Freinc, and Daned the son of
Ath, and Goreu Custennin, and Mabon the son of Modron,
and Peredur Paladyr Hir, and Hyveidd Unllenn, and
Twrch the son of Perif, and Nerth the son of Kadarn,
and Gobrwy the son of Echel Vorddwyttwll, Gwair the
son of Gwestyl, and Gadwy the son of Geraint, Trystan
the son of Tallwch, Moryen Manawc, Granwen the son
of Llyr, and Llacheu the son of Arthur, and Llawvrodedd
Varvawc, and Kadwr Earl of Cornwall, Morvran the son
of Tegid, and Rhyawd the son of Morgant, and Dyvyr
the son of Alun Dyved, Gwrhyr Gwalstawd leithoedd,
Adaon the son of Taliesin, Llary the son of Kasnar
Wledig, and Fflewddur Fflam, and Greidawl Galldovydd,
Gilbert the son of Kadgyffro, Menw the son of Teirg-
waedd, Gwrthmwl Wledig, Cawrdav the son of Caradawc
Vreichvras, Gildas the son of Kaw, Kadyriaith the son of
Saidi, and many of the men of Norway and Denmark,
and many of the men of Greece, and a crowd of the men
of the host came to that council.
"Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "who was the auburn
" "
haired man to whom they came
just now ? Rhun the
son of Maelgwn Gwynedd, a man whose prerogative it is,
"
that he may join in counsel with all." And wherefore
did they admit into counsel with men of such dignity as
are yonder a stripling so young as Kadyriaith the son of
Saidi?" "Because there is not throughout Britain a
man better skilled in counsel than he."
Thereupon, behold, bards came and recited verses
before Arthur, and no man understood those verses but
Kadyriaith only, save that they were in Arthur's praise.
And lo, there came four-and-twenty asses with their
burdens of gold and of silver, and a tired way-worn man
with each of them, bringing tribute to Arthur from the
Islands of Greece. Then Kadyriaith the son of Saidi
besought that a truce might be granted to Osla Gyllellvawr
for the space of a fortnight and a month, and that the
asses and the burdens they carried might be given to the
bards, to be to them as the reward for their stay and that
their verse might be recompensed
during the time of the
truce. And thus it was settled.
" "
Rhonabwy," said Iddawc, would it not be wrong to
forbid a youth who can give counsel so liberal as this
from coming to the councils of his Lord?"
Then Kai "
arose, and he said, Whosoever will follow
Arthur, him
let be with him to-night in Cornwall, and
whosoever will not, let him be opposed to Arthur even
150 The Mabinogion
during the truce." And through the greatness of the
tumult that ensued, Rhonabwy awoke. And when he
awoke he was upon the yellow calf-skin, having slept
three nights and three days.
And Dream of Rhonabwy. And
this tale is called the
this is thereason that no one knows the dream without a
book, neither bard nor gifted seer ; because of the various
colours that were upon the horses, and the many won-
drous colours of the arms and of the panoply, and of the
precious scarfs, and of the virtue-bearing stones.
THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN

KING ARTHUR was at Caerlleon upon Usk ; and one
day he sat in his chamber ; and with him were Owain the
son of Urien, and Kynon the son of Clydno, and Kai the
son of Kyner ; and Gwenhwyvar and her hand-maidens
at needlework by the window. And if it should be said
that there was a porter at Arthur's palace, there was none.
Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was there, acting as porter, to wel-
come guests and strangers, and to receive them with
honour, and to inform them of the manners and customs
of the Court ; and to direct those who came to the Hall
or to the presence-chamber, and those who came to take
up their lodging.
In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a
seat of green rushes, over which was spread a covering of
flame-coloured satin, and a cushion of red satin was under
his elbow.
Then Arthur " If I
spoke, thought you would not dis-
" I would
parage me," said he, sleep while I wait for my
repast ; and you can entertain one another with relating
tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and some meat
from Kai." And the King went to sleep. And Kynon
the son of Clydno asked Kai for that which Arther had
promised them. "I, too, will have the good tale which
"
he promised to me," said Kai. Nay," answered Kynon,
" fairer will it be for thee to fulfill Arthur's
behest, in the
The Lady of the Fountain 151
first and then we will tell thee the best tale that we
place,
know." So Kai went to the kitchen and to the mead-
cellar, and returned bearing a flagon of mead and a
golden goblet, and a handful of skewers, upon which
were broiled collops of meat. Then they ate the collops
and began to drink the mead. " Now," said Kai, " it is
"
time for you to give me my story." Kynon," said
Owain, "do thou pay to Kai the tale that is his due."
" thou are
"Truly," said Kynon, older, and art a better
teller of tales, and hast seen more marvellous things than
I ;
do thou therefore pay Kai his tale." " Begin thyself,"
quoth Owain, "with the best that thou knowest" "I
will do so," answered Kynon.
"
I was the only son of my mother and father, and I
was exceedingly aspiring, and my daring was very great.
I thought there was no enterprise in the world too mighty
for me, and after I had achieved all the adventures that
were in my own country, I equipped myself, and set forth
to journey through deserts and distant regions. And at
length it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the
world, wherein were trees of equal growth ; and a river
ran through the valley, and a path was by the side of the
river. And I followed the path until mid-day, and con-
tinued my journey along the remainder of the valley until
the evening ; and at the extremity of a plain I came to a
large and lustrous Castle, at the foot of which was a
torrent. And I approached the Castle, and there I
beheld two youths with yellow curling hair, each with
a frontlet of gold upon his head, and clad in a garment of
yellow satin, and they had gold clasps upon their insteps.
In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung
with the sinews of the stag ; and their arrows had shafts
of the bone of the whale, and were winged with peacock's
feathers ; the shafts also had golden heads. And they
had daggers with blades of gold, and with hilts of the
bone of the whale. And they were shooting their
daggers.
"
And
a little way from them I saw a man in the prime
of with his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a
life,
mantle of yellow satin ; and round the top of his mantle
152 The Mabinogion
was a band of gold lace. On his feet were shoes of
variegated leather, fastened by two bosses of gold. When
I saw him, I went towards him and saluted him, and
such was his courtesy that he no sooner received my
greeting than he returned it. And he went with me
towards the Castle. Now there were no dwellers in the
Castle except those who were in one hall. And there I
saw four-and-twenty damsels, embroidering satin at a
window. And this I tell thee, Kai, that the least fair of
them was fairer than the fairest maid thou hast ever
beheld in the Island of Britain, and the least lovely of
them was more lovely than Gwenhwyvar, the wife of
Arthur, when she has appeared loveliest at the Offering,
on the day of the Nativity, or at the feast of Easter.
They rose up at my coming, and six of them took my
horse, and divested me of my armour; and six others
took my arms, and washed them in a vessel until they
were perfectly bright. And the third six spread cloths
upon the tables and prepared meat. And the fourth six
took off my soiled garments, and placed others upon me ;
namely, an under-vest and a doublet of fine linen, and a
robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin with a
broad gold band upon the mantle. And they placed
cushions both beneath and around me, with coverings of
red linen ; and I sat down. Now the six maidens who
had taken my horse, unharnessed him, as well as if they
had been the best squires in the Island of Britain. Then,
behold, they brought bowls of silver wherein was water to
wash, and towels of linen, some green and some white ;
and I washed. And in a little while the man sat down
to the table. And I sat next to him, and below me sat
all the maidens, except those who waited on us. And
the table was of silver, and the cloths upon the table
were of linen ; and no vessel was served upon the table
that was not either of gold or of silver, or of buffalo-horn.
And our meat was brought to us. And verily, Kai, I
saw there every sort of meat and every sort of liquor that
I have ever seen elsewhere ; but the meat and the liquor
were better served there than I have ever seen them in
any other place.
"
Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor
any one of the damsels spoke a single word to me but ;
when the man perceived that it would be more agreeable

to me to converse than to eat any more, he began to
inquire of me who I was. I said I was glad to find
that there was some one who would discourse with me,
and that it was not considered so great a crime at that
'
Court for people to hold converse together. Chieftain,'
said the man, we would have talked to thee sooner, but
*
we feared to disturb thee during thy repast ; now, how-

ever,we will discourse/ Then I told the man who I was,
and what was the cause of my journey ; and said that I
was seeking whether any one was superior to me, or
whether I could gain the mastery over all The man
*
looked upon me, and he smiled and said, If I did not
fear to distress thee too would show thee that
much, I
which thou seekest.' Upon this I became anxious and
sorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, 'If
thou wouldest rather that I should show thee thy dis-
advantage than thine advantage, I will do so. Sleep here
to-night, and in the morning arise early, and take the
road upwards through the valley until thou reachest the
wood through which thou earnest hither. A little way
within the wood thou wilt meet with a road branching off
to the right, by which thou must proceed, until thou
comest to a large sheltered glade with a mound in the
centre. And thou wilt see a black man of great stature
on the top of the mound. He
not smaller in size than
is
two of the men of this world. He has but one foot ; and
one eye in the middle of his forehead. And he has a club
of iron, and it is no two men in the
certain that there are
world who would not burden in that club.
find their
And he is not a comely man, but on the contrary he
is exceedingly ill-favoured; and he is the woodward of
that wood. And thou wilt see a thousand wild animals

grazing around him. Inquire of him the way out of the
glade, and he will reply to thee briefly, and will point out
the road by which thou shalt find that which thou art in
quest of.'
11
And long seemed that night to me. And the next
iS4 The Mabinogion
morning I arose and equipped myself, and mounted my
horse, and proceeded straight through the valley to the
wood ; and I followed the cross-road which the man had
pointed out to me, till at length I arrived at the glade.
And there was I three times more astonished at the
number of wild animals that I beheld, than the man had
said I should be. And the black man was there, sitting
upon the top of the mound. Huge of stature as the
man had told me that he was, I found him to exceed by
far the description he had given me of him. As for the
iron club which the man had told me was a burden for
two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would be a heavy
weight for four warriors to lift ; and this was in the black
man's hand. And he only spoke to me in answer to my
questions. Then I asked him what power he held over
'
those animals. I will show thee, little man,' said he.
And he took his club in his hand, and with it he struck
a stag a great blow so that he brayed vehemently, and at
his braying the animals came together, as numerous as
the stars in the sky, so that it was difficult for me to find
room in the glade to stand among them. There were
serpents, and dragons, and divers sorts of animals. And
he looked at them, and bade them go and feed ; and
they bowed their heads, and did him homage as vassals
to their lord.
"Then the black man
said to me, 'Seest thou now,
'
little man, what power hold over these animals ? Then
I
I inquired of him the way, and he became very rough in
his manner to me; however, he asked me whither I
would go ? And when I told him who I was and what I
sought, he directed me.
*
'Take/ said he, that path that
leads towards the head of the glade, and ascend the
wooded steep until thou comest to its summit and there
;
thou wilt find an open space like to a large valley, and in

the midst of it a tall tree, whose branches are greener
than the greenest pine-trees. Under this tree is a foun-
tain, and by the side of the fountain a marble slab, and
on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached by a chain of
silver, so that it may not be carried away. Take the
bowl and throw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and
thou wilt hear a mighty peal of thunder, so that thou wilt
think that heaven and earth are trembling with its fury.
With the thunder there will come a shower so severe that
it will be scarce possible for thee to endure it and live.
And the shower will be of hailstones ; and after the

shower, the weather will become fair, but every leaf that
was upon the tree will have been carried away by the
shower. Then a flight of birds will come and alight
upon the tree ; and in thine own country thou didst
never hear a strain so sweet as that which they will sing.
And at the moment thou art most delighted with the song
of the birds, thou wilt hear a murmuring and complain-
ing coming towards thee along the valley. And thou
wilt see a knight upon a coal-black horse, clothed in
black velvet, and with a pennon of black linen upon his
lance ; and he will ride unto thee to encounter thee with
the utmost speed. If thou fleest from him he will over-
take thee, and if thou abidest there, as sure as thou art
a mounted knight, he will leave thee on foot. And if
thou dost not find trouble in that adventure, thou needest
not seek it during the rest of thy life.'
"
So I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the
steep, and there I found everything as the black man had
described it to me. And I went up to the tree, and
beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side the marble
slab, and the silver bowl fastened by the chain. Then I
took the bowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab ;
and thereupon, behold, the thunder came, much more
violent than the black man had led me to expect ; and
after the thunder came the shower ; and of a truth I tell
thee, Kai, that there is neither man nor beast that can
endure that shower and live. For not one of those
hailstones would be stopped, either by the flesh or by the
skin, until it had reached the bone. I turned my horse's
flank towards the shower, and placed the beak of my
shield over his head and neck, while I held the upper
part of it over my own head. And thus I withstood
the shower. When I looked on the tree there was not a
single leaf upon it, and then the sky became clear, and
with that, behold the birds lighted upon the tree, and
156 The Mabinogion
sang. And truly, Kai, I never heard any melody equal
to that, either before or since. And when I was most
charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a murmuring
voice was heard through the valley, approaching me and
saying, 'Oh, Knight, what has brought thee hither?
What evil have I done to thee, that thou shouldst act
towards me and my possessions as thou hast this day ?
Dost thou not know that the shower to-day has left in
my dominions neither man nor beast alive that was
exposed to it ? And thereupon, behold, a Knight on a
'
black horse appeared, clothed in jet-black velvet, and

with a tabard of black linen about him. And we charged
each other, and, as the onset was furious, it was not long
before I was overthrown. Then the Knight passed the
shaft of his lance through the bridle rein of my horse, and
rode off with the two horses, leaving me where I was.
And he did not even bestow so much notice upon me as
to imprison me, nor did he despoil me of my arms. So
I returned along the road by which I had come. And
when I reached the glade where the black man was, I
confess to thee, Kai, it is a marvel that I did not melt
down into a liquid pool, through the shame that I felt at
the black man's derision. And that night I came to the
same castle where I had spent the night preceding.
And I was more agreeably entertained that night than I
had been the night before ; and I was better feasted, and
I conversed freely with the inmates of the castle, and
none of them alluded to my expedition to the fountain,
neither did I mention it to any ; and I remained there
that night. When I arose on the morrow, I found, ready
saddled, a dark bay palfrey, with nostrils as red as
scarlet ;
and after putting on my armour, and leaving
there my blessing, I returned to my own Court. And
that horse I possess, and he is in the stable yonder.
still
And I declare that I would not part with him for the best
palfrey in the Island of Britain.
"
Now of a truth, Kai, no man ever before confessed
to an adventure so much to his own discredit, and verily
it seems strange to me, that neither before nor since
have I heard of any person besides myself who knew of

this adventure, and that the subject of it should exist
within King Arthur's dominions, without any other person
lighting upon it." "
" not be well to go and
Now," quoth Owain, would it
"
endeavour to discover that place ?
"By the hand of my friend," said Kai, "often dost

thou utter that with thy tongue which thou wouldst not
make good with thy deeds."
"
"In very truth," said Gwenhwyvar, it were better
thou wert hanged, Kai, than to use such uncourteous

speech towards a man like Owain."
"
By the hand of my friend, good Lady," said Kai,
"thy praise of Owain is not greater than mine."
With that Arthur awoke, and asked if he had not been
sleeping a little.
" "
Yes, Lord," answered Owain, thou hast slept
awhile."
" Is it time for us to "
go to meat ?
" It is, Lord," said Owain.
Then the horn for washing was sounded, and the
King
and all his household sat down to eat. And when the
meal was ended, Owain withdrew to his lodging, and
made ready his horse and his arms.
On the morrow, with the dawn of day, he put on his
armour, and mounted his charger, and travelled through
distant lands and over desert mountains. And at length
he arrived at the valley which Kynon had described to
him ; and he was certain that it was the same that he
sought And journeying along the valley by the side of
the river, he followed its course till he came to the plain
and within sight of the Castle. When he approached the
Castle, he saw the youths shooting their daggers in the
place where Kynon had seen them, and the yellow man,
to whom the Castle belonged, standing hard by. And
no sooner had Owain saluted the yellow man than he
was saluted by him in return.
And he went forward towards the Castle, and there he
saw the chamber, and when he had entered the chamber
he beheld the maidens working at satin embroidery, in
chairs of gold. And their beauty and their comeliness
158 The Mabinogion
seemed to Owain
far greater than Kynon had represented
to him. And
they rose to wait upon Owain, as they had
done to Kynon, and the meal which they set before him
gave more satisfaction to Owain than it had done to
Kynon.
About the middle of the repast, the yellow man asked
Owain the object of his journey. And Owain made it
known to him, and said, " I am in quest of the Knight
who guards the fountain." Upon this the yellow man
smiled, and said that he was as loth to point out that
adventure to Owain as he had been to Kynon. How-
ever, he described the whole to Owain, and they retired
to rest.
The next morning Owain found his horse made ready
for him by the damsels, and he set forward and came to
the glade where the black man was. And the stature of
the black man seemed more wonderful to Owain than it
had done to Kynon, and Owain asked of him his road,
and he showed it to him. And Owain followed the road,
as Kynon had done, till he came to the green tree ; and
he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the fountain,
with the bowl upon it. And Owain took the bowl, and
threw a bowlful of water upon the slab. And, lo, the
thunder was heard, and after the thunder came the
shower, much more violent than Kynon had described,
and after the shower the sky became bright. And when
Owain looked at the tree, there was not one leaf upon it.
And immediately the birds came, and settled upon the
tree, and sang. And when their song was most pleasing
to Owain, he beheld a Knight coming towards him
through the valley, and he prepared to receive him ; and
encountered him violently. Having broken both their
lances, they drew their swords, and fought blade to blade.
Then Owain struck the Knight a blow through his helmet,
head-piece and and through the skin, and the flesh,
visor,
and the bone, wounded the very brain. Then
until it
the black Knight felt that he had received a mortal

wound, upon which he turned his horse's head, and fled.
And Owain pursued him, and followed close upon him,
although he was not near enough to strike him with his
sword. Thereupon Owain descried a vast and resplend-
ent Castle. And they came to the Castle gate. And the
black Knight was allowed to enter, and the portcullis was
let fall upon Owain ; and it struck his horse behind the
saddle, and cut him in two, and carried away the rowels
of the spurs that were upon Owain's heels. And the
portcullis descended to the floor. And the rowels of the
spurs and part of the horse were without, and Owain with
the other part of the horse remained between the two
gates, and the inner gate was closed, so that Owain could
not go thence ; and Owain was in a perplexing situation.
And while he was in this state, he could see through an
aperture in the gate, a street facing him, with a row of
houses on each side. And he beheld a maiden, with
yellow curling hair, and a frontlet of gold upon her head ;.
and she was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her

feet were shoes of variegated leather. And she approached.
"
the gate, and desired that it should be opened. Heaven
knows, Lady," said Owain, "it is no more possible for
me to open to thee from hence, than it is for thee to set
me free." " Truly," said the damsel, " it is very sad that
thou canst not be released, and every woman ought to
succour thee, for I never saw one more faithful in the
service of ladies than thou. As a friend thou art the
most sincere, and as a lover the most devoted. There-
" whatever is in
fore," quoth she, my power to do for thy
release, I will do it. Take this ring and put it on thy
finger, with the stone inside thy hand; and close thy
hand upon the stone. And as long as thou concealest it,
it will conceal thee. When they have consulted together,
they will come forth to fetch thee, in order to put thee ta
death ; and they will be much grieved that they cannot
find thee. And I will await thee on the horseblock
yonder; and thou wilt be able to see me, though I
cannot see thee ; therefore come and place thy hand
upon my shoulder, that I may know that thou art near
me. And by the way that I go hence, do thou accompany
me."
Then she went away from Owain, and he did all that
the maiden had told him. And the people of the Castle
160 The Mabinogion
came to seek Owain, to put him to death, and when they
found nothing but the half of his horse, they were sorely
grieved.
And Owain vanished from among them, and went to
the maiden, and placed his hand upon her shoulder;
whereupon she set off, and Owain followed her, until they
came to the door of a large and beautiful chamber, and
the maiden opened it, and they went in, and closed the
door. And Owain looked around the chamber, and
behold there was not even a single nail in it that was not
painted with gorgeous colours ; and there was not a
single panel that had not sundry images in gold portrayed
upon it.
The maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver

bowl, and put a towel of white linen on her shoulder, and
gave Owain water to wash. Then she placed before him
a silver table, inlaid with gold ; upon which was a cloth
of yellow linen ; and she brought him food. And of a
truth, Owain had never seen any kind of meat that was
not there in abundance, but it was better cooked there
than he had ever found it in any other place. Nor did
he ever see so excellent a display of meat and drink, as
there. And there was not one vessel from which he was
served, that was not of gold or of silver. And Owain ate
and drank, until late in the afternoon, when lo, they
heard a mighty clamour in the Castle ; and Owain asked
the maiden what that outcry was. " They are administer-
"
ing extreme unction," said she, to the Nobleman who
owns the Castle." And Owain went to sleep.
The couch which the maiden had prepared for him
was meet for Arthur himself; it was of scarlet, and fur,
and satin, and sendal, and fine linen. In the middle of
the night they heard a woful outcry.
" What
outcry again
" "
is this ? said Owain. The Nobleman who owned the
Castle is now dead," said the maiden. And a little after
daybreak, they heard an exceeding loud clamour and
wailing. And Owain asked the maiden what was the
"
cause of it They are bearing to the church the body
of the Nobleman who owned the Castle."
And Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened
a window of the chamber, and looked towards the Castle ;
and he could see neither the bounds, nor the extent of
the hosts that filled the streets. And they were fully
armed ; and a vast number of women were with them,
both on horseback and on foot ; and all the ecclesiastics
in the city, singing. And it seemed to Owain that the
sky resounded with the vehemence of their cries, and
with the noise of the trumpets, and with the singing of
the ecclesiastics. In the midst of the throng, he beheld
the bier, over which was a veil of white linen ; and wax
tapers were burning beside and around it, and none that
supported the bier was lower in rank than a powerful Baron.
Never did Owain see an assemblage so gorgeous with
satin, and silk, and sendal. And following the train, he
beheld a lady with yellow hair falling over her shoulders,
and stained with blood ; and about her a dress of yellow
satin, which was torn. Upon her feet were shoes of
variegated leather. And it was a marvel that the ends of
her fingers were not bruised, from the violence with which
she smote her hands together. Truly she would have
been the fairest lady Owain ever saw, had she been in
her usual guise. And her cry was louder than the shout
of the men, or the clamour of the trumpets. No sooner
had he beheld the lady, than he became inflamed with
her love, so that it took entire possession of him.
Then he inquired of the maiden who the lady was.
" Heaven " she
knows," replied the maiden, may be said
to be the fairest, and the most chaste, and the most
liberal, and the wisest, and the most noble of women.
And she is my mistress ; and she is called the Countess
of the Fountain, the wife of him whom thou didst slay
" " she is the woman
yesterday." Verily," said Owain,
" "
that I love best." Verily," said the maiden, she shall
also love thee not a little."
And with that the maid arose, and kindled a fire, and
filled a pot with water, and placed it to warm ; and she
brought a towel of white linen, and placed it around

Owain's neck ; and she took a goblet of ivory, and a
silver basin, and filled them with warm water, wherewith
she washed Owain's head. Then she opened a wooden
G
1 62 The Mabinogion
casket, and drew forth a razor, whose haft was of ivory,
and upon which were two rivets of gold. And she shaved
his beard, and she dried his head, and his throat, with
the towel. Then, she rose up from before Owain, and
brought him to eat. And truly Owain had never so
good a meal, nor was he ever so well served.
When he had finished his repast, the maiden arranged
"
his couch. Come here," said she, " and sleep, and I
will go and woo for thee." And Owain went to sleep,
and the maiden shut the door of the chamber after her,
and went towards the Castle. When she came there,
she found nothing but mourning, and sorrow; and the
Countess in her chamber could not bear the sight of any
one through grief. Luned came and saluted her, but the
Countess answered her not. And the maiden bent down
towards her, and said, "What aileth thee, that thou
" "
answerest no one to-day ? Luned," said the Countess,
"
what change hath befallen thee, that thou hast not come
to visit me in my grief? It was wrong in thee, and I
having made thee rich it was wrong in thee that thou

;
didst not come to see me in my distress. That was wrong

in thee." "Truly," said Luned, "I thought thy good
sense was greater than I find it to be. Is it well for thee
to mourn after that good man, or for anything else, that
thou canst not have ? " "I declare to heaven," said the
"
Countess, that in the whole world there is not a man
"
equal to him." Not so," said Luned, " for an ugly man
would be as good as, or better than he." " I declare to
"
heaven," said the Countess, that were it not repugnant
to me to cause to be put to death one whom I have
brought up, I would have thee executed, for making such
a comparison to me. As it is, I will banish thee." " I
am glad," said Luned, " that thou fyast no other cause to
do so, than that I would have been of service to thee
where thou didst not know what was to thine advantage.
And henceforth evil betide whichever of us shall make
the first advance towards reconciliation to the other;
whether I should seek an invitation from thee, or thou of
thine own accord shouldst send to invite me."
With that Luned went forth and the Countess arose
:
and followed her to the door of the chamber, and began
coughing loudly. And when Luned looked back, the
Countess beckoned to her; and she returned to the
" In "
Countess. truth," said the Countess, evil is thy
disposition ; but if thou knowest what is to my advantage,

" I will do
declare it to me." so," quoth she.
" Thou knowest that
except by warfare and arms it is
impossible for thee to preserve thy possessions; delay
not, therefore, to seek some one who can defend them."
" And how can I do that ? " said the Countess. " I will
"
tell thee,"said Luned. Unless thou canst defend the
fountain, thou canst not maintain thy dominions; and
no one can defend the fountain, except it be a knight of
Arthur's household; and I will go to Arthur's Court,
and ill betide me, if I return thence without a warrior
who can guard the fountain as well as, or even better
than, he who defended it formerly." "That will be hard
to perform," said the Countess. "Go, however, and
make proof of that which thou hast promised."
Luned set out, under the pretence of going to Arthur's
Court; but she went back to the chamber where she
had left Owain ; and she tarried there with him as long
as might have taken her to have travelled to the Court
it
of King Arthur. And at the end of that time, she

apparelled herself and went to visit the Countess. And
the Countess was much rejoiced when she saw her, and
"
inquired what news she brought from the Court. I
bring thee the best of news," said Luned, "for I have

compassed the object of my mission. When wilt thou,
that I should present to thee the chieftain who has come
" "
with me hither ? Bring him here to visit me to-
morrow, at mid-day," said the Countess, "and I will
cause the town to be assembled by that time."
And Luned returned home. And the next day, at
noon, Owain arrayed himself in a coat, and a surcoat,
and a mantle of yellow satin, upon which was a broad
band of gold lace ; and on his feet were high shoes of
variegated leather, which were fastened by golden clasps,
in the form of lions. And they proceeded to the chamber
of the Countess,
164 The Mabinogion
Right glad was the Countess of their coming, and she
"
gazed steadfastly upon Owain, and said, Luned, this
" What
knight has not the look of a traveller." harm is
" " I am certain," said
there in that, lady ? said Luned.
the Countess, " that no other man than this chased the
"
soul from the body of my lord." So much the better
for thee, lady," said Luned, "for had he not been
stronger than thy lord he could not have deprived him
of life. There is no remedy for that which is past, be
it as it may." "Go back to thine abode," said the
Countess, "and I will take counsel."
The next day the Countess caused all her subjects to
assemble, and showed them that her earldom was left
defenceless, and that it could not be protected but with
horse and arms, and military skill. "Therefore," said
" this is what I
she, offer for your choice: either let one
of you take me, or give your consent for me to take a
husband from elsewhere to defend my dominions."
So they came to the determination that it was better
that she should have permission to marry some one from
elsewhere ; and, thereupon, she sent for the bishops and
archbishops to celebrate her nuptials with Owain. And
the men of the earldom did Owain homage.
And Owain defended the Fountain with lance and
sword. And this is the manner in which he defended
it Whensoever a knight came there he overthrew him,
:
and sold him for his full worth, and what he thus gained
he divided among his barons and his knights ; and no
man in the whole world could be more beloved than he
was by his subjects. And it was thus for the space of
three years.
It befell that as Gwalchmai went forth one day with
King Arthur, he perceived him to be very sad and

sorrowful. And Gwalchmai was much grieved to see
Arthur in this state; and he questioned him, saying,
"Oh, my lord! what has befallen thee?" "In sooth,
" I am
Gwalchmai," said Arthur, grieved concerning
Owain, whom I have lost these three years, and I shall
certainly die if the fourth year passes without my seeing
him. Now am sure, that it is through the tale which
I
Kynon theson of Clydno related, that I have lost

"
Owain." There is no need for thee," said Gwalchmai,
"to summon to arms thy whole dominions on this
account, for thou thyself and the men of thy household
will be able to avenge Owain, if he be slain ; or to set
him free, if he be in prison ; and, if alive, to bring him
back with thee." And it was settled according to what
Gwalchmai had said.
Then Arthur and men
of his household prepared
the
to go and seek Owain, and their number was three
thousand, besides their attendants. And Kynon the son
of Clydno acted as their guide. And Arthur came to
the Castle where Kynon had been before, and when he
came there the youths were shooting in the same place,
and the yellow man was standing hard by. When the
yellow man saw Arthur he greeted him, and invited him
to the Castle ;
and Arthur accepted his invitation, and
they entered the Castle together. And great as
was
the number of his retinue, their presence was scarcely
observed in the Castle, so vast was its extent. And the
maidens rose up to wait on them, and the service of the
maidens appeared to them all to excel any attendance
they had ever met with ; and even the pages who had
charge of the horses were no worse served, that night,
than Arthur himself would have been in his own palace.
The next morning Arthur set out thence, with Kynon
for his guide, and came to the place where the black
man was. And the stature of the black man was more
surprising to Arthur than it had been represented to
him. And they came to the top of the wooded steep,
and traversed the valley till they reached the green tree,
where they saw the fountain, and the bowl, and the slab.
And upon that, Kai came to Arthur and spoke to him.
" " I know the
Mylord," said he, meaning of all this,
and my request is, that thou wilt permit me to throw
the water on the slab, and to receive the first adventure
thatmay befall." And Arthur gave him leave.
Then Kai threw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and
immediately there came the thunder, and after the
1 66 The Mabinogion
thunder the shower. And such a thunderstorm they
had never known before, and many of the attendants
who were in Arthur's train were killed by the shower.
After the shower had ceased the sky became clear ; and
on looking at the tree they beheld it completely leafless.
Then the birds descended upon the tree, and the song
of the birds was far sweeter than any strain they had
ever heard before. Then they beheld a knight on a
coal-black horse, clothed in black satin, coming rapidly
towards them. And Kai met him and encountered him,
and it was not long before Kai was overthrown. And
the knight withdrew, and Arthur and his host encamped
for the night.
And when they arose in the morning, they perceived
the signal of combat upon the lance of the Knight.
"
And Kai came to Arthur, and spoke to him :
My
lord," said he, "though I was overthrown yesterday, if
it seem good to thee, I would gladly meet the Knight
" Thou
again to-day." mayst do so," said Arthur. And
Kai went towards the Knight. And on the spot he
overthrew Kai, and struck him with the head of his
lance in the forehead, so that it broke his helmet and
the head-piece, and pierced the skin and the flesh, the.
breadth of the spear-head, even to the bone. And Kai
returned to his companions.
After this, all the household of Arthur went forth, one
after the other, to combat the Knight, until there was
not one that was not overthrown by him, except Arthur
and Gwalchmai. And Arthur armed himself to encounter
" "
the Knight. Oh, my lord," said Gwalchmai, permit
me to fight with him first." And Arthur permitted
him. And he went forth to meet the Knight, having
over himself and his horse a satin robe of honour which
had been sent him by the daughter of the Earl of
Rhangyw, and in this dress he was not known by any
of the host. And they charged each other, and fought
all that day until the evening, and neither of them was
able to unhorse the other.
The next day they fought with strong lances, and
neither of them could obtain the mastery.
And the third day they fought with exceeding strong
lances. And they were incensed with rage, and fought
furiously, even until noon. And they gave each other
such a shock that the girths of their horses were broken,
so that they fell over their horses' cruppers to the ground.
And they rose up speedily, and drew their swords, and re-
sumed the combat; and the multitude that witnessed
their encounter felt assured that they had never before
seen two men so valiant or so powerful. And had it
been midnight, it would have been light from the fire
that flashed from their weapons. And the Knight gave
Gwalchmai a blow that turned his helmet from off his face,
so that the Knight knew that it was Gwalchmai. Then
Owain said, " My lord Gwalchmai, I did not know thee
for my cousin, owing to the robe of honour that en-
veloped thee ; take my sword and my arms." Said
Gwalchmai, "Thou, Owain, art the victor; take thou
my sword." And with that Arthur saw that they were
conversing, and advanced towards them. "My lord
" here is
Arthur," said Gwalchmai, Owain, who has van-
"
quished me, and will not take my arms." My lord,"
said Owain, " it is he that has vanquished me, and he
"
will not take my sword." Give me your swords," said
Arthur, "and then neither of you has vanquished the
other." Then Owain put his arms around Arthur's neck,
and they embraced. And all the host hurried forward to
see Owain, and to embrace him ; and there was nigh
being a loss of life, so great was the press.
And they retired that night, and the next day Arthur
prepared to depart. "My lord," said Owain, "this is
not well of thee ; for I have been absent from thee these
three years, and during all that time, up to this very day,
I have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing that
thou wouldst come to seek me. Tarry with me, there-
fore, until thou and thy attendants have recovered the
fatigues of the journey, and have been anointed."
And they all proceeded to the Castle of the Countess
of the Fountain, and the banquet which had been three
years preparing was consumed in three months. Never
had they a more delicious or agreeable banquet. And
1 68 The Mabinogion
Arthur prepared to depart. Then he sent an embassy to
the Countess, to beseech her to permit Owain to go with
him for the space of three months, that he might show
him to the nobles and the fair dames of the Island of
Britain. And the Countess gave her consent, although
it was very painful to her. So Owain came with Arthur
to the Island of Britain. And when he was once more
amongst his kindred and friends, he remained three
years, instead of three months, with them.
And as Owain one day sat at meat, in the city of

Caerlleon upon Usk, behold a damsel entered upon a
bay horse, with a curling mane and covered with foam,
and the bridle and so much as was seen of the saddle
were of gold. And the damsel was arrayed in a dress of
yellow satin. And she came up to Owain, and took the
ring from off his hand. "Thus," said she, "shall be
treated the deceiver, the traitor, the faithless, the dis-
graced, and the beardless." And she turned her horse's
head and departed.
Then his adventure came to Owain's remembrance,
and he was sorrowful ; and having finished eating he
went to his own abode and made preparations that night.
And the next day he arose but did not go to the Court,
but wandered to the distant parts of the earth and to
uncultivated mountains. And he remained there until
all his apparel was worn out, and his body was wasted
away, and his hair was grown long. And he went about
with the wild beasts and fed with them, until they became
familiar with him ; but at length he grew so weak that he
could no longer bear them company. Then he descended
from the mountains to the valley, and came to a park
that was the fairest in the world, and belonged to a
widowed Countess.
One day the Countess and her maidens went forth to
walk by a lake, that was in the middle of the park. And
they saw the form of a man. And they were terrified.
Nevertheless they went near him, and touched him, and
looked at him. And they saw that there was life in him,
though he was exhausted by the heat of the sun. And
the Countess returned to the Castle, and took a flask full
of precious ointment, and gave it to one of her maidens.
"Go with this," said she, "and take with thee yonder
horse and clothing, and place them near the man we saw
just now. And anoint him with this balsam, near his
heart; and if there is life in him, he will arise through
the efficacy of this balsam. Then watch what he will do."
And the maiden departed from her, and poured the
whole of the balsam upon Owain, and left the horse and
the garments hard by, and went a little way off, and hid
herself to watch him. In a short time she saw him
begin to move his arms ; and he rose up, and looked at
his person, and became ashamed of the unseemliness of
his appearance. Then he perceived the horse and the
garments that were near him. And he crept forward till
he was able to draw the garments to him from off the
saddle. And he clothed himself, and with difficulty
mounted the horse. Then the damsel discovered herself
to him, and saluted him. And he was rejoiced when he
saw her, and inquired of her, what land and what territory
" " a
that was. Truly," said the maiden, widowed
Countess owns yonder Castle ; at the death of her
husband, he left her two Earldoms, but at this day she
has but this one dwelling that has not been wrested from
her by a young Earl, who is her neighbour, because she
" That is
refused to become his wife." pity," said Owain.
And he and the maiden proceeded to the Castle ; and he
alighted there, and the maiden conducted him to a
pleasant chamber, and kindled a fire and left him.
And the maiden came to the Countess, and gave the
" Ha
flask into her hand. !
maiden," said the Countess,
" " " Have I not
where is all the balsam ? used it all ? "
" the "I
said she. Oh, maiden," said Countess, cannot
easily forgive thee this ; it is sad for me to have wasted
seven-score pounds' worth of precious ointment upon a
stranger whom I know not. However, maiden, wait
thou upon him, until he is quite recovered."
And the maiden did so, and furnished him with meat
and drink, and fire, and lodging, and medicaments, until
he was well again. And in three months he was restored
i
jo The Mabinogion
to his former guise, and became even more comely than
he had ever been before.
One day Owain heard a and a sound of
great tumult,
arms in the Castle, and he inquired of themaiden the
cause thereof. " The Earl," said she, " whom
I mentioned
to thee, has come before the Castle, with a numerous

army, to subdue the Countess." And Owain inquired of
her whether the Countess had a horse and arms in her
possession. "She has the best in the world," said the
"Wilt thou go and request the loan of a horse
maiden.
and arms for me," said Owain, " that I may go and look
" "I
at this army ? will,'' said the maiden.
And she came to the Countess, and told her what
Owain had said. And the Countess laughed. "Truly,"
said she, "I will even give him a horse and arms for
ever ; such a horse and such arms had he never yet, and
I am glad that they should be taken by him to-day, lest
my enemies should have them against my will to-morrow.

Yet I know not what he would do with them."
The Countess bade them bring out a beautiful black
steed, upon which was a beechen saddle, and a suit of
armour, for man and horse. And Owain armed himself,
and mounted the horse, and went forth, attended by two
pages completely equipped, with horses and arms. And
when they came near to the Earl's army, they could see
neither its extent nor its extremity. And Owain asked
the pages in which troop the Earl was. "In yonder
troop," said they, "in which are four yellow standards.
Two of them are before, and two behind him." " Now,"
"
said Owain, do you return and await me near the portal
of the Castle." So they returned, and Owain pressed
forward until he met the Earl. And Owain drew him
completely out of his saddle, and turned his horse's head
towards the Castle, and though it was with difficulty, he
brought the Earl to the portal, where the pages awaited
him. And in they came. And Owain presented the
Earl as a gift to the Countess. And said to her, " Be-
hold a requital to thee for thy blessed balsam."
The army encamped around the Castle. And the
Earl restored to the Countess the two Earldoms he had
taken from her, as a ransom for his life; and for his
freedom he gave her the half of his own dominions, and
all his gold, and his silver, and his jewels, besides
hostages.
And Owain took his departure. And the Countess
and all her subjects besought him to remain, but Owain
chose rather to wander through distant lands and
deserts.
And he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a
as
wood. And
it was repeated a second and a third time.
And Owain went towards the spot, and beheld a huge

craggy mound, in the middle of the wood ; on the side
of which was a grey rock. And there was a cleft in the
rock, and a serpent was within the cleft. And near the
rock stood a black and every time the lion sought
lion,
to go thence, the serpent darted towards him to attack
him. And Owain unsheathed his sword, and drew near
to the rock; and as the serpent sprang out, he struck
him with his sword, and cut him in two. And he dried
his sword, and went on his way, as before. But behold
the lion followed him, and played about him, as though
it had been a greyhound that he had reared.
They proceeded thus throughout the day, until the

evening. And when it was time for Owain to take his
rest, he dismounted, and turned his horse loose in a flat
and wooded meadow. And he struck fire, and when the
fire was kindled, the lion brought him fuel enough to
last for three nights. And the lion disappeared. And
presently the lion returned, bearing a fine large roebuck.
And he threw it down before Owain, who went towards
the fire with it.
And Owain took the roebuck, and skinned it, and
placed collops of its flesh upon skewers, around the fire.
The rest of the buck he gave to the lion to devour.
While he was doing this, he heard a deep sigh near him,
and a second, and a third. And Owain called out to
know whether the sigh he heard proceeded from a
mortal ;
and he received answer that it did. " Who art
thou?" said Owain. "Truly," said the voice, "I am
Luned, the handmaiden of the Countess of the Fountain."
172 The Mabinogion
"And what dost thou here?" said Owain. "I am im-
prisoned," she, "on account of the knight who
said
came from Arthur's Court, and married the Countess.
And he stayed a short time with her, but he afterwards
departed for the Court of Arthur, and has not returned
since. And he was the friend I loved best in the world.
And two of the pages in the Countess's chamber traduced
him, and called him a deceiver. And I told them that
they two were not a match for him alone. So they
imprisoned me in the stone vault, and said that I should
be put to death, unless he came himself to deliver me,
by a certain day ; and that is no further off than the day
after to-morrow. And I have no one to send to seek
him for me. And his name is Owain the son of Urien."
" And art thou certain that if that
knight knew all this,
"
he would come to thy rescue ? "I am most certain
of it," said she.
When the collops were cooked, Owain divided them
into two parts, between himself and the maiden ; and
after they had eaten, they talked together, until the day
dawned. And the next morning Owain inquired of the
damsel, if there was any place where he could get food
"
and entertainment for that night. There is, Lord," said
" cross over
she ; yonder, and go along the side of the
river, and in a short time thou wilt see a great Castle, in
which are many towers, and the Earl who owns that
Castle is the most hospitable man in the world. There
thou mayst spend the night."
Never did sentinel keep stricter watch over his lord,
than the lion that night over Owain.
And Owain accoutred his horse, and passed across by
the ford, and came in sight of the Castle. And he
entered it, and was honourably received. And his horse
was well cared for, and plenty of fodder was placed before
him. Then the lion went and lay down in the horse's
manger ; so that none of the people of the Castle dared
to approach him. The treatment which Owain met with
there was such as he had never known elsewhere, for
every one was as sorrowful as though death had been
upon him. And they went to meat ; and the Earl sat
upon one and on the other side his only
side of Owain,
daughter. And Owain had never seen any more lovely
than she. Then the lion came and placed himself
between Owain's feet, and he fed him with every kind of
food that he took himself. And he never saw anything
equal to the sadness of the people.
In the middle of the repast the Earl began to bid Owain
" "
welcome. Then," said Owain, behold, it is time for
thee to be cheerful." " Heaven knows," said the Earl,
" that it is not
thy coming that makes us sorrowful, but
we have cause enough for sadness and care." " What is
" " I
that ? said Owain. have two sons," replied the
" and
Earl, yesterday they went to the mountains to hunt.
Now there is on the mountain a monster who kills men
and devours them, and he seized my sons ; and to-morrow
is the time he has fixed to be here, and he threatens that
he will then slay my sons before my eyes, unless I will

deliver into his hands this my daughter. He has the
form of a man, but in stature he is no less than a
giant."
" " that
is lamentable. And which
Truly," said Owain,
wilt thou do?" "Heaven knows," said the Earl, "it
will be better that my sons should be slain against my
will, than that I should voluntarily give up my daughter
to him to ill-treat and destroy." Then they talked about
other things, and Owain stayed there that night.
The next morning they heard an exceeding great
clamour, which was caused by the coming of the giant
with the two youths. And the Earl was anxious both to
protect his Castle and to release his two sons. Then
Owain put on his armour and went forth to encounter
the giant, and the lion followed him. And when the
giant saw that Owain was armed, he rushed towards
him and attacked him. And the lion fought with the
"
giant much more fiercely than Owain did. Truly," said
the giant, " I should find no difficulty in fighting with
thee, were it not for the animal that is with thee." Upon
that Owain took the lion back to the Castle and shut the
gate upon him, and then he returned to fight the giant,
as before. And the lion roared very loud, for he heard
174 The Mabinogion
that it went hard with Owain. And he climbed up till
he reached the top of the Earl's hall, and thence he got
to the top of the Castle, and he sprang down from the
walls and went and joined Owain. And the lion gave
the giant a stroke with his paw, which tore him from his
shoulder to his hip, and his heart was laid bare, and the
giant fell down dead. Then Owain restored the two
youths to their father.
The Earl besought Owain to remain with him, and he
would not, but set forward towards the meadow where
Luned was. And when he came there he saw a great
fire kindled, and two youths with beautiful curling
auburn hair were leading the maiden to cast her into the
fire. And Owain asked them what charge they had
against her. And they told him of the compact that was
between them, as the maiden had done the night before.
" "
And," said they, Owain has failed her, therefore we
are taking her to be burnt."
" " he
Truly," said Owain,
is a good knight, and if he knew that the maiden was in
such peril, I marvel that he came not to her rescue ; but

if you will accept me in his stead, I will do battle with
you." "We will," said the youths, "by him who made
us."
Andthey attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by
them. And with that the lion came to Owain's assist-
ance, and they two got the better of the young men.
And they said to him, " Chieftain, it was not agreed that
we should fight save with thyself alone, and it is harder
for us to contend with yonder animal than with thee."
And Owain put the lion in the place where the maiden
had been imprisoned, and blocked up the door with
stones, and he went to fight with the young men, as
before. But Owain had not his usual strength, and the
two youths pressed hard upon him. And the lion roared
incessantly at seeing Owain in trouble ; and he burst
through the wall until he found a way out, and rushed upon
the young men, and instantly slew them. So Luned was
saved from being burned.
Then Owain returned with Luned to the dominions
of the Countess of the Fountain. And when he went
thence he took the Countess with him to Arthur's Court,
and she was his wife as long as she lived.
And then he took the road that led to the Court of

the savage black man, and Owain fought with him, and
the lion did not quit Owain until he had vanquished him.
And when he reached the Court of the savage black man
he entered the hall, and beheld four-and-twenty ladies, the
fairest that could be seen. And the garments which they
had on were not worth four-and-twenty pence, and they
were as sorrowful as death. And Owain asked them
the cause of their sadness. And they said, " are We
the daughters of Earls, and we all came here with
our husbands, whom we dearly loved. And we were
received with honour and rejoicing. And we were
thrown into a state of stupor, and while we were thus,
the demon who owns this Castle slew all our husbands,
and took from us our horses, and our raiment, and our
gold, and our silver; and the corpses of our husbands
are still in this house, and many others with them.
And this, Chieftain, is the cause of our grief, and we
are sorry that thou art come hither, lest harm should
befall thee."
And Owain was grieved when he heard this. And he
went forth from the Castle, and he beheld a knight
approaching him, who saluted him in a friendly and
cheerful manner, as if he had been a brother. And this
was the savage black man. "In very sooth," said Owain,
" " In
it is not to seek thy
friendship that I am here."
"
sooth," said he, thou shalt find it then." And with
that they charged each other, and fought furiously. And
Owain overcame him, and bound his hands behind his
back. Than
the black savage besought Owain to spare
his life, and spoke thus
"My lord Owain," said he, "it
:
was foretold that thou shouldst come hither and vanquish

me, and thou hast done so. I was a robber here, and
my house was a house of spoil ; but grant me my life,
and I will become the keeper of an Hospice, and I will
maintain this house as an Hospice for weak and for
strong, as long as I live, for the good of thy soul." And
176 The Mabinogion
Owain accepted this proposal of him, and remained there
that night.
And the next day he took the four-and-twenty ladies,
and their horses, and their raiment, and what they
,
possessed of goods and jewels, and proceeded with them

to Arthur's Court. And if Arthur was rejoiced when he
saw him, after he had lost him the first time, his joy was
now much greater. And of those ladies, such as wished
to remain in Arthur's Court remained there, and such as
wished to depart departed.
And thenceforward Owain dwelt at Arthur's Court
greatly beloved, as the head of his household, until he
went away with his followers ; and those were the army
of three hundred ravens which Kenverchyn had left him.
And wherever Owain went with these he was victorious.
And this is the tale of THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.
PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC

EARL EVRAWC owned the Earldom of the North.
And he had seven sons. And Evrawc maintained
himself not so much by his own possessions as by
attending tournaments, and wars, and combats. And, as
it often befalls those who join in encounters and wars, he
was slain, and six of his sons likewise. Now the name of
his seventh son was Peredur, and he was the youngest of
them. And he was not of an age to go to wars and
encounters, otherwise he might have been slain as well as
his father and brothers. His mother was a scheming and
thoughtful woman, and she was very solicitous concerning
this her only son and his possessions. So she took counsel
with herself to leave the inhabited country, and to flee to
the deserts and unfrequented wildernesses. And she per-
mitted none to bear her company thither but women and
boys, and spiritless men, who were both unaccustomed
and unequal to war and fighting. 'And none dared to
bring either horses or arms where her son was, lest he
should set his mind upon them. And the youth went
Peredur the Son of Evrawc 177
daily to divert himself in the forest, by flinging sticks and
staves. And one day he saw his mother's flock of goats,
and near the goats two hinds were standing. And he
marvelled greatly that these two should be without horns,
while the others had them. And he thought they had
long run wild, and on that account they had lost their
horns. And by activity and swiftness of foot, he drove
the hinds and the goats together into the house which
there was for the goats at the extremity of the forest
Then Peredur returned to his mother. "Ah, mother,*
said he, "a marvellous thing have I seen in the wood;
two of thy goats have run wild, and lost their horns,
through their having been so long missing in the wood.
And no man had ever more trouble than I had to drive
them in." Then they all arose and went to see. And
when they beheld the hinds they were greatly astonished.
And one day they saw three knights coming along the
horse-road on the borders of the forest. And the three
knights were Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, and Geneir
Gwystyl, and Owain the son of Urien. And Owain kept
on the track of the knight who had divided the apples in
Arthur's Court, whom they were in pursuit of. " Mother,"
" what
are those yonder ?
" "
said Peredur,
"
They are
angels, my son,"
" I will
said she. By my faith," said Peredur,
go and become an angel with them." And
Peredur went to the road, and met them. " Tell me,
"
good soul," said Owain, sawest thou "
a knight pass this
way, either to-day or yesterday ? "I know not,"
answered he, " what a knight is." " Such an one as I
" If thou wilt tell me what I ask
am," said Owain. thee,
I will tell thee that which thou askest me."
"
Gladly will
" What "
I do so," replied Owain. is this ? demanded
" It is a
Peredur, concerning the saddle. saddle," said
Owain. Then he asked about all the accoutrements
which he saw upon the men, and the horses, and the
arms, and what they were and how they were used.
for,
And Owain shewed him these things fully, and told
all
him what use was made of them. " Go forward," said
Peredur, "for I saw such an one as thou inquirest for,
and I will follow thee."
178 The Mabinogion
Then Peredur returned to his mother and her com-
"
pany, and he said to her, Mother, those were not
angels, but honourable knights." Then his mother
swooned away. And Peredur went to the place where
they kept the horses that carried firewood, and that
brought meat and drink from the inhabited country to
the desert. And he took a bony piebald horse, which
seemed to him the strongest of them. And he pressed a
with twisted twigs he
pack into the form of saddle, and
a
imitated the trappings which he had seen upon the horses.
And when Peredur came again to his mother, the
Countess had recovered from her swoon.
" desirest thou to ride forth ? " "
"My son/'
said she, Yes, with thy
"
leave," said he. Wait, then, that I may counsel thee
before thou " he answered
goest." Willingly," ; "speak
"
quickly." Go forward, then," she said, " to the Court
of Arthur, where there are the best, and the boldest, and
the most bountiful of men. And wherever thou seest a
church, repeat there thy Paternoster unto it. And if
thou see meat and drink, and have need of them, and
none have the kindness or the courtesy to give them to
thee, take them thyself. If thou hear an outcry, proceed
towards it, especially if it be the outcry of a woman. If
thou see a fair jewel, possess thyself of it, and give it to
another, for thus thou shalt obtain praise. If thou see a
fair woman, pay thy court to her, whether she will or no ;
for thus thou wilt render thyself a better and more
esteemed man than thou wast before."
After this discourse, Peredur mounted the horse, and
taking a handful of sharp-pointed forks in his hand, he
rode forth. And he journeyed two days and two nights
in the woody wildernesses, and in desert places, without
food and without drink. And then he came to a vast
wild wood, and far within the wood he saw a fair even
glade, and in the glade he saw a tent, and the tent
seeming to him to be a church, he repeated his Pater-
noster to it. And he went towards it, and the door of the
tent was open. And a golden chair was near the door.
And on the chair sat a lovely auburn-haired maiden, with
a golden frontlet on her forehead, and sparkling stones in
the frontlet, and with a large gold ring on her hand. And
Peredur dismounted, and entered the tent. And the
maiden was glad at his coming, and bade him welcome.
At the entrance of the tent he saw food, and two flasks
full of wine, and two loaves of fine wheaten flour, and
"
collops of the flesh of the wild boar.
"
My mother told
me," said Peredur, wheresoever I saw meat and drink,
to take it." "Take the meat and welcome, chieftain,"
said she. So Peredur took half of the meat and of the
liquor himself, and left the rest to the maiden. And
when Peredur had finished eating, he bent upon his knee
" "
before the maiden. My
mother," said he,
" Do
told me,
wheresoever I saw a to take it."
fair jewel, so, my
soul," said she. So Peredur took the ring. And he
mounted his horse, and proceeded on his journey.
After behold the knight came to whom the tent
this,
belonged ; and he was the Lord of the Glade. And he
saw the track of the horse, and he said to the maiden,
" Tell me who has been here since I " A
departed."
" of wonderful
man," said she, demeanour." And she
described to him what Peredur's appearance and conduct
had been. " Tell me," said he, " did he offer thee any
" " "
wrong ? No," answered the maiden, by my faith,
"
he harmed me not." By my faith, I do not believe
thee ; and until I can meet with him, and revenge the
insult he has done me, and wreak my vengeance upon
him, thou shalt not remain two nights in the same house."
And the knight arose, and set forth to seek Peredur.
Meanwhile Peredur journeyed on towards Arthur's
Court. And before he reached it, another knight had
been there, who gave a ring of thick gold at the door of
the gate for holding his horse, and went into the Hall
where Arthur and his household, and Gwenhwyvar and
her maidens, were assembled. And the page of the
chamber was serving Gwenhwyvar with a golden goblet.
Then the knight dashed the liquor that was therein upon
her face, and upon her stomacher, and gave her a violent
blow on the face, and said, " If any have the boldness to
dispute this goblet with me, and to revenge the insult to
Gwenhwyvar, let him follow me to the meadow, and there
180 The Mabinogion
I will await him." So the knight took his horse, and rode
to the meadow. And all the household hung down their
heads, lest, any of them should be requested to go and
avenge the insult to Gwenhwyvar. For it seemed to
them, that no one would have ventured on so daring an
outrage, unless he possessed such powers, through magic
or charms, that none could be able to take vengeance
upon him. Then, behold, Peredur entered the Hall,
upon the bony piebald horse, with the uncouth trappings
upon it and in this way he traversed the whole length of
;
the Hall. In the centre of the Hall stood Kai. " Tell
" is
me, tall man," said Peredur, that Arthur yonder ?"
" What wouldest thou with Arthur
"
asked Kai. "
?
My
mother told me toand receive the honour
go to Arthur,
of knighthood." "By my faith," said he, "thou art all
too meanly equipped with horse and with arms." There-
upon he was perceived by all the household, and they
threw sticks at him. Then, behold, a dwarf came for-
ward. He had already been a year at Arthur's Court,
both he and a female dwarf. They had craved harbour-
age of Arthur, and had obtained it ; and during the whole
year, neither of them had spoken a single word to any
one. When the dwarf beheld Peredur, " Haha " said !
he, "the welcome of Heaven be unto thee, goodly

Peredur, son of Evrawc, the chief of warriors, and flower
of knighthood." "Truly," said Kai, "thou art ill-taught
to remain a year mute at Arthur's Court, with choice of
society ; and now, before the face of Arthur and all his
household, to call out, and declare such a man as this the
chief of warriors, and the flower of knighthood." And he
gave him such a box on the ear that he fell senseless to
the ground. Then exclaimed the female dwarf, " Haha !
goodly Peredur, son of Evrawc ; the welcome of Heaven

be unto thee, flower of knights, and light of chivalry."
"
a truth, maiden," said Kai, " thou art ill-bred to
Of
remain mute for a year at the Court of Arthur, and then
to speak as thou dost of such a man as this." And Kai
kicked her with his foot, so that she fell to the ground
senseless. "Tall man," said Peredur, "shew me which
Arthur."
" Hold " and
Is thy peace," said Kai, go after
the knight who went hence to the meadow, and take from
him the goblet, and overthrow him, and possess thyself of
his horse and arms, and then thou shalt receive the order
" I will do
of knighthood." so, tall man," said Peredur.
So he turned his horse's head towards the meadow. And
when he came there, the knight was riding up and down,
proud of his strength, and valour, and noble mien.
"Tell me," said the knight, "didst thou see any one
" " The tall man that
coming after me from the Court?
"
was there," said he, desired me to come, and overthrow
thee, and to take from thee the goblet, and thy horse and
" " "
thy armour for myself." Silence ! said the knight ; go
back to the Court, and tell Arthur, from me, either to
come himself, or to send some other to fight with me ;
and unless he do so quickly, I will not wait for him."
"
"By my faith," said Peredur, choose thou whether it shall
be willingly or unwillingly, but I will have the horse, and
the arms, and the goblet." And upon this the knight ran
at him furiously, and struck him a violent blow with the
shaft of his spear, between the neck and the shoulder.
"
Haha lad," said Peredur, " my mother's servants were
!
not used to play with me in this wise ; therefore, thus

will I play with thee." And thereupon he struck him
with a sharp-pointed fork, and it hit him in the eye, and
came out at the back of his neck, so that he instantly fell
down lifeless.
" " thou
Verily," said Owain the son of Urien to Kai,
wert ill-advised, when thou didst send that madman after
the knight. For one of two things must befall him.
He must either be overthrown, or slain. If he is over-
thrown by the knight, he will be counted by him to be
an honourable person of the Court, and an eternal
disgrace will it be to Arthur and his warriors. And if
he is slain, the disgrace will be the same, and moreover,
his sin will be upon him ;
therefore will I go to see what
has befallen him." So Owain went to the meadow, and
he found Peredur dragging the man about " What art
thou doing thus ? " said Owain. " This iron coat," said
"
Peredur, will never come from off him ; not by my
efforts, at any rate." And Owain unfastened his armour

1 82 The Mabinogion
and " " is
a
his clothes. Here, my good soul," said he,
horse and armour better than thine. Take them joy-
fully, and come with me to Arthur, to receive the order
of knighthood, for thou dost merit it." "
May I never
shew my face again if I go," said Peredur ; " but take
thou the goblet to Gwenhwyvar, and tell Arthur, that
wherever I am, I will be his vassal, and will do him what
profit and service I am able. And say that I will not
come to his Court until I have encountered the tall man
that is there, to revenge the injury he did to the dwarf
and dwarfess." And Owain went back to the Court,
and related all these things to Arthur and Gwenhwyvar,
and to all the household.
And Peredur rode forward. And as he proceeded,
behold a knight met him. "Whence comest thou?"
said the knight.
" I come from Arthur's
Court," said
Peredur. "Art thou one of his men?" asked he.
" "
A good service,
Yes, by my faith," he answered.
"
truly, is that of Arthur." "Wherefore sayest thou so?
said Peredur. "I will tell thee," said he; "I have
always been Arthur's enemy, and all such of his men as
I have ever encountered I have slain." And without
further parlance they fought, and it was not long before
Peredur brought him to the ground, over his horse's
"
crupper. Then the knight besought his mercy. Mercy
thou shalt have," said Peredur, " if thou wilt make oath
to me, that thou wilt go to Arthur's Court, and tell him
that it was I that overthrew thee, for the honour of his
service ; and say, that I will never come to the Court
until I have avenged the insult offered to the dwarf and
dwarfess." The knight pledged him his faith of this,
and proceeded to the Court of Arthur, and said as he
had promised, and conveyed the threat to Kai.
And Peredur rode forward. And within that week he
encountered sixteen knights, and overthrew them all
shamefully. And they all went to Arthur's Court,
taking with them the same message which the first
knight had conveyed from Peredur, and the same threat
which he had sent to Kai. And thereupon Kai was
reproved by Arthur ; and Kai was greatly grieved thereat*
And Peredur rode forward. And he came to a vast
and desert wood, on the confines of which was a lake.
And on the other side was a fair castle. And on the
border of the lake he saw a venerable, hoary-headed
man, sitting upon a velvet cushion, and having a garment
of velvet upon him. And his attendants were fishing in
the lake. When the hoary-headed man beheld Peredur
approaching, he arose and went towards the castle. And
the old man was lame. Peredur rode to the palace, and
the door was open, and he entered the hall. And there
was the hoary-headed man sitting on a cushion, and a
large blazing fire burning before him. And the house-
hold and the company arose to meet Peredur, and
disarrayed him. And the man asked the youth to sit on
the cushion and they sat down, and conversed together.
;
When it was time, the tables were laid, and they went to
meat. And when they had finished their meal, the man
inquired of Peredur if he knew well how to fight with
the swoid. "I know not," said Peredur, "but were I
"
to be taught, doubtless I should." Whoever can play
well with the cudgel and shield, will also be able to
fight with a sword." And the man had two sons ; the
one had yellow hair, and the other auburn. "Arise,
youths," said he, "and play with the cudgel and the
shield." And so did they. "Tell me, my soul," said
the man, " which of the youths thinkest thou plays best."
" I " that
think," said Peredur, the yellow-haired youth
could draw blood from the if he chose."
"
other, Arise
thou, my life, and take the cudgel and the shield from
the hand of the youth with the auburn hair, and draw
blood from the yellow-haired youth if thou canst." So
Peredur arose, and went to play with the yellow-haired
youth ; and he lifted up his arm, and struck him such a
mighty blow, that his brow fell over his eye, and the
blood flowed forth. "Ah, my life," said the man,
" come
now, and sit down, for thou wilt become the
best fighter with the sword of any in this island ; and I
am thy uncle, thy mother's brother. And with me shalt
thou remain a space, in order to learn the manners and
customs of different countries, and courtesy, and gentle-
184 The Mabinogion
ness, and noble bearing. Leave, then, the habits and
the discourse of thy mother, and I will be thy teacher ;
and I will raise thee to the rank of knight from this time
forward. And thus do thou. If thou seest aught to
cause thee wonder, ask not the meaning of it ; if no one
has the courtesy to inform thee, the reproach will not
fall upon thee, but upon me that am thy teacher." And
they had abundance of honour and service. And when
it was time
they went to sleep. At the break of day,
Peredur arose, and took his horse, and with his uncle's
permission he rode forth. And he came to a vast desert
wood, and at the further end of the wood was a meadow,
and on the other side of the meadow he saw a large
castle. And thitherward Peredur bent his way, and he
found the gate open, and he proceeded to the hall.
And he beheld a stately hoary-headed man sitting on
one side of the hall, and many pages around him, who
arose to receive and to honour Peredur. And they
placed him by the side of the owner of the palace.
Then they discoursed together ; and when it was time to
eat, they caused Peredur to sit beside the nobleman
during the repast. And when they had eaten and drunk
as much as they desired, the nobleman asked Peredur
whether he could fight with a sword? "Were I to
receive instruction," said Peredur, "I think I could."
Now, there was on the floor of the hall a huge staple, as
" Take
large as a warrior could grasp. yonder sword,"
"
said the man to Peredur, and strike the iron staple."
So Peredur arose and struck the staple, so that he cut it
in two; and the sword broke into two parts also.
" Place the two
parts together, and reunite them," and
Peredur placed them together, and they became entire
as they were before. And a second time he struck upon
the staple, so that botn it and the sword broke in two,
and as before they reunited. And the third time he
gave a like blow, and placed the broken parts together,
and neither the staple nor the sword would unite as
" " come
before. Youth," said the nobleman, now, and
sit down, and my blessing be upon thee. Thou fightest
best with the sword of any man in the kingdom. Thou
hast arrived at two-thirds of thy strength, and the other
third thou hast not yet obtained ; and when thou attainest
to thy full power, none will be able to contend with thee.
I am thy uncle, thy mother's brother, and I am brother
to the man in whose house thou wast last night." Then
Peredur and his uncle discoursed together, and he
beheld two youths enter the hall, and proceed up to the
chamber, bearing a spear of mighty size, with three
streams of blood flowing from the point to the ground.
And when all the company saw
they began wailing
this,
and lamenting. But did not break
for all that, the man
off his discourse with Peredur. And as he did not tell
Peredur the meaning of what he saw, he forbore to ask
him concerning it. And when the clamour had a little
subsided, behold two maidens entered, with a large
salver between them, in which was a man's head, sur-
rounded by a profusion of blood. And thereupon the
company of the court made so great an outcry, that it
was irksome to be in the same hall with them. But at
length they were silent. And when time was that they
should sleep, Peredur was brought into a fair chamber.
And the next day, with his uncle's permission, he rode
forth. And he came to a wood, and far within the wood
he heard a loud cry, and he saw a beautiful woman with
auburn hair, and a horse with a saddle upon it, standing
near her, and a corpse by her side. And as she strove
to place the corpse upon the horse, it fell to the ground,
and thereupon she made a great lamentation. " Tell
me, Peredur, "wherefore art thou bewail-
sister," said
" "
ing ? Oh
accursed Peredur, little pity has my
!
"
ill-fortune ever met with from thee." Wherefore," said
" am I accursed ? " "
Because thou wast the
Peredur,
cause of thy mother's death ; for when thou didst ride
forth against her will, anguish seized upon her heart, so
that she died ; and therefore art thou accursed. And
the dwarf and the dwarfess that thou sawest at Arthur's
Court were the dwarfs of thy father and mother ; and I
am thy foster-sister, and this was my wedded husband,
and he was slain by the knight that is in the glade in the
wood ; and do not thou go near him, lest thou shouldest
1 86 The Mabinogion
"
be slain by him likewise." My sister, thou dost
reproach me wrongfully; through my
having so long
remained amongst you, I shall scarcely vanquish him ;
and had I continued longer, it would, indeed, be difficult
for me to succeed. Cease, therefore, thy lamenting, for
it is of no avail, and I will
bury the body, and then
I will go in quest of the knight, and see if I can do
vengeance upon him." And when he had buried the

body, they went to the place where the knight was, and
found him riding proudly along the glade ; and he
inquired of Peredur whence he came. "I come from
"
Arthur's Court." And art thou one of Arthur's men ? "
"Yes, by my faith." "A profitable alliance, truly, is
that of Arthur." Andwithout further parlance, they
encountered one another, and immediately Peredur
overthrew the knight, and he besought mercy of Peredur.
" "
Mercy shalt thou have," said he, upon these terms,
that thou take this woman in marriage, and do her all
the honour and reverence in thy power, seeing thou hast,
without cause, slain her wedded husband ; and that thou
go to Arthur's Court, and shew him that it was I that
overthrew thee, to do him honour and service ; and that
thou tell him that I will never come to his Court again
until I have met with the tall man that is there, to take
vengeance upon him for his insult to the dwarf and
dwarfess." And he took the knight's assurance, that he
would perform all this. Then the knight provided the
lady with a horse and garments that were suitable for
her, and took her with him to Arthur's Court. And he
told Arthur all that had occurred, and gave the defiance
to Kai. And Arthur and all his household reproved
Kai, for having driven such a youth as Peredur from his
Court.
Said Owain the son of Urien, " This youth will never
come into the Court until Kai has gone forth from it"
" "
By my faith," said Arthur, I will search all the deserts
in the Island of Britain, until I find Peredur, and then
let him and his adversary do their utmost to each other."
Then Peredur rode forward. And he came to a desert
wood, where he saw not the track either of men or
animals, and where there was nothing but bushes and
weeds. Andat the upper end of the wood he saw a vast
castle, wherein were many strong towers ;
and when he
came near the gate, he found the weeds taller than he
had seen them elsewhere. And he struck the gate with
the shaft of his lance, and thereupon behold a lean,
auburn-haired youth came to an opening in the battle-
ments. "Choose thou, chieftain," said he, "whether
shall I open the gate unto thee, or shall I announce unto
" "
those that are chief, that thou art at the gateway ? Say
that I am here," said Peredur, "and if it is desired that
I should enter, I will go in." And the youth came back,
and opened the gate for Peredur. And when he went
into the hall, he beheld eighteen youths, lean and red-
headed, of the same height, and of the same aspect, and
of the same dress, and of the same age as the one who
had opened the gate for him. And they were well skilled
in courtesy and in service. And they disarrayed him.
Then they sat down to discourse. Thereupon, behold
five maidens came from the chamber into the hall. And
Peredur was certain that he had never seen another of so
fair an aspect as the chief of the maidens. And she had
an old garment of satin upon her, which had once been
handsome, but was then so tattered, that her skin could
be seen through it. And whiter was her skin than the
bloom of crystal, and her hair and her two eyebrows were
blacker than jet, and on her cheeks were two red spots,
redder than whatever is reddest. And the maiden
welcomed Peredur, and put her arms about his neck,
and made him sit down beside her. Not long after this
he saw two nuns enter, and a flask full of wine was borne
by one, and six loaves of white bread by the other.
" "
Lady," said they, Heaven is witness, that there is not
so much of food and liquor as this left in yonder Convent
this night." Then they went to meat, and Peredur
observed that the maiden wished to give more of the
food and of the liquor to him than to any of the others.
"
My sister," said Peredur, lc I will share out the food and
the liquor." "Not so, my soul," said she. "By my
faithbut I will." So Peredur took the bread, and he
1 88 The Mabinogion
gave an equal portion of it to each alike, as well as a cup
full of the liquor. And when it was time for them to
sleep, a chamber was prepared for Peredur, and he went
to rest.
"
Behold, sister," said the youths to the fairest and
most exalted of the maidens, " we have counsel for thee."
"
What may it be ? " she inquired. " Go to the youth
that is in the upper chamber, and offer to become his
wife, or the lady of his love, if it seem well to him."
"That were indeed unfitting," said she. "Hitherto I
have not been the lady-love of any knight, and to make
him such an offer before I am wooed by him, that, truly,
can I not do." " By our confession to Heaven, unless
thou actest thus, we will leave thee here to thy enemies,
to do as they will with thee." And through fear of this,
the maiden went forth; and shedding tears, she proceeded
to the chamber. And with the noise of the door opening,
Peredur awoke ; and the maiden was weeping and lament-
ing. "Tell me, my sister," said Peredur, "wherefore
"
dost thou weep ? "I will tell thee, lord," said she.
"
My father possessed these dominions as their chief, and
this palace was his, and with it he held the best earldom
in the kingdom then the son of another earl sought me
;
of my father, and I was not willing to be given unto him,

and my father would not give me against my will, either
to him or any earl in the world.And my father had no
child except myself. And after my father's death, these
dominions came into my own hands, and then was I less
willing to accepthim than before. So he made war upon
me, and conquered all my possessions, except this one
house. And through the valour of the men whom thou
hast seen, who are my foster-brothers, and the strength of
the house, it can never be taken while food and drink
remain. And now our provisions are exhausted ; but, as
thou hast seen, we have been fed by the nuns, to whom
the country is free. And at length they also are without
supply of food or liquor. And at no later date than to-
morrow, the earl will come against this place with all his
forces ; and if I fall into his power, my fate will be no
better than to be given over to the grooms of his horses,
Therefore, lord, I am come to offer to place myself in
thy hands, that thou mayest succour me, either by taking
me hence, or by defending me here, whichever may seem
" "
best unto thee." Go, my sister," said he, and sleep ;
nor will I depart from thee until I do that which thou
requirest, or prove whether I can assist thee or not"
The maiden went again to rest ; and the next morning
she came to Peredur, and saluted him. "Heaven
prosper thee, my soul, and what tidings dost thou
" " None
bring ? other, than that the earl and all his
forces have alighted at the gate, and I never beheld any
place so covered with tents, and thronged with knights
challenging others to the combat." "Truly, "said Peredur,
"let my horse be made ready." So his horse was ac-
coutred, and he arose and sallied forth to the meadow.
And there was a knight riding proudly along the meadow,
having raised the signal for battle. And they encountered,
and Peredur threw the knight over his horse's crupper to
the ground. And at the close of the day, one of the
chief knights came to fight with him, and he overthrew
him also, so that he besought his mercy. " Who art
thou ? said Peredur. " Verily," said he, " I am Master
"
of the Household to the earl." " And how much of

the
countess's possessions is there in thy power ?
" " The
third part, verily," answered he.
"
Then," said Peredur,
" restore to her the third of her
possessions in full, and
all the profit thou hast made by them, and bring meat
and drink for a hundred men, with their horses and arms,
to her court this night And thou shalt remain her
captive, unless she wish to take thy life." And this he
did forthwith. And that night the maiden was right
joyful, and they fared plenteously.
And the next day Peredur rode forth to the meadow ;
and that day he vanquished a multitude of the host. And
at the close of the day, there came a proud and stately
knight, and Peredur overthrew him, and he besought his
"
mercy. Who art thou ? " said Peredur. " I am Steward
of the Palace," said he. " And how much of the maiden's
" " One-third
possessions are under thy control ? part,"
answered he. " Verily," said Peredur, " thou shalt fully
190 The Mabinogion
restore to the maiden her possessions, and, moreover,
thou shalt give her meat and drink for two hundred men,
and their horses and their arms. And for thyself, thou
shalt be her captive." And immediately it was so done.
And the third day Peredur rode forth to the meadow ;
and he vanquished more that day than on either of the
preceding. And at the close of the day, an earl came to
encounter him, and he overthrew him, and he besought
his mercy.
" Who art thou ? " said Peredur. " I am the
earl," said he. "I will not conceal it from thee."

" " thou shalt restore the
Verily," said Peredur, whole of
the maiden's earldom, and shalt give her thine own
earldom in addition thereto, and meat and drink for
three hundred men, and their horses and arms, and thou
thyself shalt remain in her power." And thus it was
fulfilled. And Peredur tarried three weeks in the country,
causing tribute and obedience to be paid to the maiden,

and the government to be placed in her hands. " With
"
I will go hence."
"
thy leave," said Peredur, Verily,
my brother, desirest thou this?" "Yes, by my faith;
and had it not been for love of thee, I should not have
" "
been here thus long." My soul," said she, who art
"
thou ? "I am Peredur the son of Evrawc from the
North ;
and if ever thou art in trouble or in danger,
acquaint me therewith, and if I can, I will protect thee."
So Peredur rode forth. And far thence there met him
a lady, mounted on a horse that was lean, and covered
"
with sweat ; and she saluted the youth. Whence
"
comest thou, my sister ? Then she told him the cause
of her journey. Now she was the wife of the Lord of
" "
I am the knight
the Glade. Behold/' said he,
through whom thou art in trouble, and he shall repent it,
who has treated thee thus." Thereupon, behold a knight
rode up, and he inquired of Peredur, if he had seen a
"
knight such as he was seeking. Hold thy peace," said
" I am he whom thou seekest and
Peredur, ; by my faith,
thou deservest ill of thy household for thy treatment of
the maiden, for she is innocent concerning me." So
they encountered, and they were not long in combat ere
Peredur overthrew the knight, and he besought his mercy.
" "
Mercy thou shalt have," said Peredur, so thou wilt
return by the way thou earnest, and declare that thou
boldest the maiden innocent, and so that thou wilt
acknowledge unto her the reverse thou hast sustained at
my hands." And the knight plighted him his faith
thereto.
Then Peredur rode forward. And above him he
beheld a castle,and thitherward he went And he
struck upon the gate with his lance, and then, behold, a
comely auburn-haired youth opened the gate, and he had
the stature of a warrior, and the years of a boy. And
when Peredur came into the hall, there was a tall and
stately lady sitting in a chair, and many handmaidens
around her ; and the lady rejoiced at his coming. And
when it was time, they went to meat. And after their
"
repast was finished, It were well for thee, chieftain,"
" "
said she, to go elsewhere to sleep." Wherefore can
" "
I not sleep here ? said Peredur. Nine sorceresses are
here, my soul, of the sorceresses of Gloucester, and their
father and their mother are with them ; and unless we
can make our escape before daybreak, we shall be slain ;
and already they have conquered and laid waste all the
country, except this one dwelling." "Behold," said
Peredur, "I will remain here to-night, and if you are in
trouble, I will do you what service I can ; but harm shall
you not receive from me." So they went to rest. And
with the break of day, Peredur heard a dreadful outcry.
And he hastily arose, and went forth in his vest and his
doublet, with his sword about his neck, and he saw a
sorceress overtake one of the watch, who cried out
violently. Peredur attacked the sorceress, and struck
her upon the head with his sword, so that he flattened
her helmet and her head-piece like a dish upon her head.
"Thy mercy, goodly " Peredur, son of Evrawc, and the
mercy of Heaven." How
knowest thou, hag, that I am
Peredur?" "By destiny, and the foreknowledge that I
should suffer harm from thee. And thou shalt take a
horse and armour of me ; and with me thou shalt go to
learn chivalry and the use of thy arms." Said Peredur,
" Thou shalt have
mercy, if thou pledge thy faith thou
192 The Mabinogion
wiltnever more injure the dominions of the Countess."
And Peredur took surety of this, and with permission of
the Countess, he set forth with the sorceress to the
palace of the sorceresses. And there he remained for
three weeks, and then he made choice of a horse and
arms, and went his way.
And in the evening he entered a valley, and at the
head of the valley he came to a hermit's cell, and the
hermit welcomed him gladly, and there he spent the
night. And in the morning he arose, and when he went
forth, behold a shower of snow had fallen the night
before, and a hawk had killed a wild fowl in front of the
cell. And the noise of the horse scared the hawk away,
and a raven alighted upon the bird. And Peredur stood,
and compared the blackness of the raven and the white-
ness of the snow, and the redness of the blood, to the
hair of the lady that best he loved, which was blacker
than jet, and to her skin which was whiter than the snow,
and to the two red spots upon her cheeks, which were
redder than the blood upon the snow appeared to be.
Now Arthur and his household were in search of
Peredur.
"
Know ye," said Arthur, " who is the knight
"
with the long spear that stands by the brook up yonder ?
" "I
will go and learn who he
Lord," said one of them,
is." So the youth came to the place where Peredur was,
and asked him what he did thus, and who he was. And
from the intensity with which he thought upon the lady
whom best he loved, he gave him no answer. Then the
youth thrust at Peredur with his lance, and Peredur
turned upon him, and struck him over his horse's crupper
to the ground. And after this, four-and-twenty youths
came to him, and he did not answer one more than
another, but gave the same reception to all, bringing them
with one single thrust to the ground. And then came
Kai, and spoke to Peredur rudely and angrily; and
Peredur took him with his lance under the jaw, and
cast him from him with a thrust, so that he broke his
arm and his shoulder-blade, and he rode over him one-
and-twenty times. And while he lay thus, stunned with
the violence of the pain that he had suffered, his horse
returned back at a wild and prancing pace. And when
the household saw the horse come back without his rider,
they rode forth in haste to the place where the encounter
had been. And when they first came there, they thought
that Kai was slain; but they found that if he had a
skilful physician, he yet might live. And Peredur moved
not from his meditation, on seeing the concourse that
was around Kai. And Kai was brought to Arthur's tent,
and Arthur caused skilful physicians to come to him.
And Arthur was grieved that Kai had met with this
reverse, for he loved him greatly.
"Then," said Gwalchmai, "it is not fitting that any
should disturb an honourable knight from his thought
unadvisedly; for either he is pondering some damage
that he has sustained, or he thinking of the lady whom
is
best he loves. And through such ill-advised proceeding,

perchance this misadventure has befallen him who last
met with him. And if it seem well to thee, lord, I will
go and see if this knight hath changed from his thought ;
and if he has, I will ask him courteously to come and
visit thee." Then Kai was wroth, and he spoke angry
" "
and spiteful words. Gwalchmai," said he, I know
that thou wilt bring him because he is fatigued. Little
praise and honour, nevertheless, wilt thou have from
vanquishing a weary knight, who is tired with fighting.
Yet thus hast thou gained the advantage over many.
And while thy speech and thy soft words last, a coat of
thin linen were armour sufficient for thee, and thou wilt
not need to break either lance or sword in fighting with
the knight in the state he is in." Then said Gwalchmai
" Thou
to Kai, mightest use more pleasant words, wert
thou so minded and it behoves thee not upon me to
:
wreak thy wrath and thy displeasure. Methinks I shall

bring the knight hither with me without breaking either
my arm or my shoulder." Then said Arthur to
Gwalchmai, "Thou speakest like a wise and prudent
man ; go, and take enough of armour about thee, and
choose thy horse." And Gwalchmai accoutred himself,
and rode forward hastily to the place where Peredur was.
And Peredur was resting on the shaft of his spear,
H
194 The Mabinogion
pondering the same thought, and Gwalchroai came to
him without any signs of hostility, and said to him, " If
I thought that ,it would be as agreeable to thee as it
would be to me, I would converse with thee. I have
also a message from Arthur unto thee, to pray thee to
come and visit him. And two men have been before on
this errand."
"
That is true," said Peredur, " and un-
courteously they came. They attacked me, and I was
annoyed thereat, for it was not pleasing to me to be
drawn from the thought that I was in, for I was thinking
of the lady whom best I love, and thus was she brought
to my mind : I was looking upon the snow, and upon
the raven, and upon the drops of the blood of the bird
that the hawk had killed upon the snow. And I
bethought me that her whiteness was like that of the
snow, and that the blackness of her hair and her eye-
brows like that of the raven, and that the two red spots
upon her cheeks were like the two drops of blood." Said
"
Gwalchmai, This was not an ungentle thought, and I
should marvel if it were pleasant to thee to be drawn
from it." "Tell me," said Peredur, " is Kai in Arthur's
Court?" "He is," said he, "and behold he is the
knight that fought with thee last ; and it would have
been better for him had he not come, for his arm and
his shoulder-blade were broken with the fall which he
had from thy spear." "Verily," said Peredur, "I am
not sorry to have thus begun to avenge the insult to the
dwarf and dwarfess." Then Gwalchmai marvelled to
hear him speak of the dwarf and the dwarfess ; and he
approached him, and threw his arms "around his neck,
and asked him what was his name. Peredur the son
"
of Evrawc am I called," said he ;
and thou, Who art
" " I am called "
I am
thou ? Gwalchmai," he replied.
"
right glad to meet with thee," said Peredur, for in every
country where I have been I have heard of thy fame for
prowess and uprightness, and I solicit thy fellowship."
"Thou shalt have it, by my faith, and grant me thine,"
"
said he, Gladly will I do so," answered Peredur.
So they rode forth together joyfully towards the place
where Arthur was, and when Kai saw them coming, he
" I knew that Gwalchmai needed not to fight the
said,
knight. And it is no wonder that he should gain fame ;
more can he do by his fair words than I by the strength
of my arm." And Peredur went with Gwalchmai to his
tent, and they took off their armour. And Peredur put
on garments like those that Gwalchmai wore, and they
"
went together unto Arthur, and saluted him. Behold,
"
lord," said Gwalchmai, him whom thou hast sought so
long." "Welcome unto thee, chieftain," said Arthur.
11
With me thou shalt remain and had I known thy
;
valour had been such, thou shouldst not have left me as

thou didst ; nevertheless, this was predicted of thee by
the dwarf and the dwarfess, whom Kai ill-treated and
whom thou hast avenged." And hereupon, behold there
came the Queen and her handmaidens, and Peredur
saluted them. And they were rejoiced to see him, and
bade him welcome. And Arthur did him great honour
and respect, and they returned towards Caerlleon.
And the first night Peredur came to Caerlleon to
Arthur's Court, and as he walked in the city after his
repast, behold, there met him Angharad Law Eurawc.
11 "
By my faith, sister," said Peredur, thou art a
beauteous and lovely maiden and, were it pleasing to
;
"
thee, I could love thee above all women." I pledge
"
my faith," said she, that I do not love thee, nor will I
ever do so." "I also pledge my faith," said Peredur,
"
that I will never speak a word to any Christian again,
until thou come to love me above all men."
The next day Peredur went forth by the high road,
along a mountain-ridge, and he saw a valley of a circular
form, the confines of which were rocky and wooded.
And the flat part of the valley was in meadows, and there
were fields betwixt the meadows and the wood. And in
the bosom of the wood he saw large black houses of
uncouth workmanship. And he dismounted, and led
his horse towards the wood. And a little way within the
wood he saw a rocky ledge, along which the road lay.
And upon the ledge was a lion bound by a chain, and
sleeping. And beneath the lion he saw a deep pit of
immense size, fullof the bones of men and animals.
196 The Mabinogion
And Peredur drew his sword and struck the lion, so that
he fell into the mouth of theand hung there by the
pit
chain ; and with a second blow he struck the chain and
broke it, and the lion fell into the pit ; and Peredur led
his horse over the rocky ledge, until he came into the
valley. And in the centre of the valley he saw a fair
castle, and he went towards it. And in the meadow by
the castle he beheld a huge grey man sitting, who was
larger than any man he had ever before seen. And two
young pages were shooting the hilts of their daggers, of
the bone of the sea-horse. And one of the pages had
red hair, and the other auburn. And they went before
him to the place where the grey man was, and Peredur
saluted him. And the grey man said, " Disgrace to the
beard of my porter." Then Peredur understood that the
porter was the lion. And the grey man and the pages
went together into the castle, and Peredur accompanied
them ; and he found it a fair and noble place. And they
proceeded to the hall, and the tables were already laid,
and upon them was abundance of food and liquor. And
thereupon he saw an aged woman and a young woman
come from the chamber ; and they were the most stately
women he had ever seen. Then they washed and went
to meat, and the grey man sat in the upper seat at the
head of the table, and the aged woman next to him.
And Peredur and the maiden were placed together, and
the two young pages served them. And the maiden
gazed sorrowfully upon Peredur, and Peredur asked the
maiden wherefore she was sad. " For thee, my soul ;
for, from when I first beheld thee, I have loved thee
above all men. And it pains me to know that so gentle
a youth as thou should have such a doom as awaits thee
to-morrow. Sawest thou the numerous black houses in
the bosom of the wood ? All these belong to the vassals
of the grey man yonder, who is my father. And they are
all giants. And to-morrow they will rise up against thee,
and will slay thee. And the Round Valley is this valley
"
called." Listen, fair maiden, wilt thou contrive that my
H
horse and arms be in the same lodging with me to-night ?
"
Gladly will I cause it so to be, by Heaven, if I can."
And when it was time for them to sleep rather than to
carouse, they went to rest. And the maiden caused
Peredur's horse and arms to be in the same lodging with
him. And the next morning Peredur heard a great
tumult of men and horses around the castle. And
Peredur arose, and armed himself and his horse, and
went to the meadow. Then the aged woman and the
maiden came to the grey man " Lord," said they, "take
:
the word of the youth, that he will never disclose what

he has seen in this place, and we will be his sureties that
he keep it." " I will not do so, by my faith," said the
grey man. So Peredur fought with the host, and towards
evening he had slain the one-third of them without
receiving any hurt himself. Then said the aged woman,
"
Behold, many of thy host have been slain by the youth ;
do thou, therefore, grant him mercy." " I will not grant
it, by my faith," said he. And the aged woman and
the fair maiden were upon the battlements of the castle,
looking forth. And at that juncture, Peredur encountered
the yellow-haired youth and slew him. "
Lord," said the
" the man " That will I
maiden, grant young mercy."
not do, by Heaven," he replied ; and thereupon Peredur
attacked the auburn-haired youth, and slew him likewise.
"
It were better that thou hadst accorded mercy to the
youth before he had slain thy two sons ; for now scarcely
"
wilt thou thyself escape from him." Go, maiden, and
beseech the youth to grant mercy unto us, for we yield
ourselves into his hands." So the maiden came to the
place where Peredur was, and besought mercy for her
father, and for all such of his vassals as had escaped alive.
"
Thou shalt have it, on condition that thy father and all
that are under him go and render homage to Arthur, and
tell him that it was his vassal Peredur that did him this
" This
service." will we do
willingly, by Heaven."
"
And you baptism ; and I will send to
shall also receive
Arthur, and beseech him to bestow this valley upon thee
and upon thy heirs after thee for ever." Then they went
in, and the grey man and the
tall woman saluted Peredur.
And the grey man said unto him, " Since I have pos-
sessed this valley I have not seen any Christian depart
198 The Mabinogion
with his life, save thyself. And we will go to do homage
to Arthur, and to embrace the faith and be baptized."
Then said Peredur, " To Heaven I render thanks that I
have not broken my vow to the lady that best I love,
which was, that I would not speak one word unto any
Christian."
That night they tarried there. And the next day, in
the morning, the grey man, with his company, set forth
to Arthur's Court ; and they did homage unto Arthur,
and he caused them to be baptized. And the grey man
told Arthur that it was Peredur that had vanquished
them. And Arthur gave the valley to the grey man and
his company, to hold it of him as Peredur had besought.
And with Arthur's permission, the grey man went back
to the Round Valley.
Peredur rode forward next day, and he traversed a
vast tract of desert, in which no dwellings were. And at
length he came to a habitation, mean and small. And
there he heard that there was a serpent that lay upon a
gold ring, and suffered none to inhabit the country for
seven miles around. And Peredur came to the place
where he heard the serpent was. And angrily, furiously,
and desperately fought he with the serpent ; and at last
he killed it, and took away the ring. And thus he was
for a long time without speaking a word to any Christian.
And therefrom he lost his colour and his aspect, through
extreme longing after the Court of Arthur, and the society
of the lady whom best he loved, and of his companions.
Then he proceeded forward to Arthur's Court, and on
the road there met him Arthur's household going on a
particular errand, with Kai at their head. And Peredur
knew them all, but none of the household recognized
him. "
Whence comest thou, chieftain ? " said Kai.
And this he asked him twice and three times, and he
answered him not. And Kai thrust him through the
thigh with his lance. And lest he should be compelled
to speak, and to break his vow, he went on without
" "
stopping. Then," said Gwalchmai, I declare to
Heaven, Kai, that thou hast acted ill in committing

such an outrage on a youth like this, who cannot speak."
And Gwalchmai returned back to Arthur's Court.
" "
Lady," said he to Gwenhwyvar, seest thou how
wicked an outrage Kai has committed upon this youth
who cannot speak; for Heaven's sake, and for mine,
cause him to have medical care before I come back, and
I will repay thee the charge."
And before the men returned from their errand, a
knight came to the meadow beside Arthur's Palace, to
dare some one to the encounter. And his challenge was
accepted ; and Peredur fought with him, and overthrew
him. And for a week he overthrew one knight every day.
And one day, Arthur and his household were going to
Church, and they beheld a knight who had raised the
signal for combat. "Verily," said Arthur, "by the
valour of men, I will not go hence until I have my horse
and my arms to overthrow yonder boor." Then went
the attendants to fetch Arthur's horse and arms. And
Peredur met the attendants as they were going back, and
he took the horse and arms from them, and proceeded to
the meadow ; and all those who saw him arise and go
to do battle with the knight, went upon the tops of the
houses, and the mounds, and the high places, to behold
the combat. And Peredur beckoned with his hand to
the knight to commence the fight. And the knight
thrust at him, but he was not thereby moved from where
he stood. And Peredur spurred his horse, and ran at
him wrathfully, furiously, fiercely, desperately, and with
mighty rage, and he gave him a thrust, deadly-wounding,
severe, furious, adroit, and strong, under his jaw, and
raised him out of his saddle, and cast him a long way
from him. And Peredur went back, and left the horse
and the arms with the attendant as before, and he went
on foot to the Palace.
Then Peredur went by the name of the Dumb Youth.
And behold, Angharad Law Eurawc met him. " I
declare to Heaven, chieftain," said she, " woful is it that
thou canst not speak ; for couldst thou speak, I would
love thee best of all men ; and by my faith, although
thou canst not, I do love thee above all." " Heaven
reward thee, my sister," said Peredur, " by my faith I
20O The Mabinogion
also do love thee." Thereupon it was known that he
was Peredur. And
then he held fellowship with Gwalch-
mai, and Owain the son of Urien, and all the household,
and he remained in Arthur's Court.
Arthur was in Caerlleon upon Usk; and he went to

hunt, and Peredur went with him. And Peredur let
loose his dog upon a hart, and the dog killed the hart in
a desert place. And a short space from him he saw
signs of a dwelling, and towards the dwelling he went,
and he beheld a hall, and at the door of the hall he
found bald swarthy youths playing at chess. And when
he entered, he beheld three maidens sitting on a bench,
and they were all clothed alike, as became persons of
high rank. And he came, and sat by them upon the
bench ; and one of the maidens looked steadfastly upon
Peredur, and wept. And Peredur asked her wherefore
"
she was weeping. Through grief, that I should see so"
"
fair a youth as thou art, slain." Who will slay me ?
" If
inquired Peredur. thou art so daring as to remain
"
here to-night, I will tell thee." Howgreat soever my
danger may be from remaining here, I will listen unto
thee." "This Palace is owned by him who is my father,"
"
and he slays every one who comes
said the maiden,
" What
hither without his leave." sort of a man is thy
"
father, that he is able to slay every one thus ? man "A
who does violence and wrong unto his neighbours, and
who renders justice unto none." And hereupon he saw
the youths arise and clear the chessmen from the board.
And he heard a great tumult; and after the tumult
there came in a huge black one-eyed man, and the
maidens arose to meet him. And they disarrayed him,
and he went and sat down ;
and after he had rested and
pondered awhile, he looked at Peredur, and asked who
" " he
the knight was. Lord," said one of the maidens,
isthe fairest and gentlest youth that ever thou didst see.
And for the sake of Heaven, and of thine own dignity,
have patience with him." "For thy sake I will have
patience, and I will grant him his life this night." Then
Peredur came towards them to the fire, and partook of
food and liquor, and entered into discourse with the
ladies. And being elated with the liquor, he said to the
"
black man, It is a marvel to me, so mighty as thou
sayest thou art, who could have put out thine eye." " It
" that
is one of my habits," said the black man, whoso-
ever puts to me the question which thou hast asked,
shall not escape with his life, either as a free gift or for a
" "
price." Lord," said the maiden, whatsoever he may
say to thee in jest, and through the excitement of liquor,
make good that which thou saidst and didst promise me
" I will
just now." do so, gladly, for thy sake," said he.
"Willingly will I grant him his life this night." And
that night thus they remained.
And the next day the black man got up, and put on
his armour, and said to Peredur, " Arise, man, and suffer
death." And Peredur said unto him, " Do one of two
things, black man ; if thou wilt fight with me, either throw
off thy own armour, or give arms to me, that I may en-
"
counter thee." Ha, man," said he, "couldst thou fight,
if thou hadst arms ? Take, then, what arms thou dost
choose." And thereupon the maiden came to Peredur
with such arms as pleased him ; and he fought with the
black man, and forced him to crave his mercy. "
Black
man, thou shalt have mercy, provided thou tell me who
"
thou art, and who put out thine eye." Lord, I will tell
thee ; I lost it in fighting with the Black Serpent of the
Cam. There is a mound, which is called the Mound of
Mourning ; and on the mound there is a earn, and in the
earn there is a serpent, and on the tail of the serpent
there is a stone, and the virtues of the stone are such,
that whosoever should hold it in one hand, in the other
he will have as much gold as he may desire. And in
fighting with this serpent was it that I lost my eye. And
the Black Oppressor am I called. And for this reason
I am called the Black Oppressor, that there is not a
single man around me whom I have not oppressed, and
justice have I done unto none." " Tell me," said Pere-
" " " The same
dur, how far is it hence ? day that thou
settest forth, thou wilt come to the Palace of the Sons of
the King of the Tortures." " Wherefore are
they called
2O2 The Mabinogion
thus?" "The Addanc of the Lake slays them once
every day. When
thou goest thence, thou wilt come to
the Court of the Countess of the Achievements."
"What achievements are there ? " asked Peredur. " Three
hundred men there are in her household, and unto every
stranger that comes to the Court, the achievements of her
household are related. And this is the manner of it,
the three hundred men of the household sit next unto
the Lady; and that not through disrespect unto the
guests, but that they may relate the achievements of the
household. And the day that thou goest thence, thou
wilt reach the Mound of Mourning, and round about
the mound there are the owners of three hundred tents
"
guarding the serpent." Since thou hast, indeed, been
an oppressor so long," said Peredur, " I will cause that
thou continue so no longer." So he slew him.
Then the maiden spoke, and began to converse with
him. "If thou wast poor when thou earnest here,
henceforth thou wilt be rich through the treasure of the
black man whom thou hast slain. Thou seest the many
lovely maidens that there are in this Court ; thou shalt
have her whom thou best likest for the lady of thy love."
"
Lady, I came not hither from my country to woo ; but
match yourselves as it liketh you with the comely youths
I see here ;
and none of your goods do I desire, for I
need them not." Then Peredur rode forward, and he
came to the Palace of the Sons of the King of the Tor-
tures ; and when he entered the Palace, he saw none but
women ; and they rose up, and were joyful at his coming ;
and as they began to discourse with him, he beheld a

charger arrive, with a saddle upon it, and a corpse in the
saddle. And one of the women arose, and took the
corpse from the saddle, and anointed it in a vessel of
warm water, which was below the door, and placed
precious balsam upon it; and the man rose up alive,
and came to the place where Peredur was, and greeted
him, and was joyful to see him. And two other men
came in upon their saddles, and the maiden treated these
two in the same manner as she had done the first. Then
Peredur asked the chieftain wherefore it was thus. And
they told him, that there was an Addanc in a cave, which
slew them once every day. And thus they remained
that night.
And next morning the youths arose to sally forth, and
Peredur besought them, for the sake of the ladies of
their love, to permit him to go with them ; but they re-
fused him, saying, " If thou shouldst be slain there, thou
hast none to bring thee back to life again." And they
rode forward, and Peredur followed after them; and,
after they had disappeared out of his sight, he came to
a mound, whereon sat the fairest lady he had ever be-
held. "I know thy quest," said she; "thou art going
to encounter the Addanc, and he will slay thee, and that
not by courage, but by craft. He has a cave, and at the
entrance of the cave there is a stone pillar, and he sees
every one that enters, and none see him ; and from behind
the pillar he slays every one with a poisonous dart. And if
thou wouldst pledge me thy faith to love me above all
women, I would give thee a stone, by which thou shouldst
see him when thou goest in, and he should not see thee."
" " for when
I will, by my troth," said Peredur,
"
first I
beheld thee I loved thee ; and where shall I seek thee ?

"When thou seekest me, seek towards India." And
the maiden vanished, after placing the stone in Peredur's
hand.
And he came towards a valley, through which ran a
river ; and the borders of the valley were wooded, and
on each side of the river were level meadows. And on
one side of the river he saw a flock of white sheep,
and on the other a flock of black sheep. And whenever
one of the white sheep bleated, one of the black sheep
would cross over and become white ; and when one of
the black sheep bleated, one of the white sheep would
cross over and become black. And he saw a tall tree by
the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from
the root to the top, and the other half was green and in
full leaf. And nigh thereto he saw a youth sitting
upon a mound, and two greyhounds, white-breasted and
spotted, in leashes, lying by his side. And certain wai
he that he had never seen a youth of so royal a bearing;
2O4 The Mabinogion
as he. And in the wood opposite he heard hounds
raising a herd of deer. And Peredur saluted the youth,
and the youth greeted him in return. And there were
three roads leading from the mound ; two of them were
wide roads, and the third was more narrow. And Peredur
inquired where the three roads went. "One of them
"
goes to my palace," said the youth ; and one of two
things I counsel thee to do ; either to proceed to my
palace, which is before thee, and where thou wilt find
my wife, or else to remain here to see the hounds
chasing the roused deer from the wood to the plain.
And thou shalt see the best greyhounds thou didst
ever behold, and the boldest in the chase, kill them
by the water beside us ; and when it is time to go to
meat, my page will come with my horse to meet me,
and thou shalt rest in my palace to-night." " Heaven
reward thee ; but I cannot tarry, for onward must I
" The other road
go." leads to the town, which is near
here, and wherein food and liquor may be bought;
and the road which is narrower than the others goes to-
wards the cave of the Addanc." " With thy permission,
young man, I will go that way."
And Peredur went towards the cave. And he took
the stone in his left hand, and his lance in his right.
And as he went in he perceived the Addanc, and he
pierced him through with his lance, and cut off his head.
And as he came from the cave, behold the three com-
panions were at the entrance ; and they saluted Peredur,
and told him that there was a prediction that he should
slay that monster. And Peredur gave the head to the
young men, and they offered him in marriage which-
ever of the three sisters he might choose, and half their
" I
kingdom with her. came not hither to woo," said
Peredur, "but if peradventure I took a wife, I should
prefer your sister to all others." And Peredur rode
forward, and he heard a noise behind him. And he
looked back, and saw a man upon a red horse, with
red armour upon him; and the man rode up by his
side, and saluted him, and wished him the favour of
Heaven and of man. And Peredur greeted the youth
" come to make a request unto thee."
kindly. Lord, I
"What wouldest thou?" "That thou shouldest take
me as thine attendant." "Whom then should I take
"
as my attendant, if I did so ? "I will not conceal from
thee what kindred I am of. Etlym Gleddyv Coch am I
called,an Earl from the East Country." " I marvel that
thou shouldest offer to become attendant to a man whose
possessions are no greater than thine own ; for I have but
an earldom like thyself. But since thou desirest to be
my attendant, I will take thee joyfully."
And they went forward to the Court of the Countess,
and all they of the Court were glad at their coming;
and they were told it was not through disrespect they
were placed below the household, but that such was
the usage of the Court. For, whoever should over-
throw the three hundred men of her household, would
sit next the Countess, and she would love him above
all men. And Peredur having overthrown the three
hundred men of her household, sat down beside her, and
the Countess said, " I thank Heaven that I have a
youth so fair and so valiant as thou, since I have
not obtained the man whom best I love." "Who is
he whom best thou lovest?" "By my faith, Etlym
Gleddyv Coch is the man whom I love best, and I
have never him." " Of a truth, Etlym is my
seen
companion; and behold here he is, and for his sake
did I come to joust with thy household. And he
could have done so better than I, had it pleased him.
And I do give thee unto him." " Heaven reward thee,
fair youth, and I will take the man whom I love above
all others." And the Countess became Etlym's bride
from that moment.
And the next day Peredur set forth towards the
Mound of Mourning. " By thy hand, lord, but I will
go with thee," said Etlym. Then they went forwards
till
they came in sight of the mound and the tents.
"Go unto yonder men," said Peredur to Etlym, "and
desirethem to come and do me homage." So Etlym
went unto them, and said unto them thus, "Come
and do homage to " Who "
my lord." is thy lord? said
206 The Mabinogion
" Peredur with the
they. long lance is my lord," said
Etlym. "Were it permitted to slay a messenger, thou
shouldest not go back to thy lord alive, for making unto
Kings, and Earls, and Barons so arrogant a demand as
to go and do him homage." Peredur desired him to
go back to them, and to give them their choice, either
to do him homage, or to do battle with him. And they
chose rather to do battle. And that day Peredur over-
threw the owners of a hundred tents; and the next
day he overthrew the owners of a hundred more ; and
the third day the remaining hundred took counsel to
do homage to Peredur. And Peredur inquired of them,
wherefore they were there. And they told him they
were guarding the serpent until he should die. "For
then should we fight for the stone among ourselves, and
whoever should be conqueror among us would have
the stone." "Await here/' said Peredur, "and I will
go to encounter the serpent." "Not so, lord," said
they; "we will go altogether to encounter the serpent."
"Verily," said Peredur, "that will I not permit; for
if the serpent be slain, I shall derive no more fame
therefrom than one of you." Then he went to the
place where the serpent was, and slew it, and came
back to them, and said, "Reckon up what you have
spent since you have been here, and I will repay you
to the full." And he paid to each what he said was his
claim. And he required of them only that they should
acknowledge themselves his vassals. And he said
to Etlym, "Go back unto her whom thou lovest
best, and I will go forwards, and I will reward thee
for having been my attendant." And he gave Etlym
the stone. "Heaven repay thee and prosper thee,"
said Etlym.
And Peredur rode thence, and he came to the
fairest valleyhe had ever seen, through which ran a
river; and there he beheld many tents of various
colours. And he marvelled still more at the number
of water-mills and of wind-mills that he saw. And
there rode up with him a tall auburn-haired man, in
a workman's garb, and Peredur inquired of him who
" I " of
he was. am the chief miller," said he, all the
mills yonder." "Wilt thou give me lodging?" said
"I And Peredur
Peredur. will, gladly," he answered.
came to the miller's house, and the miller had a fair
and pleasant dwelling. And Peredur asked money as
a loan from the miller, that he might buy meat and
liquor for himself and for the household, and he
promised that he would pay him again ere he went
thence. And he inquired of the miller, wherefore such
a multitude was there assembled. Said the miller to
Peredur, "One thing is certain: either thou art a man
from afar, or thou art beside thyself. The Empress of
Cristinobyl the Great is here ; and she will have no one
but the man who is most valiant; for riches does she
not require. And it was impossible to bring food for so
many thousands as are here, therefore were all these
mills constructed." And that night they took their
rest.
And the next day Peredur arose, and he equipped
himself and his horse for the tournament. And among
the other tents he beheld one, which was the fairest he
had ever seen. And he saw a beauteous maiden leaning
her head out of a window of the tent, and he had never
seen a maiden more lovely than she. And upon her
was a garment of satin. And he gazed fixedly on the
maiden, and began to love her greatly. And he re-
mained there, gazing upon the maiden from morning
until mid-day, and from mid-day until evening ; and
then the tournament was ended and he went to his
lodging and drew off his armour. Then he asked
money of the miller as a loan, and the miller's wife was
wroth with Peredur; nevertheless, the miller lent him
the money. And the next day he did in like manner
as he had done the day before. And at night he came
to his lodging, and took money as a loan from the
miller. And the third day, as he was in the same place,
gazing upon the maiden, he felt a hard blow between the
neck and the shoulder, from the edge of an axe. And
when he looked behind him, he saw that it was the
"
miller; and the miller said to him, Do one of two
208 The Mabinogion
things: either turn thy head from hence, or go to the
tournament." And Peredur smiled on the miller, and
went to the tournament ; and all that encountered him
that day he overthrew. And as many as he vanquished he
sent as a gift to the Empress, and their horses and arms
he sent as a gift to the wife of the miller, in payment
of the borrowed money. Peredur attended the tourna-
ment until all were overthrown, and he sent all the men
to the prison of the Empress, and the horses and arms
to the wife of the miller, in payment of the borrowed
money. And the Empress sent to the Knight of the
Mill, to ask him to come and visit her. And Peredur
went not for the first nor for the second message.
And the third time she sent a hundred knights to bring
him against his will, and they went to him and told him
their mission from the Empress. And Peredur fought
well with them, and caused them to be bound like stags,
and thrown into the mill-dyke. And the Empress sought
advice of a wise man who was in her counsel ; and he
said to her, "With thy permission, I will go to him
myself." So he came to Peredur, and saluted him, and
besought him, for the sake of the lady of his love, to
come and visit the Empress. And they went, together
with the miller. And Peredur went and sat down in
the outer chamber of the tent, and she came and placed
herself by his side. And there was but little discourse
between them. And Peredur took his leave, and went
to his lodging.
And the next day he came to visit her, and when he
came the tent there was no one chamber less
into
decorated than the others. And they knew not where
he would sit. And Peredur went and sat beside the
Empress, and discoursed with her courteously. And
while they were thus, they beheld a black man enter
with a goblet full of wine in his hand. And he dropped
upon his knee before the Empress, and besought her to
give it to no one who would not fight with him for it.
And she looked upon Peredur. "Lady," said he,
"bestow on me the goblet." And Peredur drank the
wine, and gave the goblet to the miller's wife. And
while they were thus, behold there entered a black man
of larger stature than the other, with a wild beast's claw^
in his hand, wrought into the form of a goblet and filled
with wine. And he presented it to the Empress, and
besought her to give it to no one but the man who
would fight with him. " Lady," said Peredur, " bestow
it on me." And she gave it to him. And Peredur
drank the wine, and sent the goblet to the wife of the
miller. And while they were thus, behold a rough-
looking, crisp-haired man, taller than either of the others,
came in with a bowl in his hand full of wine ; and he
bent upon his knee, and gave it into the hands of the
Empress, and he besought her to give it to none but
him who would fight with him for it ; and she gave it to
Peredur, and he sent it to the miller's wife. And that
night Peredur returned to his lodging; and the next
day he accoutred himself and his horse, and went to the
meadow and slew the three men. Then Peredur pro-
ceeded to the tent, and the Empress said to him,
"
Goodly Peredur, remember the faith thou didst pledge
me when I gave thee the stone, and thou didst kill the
Addanc." '* answered " thou
Lady," he, sayest truth,
I do remember it." And Peredur was entertained by
the Empress fourteen years, as the story relates.
Arthur was at Caerlleon upon Usk, his principal

palace ; and in the centre of the floor of the hall were
four men sitting on a carpet of velvet, Owain the son of
Urien, and Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, and Howel
the son of Emyr Llydaw, and Peredur of the long lance.
And thereupon they saw a black curly-headed maiden
enter, riding upon a yellow mule, with jagged thongs in
her hand to urge it on ; and having a rough and hideous
aspect. Blacker were her face and her two hands than
the blackest iron covered with pitch ; and her hue was
not more frightful than her form. High cheeks had she,
and a face lengthened downwards, and a short nose
with distended nostrils. And one eye was of a piercing
mottled grey, and the other was as black as jet, deep-sunk
in her head. And her teeth were long and yellow, more
2io The Mabinogion
yellow were they than the flower of the broom. And
her stomach rose from the breast-bone, higher than her
chin. And her back was in the shape of a crook, and
her legs were large and bony. And her figure was very
thin and spare, except her feet and her legs, which
were of huge size. And she greeted Arthur and all his
household except Peredur. And to Peredur she spoke
"
harsh and angry words. Peredur, I greet thee not,
seeing that thou dost not merit it. Blind was fate in
giving thee fame and favour. When thou wast in the
Court of the Lame King, and didst see there the youth
bearing the streaming spear, from the points of which
were drops of blood flowing in streams, even to the hand
of the youth, and many other wonders likewise, thou
didst not inquire their meaning nor their cause. Hadst
thou done so, the King would have been restored to
health, and his dominions to peace. Whereas from
henceforth, he will have to endure battles and conflicts,
and his knights will perish, and wives will be widowed,
and maidens will be left portionless, and all this is
"
because of thee." Then said she unto Arthur, May it
please thee, lord, my dwelling is far hence, in the stately

castle of which thou hast heard, and therein are five
hundred and sixty-six knights of the order of Chivalry,
and the lady whom best he loves with each ; and who-
ever would acquire fame in arms, and encounters, and
conflicts,he will gain it there, if he deserve it. And
whoso would reach the summit of fame and of honour,
I know where he may find it. There is a castle on a
lofty mountain, and there is a maiden therein, and she
is detained a prisoner there, and whoever shall set her
free will attain the summit of the fame of the world."
And thereupon she rode away.
" not rest tran-
Said Gwalchmai, By my faith, I will
quilly until I have proved can release the maiden."

if I
And many of Arthur's household joined themselves
"
with him. Then, likewise, said Peredur, By my faith, I
will not rest tranquilly until I know the story and the
meaning of the lance whereof the black maiden spoke."

And while they were equipping themselves, behold a
knight came to the gate. And he had the size and the
strength of a warrior, and was equipped with arms and
habiliments. And he went forward, and saluted Arthur
and all his household, except Gwalchmai. And the
knight had upon his shoulder a shield, ingrained with
gold, with a fesse of azure blue upon it, and his whole
armour was of the same hue. And he said to Gwalchmai,
" Thou didst slay my lord by thy treachery and deceit,
and that will I prove upon thee." Then Gwalchmai
" "
rose up. Behold," said he, here is my gage against
thee, to maintain, either in this place or wherever
else thou wilt, that I am not a traitor or deceiver."
"Before the King whom I obey, will I that my en-
counter with thee take place," said the knight. " Wil-
lingly," said Gwalchmai; "go forward, and I will follow

thee." So the knight went forth, and Gwalchmai accoutred
himself, and there was offered unto him abundance of
armour, but he would take none but his own. And
when Gwalchmai and Peredur were equipped, they
set forth to follow him, by reason of their fellowship and
of the great friendship that was between them. And
they did not go after him in company together, but each
went his own way.
At the dawn of day Gwalchmai came to a valley, and in
the valley he saw a fortress, and within the fortress a vast
palace and lofty towers around it. 'And he beheld a knight
coming out to hunt from the other side, mounted on a
spirited black snorting palfrey, that advanced at a prancing
pace, proudly stepping, and nimbly bounding, and sure of
foot ; and this was the man to whom the palace belonged.
And Gwalchmai saluted him. " Heaven
prosper thee,
chieftain," said he, "and whence comest thou?" "I
"
come," answered Gwalchmai, from the Court of Arthur."
"And art thou Arthur's vassal?" "Yes, by my faith,"
said Gwalchmai. " I will
give thee good counsel," said
the knight. "I see that thou art tired and weary ; go
unto my palace, if it may please thee, and tarry there
to-night." "Willingly, lord," said he, "and Heaven
reward thee." " Take this ring as a
token to the porter,
and go forward to yonder tower, and therein thou wilt
212 The Mabinogion
find my sister." And Gwalchmai went to the gate, and
showed the ring, and proceeded to the tower. And on
entering he beheld a large blazing fire, burning without
smoke and with a bright and lofty flame, and a beauteous
and stately maiden was sitting on a chair by the fire.
And the maiden was glad at his coming, and welcomed
him, and advanced to meet him. And he went and sat
beside the maiden, and they took their repast. And
when their repast was over, they discoursed pleasantly
together. And while they were thus, behold there
"
entered a venerable hoary-headed man. Ah base
!
" if thou didst think it was

girl," said he, right for thee to
entertain and to sit by yonder man, thou wouldest not do
so." And he withdrew his head, and went forth. "Ah!
" if thou wilt do as I counsel
chieftain," said the maiden,
thee, thou wilt shut the door, lest the man should have
a plot against thee." Upon that Gwalchmai arose, and
when he came near unto the door, the man, with sixty
others, fully armed, were ascending the tower. And
Gwalchmai defended the door with a chessboard, that
none might enter until the man should return from the
chase. And thereupon, behold the Earl arrived. "What
is all this? "asked he. "It is a sad thing," said the
hoary-headed man; "the young girl yonder has been
sitting and eating with him who slew your father. He is
" Hold
Gwalchmai, the son of Gwyar." thy peace,
" I will
then," said the Earl, go in." And the Earl was
Gwalchmai. " Ha
joyful concerning chieftain," said he,
!
"
it was wrong of thee to come to my court, when thou
knewest that thou didst slay my father ; and though we

cannot avenge him, Heaven will avenge him upon thee."
" "
My soul," said Gwalchmai, thus it is I came :
not here either to acknowledge or to deny having slain

thy father ; but I am on a message from Arthur, and
therefore do I crave the space of a year until I shall
return from my embassy, and then, upon my faith, I
will come back unto palace, and do one of two
this
things, either acknowledge it, or deny it." And the
time was granted him willingly and he remained there
;
that night. And the next morning he rode forth. And

the story relates nothing further of Gwalchmai respecting
this adventure.
And Peredur rode forward. And he wandered over
the whole island, seeking tidings of the black maiden,
and he could meet with none. And he came to an
unknown land, in the centre of a valley, watered by a
river. And as he traversed the valley he beheld a horse-
man coming towards him, and wearing the garments of
a priest; and he besought his blessing. "Wretched
man," said he, "thou meritest no blessing, and thou
wouldest not be profited by one, seeing that thou art
" And what
clad in armour on such a day as this." day
is to-day?" said Peredur. "To-day is Good Friday,"
he answered. " Chide me not that I knew not this,
seeing that it is a year to-day since I journeyed forth
from my country." Then he dismounted, and led his
horse in his hand. And he had not proceeded far along
the high road before he came to a cross road, and the
cross road traversed a wood. And on the other side of
the wood he saw an unfortified castle, which appeared to
be inhabited. And at the gate of the castle there met him
the priest whom he had seen before, and he asked his
"
blessing. The blessing of Heaven be unto thee," said
"
he, it is more fitting to travel in thy present guise than
as thou wast erewhile ; and this night thou shalt tarry with
me." So he remained there that night.
And the next day Peredur sought to go forth. " To-
day may no one journey. Thou shalt remain with me
to-day and to-morrow, and the day following, and I will
direct thee as best I may to the place which thou art
seeking." And the fourth day Peredur sought to go forth,
and he entreated the priest to tell him how he should
find the Castle of Wonders. "What I know thereof
I will tell thee," he replied.
" Go
over yonder mountain,
and on the other side of the mountain thou wilt come
to a river, and in the valley wherein the river runs is a
King's palace, wherein the King sojourned during Easter.
And if thou mayest have tidings anywhere of the Castle
of Wonders, thou wilt have them there."
Then Peredur rode forward. And he came to the
214 The Mabinogion
valley in which was the and there met him a
river,
number of men going and in the midst of them
to hunt,
was a man of exalted rank, and Peredur saluted him.
" "
Choose, chieftain," said the man, whether thou wilt go
with me to the chase, or wilt proceed to my palace, and
I will dispatch one of my household to commend thee
to my daughter, who is there, and who will entertain thee
with food and liquor until I return from hunting and ;
whatever may be thine errand, such as I can obtain for

thee thou shalt gladly have." And the King sent a little
yellow page with him as an attendant ; and when they
came to the palace the lady had arisen, and was about to
wash before meat. Peredur went forward, and she
saluted him joyfully, and placed him by her side. And
they took their repast. And whatsoever Peredur said
unto her, she laughed loudly, so that all in the palace
could hear. Then spoke the yellow page to the lady.
" "
By my faith," said he, this youth is already thy hus-
band ; or if he be not, thy mind and thy thoughts are
set upon him." And the little yellow page went unto
the King, and told him that it seemed to him that the
youth whom he had met with was his daughter's husband,
or if he were not so already that he would shortly be-
" What is
come so unless he were cautious. thy counsel
" "
in this matter, youth ? said the King. My counsel
is," he replied, "that thou set strong men upon him,
to seize him, until thou hast ascertained the truth
respecting this." So he set strong men upon Peredur,
who seized him and cast him into prison. And the
maiden went before her father, and asked him wherefore
he had caused the youth from Arthur's Court to be im-
prisoned.
"
In truth," he answered, " he shall not be
free to-night, nor to-morrow, nor the day following, and
he shall not come from where he is." She replied not
to what the King had said, but she went to the youth.
"Is it unpleasant to thee to be here ? said she. " I
"
"
should not care if I were not," he replied. Thy couch
and thy treatment shall be in no wise inferior to that ot
the King himself, and thou shalt have the best enter-
tainment that the palace affords. And if it were more
pleasing to thee that my couch should be here, that I
might discourse with thee, it should be so, cheerfully/'
"This can I not refuse," said Peredur. And he remained
in prison that night. And the maiden provided all that
she had promised him.
And the next day Peredur heard a tumult in the town.
" Tell "
me, fair maiden, what is that tumult ? said
Peredur. "All the King's hosts and his forces have
come to the town to-day." "And what seek they here? "
he inquired. "There is an Earl near this place who
possesses two Earldoms, and is as powerful as a King ;
and an engagement will take place between them to-day."
" I beseech " to cause a
thee," said Peredur, horse and
arms to be brought, that I may view the encounter, and
"
I promise to come back to my prison again." Gladly,"
said she, "will I provide thee with horse and arms."
So she gave him a horse and arms, and a bright scarlet
robe of honour over his armour, and a yellow shield
upon his shoulder. And he went to the combat ; and
as many of the Earl's men as encountered him that day
he overthrew ; and he returned to his prison. And the
maiden asked tidings of Peredur, and he answered her
not a word. And she went and asked tidings of her
father, and inquired who had acquitted himself best of
the household. And he said that he knew not, but that
it was a man with a scarlet robe of honour over his
armour, and a yellow shield upon his shoulder. Then

she smiled, and returned to where Peredur was, and did
him great honour that night. And for three days did
Peredur slay the Earl's men ; and before any one could
know who he was, he returned to his prison. And the
fourth day Peredur slew the Earl himself. And the
maiden went unto her father, and inquired of him the
"
news. I have good news for thee," said the King ;
" the Earl is
slain, and I am the owner of his two Earl-
doms." " Knowest thou, lord, who slew him ? " "I do
not know," said the King. " It was the
knight with the
scarlet robe of honour and the yellow shield."
"
Lord,"
said she, "I know who that is." "By Heaven!" he
exclaimed, "who is he?" "Lord," she replied, "he is
216 The Mabinogion
the knight whom thou hast imprisoned." Then he went
unto Peredur, and saluted him, and told him that he
would reward the service he had done him, in any way
he might desire. And when they went to meat, Peredur
was placed beside the King, and the maiden on the
other side of Peredur. " I will
give thee," said the King,
"my daughter in marriage, and half my kingdom with
" Heaven reward
her, and the two Earldoms as a gift."
"
thee, lord," said Peredur, but I came not here to woo."
" What "
"I am seeking
seekest thou then, chieftain ?
"
tidings of the Castle of Wonders." Thy enterprise is
greater, chieftain, than thou wilt wish to pursue," said
the maiden, " nevertheless, tidings shalt thou have of the
Castle, and thou shalt have a guide through my father's
dominions, and a sufficiency of provisions for thy journey,
for thou art, O chieftain, the man whom best I love."
Then she said to him, "Go over yonder mountain, and
thou wilt find a lake, and in the middle of the lake there
is a Castle, and that is the Castle that is called the Castle
of Wonders; and we know not what wonders are therein,
but thus is it called."
And Peredur proceeded towards the Castle, and the
gate of the Castle was open. And when he came to the
hall, the door was open, and he entered. And he beheld
a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing
against each other, by themselves. And the side that
he favoured lost the game, and thereupon the others set
up a shout, as though they had been living men. And
Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his lap,
and cast the chessboard into the lake. And when he
had done thus, behold the black maiden came in, and
she said to him, " The welcome of Heaven be not unto
thee. Thou hadst rather do evil than good." " What
complaint hast thou against me, maiden?" said Peredur.
"
That thou hast occasioned unto the Empress the loss
of her chessboard, which she would not have lost for all
her empire. And the way in which thou mayest recover
the chessboard is, to repair to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl,
where is a black man, who lays waste the dominions of
the Empress; and if thou canst slay him, thou wilt
recover the chessboard. But if thou goest there, thou
wilt not return alive."
" Wilt thou direct me thither ? "
" I will show thee the
said Peredur. way," she replied.
So he went to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl, and he fought
with the black man. And the black man besought
"
mercy of Peredur. Mercy will I grant thee," said he,
"on condition that thou cause the chessboard to be
restored to the place where it was when I entered the
hall." Then the maiden came to him, and said, " The
malediction of Heaven attend thee for thy work, since
thou hast left that monster alive, who lays waste all the
"I
possessions of the Empress." granted him his life,"
said Peredur, "that he might cause the chessboard to
be restored." "The chessboard is not in the place where
thou didst find it; go back, therefore, and slay him,"
answered she. So Peredur went back, and slew the
black man. And when he returned to the palace, he
found the black maiden there. " Ah
maiden," said
!
Peredur, "where isthe Empress?" "I declare to

Heaven that thou wilt not see her now, unless thou dost
" What
slay the monster that is in yonder forest."
monster is there ? " " It is a that is as swift as the
stag
swiftest bird ;and he has one horn in his forehead, as
long as the shaft of a spear, and as sharp as whatever is
sharpest. And he destroys the branches of the best trees
in the forest, and he kills every animal that he meets
with therein ; and those that he doth not slay perish of
hunger. And what is worse than that, he comes every
night, and drinks up the fish-pond, and leaves the fishes
exposed, so that for the most part they die before the
water returns again." "Maiden," said Peredur, "wilt
thou come and show me this animal ? " " Not
so," said
the maiden, "for he has not permitted any mortal to
enter the forest for above a twelvemonth. Behold, here
is a little
dog belonging to the Empress, which will rouse
the stag, and will chase him towards thee, and the stag
will attack thee." Then the little dog went as a guide
to Peredur, and roused the stag, and brought him towards
the place where Peredur was. And the stag attacked
Peredur, and he let him pass by him, and as he did so,
2i8 The Mabinogion
he smote off his head with his sword. And while he was
looking at the head of the stag, he saw a lady on horse-
back coming towards him. And she took the little dog
in the lappet of her cap, and the head and the body of
the stag lay before her. And around the stag's neck was
"
a golden collar. Ha chieftain," said she, " uncourte-
!
ously hast thou acted in slaying the fairest jewel that

was in my dominions." " I was entreated so to do ; and
"
is there any way by which I can obtain thy friendship ?
" There "
is," she replied. Go thou forward unto yonder
mountain, and there thou wilt find a grove ; and in the
grove there is a cromlech ; do thou there challenge
a man three times to fight, and thou shalt have my
friendship."
So Peredur proceeded onward, and came to the side
of the grove, and challenged any man to fight. And a
black man arose from beneath the cromlech, mounted
upon a bony horse, and both he and his horse were clad
in huge rusty armour. And they fought. And as often
as Peredur cast the black man to the earth, he would
jump again into his saddle. And Peredur dismounted,
and drew his sword ; and thereupon the black man dis-
appeared with Peredur's horse and his own, so that he
could not gain sight of him a second time. And Peredur
went along the mountain, and on the other side of the
mountain he beheld a castle in the valley, wherein was a
river. And he went to the castle ; and as he entered it,
he saw a hall, and the door of the hall was open, and he
went in. And there he saw a lame grey-headed man
sitting on one side of the hall, with Gwalchmai beside
him. And Peredur beheld his horse, which the black
man had taken, in the same stall with that of Gwalchmai.
And they were glad concerning Peredur. And he went
and seated himself on the other side of the hoary-headed
man. Then, behold a yellow-haired youth came, and
bent upon the knee before Peredur, and besought his
" "
Lord," said the youth, it was I that came
friendship.
in the form of the black maiden to Arthur's Court, and
when thou didst throw down the chessboard, and when
thou didst slay the black man of Ysbidinongyl, and
Geraint the Son of Erbin 219
when thou didst slay the stag, and when thou didst go
to fight the black man of the cromlech. And I came
with the bloody head in the salver, and with the lance
that streamed with blood from the point to the hand, all
along the shaft ; and the head was thy cousin's, and he
was killed by the sorceresses of Gloucester, who also
lamed thine uncle ; and I am thy cousin. And there is
a prediction that thou art to avenge these things." Then
Peredur and Gwalchmai took counsel, and sent to Arthur
and his household, to beseech them to come against the
sorceresses. And they began to fight with them ; and
one of the sorceresses slew one of Arthur's men before
Peredur's face, and Peredur bade her forbear. And the
sorceress slew a man before Peredur's face a second
time, and a second time he forbad her. And the third
time the sorceress slew a man before the face of Peredur ;
and then Peredur drew his sword, and smote the sorceress
on the helmet ; and all her head-armour was split in two
parts. And she set up a cry, and desired the other
sorceresses to flee, and told them that this was Peredur,
the man who had learnt Chivalry with them, and by
whom they were destined to be slain. Then Arthur and
his household fell upon the sorceresses, and slew the
sorceresses of Gloucester every one. And thus is it
related concerning the Castle of Wonders.
GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN

ARTHUR was accustomed to hold his Court at
Caerlleon upon Usk. And there he held it seven
Easters and five Christmases. And once upon a time
he held his Court there at Whitsuntide. For Caerlleon
was the place most easy of access in his dominions, both
by sea and by land. And there were assembled nine
crowned kings, who were his tributaries, and likewise
earls and barons. For they were his invited guests at
all the high festivals, unless they were prevented by any
22O The Mabinogion
great hindrance. And when he was at Caerlleon, holding
his Court, thirteen churches were set apart for mass.
And thus were they appointed one church for Arthur,
:
and his kings, and his guests ; and the second for
Gwenhwyvar and her ladies; and the third for the
Steward of the Household and the suitors ; and the fourth
for the Franks and the other officers ; and the other nine
churches were for the nine Masters of the Household
and chiefly for Cwalchmai ; for he, from the eminence
of his warlike fame, and from the nobleness of his birth,
was the most exalted of the nine. And there was no
other arrangement respecting the churches than that
which we have mentioned above.
Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was the chief porter ; but he did
not himself perform the office, except at one of the three
high festivals, for he had seven men to serve him, and
they divided the year amongst them. They were Grynn,
and Pen Pighon, and Llaes Cymyn, and Gogyfwlch, and
Gwrdnei with cat's eyes, who could see as well by night as
by day, and Drem the son of Dremhitid, and Clust the
son of Clustveinyd ; and these were Arthur's guards.
And on Whit-Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet,
lo! there entered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat
and a surcoat of diapered satin, and a golden-hilted
sword about his neck, and low shoes of leather upon his
feet. And he came, and stood before Arthur. " Hail
to thee,Lord " said he. " Heaven prosper thee," he
!
" and be thou welcome. Dost thou

answered, bring any
new tidings ? " "I do, Lord," he said. " I know thee
" It is a marvel to me that thou
not," said Arthur. dost
not know me. I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the
Forest of Dean, and my name is Madawc, the son of
" Tell
Twrgadarn." me thine errand," said Arthur. " I
will do so, Lord," said he.
" In the Forest I saw a
stag,
the like of which beheld I never yet." " What is there
about him," asked Arthur, " that thou never yet didst see
his like?" "He is of pure white, Lord, and he does
not herd with any other animal through stateliness and
pride, so royal is his bearing. And I come to seek thy
counsel, Lord, and to know thy will concerning him."
" It seems best to "
me," said Arthur, to go and hunt him
to-morrow at break of day ; and to cause general notice
thereof to be given to-night in all quarters of the Court."
And Arryfuerys was Arthur's chief huntsman, and Arelivri
was his chief page. And all received notice and thus ;
it was arranged. And they sent the youth before them.

Then Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, "Wilt thou permit
me, Lord," said she, "to go to-morrow to see and hear
"
the hunt of the stag of which the young man spoke ?
"I will, gladly," "Then will I go," said
said Arthur.
"
she. And Gwalchmai said to Arthur, Lord, if it seem
well to thee, permit that into whose hunt soever the stag
shall come, that one, be he a knight, or one on foot, may
cut off his head, and give it to whom he pleases, whether
own "
to his lady-love, or to the lady of his friend." I
"
grant it gladly," said Arthur, and let the Steward of the
Household be chastised, if all are not ready to-morrow
for the chase."
And they passed the night with songs, and diversions,
and and ample entertainment And when it
discourse,
was time for them all to go to sleep, they went. And
when the next day came, they arose ; and Arthur called
the attendants, who guarded his couch. And these were
four pages, whose names were Cadyrnerth the son of
Porthawr Gandwy, and Ambreu the son of Bedwor, and
Amhar the son of Arthur, and Goreu the son of
Custennin. And these men came to Arthur and saluted
him, and arrayed him in his garments. And Arthur
wondered that Gwenhwyvar did not awake, and did not
move in her bed ; and the attendants wished to awaken
" Disturb her
her. not," said Arthur," for she had rather
sleep than go to see the hunting."
Then Arthur went forth, and he heard two horns
sounding, one from near the lodging of the chief hunts-
man, and the other from near that of the chief page.
And the whole assembly of the multitudes came to
Arthur, and they took the road to the Forest.
And after Arthur had gone forth from the palace,
Gwenhwyvar awoke, and called to her maidens, and
" "I
apparelled herself. Maidens," said she, had leave
222 The Mabinogion
lastnight to go and see the hunt. Go one of you to the
stable,and order hither a horse such as a woman may
ride." And one of them went, and she found but two
horses in the stable, and Gwenhwyvar and one of her
maidens mounted them, and went through the Usk, and
followed the track of the men and the horses. And as
they rode thus, they heard a loud and rushing sound ;
and they looked behind them, and beheld a knight upon
a.hunter foal of mighty size and the rider was a fair-
;
haired youth, bare-legged, and of princely mien, and a

golden-hilted sword was at his side, and a robe and a
surcoat of satin were upon him, and two low shoes oi
leather upon his feet and around him was a scarf of
;
blue purple, at each corner of which was a golden apple.

And his horse stepped stately, and swift, and proud ; and
he overtook Gwenhwyvar, and saluted her. " Heaven
" I
prosper thee, Geraint," said she, knew thee when
first I saw thee just now. And the welcome of Heaven
be unto thee. And why didst thou not go with thy lord
"
to hunt ? Because I knew not when he went," said
he.
" I marvel, too," said she,
"
how he could go
unknown to me." " Indeed, lady," said he. " I was
asleep, and knew not when he went ; but thou, O young
man, art the most agreeable companion I could have in
the whole kingdom ; and it may be, that I shall be more
amused with the hunting than they ; for we shall hear
the horns when they sound, and we shall hear the dogs
when they are let loose, and begin to cry." So they went
"
to the edge of the Forest, and there they stood. From
"
this place," said she, we shall hear when the dogs are
let loose." And thereupon, they heard a loud noise, and
they looked towards the spot whence it came, and they
beheld a dwarf riding upon a horse, stately, and foaming,
and prancing, and strong, and spirited. And in the hand
of the dwarf was a whip. And near the dwarf they saw
a lady upon a beautiful white horse, of steady and stately
pace ; and she was clothed in a garment of gold brocade.
And near her was a knight upon a warhorse of large size,
with heavy and bright armour both upon himself and
upon his horse. And truly they never before saw a
knight, or a horse, or armour, of such remarkable size.
And they were all near to each other.
" "
Geraint," said Gwenhwyvar, knowest thou the name
"
of that tall knight yonder ? "I know him not," said he,
"
and the strange armour that he wears prevents my
either seeing his face or his features." "Go, maiden,"
said Gwenhwyvar,
" and ask the dwarf who that
knight
is." Then the maiden went up to the dwarf; and the
dwarf waited for the maiden, when he saw her coming
towards him. And the maiden inquired of the dwarf
who the knight was. " I will not tell thee," he answered.
" Since thou art so churlish as not to tell
me," said she,
" I will ask him himself." "
Thou shalt not ask him, by
" " "
my faith," saidhe. Wherefore ? said she. Because
thou art not of honour sufficient to befit thee to speak to
my Lord." Then the maiden turned her horse's head
towards the knight, upon which the dwarf struck her with
the whip that was in his hand across the face and the
eyes, until the blood flowed forth. And the maiden,
through the hurt she received from the blow, returned to
Gwenhwyvar, complaining of the pain. "Very rudely
has the dwarf treated thee," said Geraint. " I will
go
"
myself to know who the knight is." Go," said Gwen-
hwyvar. And Geraint went up to the dwarf. " Who is
" " I will
yonder knight ? said Geraint. not tell thee,"
"
said the dwarf. Then will I ask him himself," said he.
"
That wilt thou not, by my faith," said the dwarf, " thou
art not honourable enough to speak with my Lord."
Said Geraint, " I have spoken with men of equal rank
with him." And he turned his horse's head towards the
knight ; but the dwarf overtook him, and struck him as
he had done the maiden, so that the blood coloured the
scarf that Geraint wore. Then Geraint put his hand
upon the hilt of his sword, but he took counsel with
himself, and considered that it would be no vengeance
for him to slay the dwarf, and to be attacked unarmed
by the armed knight, so he returned to where Gwenhwyvar

was.
" Thou
hast acted wisely and discreetly," said she.
" " I will follow him yet, with thy per-
Lady," said he,
224 The Mabinogion
mission; and at last he will come to some inhabited
place, where may have arms either as a loan or for a

I
pledge, so that I may encounter the knight." "Go,"

said she, "and do not attack him until thou hast good
arms, and I shall be very anxious concerning thee, until
I hear tidings of thee."
" If I am "
thou
alive," said he,
"
shalt hear tidings of me by to-morrow afternoon ; and
with that he departed.
And the road they took was below the palace of
Caerlleon, and across the ford of the Usk ; and they
went along a fair, and even, and lofty ridge of ground,
until they came to a town, and at the extremity of the
town they saw a Fortress and a Castle. And they came
to the extremity of the town. And as the knight passed
through it, all the people arose, and saluted him, and
bade him welcome. And when Geraint came into the
town, he looked at every house, to see if he knew any of
those whom he saw. But he knew none, and none
knew him to do him the kindness to let him have arms
either as a loan or for a pledge. And every house he saw
was full of men, and arms, and horses. And they were
polishing shields, and burnishing swords, and washing
armour, and shoeing horses. And the knight, and the
lady, and the dwarf rode up to the Castle that was in the
town, and every one was glad in the Castle. And from the
battlements and the gates they risked their necks, through
their eagerness to greet them, and to show their joy.
Geraint stood there to see whether the knight would
remain in the Castle
;
and when he was certain that he
would do he looked around him ; and at a little
so,
distance from the town he saw an old palace in ruins,
wherein was a hall that was falling to decay. And as he
knew not any one in the town, he went towards the old
palace ; and when he came near to the palace, he
saw but one chamber, and a bridge of marble-stone
leading to it. And upon the bridge he saw sitting
a hoary-headed man, upon whom were tattered garments.
And Geraint gazed steadfastly upon him for a long time.
Then the hoary-headed man spoke to him. "Young
" "
"I
man," he said, wherefore art thou thoughtful ?
am thoughtful," said he, " because I know not where to
go to-night." "Wilt thou come forward this way, chief-
" " and thou shalt have of the best that
tain ? said he,
can be procured for thee." So Geraint went forward.
And the hoary-headed man preceded him into the hall.
And in the hall he dismounted, and he left there his
horse. Then he went on to the upper chamber with the
hoary-headed man. And in the chamber he beheld an
old decrepit woman, sitting on a cushion, with old,
tattered garments of satin upon her \ and it seemed to
him that he had never seen a woman fairer than she
must have been, when in the fulness of youth. And
beside her was a maiden, upon whom were a vest and a
veil, that were old, and beginning to be worn out. And
truly, he never saw a maiden more of comeliness,
full
and grace, and beauty than she. And the hoary-headed
man said to the maiden, " There is no attendant for the
" I will
horse of this youth but thyself." render the best
"
am able," said she, both to him to hisand
service I
horse." And the maiden disarrayed theyouth, and then
she furnished his horse with straw and with corn. And
she went to the hall as before, and then she returned to
the chamber. And the hoary-headed man said to the
maiden, "Go to the town," said he, "and bring hither
the best that thou canst find both of food and of liquor."
"
I will, gladly, Lord," said she. And to the town went
the maiden. And they conversed together while the
maiden was at the town. And, behold the maiden !
came back, and a youth with her, bearing on his back a

costrel full of good purchased mead, and a quarter of a
young bullock. And in the hands of the maiden was
a quantity of white bread, and she had some manchet
bread in her veil, and she came into the chamber. "I
could not obtain better than this," said she, " nor with
better should I have been "
trusted." It is good enough,"
said Geraint. Andthey caused the meat to be boiled ;
and when their food was ready, they sat down. And it
was on this wise ; Geraint sat between the hoary-headed
man and his wife, and the maiden served them. And
they ate and drank.
226 The Mabinogion
And when they had finished eating, Geraint talked
with the hoary-headed man, and he asked him in the
first place, to whom belonged the palace that he was in.
" "
it was I that built it, and to me also
Truly," said he,
belonged the city and the castle which thou sawest."
"Alas!" said Geraint, "how is it that thou hast lost
them now ? " "I lost a great Earldom as well as these,"
"
said he ; and this is how I lost them. I had a nephew,
the son of my brother, and I took his possessions to my-
self; and when he came to his strength, he demanded of
me his property, but I withheld it from him. So he made
war upon me, and wrested from me all that I possessed."
"
Good Sir," said Geraint, " wilt thou tell me wherefore
came the knight, and the lady, and the dwarf, just
now into the town, and what is the preparation which
I saw, and the putting of arms in order?" "I will
do so," said he. "The preparations are for the
game that is to be held to-morrow by the young Earl,
which will be on this wise. In the midst of a meadow
which is here, two forks will be set up, and upon the
two forks a silver rod, and upon the silver rod a
Sparrow-Hawk, and for the Sparrow-Hawk there will be a
tournament. And to the tournament will go all the
array thou didst see in the city, of men, and of horses,
and of arms. And with each man will go the lady he
loves best ; and no man can joust for the Sparrow-Hawk,
except the lady he loves best be with him. And the
knight that thou sawest has gained the Sparrow-Hawk
these two years ; and if he gains it the third year, they
will, from that time, send it every year to him, and he
himself will come here no more. And he will be called
the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk from that time forth."
" "
what is thy counsel to me concern-
Sir," said Geraint,
ing mis knight, on account of the insult which I received
from the dwarf, and that which was received by the
maiden of Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur ? " And Geraint
told the hoary-headed man what the insult was that he
had received. " It is not easy to counsel thee, inasmuch
as thou hast neither dame nor maiden belonging to thee,
for whom thou canst joust. Yet, I have arms here,
which thou couldest have ; and there is my horse also,
if he seem to thee better than thine own." "Ah Sir," !
"
said he, Heaven reward thee. But my own horse, to
which I am accustomed, together with thy arms, will
suffice me. And if, when the appointed time shall come
to-morrow, thou wilt permit me, Sir, to challenge for
yonder maiden that is thy daughter, I will engage, if I
escape from the tournament, to love the maiden as long
as I live ; and if I do not escape, she will remain
unsullied as before." "
Gladly will I permit thee," said
the hoary-headed man, " and since thou dost thus
resolve, it is necessary that thy horse and arms should be
ready to-morrow at break of day. For then the Knight of
the Sparrow-Hawk will make proclamation, and ask the
lady he loves best to take the Sparrow- Hawk.
*
For,' will
'
he say to her, thou art the fairest of women, and thou
didst possess it last year, and the year previous ; and if
any deny it thee to-day, by force will I defend it for thee.'
And therefore," said the hoary-headed man, " it is need-
ful for thee to be there at daybreak ; and we three will
be with thee." And thus was it settled.
And at night, lo they went to sleep ; and before the
!
dawn they arose, and arrayed themselves ; and by the

time that it was day, they were all four in the meadow.
And there was the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk making
the proclamation, and asking his lady-love to fetch the
Sparrow-Hawk. "Fetch it not," said Geraint, "for
there is here a maiden, who is fairer, and more noble,
and more comely, and who has a better claim to it than
" If
thou." thou maintainest the Sparrow- Hawk to be
due to her, come forward, and do battle with me." And
Geraint went forward to the top of the meadow, having
upon himself and upon his horse armour which was
heavy, and rusty, and worthless, and of uncouth shape.
Then they encountered each other, and they broke a set
of lances, and they broke a second set, and a third.
And thus they did at every onset, and they broke as
many lances as were brought to them. And when the
Earl and his company saw the Knight of the Sparrow-
Hawk gaining the mastery, there was shouting, and joy,
228 The Mabinogion
and mirth amongst them. And the hoary-headed man,
and his wife, and his daughter were sorrowful. And the
hoary-headed man served Geraint lances as often as he
broke them, and the dwarf served the Knight of the
Sparrow-Hawk. Then the hoary-headed man came to
" " since no other
Geraint. Oh ! said
chieftain," he,
will hold with thee, behold, here the lance which was
is
in my hand on the day when honour of

I received the
knighthood ; and from that time to this I never broke
it And it has an excellent point." Then Geraint took
the lance, thanking the hoary-headed man. And there-
"
upon the dwarf also brought a lance to his lord. Be-
hold, here is a lance for thee, not less good than his,"
" And
said the dwarf. bethink thee, that no knight ever
withstood thee before so long as this one has done." " I
declare to Heaven," said Geraint, "that unless death
takes me quickly hence, he shall fare never the better for
thy service." And Geraint pricked his horse towards
him from afar, and warning him, he rushed upon him,
and gave him a blow so severe, and furious, and fierce,
upon the face of his shield, that he cleft it in two, and
broke his armour, and burst his girths, so that both he
and his saddle were borne to the ground over the horse's
crupper. And Geraint dismounted quickly. And he
was wroth, and he drew his sword, and rushed fiercely
upon him. Then the knight also arose, and drew his
sword against Geraint. And they fought on foot with
their swords until their arms struck sparks of fire like
stars from one another ; and thus they continued fight-
ing until the blood and sweat obscured the light from
their eyes. And when Geraint prevailed, the hoary-
headed man, and his wife, and his daughter were glad ;
and when the knight prevailed, it
rejoiced the Earl and
his party. Then the hoary-headed man saw Geraint
receive a severe stroke, and he went up to him quickly,
and said to him, "Oh, chieftain, remember the treat-
ment which thou hadst from the dwarf; and wilt thou
not seek vengeance for the insult to thyself, and for the
"
insult to Gwenhwy var the wife of Arthur And
!
Geraint was roused by what he said to him, and he

called to him all his strength, and lifted up his sword,
and struck the knight upon the crown of his head, so
that he broke all his head-armour, and cut through all
the flesh and the skin, even to the skull, until he wounded
the bone.
Then the knight fell upon his knees, and cast his
sword from his hand, and besought mercy of Geraint.
"
Of a truth," said he, " I relinquish my overdaring and
my pride in craving thy mercy ; and unless I have time
to commit myself to Heaven for my sins, and to talk
with a thy mercy will avail me little."
priest, "I will
grant thee grace upon this condition," said Geraint,
"
that thou wilt go to Gwenhwyvar the wife of Arthur,
to do her satisfaction for the insult which her maiden
received from thy dwarf. As to myself, for the insult
which I received from thee and thy dwarf, I am content
with that which I have done unto thee. Dismount not
from the time thou goest hence until thou comest into
the presence of Gwenhwyvar, to make her what atone-
ment shall be adjudged at the Court of Arthur." " This
will I do gladly.And who art thou ? " said he. " I am
Geraint the son of Erbin. And declare thou also who
thou art." " I am Edeyrn the son of Nudd." Then he
threw himself upon his horse, and went forward to
Arthur's Court, and the lady he loved best went before
him and the dwarf, with much lamentation. And thus
far this story up to that time.
Then came the little Earl and his hosts to Geraint,

and saluted him, and bade him to his castle. " I may
not go," said Geraint, " but where I was last night, there
"
will I be to-night also." Since thou wilt none of my
inviting, thou shalt have abundance of all that I can
command for thee, in the place thou wast last night.
And I will order ointment for thee, to recover thee from
thy fatigues, and from the weariness that is upon thee."
" Heaven "
reward and I will
thee," said Geraint, go to
my lodging." And thus went Geraint, and Earl Ynywl,
and his wife, and his daughter. And when they reached
the chamber, the household servants and attendants of
230 The Mabinogion
the young Earl had arrived at the Court, and they
arranged all the houses, dressing them with straw and
with fire ; and in a short time the ointment was ready,
and Geraint came there, and they washed his head.
Then came the young Earl, with forty honourable knights
from among his attendants, and those who were bidden
to the tournament. And Geraint came from the anointing.
And the Earl asked him to go to the hall to eat. " Where
is the Earl Ynywl," said Geraint, "and his wife, and his
daughter?" "They are in the chamber yonder," said

the Earl's chamberlain, "arraying themselves in garments
which the Earl has caused to be brought for them."
" Let not the damsel "
array herself," said he, except in
her vest and her veil, until she come to the Court of
Arthur, to be clad by Gwenhwyvar in such garments
as she may choose." So the maiden did not array
herself.
Then they all entered the hall, and they washed, and
went, and sat down to meat. And thus were they seated.
On one side of Geraint sat the young Earl, and Earl
Ynywl beyond him ; and on the other side of Geraint
were the maiden and her mother. And after these all
sat according to their precedence in honour. And they
ate. And they were served abundantly, and they received
a profusion of divers kind of gifts. Then they conversed
together. And the young Earl invited Geraint to visit
him next day. " I will not, by Heaven," said Geraint.
" To the Court of Arthur will I
go with this maiden to-
morrow. And it is enough for me, as long as Earl
Ynywl is in poverty and trouble ; "and I go chiefly to
seek to add to his maintenance." Ah, chieftain," said
" it is not
the young Earl, by my fault that Earl Ynywl
is without his possessions."
" he shall not remain without
"By my faith," said Geraint,
them, unless death quickly
" "
takes me hence." Oh, chieftain," said he, with regard
to the disagreement between me and Ynywl, I will gladly
abide by thy counsel, and agree to what thou mayest
" I but ask
judge right between us." thee," said Geraint,
" to restore to him what is and what he should have
his,
received from the time he lost his possessions, even
until this day." "That I will do gladly, for thee,"
answered he. "Then," said Geraint, "whosoever is
here who owes homage to Ynywl, let him come forward,
and perform it on the spot." And all the men did so.
And by that treaty they abided. And his castle, and
his town, and all his possessions were restored to YnywL
And he received back all that he had lost, even to the
smallest jewel.
Then spoke Earl Ynywl to Geraint. "Chieftain,"
said he, "behold the maiden for whom thou didst
challenge at the tournament, I bestow her upon thee."
"
She shall go with me," said Geraint, "to the Court of
Arthur ; and Arthur and Gwenhwyvar they shall dispose
of her as they will." And the next day they proceeded
to Arthur's Court So far concerning Geraint.
Now, this is how Arthur hunted the stag. The men

and the dogs were divided into hunting parties, and the
dogs were let loose upon the stag. And the last dog
that was let loose was the favourite dog of Arthur.
Cavall was his name. And he left all the other dogs
behind him, and turned the stag. And at the second
turn, the stag came towards the hunting party of Arthur.
And Arthur set upon him. And before he could be
slain by any other, Arthur cut off his head. Then they
sounded the death horn for slaying, and they all gathered
round.
Then came Kadyrieith to Arthur, and spoke to him.
" "
Lord," said he, behold, yonder is Gwenhwyvar, and
none with her save only one maiden." "Command
Gildas the son of Caw, and all the scholars of the Court,"
" to attend
said Arthur, Gwenhwyvar to the palace."
And they did so.
Then they all set forth, holding converse together
concerning the head of the stag, to whom it should be
given. One wished that it should be given to the lady
best beloved by him, and another to the lady whom he
loved best. And all they of the household, and the knights,
disputed sharply concerning the head. And with that
they came to the palace. And when Arthur and Gwen-
232 The Mabinogion
hwyvar heard them disputing about the head of the stag,
"
Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, My lord, this is my counsel
concerning the stag's head; let it not be given away
until Geraint the son of Erbin shall return from the
errand he is upon." And Gwenhwyvar told Arthur what
"
that errand was. Right gladly shall it be so," said
Arthur. And thus it was settled. And the next day
Gwenhwyvar caused a watch to be set upon the ramparts
for Geraint's coming. And after mid-day they beheld
an unshapely little man upon a horse, and after him, as
they supposed, a dame or a damsel, also on horseback,
and after her a knight of large stature, bowed down,
and hanging his head low and sorrowfully, and clad in
broken and worthless armour.
And before they came near to the gate, one of the
watch went to Gwenhwyvar, and told her what kind of
"
I know
people they saw, and what aspect they bore.
"
not who they are," said he. But I know," said Gwen-
" this is the
hwyvar ; knight whom Geraint pursued, and
methinks that he comes not here by his own free will.
But Geraint has overtaken him, and avenged the insult
to the maiden to the uttermost." And thereupon, behold
a porter came to the spot where Gwenhwyvar was.
"Lady," said he, "at the gate there is a knight, and I
saw never a man of so pitiful an aspect to look upon as
he. Miserable and broken is the armour that he wears,
and the hue of blood is more conspicuous upon it than
its own colour.'' "Knowest thou his name ?" said she.
" " he tells me that he is
I do," said he ; Edeyrn the son
" know him
of Nudd." Then she replied, I not."
So Gwenhwyvar went to the gate to meet him, and
he entered. And Gwenhwyvar was sorry when she saw
the condition he was in, even though he was accompanied
by the churlish dwarf. Then Edeyrn saluted Gwen-
hwyvar. "Heaven protect thee," said she. "Lady,"
" Geraint the son of
said he, Erbin, thy best and most
valiant servant, greets thee." "Did he meet thee?"
she asked. "Yes," said he, "and it was not to my
advantage ; and that was not his fault, but mine, Lady.
And Geraint greets thee well ; and in greeting thee he
compelled me to come hither to do thy pleasure for the
insult which thy maiden received from the dwarf. He
forgives the insult to himself, in consideration of his
having put me in peril of my life. And he imposed on
me a condition, manly, and honourable, and warrior-like,
which was to do thee justice, Lady." " Now, where did
he overtake thee?" "At the place where we were
jousting, and contending for the Sparrow-Hawk, in the
town which is now called Cardiff. And there were none
with him save three persons, of a mean and tattered
condition. And these were an aged, hoary-headed man,
and a woman advanced in years, and a fair young
maiden, clad in worn-out garments. And it was for the
avouchment of the love of that maiden that Geraint
jousted for the Sparrow-Hawk at the tournament, for he
said that that maiden was better entitled to the Sparrow-
Hawk than this maiden who was with me. And there-
upon we encountered
"
each other, and he left me, Lady, as
"
thou seest." Sir," said she, when thinkest thou that
" "
Geraint will be here ? To-morrow, Lady, I think he
will be here with the maiden."
Then Arthur came to him, and he saluted Arthur ; and
Arthur gazed a long time upon him, and was amazed to
see him thus. And thinking that he knew him, he in-
" Art thou "
quired of him, Edeyrn the son of Nudd ?
" " and I have met with much
I am, Lord," said he,
trouble, and received wounds unsupportable." Then he
"
told Arthur all his adventure. Well," said Arthur,
"
from what I hear, it behoves Gwenhwyvar to be merci-
ful towards thee." "The mercy which thou desirest,
" will I
Lord," said she, grant to him, since it is as insult-
ing to thee that an insult should be offered to me as to
thyself." "Thus will it be best to do," said Arthur;
"
let this man have medical care until it be known whether
he may live. And if he live, he shall do such satisfaction
as shall be judged best by the men of the Court and ;
take thou sureties to that effect. And if he die, too much

will be the death of such a youth as Edeyrn for an insult
"
to a maiden." This pleases me," said Gwenhwyvar.
And Arthur became surety for Edeyrn, and Caradawc
234 The Mabinogion
the son of Llyr, Gwallawg the son of Llenawg, and Owain
the son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai, and many others with
them. AndArthur caused Morgan Tud to be called to
him. He was the chief physician. "Take with thee
Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and cause a chamber to be
prepared for him, and let him have the aid of medicine
as thou wouldst do unto myself, if I were wounded, and
let none into his chamber to molest him, but thyself and
" I
thy disciples, to administer to him remedies." will
do so gladly, Lord," said Morgan Tud. Then said the
steward of the household, " Whither is it right, Lord, to
"
order the maiden ? " To Gwenhwyvar and her hand-
maidens," said he. And the steward of the household
so ordered her. Thus far concerning them.
The next day came Geraint towards the Court and

;
there was a watch set on the ramparts by Gwenhwyvar,

lest he should
arrive unawares. And one of the watch
came "
tothe place where Gwenhwyvar was. Lady,"
said he,
" methinks that I see Geraint, and the maiden
with him. He is on horseback, but he has his walking
gear upon him, and the maiden appears to be in white,
"
seeming to be clad in a garment of linen." Assemble
"
all thewomen," said Gwenhwyvar, and come to meet
Geraint, to welcome him, and wish him joy." And
Gwenhwyvar went to meet Geraint and the maiden. And
when Geraint came to the place where Gwenhwyvar was,
he saluted her. " Heaven prosper thee," said she, " and
welcome to thee. And thy career has been successful,
and fortunate, and resistless, and glorious. And Heaven
reward thee, that thou hast so proudly caused me to
have retribution." " Lady," said he, " I earnestly desired
to obtain thee satisfaction according to thy will; and,
behold, here is the maiden through whom thou hadst
" said " the welcome
thy revenge." Verily," Gwenhwyvar,
of Heaven be unto her ; and it is fitting that we should
receive her joyfully." Then they went in, and dis-
mounted. And Geraint came to where Arthur was, and
" Heaven "
saluted him. protect thee," said Arthur, and
the welcome of Heaven be unto thee. And since Edeyrn
the son of Nudd has received his overthrow and wounds
from thy hands, thou hast had a prosperous career."
"
Not upon me be the blame," said Geraint, " it was
through the arrogance of Edeyrn the son of Nudd himself
that we were not friends. I would not quit him until I
knew who he was, and until the one had vanquished the
other." " " where is the
maiden for
Now," said Arthur,
whom I heard thou didst give challenge ? " " She is gone
with Gwenhwyvar to her chamber."
Then went Arthur to see the maiden. And Arthur,
and all his companions, and his whole Court, were glad
concerning the maiden. And certain were they all, that
had her array been suitable to her beauty, they had never
seen a maid fairer than she. And Arthur gave away the
maiden to Geraint. And the usual bond made between
two persons was made between Geraint and the maiden,
and the choicest of all Gwenhwyvar's apparel was given
to the maiden and thus arrayed, she appeared comely
;
and graceful to all who beheld her. And that day and
that nigjit were spent in abundance of minstrelsy, and
ample gifts of liquor, and a multitude of games. And
when it was time for them to go to sleep, they went. And
in the chamber where the couch of Arthur and Gwen-
hwyvar was, the couch of Geraint and Enid was prepared.
And from that time she became his bride. And the
next day Arthur satisfied all the claimants upon Geraint
with bountiful gifts. And the maiden took up her abode
in the palace ;
and she had many companions, both men
and women, and there was no maiden more esteemed
than she in the Island of Britain.
Then spake Gwenhwyvar. "Rightly did I judge,"
"
said she, concerning the head of the stag, that it should
not be given to any until Geraint's return ; and, behold,
here is a fit occasion for bestowing it. Let it be given to
Enid the daughter of Ynywl, the most illustrious maiden.
And I do not believe that any will begrudge it her, for
between her and every one here there exists nothing but
love and friendship." Much applauded was this by them
all, and by Arthur also. And the head of the stag was
given to Enid. And thereupon her fame increased, and
236 The Mabinogion
her friends thenceforward became more in number than
before. And Geraint from that time forth loved the
stag, and the tournament, and hard encounters ; and he
came victorious from them all. And a year, and a second,
and a third, he proceeded thus, until his fame had flown
over the face of the kingdom.
And once upon a time Arthur was holding his Court

at Caerlleon upon Usk, at Whitsuntide. And, behold,
there came to him ambassadors, wise and prudent, full of
knowledge, and eloquent of speech, and they saluted
Arthur.
"
Heaven prosper you," said Arthur, " and the
welcome of Heaven be unto you. And whence do you
come ? " " We come, Lord," said they, " from Cornwall ;
and we are ambassadors from Erbin the son of Custen-

nin, thy uncle, and our mission is unto thee. And he
greets thee well, as an uncle should greet his nephew, and
as a vassal should greet his lord. And he represents
unto thee that he waxes heavy and feeble, and is advanc-
ing in years. And the neighbouring chiefs, knowing
this, grow insolent towards him, and covet his land and
possessions. And he earnestly beseeches thee, Lord, to
permit Geraint his son to return to him, to protect his
possessions, and to become acquainted with his boun-
daries. And unto him he represents that it were better
for him to spend the flower of his youth and the prime
of his age in preserving his own boundaries, than in
tournaments, which are productive of no profit, although
he obtains glory in them."
"Well," said Arthur, "go, and divest yourselves of
your accoutrements, and take food, and refresh yourselves
after your fatigues ; and before you go forth hence you
shall have an answer." And they went to eat. And
Arthur considered that it would go hard with him to let
Geraint depart from him and from his Court neither did
;
he think it fair that his cousin should be restrained from

going to protect his dominions and his boundaries, seeing
that his father was unable to do so. No less was the
grief and regret of Gwenhwyvar, and all her women, and
all her damsels, through fear that the maiden would leave
them. And that day and that night were spent in abun-
dance of feasting. AndArthur showed Geraint the
cause of the mission, and of the coming of the ambassa-
" " be
dors to him out of Cornwall. Truly," said Geraint,
it to my advantage or disadvantage, Lord, I will do
1 " Be-
according to thy will concerning this embassy/
"
hold," said Arthur, though it grieves me to part with
thee, it is my counsel that thou go to dwell in thine own
dominions, and to defend thy boundaries, and to take
with thee to accompany thee as many as thou wilt of those
thou lovest best among my faithful ones, and among thy
" Heaven
friends, and among thy companions in arms."
reward thee ; and this will I do," said Geraint. " What
"
discourse," said Gwenhwyvar, do I hear between you ?
"
Is it of those who are to conduct Geraint to his country ?
"
It is," said Arthur.
" Then it is needful forme to con-
"
sider," said she, concerning companions and a provision
" "
for the lady that is with me ? Thou wilt do well," said
Arthur.
And that night they went to sleep. And the next day
the ambassadors were permitted to depart, and they were
told that Geraint should follow them. And on the third
day Geraint set forth, and many went with him.
Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, and Riogonedd the son of
the king of Ireland, and Ondyaw the son of the duke of
Burgundy, Gwilim the son of the ruler of the Franks,
Kowel the son of Emyr of Brittany, Elivry, and Nawkyrd,
Gwynn the son of Tringad, Goreu the son of Custennin,
Gweir Gwrhyd Vawr, Garannaw the son of Golithmer,
Peredur the son of Evrawc, Gwynnllogell, Gwyr a judge
in the Court of Arthur, Dyvyr the son of Alun of Dyved,
Gwrei Gwalstawd leithoedd, Bedwyr the son of Bedrawd,
Hadwry the son of Gwryon, Kai the son of Kynyr, Odyar
the Frank, the Steward of Arthur's Court, and Edeyrn
the son of Nudd. Said Geraint, " I think that I shall
have enough of knighthood with me." " Yes," said Arthur,
"
but it will not be fitting for thee to take Edeyrn with
thee, although he is well, until peace shall be made
"
between him and Gwenhwyvar." Gwenhwyvar can
him to with if he sureties." " If she
permit go me, give
238 The Mabinogion
please, she can let him go without sureties, for enough
of pain and affliction has he suffered for the insult which
the maiden received from the dwarf." "Truly," said
"
Gwenhwyvar, since it seems well to thee and to Geraint,
I will do this gladly, Lord." Then she permitted Edeyrn
freely to depart. And many there were who accompanied
Geraint, and they set forth ; and never was there seen a
fairer host journeying towards the Severn. And on the
other side of the Severn were the nobles of Erbin the son
of Custennin, and his foster-father at their head, to wel-
come Geraint with gladness ; and many of the women of
the Court, with his mother, came to receive Enid the
daughter of Ynywl, his wife. And there was great
rejoicing and gladness throughout the whole Court, and
throughout all the country, concerning Geraint, because
of the greatness of their love towards him, and of the
greatness of the fame which he had gained since he
went from amongst them, and because he was come
to take possession of his dominions and to preserve his
boundaries. And they came to the Court. And in the
Court they had ample entertainment, and a multitude
of gifts and abundance of liquor, and a sufficiency
of service, and a variety of minstrelsy and of games.
And to do honour to Geraint, all the chief men of the
country were invited that night to visit him. And
they passed that day and that night in the utmost
enjoyment. And at dawn next day Erbin arose, and
summoned to him Geraint, and the noble persons who
had borne him company. And he said to Geraint, " I
am a feeble and aged man, and whilst I was able to
maintain the dominion for thee and for myself, I did so.
But thou art young, and in the flower of thy vigour and
of thy youth; henceforth do thou preserve thy
" " with
possessions." Truly," said Geraint, my consent
thou shalt not give the power over thy dominions at this
time into my hands, and thou shalt not take me from
Arthur's Court." "Into thy hands will I give them,"
said Erbin, " and this day also shalt thou receive the
homage of thy subjects."
Then said Gwalchmai, "It were better for thee to
satisfythose who have boons to ask, to-day, and to-
morrow thou canst receive the homage of thy dominions."
So all that had boons to ask were summoned into one
place. And Kadyrieith came to them, to know what
were their requests. And every one asked that which
he desired. And the followers of Arthur began to make
gifts, and immediately the men of Cornwall came, and
gave also. And they were not long in giving, so eager
was every one to bestow gifts. And of those who came
to ask gifts, none departed unsatisfied. And that day
and that night were spent in the utmost enjoyment.
And the next day, at dawn, Erbin desired Geraint to
send messengers to the men, to ask them whether it was
displeasing to them that he should come to receive their
homage, and whether they had anything to object to him.
Then Geraint sent ambassadors to the men of Cornwall,
to ask them this. And they all said that it would be the
fulness of joy and honour to them for Geraint to come
and receive their homage. So he received the homage
of such as were there. And they remained with him till
the third night And the day after the followers of
Arthur intended to go away. " It is too soon for you to
"
go away yet," said he, stay with me until I have finished
receiving the homage of my chief men, who have agreed
to come to me." And they remained with him until he
had done so. Then they set forth towards the Court of
Arthur; and Geraint went to bear them company, and
Enid also, as far as Diganhwy there they parted. Then
:
Ondyaw the son of the duke of Burgundy said to Geraint,

"Go first of all and visit the uppermost parts of thy
dominions, and see well to the boundaries of thy terri-
tories ; and if thou hast any trouble respecting them,
send unto thy companions." "Heaven reward thee,"
said Geraint, " and this will I do." And Geraint journeyed
to the uttermost part of his dominions. And
experienced
guides, and the chief men of his country, went with him.
And the furthermost point that they showed him he kept
possession of.
And, as he had been used to do when he was at Arthur's

Court, he frequented tournaments. And he became
240 The Mabinogion
acquainted with valiant and mighty men, until he had
gained as much fame there as he had formerly done else-
where. And he enriched his Court, and his companions,
and his nobles, with the best horses and the best arms,
and with the best and most valuable jewels, and he
ceased not until his fame had flown over the face of the
whole kingdom. And when he knew that it was thus,
he began to love ease and pleasure, for there was no one
who was worth his opposing. And he loved his wife, and
liked to continue in the palace, with minstrelsy and
diversions. And for a long time he abode at home. And
after that he began to shut himself up in the chamber of
his wife, and he took no delight in anything besides,
insomuch that he gave up the friendship of his nobles,
together with his hunting and his amusements, and lost
the hearts of all the host in his Court and there was
;
murmuring and concerning him among the

scoffing
inhabitants of the palace, on account of his relinquish-
ing so completely their companionship for the love of his
wife. And these tidings came to Erbin. And when
Erbin had heard these things, he spoke unto Enid, and
inquired of her whether it was she that had caused
Geraint to act thus, and to forsake his people and his
hosts. "Not I, by my confession unto Heaven," said
she, "there is nothing more hateful to me than this."
And she knew not what she should do, for, although it
was hard for her to own this to Geraint, yet was it not
more easy for her to listen to what she heard, without
warning Geraint concerning it. And she was very
sorrowful.
And one morning in the summer time, they were upon
their couch, and Geraint lay upon the edge of it. And
Enid was without sleep in the apartment, which had
windows of glass. And the sun shone upon the couch.
And the clothes had slipped from off his arms and his
breast, and he was asleep. Then he gazed upon the
"
marvellous beauty of his appearance, and she said, Alas,
and am I the cause that these arms and this breast have
lost their glory and the warlike fame which they once so
"
richly enjoyed ! And as she said this, the tears dropped
from her eyes, and they fell upon his breast And the
tears she shed, and the words she had spoken, awoke
him ; and another thing contributed to awaken him, and
that was the idea that it was not in thinking of him that
she spoke thus, but that it was because she loved some
other man more than him, and that she wished for other
society, and thereupon Geraint was troubled in his mind,
and he called his squire; and when he came to him,
"Go quickly," said he, "and prepare my horse and my
arms, and make them ready. And do thou arise," said
he to Enid, "and apparel thyself; and cause thy horse
to be accoutred, and clothe thee in the worst riding-dress
that thou hast in thy possession. And evil betide me,"
said he, "if thou returnest here until thou knowest
whether I have lost my strength so completely as thou
didst say. And if it be so, it will then be easy for thee
to seek the society thou didst wish for of him of whom
thou wast thinking." So she arose, and clothed herself
in her meanest garments.
" I know
nothing, Lord," said
" of "
Neither wilt thou know at this
she, thy meaning."
time," said he.
Then Geraint went to see Erbin. " "I
Sir," said he,
am going upon a quest, and I am not certain when I may
come back. Take heed, therefore, unto thy possessions,
until my return."
" I will
do so," said he, " but it is
strange to me that thou shouldest go so suddenly. And
who will proceed with thee, since thou art not strong
" " But
enough to traverse the land of Lloegyr alone ?
one person only will go with me." "Heaven counsel
" and
thee, my son," said Erbin, may many attach them-
selves to thee in Lloegyr." Then went Geraint to the
place where his horse was, and it was equipped with
foreign armour, heavy and shining. And he desired
Enid to mount her horse, and to ride forward, and to
" And whatever thou
keep a long way before him.
mayest see, and whatever thou mayest hear concerning
"
me," said he, do thou not turn back. And unless I
speak unto thee, say not thou one word either." And
they set forward. And he did not choose the pleasantest
and most frequented road, but that which was the wildest
242 The Mabinogion
and most beset by thieves, and robbers, and venomous
animals. And they came to a high road, which they
followed till they saw a vast forest, and they went towards
it,and they saw four armed horsemen come forth from
the forest. When the horsemen had beheld them, one
of them said to the others, "Behold, here is a good
occasion for us to capture two horses and armour, and a
lady likewise ; for this we shall have no difficulty in doing
against yonder single knight, who hangs his head so
pensively and heavily." And Enid heard this discourse,
and she knew not what she should do through fear of
"
Geraint, who had told her to be silent. The vengeance
"
of Heaven be upon me," she said, if I would not
rather receive my death from his hand than from the
hand of any other ; and though he should slay me yet
will I speak to him, lest I should have the misery to
witness his death." So she waited for Geraint until he
came near to her. " Lord," said she, " didst thou hear
the words of those men concerning thee?" Then he
" Thou
lifted up his eyes, and looked at her angrily.
" to hold
hadst only," said he, thy peace as I bade thee.
I wish but for silence, and not for warning. And though
thou shouldest desire to see my defeat and my death
by the hands of those men, yet do I feel no dread."
Then the foremost of them couched his lance, and
rushed upon Geraint. And he received him, and that
not feebly. But he let the thrust go by him, while he
struck the horseman upon the centre of his shield in
such a manner that his shield was split, and his armour
broken, and so that a cubit's length of the shaft of
Geraint's lance passed through his body, and sent him
to the earth, the length of the lance over his horse's
crupper. Then the second horseman attacked him
furiously, being wroth at the death of his companion.
But with one thrust Geraint overthrew him also, and
killed him as he had done the other. Then the third
set upon him, and he killed him in like manner.
And thus also he slew the fourth. Sad and sorrowful
was the maiden as she saw all this. Geraint dismounted
from his horse, and took the arms of the men he had
slain,and placed them upon saddles, and tied
their
together the reins of their horses, and he mounted his
horse again. "Behold what thou must do," said he;
"
take the four horses, and drive them before thee, and
proceed forward, as I bade thee just now. And say not
one word unto me, unless I speak first unto thee. And
I declare unto Heaven," said he, " if thou doest not thus,
will be to thy cost."
" I will
it do, as far as I can, Lord,"
said she, "according to thy desire." Then they went
forward through the forest ; and when they left the
forest, they came to a vast plain, in the centre of
which was a group of thickly tangled copse-wood ; and
from out thereof they beheld three horsemen coming
towards them, well equipped with armour, both they
and their horses. Then the maiden looked steadfastly
upon them and when they had come near, she heard
;
them say one to another, " Behold, here is a good

arrival for us ; here are coming for us four horses and
four suits of armour. We shall easily obtain them
spite of yonder dolorous knight, and the maiden also
will fall into our power." " This is but too true," said
she to herself, " for my husband is tired with his
former combat. The vengeance of Heaven will be
upon me, unless I warn him of this." So the maiden
waited until Geraint came up to her. "
Lord," said she,
"
dost thou not hear the discourse of yonder men con-
" "
cerning thee ? What was it ? " asked he. " They say
to one another, that they will easily obtain all this spoil."
"
I declare to Heaven," he answered,
" that
their words
are less grievous to me than that thou wilt not be silent,
and abide by my counsel." " "I
My Lord," said she,
"
feared lest they should surprise thee unawares." Hold
thy peace, then," said he, "do not I desire silence?"
And thereupon one of the horsemen couched his lance,
and attacked Geraint. And he made a thrust at him, which
he thought would be very effective ; but Geraint received
it carelessly, and struck it
aside, and then he rushed upon
him, and aimed at the centre of his person, and from the
shock of man and horse, the quantity of his armour did not
avail him, and the head of the lance and part of the
244 The Mabinogion
shaft passed through him, so that he was carried to the
ground an arm and a spear's length over the crupper of
his horse. And both the other horsemen came forward
in their turn, but their onset was not more successful than
that of their companion. And the maiden stood by,
looking at all this; and on the one hand she was in
trouble lest Geraint should be wounded in his encounter
with the men, and on the other hand she was joyful
to see him victorious. Then Geraint dismounted, and
bound the three suits of armour upon the three saddles,
and he fastened the reins of all the horses together,
so that he had seven horses with him. And he mounted
his own horse, and commanded the maiden to drive
"
forward the others. It is no more use for me to speak
to thee than to refrain, for thou wilt not attend to my
" I will do
advice." so, as far as I am able, Lord," said
she; "but I cannot conceal from thee the fierce and
threatening words which I may hear against thee, Lord,
from such strange people as those that haunt this wilder-
" I declare to "
ness." Heaven," said he, that I desire
"
nought but silence ; therefore, hold thy peace." I will,
Lord, while I can." And the maiden went on with the

horses before her, and she pursued her way straight
onwards. And from the copse-wood already mentioned,
they journeyed over a vast and dreary open plain. And
at a great distance from them they beheld a wood, and
they could see neither end nor boundary to the wood,
except on that side that was nearest to them, and they
went towards it. Then there came from out the wood
five horsemen, eager, and bold, and mighty, and strong,
mounted upon chargers that were powerful, and large of
bone, and high-mettled, and proudly snorting, and both
the men and the horses were well equipped with arms.
And when they drew near to them, Enid heard them say,
"
Behold, here is a fine booty coming to us, which we
shall obtain easily and without labour, for we shall have
no trouble in taking all those horses and arms, and the
lady also, from yonder single knight, so doleful and sad."
Sorely grieved was the maiden upon hearing this
discourse, so that she knew not in the world what she
should do. At last, however, she determined to warn
Geraint; so she turned her horse's head towards him.
" "
Lord," said she, if thou hadst heard as I did what
yonder horsemen said concerning thee, thy heaviness

would be greater than it is." Angrily and bitterly did
"
Geraint smile upon her, and he said, Thee do I hear
that I forbade thee but it may be that
doing everything ;
thou will repent this yet." And immediately, behold,

the men met them, and victoriously and gallantly did
Geraint overcome them all five. And he placed the five
suits of armour upon the five saddles, and tied together
the reins of the twelve horses, and gave them in charge
to Enid.
" I know " what
not," said he, good it is for
me to order thee; but this time I charge thee in an
especial manner." So the maiden went forward towards
the wood, keeping in advance of Geraint, as he had
desired her ; and it grieved him as much as his wrath
would permit, to see a maiden so illustrious as she having
so much trouble with the care of the horses. Then they
reached the wood, and it was both deep and vast ; and
in the wood night overtook them.
"
Ah, maiden," said
" it is vain to " "
he, attempt proceeding forward !
Well,
" whatsoever thou
Lord," said she, wishest, we will do."
" It will be best for "
us," he answered, to turn out of
the wood, and to rest, and wait for the day, in order to
" That will
pursue our journey." we, gladly," said she.
And they did so. Having dismounted himself, he took
her down from her horse. " I
cannot, by any means,
"
refrain from sleep, through weariness," said he. Do
"I
thou, therefore, watch the horses, and sleep not."
will, Lord," said she. Then he went to sleep in his
armour, and thus passed the night, which was not long
at that season. And when she saw the dawn of day
appear, she looked around her, to see if he were waking,
and thereupon he woke. " MyLord," she said,
"
I have
desired to awake thee for some time." But he spake
nothing to her about fatigue, as he had desired her to be
silent. Then he arose, and said unto her, " Take the
horses, and ride on ; and keep straight on before thee as
thou didst yesterday." And early in the day they left
246 The Mabinogion
the wood, and they came to an open country, with
meadows on one hand, and mowers mowing the meadows.
And there was a river before them, and the horses bent
down, and drank the water. And they went up out of
the river by a lofty steep ; and there they met a slender
stripling, with a satchel about his neck, and they saw
that there was something in the satchel, but they knew
not what it was. And he had a small blue pitcher in
his hand, and a bowl on the mouth of the pitcher.
And "
the youth saluted Geraint. Heaven prosper
" and
thee," said Geraint, whence dost thou come ? "
" I " from the city that lies before thee.
come," said he,
" will it
My Lord," he added, be displeasing to thee if I
ask whence thou comest also ?
" "
By no means
through yonder wood did I come." " Thou earnest not
" "
through the wood to-day." No," he replied, we were
in the wood last night." " I warrant," said the youth,
" that
thy condition there last night was not the most
pleasant, and that thou hadst neither meat nor drink."
"
No, by my faith," said he. "Wilt thou follow my coun-
sel," said the youth, "and take thy meal from me?"
"What sort of meal?" he inquired. "The breakfast
which is sent for yonder mowers, nothing less than
bread and meat and wine; and if thou wilt, Sir, they
"I
shall have none of it." will," said he, "and Heaven
reward thee for it."
So Geraint alighted, and the youth took the maiden
from off her horse. Then they washed, and took their
repast. And the youth cut the bread in slices, and gave
them drink, and served them withal. And when they
had finished, the youth arose, and said to Geraint, " My
Lord, with thy permission, I will now go and fetch some
"
food for the mowers." Go, first, to the town," said Geraint,
"
and take a lodging for me in the best place that thou
knowest, and the most commodious one for the horses,
and take thou whichever horse and arms thou choosest
in payment for thy service and thy gift." "Heaven
reward thee, Lord," said the youth, " and this would be
ample to repay services much greater than those I have
rendered unto thee." And to the town went the youth,
and he took the best and the most pleasant lodgings that
he knew and after that he went to the palace, having the
;
horse and armour with him, and proceeded to the place

"I
where the Earl was, and told him all his adventure.
" to meet the
go now, Lord," said he, young man, and to
conduct him to his lodging." "Go, gladly," said the
" and
Earl, right joyfully shall he be received here, if he
so come." And the youth went to meet Geraint, and
told him that he would be received gladly by the Earl in
his own palace ; but he would go only to his lodgings.
And he had a goodly chamber, in which was plenty of
straw, and drapery, and a spacious and commodious place
he had for the horses ; and the youth prepared for them
plenty of provender. And after they had disarrayed
"
themselves, Geraint spoke thus to Enid Go," said he,
:
">to the other side of the chamber, and come not to this
side of the house ; and thou mayest call to thee the
woman of the house, if thou wilt." " I will do, Lord,"
" as thou And thereupon the man of
said she, sayest."
"
the house came to Geraint, and welcomed him. Oh,
" "
chieftain," he said, hast thou taken thy meal ? "I
have," said he. Then the youth spoke to him, and
inquired if he would not drink something before he met
"
the Earl. Truly I will," said he. So the youth went
into the town, and brought them drink. And they
drank.
" I must needs "
sleep," said Geraint. Well,"
said the
" and whilst thou
youth ;
I will
sleepest, go to
see the Earl." gladly," he said, "and come here
"Go,
again when I require thee." And Geraint went to sleep ;
and so did Enid also.
And the youth came to the place where the Earl was,
and the Earl asked him where the lodgings of the knight
"
were, and he told him. I must go," said the youth,
"to wait on him in the evening." "Go," answered the
"
Earl, and greet him well from me, and tell him that in
the evening I will go to see him." " This will
I do,"
said the youth. So he came when it was time for them
to awake. And they arose, and went forth. And
when it was time for them to take their food, they
took it. And the youth served them. And Geraint
248 The Mabinogion
inquired of the man of the house, whether there were
any of his companions that he wished to invite to him,
and he said that there were. " Bring them hither, and
entertain them at my cost with the best thou canst buy in
the town."
And the man of the house brought there those whom
he chose, and feasted them at Geraint's expense. There-
upon, behold, the Earl came to visit Geraint, and his
twelve honourable knights with him. And Geraint rose
"
up, and welcomed him. Heaven preserve thee," said
the Earl. Then they all sat down according to their
precedence in honour. And the Earl conversed with
Geraint, and inquired of him the object of his journey.
"I
have none," he replied, " but to seek adventures,
and to follow my own inclination." Then the Earl cast
his eye upon Enid, and he looked at her steadfastly.
And he thought he had never seen a maiden fairer or
more comely than she. And he set all his thoughts and
his affections upon her. Then he asked of Geraint,
" Have I
thy permission to go and converse with yonder
" " Thou
maiden, for I see that she is apart from thee ?
hast it gladly," said he. So the Earl went to the place
"
where the maiden was, and spake with her. Ah,
maiden," said he, "it cannot be pleasant to thee to
" " It is not
journey thus with yonder man !
unpleasant
" to
to me," said she, journey the same road that he
" Thou hast neither
journeys." youths nor maidens to
" "
serve thee," said he. Truly," she replied, it is more
pleasant for me to follow yonder man, than to be served

by youths and maidens." "I will give thee good
" All Earldom will I
counsel," said he. my place inthy
possession, thou wilt dwell with me." " That will I
if
"
not, by Heaven," she said ; yonder man was the first
to whom my faith was ever pledged and shall I prove
;
" "
inconstant to him ! Thou art in the wrong," said
the Earl ; " if I slay the man yonder, I can keep thee
with me as long as I choose ; and when thou no longer
pleasest me I can turn thee away. But if thou goest
with me by thine own good will, I protest that our
union shall continue eternal and undivided as long as I
remain alive." Then she pondered these words of his,
and she considered that it was advisable to encourage
him in his request. "Behold, then, chieftain, this is
most expedient for thee to do to save me any needless
imputation come here to-morrow, and take me away as
;
" I will do
though I knew nothing thereof." so," said
he. So he arose, and took his leave, and went forth with
his attendants. And she told not then to Geraint any of
the conversation which she had had with the Earl, lest it
should rouse his anger, and cause him uneasiness and
care.
And at the usual hour they went to sleep. And at the
beginning of the night Enid slept a little ; and at mid-
night she arose, and placed all Geraint's armour together,
so that it might be ready to put on. And although fear-
ful of her errand, she came to the side of Geraint's bed ;
and she spoke to him softly and gently, saying, "My

Lord, arise, and clothe thyself, for these were the words
of the Earl to me, and his intention concerning me."
So she told Geraint all that had passed. And although
he was wroth with her, he took warning, and clothed
himself. And she lighted a candle, that he might have
"
light to do so. Leave there the candle," said he,
"
and desire the man of the house to come here." Then
she went, and the man of the house came to him.
"
Dost thou know how much I owe thee ? " asked
Geraint. "I think thou owest but little." "Take the
eleven horses and the eleven suits of armour." " Heaven
reward thee, lord," said he, " but I spent not the value
of one suit of armour upon thee." "
For that reason,"
" thou wilt be the
said he, richer. And now, wilt thou
"
come to guide me out of the town ? "I will, gladly,"
said he, " and in which direction dost thou intend to go ? "
" I
wish to leave the town by a different way from that
by which I entered it." So the man of the lodgings
accompanied him as far as he desired. Then he bade
the maiden to go on before him ; and she did so, and
went straight forward, and his host returned home. And
he had only just reached his house, when, behold, the
greatest tumult approached that was ever heard. And
250 The Mabinogion
when he looked out, he saw fourscore knights in complete
armour around the house, with the Earl Dwnn at their
"
head. Where is the knight that was here ? " said the
Earl. "By thy hand," said he, "he went hence some
" " didst thou
time ago." Wherefore, villain," said he,
"
let him go without informing me ? "My Lord, thou
didst not command me to do so, else would I not have
allowed him to depart." " What way dost thou think that
he took? " "I know not, except that he went along the
high road." And they turned their horses' heads that
way, and seeing the tracks of the horses upon the high
road, they followed. And when the maiden beheld the
dawning of the day, she looked behind her, and saw
vast clouds of dust coming nearer and nearer to her.
And thereupon she became uneasy, and she thought
that it was the Earl and his host coming after them.
And thereupon she beheld a knight appearing through
"
the mist. "By my faith," said she, though he should
slay me, it were better for me to receive my death at his
hands, than to see him killed without warning him. My
"
Lord," she said to him, seest thou yonder man hasten-
"
ing after thee, and many others with him ? "I do see
"
him," said he ; and in despite of all my orders, I see
that thou wilt never keep silence." Then he turned upon
the knight, and with the first thrust he threw him down
under his horse's feet. And as long as there remained
one of the fourscore knights, he overthrew every one of
them at the first onset. And from the weakest to the
strongest, they all attacked him one after the other,
except the Earl : and last of all the Earl came against
him also. And he broke his lance, and then he broke a
second. But Geraint turned upon him, and struck him
with his lance upon the centre of his shield, so that by
that single thrust the shield was split, and all his armour
broken, and he himself was brought over his horse's
crupper to the ground, and was in peril of his life. And
Geraint drew near to him ; and at the noise of the
"
trampling of his horse the Earl revived. Mercy, Lord,"
said he to Geraint. And Geraint granted him mercy.
But through the hardness of the ground where they had
fallen, and the violence of the stroke which they had
received, there was not a single knight amongst them
that escaped without receiving a fall, mortally severe, and
grievously painful, and desperately wounding, from the
hand of Geraint.
And Geraint journeyed along the high road that was
before him, and the maiden went on first ; and near them
they beheld a valley which was the fairest ever seen, and
which had a large river running through it ; and there
was a bridge over the river, and the high road led to the
bridge. And above the bridge upon the opposite side
of the river, they beheld a fortified town, the fairest ever
seen. And as they approached the bridge, Geraint saw
coming towards him from a thick copse a man mounted
upon a large and lofty steed, even of pace and" spirited
"
though tractable. Ah, knight," said Geraint, whence
comest thou ?
"
"I come," said he, " from the valley
below us." " Canst thou tell me," said Geraint, " who is
"
the owner of this fair valley and yonder walled town ?
" I will tell said he. "Gwiffert Petit he
thee, willingly,"
is called by the Franks, but the Cymry call him the
"
Little King." Can I go by yonder bridge," said Geraint,
" and "
by the lower highway that is beneath the town ?
"
Said the knight, Thou canst not go by his tower on the
other side of the bridge, unless thou dost intend to
combat him; because it is his custom to encounter
"
every knight that comes upon his lands." I declare to
said
" that I
Heaven," Geraint, will, nevertheless, pursue
my journey that way." "If thou dost so," said the
knight, "thou wilt probably meet with shame and
disgrace in reward for thy daring." Then Geraint pro-
ceeded along the road that led to the town, and the road
brought him to a ground that was hard, and rugged, and
high, and ridgy. And as he journeyed thus, he beheld a
knight following him upon a warhorse, strong, and large,
and proudly-stepping, and wide-hoofed, and broad-
chested. And he never saw a man of smaller stature
than he who was upon the horse. And both he and his
horse were completely armed. When he had overtaken
Geraint, he said to him, "Tell me, chieftain, whether
252 The Mabinogion
it is
through ignorance or through presumption that thou
seekest to insult my dignity, and to infringe my rules."
" " knew not this road was
Nay," answered Geraint, I
"
forbid to any." Thou didst know it," said the other
;
"
come with me to my Court, to give me satisfaction.'
" That will I " I would
not, by my faith," said Geraint ;
not go even to thy Lord's Court, excepting Arthur were
"
thy Lord" By the hand of Arthur himself," said the
knight, "I will have satisfaction of thee, or receive my
overthrow at thy hands." And immediately they charged
one another. And a squire of his came to serve him
with lances as he broke them. And they gave each
other such hard and severe strokes that their shields lost
all their colour. But it was very difficult for Geraint to
fight with him on account of his small size, for he was
hardly able to get a full aim at him with all the efforts he
could make. And they fought thus until their horses
were brought down upon their knees ; and at length
Geraint threw the knight headlong to the ground ; and
then they fought on foot, and they gave one another
blows so boldly fierce, so frequent, and so severely
powerful, that their helmets were pierced, and their
skullcaps were broken, and their arms were shattered,
and the light of their eyes was darkened by sweat and
blood. At the last Geraint became enraged, and he
called to him all his strength; and boldly angry, and
swiftly resolute, and furiously determined, he lifted up
his sword, and struck him on the crown of his head a
blow so mortally painful, so violent, so fierce, and so
penetrating, that it cut through all his head armour, and
his skin, and his flesh, until it wounded the very bone,
and the sword flew out of the hand of the Little King
to the furthest end of the plain, and he besought
Geraint that he would have mercy and compassion
"
upon him. Though thou hast been neither courteous
nor just," said Geraint, "thou shalt have mercy, upon
condition that thou wilt become my ally, and engage
never to fight against me again, but to come to my
assistancewhenever thou hearest of my being in
trouble." "This will I do, gladly, Lord," said he.
So he pledged him his faith thereof. "And now,
" to
Lord, come with me," said he, my Court yonder, to
" That will
recover from thy weariness and fatigue." I
not, by Heaven," said he.
Then Gwiffert Petit beheld Enid where she stood, and
it grieved him to see one of her noble mien appear so
"
deeply afflicted. And he said to Geraint, My
Lord,
thou doest wrong not to take repose, and refresh thyself
awhile ; for, if thou meetest with any difficulty in thy
present condition, it will not be easy for thee to surmount
it." But Geraint would do no other than proceed on his
journey, and he mounted his horse in pain, and all
covered with blood. And the maiden went on first, and
they proceeded towards the wood which they saw before
them.
And the heat of the sun was very great, and through
the blood and sweat, Geraint's armour cleaved to his
flesh ; and when they came into the wood, he stood
under a tree, to avoid the sun's heat ; and his wounds
pained him more than they had done at the time when
he received them. And the maiden stood under another
tree. And lo they heard the sound of horns, and a
!
tumultuous noise ; and the occasion of it was, that

Arthur and his company had come down to the wood.
And while Geraint was considering which way he should
go to avoid them, behold, he was espied by a foot-page,
who was an attendant on the Steward of the Household ;
and he went to the Steward, and told him what kind of
man he had seen in the wood. Then the Steward caused
his horse to be saddled, and he took his lance and his
"
shield, and went to the place where Geraint was. Ah,
" " what dost thou "
knight ! said he, here ? "I am
standing under a shady tree, to avoid the heat and the
"
rays of the sun." Wherefore is thy journey, and who
"
art thou ? "I seek adventures, and go where I list."
" "
Indeed," said Kai ; then come with me to see Arthur,
who is here hard by." " That will I not, by Heaven,"
"
said Geraint. Thou must needs come," said Kai. Then
Geraint knew who he was, but Kai did not know Geraint.
And Kai attacked Geraint as best he could. And
254 The Mabinogion
Geraint became wroth, and he struck him with the shaft
of his lance, so that he rolled headlong to the ground.
But chastisement worse than this would he not inflict
on him.
Scared and wildly Kai arose, and he mounted his
horse, and went back to his lodging. And thence he
"
proceeded to Gwalchmai's tent. Oh, Sir," said he to
" I was told
Gwalchmai, by one of the attendants, that
he saw in the wood above a wounded knight, having on
battered armour; and if thou dost right, thou wilt go
and see if this be true." " I care not if I do so," said
Gwalchmai. " Take, then, thy horse, and some of thy
armour," said Kai; "for I hear that he is not over
courteous to those who approach him." So Gwalchmai
took his spear and his shield, and mounted his horse, and
came to the spot where Geraint was. " Sir Knight," said
" "
he, wherefore is thy journey ? "I journey for my" own
pleasure, and to seek the adventures of the world." Wilt
thou tell me who thou art ; or wilt thou come and visit
"
Arthur, who is near at hand ? "I will make no alliance
with thee, nor will I go and visit Arthur," said he. And
he knew that was Gwalchmai, but Gwalchmai knew
it
him not. " I purpose not to leave thee," said Gwalchmai,

" till I know who
thou art." And he charged him with
his lance, and struck him on his shield, so that the shaft
was shivered into splinters, and their horses were front to
front. Then Gwalchmai gazed fixedly upon him, and he
knew him. " Ah, Geraint," said he, " is it thou that art
here ?
"
"I am not Geraint," said he. " Geraint thou
art, by Heaven," he replied, "and a wretched and insane
expedition is this." Then he looked around, and beheld
Enid, and he welcomed her gladly. "Geraint," said
"
Gwalchmai, come thou and see Arthur ; he is thy lord
"
and thy cousin." I will not," said he, "for I am not
in a fit
go and see any one." Thereupon, behold,
state to
one of the pages came after Gwalchmai to speak to him.
So he sent him to apprise Arthur that Geraint was there
wounded, and that he would not go to visit him, and that
it was pitiable to see the
plight that he was in. And this
he did without Geraint's knowledge, inasmuch as he spoke
" "
in a whisper to the page. Entreat Arthur," said he, to
have his tent brought near to the road, for he will not
meet him willingly, and it is not easy to compel him in
the mood he is in." So the page came to Arthur, and
told him this. And he caused his tent to be removed
unto the side of the road. And the maiden rejoiced in
her heart. And Gwalchmai led Geraint onwards along
the road, till they came to the place where Arthur was
encamped, and the pages were pitching his tent by the
roadside. "Lord," said Geraint, "all hail unto thee."
"
Heaven prosper thee ; and who art thou ? " said Arthur.
"It is Geraint," said Gwalchmai, "and of his own free
will would he not come to meet thee."
"
Verily," said
Arthur, "he is bereft of his reason." Then came Enid,
and saluted Arthur. "Heaven protect thee," said he.
And thereupon he caused one of the pages to take her
" what
from her horse. " Alas Enid," said Arthur,
!
"
expedition is this ? "I know
not, Lord," said she,
"
save that it behoves me
to journey by the same road
" "
that he journeys." My
Lord," said Geraint, with thy
" "
permission we will depart." Whither wilt thou go ?
"
said Arthur. Thou canst not proceed now, unless it
be unto thy death." " He
will not suffer himself to be
" But
invited by me," said Gwalchmai. by me he will,"
"
said Arthur ; and, moreover, he does not go from here
until he is healed."
" I had
rather, Lord," said Geraint,
" " That will I
that thou wouldest let me go forth." not,
I declare to Heaven," said he. Then he caused a maiden
to be sent for to conduct Enid to the tent where Gwen-
hwyvar's chamber was. And Gwenhwyvar and all her
women were joyful at her coming; and they took off
her riding-dress, and placed other garments upon her.
Arthur also called Kadyrieith, and ordered him to pitch
a tent for Geraint and the physicians ; and he enjoined
him to provide him with abundance of all that might
be requisite for him. And Kadyrieith did as he had
commanded him. And Morgan Tud and his disciples
were brought to Geraint.
And Arthur and his hosts remained there nearly a
month, whilst Geraint was being healed. And when he
256 The Mabinogion
was fully recovered, Geraint came to Arthur, and asked
"
his permission to depart. I know not if thou art quite
" In " I shall
well." truth I am, Lord," said Geraint.
not believe thee concerning that, but the physicians that
were with thee." So Arthur caused the physicians to be
summoned to him, and asked them if it were true. " It
is true, Lord/' said Morgan Tud. So the next day Arthur
permitted him to go forth, and he pursued his journey.
And on the same day Arthur removed thence. And
Geraint desired Enid to go on, and to keep before him,
as she had formerly done. And she went forward along
the high road. And as they journeyed thus, they heard
an exceeding loud wailing near to them. "Stay thou
"
here," said he, and I will go and see what is the cause
of this wailing." "I will," said she. Then he went
forward unto an open glade that was near the road. And
in the glade he saw two horses, one having a man's saddle,
and the other a woman's saddle upon it. And, behold,
there was a knight lying dead in his armour, and a young
damsel in a riding-dress standing over him, lamenting.
"Ah! Lady," said Geraint, "what hath befallen thee?"
" " I
Behold," she answered, journeyed here with my
beloved husband, when, lo three giants came upon us,
!
and without any cause in the world, they slew him."

"
Which way went they hence ? " said Geraint. " Yonder
by the high road," she replied. So he returned to Enid.
" "
Go," said he, to the lady that is below yonder, and
await me there till I come." She was sad when he
ordered her to do thus, but nevertheless she went to the
damsel, whom it was ruth to hear, and she felt certain
that Geraint would never return. Meanwhile Geraint
followed the giants, and overtook them. And each of
them was greater of stature than three other men, and a
huge club was on the shoulder of each. Then he rushed
upon one of them, and thrust his lance through his body.
And having drawn it forth again, he pierced another of
them through likewise. But the third turned upon him,
and struck him with his club, so that he split his shield,
and crushed his shoulder, and opened his wounds anew,
and all his blood began to flow from him. But Geraint
drew his sword, and attacked the giant, and gave him a
blow on the crown of his head so severe, and fierce, and
violent, that his head and his neck were split down to his
shoulders, and he fell dead. So Geraint left him thus,
and returned to Enid. And when he saw her, he fell
down lifeless from his horse. Piercing, and loud, and
thrilling was the cry that Enid uttered. And she came
and stood over him where he had fallen. And at the
sound of her cries came the Earl of Limours, and the
host that journeyed with him, whom her lamentations
brought out of their road. And the Earl said to Enid,
"Alas, Lady, what hath befallen thee?" "Ah! good
" the
Sir," said she, only man I have loved, or ever shall
love, is slain." Then he said to the other, "And what is
the cause of thy grief?" "They have slain my beloved
husband also," said she. "And who was it that slew
them ? " " Some giants," she answered, " slew my best-
beloved, and the other knight went in pursuit of them,
and came back in the state thou seest, his blood flowing
excessively ; but it appears to me that he did not leave
the giants without killing some of them, if not all." The
Earl caused the knight that was dead to be buried, but
he thought that there still remained some life in Geraint ;
and to see if he yet would live, he had him carried with
him in the hollow of his shield, and upon a bier. And
the two damsels went to the Court; and when they
arrived there, Geraint was placed upon a litter-couch in
front of the table that was in the hall. Then they all
took off their travelling gear, and the Earl besought Enid
to do the same, and to clothe herself in other garments.
"I will not, by Heaven," said she. "Ah! Lady," said
he,
"
be not so sorrowful for this matter." " It were hard
to persuade me to be otherwise," said she.
" I will act
towards thee in such wise, that thou needest not be
sorrowful, whether yonder knight live or die. Behold, a
good Earldom, together with myself, will I bestow on
thee ; be, therefore, happy and joyful." " I
declare to
Heaven," said she, "that henceforth I shall never be
" "
joyful while I live." Come, then," said he, and eat"
" "
No, by Heaven, I will not," she answered But, by
K
258 The Mabinogion
Heaven, thou shalt," said he. So he took her with him
to the table against her will, and many times desired her
to eat. "I call Heaven to witness," said she, "that I
will man that is upon yonder bier shall
not eat until the
eat likewise." "Thou canst not fulfil that," said the
" " I will
Earl, yonder man is dead already." prove that
I can," said she. Then he offered her a goblet of liquor.
"
Drink he said, " and it will cause thee to
this goblet,"
change thy mind." "Evil betide me," she answered, "if

I drink aught until he drink also."
"
Truly," said the
Earl, "it is of no more avail for me to be gentle with
thee than ungentle." And he gave her a box on the ear.
Thereupon she raised a loud and piercing shriek, and
her lamentations were much greater than they had been
before, for she considered in her mind that had Geraint
been alive, he durst not have struck her thus. But,
behold, at the sound of her cry, Geraint revived from his
swoon, and he sat up on the bier, and finding his sword
in the hollow of his shield, he rushed to the place where
the Earl was, and struck him a fiercely-wounding, severely-
venomous, and sternly-smiting blow upon the crown of
his head, so that he clove him in twain, until his sword
was stayed by the table. Then all left the board, and
fled away. And this was not so much through fear of
the living as through the dread they at seeing the
felt
dead man rise up to slay them. And
Geraint looked
upon Enid, and he was grieved for
two causes ; one was,
to see that Enid had lost her colour and her wonted
aspect, and the other, to know that she was in the right.
" " "
Lady," said he, knowest thou where our horses are ?
" I "
know, Lord, where thy horse is," she replied, but I
know not where is the other. Thy horse is in the house
yonder." So he went to the house, and brought forth his
horse, and mounted him, and took up Enid from the
ground, and placed her upon the horse with him. And
he rode forward. And their road lay between two hedges.
And the night was gaining on the day. And lo they !
saw behind them the shafts of spears betwixt them and

the sky, and they heard the trampling of horses, and the
"
noise of a host approaching. I hear something follow-
"
ing us," said he, and I will put thee on the other side of
the hedge." And thus he did. And thereupon, behold,
a knight pricked towards him, and couched his lance.
When Enid saw this, she cried out, saying, " Oh chief-
!
tain, whoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by

.slaying a dead man ?
" "
Oh Heaven," said he, " is it
!
" " " And who art

Geraint ? Yes, in truth," said she.
thou ?
"
"I am the Little King," he answered, " coming
to thy assistance, for I heard that thou wast in trouble.
And if thou hadst followed my advice, none of these
hardships would have befallen thee/' "Nothing can
happen," said Geraint, "without the will of Heaven,
"
though much good results from counsel." Yes," said
"
the Little King, and I know good counsel for thee now.
Come with me to the court of a son-in-law of my sister,
which is near here, and thou shalt have the best medical
" I will do so
assistance in the kingdom." gladly," said
Geraint. And Enid was placed upon the horse of one of
the Little King's squires, and they went forward to the
Baron's palace. And they were received there with glad-
ness, and they met with hospitality and attention. And
the next morning they went to seek physicians; and it
was not long before they came, and they attended Geraint
until he was perfectly well. And while Geraint was under
medical care, the Little King caused his armour to be
repaired, until it was as good as it had ever been. And
they remained there a fortnight and a month.
Then the Little King said to Geraint, "Now will we
go towards my own Court, to take rest, and amuse our-
"
selves." Not so," said Geraint, " we will first journey
for one day more, and return again." "With all my
heart," said the Little King, "do thou go then." And
early in the day they set forth. And more gladly and
more joyfully did Enid journey with them that day than
she had ever done. And they came to the main road.
And when they reached a place where the road divided
in two, they beheld a man on foot coming towards them
along one of these roads, and Gwiffert asked the man
whence he came. " I come," said he, " from an errand
in the country." "Tell me," said Geraint, "which is the
260 The Mabinogion
best for me to follow of these two roads?" "That is
the best for thee to follow," answered he, " for if thou
goest by this one, thou wilt never return. Below us,"
said he, "there is a hedge of mist, and within it are
enchanted games, and no one who has gone there has
ever returned. And the Court of the Earl Owain is
there, and he permits no one to go to lodge in the town,
" I
except he will go to his Court" declare to Heaven,"
said Geraint, " that we will take the lower road." And
they went along it until they came to the town. And
they took the fairest and pleasantest place in the town
for their lodging. And while they were thus, behold, a
"
young man came to them, and greeted them. Heaven
be propitious to thee," said they. " Good Sirs," said he,
" what " "
preparations are you making here ? We are
our "
taking up lodging," said they, to pass the night."
" It is not the custom with him who
owns the town," he
answered, "to permit any of gentle birth, unless they
come to stay in his Court, to abide here; therefore,
come ye to the Court." "We will come, gladly," said
Geraint. And they went with the page, and they were
joyfully received. And the Earl came to the hall to
meet them, and he commanded the tables to be laid.
And they washed, and sat down. And this is the order
in which they sat : Geraint on one side of the Earl, and
Enid on the other side, and next to Enid the Little
King, and then the Countess next to Geraint; and
all after that as became their rank. Then Geraint
recollected the games, and thought that he should not
go to them ; and on that account he did not eat. Then
the Earl looked upon Geraint, and considered, and he
bethought him that his not eating was because of the
games, and it grieved him that he had ever established
those games, were it only on account of losing such a
youth as Geraint. And if Geraint had asked him to
abolish the games, he would gladly have done so. Then
the Earl said to Geraint, "What thought occupies thy
mind, that thou dost not eat ? If thou hesitatest about
going to the games, thou shalt not go, and no other of
" Heaven reward
thy rank shall ever go either." thee,"
" wish nothing better than to go to
said Geraint, but I
"
the games, and to be shown the way thither." If that
is what thou dost prefer, thou shalt obtain it willingly."
" Then they ate, and
I do prefer it, indeed," said he.
they were amply served, and they had a variety of gifts,

and abundance of liquor. And when they had finished
eating they arose. And Geraint called for his horse and
his armour, and he accoutred both himself and his horse.
And all the hosts went forth until they came to the side
of the hedge, and the hedge was so lofty, that it reached
as high as they could see in the air, and upon every
stake in the hedge, except two, there was the head of a
man, and the number of stakes throughout the hedge
was very great. Then said the Little King, " May no
one go in with the chieftain ? " " No one may," said
Earl Owain. "Which way can I enter?" inquired
" I know " but enter
Geraint. not," said Owain, by the
way that thou wilt, and that seemeth easiest to thee."
Then fearlessly and unhesitatingly Geraint dashed
forward into the mist. And on leaving the mist, he
came to a large orchard; and in the orchard he saw
an open space, wherein was a tent of red satin ; and the
door of the tent was open, and an apple-tree stood in
front of the door of the tent ; and on a branch of the
apple-tree hung a huge hunting-horn. Then he dis-
mounted, and went into the tent ; and there was no one
in the tent save one maiden sitting in a golden chair,
and another chair was opposite to her, empty. And
Geraint went to the empty chair, and sat down therein.
"
Ah chieftain," said the maiden, " I would not
!
counsel thee to sit in that chair." " Wherefore ?

"
said
Geraint. "The man to whom that chair belongs has
never suffered another to "I
sit in it." care not," said
Geraint, "though it
displease him that I sit in the
chair." And thereupon they heard a mighty tumult
around the tent. And Geraint looked to see what was
the cause of the tumult. And he beheld without a
knight mounted upon a warhorse, proudly snorting, high-
mettled, and large of bone ; and a robe of honour in two
parts was upon him and upon his horse, and beneath it
262 The Mabinogion
was plenty of armour. " Tell me, chieftain," said he to
" who it was that bade thee sit there ? " "
Geraint, My-
"
self," answered he. It was wrong of thee to do me
this shame and disgrace. Arise, and do me satisfaction
for thine insolence." Then Geraint arose; and they
encountered immediately; and they broke a set of
lances, and a second set, and a third; and they gave
each other fierce and frequent strokes ; and at last
Geraint became enraged, and he urged on his horse, and
rushed upon him, and gave him a thrust on the centre
of his shield, so that it was split, and so that the head of
his lance went through his armour, and his girths were
broken, and he himself was borne headlong to the
ground the length of Geraint's lance and arm, over his
" " "
horse's crupper. Oh, my Lord ! said he, thy mercy,
and thou shalt have what thou wilt." " I only desire,"
" that this
said Geraint, game shall no longer exist here,
nor the hedge of mist, nor magic, nor enchantment."
" Thou shalt have this "
gladly, Lord," he replied. Cause,
then, the mist to disappear from this place," said Geraint.
" Sound "
yonder horn," said he, and when thou soundest
it, the mist will vanish ; but it will not go hence unless
the horn be blown by the knight by whom I am
vanquished." And sad and sorrowful was Enid where
she remained, through anxiety concerning Geraint.
Then Geraint went and sounded the horn. And at the
first blast he gave, the mist vanished. And all the hosts
came together, and they all became reconciled to each
other. And the Earl invited Geraint and the Little
King to stay with him that night. And the next morn-
ing they separated. And Geraint went towards his own
dominions; and thenceforth he reigned prosperously,
and his warlike fame and splendour lasted with renown
and honour both to him and to Enid from that time
forth.
Taliesin 263
TALIESIN
IN times past there lived in Penllyn a man of gentle
lineage, named Tegid Voel, and his dwelling was in the
midst of the lake Tegid, and his wife was called Caridwen.
And there was bora to him of his wife a son named
Morvran ab Tegid, and also a daughter named Creirwy,
the fairest maiden in the world was she ; and they had a
brother, the most ill-favoured man in the world, Avagddu.
Now Caridwen his mother thought that he was not
likely to be admitted among men of noble birth, by
reason of his ugliness, unless he had some exalted merits
or knowledge. For it was in the beginning of Arthur's
time and of the Round Table.
So she resolved, according to the arts of the books of
the Fferyllt, to boil a cauldron of Inspiration and Science
for her son, that his reception might be honourable
because of his knowledge of the mysteries of the future
state of the world.
Then she began to boil the cauldron, which from the
beginning of its boiling might not cease to boil for a
year and a day, until three blessed drops were obtained
of the grace of Inspiration.
And she put Gwion Bach the son of Gwreang of
Llanfair in Caereinion, in Powys, to stir the cauldron,
and a blind man named Morda to kindle the fire beneath
it, and she charged them that they should not suffer it to
cease boiling for the space of a year and a day. And

she herself, according to the books of the astronomers,
and in planetary hours, gathered every day of all charm-
bearing herbs. And one day, towards the end of the
year, as Caridwen was culling plants and making incant-
ations, itchanced that three drops of the charmed
liquor flew out of the cauldron and fell upon the finger
of Gwion Bach. And by reason of their great heat he
put his finger to his mouth, and the instant he put those
marvel-working drops into his mouth, he foresaw every-
thing that was to come, and perceived that his chief care
264 The Mabinogion
must be to guard against the wiles of Caridwen, for vast
was her skill. And in very great fear he fled towards
his own land. And the cauldron burst in two, because
all the liquor within it except the three charm-bearing
drops was poisonous, so that the horses of Gwyddno

Garanhir were poisoned by the water of the stream into
which the liquor of the cauldron ran, and the confluence
of that stream was called the Poison of the Horses of
Gwyddno from that time forth.
Thereupon came in Caridwen and saw all the toil of
the whole year lost. And she seized a billet of wood
and struck the blind Morda on the head until one of his
eyes fell out upon his cheek. And he said, " Wrongfully
hast thou disfigured me, for I am innocent. Thy loss
was not because of me." " Thou speakest truth," said
"
Caridwen, it was Gwion Bach who robbed me."
And she went forth after him, running. And he saw
her, and changed himself into a hare and fled. But she
changed herself into a greyhound and turned him. And
he ran towards a river, and became a fish. And she in
the form of an otter-bitch chased him under the water,
until he was fain to turn himself into a bird of the air.
She, as a hawk, followed him and gave him no rest in
the sky. And just as she was about to stoop upon him,
and he was in fear of death, he espied a heap of winnowed
wheat on the floor of a barn, and he dropped among the
wheat, and turned himself into one of the grains. Then
she transformed herself into a high-crested black hen,
and went to the wheat and scratched it with her feet,
and found him out and swallowed him. And, as the
story says, she bore him nine months, and when she was
delivered of him, she could not find it in her heart to
kill him, by reason of his beauty. So she wrapped him
in a leathern bag, and cast him into the sea to the mercy
of God, on the twenty- ninth day of April.
And at that time the weir of Gwyddno was on the
strand between Dyvi and Aberystwyth, near to his own
castle,and the value of an hundred pounds was taken in
that weir every May eve. And in those days Gwyddno
had an only son named Elphin, the most hapless of
Taliesin 265
youths, and the most needy. And it grieved his father
sore, for he thought that he was born in an evil hour.
And by the advice of his council, his father had granted
him the drawing of the weir that year, to see if good luck
would ever befall him, and to give him something where-
with to begin the world.
And the next day when Elphin went to look, there
was nothing in the weir. But as he turned back he
perceived the leathern bag upon a pole of the weir.
Then said one of the weir-ward unto Elphin, "Thou
wast never unlucky until to-night, and now thou hast
destroyed the virtues of the weir, which always yielded
the value of an hundred pounds every May eve, and to-
night there is nothing but this leathern skin within it/'
"How now," said Elphin, "there may be therein the
value of an hundred pounds." Well, they took up the
leathern bag, and he who opened it saw the forehead of
the boy, and said to Elphin, "Behold a radiant brow!" 1
"
Taliesin be he called," said Elphin. And he lifted the
boy in his arms, and lamenting his mischance, he placed
him sorrowfully behind him. And he made his horse
amble gently, that before had been trotting, and he carried
him as softly as if he had been sitting in the easiest chair
in the world. And presently the boy made a Conso-
lation and praise to Elphin, and foretold honour to
Elphin ; and the Consolation was as you may see:
" Fair to lament
Elphin, cease !
Let no one be dissatisfied with his own,

To despair will bring no advantage.
No man sees what supports him ;
The prayer of Cynllo will not be in vain ;
God will not violate his promise.

Never Gwyddno's weir
in
Was there such good luck as this night
Fair Elphin, dry thy cheeks !
Being too sad will not avail.

Although thou thinkest thou hast no gam,
Too much grief will bring thee no good ;
Nor doubt the miracles of the Almighty :
Although I am but little, I am highly gifted.
1
Taliesin.
266 The Mabinogion
From seas, and from mountains,
And from the depths of rivers,
God brings wealth to the fortunate man.
Elphin of lively qualities,
Thy resolution is unmanly ;
Thou must not be over sorrowful :
Better to trust in God than to forbode ill.
Weak and small as I am,
On the foaming beach of the ocean,
In the day of trouble I shall be
Of more service to thee than three hundred salmon.
Elphin of notable qualities,
Be not displeased at thy misfortune ;
Although reclined thus weak in my bag,
There lies a virtue in my tongue.
While I continue thy protector
Thou hast not much to fear ;
Remembering the names of the Trinity,
None shall be able to harm thee."
And this was the first poem that Taliesin ever sang,
being to console Elphin in his grief for that the produce
of the weir was lost, and, what was worse, that all the
world would consider that it was through his fault and
ill-luck. And then Gwyddno Garanhir 1 asked him what
he was, whether man or spirit. Whereupon he sang this
tale, and said :
*'
First, Ihave been formed a comely person,
In the court of Caridwen I have done penance ;
Though little I was seen, placidly received,

Iwas great on the floor of the place to where I was led ;
I have been a prized defence, the sweet muse the cause,

And by law without speech I have been liberated
By a smiling black old hag, when irritated
Dreadful her claim when pursued :
I have fled with vigour, I have fled as a frog,

I have fled in the semblance of a crow, scarcely finding rest ;
I have fled vehemently, I have fled as a chain,
I have fled as a roe into an entangled thicket ;
I have fled as a wolf cub, I have fled as a wolf in a wilderness,

I have fled as a thrush of portending language ;
I have fled as a fox, used to concurrent bounds of quirks ;
I have fled as a martin, which did not avail ;
I have fled as a squirrel, that vainly hides,
1
The mention of Gwyddno Garanhir instead of Elphin ab Gwydd-
no in this place is evidently an error of some transcriber of the MS.
Taliesin 267
I have fled as a stag's antler, of ruddy course,
I have fled as iron in a glowing fire,
I have fled as a spear-head, of woe to such as has a wish for it ;
I have fled as a fierce bull bitterly fighting,

I have fled as a bristly boar seen in a ravine,
I have fled as a white grain of pure wheat,
On the skirt of a hempen sheet entangled,
That seemed of the size of a mare's foal,
That is filling like a ship on the waters ;
Into a dark leathern bag I was thrown,
And on a boundless sea I was sent adrift ;
Which was to me an omen of being tenderly nursed,
And the Lord God then set me at liberty."
Then came Elphin to the house or court of Gwyddno
his father,and Taliesin with him. And Gwyddno asked
him if he had had a good haul at the weir, and he told
him that he had got that which was better than fish.
" What was " "
that ? said Gwyddno. A Bard," answered
Then "
Elphin. said Gwyddno, Alas, what will he profit
"
thee ? And Taliesin himself replied and said, " He will
profit him more than the weir ever profited thee." Asked
" "
Gwyddno, Art thou able to speak, and thou so little ?
And Taliesin answered him, " I am better able to speak
than thou to question me." "Let me hear what thou
canst say," quoth Gwyddno. Then Taliesin sang:
" In water there is a
quality endowed with a blessing j
On God it is most just to meditate aright ;
To God proper to supplicate with seriousness,
it is
Since no obstacle can there be to obtain a reward from him.

Three times have I been born, I know by meditation ;
It were miserable for a person not to come and obtain
All the sciences of the world, collected together in my breast,
For I know what has been, what in future will occur.
I will supplicate my Lord that I get
refuge in him,
A regard I may obtain in his grace ;
The Son of Mary is my trust, great in him is my delight,
For in him is the world continually upholden.
God has been to instruct me and to raise my expectation,
The
For
And
*****
true Creator of heaven, who affords me protection
It is rightly intended that the saints should daily pray,
God, the renovator, will bring them to him."
forthwith Elphin gave his haul to his wife, and

she nursed him tenderly and lovingly. Thenceforward
;
268 The Mabinogion
Elphin increased in riches more and more day after day,
and in love and favour with the king, and there abode
Taliesin until he was thirteen years old, when Elphin son
of Gwyddno went by a Christmas invitation to his uncle,
Maelgwn Gwynedd, who some time after this held open
court at Christmastide in the castle of Dyganwy, for all the
number of his lords of both degrees, both spiritual and
temporal, with a vast and thronged host of knights and
squires. And amongst them there arose a discourse and
discussion. And thus was it said.
"Is there in the whole world a king so great as
Maelgwn, or one on whom Heaven has bestowed so
many gifts as upon him?
spiritual First, form, and
beauty, and meekness, and strength, besides all the
"
powers of the soul ! And together with these they said
that Heaven had given one gift that exceeded all the
others,which was the beauty, and comeliness, and grace,
and wisdom, and modesty of his queen; whose virtues
surpassed those of all the ladies and noble maidens
throughout the whole kingdom. And with this they put
questions one to another amongst themselves Who had :
braver men ? Who had fairer or swifter horses or grey-

hounds? Who had more skilful or wiser bards than
Maelgwn ?
Now at that time the bards were in great favour with
the exalted of the kingdom ; and then none performed
the office of those who are now called heralds, unless
they were learned men, not only expert in the service of
kings and princes, but studious and well versed in the
lineage, and arms, and exploits of princes and kings,
and in discussions concerning foreign kingdoms, and the
ancient things of this kingdom, and chiefly in the annals
of the first nobles ; and also were prepared always with
their answers in various languages, Latin, French, Welsh,
and English. And together with this they were great
chroniclers, and recorders, and skilful in framing verses,
and ready in making englyns in every one of those lan-
guages. Nowof these there were at that feast within the
palace of Maelgwn as many as four-and-twenty, and chief
of them all was one named Heinin Vardd.
Taliesin 269
When they had all made an end of thus praising the
king and his gifts, it befell that Elphin spoke in this wise.
11
Of a truth none but a king may vie with a king ;
but
were he not a king, I would say that my wife was as
virtuous as any lady in the kingdom, and also that I have
a bard who is more skilful than all the king's bards." In
a short space some of his fellows showed the king all
the boastings of Elphin; and the king ordered him to
be thrown into a strong prison, until he might know the
truth as to the virtues of his wife, and the wisdom of his
bard.
Now when Elphin had been put in a tower of the
castle,with a thick chain about his feet (it is said that it
was a silver chain, because he was of royal blood), the
king, as the story relates, sent his son Rhun to inquire
into the demeanour of Elphin's wife. Now Rhun was
the most graceless man in the world, and there was
neither wife nor maiden with whom he had held con-
verse, but was evil spoken of. While Rhun went in
haste towards Elphin's dwelling, being fully minded to
bring disgrace upon his wife, Taliesin told his mistress
how that the king had placed his master in durance in
prison, and how that Rhun was coming in haste to strive
to bring disgrace upon her. Wherefore he caused his
mistress to array one of the maids of her kitchen in her
apparel; which the noble lady gladly did; and she loaded
her hands with the best rings that she and her husband
possessed.
In this guise Taliesin caused his mistress to put the
maiden to sit at the board in her room at supper,
and he
made her to seem and the mistress to
as her mistress,
seem as the maid. And when they were in due time
seated at their supper in the manner that has been said,
Rhun suddenly arrived at Elphin's dwelling, and was
received with joy, for all the servants knew him plainly ;
and they brought him in haste to the room of their
mistress, in the semblance of whom the maid rose up
from supper and welcomed him gladly. And afterwards
she sat down to supper again the second time, and Rhun
with her. Then Rhun began jesting with the maid, who
270 The Mabinogion
stillkept the semblance of her mistress. And verily this
story shows that the maiden became so intoxicated, that
she fell asleep ; and the story relates that it was a powder
that Rhun put into the drink, that made her sleep so
soundly that she never felt it when he cut from off her
hand her little finger, whereupon was the signet ring of
Elphin, which he had sent to his wife as a token, a short
time before. And Rhun returned to the king with the
finger and the ring as a proof, to show that he had cut it
from off her hand, without her awaking from her sleep of
intemperance.
The king rejoiced greatly at these tidings, and he sent
for his councillors, to whom he told the whole story from
the beginning. And he caused Elphin to be brought out
of his prison, and he chided him because of his boast.
And he spake unto Elphin on this wise. " Elphin, be it
known to thee beyond a doubt that it is but folly for a
man to trust in the virtues of his wife further than he can
see her ; and that thou mayest be certain of thy wife's
vileness, behold her finger, with thy signet ring upon it,
which was cut from her hand last night, while she slept
the sleep of intoxication." Then thus spake Elphin.
"
With thy leave, mighty king, I cannot deny my ring,
for it is known of many ; but verily I assert strongly that
the finger around which it is, was never attached to the
hand of my wife, for in truth and certainty there are
three notable things pertaining to it, none of which ever
belonged to any of my wife's fingers. The first of the
three is, that certain, by your grace's leave, that
it is
wheresoever wife is at this present hour, whether

my
sitting, or standing, or lying down, this ring would never
remain upon her thumb, whereas you can plainly see
that it was hard to draw it over the joint of the little
finger of the hand whence this was cut ; the second thing
is,that my wife has never let pass one Saturday since I
have known her without paring her nails before going to
bed, and you can see fully that the nail of this little
finger has not been pared for a month. The third is,
truly, that the hand whence this finger came was kneading
rye dough within three days before the finger was cut
Taliesin 271
therefrom, and I can assure your goodness that my wife
has never kneaded rye dough since my wife she has
been."
Then the king was mightily wroth with Elphin for so
stoutly withstanding him, respecting the goodness of his
wife, wherefore he ordered him to his prison a second
time, saying that he should not be loosed thence until he
had proved the truth of his boast, as well concerning
the wisdom of his bard as the virtues of his wife.
In the meantime his wife and Taliesin remained joyful
at Elphin's dwelling. And Taliesin showed his mistress
how that Elphin was in prison because of them, but he
bade her be glad, for that he would go to Maelgwn's
court to free his master. Then she asked him in what
manner he would set him free. And he answered her :
" A journey will I perform,

And to the gate I will come ;
The hall I will enter,

And my song I will sing ;
My speech I will pronounce

To silence royal bards,
In presence of their chief,
I will greet to deride,
Upon them I will break
And Elphin I will free.
Should contention arise,
In presence of the prince,
With summons to the bards,
For the sweet flowing song,
And wizards' posing lore
And wisdom of Druids,
In the court of the sons of the Distributor
Some are who did appear
Intent on wily schemes,
By craft and tricking means,
In pangs of affliction
To wrong the innocent,
Let the fools be silent,
As erst in Badon's fight,
With Arthur of liberal ones
The head, with long red blades ;
Through feats of testy men,

And a chief with his foes.
Woe be to them, the fools,
When revenge comes on them.
272 The Mabinogion
I Taliesin, chief of bards,
With a sapient Druid's words,
WiH set kind Elphin free
From haughty tyrant's bonds.
To their fell and chilling cry,
By the act of a surprising steed,
From the far distant North,
There soon shall be an end.
Let neither grace nor health
Be to Maelgwn Gwynedd,
For this forceand this wrong ;
And be extremes of ills

And an avenged end
To Rhun and all his race :
Short be his course of life,

Be all his lands laid waste ;
And long exile be assigned
"
To Maelgwn Gwynedd !
After this he took leave of his mistress, and came at

last to the Court of Maelgwn, who was going to sit in his
hall and dine in his royal state, as it was the custom in
those days for kings and princes to do at every chief
feast. And as soon as Taliesin entered the hall, he
placed himself in a quiet corner, near the place where
the bards and the minstrels were wont to come in doing
their service and duty to the king, as is the custom at the
high festivals when the bounty is proclaimed. And so,
when the bards and the heralds came to cry largess, and
to proclaim the power of the king and his strength, at the
moment that they passed by the corner wherein he was
crouching, Taliesin pouted out his lips after them, and
"
played Blerwm, blerwm," with his finger upon his lips.
Neither took they much notice of him as they went by,
but proceeded forward till they came before the king, unto
whom they made their obeisance with their bodies, as
they were wont, without speaking a single word, but
pouting out their lips, and making mouths at the king,
"
playing Blerwm, blerwm," upon their lips with their
fingers, as they had seen the boy do elsewhere. This
sight caused the king to wonder and to deem within him-
self that they were drunk with many liquors. Wherefore
he commanded one of his lords, who served at the board,
to go to them and desire them to collect their wits, and.
Taliesin 273
to consider where they stood, and what it was fitting for
them to do. And this lord did so gladly. But they
ceased not from their folly any more than before. Where-
upon he sent to them a second time, and a third, desiring
them to go forth from the hall. At the last the king
ordered one of his squires to give a blow to the chief of
them named Heinin Vardd ; and the squire took a
broom and struck him on the head, so that he fell back
in his seat. Then he arose and went on his knees, and
besought leave of the king's grace to show that this their
fault was not through want of knowledge, neither through
drunkenness, but by the influence of some spirit that was
in the hall. And after this Heinin spoke on this wise.
"
Oh, honourable king, be it known to your grace, that
not from the strength of drink, or of too much liquor,
are we dumb, without power of speech like drunken men,
but through the influence of a spirit that sits in the
corner yonder in the form of a child." Forthwith the king
commanded the squire to fetch him ; and he went to the
nook where Taliesin sat, and brought him before the
king, who asked him what he was, and whence he came^
And he answered the king in verse.
" am
Primary chief bard I to Elphin,
And my original country is the region of the summer stars ;
Idno and Heinin called me Merddin,

At length every king will call me Taliesin.
I was with my Lord

in the highest sphere,
On the of Lucifer into the depth of hell
fall
I have borne a banner before Alexander ;
I know the names of the stars from north to south ;
I have been on the galaxy at the throne of the Distributor ;
I was in Canaan when Absalom was slain ;
I conveyed the Divine Spirit to the level of the vale of Hebron ?

I was in the court of Don before the birth of Gwdion.
I was instructor to Eli and Enoc ;
I have been winged by the genius of the splendid crosier ;
I have been loquacious prior to being gifted with speech ;
I was at the place of the crucifixion of the merciful Son of God;
I have been three periods in the prison of Arianrod ;
I have been the chief director of the work of the tower 01
Nina rod;
I am a wonder whose origin is not known.
274 The Mabinogion
I have been in Asia with Noah in the ark,
I have seen the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra ;
I have been in India when Roma was built,

I am now come here to the remnant of Troia.
I have been with my Lord in the manger of the ass :
Istrengthened Moses through the water of Jordan ;
I
"
have been in the firmament with Mary Magdalene ;
have obtained the muse from the cauldron of Caridwen ;

have been bard of the harp to Lleon of Lochlin.
have been on the White Hill, in the court of Cynvelyn,
~
tor a day and a year in stocks and fetters,
have suffered hunger for the Son of the Virgin,
have been fostered in the land of the Deity,
have been teacher to all intelligences,
am able to instruct the whole universe.
shall be until the day of doom on the face of the earth ;
And it is not known whether my body is flesh or fish.
Then I was for nine months

In the womb of the hag Caridwen ;
I was originally little Gwion,
And at length I am Taliesin."
And when the king and his nobles had heard the song,
they wondered much, for they had never heard the like
from a boy so young as he. And when the king knew
that he was the bard of Elphin, he bade Heinin, his first
and wisest bard, to answer Taliesin and to strive with
him. But when he came, he could do no other but play
" blerwm " on his
lips ; and when he sent for the others
of the four-and-twenty bards they all did likewise, and
could do no other. And Maelgwn asked the boy
Taliesin what was his errand, and he answered him
in song.
"
Puny bards, I am trying
To secure the prize, if I can ;
By a gentle prophetic strain

I am
endeavouring to retrieve
The loss I may have suffered j
Complete the attempt I hope,
Since Elphin endures trouble
In the fortress of Teganwy,
On him may there not be laid
Too many chains and fetters ;
Taliesin 275
The Chair of the fortress of Teganwy
Will I again seek ;
Strengthened by my muse I am powerful ;
Mighty on my part is what I seek,
For three hundred songs and more
Are combined in the spell I sing.
There ought not to stand where I am
Neither stone, neither ring ;
And there ought not to be about me

Any bard who may not know
That Elphin the son of Gwyddno
Is in the land of Artro,
Secured by thirteen locks,
For praising his instructor ;
And then I Taliesin,

Chief of the bards of the west,
Shall loosen Elphin
Out of a golden fetter."
* * *
" If you be primary bards
To the master of sciences,
Declare ye mysteries
That relate to the inhabitants of the world ;
There is a noxious creature,
From the rampart of Satanas,
Which has overcome all
Between the deep and the shallow ;
Equally wide are his jaws

As the mountains of the Alps j
Him death will not subdue,
Nor hand or blades ;
There the load of nine hundred
is
wagons
In the hair of his two paws ;
There is in his head an eye
Green as the limpid sheet of icicle ;
Three springs arise

In the nape of his neck ;
Sea-roughs thereon
Swim through it ;
There was the dissolution of the oxen
Of Deivrdonwy the water-gifted.
The names of the three springs
From the midst of the ocean ;
One generated brine

Which is from the Corina,
To replenish the flood
Over seas disappearing ;
The second, without injury
It will fall on us,
276 The Mabinogion
When there is rain abroad,
Through the whelming sky ;
The third will appear
Through the mountain veins,
Like a flinty banquet,
The work of the King of kings,
You are blundering bards,
In too much solicitude ;
You cannot celebrate

The kingdom of the Britons ;
And I am Taliesin,
Chief of the bards of the west,
'
Be silent,
*****
Who will loosen Elphin
Out of the golden fetter."
then, ye unlucky rhyming bards,

For you cannot judge between truth and falsehood.
If you be primary bards formed by heaven,
Tell your king what his fate will be.
It is I who am a diviner and a leading bard,
And know every passage in the country of your king ;
I shall liberate Elphin from the belly of the stony tower ;
And will tell your king what will befall him.
A most strange creature will come from the sea marsh of Rhianedd
As a punishment of iniquity on Maelgwn Gwynedd ;
His hair, his teeth, and his eyes being as gold,
And this will bring destruction upon Maelgwn Gwynedd."
* * * *
" Discover thou what is
The strong creature from before the flood,
Without flesh, without bone,
Without vein, without blood,
Without head, without feet,
It will neither be older nor younger
Than at the beginning ;
For fear of a denial,
There are no rude wants
With creatures.
Great God ! how the sea whitens
When first it comes !
Great are its gusts

When it comes from the south j
Great are its evaporations
When it strikes on coasts.
It is in the field, it is in the wood,
Without hand, and without foot,
Without signs of old age,
Though it be co-aeval
With the five ages or periods
Taliesin 277
And older still,
Though they be numberless years.

It is also so wide
As the surface of the earth ;
And it was not born,
Nor was it seen.
It will cause consternation
Wherever God willeth.
On sea, and on land,
It neither sees, nor is seen.
Its course is devious,
And will not come when desired ;
On land and on sea,

It is indispensable.
It is without an equal,
It is four-sided ;
It is not confined,
It is incomparable ;
It comes from four quarters ;
It will not be advised,
It will not be without advice.
It commences its journey
Above the marble rock,
It is sonorous, it is dumb,
It is mild,
It is strong, it is bold,
When it
glances over the land,
It is silent, it is vocal,
It is
clamorous,
It is the most noisy
On the face of the earth.
It is good, it is bad,
It is extremely injurious.
It is concealed,
Because sight cannot perceive it
It is noxious, it is beneficial
;
It is yonder, it is here ;
It will discompose,
But will not repair the injury ;
It will not suffer for its doings,
Seeing it is blameless.
It iswet, it is dry,
It frequently comes,
Proceeding from the heat of the sun,

And the coldness of the moon.
The moon is less beneficial,
Inasmuch as her heat is less.
One Being has prepared it,
Out of all creatures,
278 The Mabinogion
By a tremendous blast,
To wreak vengeance
On Maelgwn Gwynedd."
And while he was thus singing his verse near the door,
there arose a mighty storm of wind, so that the king and
all his nobles thought that the castle would fall on their
heads. And the king caused them to fetch Elphin in
haste from his dungeon, and placed him before Taliesin.
And it is said, that immediately he sang a verse, so that
the chains opened from about his feet.
' '
I adore the Supreme, Lord of all animation,
Him that supports the heavens, Ruler of every extreme,
Him that made the water good for all,
Him who has bestowed each gift, and blesses it ;
May abundance of mead be given Maelgwn of Anglesey,

who supplies us,
From his foaming meadhorns, with the choicest pure liquor.
Since bees collect, and do not enjoy,
We have sparkling distilled mead, which is universally praised.
The multitude of creatures which the earth nourishes
God made for man, with a view to enrich him ;
Some are violent, some are mute, he enjoys them,
Some are wild, some are tame ; the Lord makes them ;
Part of their produce becomes clothing ;
For food and beverage till doom will they continue.
I entreat the Supreme, Sovereign of the region of peace,
To liberate Elphin from banishment,
The man who gave me wine, and ale, and mead,
With large princely steeds, of beautiful appearance ;
May he yet give me and at the end,
;
May God of his good will grant me, in honour,

A succession of numberless ages, in the retreat of tranquillity.
"
Elphin, knight of mead, late be thy dissolution !
And afterwards he sang the ode which "

is called The
Excellence of the Bards."
'
What was the first man
Made by the God of heaven ;
What the fairest flattering speech

That was prepared by leuav ;
What meat, what drink,

What roof his shelter ;
Taliesin 279
What the first impression
Of his primary thinking ;
What became his clothing ;
Who carried on a disguise,

Owing to the wilds of the country,
In the beginning ?
Wherefore should a stone be hard ;
Why should a thorn be sharp-pointed ?

Who is hard like a flint j
Who is salt like brine ;
Who sweet like honey ;
Who rides on the gale ;
Why ridged should be the nose ;
Why should a wheel be round ;
Why should the tongue be gifted with speech

Rather than another member?
If thy bards, Heinin, be competent,
Let them reply to me, Taliesin."
And after that he sang the address which is called

"The Reproof of the Bards."
" If thou art a bard completely imbued

With genius not to be controlled,
Be thou not untractable
Within the court of thy king ;
Until thy rigmarole shall be known,
Be thou silent, Heinin,
As to the name of thy verse,
And the name of thy vaunting ;
And as to the name of thy grandsire
Prior to his being baptized.
And the name of the sphere,
And the name of the element,
And the name of thy language,
And the name of thy region.
Avaunt, ye bards above,
Avaunt, ye bards below !
My beloved is below,
In the fetter of Ariansod
It is certain you know not
How to understand the song I utter,
Nor clearly how to discriminate
Between the truth and what is false ;
Puny bards, crows of the district,
Why do you not take to flight?
A bard that will not silence me,
Silence may he not obtain,
280 The Mabinogion
Till he goes to be covered
Under gravel and pebbles ;
Such as shall listen to me,
May God listen to him."
Then sang he the piece called "The Spite of the

Bards."
"
Minstrels persevere in their false custom,
Immoral ditties are their delight ;
Vain and tasteless praise they recite ;
Falsehood at all times do they utter ;
The innocent persons they ridicule ;
Married women they destroy,

Innocent virgins of Mary they corrupt ;
As they pass their lives in vanity,
away
Poor innocent persons they ridicule ;
At night they get drunk, they sleep the day ;

In idleness without work they feed themselves ;
The Church they hate, and the tavern they frequent ;
With thieves and perjured fellows they associate ;
At courts they inquire after feasts ;
Every senseless word they bring forward ;
Every deadly sin they praise ;
Every vile course of life they lead ;

Through every village, town, and country they stroll ;
Concerning the gripe of death they think not ;

Neither lodging nor charity do they give ;
Indulging in victuals to excess.
Psalms or prayers they do not use,
Tithes or offerings to God they do not pay.
On holidays or Sundays they do not worship ;
Vigils or festivals they do not heed.

The birds do fly, the fish do swim,
The bees collect honey, worms do crawl,
Every thing travails to obtain its food,
Except minstrels and lazy useless thieves.
I deride neither song nor minstrelsy,

For they are given by God to lighten thought ;
But him who abuses them,
For blaspheming Jesus and his service."
Taliesin having set his master free from prison, and

having protected the innocence of his wife, and silenced
the Bards, so that not one of them dared to say a word,
now brought Elphin's wife before them, and showed that
Taliesin 281
she had not one finger wanting. Right glad was Elphin,
right glad was Taliesin.
Then he bade Elphin wager the king, that he had a
horse both better and swifter than the king's horses.
And this Elphin did, and the day, and the time, and the
place were fixed, and the place was that which at this day
is called Morva Rhiannedd and thither the king went
:
with all his people, and four-and-twenty of the swiftest

horses he possessed. And after a long process the course
was marked, and the horses were placed for running.
Then came Taliesin with four-and-twenty twigs of holly,
which he had burnt black, and he caused the youth who
was to ride his master's horse to place them in his belt,
and he gave him orders to let all the king's horses get
before him, and as he should overtake one horse after the
other, to take one of the twigs and strike the horse with
it over the
crupper, and then let that twig fall ; and after
that to take another twig, and do in like manner to every
one of the horses, as he should overtake them, enjoining
the horseman strictly to watch when his own horse should
stumble, and to throw down his cap on the spot All
these things did the youth fulfil, giving a blow to every
one of the king's horses, and throwing down his cap on
the spot where his horse stumbled. And to this spot
Taliesin brought his master after his horse had won the
race. And he caused Elphin to put workmen to dig a
hole there; and when they had dug the ground deep
enough, they found a large cauldron full of gold And
then said Taliesin, " Elphin, behold a payment and
reward unto thee, for having taken me out of the weir,
and for having reared me from that time until now."
And on this spot stands a pool of water, which is to this
time called Pwllbair.
After all this, the king caused Taliesin to be brought
before him, and he asked him to recite concerning the
creation of man from the beginning ; and thereupon he
made the poem which is now called " One of the Four
Pillars of Song."
11
The Almighty made,
Down the Hebron vale,
282 The Mabinogion
With his plastic hands,
Adam's fair form :
And five hundred years,

Void of any help,
There he remained and lay
Without a soul.
He again did form,

In calm paradise,
From a left-side rib,
Bliss-throbbing Eve.
Seven hours they were

The orchard keeping,
TillSatan brought strife,
With wiles from hell.
Thence were they driven.

Cold and shivering,
To gain their living,
Into this world.
To bring forth with pain

Their sons and daughters,
To have possession
Of Asia's land.
Twice five, ten and eight,

She was self- bearing,
The mixed burden
Of man-woman.
And once, not hidden,

She brought forth Abel,
And Cain the forlorn,
The homicide.
To him and his mate

Was given a spade,
To break up the soil,
Thus to get bread.
The wheat pure and white,,

Summer tilth to sow,
Every man to feed,
Till great yule feast.
Taliesin 283
An angelic hand
From the high Father,
Brought seed for growing
That Eve might sow ;
But she then did hide

Of the gift a tenth,
And all did not sow
Of what was dug.
Black rye then was found,

And not pure wheat grain,
To show the mischief
Thus of thieving.
For this thievish act,

It is requisite,
That all menshould pay
Tithe unto God.
Of the ruddy wine,

Planted on sunny days,
And on new-moon nights ;
And the white wine.
The wheat rich in grain

And red flowing wine
Christ's pure body make,
Son of Alpha.
The wafer is flesh,

The wine is spilt blood,
The Trinity's words
Sanctify them.
The concealed books

From Emmanuel's hand
Were brought by Raphael
As Adam's gift,
When in his old age,

To his chin immersed
In Jordan's water,
Keeping a fast,
Moses did obtain
In ordan's water,
The aid of the three
Most special rods.
284 The Mabinogioo
Solomon did obtain
In Babel's tower,
Ail the sciences
In Asia land.
So did I obtain,
In mybardic books,
All the sciences
Of Europe and Africa.
Their course, their bearing.

Their permitted way,
And their fate I know,
Unto the end.
Oh what misery,
!
Through extreme of woe,,

Prophecy will show
On Troia's race !
A coiling serpent
Proud and merciless,
On her golden wings,
From Germany.
She will overrun

England and Scotland,
From Lychlyn sea-shore
To the Severn.
Then will the Brython

Be as prisoners,
By strangers swayed,
From Saxony.
Their Lord they will praise,

Their speech they will keep,
Their land they will lose,
Except wild Walk.
Till some change shall come.

After long penance,
When equally rife
The two crimes come.
Britons then shall have

Their land and their crown,,
And the stranger swarm
Shall disappear.
Taliesin 285
All the angel's words,
As to peace and war,
Will be fulfilled
To Britain's race."
He further told the king various prophecies of things

that should be in the world, in songs, as follows.
NOTES
PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED.
PWYLL Page 13.
NEARLY the whole of the Mabinogi of Pwyll Pendevig Dyved has

already been printed with a translation in the Cambrian Register,
and the story has also appeared in Jones's Welsh Bards.
Who Pwyll (whose name literally signifies Prudence) really was,
appears to be a matter of uncertainty, but in some of the pedigrees
of Gwynvardd Dyved, Prince of Dyved, he is said to be the son of
Argoel, or Aircol Law Hir, son of Pyr y Dwyrain.
1
Mr. Davies,
" Rites and
in the Mythology of the Druids," states that he was the
son of Meirig, son of Aircol, son of Pyr, which is rather confirmed
by some other MS. pedigrees.
In Taliesin's Preiddeu Annwn, he is mentioned, with his son
Pryderi, in such a manner as to lead to the inference that he
flourished not later than the age of Arthur. The opening lines of
that remarkable composition are given in the
Myyyrian Archaiology,
I. p. 45. It must be allowed that their exact interpretation is by
no means easy to discover, but the following version is from the
pen of a distinguished Welsh scholar. The allusions, it should be
observed, are very old and very obscure.
" Adorable
potentate, sovereign ruler !
Who hast extended thy dominion over the boundaries of

the world !
Arranged was the prison of Gwair in Caer Sidi

By the ministration of Pwyll and Pryderi.
None before him ever entered it.
The heavy blue chain the faithful one keeps.
And on account of the herds of Annwn I am afflicted ;
And till doom shall my bardic prayer continue.
Three times the loading of Prydwen we went there,
Besides seven none returned from Caer Sidi."
In subsequent parts of the poem Arthur is spoken of as having

himself taken a share in the various expeditions which it records.
The ship Prydwen is well known as one of his treasures. See
p. 308. Gwair's captivity, which one of the Triads places in the
Castle of Oeth and Annoeth, is adverted to on p. 406.
1 Aircol Law Hir is recorded, in the Liber Landavensis, to havt been the son
of Tryfun and contemporary with St. Teiliaw, who flourished in the sixth century.
We nod the grave of Aircol spoken of as being in Dyved. Myv. Arch. I. p. 8.
287
288 Notes
DYVED. Page 13.
happens, and is a cause of great confusion in comparing

It often
ancient story with modern topography, that the old names are
retained while the boundaries of the territory which they indicated
are changed. Not unfrequently the names of petty Celtic kingdoms
were applied to modern counties. This is the case with the name
now before us. Dyved, the country inhabited by the Dimetse of the
Romans, is now generally considered to apply only to the county of
Pembroke. It once included also the counties of Carmarthen and
Cardigan, forming, in fact, the western, while Gwent formed the
astern division of South Wales.
There appears, however, to have been an exception to this general
division, a portion ofCardigan having been once exclusively termed
Ceredigiawn, and one-third part of Carmarthenshire having been
included in the District of Rheged, called subsequently "Cantrev
1
Bychan and Kidwelly." Lewis Dwnn, in the reign of Elizabeth,
thus describes the ancient boundaries of Dyved, as he understood
them to have been :
"The kingdom of Dyved formerly extended between the rivers

Teivy and Towy, from Llyn Teivy and the source of the Towy to
St. David's, and the centre of this kingdom was the Dark-Gate, in
Carmarthen, and there is at this day a record of these boundaries in
an old parchment book of the Bishop of St. David's."
According to this Dyved would appear to have comprehended
about a sixth part of Cardiganshire, two-thirds of the county of
Carmarthen, and the whole county of Pembroke.
It is evident, however, that at the time the Mabinogi of Pwyll
was committed to writing, Dyved was restricted to the Cantrevs (or
Hundreds) of Arberth (or Narberth), Dau Gleddyv, y Coed, Penvro,
Rhos, Pebidiog, and Cenmaes, to which we are told that Pryderi
added the three Cantrevs of Ystrad Tywi, or Carmarthenshire,
Cantrev Bychan, Cantrev Mawr, and Cantrev Eginawg, together
with the four Cantrevs of Ceredigiawn, Cantrev Emlyn, Cantrev Caer
Wedws, Cantrev Mabwyniawn, and Cantrev Gwarthav, which seven
Cantrevs were classed together under the appellation of Seissyllwch. 1
1 " Heraldic Visitation of
Wales," published by the Welsh MSS. Society, under
the care of Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick.
* Seissyllwch was one of the ancient kingdoms of South Wales, and must not
be confounded with Essyllwe (the Welsh word for the country of the Silures), as
it has sometimes been. In the life of St. Paternus (preserved among the Cotton
MSS.) it is said that the whole of South Wales was divided into three kingdoms,
the same forming three bishoprics. Of these, the kingdom of Seissyl received
its consecration from St. Paternus, Bishop of Llanbadani Vawr, as the other two,
those of Rein and Morgant. did from St. David and St. Eliu [TeiliawJ. The
latter kingdom, Glamorgan, having derived its appellation from Morgan, a sove-
reign of the tenth century, it is probable that the name of Seissyllwch is of the
some date, and also that it may be derived from Seissyll or Sitsyllt, the father of
Llewelyn ab Sitsyllt, Prince of North Wales. The name of Seissyllwch occurs
in the Triads, where we are told that Cynan Meriadawc led the warriors of that
district to the assistance of Maxen Wledig. Triad 14.
Notes 289
The addition made by Pryderi probably restored Dyved to its original
extent at the time of the Romans.
GLYN CDCH. Page 13.

Cuch, or, as it is generally written, Cych, is the boundary stream
between the counties of Pembroke and Carmarthen, and falls into
the Teivy between Cenarth and Llechryd. In the upper part of
Glyn Cuch (the valley of the Cuch) was the residence of Cadivor
Vawr, a regulus or petty king of Dyved, who died in 1088, and was
called lord of Blaen Cuch and Cilsant. From him many of the
principal families of Pembrokeshire trace their descent.
ARAWN, KING OF ANNWVYN. Page 14.

This personage is the King of Annwn, noticed (see p. 324)
as having fought against Amaethon mab Don, in the battle of
Cad Goddeu. But it is doubtful whether he can be identified either
with the Arawn ab Cynvarch, whom the Triads celebrate as one of
the three Knights of Counsel, 1 or with the Aron mab Dewinvin,
whose grave is alluded to in the Englynion y Beddau. Myv. Arch.
I. p. 82.
ANNWVYN. Page 14.
Annwvyn, Annwn, is frequently rendered "Hell," though,

or
perhaps, "The Lower Regions" would more aptly express the
meaning which the name conveys.
The Dogs of Annwn are the subject of an ancient Welsh
superstition, which was once universally believed in throughout the
Principality, and which it would seem is not yet quite extinct. It
is said that they ai-e sometimes heard at night passing through the
air overhead, as if in full cry in pursuit of some object.
MOUND. Page 18.
The word in the original is Gorsedd, which signifies a tumulus or

mound, used as a seat of judicature, to which in its derivative sense
commonly applied.
it is
The mound called the Tyn-wald, stillremaining in the Isle of

Man, was long the place upon which the Deemsters of that Island
held their judicial assemblies.
RHIANNON. Page 21.
After the death of Pwyll, Rhiannon was, by her son Pryderi,

bestowed in marriage upon Manawyddan, the son of Llyr, and her
subsequent history is detailed in the Mabinogi that bears his name.
Her marvellous birds, whose notes were so sweet that warriors re-
mained spell-bound for eighty years together listening to them, are
a frequent theme with the poets.
" Three
things that are not often heard ; the song of the birds of
1 Triad bcxxvi.
L
290 Notes
Rhiannon, a song of wisdom from the mouth of a Saxon, and an
invitation to a feast from a miser." l
HEVEYDD HEN. Page 21.

According to the Triads, Heveydd Hn
(probably the same as
a
Hyvaidd Hir) was the son of Bleiddan Sant of Glamorgan, and
was one of the three stranger kings upon whom dominion was con-
ferred for their mighty deeds, and for their praiseworthy and gracious
qualities. But in some of the pedigrees he is called the son of
Caradawc Vreichvras. See Professor Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 103.
GWENT Is COED. Page 28.

One of the divisions of Gwent
the other two being Gwent Uch
;
Coed, and Gwent Coch yn y Dena, or the Forest of Dean. Gwent

was the name formerly applied to the eastern division of South
Wales. In its present restricted sense it is applied only to the county
of Monmouth.
GWRI GWALLT EURYN. Page 29.
Gwri Gwallt Euryn, styled at the close of the present tale Pryderi
(care or anxiety), is frequently alluded to by the Bards, who speak
of him under either name indiscriminately. In the Mabinogi of
Kilhwch and Olwen he appears under his earlier appellation ; per-
haps, however, Pryderi is that by which he is best known. He was
one of the chief swineherds of the island, and was so called be-
cause he kept the swine of Pendaran Dyved, in the Vale of Cuch
in Emlyn. One of the Triads says that the swine he tended were
those of Pwyll himself, and that he had the care of them during his
father'sabsence in Annwn. This version, however, does not cor-
respond with the circumstances as given in the text, which imply
that Pryderi's birth must have taken place long after Pwyll's
mysterious expedition.
Wefind the adventures of Pryderi's maturer years detailed in the
Mabinogi of Manawyddan, with whom his name is coupled in a
passage of the Kerdd am Veib Llyr, attributed to Taliesin.
In the tale of Math ab Mathonwy it is related that Pryderi was
deprived of life by Gwydion ab Don, who was enabled by magical
arts to overcome him in single combat, after having by similar means
defrauded him of some swine which had been sent him from Annwn,
and which he and his
people highly prized.
The encounter tookplace near Melenryd, a ford on the Cynvael,
a river of Merionethshire. The same authority places his grave at
Maen Tyriawg, near Ffestiniog, but a different locality is assigned
to it in the Englynion Beddau.
" In is the grave of Pryderi,
Abergenoli
Where the waves beat against the shore."
1 Trioedd y Cybydd, The Miser's Triads. Myv. Arch. III. p. 245.
8 Written in other versions of the Triads, Bleiddig in Deheubarth.
Notes 291
Dyved was called by Lewis Glyn Cothi "Gwlad Pryderi," and
by Davydd ab Gwilym "Pryderi dir," and sometimes "Gwlad yr
Hud," or the Land of Enchantment.
PENDARAN DYVED. Page 31.
We learn from the Triads, that the foster-father of Pryderi was
the chief of one of the principal Welsh tribes that which extended
;
1
over Dyved, (in Glamorgan), and Cardigan.
Gower
Beyond this, and the fact that of his possessing an immense herd
of swine, which his foster-son Pryderi kept for him in the Vale of
Cuch, but few particulars of Pendaran Dyved are extant
BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR.

BENDIGEID VRAN. Page 33.
BRAN the son of Llyr Llediaith, and sovereign of Britain, derives,
according to the Welsh authorities, his title of Bendigeid, or the
Blessed, from the circumstance of his having introduced Christianity
into this Island. They tell us that he was the father of the cele-
brated Caradawc (Caractacus), whose captivity he is said to have
shared ; and proceed to state that having embraced the Christian
faith, during his seven years' detention in Rome, he returned to his
native country, and caused the Gospel to be preached there. 8 The
following Triad recites these events.
"The three blissful Rulers of the Island of Britain, Bran the
Blessed, the son of Llyr Llediaith, who first brought the faith of
Christ to the nation of the Cymry from Rome, where he was seven
years a hostage for his son Caradawc, whom the Romans made
prisoner through the craft, and deceit, and treachery of Aregwedd
Fdeddawg [usually supposed to be Cartismandua]. The second was
Lleurig ab Coel ab Cyllyn Sant, who was called Lleufer Mawr, [the
great Light], and built the ancient church at Llandaff, which was
the first in Britain, and who gave the privileges of land, and of
kindred, and of social rights, and of society to such as were of the
faith of Christ. The third was Cadwaladyr the Blessed, who gave
refuge, with his lands, and with all his goods, to the believers who
fled from the Saxons without faith, and from the aliens who would
"
have slain them. Tr. 35.
The benefit which Bran thus conferred upon his country procured
for his family the distinction of being accounted one of the three Holy
Tribes ; the families of Cunedda Wledig and Brychan Brycheiniog
were the other two.
All this, however, it may be observed, is much at variance with the
I Triad 16.
-
For an account of Bendigeid Vran, see Professor Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 77.
292 Notes
particulars of Caradawc's captivity, and of his family, recorded by
classical writers.
Bran is ranked with Prydain ab Aedd Mawr, and Dyvnwal Moel-
mud as one of the three Kings who gave stability to sovereignty by
the excellence of their system of government. Tr. 36.
Various ancient Welsh documents allude to the incidents recorded
of Bran in the Mabinogi of Branwen. Thus in the curious poem
entitled Kerdd am Veib Llyr ab Brychwel Powys, attributed to
Taliesin, are the following lines,
I was with Bran in Ireland,

1
I saw when Morddwyd Tyllon was slain.
And there is a Triad upon the story of his head being buried
under the White Tower of London, with the face towards France,
intended as a charm against foreign invasion. Arthur, it appears,
proudly disinterred the head, preferring to hold the Island by his
own strength alone, and this is recorded as one of the fatal disclosures
of Britain.
" The three Closures and Disclosures of the Island First the
;
head of Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr, which Owain the son of Maxen

Wledig buried under the White Tower in London, and while it was
so placed no invasion could be made upon this Island ; the second
was the bones of Gwrthevyr the Blessed [Vortimer], which were
buried in the chief harbour of the Island, and while they remained
there hidden all invasions were ineffectual. The third was the
dragons buried by Lludd ab Beli, in the city of Pharaon, in the
rocks of Snowdon. And the three closures were made under the
blessing of God and his attributes, and evil befel from the time of
their disclosure. Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu [Vortigern], disclosed the
dragons to revenge the displeasure of the Cymry against him, and
he invited the Saxons in the guise of men of defence to fight against
the Gwyddyl Ffychti ; and after this he disclosed the bones of
Gwrthevyr the Blessed, through love of Ronwen [Rowena], the
daughter of the Saxon Hengist. And Arthur disclosed the head of
Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr because he chose not to hold the Island
except by his own strength. And after the three disclosures came
the chief invasions upon the race of the Cymry." Tr. 53.
The name of Bran is of frequent occurrence in the poems of
Cynddelw, and other bards of the middle ages.
HARLECH. Page 369.

Most of the which occur in the Tale of Branwen are too
localities
well known to need any description one or two, however, require
;
a slight notice. Of Harlech, it may be remarked that it is also

called Twr Bronwen, or Branwen's Tower. The name of Caer
Collwyn was also bestowed upon it after Collwyn ab Tangno, chief
of one of the fifteen Noble Tribes of North Wales. It possesses the
1
Myv. Arch. I. p. 66.
Notes 293
ruins of a fine castle.Harlech stands on the sea coast, on the con-
fines of Ardudwy, one of the six districts of Merionethshire, of which
the portion called Dyffryn Ardudwy is a remnant of the Cantrev y
Gwaelod, inundated in the time of Gwyddno Garanhir.
Edeyrnion, mentioned a little further on in the story, is also
situated in Merionethshire.
Talebolion is a Commot in Anglesey.
Aberffraw, likewise in Anglesey, was the residence of the princes

of Gwynedd from the time of Roderick the Great, in 843, to that of
the last Llywelyn, in 1282.
EUROSSWYDD. Page 33.
Eurosswydd beyond doubt the Roman general Ostorius, the

is
captor of Llyr Llediaith, and his family, including Bran and

Caradawc (Caractacus).
He is mentioned as such in Triad L. See p. 405.
BELI THE SON OF MANOGAN. Page 33.
Beli,surnamed the Great, was king over Britain forty years, and
was succeeded in the sovereignty by his sons, Lludd and Caswallawn,
better known as Cassivelaunus. In the Armes attributed to Taliesin,
Beli is thus addressed :
'*
Greatly do I honour thee
Victorious Beli,
Son of Manogan the king.
Do thou preserve the glory
Of the Honey Island 1 of Beli."
BRAN WEN. Page 34.
The beautiful Branwen(orBronwen, the "white-bosomed," as

she is more frequently called),is one of the most popular heroines
of Welsh romance. No less celebrated for her woes than for her
charms, we find that her eventful story was a favourite theme with
the bards and poets of her nation. Numerous instances might be
adduced of the allusions to her, which their compositions contain ;
suffice it to refer to the words of Davydd ab Gwilym, who, in one
of his odes addressed to Morvudd, compares her hue to that of
Bronwen, the daughter of Llyr.
The indignities to which Branwen was subjected in Ireland are
referred to in one of the Triads (49).
In 1813, a grave containing a funeral urn was discovered on the
banks of the river Alaw, in Anglesey, in a spot called Ynys Bronwen.
The appearance of the grave, and its remarkable locality, led to the
"
inference that it might indeed be the Bedd Petrual," the four-sided
1 An ancient name for Britain.
294 Notes
place of burial, in which, according to the text, her sorrowing com-
panions deposited the remains of the unfortunate heroine of the
Mabinogion. The following account of its discovery was communi-
cated, in 1821, to the Cambro-Briton (and printed in that publica-
tion, II. p. 71), by Sir R. C. Hoare, on the authority of Richard
Fenton, Esq., of Fishguard.
"An Account of the Discovery, in 1813, of an Urn, in which,
there is every reason to suppose, the ashes of Bronwen (White
Bosom), the daughter of Llyr, and aunt to the great Caractacus,
were deposited.
" A
farmer, living on the banks of the Alaw, a river in the Isle of
Anglesea, having occasion for stones, to make some addition to his
farm-buildings, and having observed a stone or two peeping through
the turf of a circular elevation on a flat not far from the river, was
induced to examine it, where, after paring off the turf, he came to a
considerable heap of stones, or carnedd, covered with earth, which
he removed with some degree of caution, and got to a cist formed of
coarse flags canted and covered over. On removing the lid, he
found it contained an urn placed with its mouth downwards, full of
ashes and half-calcined fragments of bone. The report of this dis-
covery soon went abroad, and came to the ears of the parson of the
parish, and another neighbouring clergyman, both fond of, and con-
versant in, Welsh antiquities, who were immediately reminded of a
passage in one of the early Welsh romances, called the Mabinogion
(or juvenile tales), the same that is quoted in Dr. Davies's Latin and
Welsh Dictionary, as well as in Richards's, under the word Petrual
(square).
" Bedd
petrual a wnaed i Fronwen ferch Lyr ar Ian Alaw, ac yno
*
y claddwyd hi.'
"A
square grave was made for Bronwen, the daughter of Llyr,
on the banks of the Alaw, and there she was buried.
"
Happening to be in Anglesea soon after this discovery, I could
not resist the temptation of paying a visit to so memorable a spot,
though separated from it by a distance of eighteen miles. I found
it,in all local respects, exactly as described to me by the clergyman
above mentioned, and as characterised by the cited passage from
the romance. The tumulus, raised over the venerable deposit, was
of considerable circuit, elegantly rounded, but low, about a dozen
1
paces from the river Alaw. The Urn was preserved entire, with an
exception of a small bit out of its lip, was ill-baked, very rude and
simple, having no other ornament than little pricked dots, in height
from about a foot to fourteen inches.
" When I saw the
urn, the ashes and half-calcined bones were in
it."
Branwen appears to be the Brangwaine or Brangian of romance,
though the character of the Welsh heroine, and the part she sustains,
differ widely from those attributed to the confidante of Tristan and
1 " This
spot is still called Ynys Bronwen, or the Islet of Bronwen, which is
a remarkable confirmation of the genuineness of this discovery."
Notes 295
Yseult la Belle. In like manner Matholwch the Irishman also
seems identical with Morholt the stern king of Ireland of the
Trouveres. See the Romances of Meliadus of Leonnoys, Tristan, &c,
THE ISLAND OF THE MIGHTY. Page 34.
Ynys y Kedyrn, the Island of the Mighty, is one of the many

names bestowed upon Britain by the Welsh. A Triad, in which
several more of these ancient appellations are preserved, asserts that
while yet uninhabited the Island was called Clas Merddin, but that
after its colonization it bore the name of Vel Ynys, which was again
changed in compliment to its conquest by Brut, into Ynys Prydain,
or the Island of Brut. The same Triad states that some authorities
attribute the more modern designation to its conquest by Prydain
son of Aedd the Great. Myv. Arch. II. p. I.
AN ATONEMENT FOR THE INSULT. Page 36.

The compensation here offered to Matholwch, is strictly in accord-
ance, except as regards the size of the silver rod, with what was
required by the Laws of Hywel Dda, where the fine for insult to a
" hundred cows on account of
king is fixed at a every cantrev in the
kingdom, and a silver rod with three knobs at the top, that shall
reach from the ground to the king's face, when he sits in his chair
and as thick as his ring-finger ; and a golden bason, which shall
hold fully as much as the king drinks, of the thickness of a husband-
man's nail, who shall have followed husbandry for seven years, and
a golden cover, as broad as the king's face, equally thick as the
bason." In another MS. the payment, instead of being only partly
' '
in gold, is said to have been entirely in that metal ; thus a golden
rod as long as himself, of the thickness of his little finger, and a
golden tablet, as broad as his face, and as thick as a husbandman's
nail."
THE CAULDRON. Page 37.

The powers exercised by this family through the influence of the
cauldron, bear a strong resemblance to those possessed by the
Tuatha de Danann, a race of necromancers, who once invaded
Ireland. This tribe, whilst sojourning in Asia, were at war with
the Syrians, and were enabled to triumph through the aid of magic,
as they had the art of resuscitating such of their number as fell in
fight by sending demons to animate their corpses, so that the
Syrians found to their dismay that those whom they had slain met
them in battle the next day as vigorous as ever. In this difficulty,
they had recourse to the advice of their priests, who told them to
drive a stake of mountain ash through the bodies of such as they
slew, and that, if they had
been animated by demons, they would
instantly turn into worms.This counsel was followed, and the
Tuatha de Danann were compelled to quit that country.
An ancient Irish poem contains a series of Triads respecting this
296 Notes
race which remind us of some passages in the Mabinogi of Kilhwch
and Olwen. See p. 106.
"Blackness, obscurity, and darkness were their three cup-bearers;
strength, robustness, and vigour, their three" horses indignation, ;
pursuit and swiftness, their three hounds, &c. See Bunting.
CARADAWC THE SON OF BRAN. Page 40.

This Prince, so well known under his Latinized name of Carac-
tacus, is chiefly remarkable for his captivity in Rome, which,
according to Welsh authorities, was shared by his father Bran,
his grandfather Llyr Llediaith, and all his near kinsfolk. There
are several Triads relating to this principal event of his life. 1 From
one of these it seems that he was chosen by his countrymen as their
general or War-king, to repel the incursions of the Romans, and
another corroborates this by styling him "One of the three Rulers
of choice," having been elected by the voice of the country and the
people, although he was not an elder. There is no doubt of his
having stood high in the esteem of his nation ; and we are told that
"the men of Britain, from the prince to the slave, became his
followers in their country's need against the progress of the foe and
of destruction. And wheresoever he went in war, all the men of
the Island went in* his train, and none desired to remain at home." 2
Caradawc is also extolled as one of those brave princes, who, by
reason of their valour, could never be overcome save by treachery ;
and the treason by which he was cast int the hands of his enemies
is very frequently alluded to. Avarwy ab Lludd ab Beli, and his
daughter Aregwedd Foeddawg, were the traitors, and are mentioned
in terms of disgust and execration.
'
One of the praiseworthy op-
'
posers," is another of the titles bestowed upon Caradawc, because

he resisted the invasion of the Caesarians.
WHITE MOUNT IN LONDON. Page 45.

Under the name of the Gwynvryn, or White Mount of the text,
allusion is most probably intended to the Tower of London, in
which the Welsh, who always regarded the capital as a city of their
own foundation, appear to have felt a peculiar interest.
Llywarch ab Llewelyn (Prydydd y Moch), a poet of the twelfth
and early part of the thirteenth century, speaks of it as " The White
"
eminence of London, a place of splendid fame Myv. Arch. I.
p. 280.
The keep of the Metropolitan fortress of England has in turn been
attributed to Celts, Romans, Saxons, and Normans ; now, however,
the " Towers of Julius are assigned,
"
upon irrefragable evidence, to
the early Norman period.
2 In this Triad
(41) he is called one of the exalted servants, and is distinguished
ax the son of a Bard.
Notes 297
CASWALLAWN. Page 45.
Caswallawn the son of Beli, known more generally by the name
of Cassivelaunus, bestowed on him by the Romans, is a celebrated
character in Welsh history. He is recorded as one of the chiefs
chosen to oppose the invasion of Caesar, and was styled one of the
War-kings of Britain. Tr. 24.
It is related that Caswallawn led an army of sixty-one thousand
men against Julius Caesar. The charms of Flur, the daughter of
Mygnach Gorr, are said to have been the cause of this incursion.
She had been carried off by Mwrchan, a Gaulish prince, in alliance
with Caesar, to whom he intended to present his prize. The expe-
dition which Caswallawn headed was successful ; six thousand of
the partisans of Caesar were slain, and Flur was recovered. Some
of the circumstances of this exploit acquired for Caswallawn the
"
designation of "One of the Three Gold- Shoemakers (the other
two being Manawyddan mab Llyr, and Llew Llaw Gyffes, as will
be detailed hereafter), and the whole achievement occasioned him
to be ranked among the three faithful lovers of Britain.
The army of Caswallawn did not return with their leader, whence
it is called one of the three Enr grant hosts of Britain.
1
Meinlas was the name of Caswallawn's horse. Trioedd y

Meirch ii.
FIVE DIVISIONS OF IRELAND. Page 47.

Before the invasion of the Anglo-Normans, in Henry II. 's time,
Ireland was divided into a pentarchy composed of the kingdoms of
Munster, Leinster, Connaught, Ulster, and Meath.
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR.

The Prince who figures as the hero of the present Mabinogi, is
the subject of two Triads, in one of which his singular adventures
are thus alluded to :
"Three Makers of Golden Shoes, of the Isle of Britain: Cas-

wallawn the son of Beli, when he went as far as Gascony to obtain
Flur, the daughter of Mygnach Gorr, who had been carried thither
to Caesar the Emperor, by one called Mwrchan the Thief,
king of
that country and friend of Julius Caesar, and Caswallawn
brought
her back to the Isle of Britain ; Manawyddan the son of Llyr
Llediaith, when he was as far as Dyved laying restrictions ; Llew
Llaw Gyffes, when he was along with Gwydion, the son of Don,
seeking a name and arms from Arianrod, his mother." Triad 124.
1 The above particulars with regard to Caswallawn are related in the Triads
14, TO2, 124, and xl.
298 Notes
In the other, he is represented as one of the humble princes of the
Island, because, having cultivated minstrelsy after the captivity of
his brother Bran, he would not afterwards resume his rank, although
he might have done so. Tr. 38.
Manawyddan is mentioned in the Dialogue between Arthur, Kai,
and Glewlwyd and his name occurs in connexion with that of
;
" Kerdd meib
Pryderi in the Poem on the Sons of Llyr,
1
Llyr,"
of Taliesin.
The other principal personages whose names appear in this Mabi-
nogi, are here passed over in silence, having been already made the
subjects of various preceding notes.
It may be useful to remind the reader that Lloegyr is the Welsh
name for the eastern and greater part of the island ; and corresponds
in modern usage with the word England. See p. 421.
MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY.

MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY. Page 61.
The fame of Mab ab Mathonwy's magic, in which he would seem

to have excelled all the enchanters of Welsh fiction (except, per-
haps, the mighty Merlin and his own pupil, Gwydion the son of
Don), is preserved in two separate Triads (xxxi. and xxxii.), where
he is styled a man of illusion and phantasy, and where one of the
chief enchantments of the Island is attributed to him.
Another version of the latter is given on page 423.
The mystical arts of Math appear to have descended to him from
his father, whose magic wand is celebrated by Taliesin, the Kerdd
Daronwy. It is there asserted that when this wand grows in the
wood, more luxuriant fruit will be seen on the banks of the Spectre
waters. 2
Taliesin also frequently speaks of the powers of Math himself.
See the Cadd Goddeu, Marwnad Aeddon o V6n, &c. 3
The Tale of Math ab Mathonwy has been already printed, with a
translation in the Cambrian Quarterly.
GOEWIN, DAUGHTER OF PEBIN. Page 61.
The this damsel in the Tale, is by

singular occupation assigned to
no means inconsistent with the ancient customs of Wales. By the
laws of Howel Dda, we learn that there was an officer at the king's
court, called "The Footholder," whose especial duty was such as
that title implies. The following particulars are given concerning
him.
2
1
Myv. Arch. I. 67, 167. Myv. Arch. I. p. 63.
8
Myv. Arch. I. p. 30, 70.
Notes 299
" The Footholder is to sit under the King's feet :
He is to eat from the same dish as the King.
He shall the candles before the King at his meal.
light
He shall have a dish of meat and liquor, though he is not to join
in the feast.
His land shall be free, and he shall receive a horse from the King
and shall have a share of the visitors' gift money."
CAER DATHYL. Page6i.

Caer Dathyl in Arvon (the present Caernarvonshire), where Math
is said to have held his court, and whence Gwydion set out on his
mischievous journey, has been already noticed. The remains of this
fortress are now called Pen y Gaer. They are situated on the
summit of a hill, about a mile distant from Llanbedr, in Caernar-
vonshire, midway between Llanrwst and Conway. It appears to
have been well defended by deep moats, which yet surround it.
Foundations of circular buildings may still be traced in its vicinity.
From this place Gwydion's route was in a southerly direction, and

he found Pryderi at a place called Rhuddlan Teivi (possibly Glan
Teivy, about a mile and a half from Cardigan Bridge), where we
are told that his palace then was. Returning with his prize, he
passed by Mochdrev (or Swine's Town), in Cardiganshire, to Elenid,
most likely an error of the transcriber's for Melenid, a mountain-
near Llanddewi Ystrad Enni, in Radnorshire, which gives its name
to the whole Cantrev. Thence, by the Mochdrev, between Keri
and Arwystli in Montgomeryshire, we find him entering the Corn-
mot of Mochnant (Swine's Brook), which is partly in Montgomery,
and partly in Denbighshire, and in which the town of Castell y Moch
(Swine's Castle) would seem to point out another allusion to the
singular companions of his hasty retreat. Gwydion stopped at a
third Mochdrev, in Denbighshire, now a village between Conway
and Abergele in the ancient Cantrev of Rhos, and rejoined his
prince at Caer Dathyl, after placing his booty in safety in the strong-
holds of Arllechwedd, a name applied formerly to two commots
(Upper and Lower) of Arvon, which are at this time cursorily called
Uchav and Isav.
The places between which Math the son of Mathonwy took his
stand, and awaited the approach of the injured Pryderi, may be
recognised as Maenor Penardd, near to Conway, and Maenor Alun,
now Coed Helen, near Caernarvon. Nant Call, to which the men
of the South were compelled to retreat, is a brook crossing the
Dolpenmaen and Caernarvon road, about nine miles from the latter
town. The course of the two armies may be easily traced from
Nant Call to the well-known locality of Dolpenmaen (in the ancient
Cantrev of Dunodig, now the hundred of Eivionydd) ; thence across
the Traeth Mawr to Melenryd, and at length along the picturesque
valley of Ffestiniog to Maen Twrog, where the expedition termin-
ated in the ignoble victory obtained by Math through the agency of
300 Notes
enchantment, and in the death of the gallant son of Pwyll. We are
here told that he was buried at Maen Twrawg ; the Beddau Milwyr,
however, as has already been mentioned, placed the grave of Pryderi
at Abergenoli, "where the wave beats against the shore."
GWYDION THE SON OF DON. Page 61.
Gwydion, as seen in Triad

85 (cited page 318), was one of
the three famous tribe-herdsmen of the Island, and tended the cattle
of Gwynedd Uch Conwy. He was also a great astronomer, and
as such was -classed with Gwynn ab Nudd, and Idris. 1 The Milky-
way is after him termed Caer Gwydion : similar honours indeed
appear to have been paid to the whole family of Don. Himself
gave his name to the constellation of Cassiopeia, in Welsh, Llys
Don, the Court of Don ; and Caer Arianrod, Corona Borealis, is so
called after his daughter Arianrod, one of the heroines of the present
Tale.
Gwydion was an enchanter, and, as has been already noticed,
learnt his magical arts from Math himself. As such he is repeatedly
alluded to in the poems of the Welsh, especially in those of Taliesin.
The remarkable instances of his powers of incantation, as displayed
in the present Tale, are thus related in the composition ascribed to
that Bard, entitled Kadeir Kerridwen.
"
Gwydion the son of Don, of toil severe,
Formed a woman out of flowers,
And brought the pigs from the South,
Though he had no pigstyes for them ;
The bold traveller out of plated twigs
Formed a cavalcade,
And perfect saddles." a
In another place (Cad Goddeu) Taliesin says of him,
" Minstrels have
sung,
Armies have admired,
The exalting of Britons,
Achieved by Gwydion." *
He appears in the double character of seer and poet, in the lines
(quoted, page 324) composed by him on the Cad Goddeu, or
Battle of the Trees; in which his brother Amaethon fought against
Arawn king of Annwn, about a white roebuck and a whelp, which
he had carried off from the realms of darkness. The party who
should guess the name of a particular person among his opponents in
this fight, was to be victor, and Gwydion, by his divinations, accom-
plished the required condition on behalf of Amaethon, in consequence
of which he prevailed.
Two of his other brothers, Govannon and Eunydd, are also cele-
brated by the Bards, and to the latter of them magic powers are
2
1 Tr. 89, sec. ii. p. 32?. Myv. Arch. I. p. 66.
*
Notes 301
especially assigned. See Marwnad Aeddon o Vdn. Myv. Arch.
I. p. 70.
The grave of Gwydion ab Don has not been left unrecorded ; it
was in Morva Dinllev, the scene of one of his adventures with
Llew Llaw Gyffes.
ARIANROD. Page 68.
The "Silver circled" daughter of Don was one of the three

beauteous ladies of the Island. Tr. 107.
It has already been noticed (page 300) that the Welsh name the
constellation of the Corona Borealis after her, Caer Arianrod.
Besides Dylan Eil Don and Llew Llaw Gyffes, we find that Gwen-
wynwyn and Gwanar were sons of Arianrod, by her alliance with
Lliaws ab Nwyvre. See Tr. 14.
DYLAN THE SON OF THE WAVE. Page 69.

This passage would appear to point at a Triad on the subject of
this "Trydydd anvad ergyd," but none is to be found among those
printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology.
In the Llyvyr Taliesin, preserved in the Hengwrt Collection,
there is a short composition attributed to Taliesin, entitled
" Marwnad
Dylan Ail Ton." It is printed in the Cambro- Briton,
I. 150.
THE CASTLE OF ARIANROD. Page 71.

The Rev.P. B. Williams, in his " Tourist's Guide through Caer-
narvonshire," speaking of Clynnogin that county, says "There is :
a tradition that an ancient British town, situated near this place,

called Caer Arianrhod, was swallowed up by the sea, the ruins of
which, it is said, are still visible during neap tides, and in fine
weather."
LLEW LLAW GYFFES. Page 72.

The
incident related in the tale of the journey of Llew Llaw Gyffes
(the Lion with the steady hand), with Gwydion mab Don, in the
disguise of a maker of gold-coloured shoes, to seek a name and arms
from his mother Arianrod, forms the subject of a Triad which has
1
already been quoted.
Llew Llaw Gyffes was one of the three crimson-stained ones of
the Island, than whom, however, Arthur was more conspicuous, for
where he had trod neither herb nor grass sprang up for the space
of a year. Tr. xxiv.
His grave is noticed in the Englynion y Beddau Milwyr Ynys
2
Prydain, as being protected by the sea.
Melyngan mangre, the horse of Llew Llaw Gyffes, was one of the
chief war-horses of the Island. 3
1 See p. 305. 2
* Tr.
Myy. Arch. I. p. 80.
Meirch. ii. ix.
302 Notes
DINLLEV. Page 72.
Dinas Dinlle is situated on the sea-shore, about three miles
southward from Caernarvon, in the parish of Llantwrawg, on the
confines of a large tract of land, called Morva Dinlleu. The remains
of the fortress consist of a large circular mount, well defended by
earthen ramparts and deep fosses.
BLODEUWKDD. Page 74.

The story of Blodeuwedd, the fair Flower-aspect, has ever been
popular with the poets. Taliesin's lines relating to her romantic
origin have been already given in the note upon Gwydion ab Don,
and Davydd ap Gwilym has a very pretty poem on the subject of her
transformation into an owl, where, after some preliminary questions
as to the cause of her singular and retired habits, the poet proceeds
to inquire her history and her name. The bird replies that formerly
by nobles at the banquet she was called Blodeuwedd, and she swears
by St. David that she is a daughter of a lord of Mona, equal in
dignity to Meirchion himself.
And she goes on to say that Gwydion, the son of Don, on the
Conway, transformed her with his magic wand from her state of
beauty to her present misery, because she once presumed to love
Goronwy, the tall and comely, the son of Perf Goronhir, lord of
Penllyn.
MUR Y CASTELL. Page 74.
Mur y on the confines of Ardudwy, also called Tomen y
Castell,
Mur, is about two miles south of the Cynvaei or Ffestiniog River,
and distant about three miles from the Llyn y Morwynion, or Lake
of the Maidens, in which the unfortunate damsels of Blodeuwedd
met their untimely fate.
TRIBE OF GORONWY PEBYR. Page 80.
A Triad (xxxv. ) recites the circumstance of the want of devotion

evinced by his tribe, as detailed in the text.
"The three disloyal Tribes of the Isle of Britain. The Tribe of
Goronwy Pebyr of Penllyn, who refused to stand instead of their
lord to receive the poisoned dart from Llew Llaw Gyffes, by Llech
Goronwy, at Blaen Cynvaei, in Ardudwy. And the Tribe of Gwrgi
and Peredur, who deserted their lords in Caer Greu, where there
was an appointment for battle next morning against Eda Glinmawr,
and they were both slain. And the third, the Tribe of Alan Vyrgan
who returned back by stealth from their lord, leaving him and his
servants going to Camlan, where he was slain."
Penllyn, of which Gronw was lord, is a commot on the borders of
Liyn Tegid, or Bala Lake.
Notes 303
MAXEN WLEDIG
Page 81.
Maximus, the Maxen of the present Tale, was invested by his army
with the Imperial purple in the year 383. He was of low birth,
and Spanish origin. He served much in Britain, in which Island he
commanded at the time of his elevation, and whence he proceeded
with his army into Gaul, to support his claim against the lawful
emperor Gratian.
It is said that he rendered part of Britain desolate by transporting
the inhabitants into Gaul, where they are supposed to have formed
the Breton immigration. He was put to death in the neighbourhood
of Aquileia, after having been defeated by Theodosius and Valentinian
the Younger, in 388. Gibbon, chap, xxvii.
Maximus is the subject of many Welsh legends. Part of his
history will be recognized as forming the basis of the exaggerated
fictions of the text.
As regards the other personages who figure in the present Tale, we
find that the two most conspicuous, Kynan (or Kynan Meriadawc,
as he is usually called), and his sister Helen Luyddawg, or Helen of
mighty hosts, were the children of Eudav. A Triad is preserved,
which goes at some length into the account of the expedition they
undertook for the purpose of supporting the claim of Maximus to
the Imperial throne. They raised an army of sixty thousand men
in Britain, and proceeded with it across the sea to Armorica,
A.D. 383. The desolation caused by this abstraction of its inha-
bitants from the Island is said to have been the remote cause of the
Saxon invasion. Tr. 14.
The history of Kynan is also preserved in a Legendary Life.
The Brut Gruffydd ab Arthur gives a different account of the
personages and events alluded to in this Mabinogi, but does not
advert to the dream, though it mentions St Ursula and the eleven
thousand virgins, who were sent from Britain as wives for the
emigrated hosts of Kynan Meriadawc, in Armorica. According to
Gruffydd, Helen Luyddawg was the only child of King Coel (the
founder of Colchester), and was bestowed in marriage, with the
dominions she inherited, upon the Roman Constans. Their son, the
celebrated Constantine, was called from his kingdom of Britain to
the Imperial throne, in place of Maximus the Cruel ; after his
departure, Eudav earl of Cornwall, rose up and wrested the govern-
ment of the Island from the hands of those princes to whom Constan-
tine had consigned it, and, in spite of the Roman forces sent against
him under Trahayarn, Helen s uncle, established himself on the
throne.
Eudav's reign extended to the time of the emperors Gratian
and Valentinian. His heir was an only daughter, whose name does
not appear, but whom, by advice of his nobles, he married to the
Roman senator, Maxen Wledig, who boasted British descent, being
304 Notes
the son of Helen's uncle Llewelyn. Maxen's marriage, and his suc-
cession to the sovereign power, were long and strenuously opposed
by Eudav's nephew, Kynan Meriadawc, who himself aspired to the
crown.
But peace having at length been concluded between them,
Kynan accompanied Maxen inan expedition which he undertook on
the continent, and was rewarded for his assistance with the kingdom
of Llydaw, or Armorica, in which Maxen left him to establish
himself, whilst he proceeded to contend for the nobler prize. But
having killed Valentinian, and driven Gratian from the empire,
Maxen himself was soon after slain at Rome ; whereupon the vast
hosts that had accompanied him from Britain dispersed, the chief
part of them seeking refuge in Armorica with Kynan Meriadawc.
Myv. Arch. II. pp. 205-225.
The same story is related by Nennius, who calls the emperor
Maximianus.
"The seventh emperor was Maximianus. He withdrew from
Britain with all its military force, slew Gratianus the king of the
Romans, and obtained the sovereignty of all Europe. Unwilling to

send back his warlike companions to their wives, families, and pos-
sessions in Britain, he conferred upon them numerous districts from
the lake on the summit of Mons lovis, to the city called Cant Guic,
and to the western Tumulus, that is Cruc Occident. These are the
Armoric Britons, and they remain there to the present day. In
consequence of their absence, Britain being overcome by foreign
nations, the lawful heirs were cast out, till God interposed with his
assistance."
The lake here mentioned is thought to be that near the hospice of

the great St. Bernard, and Cant Gwic is probably Cantavic, in
Picardy. It is more difficult to identify Cruc Occident, the western
Tumulus, but the author of the Hanes Cymru supposes it to be
Mont St. Michel, near Quiberon, in Brittany.
Some copies of Nennius contain an account of the lingual disable-
ment of the women, similar to that in the text and add, that from
;
this cause they were called Letewiccion [Lledfydion], that is Semi-

tacentes. This is evidently an attempt to account for the name of
Letavia [Llydaw], as applied to Armorica.
" De Excidio
Gildas, in his work Britannise," also mentions the
revolt of Maximus, and its disastrous consequences :
"Afterwards Britain, being robbed of all its armed soldiery, and

military forces,was abandoned to cruel rulers, being deprived of an
immense number of youths who accompanied the above-named tyrant
[Maximus], and never returned home and being totally ignorant of
;
the art of war, groaned in stupefaction for many years, under the
oppression of two foreign nations," &c. &c.
This author, however, has not any allusion to the Armorican
settlement.
The roads attributed in the text to Helen Luyddawc, are evidently
Notes 305
the Roman Roads, which intersected our Island. Their remains in
several places in the Principality, bear, to this day, the name of Sam
He! en, which some, however, consider to be a corruption of Sarn y
Lleng, the Road of the Legion.
The Welsh text of this Mabinogi, Breuddwyd Maxen Wledig, was
printed in 1806, in a Welsh collection entitled the Greal, p. 289, but
no translation of it has hitherto appeared.
LLUDD AND LLEVELYS.

Lludd is the celebrated King Lud, brother to Caesar's opponent
Cassibelaunus. The Brut and Geoffrey of Monmouth record his
fortifying and decorating the City of London nearly in the same
terms as the Mabinogi, stating that it was from him called Caerlud,
afterwards corrupted into Caer London, then into London, and lastly
by the foreigners into Londres. They also state that King Lud
was buried near the gate, still called from his name, in the British
language, Porthlud, and in the Saxon, Ludesgate.
"
Amongst the poems attributed to Taliesin, is one called Ymarwar
Lludd," "The Conciliation of Lludd," in which the meeting with
Llevelys is mentioned but the poem is very obscure in consequence
;
of the allusions not being understood. Llewelyn the Bard also, in

an ode to Llewelyn ab lorwerth, refers to this occurrence, but in
so cursory a manner, as not to throw any further light upon the
subject.
The Coranians who occupy so conspicuous a place in the present
Tale, form the subject of a Triad (Tr. vii.). They are by some
supposed to be the Coritani.
The imprisonment of the Dragons in Dinas Emrys in Snowdon, is
one of the most curious legends of romantic fiction. Their combats,
five centuries later, led to the discovery of the enchanter Merlin,
with which opens the great drama of Arthurian Romance. This
story being related by Geoffrey of Monmouth, has by many been
considered as the fabrication of that writer ; but it must be noticed
that it is also found in Nennius, who wrote in the eighth century,
and of whose works, some copies as old as the tenth, are still
extant. The substance of the tale as told by Nennius is as
follows :
Vortigern being forced to retire from his kingdom, in consequence

of his various delinquencies, took refuge in Snowdon ; and finding
Dinas Emrys an eligible spot, commenced building a tower there.
But, to his great dismay, he found that whatever he built in the day-
time, always fell down in the succeeding night. Having consulted
his magicians upon the cause of this mystery, they told him that
unless he could find a child without a father, and sprinkle the tower
with his blood, it would never stand. Upon this Vortigern de-
spatched messengers in every direction to search for the required
victim, and at length they lit upon Merlin, whom they brought to
Vortigern, that he might be slain. But the boy exposed the ignorance
306 Notes
and imposture of the magicians, and caused the ground to be dug
at the foundation of the building, where they found two sleeping
dragons, one white and the other red. These dragons awaking from
their sleep commenced a furious conflict. The white one at first had
the advantage of the red, but at last the red dragon prevailed, and
expelled his opponent. Merlin then informed them that the red was
the British dragon, and the white one that of the invading Saxons.
Then it was, according to Geoffrey and the Brut, that Merlin
uttered the celebrated prophecy concerning the fate of Britain.
Vortigern departing thence to seek some other place of refuge,
bestowed that citadel upon the wonderful child, who declared his
name to be Merlin Ambrosius, and after whom the spot was called
Dinas Emrys.
Whatever date or origin may be assigned to this legend, it is well
known that the red dragon has long been the national standard
of the Welsh.
Henry VII. bore it at Bos worth, and afterwards
established the heraldic office of Rouge Dragon in honour of the
occasion.
Dinas Emrys, the site of all these marvels, is a natural mound, or
rather a small insulated hill in one of the valleys of Snowdon, between
Beddgelert and Capel Curig. Giraldus Cambrensis speaks of it in
connection with the story here referred to. He says, " At the head
of the Snowdon Mountains, not far from the source of the Conway,
which flows from this region towards the north, stands Dinas Emrys ;
that is, the promontory of Ambrosius, where Merlin, sitting on a
rock, prophesied to Vortigern."
Lludd and Llevelys is found in the Myvyrian Archaiology, Vol.
II., inthe Brut Gruftydd ab Arthur, and the Brut Tysilio ; and is
printed in a separate form in the Greal, apparently from a different
MS. An English translation of the Myvyrian copy has been given
" The Chronicle of the
by the Rev. Peter Roberts, in Kings of
Britain."
KILHWCH AND OLWEN.

KlLHWCH AND OLWEN. Page 9$.
The curious tale of Kilhwch and Olwen appears to be purely
British. The characters and events which it celebrates are altogether
of native origin, nor has any parallel or counterpart been discovered
in any other language.
It abounds in allusions to traditions of personages and incidents
belonging to a remote period, and, though it is true that some few of
these have now become obscure or unintelligible, yet many are, even
to the present day, current in the principality. Of a much greater
number, though all distinct recollection has ceased to exist, yet the
frequent references made to them in Bardic and other remains,
prove that, to our ancestors at least, they were well known ; and so
numerous are the instances we meet with of this class, that we may
Notes 307
safely infer that all the allusions this Mabinogi contains were generally
familiar to those for whom it was designed.
Beyond the adventures here ascribed to him, no particulars of the
hero Kilhwch mab Kilydd mab Kelyddon have come down to us.
ANLAWDD WLEDIG. Page 95.

The name of this prince occurs in the Pedigrees as being father of
Tywynwedd the mother of Tyvrydog mab Arwystli Gloff. Tyvrydog
was a saint who flourished in the sixth century. (Rees' Welsh Saints,
p. 276.) In the Pedigrees, Tywynwedd is mentioned as the mother
of Caradawc Vreichvras, of Gwyn ab Nudd, and Gwallawc ab
Lleenawg.
Eigr, the fair Ygraine of romance and mother of King Arthur, is
likewise said to have been the daughter of Anlawdd, by Gwen, the
daughter of Cuned da Wledig. This explains the relationship between
Kilhwch and Arthur.
KING DOGGED. Page 96.
The name of this most unfortunate king is enrolled among the
number of the Saints of Wales, and he is recorded as the founder of
the church of Llanddogged in Denbighshire. King Dogged was the
son of Cedig ab Ceredig 1 ab Cunedda Wledig, and brother of Avan
Buallt, a bishop, whose tomb still remains at the church of Liana van
Fawr, in Breconshire, which he founded. The date assigned to these
brothers is from 500 to 542. Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 209.
OLWEN. Page 96.

Of Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr, but little is now
known beyond what is related concerning her in the present tale ;
but with the bards of old her beauty had passed into a proverb.
Amongst those who made frequent allusion to her charms, we may
instance Davydd ap Gwilym, the Petrarch of Wales ; and Sion
Brwynog, a poet who flourished in the sixteenth century, commences
some complimentary verses addressed to a young damsel, by com-
paring her to
"Olwen of slender eyebrow, pure of heart."
CUT THY HAIR. Page 96.

In the eighth century, it was the custom of people of consideration
to have their children's hair cut the first time by persons for whom
they had a particular honour and esteem, who in virtue of this cere-
mony were reputed a sort of spiritual parents, or godfathers to them.
This practice appears, however, to have been still more ancient,
inasmuch as we read that Constantine sent the Pope the hair of his
son Heraclius, as a token that he desired him to be his adoptive
father. See Rees's Cyclopaedia.
A HUNDRED KINE. Page 97.

It appears that in early times, cows formed the standard of
1 From him the
county of Cardigan (Ceredigion) received its name.
38 Notes
currency among the Welsh ; for in the laws of Howel Dda, after
a certain enactment concerning the payment of fines, the following
remark is added, " For with cows all payments were made formerly."
And the price of a cow is stated to be forty pence.
The Liber Landavensis furnishes numerous examples of the
custom of resorting to this method of valuation. Amongst others
may be instanced the case of Brychan, the son of Gwyngon, who
bought three uncias of land, on which three villages were situated,
for seven horses of the value of twenty-eight cows, and the whole
' '
apparel of one man of the value of fourteen cows, and a sword of

the value of twelve cows, and a hawk of the value of six cows, with
four dogs of the value of fourteen cows," p. 456. This property,
consisting of about 324 acres, was purchased by him to present to
the Church of Llandaff, in the time of Bishop Trychan, who is sup-
posed to have lived about the early part of the seventh century.
PENGWAED IN CORNWALL. Page 98.
the Land's End. In the Triad on the three divisions
Pengwaed is
of Britain, it is named as the extreme point to the south of the
island, which was distant nine hundred miles from Penrhyn
Blathaon, supposed to be Caithness in North Britain. Triad ii.
SAVE ONLY MY SHIP AND MY MANTLE./*^ 100.
Arthur's ship is mentioned several times in the course of the
present tale. Its name was Prydwen, and under that appellation it
1
is alluded to by Taliesin in his Preidden Annwn, the Spoils of
Hell. In that mystical poem, which appears to be full of allusions
to traditions now no longer intelligible, various expeditions, con-
sisting of as many warriors as would have thrice filled Prydwen, are
represented as setting forth on different enterprises, from each of
which only seven returned.
The ancient chroniclers speak of these treasures of Arthur's with
due reverence. Sometimes, however, they bestow the name of
Prydwen on his shield instead of his ship. Thus old Robert of
Gloucester, in the following quaint description,
pe kynng was aboue yarmed wyj> haubert noble ryche, &
wy)> helm of gold on ys heued, (nas nour hym ylyche)
pe fourme of a dragon ]>eron was yeast.
Hys sseld, J>at het Prydwen, was anne yhonge wast
Aboute ys ssoldren, and }>eron ypeynt was and ywort
pe ymage of our Lady, in wan was al ys Jjojt.
Myd ys suerd he was ygurd, >at so strong was & kene,
Calybourne yt was ycluped, nas nour no such ye wene.
In ys ryjt bond ys lance he nom, ]>at ycluped was Ron,
Long & gret & strong ynow, hym ne myjt atsytte non.
I. 174-
Gruffydd ab Arthur's account of King Arthur's arms agrees with
this ; bi* respecting his sword Caledvwlch, or Caleburn, he adds
the information that it was formed in the Isle of Avallon. 2 It has
1 2 II. p. 306.
Myvyrian Archaiology, I. p. -45. Myvyrian Arcbaiology,
Notes 309
already been detailed in a previous portion of this work (p. 32),
how Arthur finding himself mortally wounded at the battle of
Camlan, confided his sword to one of his knights, charging him to
cast it into the lake, and how when the knight proceeded to fulfil
his behest, a hand and arm arose from the water, and seizing the
precious weapon, brandished it three times, and disappeared with it
in the lake. This circumstance must have been unknown to
Richard the First, or he would hardly have sent to Tancred, King
of Sicily, as a valuable present, a sword which was supposed to
have been the sword of Arthur. 1
The Llenn, here rendered the Mantle, but which appears to have
served sometimes as a covering, and sometimes as a carpet, was
celebrated as one of the thirteen precious things of the Island of
Britain. Its property was to render invisible any one who was
either under or upon it, while everything around was visible to
him. In another Mabinogi it is said to have been called Gwenn.
GREIDAWL GALLDONYD, OR GALLDOVYDD. Page 100.

One of the three architects of the island of Britain, whose privi-
lege it was to go wheresoever they would, so that they did not go
unlawfully. Triad 32.
GWYTHYR THE SON OF GREIDAWL. Page IOO.

This warrior, whose grave is noticed in the Englynion Beddau,
(see p. 354), was father to one of the three wives of Arthur, who all
bore the name of Gwenhwyver. 2
It is he that fights with Gwyn ab Nudd, for the fair Cordelia,
8
every first of May.
GWYN THE SON OF NUDD. Page 100.
In Gwyn ab Nudd, we become acquainted with one of the most
poetical characters of Welsh romance. He is no less a personage
than the King of Faerie, a realm, the extent and importance of
which is nowhere better appreciated, or held in greater reverence,
than in Wales. Very numerous indeed are the subjects of Gwyn
ab Nudd, and very various are they in their natures. He is the
sovereign of those beneficent and joyous beings, the Tylwyth Teg,
or Family of Beauty (sometimes also called Bendith i Mammau, or
Blessing of Mothers), who dance hi the moonlight on the velvet
sward, in their airy and flowing robes of blue or green, or white or
scarlet, and who delight in showering benefits on the more favoured
of the human race ; and equally does his authority extend over the
fantastic, though no less picturesque class of Elves, who in Welsh
bear the name of Ellyllon, and who, on the other hand, enjoy
nothing so much as to mislead and torment the inhabitants of earth.
Indeed, if Davydd ap Gwylim may be believed, Gwyn ab Nudd
himself is not averse to indulging in a little mischievous amuse-
ment of this kind ; for one dark night the bard, having ridden into
1 Lord Lyttelton's History of Henry II.
Myvyrian Archaiology, II. p. 14. See page 128.
3io Notes
a turf bog on the mountain, calls it the "Fishpond of Gwyn ab
Nudd, a palace for goblins and their tribe," to whom he evidently
gives credit for having decoyed him into its mire. Perhaps he may
have been tempted to exclaim like Shakespeare,
" Heavens defend me from that Welsh fairy."
According to the same testimony, the Owl was more particularly

considered as the bird of Gwyn ab Nudd.
There is, in the Myvyrian a dialogue between
Archaiology,
Gwyn ab Nudd, and Gwyddno Garanhir,* m which he is repre-
sented as a victorious warrior.
"
Gwyddno apostrophizes him thus,
Gwyn, son of Nudd, the hope of armies, legions fall before thy
conquering arm, swifter than broken rushes to the ground."
In the same composition, Gwynn ab Nudd styles himself the lover
of Cordelia the daughter of Ludd, or Lear, for whom his contest
with Gwythyr mab Greidawl, on every first of May till the day of
doom, is recorded in the text ; he also mentions that Karngrwn was
the name of his horse.
The Triads commemorate Gwyn ab Nudd, as one of the three
distinguished astronomers of the Island of Britain, who by their
knowledge of the nature and qualities of the stars, could predict
whatever was wished to be known to the end of the world. 2
A very curious legend, in which Gwyn ab Nudd bears a con-
spicuous part, is contained in the Life of St. Collen (Buchedd
Collen), which is printed in a collection of Welsh remains, entitled
the Greal. 3 This Saint was the son of Gwynawc, ab Caledawc, ab
Cawrdav, ab Caradawc Vreichvras, and having distinguished himself
4
greatly in foreign countries by his zeal and piety, he returned to
Britain and became Abbot of Glastonbury ; after a time Collen
desired to lead a life of greater austerity than his high office at
Glastonbury permitted ; so he departed thence, and went forth to
preach to the people. The impiety, however, which he met with
distressed him so much, that at length he withdrew to a mountain,
" where he made himself a cell under the shelter of a
rock, in a
remote and secluded spot.
" And as he was one
day in his cell, he heard two men conversing
about Gwyn ab Nudd, and saying that he was king of Annwn and
of the Fairies. And Collen put his head out of his cell, and said
to them, Hold your tongues quickly, those are but Devils.'
'
'
Hold thou thy tongue,' said they, ' thou shalt receive a reproof
from him.' And Collen shut his cell as before.
"
And, soon after, he heard a knocking at the door of his cell,
and some one inquired if he were within. Then said Collen, 'I am;
1
8 8
Myv. Arch. II. p. 71. Greal, p. 337, Bvo. London, 1805.
* St.
Collen, having rendered essential services against the Pagans in Greece,
the Pope bestowed upon him, on his return into Britain, a precious relic, which
was the lily that had suddenly blossomed before the glory on some one's saying,
" It is no more
true that the Virgin has a son, than that the withered lily in
yonder vessel bears blossoms." "And that lily did St. Collen bring to this
Island, and it is said that it is in Worcester to this day."
Notes 311
' '
who is it that asks ? messenger from Gwyn ab Nudd,
It is I, a
the king of Annwn, to command thee to come and speak with him
1
on the top of the hill at noon.'
" But Collen did not And the next day behold the same
go.
messenger came, ordering Collen to go and speak with the king on
the top of the hill at noon.
" But Collen did not And the third day behold the same
go.
messenger came, ordering Collen to go and speak with the king on
the top of the hill at noon. And if thou dost not go, Collen, thou
'
wilt be the worst for it.'

" Then
Collen, being afraid, arose, and prepared some holy water,
and put it in a flask at his side, and went to the top of the hill.
And when he came there, he saw the fairest castle he had ever
beheld, and around it the best appointed troops, and numbers of
minstrels, and every kind of music of voice and string, and steeds
with youths upon them the comeliest in the world, and maidens of
elegant aspect, sprightly, light of foot, of graceful apparel, and in
the bloom of youth ; and every magnificence becoming the court of
a puissant sovereign. And he beheld a courteous man on the top
of the castle, who bade him enter, saying that the king was waiting
for him to come to meat. And Collen went into the castle, and
when he came there, the king was sitting in a golden chair. And
he welcomed Collen honourably and desired him to eat, assuring
him that, besides what he saw, he should have the most luxurious
of every dainty and delicacy that the mind could desire, and should
be supplied with every drink and liquor that his heart could wish ;
and that there should be in readiness for him every luxury of courtesy
and service, of banquet and of honourable entertainment, of rank
and of presents and every respect and welcome due to a man of
:
his wisdom.
'
"'I will not eat the leaves of the trees, said Collen. Didst thou
'
ever see men of better equipment than those in red and blue ?
'
asked the king.

" 'Their
equipment is good enough,' said Collen, 'for such equip-
ment as it is.'
" What kind of
' '
equipment is that ? said the king.

" Then said The red on the one
'
Collen, part signifies burning,
and the blue on the other signifies coldness.' And with that Collen
drew out his flask, and threw the holy water on their heads, where-
upon they vanished from his sight, so that there was neither castle,
nor troops, nor men, nor maidens, nor music, nor song, nor steeds,
nor youths, nor banquet, nor the appearance of any thing whatever,
but the green hillocks."
EDEYRN THE SON OF NUDD. Page 100.
See Page 408.
We are told that Gwyn ab Nudd greatly affects the tops of mountain*.
312 Notes
GADWY THE SON OF GERAINT. Page 100.
Gadwy mab Geraint was noticed for his courtesy to guests and
strangers, as we learn from Triad xc.
FFLEWDDUR FFLAM. Page 100.

A notice concerning Flewddur Flam, occurs
Triad 114, where
in
under the appellation of Fleidur Flam mab Godo he is ranked as
one of the three sovereigns of Arthur's Court who preferred remain-
ing with him as knights, although they had territories and dominions
of their own. For this Triad, see the note on Cadyrnerth mab
Porthawr Gandwy, p. 413.
RHUAWN PEBYR. Page 100.

Rhuawn or stands conspicuous amongst those who
Rhuvawn Pebyr
distinguished themselves in the battle of Cattraeth. Aneurin says,
" The warriors went to Caltraeth with marshalled
array and shout
of war,
With powerful steeds and dark blue harness, and with shields.
The spears were mustered the piercing lances,
The glittering breastplates, and the swords.
The chieftain would penetrate through the host ;
Five battalions fell before his blade.
Rhuvawn Hir he gave gold to the altar,
And gifts and precious jewels to the minstrel."
Gododin, Myv. Arch. I. p. 6.
His name occurs again in the same poem, as having approved him-
self an intrepid warrior, standing firm in the hour of battle. Myv.
Arch. I. p. 12.
It is said that he fell in battle, and that it is owing to the cir-
cumstance of his body having been redeemed for its weight in gold
that he became recorded as one of the three golden corpses of the
Island of Britain. 1
He is also spoken of with Rhun ab Maelgwn, and Owain ab
2
Urien, as one of the Three blessed Kings ; and another Triad ranks
him with the three imperious ones. 3 Other versions, however,
of the same triad, read Rhun mab Einiawn, in the place of Rhuvawn
Pebyr.
There is extant a poem composed by Hywel, the son of Owain
Gwynedd, about 1160, and printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology, I.
p. 277, which commences with these lines,
" The white wave mantled with
foam, bedews the grave,
The resting place of Rhuvawn Pebyr, chief of kings."
Upwards of a century after this, we find the grave of Rhuvawn
mentioned by the bard, Gwilym Ddu, in a manner that makes it
evident that its locality was then well known. Myv. Arch. I.
p. 411.
1 Triad 77. In this triad, he is styled the son of Gwyddno Garanhir, and not
of Dewrath (or Dorath) Wledig, as in Triad 25, and in the text.
2 Triad Triad xxxiv. Myv. Arch. II. p. 15.
25.
Notes 313
DALLDAV THE SON OF KIMIN Cov. Page 100.
He was one of the three compeers of the Court of Arthur with
Trystan mab March, and Rhyhawd mab Morgant ab Adras. The
name of his horse was Fferlas. Triad 113, and Trioedd y
Meirch, v.
ISPERYR EWINGATH. Page IOO.
There isan Esperir mentioned in the Englynion y Clyweid.
Hast thou heard what Esperir said,
' '
When he discoursed with Meni Hir ?

In adversity is the true friend known.
It is uncertain whether he is identical with the Isperyr Ewingath
of the Twrch Trwyth.
LLOCH LLAWWYNNYAWC. Page 101.
Lloch Llawwynnyawc is named, with several of the other war-
riors adjured by Kilhwch, in the curious dialogue between Arthur,
and Kai, and Glewlwyd, of which mention has been made.
Page 362.
AUNWAS ADEINIAWC. Page 101.
The preceding note applies as well to Aunwas as to Lloch
Llawwynnyawc.
It is doubtful whether he may be considered as the Aedenawc of
the Triads, celebrated with his brothers, Gruduei, and Henbrien, as
the three brave ones of the Island of Britain, who returned from
battle on their biers. The parents of these three brothers were
Gleissiar Gogled and Haernwed Vradawc. Triad xxxiii. Myv.
Arch. II. p. 15.
GWENNWYNWYN THE SON OF NAW. Page IOI.
He has been already noticed with Geraint ab Erbin, and March
mab Meirchion, as one of the three who had the command of the
fleets of the Island of Britain. Each of them had six score vessels
with six score men in each. See page 407.
ECHEL VORDDWYTTWLL. Page IOI.
His son Goronwy has already been cited as one of the Sovereigns
who preferred residing at Arthur's Court, to remaining in their own
dominions. Seep. 405, where the triad is given.
DADWEIR DALLPENN. Page 101.
A very curious story concerning the sow of Dadweir (or, as he is
there called, Dallweir) Dallpenn, is contained in the Triads. It is
there related that Coll ab Collfrewi was one of the three powerful
swineherds of the Island of Britain, and that he kept the swine of
Dallweir Dallben, in the valley of Dallwyr in Cornwall. And one
of these swine, named Hen wen, was with young, and it was prophe-
sied that this circumstance would bring evil to the Island of Britain.
So Arthur assembled his host and sought to destroy the swine ;
but she went burrowing along till she came to Penhyn Austin,
314 Notes
where she plunged into the and she landed again at Aberdarogi,
sea,
in Gwent Iscoed. And
the way she went Coll ab Collfrewi held
all
by her bristles, both by sea and by land, and at Maes Gwenith

(Wheatfield) in Gwent, she left three grains of wheat and three
bees, since which time the best wheat and the best honey have
been in Gwent. And thence she went into Dyved, and there, at
Llonnio Llonnwen, she left a grain of barley and a little pig ; and
Dyved has produced the best pigs and barley from that time to this.
And from Dyved she went into Arvon, and she left a grain of rye at
Lleyn in Arvon, and thenceforth the best rye has been found at
Lleyn, and at Eivionydd. And by the side of Rhiwgyverthwch,
she left a wolf cub and a young eaglet, and the wolf was given to
Brynach Wyddel, of Dinas Affaraon, and the eagle to Benwaedd,
the lord of Arllechwedd, and there was much talk concerning the
wolf of Brynach, and the eagle of Benwaedd. And when she came
to Maen Du in Arvon she left there a kitten, and Coll ab Collfrewi
took it, and threw it into the Menai. But the sons of Palug in
Mona (Anglesey), reared this kitten, to their cost ;
for it became the
Palug Cat, which, we are told, was one of the three plagues of the
Isle of Mona which were reared therein, the second being Daronwy.
and the third, Edwin king of England.
These particulars are collected from the three series of Triads,
printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology. The version given in the
second series is the fullest of them. Triad Ivi.
This story is supposed to have a figurative meaning, and, under
the appellation of Henwen, the sow of Dallweir Dallpenn, to allude
to some vessel that brought to this island various sorts of grain and
animals not previously known here. Indeed, there is another triad,
which attributes to Coll ab Collfrewi the introduction of wheat and
barley into Britain, where only oats and rye were cultivated before
his time. Triad 56.
Coll ab Collfrewi, the keeper of this marvellous sow, was one of
the chief enchanters of this island, and his magical arts were taught
him by Rhuddlwm Gawr. It has already been suggested as probable
that it is to him that Chaucer refers in his House of Fame, under
the title of Coll Tragetour, or Coll the Juggler. See p. 423.
MENW THE SON OF TEIRGWAEDD.

Page 101.
The part assigned to Menw
ab Teirgwaedd in the present tale, is
in precise accordance with the character in which he appears in the
Triads, and other legendary remains of the Welsh. He is there
commemorated as one of the three men of Phantasy and Illusion in
the Island of Britain, and it is said that he taught his enchantments
to Uthyr Pendragon, the father of King Arthur. See p. 423.
In the Abergavenny Prize Essay, 1 on the (-enuineness of the
Coelbren y Beirdd, or Bardic Alphabet, by Mr. Taliesin Williams
(Ab lolo), there is a curious allegorical tale, which connects Menw
with the discovery of that alphabet. The substance of the tale is
1 Published at Llandovery 1840.

Notes 315
as follows. Einigan Gawr saw three rays of light, on which were
inscribed all knowledge and science. And he took three rods of
mountain ash, and inscribed all the sciences upon them, as it should
seem in imitation of the three rays of light. And those who saw
them, deified the rods, which so grieved Einigan, that he broke the
rods and died. And after the space of a year and a day, Menw ab
Teirgwaedd saw three rods growing out of the mouth of Einigan, and
upon them was every kind of knowledge and science written. Then
Menw took the three rods, and learned all the sciences, and taught
them all, except the name of God, which has originated the Bardic
secret, and blessed is he who possesses it. P. 6.
It may be remarked that the Bardic symbol is formed of three
radiating lines /|\ which, it is said, are intended to represent the

three diverging rays of light, which Einigan Gawr saw descending
towards the earth ; and it is somewhat curious that these three lines
contain all the elements of the Bardic alphabet, as there is not a
single letter in it that is not formed from them. No less singular
is it, that this alphabet, which is alleged to have been only used
upon wood (perhaps also implied by the three rods), is so constructed

as altogether to avoid horizontal or circular lines, which could not
be cut on wooden rods without splintering or running, on account
of the grain of the wood.
For the proofs of the genuineness of this alphabet the reader is
referred to the Essay itself.
DRUDWAS THE SON OF TRYFFIN. Page 101.

Concerning Drudwas mab Tryffin, a curious tradition is presented
in an interesting letter from the celebrated antiquary, Robert Vaughan,
to Mr. Meredydd Lloyd, dated July 24th, 1655. It is printed in the
Cambrian Register (III. p. 311). In the following extract we have
that portion of it which relates to Drudwas.
"The story (or rather fable) of Adar Llwch gum, I have, but can-
not finde it. The birds were two griffins, which were Drudwas ab
whoe had taught them to seise upon the first man
Tryffin' s birds,
that should enter into a certain fielde, and to kill him. It chanced,
that having appointed a day to meete with King Arthur to fight a
duell in the same fielde, he himselfe protracting the tyme of his
coming soe long that he thought surely Arthur had come there long
before, came first to the place, whereupon the birds presently fell
upon him, and killed him ; and they perceiving that he, whom they
had killed was theire master, much lamented his death with fearfull
screechings and mournfull cryings a long tyme ; in memory whereof
there is a lesson to be played upon the crowde, the which I have often
heard played, which was made then, called Caniad Adar llwchgwin ;
and, to confirm this history in some parte, there's a British epigram
extant, which I cannot remember, but, if you have the story and it,
I pray you send it me."
According to the Triads, Drudwas mab Tryffin was one of the three
Golden-tongued Knights, whom no one could refuse whatsoever they
316 Notes
might ask ; Gwalchmai, and Eliwlodab Madawc ab Uthur were the
other two. Triad 115.
CAERDATHAL. Page 101.

Caerdathal, which the Mabinogion assign as a residence to Math
ab Mathonwy, is in Caernarvonshire, and crowns the summit of an
eminence near Llanrwst. It is peculiar for having large stones set
upright to guard its entrance.
The name of this place occcurs in Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr's
Elegy on the death of his patron Owain Gwynedd, circa 1160. The
passage in the Myvyrian Archaiology, I. p. 206, is imperfect, but the
Cambro-Briton, II. p. 3, gives it in the following manner :
" Around the

region of Caer Dathal
Lay those whom the vultures had mangled, "
Reddening the hill and the headland and the dale.
KAW. Page 101.
Considerable variations exist in the different catalogues which are

extant of the numerous sons of Kaw. In that, however, given by
Jones, in his Welsh Bards, II. p. 22, the names exactly correspond
with those in the text. Some of these personages are enumerated
amongst the Saints of Wales, but of the individual history of the
great number little is known. Some account has been given
of one of the most eminent of them, Gildas mab Kaw, p. 411.
Huail, another of the brothers, obtained a less honourable notoriety
which eventually cost him his life. Jones details the
for his vices
circumstances of his ignominious death, from the authority of Edward
Llwyd, who derived them from a Welsh MS. in the handwriting of
John Jones, of Gelli Lyfdy, dated June the 27th, 1611.
From this account, it appears that Huail was imprudent enough
to court a lady of whom Arthur was enamoured. The monarch's
suspicions being aroused, and his jealousy excited, he armed himself
secretly,and determined to observe the movements of his rival.
Having watched him going to the lady's house, some angry words
passed between them, and they fought. After a sharp combat, Huail
got the better of Arthur, and wounded him severely in the thigh,
whereupon the contest ceased, and reconciliation was made upon
condition that Huail, under the penalty of losing his head, should
never reproach Arthur with the advantage he had obtained over
him. Arthur retired to his palace, which was then at Caerwys, in
Flintshire, to be cured of his wound. He recovered, but it caused
him to limp a little ever after.
A short time after his recovery, Arthur fell in love with a lady at
Rhuthyn, in Denbighshire, and, in order the more frequently to
enjoy the pleasure of her society, he disguised himself in female
attire.One day he was dancing with this lady, and her companions,
when Huail happened to see him. He recognized him on account of
and " This
his lameness, said, dancing might do very well, but for the
Notes 317
thigh." chanced that Arthur overheard his remark ; he withdrew
It
from the dance, and summoning Huail before him, upbraided him
angrily for the breach of his promise and oath, and commanded him
to be beheaded upon a stone, which lay in the street of the town, and
which, from this event, acquired the appellation of Maen Huail.
1
This stone is still to be seen in the town of Rhuthyn.

In the Triads, Huail the son of Kaw of North Britain, Lord of
Cwm Cawlwyd, is represented as one of the three Diademed Chiefs
of Battle (Triad 69) and the Englynion y Clyweid appropriate a stanza
to one of his sayings.
" Hast thou heard what was
sung by Huail
The son of Kaw, whose saying was just ?
Often will a curse fall from the bosom."
TALIESIN, THE CHIEF OF THE BARDS. Page 101.

The history of Taliesin, which is exceedingly wild and interesting^
forms the subject of a separate Mabinogi, and as such will be given
in its proper place.
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR. Page 101.
This chieftain, who figures in the Triads, will be alluded to here-
after in the notes to one of the Mabinogion more particularly relating
to him.
GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN. Page 101.

Of this been given in the notes to the
chieftain a full account has
Mabinogi bearing his name. be added that a saying of his is
It may
preserved in the Englynion y Clyweid it is as follows

: :
" Hast thou heard what Geraint

sang,
The son of Erbin just and skilful ?
Short-lived is the hater of the saints."
"
Geraint's own
designation of "the friend of the saints (Car i
Saint) appears to be alluded to in this Englyn. See Llyw. Hen's
Elegies.
DYVEL THE SON OF ERBIN. Page 101.
The death of Dyvel mab Erbin is mentioned in the dialogue

between Myrddin Wyllt and Taliesin, where the former says :
" and with rush and bound

Through through they came,
Yonder and still beyond, where Bran and Melgan seen approaching,
And by them, at the battle's close,
Dyvel ab Erbin and his hosts were slain."
His grave was in the plains of Gwesledin. Ib. I. p. 80.
1 Welsh Bards, II. p. aa.
Notes
LLAWNRODDED VARVAWC. Page 102.
In days when, as we have already seen (p. 97), the value of
articles, even of luxury and ornament, was estimated by the number
of cows they were worth, we cannot be surprised that the herdsmen
were sometimes men of rank and distinction, and considered worthy
to occupy a place in the Triads. Accordingly we find that the sub-
ject of the present note figured in those curious records, as one of
the three Tribe Herdsmen of the Island of Britain. He tended the
kine of Nudd Hael, the son of Senyllt, in whose herd were twenty-
one thousand milch cows. The other two herdsmen (and they had
each a like number of cows under their care) were Bennren, who kept
the herd of Caradawc the son of Brn and his tribe, in Gorwenydd
in Glamorganshire ; and Gwdion the son of Don, the celebrated
enchanter, who kept the herd of the tribe of Gwynedd, above the
Conwy. Triad 85.
His own cow went by the name of Cornillo, and was one of the
three chief cows of the Island. Trioedd y Meirch, xi.
Of the no less remarkable personages, who tended the swine of
the Island of Britain, an account has already been given, p. 313.
Llawnrodded's knife was one of the thirteen precious things pos-
sessing marvellous properties. It would serve four-and-twenty men
at once with meat.
MORVRAN THE SON OF TEGID. Page 2O2.

This circumstance of the three warriors escaping from the battle
of Camlan is related in the Triads, in words vory nearly correspond-
ing with those in the text. The two accounts differ only as regards
the name of the third man, whom the Triads, instead of Kynwyl
Sant, represent to have been Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, to whom, as
King Arthur's Porter, we have already been introduced. Triad 83.
From the Hanes Taliesin, we learn that Morvran was the son of
Tegid Voel and Ceridwen.
LLENLLEAWG WYDDEL. Page 103.

This name occurs in the Englynion y Clyweid.
" Hast thou heard what
Llenlleawg Gwyddel sang,
The noble chief wearing the golden torques ?
The grave is better than a life of want."
DYVYNWAL MOEL. Page 103.
Dyvynwal Moelmud, King of Britain, and the first lawgiver

whom the nation boasts, is supposed to have lived about 400 years
before the Christian era. There are four Triads relating to him, in
1
all of which he is represented as a great benefactor to his people.
In one of these he is styled one of the three National Pillars of the
Island : in another, one of the three Primary Inventors : and in a
A
Triads, 4, 57, 59, 36.
Notes 319
third, one of the beneficent Sovereigns of the Cymry, because he
had reduced to a system, and improved, and extended their
first
laws, institutions, customs, and privileges, "so that right and justice
might be obtained by every one in Britain, under the protection of
God and His peace, and under the protection of the country, and
the nation." Again we find him designated as one of three chief
System-formers of Royalty, by reason of the excellency of his mode
of government
Howel Dda, the Welsh Legislator, in compiling his celebrated
Welsh Code, in the tenth century, made great use of the laws of
Dyvynwal Moelmud, some of the Triads and institutes ascribed to
whom are to be found in the third volume of the Myvyrian Archai-
ology, and are very curious and interesting remains.
GWYSTYL THE SON OF RHUN THE SON OF NWYTHON. Page 103.

Rhun the father of Gwystyl, was one of the chieftains mentioned
1
by Gruffydd ab Arthur, as being present at King Arthur's Corona-
tion, at Caerlleon upon Usk. Both he and Nwython are named in
Taliesin's poem addressed to Gwallawg. 2
DREM THE SON OF DREMIDYD. Page 103.

In addition to the notice already given (p. 41), of this fantastic
personage, who was so sharp-sighted, that he could descry a mote
in the sunbeam in the four corners of the world, we may remark
that in the Englynion y Clyweid, he is represented to have pro-
nounced the very sensible opinion recorded in the following lines :
Dremhidydd sang,
An ancient watchman on the castle walls ?
A refusal is better than a promise unperformed."
GELLI Wic. Page 103.

Of Gelli Wic (or, as
generally written, Gelliwig), in Cornwall,
it is
frequent mention is made in the Triads, where it is named as one of

the three national thrones of the Island of Britain, 8 and one of King
Arthur's chief seats of empire, in which he was used to celebrate
the high festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide. At the
time of Arthur's sovereignty, when he was Supreme Ruler (Pen-
rhaith as it is called in Welsh), Bedwin was the chief Bishop, and
Caradawc Vreichvras was the chief Elder, of Gelliwig. It was one
of the three Archbishoprics of Britain. 4 When Medrawd, Arthur's
wicked nephew, usurped the government of the island during his
uncle's absence, he went to Gelliwig, and dragged Gwenhwyvar
from her throne with contumely, and left neither meat nor drink in
1 8
Myv. Arch. II.
p. 3
ai. Myv. Arch. I. p. 58.
3 The other two cities which ranked with Gelliwig, were Caerlleon upon Usk,
and Penrhyn Rhionydd, in the North.
* Triads 62, 64, in.
320 Notes
the court,"not even so much as would feed a fly," but consumed
and wasted all. 1 The fatal battle of Camlan was fought to avenge
this insult.
The site of Gelliwig is now a matter of some doubt. Hals places
itat Callington (Kellington or Killiwick), as we learn from the
following extract from his MS. quoted by Polwhele :
"
I take this to be the same place mentioned by the Welsh poets
or bards, and called by them Kellywick, and Kinge Arthur's palace
or court, viz., his court-leet or baylywick. Such in his time vn-
doubtedly it was, as Duke of Cornwall or Kinge of Britaine ; for
this manor of land with its appurtenances was, by act of Parliament,
given to Edward the Black Prince as parcell of the lands of the
ancient kinges or carles of Cornwall, then translated into a dutch.y
2
or dukedom."
It taken as some confirmation of this opinion with regard
may be
to the locality of Gelliwig, that there is a place in the vicinity of
Callington still bearing the appellation of Arthur's Hall. It is on
a rocky tor in the parish of North-hill, which is in the same hundred
as Callington, and within a short distance of it. Norden gives the
" It is a
following description of the spot square Plott, about 60
:
foote long and about 35 foote broade situate in a playne Mountayne,

wrowghte some 3 foote in the grounde and by reason of the depres-
sion of the place there standeth a otarige or poole of water, the
place (being) sett round about with flat stones." Near to the
Hall are many rocky basins, called by the common people Arthur's
Troughs, and in which, according to tradition, that monarch used
to feed his dogs ; for (says Gilbert, from whom this account is
" the custom in Cornwall to ascribe
taken) it is everything that is
great and whose use is unknown to that immortal hero." 3
PEN BLATHAON IN NORTH BRITAIN. Page 103.

Pen or Penrhyn Blathaon (supposed be Caithness in Scotland)
to
4
has already been noticed as the extreme point from Penwaeth or
Pengwaed, in Cornwall, from which it was distant nine hundred
miles. 5 The distance between these two places was determined by
the British Legislator, Dyvynwal Moelmud. In the Welsh Laws is
given the following passage, relating to the admeasurement of the
island made by him :
" Before the Saxons seized the crown of London and the
sceptre,
Dyvynwal Moelmud was King of this Island and he was the Earl ;
of Cornwall, by the daughter of the King of Lloegr. And after the

male line of inheritance became extinct, he came into the possession
of the kingdom, by the distaff (that is by the female line), as being
the grandson of the King. Now he was a man of great wisdom,
and he first made laws for this Island, and those laws continued to
the time of How el Dda, the son of Cadell. And afterwards Howel
1 Triad 2 Polwhele's Hist, of
53. Cornwall, 410. II. p. 50.
3 C. S. Gilbert's Historical Survey of Cornwall. I. p. 170.
See p. 308. Triad li.
Notes 32 1
Dda made new and changed some of the laws of Dyvynwal.
laws,
But Howel did not alter the measurements of the lands of this
Island, 'but left them as Dyvynwal framed them ; for he was an
excellent measurer. He measured this Island from the Promon-
tory of Blathaon, in North Britain, to the Promontory of Pengwaed,
in Cornwall, which is nine hundred miles, and that is the length of
the Island, and from Crugyll, in Anglesey, to Sorram (Shoreham) on
the shore of the sea of Udd (the Channel), that is the breadth of the
Island, And the reason of his measuring it was to know the number
of miles in his journeys.
" And this measurement
Dyvynwal made by a grain of barley.
Three lengths of a barley corn in an inch, three inches in a hand-
breadth, three handbreadths in a foot, three feet in a step, three
steps in a jump, three jumps in a land, which is in later Welsh a
ridge, and a thousand lands or ridges make a mile, and this measure
is used here till now."
THE THREE ISLANDS ADJACENT. Page 103.

Orkney, the Isle of Wight, and the Isle of Man, are the three
primary islands lying adjacent to Britain, according to the authority
of the Triads, which proceed to mention, that subsequently Anglesey
was separated from the main land, and became an island, and that
in like manner the Island of Orkney was divided, and became a
multitude of islands, and that other parts of Wales and Scotland
became islands likewise. Triad 67.
This coincides with Nennius's account of the three islands adjacent
to Britain, which is given in these words :
" Tres
magnas insulas habet [Britannia], quarum una vergit contra
Armoricas, et vocatur Inisgueith secunda sita est in umbilico maris
;
inter Hiberniam et Brittanniam, et vocatur nomen ejus Eubonia,

id est, Manau alia sita est in extremo limite orbis Brittannice ultra
;
Pictos, et vocatur Ore. Sic in proverbio antique dicitur, quando de

judicibus vel regibus sermo fuit, Judicavit Brittanniam cum tribus
'
insulis.' "P. 7, ed. 1838.
GWYNN GODYVRON. Page 104.

Mentioned in the dialogue between Arthur, Kai, and Glewlwyd ;
see p. 42, where the passage is given.
GARSELIT WYDDEL. Page 104.

" Hast thou heard what Garselit
sang,
The Irishman whom it is safe to follow ?
Sin is bad when long pursued."
1
Englynion y Clyweid.
THE NINTH MAN THAT RALLIED THE BATTLE OF CAMLAN.

Page 104.
This is very probably an allusion to the disposition made by
1
M
322 Notes
Arthur of his forces, previous to the battle of Camlan. Geoffrey of
Monmouth states that he arranged his army in nine divisions, with
a commander over each, of whom Gwynnhyvar was possibly one.
GWARE GWALLT EURYN. Page 104.

Gware Gwallt Euryn was the son of Pwyll and Rhianon. The
mysterious circumstances connected with his birth are detailed in
another Mabinogi.
KYNVELYN KEUDAWD PWYLL, THE HALF MAN. Page 105.

The Welsh have a fable on the subject of the Manner Dyn or
Half Man, taken to be illustrative of the force of habit. In this
allegory Arthur is supposed to be met by a sprite, who appears at
first in a small and indistinct form, but who on approaching nearer
increases in size, and, assuming the semblance of half a man, endea-
vours to provoke the king to wrestle. Despite his weakness, and
considering that he should gain no credit by the encounter, Arthur
refuses to do so, and delays the contest, until at length the Half
Man (Habit) becomes so strong that it requires his utmost efforts to
overcome him
SAWYL BEN UCHEL. Page 105.

Sawyl Ben Uchel is accused of being one of those whose arro-
gance produced anarchy in the Island of Britain ; and the law-
less party united with the Saxons, and themselves became Saxons at
last. Triad 74.
GWRHYR GWASTAWD lEITHOBDD. Page 10$.

lolo Goch's allusion to Gwrhyr's extraordinary aptitude fot
acquiring languages has already been noticed, in the no'.es to
Geraint ab Erbin. The Englynion y Clyweid refer in like manner
to the singular talent by which he was characterised :
Gwrhyr Gwalstawt sang,
He who was perfect in all languages?
Who practises deceit will be deceived. "
BEDWINI THE BISHOP. Page 106.

Bedwini was Bishop of Gelliwig in Cornwall, and as such is
1
spoken of in the Triads, and in the British Chronicles. One of his
sayings is preserved in the Englynion y Clyweid :
" Hast thou heard what Bedwini

sung,
A gifted Bishop of exalted rank ?
9
Consider thy word before it is given."
1 Triad 64. a Arch.
Myv. I. p. 173.
Notes 323
INDEG. Page 106.
Some of the ladies here adjured are celebrated in the Triads, and
others figure in the writings of the Romancers of the Middle Ages.
Indeg, the daughter of Garwy or Afarwy hir, of Maelienydd, was
one of the three ladies best beloved by Arthur. 1 Her beauty is
often the theme of the bards.
Morvudd was the daughter of Urien Rheged, the twin sister of
Owain, and the beloved of Cynon the son Clydno Eiddyn. Her
mother's name was Modron, the daughter of Avallach. 2
Creiddylad is no other than Shakespeare's Cordelia, whose father,
King Lear, is, by the Welsh authorities, called indiscriminately Llyr
and Lludd Law Ereint. All the old chroniclers, from the Brut to
Milton, give the story of her devotion to her aged parent, but none
of them seem to have been aware that she is destined to remain with
him until the day of doom, whilst Gwyn ab Nudd, the King of the
Fairies, and Gwythyr mab Greidiawl, fight for her every first of
May ; and whichever of them may be fortunate enough to be the
conqueror at that time, will obtain her as his bride. She is quoted
in the Englynion y Clyweid :
Creiddylad sang,
The daughter of Lludd, the constant maiden?
Much will the faithful messenger effect."
Essyllt Vinwen or Fyngwen, the daughter of Culvanawyd Prydain,

and sister of O wain's faithless wife Penarwen, is mentioned very
8
disparagingly in the Triads. She was married to March ab
Meirchion, and acquired a very undesirable celebrity for her attach-
ment to her husband's nephew Tristan ab Tallwch, the renowned
Sir Tristan of the Romancers, who bestow upon Essyllt the appella-
tion of Yseult La Belle.
Essyllt Vingul,we may presume to be the Yseullt aux Blanches
Mains of romantic fiction, whom Sir Tristan, although at the same
time deeply enamoured of her fairer namesake, married out of
gratitude for her having effected his cure, when wounded by a
poisoned arrow.
DRYCH AIL KIBDDAR. Page 107.

Only the first series of the printed in the Myvyrian
Triads,
Archaiology, takes notice of Drych ail Kibddar, and there he is
classed among the dealers in phantasy or enchantment. Triad
AMAETHON THE SON OF DON. Page 113.

Amaethon, the signification of whose name is "husbandman,"
would seem to have been a very proper person to send for to
perform the office required by Yspaddaden Penkawr. He was
brother to the celebrated illusionist or enchanter, Gwydion ab Don,
1 Triad no. 2 Tr. Hi. liii. Triad 105.
324 Notes
and he appears to have had himself some dealings with the powers
of darkness ; for it is fabled that he brought from Annwn (the Lower
Regions) a white roebuck, and a whelp, which were the occasion
of the CM Goddeu, or Battle of the Trees. Taliesin has a long
mystical poem on the subject of this battle ; and some curious lines
relative to it are given in the Myvyrian Archaiology. 1 These, with
the prose heading that accompanies them, are as follows :
" These are the
Englyns that were sung at the Cad Goddeu (the
Battle of the Trees), or, as others call it, the Battle of Achren, which
was on account of a white roebuck, and a whelp ; and they came
from Hell, and Amathaon ab Don brought them. And therefore
Amathaon ab Don, and Arawn, King of Annwn (Hell), fought.
And there was a man in that battle, unless his name were known
he could not be overcome ; and there was on the other side a woman
called Achren, and unless her name were known her party could
not be overcome. And Gwydion ab Don guessed the name of the
man, and sang the two Englyns following :
*
Sure-hoofed is my steed impelled by the
spur ;
The high sprigs of alder are on thy shield :
Bran art thou called, of the glittering branches.'
And thus,
*
Sure-hoofed is my
steed in the day of battle :
The high sprigs of alder are on thy hand :
Bran ... by the branch thou bearest

Has Amathaon the good prevailed.'"
These lines have the appearance of being transcribed from a very
ancient aiind probably mutilated manuscript. Some of the words are
scarcely intelligible ; but perhaps the foregoing will be found not
very remote from the meaning of the original.
This battle, in the Triads, is styled one of the three frivolous
battles (ofergad) of the Island of Britain, and is said to have been
on account of a bitch, a hind, and a lapwing ; and it is added that it
cost the lives of seventy-one thousand men. Triad 50.
The brothers, Gwydion and Amaethon, are mentioned as being
2
efficient of counsel, in Taliesin's Elegy on Aeddon of Mon.
OXEN OF GWLWLYD. Page 113.

These animals, to which some fabulous story probably attached,
are spoken of in the Triads, together with those required by
Yspaddaden in the subsequent paragraph. Tr. y Meirch x.
One of these is alluded to in Taliesin's mystical poem, entitled
Preiddeu Annwn, the spoils of Hell. 8
"
They know not the brindled ox with the broad
"
headband j
Seven score handbreadths are in his yoke.

1 2
Myv. Arch. I. p. 167. Myv. Arch. I. p. 70.
*
Notes 325
NYNNIAW AND PEBIAW. Page 114.
On turning to the ancient records, we meet with kings bearing
the names of those who were turned into oxen for their crimes.
Nynniaw was a prince of Glamorgan, and his descendants appear
to have profited by the lesson which his disastrous fate afforded ; for
we find that Marchell, his great grand-daughter, was the mother of
the celebrated and canonized Brychan Brycheiniog, 1 who had him-
self the happiness of being father to no less than forty-eight saints,
twenty-three of whom were sons, and five-and-twenty daughters.
According to the Liber Landavensis, King Pebiaw, who was the
son of Erb, was equally fortunate in the character of his descendants,
one of whom was Saint Dubricius himself, the particulars of whose
miraculous birth are there given in the following words.
" There was a certain a
king of the region of Ergyng (Archenfield)
of the name of Pebiau, called, in the British language, Claforawg,
and in Latin, Spumosus, who undertook an expedition against his
enemies, and returning from thence he ordered his daughter Eurddil
to wash his head." The legend then goes on to state that circum-
stances led him to suspect that Eurddil was pregnant, and that
" the
King, therefore, being angry, ordered her to be put into a sack, and
cast headlong into the river, that she might suffer whatever might
befall which, however, happened contrary to what was expected,
;
for as often as she was placed in the river, so often was she, through
the guidance of God, impelled to the bank. Her father, then, being
indignant because he could not drown her in the river, resolved to
destroy her with fire. A funeral pile was therefore prepared, into
which his daughter was thrown alive. In the following morning,
the messengers who had been sent by her father to ascertain whether
any of the bones of his daughter remained, found her holding her
son in her lap, at a spot where a stone is placed in testimony of the
wonderful nativity of the boy and the place is called Madle, 3
;
because therein was born the holy man. The father, hearing this,
ordered his daughter with her son to be brought to him and when ;
they came he embraced the infant with paternal affection, as is

usual, and kissing him, from the restlessness of infancy, he touched
with his hands the face and mouth of his grandfather, and that not
without divine appointment ; for by the contact of the hands of the
infant, he was healed of the incurable disease wherewith he was
afflicted, for he incessantly emitted foam from his mouth which two
persons who constantly attended him could scarcely wipe off with
handkerchiefs.
"Who, when he knew that he had been healed by the touch of
the infant, rejoiced greatly, like one who had come to a harbour
after having suffered shipwreck. And he, who at first was as a
1
Jones's Hist, of Breconshire, I. p. 42.
2
Ergyng, or Archenfield, comprehended tae portion of Herefordsire, S.W.
of the river Wye, of which the present Ecclesiastical Deanery of Archfield, at
Irchenfield, constitutes a part.
3 "
Madley is a parish in Herefordshire, on the S. of the river Wye."
326 Notes
roaring lion, was now
turned to a lamb, and he began to love the
infant above sons and grandsons ; and of that place, Madle
all his
(that is, Mad, good, lie, .place, and whence Madle, a good place), he
made him heir, and also of the whole island, which took its name
from his mother Eurddil, that is, Ynys Eurddyl, which by others is
called Maes Mail Lecheu." *
Whether these events took place before or after King Pebiaw's
distressing transformation does not appear. All the further in-
formation concerning him, in the Liber Landavensis, consists of the
due recital of sundry grants of land which he made to the Church,
"
being penitent, with an humble heart, and mindful of his evil
7
deeds.'
"
Lewis, in his History of Great Britain," printed in 1729, men-
tions Pebiaw as King of Erchen field, and states that in a parish
church in Herefordshire is a picture of a king, with a man on each
side of him, wiping his face with napkins, "which king the country
people call King Dravellor."
The insane arrogance of these wicked kings is recorded in a
curious Welsh legend, a translation of which is printed by Mr.
Taliesin Williams, in the notes to his poem of Colyn Dolphyn. It
is as follows :
" There were two

kings, formerly in Britain, named Nynniaw
and Peibiaw. As these two ranged the fields one starlight night,
1 '
See,' said Nynniaw, what a beautiful and extensive field
'
possess
'
! Where '
said Peibiaw ;
is it ?' the whole Firmament,'
said Nynniaw,
'
can extend.' * And do thou see,' said
far as vision
'
Peibiaw, what countless herds and flocks of cattle and sheep I have
'
depasturing thy field ?

'
Where are they ? ' said Nynniaw ; * why
the whole host of stars which thou seest,' said Peibiaw, ' and each of
golden effulgence, with the ' Moon for their shepherdess, to super-
intend their wanderings.' They shall not graze in MY pasture,'
' '
said Nynniaw ; They shall,' said Peibiaw ; They shall not,' said
1
one; 'They shall, said the other, repeatedly, in bandied con-

tradiction, until at last it arose to wild contention between them, and
from contention it came to furious war ; until the armies and subjects
of both were nearly annihilated in the desolation. RHITTA, the
Giant, King of Wales, hearing of the carnage committed by these
two maniac kings, determined on hostility against them and, ;
having previously consulted the laws and his people, he arose and
marched against them because they had, as stated, followed the
courses of depopulation and devastation, under the suggestions of
phrenzy. He vanquished them, and then cut off their beards. But,
when the other Sovereigns included in the twenty-eight kings of the
island of Britain, heard these things, they combined all their legions
to revenge the degradation committed on the two disbearded kings,
and made a fierce onset on Rhitta the Giant, and his forces ; and
furiously bold was the engagement. But Rhitta the Giant won the
*
day. This is my extensive field,' said he, then, and immediately
1 Liber Landavensis, p. 323, 4.
Notes 327
disbearded the other kings. When the kings of the surrounding
countries heard of the disgrace inflicted on all these disbearded
kings, they armed themselves against Rhitta the Giant and his men ;
and tremendous was the conflict ; but Rhitta the Giant achieved a
most decisive victory, and then exclaimed : ' This is MY immense
'
field! and at once the kings were disbearded by him and his men.
Then pointing to the irrational monarchs, * These,' said he, are the '
animals that grazed my field, but I have driven them out they ;
shall no longer depasture there.' After that he took up all the beards,
and made out of them a mantle for himself that extended from head
to heel ; and Rhitta was twice as large as any other person ever
seen."
This Rhitta Gawr is none other than King Ryons of North Wales,
who appears to have been almost as presumptuous as the unfortunate
monarchs whom he so deservedly chastised. The Morte d'Arthur
represents him as sending to demand the beard of Arthur himself,
which it need hardly be added that he failed to obtain. 1
We are told that Nynniaw and Pebiaw were the names of the
horned oxen (Ychain Banawg) employed by Hu Gadarn 2 to draw
the Avanc out of the Lake of Floods, so that the lake burst no more.
This bursting of the lake is considered to bear reference to the
universal Deluge, as it is said in the same Triad, that when that
occurrence took place, the male and the female of every living thing
were preserved in the ship of Nevydd Nav Neivion. It would be
useless to follow all the theories which have been founded on the
name of Hu Gadarn, and his connexion with that important event.
For these, reference may be made to Davies's Mythology of the
Druids, and Celtic Researches, Dr. Owen Pughe, in his Dictionary,
and Cambrian Biography, &c. &c. Suffice it to say, that Hu
Gadarn or the Mighty is looked upon as a patriarch, and that there
3
are seven Triads commemorative of the benefits which he is said to
have conferred upon " the Cymry," whom he is recorded to have
instructed in the useful arts of agriculture, before their arrival in
1 "This meane
whyle came a messager from kynge Ryons of North walys.
And kynge he was of all Ireland and of many lies. And this was his message
gretynge wel kynge Arthur in this manere wyse sayenge, that kynge Ryons had
discomfyte and ouercome xi kynges, and everyche of hem did hym homage, and
that was this, they gaf hym their berdys clene flayne of, as mocbe as ther was,
wherefor the messager came for kyng Arthurs herd. For kyng Ryons had
purfyled a mantel with kynges berdes, and there lacked one place of the mantel,
wherfor he sent for his berd or els he wold entre in to his landes, and brenne
and slee, & neuer leue tyl he haue the hede and the berd. Wel sayd Arthur
thow hast said thy message, the whiche is the most vylaynous and lewdest
message that euer man herde sente vnto a kynge. Also thow mayst see, my berd
is ful yong yet to make a purfyl of hit. But telle thow thy kynge this, I owe
hym none homage, ne none of myn elders, but or it be longe to, he shall do m
hommage on bothe his kneys, or els he shall lese his hede by the feith of my
body, for this is the most shameful lest message that euer I herd speke of. I hare
aspyed, thy kyna met neuer yet with worshipful man, but telle hym, I wyll haue
his hede withoute he doo me homage, thenne the messager departed." Morte
Arthur, I. c. xxvii.
2 Cambro-Briton, I. II. p. 61. Cambrian Register, III. p. 165.
p. 129.
Triads 4, 5, 54, 56, 57, 92, 97.
328 Notes
Britain, and while they remained in the Summer country, which
an ancient commentator has described to be that part of the East
now called Constantinople. The next benefit that he conferred on
the people, of whom he thus appears to have been the head, was the
dividing of them into various tribes, and directing them at the same
time to unity of action, for which he is represented as one of the three
primary System-formers of the nation of the Cymry. In addition to
this, he is further commemorated as having been the first who
devised the application of song to the preservation of record and
invention, and as having contributed thereby to the institution of
Bardism. The occurrence, last in succession, appears to have been
his arrival in the Isle of Britain, with the nation of the Cymry, whom
he is stated, in two Triads, to have conducted from the Summer
country already noticed, here called Deffrobani, and a colony of
whom he is also said to have fixed at the same time in Armorica, on
the coast of Gaul. And his landing in this country, as we find from
another of these ancient documents, was not marked by any char-
acteristics of violence ; for he is described as not desirous of obtaining
dominion by war and bloodshed, but by justice and peace, for which
reason his followers are ranked among the three gentle tribes of the
Isle of Britain. 1
THE BASKET OF GWYDDNEU GARANHIR. Page 114.

This marvellous basket is reckoned amongst the thirteen precious
things of the Island of Britain. In the following catalogue of these
treasures, which is copied from an old MS. in the collection of Mr.
Justice Bosanquet, its properties are, however, made to differ slightly
from those assigned to it by Yspaddaden :
1 . the sword of Rhydderch Hael ; if any man drew it

Dyrnwyn
except himself, it burst into a flame from the cross to the point, and
all who asked it received it ; but because of this property all shunned
it : and therefore was he called Rhydderch Hael.
2. The basket of Gwyddno Garanhir ; if food for one man were
put into it, when opened it would be found to contain food for
one hundred.
3. The horn of Bran Galed j what liquor soever was desired was
found therein.
4. The chariot of Morgan Mwynvawr ; whoever sat in it would
be immediately wheresoever he wished.
5. The halter of Clydno Eiddyn, which was
in a staple below the
feet of his bed ; and whatever horse he wished for in it, he would
find it there.
6. The knife of Llawfrodded Farchawg ; which would serve four-
and-twenty men at meat all at once.
7. The cauldron at Tyrnog if meat were put in it to boil for a
;
coward it would never be boiled, but if meat were put in it for a

brave man it would be boiled forthwith.
* Cambro Briton II. p. 61, where will be found a summary of the opinions
concerning Hu Gadarn.
Notes 329
8. The whetstoneTudwal Tudclud ; if the sword of a brave
of
man were sharpened thereon, and any one were wounded therewith,
he would be sure to die, but if it were that of a coward that was
sharpened on it, he would be none the worse.
9. The garment of Padarn Beisrudd ; if a man of gentle birth put
it on, him well, but if a churl it would not fit him.
it suited
10. ii. The pan and the platter of Rhegynydd Ysgolhaig ; what-
ever food was required was found therein.
12. The chessboard of Gwenddolen ; when the men were placed
upon it, they would play of themselves. The chessboard was of
gold, and the men of silver.
13. The mantle of Arthur; whosoever was beneath it could see
everything, while no one could see him.
This version is rather different from that given by Jones, in his
Welsh Bards, 1 which omits the halter of Clydno Eiddyn, but adds
the mantle of Tegau Eurvron, which would only fit such ladies
as were perfectly correct in their conduct, and the ring of Luned,
by which she effected the release of Owain the son of Urien, as
has already been seen in the story of the Lady of the Fountain j
whoever concealed the stone of this ring became invisible
Gwyddno Garanhir, the possessor of the basket, was the Prince of
Cantref y Gwaelod, which was overflowed by the sea. This event
will be detailed hereafter in the notes to another Mabinogi, where
it is more
particularly referred to.
THE HARP OF TEIRTU. Page 115.

The harp of Teirtu appears to be alluded to by Davydd ab
Edmwnt, a bard who flourished about the middle of the fifteenth
century. In an elegy which he composed on a celebrated harper,
named Sion Eos, or John the Nightingale (who suffered death for
manslaughter, although his weight in gold was offered to redeem his
the bard, addressing Reinallt, a once rival harper, says
life), :
" His
companion has become silent,
The turtle-dove of the Harp of Teirtud." 8
This passage has generally been considered to refer to the Triple

Harp and it is likely that Teirtu, who was probably the inventor
;
as well as the possessor of this harp, may have derived his name or
cognomen from the instrument's triple row of strings.
St. Dunstan's harp is said to have been endued with the same
miraculous powers as that of Teirtu ; when suspended against the
walls of his cell, it was wont to pour forth the most harmonious
sounds, without the intervention of any visible hand.
I have heard that a Welsh nursery tale is still current, of a
harp
possessing equally wonderful properties. This harp belonged to a
giant and
;
a dwarf, named Dewryn Fychan, endeavoured to purloin
it ; but as he carried it off the harp commenced
playing, and aroused
1 Welsh Bards, II. p. 47. 2 Welsh Bards,
Jones's Jones's I. p. 44.
33 Notes
the giant, who immediately set off in pursuit of the offender. A
similar tale exists in English.
There is a place called Castell Teirtud, mentioned in the Liber
Landavensis, as being in Breconshire, in the hundred of Builth.
P. 374-
TWRCH TRWYTH. Page 116.
It may be a matter of controversy, which in the present imperfect

state of Welsh MSS. might be difficult to determine, whether certain
lines of Aneurin's Gorchan Cynvelyn (Incantation of Cynvelyn) were
intended to refer to the very ancient tradition of the Twrch Trwyth.
1
Davies, in his "Mythology of the Druids," and Jones, in his
" Relics of the Welsh 2
Bards," appear to have no doubt upon the
subject, and in that spirit quote the passage, which the learned Dr.
Owen Pughe has also thus translated. 8
"Were I to compose the strain were I to sing magic spells would
spring, like those produced by the circle and wand of Twrch Trwyth."
Such authority is of great weight, when we consider the mass of
information possessed by Dr. O. Pughe, on matters of this kind,
and his facilities for consulting the various readings of different MSS.
between which important variations sometimes exist.
Davies states that he considers that a passage in a very old and
curious MS. of Aneurin, now in the possession of the Rev. Thomas
Price, of Crickhowel, alludes to objects represented on the ancient
British coins ; and when the description contained in his translation
b compared with the figures referred to, it must be acknowledged
that the coincidence appears very striking. The Gorchegin, high
shoots, appear on several coins, but more particularly do we remark
the Trychetin Try chin ffwrch, or monstrous horse cut off from the
haunches ; the CamCaffan, or hoof with the capped stick ; the
Esgyrnvyr, short bones, of the legs separated from the body ; yr
vach varchogion, the diminutive riders (beads or circles on the mane
and the back) ; the ysfach, bird's beak, instead of the horse's head :
and when we add to this the Incantation of Cynvelyn, corresponding
with the name of Cunobeline on the coin, we can hardly suppose
that the whole is the effect of accident ; if the connexion is so far
established, we may perhaps be allowed to suggest that the figure of
the boar on some of the coins is referred to in the words Trychdrwyt
in the third line of the poem.
Some have supposed that the distorted figure of the horse is
merely the result of want of skill in the artist, but it is evidently
a mistake, as the other parts of the coins are finished in such a
manner as totally to preclude any such idea. Even the bird's beak,
and the small object which it holds, are executed with considerable
attention, and no small care seems to have been taken to preserve
the separation between the bones of the legs and the body of the
1 2 Welsh Bards,
Myth, of the Druids, p. 42. Jones's II. p. 13.
* Gentleman's
Magazine, Nov. 1790.
Notes 331
animal. All this occurring on coins of different dies, clearly shows
an uniformity of design, and tends greatly to corroborate Davies's
hypothesis.
Besides the specimens in the British Museum, there is a beautiful
gold coin of this class in the possession of the Rev. John Jones
(Tegid), found near Oxford, which shows the above characteristics
very distinctly.
During the middle ages, the story of the Twrch Trwyth was
current amongst the Welsh, and Lewis Glyn Cothi alludes to him
in these words,
" He would
destroy the towns with wrath, wounds, and violence ;
he would tear down all the towers like the Twrch Trwyth." 1
We find a direct reference to the hunt of the Twrch Trwyth in the
catalogue of the marvels of the Island of Britain, which in some
"
copies is appended to the "Historia Britonum of Nennius. The
MS. from which the passage is copied into this place is preserved in
the British Museum (Harleian MSS. 3859), and is pronounced by
the learned editor of " Nennius
"
to be of the tenth century. 2
" Est aliud mirabile in
regione quse dicitur Buelt. Est ibi cumulus
lapidum, et unus lapis superpositus super congestum, cum vestigio
canis in eo. Quando venatus est porcum Troynt, impressit Cabal,
qui erat canis Arthur! militis, vestigium in lapide, et Arthur postea
congregavit congestum lapidum sub lapide in quo erat vestigium
canis sui, et vocatur Carn Cabal. Et veniunt homines et tollunt
lapidem in manibus suis per spacium diei et noctis, et in crastino die
invenirur super congestum suum." P. 60.
There is another wonder in the region called Buelt. There is a
heap of stones, and one stone laid on the heap having upon it the
footmark of a dog. When he hunted the swine Troynt, 8 Cabal,
which was a dog of the warrior Arthur, impressed the stone with
the print of his foot, and Arthur afterwards collected a heap of
stones beneath the stone in which was the print of his dog's foot,
and it is called Carn Cabal. And people come and take away the
stone in their hands for the space of a day and a night, and on the
next day found on its heap.
it is
The of this story of the Twrch Trwyth being found in a MS.

fact
of so early a date, appeared at once so interesting and important
that a facsimile of the whole passage relating to the event was taken
from the venerable document, and inserted in my edition of the
Mabinogion, II. 1840. But if we are surprised to find this singular
hunt thus recorded, and even the name of Arthur's dog Cavall pre-
served in connexion with it, much more may we be astonished to
learn that Carn Cavall is no fabulous mound, the creation of the poet
or romancer's fancy, but is actually a mountain in the district of
Builth, to the south of RhayaderGwy, and within sight of that town.
Such was the interest excited in my mind by the discovery of the
1 See Dr. Owen's
Pughe's Dictionary, II. p. 206. 8vo. 1832.
2 See Mr. Stevenson s Preface to the Edition of Nennius, published
by the
English Historical Society. London, 1838, p. xxi.
8 Another MS. has Troit, which is still nearer to the Welsh
Trwyth.
332 Notes
existence of such a remarkable piece ol evidence, corroborative of
the great antiquity of the traditions contained in the Mabinogi of
Kilhwch, that I prevailed upon a gentleman to undertake a pil-
grimage for me to the summit of Cefn Cam Cavall. The following
is the account he wrote me of his expedition ; whether he has suc-
ceeded in finding the stone itself, bearing the imprint of Cavall's
footstep, I must leave to others to determine.
"Cam Cavall, or, as generally pronounced, Corn Cavall, is a
it is
lofty and rugged mountain, upper part of the district anciently

in the
called Buellt, now written Builth, in Breconshire. Scattered over
this mountain are several earns of various dimensions, some of which
are of very considerable magnitude, being at least a hundred and fifty
feet in circumference. On one of these earns may still be seen a stone,
so nearly corresponding with the description in Nennius, as to furnish
strong presumption that it is the identical object referred to. It is
near two feet in length, and not quite a foot wide, and such as a man
might, without any great exertion, carry away in his hands. On
the one side is an oval indentation, rounded at the bottom, nearly
four inches long by three wide, about two inches deep, and altogether
presenting such an appearance as might, without any great strain of
imagination, be thought to resemble the print of a dog's foot ; on a
more minute inspection it will be found that although there is
towards the middle part a slight mark corresponding with the ball
of the foot, yet the divisions of the toes and marks of the nails are
wanting ; but when we make allowance for the effect of a thousand
winters in this high and stormy region, it is not too much to suppose
that at one time the resemblance was still more striking.
' '
As the stone is a species of conglomerate, it is possible that some
unimaginative geologist may persist in maintaining that this foot-
print is nothing more than the cavity, left by the removal of a
rounded pebble, which was once imbedded in the stone ; such an
opinion scarcely requires a remark."
MABON THE SON OF MODRON. Page 117.

Both the Triads relating to Mabon's mysterious captivity are cited
in this volume on p. 405. One of them (Triad 61) places his
prison among the Gwyddyl Ffichti in Alban, and represents his
whole kindred as having shared it with him. In the Graves of
the Warriors we find,
" The
grave in the upland of Nanllau ;
His story no one knows,

MabonthesonofModronthe sincere." Myv. Arch. I. p. 78.
He would seem to be alluded to as Mab

a Mydron, the servant
of Uthir Pendragon, in the dialogue between Arthur, Kai, and Glew-
Iwyd, where Mabon ab Mellt is also mentioned. See p. 321.
Notes 333
OUSEL OF CILGWRI. Page 123.
Davydd ap Gwilym was acquainted with the tradition of these

ancient animals, as is proved by his poem entitled " Yr Oed." He
has, however, altered their localities. His mistress having disap-
pointed him in keeping an engagement, he complains that the delay
was so tedious to him that he might be compared to the inhabitant
of Gwernabwy ; for though it was true he was no Eagle, still, having
waited for three generations, he had, through long tarrying, come
to resemble that venerable bird ;
and he adds that for love he had
grown as infirm as the stag of Cilgwri, and as grey as the owl of
Cwm Cawlwyd.
The CwmCawlwyd is probably the territory which belonged to
Caw and his descendants, who are always styled Lords of Cwm
Cawlywd, in North Britain. There is a place of this name in
Caernarvonshire, and another in Carmarthenshire. Cilgwri is in
Flintshire.
LLUDD LLAW EREINT. Page 1*5.

Lludd LI aw Ereint, an ancient king of Britain, will be better
known to the English reader by the name of King Lear, or Llyr,
as it is written by the Welsh, who celebrate him under the appella-
tion of Lludd and Llyr, indiscriminately.
LLAMREI. Page 128.
This Mare of Arthur's was very celebrated. Her name implies

bounding or curvetting. Taliesin speaks of her in his Can y Meirch,
as "Llamrei full of vigour." Myv. Arch. I. p. 44.
FORTH KERDDIN. Page 129.
The precise position of this harbour is not easily ascertained. The
proximity of places called Pen Arthyr and Trelethin (probably Tre
Lwydden ap Kelcoed) would induce a conjecture of Porthmawr,
near St. David's Head, Pembrokeshire, being the site of Forth
Kerddin. The words in the text, however, " And there is the
measure of the cauldron," would favour the supposition of Forth
Kerddin being another place in the same county, now called Pwll
Crochan (the pool of the cauldron), about five miles westward from
the town of Fishguard. It may not be irrelevant to remark that
the whole surrounding district abounds with Druidical and other
ancient remains. Not far from it is a small village alleged to have
been the birthplace of the celebrated Asser Menevensis, whose name
it bears ; and about two miles from Tre Asser is a
place where an
ancient British town is said to have been founded by the hero of the
present tale, and after him called Tref Kilhwch, the only remains
of which are some foundations of houses occasionally met with in
ploughing.
THE SUMMER COUNTRY (GWLAD YR HAF). Page 130.

This name stands translated in the text as the Summer Country,
334 Notes
which is its literal meaning. This is the way in which it is usually
rendered with reference to Triad 4, where it is said that Hu Gadarn
came over with the race of the Cymry from the Gwlad yr Hav, con-
sidered to be somewhere near Constantinople. In the present
instance, however, it may have been intended to allude to Somerset-
shire, of which Gwlad yr Hav is the Welsh appellation, and with
which the etymology of the Havren (Severn) is probably connected.
FORTH CLEIS. Page 131.

This place, at which the Twrch Trwyth landed, and commenced
his devastating expedition through the Principality, is a small but
well-known harbour in Pembrokeshire, at the estuary of the river
Alun. Although it is only capable of affording accommodation to
what are now termed small craft, it was, in times past, a much
frequented port, and was the landing-place in several marauding
excursions of the Gwyddyl Ffichti, one of whom, named Boia, is
recorded in the Liber Landavensis as having been the source of great
annoyance to St. David and St. Telliaw. The former of these saints
is traditionally reputed to have been a native of Forth Cleis, and to
have been baptized at a holy well in its immediate vicinity.
Mynyw, or St. David's, is the next place mentioned in the progress
of the Twrch Trwyth, and we thence trace him to Aber deu Gleddyf,
or Milford Haven. On leaving Aber deu Gleddyf, we find him
overtaken by Arthur while destroying the herds of Kynwas Kwrr y
Vagyl, and this we may conjecture to have occurred at a place still
called Kynwaston or Canaston, not far from Narberth. Blaengwaith
Noe ab Arthur, near Lampeter Velfrey, and Buarth Arthur, and the
Cromlech of Gwal y Filast, or Bwrdd Arthur (Arthur's Table), in the
parish of Llanboipy, probably mark the course of this singular hunt
to the Preselly Mountains, the highest range in Pembrokeshire. At
the eastern extremity of these mountains rises the river Nyver, or
Nevern, on the banks of which the British warriors drew themselves
up in array, and close to the highest peak of the range, named
Preselly Top, is the dingle of CwmKerwyn, where the Twrch Trwyth
is said to have committed such dreadful havoc among Arthur's
champions. Within a distance of two miles, Arthur's name is again

perpetuated in the rugged summit of Carn Arthur, whence the
imagination may easily trace some remembrance of the Twrch
Trwyth and his progeny, in the names of the opposite eminence,
Moel Dyrch ; and of Tre Dyrch, the adjacent farm.
Leaving the Preselly Mountains, and passing through Aberteivi or
Cardigan town, the Twrch Trwyth again appears in Dyffryn Llychwr,
or Loughor, on the confines of Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan.
The Dyffryn Amanw of the tale is identical with the valley of the
river Amman, which falls into the Llychwr some few miles from
the sea. In the Mynydd Amanw we recognize the lofty heights,
which form a natural boundary between the counties of Brecon and
Carmarthen, called Mynydd Du, and Bannau Sir Gaer, or the Black
Notes 335
Mountain and Carmarthenshire Vans. On this range tradition has
assigned to Arthur a resting-place of the most ample dimensions,
called Gwely Arthur, or Arthur's Bed, and near to the spot where
the river Amman rises is an elevated knoll, called Twyn y Moch, at
the foot of which is Llwyn y Moch, both of which names may bear
some allusion to the adventures detailed in the text. The same re-
mark may be said to apply to the adjacent river Twrch, which rises
on the Van, and runs into the Tawy, below Ystradgynlais. Another
singular coincidence may be traced between the name of a brook in
this neighbourhood, called Echel, and the Echel Forddwyttwl, who
is recorded in the tale as having been slain at this period of the
chase. On the Llangadock side of the Black Mountain we meet
with fresh reminiscences of the British monarch in Pen Arthur, and
Coiten Arthur. The latter is one of two large rocks in the bed of
the Sawdde river, said to have been the hero s quoit, which he flung
from the summit of Pen Arthur to its present position ; a distance of
about a mile. The rock beside the Coiten was thrown into the
stream from the same eminence by a lady of those days, being a
pebble in her shoe which gave her some annoyance. As there are
several localities on the Tywi bearing the appellation of Dinas,
it would be difficult to determine to which of them Din
Tywi is
intended to refer.
At Ystrad Yw, we find ourselves once more on well-known
ground, and hence we may conjecture that the course of the Twrch
Trwyth lay across Carn Cavall and the Brecon Mountains to
l
Abergwy, where the Wye falls into the Severn below Chepstow,
and where the princely monster also dashes into the flood, to appear
again but for a moment in Cornwall, before he vanishes entirely from
our view.
LLYN LLIWAN. Page 133.
Whether the immersion of the boar Trwyth into the Severn near
Llyn Lliwan, or Llinlivan, as it is generally called, has any reference
to the wonders that characterise that remarkable spot, does not ap-
pear, but it would seem reasonable to suppose that something more
than a natural cause must have led to the marvellous results thus
related in the tract De Mirabilibus Britanniae, attached to some of
the copies of Nennius.
" There is another 8
wonder, which is Oper Linn Liuan, the mouth
of which river opens into the Severn ; and when the tide flows into
the Severn, the sea in the like manner flows into the mouth of the
above-named river, and is received into a pool at its mouth, as into
a gulf, and does not proceed higher up. And there is a beach near
the river, and when the tide is in the Severn, that beach is not
covered ; and when the sea and the Severn recede, then the pool
Liuan disgorges all that it had swallowed from the sea, and that
beach is covered therewith, and it discharges and pours it out in one
1 The summit of which
still retains the name of Cadair Arthur. There is
Cwm
also in Breconshire a valley bearing the name of one of the pigs ; Banw.
2
Probably acorrupted form of the Welsh " AberLlyn Llivan."
336 Notes
wave, in size like to a mountain. And if there should be the whole
army of all and they should turn their faces to-
that country there,
wards the wave, it would draw the army to it by force, their clothes
being full of moisture, and their horses would be drawn in like
manner. But should the army turn their backs towards the wave,
it will not injure them. And when the sea has receded, then the
whole beach which the wave had covered is left bare again, and the
sea retires from it." 1
In an expedition of Arthur's to the North, the Scots fled before
him, and betook themselves to the Lake Llumonyw (probably Loch
Lomond), in which were sixty islands and sixty rocks, and on each
an eagle's nest. Every first of May these came together, and from
the sound of their voices the men of that country knew what should
befall during the coming year. And sixty rivers fell into this
remarkable lake, but only one river ran from the lake to the sea.
Arthur soon dislodged his opponents from their stronghold, the
singular nature of which excited great surprise in the mind of Howel
the son of Emyr Llydavv, who accompanied him. But when Howel
expressed his wonder at it, Arthur told him that there was a still
more marvellous lake not far thence, which was twenty feet long and
twenty feet broad, and consequently square and it contained four
;
different races of fishes, and a fish was never found in a part of

the lake occupied by a race to which it did not belong. * And 5
he told him also that there was another lake in Wales near the
Severn, which the men of that country called Llyn Llivan ; and that
lake, when the sea flowed, received water into it, and swallowed it
as though it had been a mountain, until it overflowed its banks ;
and if it chanced that any stood with their faces towards the lake,
and any of the spray of the water touched their clothes, it was hard
for them to avoid being drawn into the lake ; but if their backs were
towards it, how near soever they might stand to its edge, it would
have no effect upon them. Brut Gruffudd ab Arthur. Myv. Arch.
II. p. 310.
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY.

MADAWC THE SON OF MAREDUDD. Page 135.
Maredudd ap Bleddyn, the father of Madawc, after much contest
acquired possession of the sovereignty of the whole principality of
Powys. He married Hunydd the daughter of Eunydd, chief of
one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, and Lord of Dyffryn
Clwyd and Allington, and died in 1129 ; his son Madawc succeeded
him in one-half of his possessions, which thence acquired the name
of Powys Fadawc. Maredudd had been one of the most strenuous
and successful opponents of the Normans, celebrated by the national
records. It was he who checked the progress of Henry I., who, in
1 Nennius. Published
by the English Historical Society. London, 1838, p. 57.
2 This
appears to be the same as the marvel described in the Catalogue
appended to Nennius, where it is styled Finnaun Guur Helic, and is placed in
the region of Cinlipluc.
Notes 337
one of his invasions of Wales, narrowly escaped being slain by a
body of archers that Maredudd had dispatched to meet him ; an
arrow shot by one of their number actually glanced from the breast-
plate of the royal invader. But the son of Maredudd was not
distinguished for equal ardour in his country's cause on the con- ;
trary, Madawc combined with Henry II. in the attacks he made

upon Wales in 1158, and during that monarch's first and unsuccess-
ful campaign, took the command of the English ships, and ravaged
the shores of Anglesey. In this expedition, however, Madawc was
defeated with much loss. Powell says of him, that he was " euer
the king of Englands freend, and was one that feared God, and
l
releeued the poore."
He was a prince of more than common talent, and was highly
extolled by contemporary bards and historians. Amongst others,
Gwalchmai composed several poems in his praise. 2
Madawc's wonted prudence appears to have forsaken him in the
decline of life. There is an anecdote relating to him which, as it
exists only in MS., is probably not generally known. 8 It is to the
effect that in his later years he took for his second wife an English
lady, Matilda Verdun by name, upon whom, and upon any children
he might have by her, he settled the Lordship of Oswestry. This
lady inveigled the prince to Winchester, where her party was power-
ful. There, upon some excuse, he was put in durance, and while in
that state was prevailed upon to execute another deed, whereby he
settled the said Lordship of Oswestry upon Matilda, and any
children she might have after his decease. The prince died soon
after the execution of this deed, and his body was conveyed from
Winchester to Meivod, in Montgomeryshire, the burying-place of
his family, where it was deposited in the Church of St. Mary,
which he himself had built some years before. His widow, Matilda,
scarce took time to dry her tears before she married John Fitzalan,
who thereby became Lord of ** Oswaldstree." 4
By his first wife, Susanna, daughter of Gruffydd ab Conan, Prince
of North Wales, Madawc left several children.
He built the Castle of Oswestry, and a castle at Caer Einion,
near Welshpool. Several places in their neighbourhood, and in
that of Meivod still bear his name.
POWYS WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES, ETC. Page 135.

That part of the ancient principality of Powys, which belonged
to Madawc ab Maredudd, extended from the vicinity of Chester to
1 2
Page 210. Myvyrian Archaiology; I.
p.
200.
3 For this anecdote, as well as much of the topographical information con-
for
tained in the notes to the Tale of Rhonabwy, I am indebted to the kindness of
the Rev. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain).
4
John's grandson, Richard Fitzalan, was the first Earl of Arundel of that
name. In the time of Edward III. another Richard Fitzalan, fourth in descent
from the above-mentioned Matilda Verdun, was at the same time Earl of
Arundel, and in right of his mother^ Earl Warren and Surrey. He was also
Lord of Clun and Oswaldstree, in Shropshire, and Lord of Bromfield, Yale,
Chirkland, and Dinas Bran, in North Wales.
338 Notes
the uplands of Arwystli, now known as the Plinlimmon range of
mountains. This is expressly stated by Gwalchmai, in his Elegy
upon that Prince, in which he boasts that the sovereignty of his
patron reached from the summit of Plinlimmon to the gates Oi
Caerlleon, or Chester. Myv. Arch. I. 202.
In more remote times Powys was of much greater extent. Powell
tells us, in his History of Wales, that
"
Powys before king Offas
time reached Eastward to the riuers of Dee and Seauerne, with a
right line from the end of Broxen hilles to Salop, with all the
countrie betweene Wye and Seauerne, whereof Brochwel yscithroc
was possessed but after the making of Offas ditch the plaine
:
countrie toward Salop, being inhabited by Saxons and Normans,

Powys was in length from Pulford bridge Northeast, to the confines
of Caerdigan shire, in the parish of Lhanguric in the Southwest ;
and in bredth from the furthest part of Cyuelioc Westward, to

Elsmere on the Eastside. This countrie or principalitie of Powys
was appointed by Roderike the Great for the portion of his third
sonne Anarawd, and so continued intierlie vntill the death of Blethyn
ap Convyn. After whom, although the dominion was diminished
whom the said dominion was diuided." l Madawc's share was

further divided amongst his three children, from whose immediate
descendants it was gained, by fraud or violence, by their Norman
neighbours. Gruffydd's descendants, the first of whom was the
celebrated Owain Cyveiliog, succeeded for three generations, to an
unbroken inheritance, but in the fourth it was distributed among
six sons, and finally passed away to several remote heirs. One, and
apparently the most considerable of them, was represented by the
Cheretons, afterwards Gray, Barons of Powys, from whom are the
Vernons of Hodnet and other illustrious Norman families.
This passage would lead us to consider the Porfoed mentioned in
the Tale, as identical with Pulford, and the locality of this place,
added to the similarity of names, favours the supposition. The
situation, however, of Merford, a lordship in the parish of Gresford,
midway between Wrexham and Chester, and of which the name
bears at least an equal resemblance to that of Porfoed, renders it
doubtful which of the two is alluded to in the text. Merford con-
tains some interesting remains of a British camp, called the Roft,
commanding a most extensive view of the counties of Chester and
Salop.
The Gwauan, in Arwystli, spoken of as being at the other ex-
tremity of Powys, may possibly be one of the several spots now
bearing the name of Waun in the Plinlimmon range.
The Cambrian Quarterly gives some ancient lines on the confines
of Powys.
" From Cevn
yr Ais, and from Chester to Eisteddva Gurig, and
1
Page an.
Notes 339
from Garn Gynnull on the river Conwy to Rhyd Helyg on the
1
river Wye."
lORWERTH THE SON OF MAREDUDD. Page 135.
lorwerth was the son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn, by his second
wife Eva, daughter of Bledrws ab Ednowain Bendew, chief of one of
the fifteen noble tribes. His father bestowed upon him the Lord-
ship of Mochnant, near Oswestry, and he went by the name of
lorwerth Goch of Mochnant. Like most princes of his age, lorwerth
was a warrior, and in 1 1 56 he sided with Henry II. against his
neighbour Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, and during the
contest that ensued between the English and the Welsh, he took and
razed to the ground the castle of lal or Yale, which Owain had
The site of this fortress is still to
built only ten years previously.
be seen on a tumulus called Tomen Rhodwydd, by the roadside
about halfway between Llangollen and Rhuthin. The partiality
evinced by lorwerth to the English interest, caused his nephews,
Owain Cyveiliog and Owain Vychan, to unite their forces against
him, and they succeeded in expelling him from his patrimony of
Mochnant, which they divided between them, the former taking
possession of Uwch Rhaiadr, and the latter of Is Rhaiadr.
lorwerth married Maude, the daughter of Roger de Manley of
Cheshire.
It is supposed by some, that the tribe (Gwelygordd) of lorwerth
iscelebrated by Cynddelw, in his poem called Gwelygorddeu Powys,
under the title of Yorwerthyawn. Myv. Arch. I. 256.
It is also thought that lorwerth, after his expulsion from Moch-
nant, settled on the English side of OflFa's dyke, for we find his
2
grandson (some say his son), Sir Gruffydd Vychan, called by the
Welsh " Y Marchog Gwyllt o Gaer Howel," the Wild Knight of
Caerhowel, living at a mansion still known by that name at Edgerly,
in the county of Salop, near the ford on the Vyrnwy, which in this
Mabinogi is designated Rhyd y Wilure. His descendants continued
in the same county ; and among their number we find another " Wild
Knight," Humphrey Kynaston the Wild, who during his outlawry,
in the reign of Henry VII. was the inhabitant of the cave, in the
bold sandstone rock at Ness Cliff, called after him Kynaston's Cave
and concerning whose feats many an old wife's tale is still current in
Shropshire.
FROM ABER CEIRAWC IN ALLICTWN VER, TO RHYD Y

WILURE. Page 136.
Aberceirawc, as the name implies, is
the point of the confluence
of the river Ceiriog with the Dee, which is not far below the town
of Chirk, and opposite to Wynnstay Park. Allictwn is doubtless to
be fixed at Allington in the immediate vicinity of Pulford, which, as
1 Cambr.
Quarterly, III. 403.
2 Sir Gruffydd Vychan was one of the earliest
knights of the military order
of St. John of Jerusalem.
34 Notes
we have already seen, was the extreme boundary of Madawc's pos-
sessions to the north-east ; and Rhyd y Wilure is Rhyd y Vorle, in
English Melverley, a ford upon the Vyrnwy, not far from the spot
where that river falls into the Severn. We
find accordingly that,
taking Aberceirawc as the centre of operations, Madawc caused the
search for his brother to be made a considerable way to the south,
and as far to the north as his dominion extended. It is said also
that some of the men that were on this quest, went as far as Nilly-
stan Trevan, which may possibly be Halistan Trevan, now called
" Tre wen
Halston, near Whittington, the (or white town) ym mron
"
y coed of Llywarch Hen. Haliston was a sanctuary from time
immemorial ; if lorwerth was a fugitive, he might have sought it <is
a place of refuge.
The river Vyrnwy, " the forkt Vurnway " of Drayton, is too well
known to need description but as its name occurs in the text, it
;
may be permitted to remark, that whenever the bards have occasion

to mention it, they do so in a spirit of affection which its beauty could
not fail to inspire.
KYNWRIG VRYCHGOCH, A MAN OF MAWDDWY. Page 136.
Mawddwy was one of the western "districts of ancient Powys ; it
now forms, in conjunction with Talybont, one of the hundreds of

Merionethshire. This district includes the wild range of mountains
of which Aran Fawddwy is the chief, and was in former times
notorious for the wild and lawless character of its inhabitants, too
well known by the appellation of the Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy,
the red-headed robbers of Mawddwy. The desperate deeds of these
men were the terror of all the surrounding country, on which they
levied a species of black-mail ; and to such an extent did they carry
their violence at last, that it was found necessary in 1554 to issue a
commission against them, under which about a hundred of their
number were hanged. Some of their kinsmen soon after revenged
them by the murder of Baron Owen, of Hengwrt, the chief of the
commission, whom they waylaid at Llidiart y Barwn, on his journey
to the assizes at Welshpool. After this, vigorous means were taken
for their extirpation, and they gradually disappeared. See Cambro-
Briton, I. 184.
lorwerth Goch, the lorwerth of the present Mabinogi, had a son
named Madawc Goch of Mawddwy, of whom the following notice
occurs in a MS. Book of Pedigrees, collected by J. G., Esq., in
" One
1697. Llywarch ab Cadfan, an opponent of Prince Llywelyn
ab lorwerth, was slain by this Madog Goch of Mawddwy ; and in
reward the Prince gave him the lands of Llywarch and his Arms,
which were, Argent, a Chevron party per pale Gules and Or, inter
3 Eagles sable, their heads and one leg grey, trippant, standing on
the sable leg 3 trefoils argent over each head." A singular piece of
:
heraldry.
It is not impossible that Kynwrig's designation of Vrychgoch may
Notes 341
have been grven in allusion to the characteristic complexion of the
men of Mawddwy.
MOELVRE IN KYNLLEITH. Page 136.
Kynlleith is a division of the hundred of Chirk in Denbighshire,
and takes its name from the river Kynlleith. One of the most
remarkable natural features of this district is the isolated mountain
Moelvre, the summit of which, called Cyrn y Moelvre, is more than
seventeen hundred feet above the level of the sea, and rises precipi-
tously from Llyn Moelvre, a lake about a mile in circumference,
situate on the western side of the mountain. One of the descendants
of Madawc ab Maredudd erected a residence at a place called
Moeliwrch, at a considerable elevation on the southern side of
Moelvre ; it continued for many centuries in the possession of his
family.
Kynlleith is noticed in Cynddelw's Marwnad Fadawg fab
Maredudd. Myv. Arch. I. 213.
ARGYNGROEG. Page 137.

In following Rhonabwy on his visionary journey, it may be allow,
able to suppose him crossing the Vyrnwy at Rhyd y Vorle (Melverley),
and then pursuing his course through the Deuddwr, between that
river and the Severn, till we come to the plains of Argyngroeg. The
district traversed is remarkably fertile. The Cambrian pedestrian,
David Thomas, in his metrical description of the Thirteen Counties
Df Wales, sang its praise about the year 1720. After naming
two places excelling in luxuriance, he exclaims "Dau le hyfryd,"
"
but above all, the Dolydd Hafren." Upon the Dolydd Havren it
"
was that Gwalchmai composed his Gorhoffet," in the twelfth
century, while he and his troop of North- Wallians were guarding
the opposite fords of the Severn against the progress of the English
invaders. Myv. Arch. I. 193.
That portion of the vale that bears the name of Argyngroeg,
modernized into Cyngrog, and to which this narrative more particu-
larly relates, consists of two townships, distinguished as Cyngrog
vawr, and Cyngrog vach, the former in the parish of Pool, the latter
in that of Guilsfield, and both side by side stretching to the Severn.
When the Irish and other freebooters were expelled in the fourth
century by the family of Cunedda Wledig, his son Rhuvon had a
great part of Denbighshire awarded him as his portion, which from
him was called Rhuvoniog, a name it retains to the present day. In
like manner, it is not improbable that Cyngar one of Cunedda's
descendants had a portion allotted to him at this place, which by
adding the usual termination og to his name would be called
Cyngarog, and abbreviated into Cyngrog. The names of Morganwg
and Brycheiniog, from Morgan and Brychan, are of similar origin.
In Cyngrog vawr lies the site of the Cistercian Abbey of Ystrad
Marchell (Strata Marcella), Alba Domus de Marcella, or Street
Marshall Abbey, as it is vulgarly called. Having probably been built
34 2 Notes
of wood, no traces of it now
The house and farm bearing
remain.
the name of "The Abbey " belong The Abbey
to the Earl of Powis.
was founded and well endowed by Owain Cyveiliog, Prince of Powys
upper, who, besides much of the upland and sheep pastures of
Cyveiliog, and even of Arwystli, granted to its inmates half
The monks of Marcella were
the fish caught in the river Dyvi.
reduced by decimation under Edward I. and finally expelled by
Henry VIII.
From Cyngrog, following the Vale of the Severn, we arrive at
the tributary stream of the Rhiw, whose Aber, or confluence with
the main stream, gives name by an ordinary abbreviation to the
church and village of Berriew ; and a little lower down occurs
"
Rhyd-y-Groes ar Havren," "The Cross, or Ford upon the
Severn."
The Ford still remains, but has been from time immemorial con-
verted into a ferry. At this point was carried on the chief commu-
nication between western Montgomeryshire, and the adjacent dis-
trict of Merioneth towards Shrewsbury. Here also are traces of a
second way leading westward towards the Gaer, an evident Roman
encampment. The intersection of these two roads appears to have
occurred at no great distance from the ford, which doubtless derived
its distinctive appellation of Y Groes, either from this circumstance,
or from the Rood or Cross often set up both in crossways and upon
the margins of fords.
The name Rhyd y Groes, no longer borne by the ford or ferry,
is now preserved in that of a farm about two miles and a half
distant, in the parish of Fordun near Montgomery, the property of

Mr. Price, of Gunley,
Upon the farm itself no remains have been discovered, but several
tumuli are found in its neighbourhood, the principal of which, "Hen
Domen" (formerly Tre' Baldwyn), is of considerable s;ze. There
are also British encampments in the adjacent parishes of Churchstoke
and Cher bury. 1
Rhyd y Groes is mentioned in the Welsh Chronicles, as the scene
of several conflicts between the Welsh and the Saxons ; in allusion
to which are those lines of Drayton,
" Here could I else recount the slaughter'd Saxon's gore,
Our swords at Crossford spilt on Severn's wand' ring shore."
Song ix.
Lines in which Drayton may probably have had in mind the victory
won over the Saxons, in the early part of the eleventh century,
" Y
by Gruffydd ab Llewelyn, called by way of eminence, tywysog
dewr."
The Ford near Montgomery was named as the place of meeting
between Prince Llewelyn ab Gruffydd, and the commissioners of
Edward I.
1
Acknowledgment should again be made in this place to the Rev Walter
.Davies, for the curious local information contained in this note,
Notes 343
IDDAWC CORDD PRYDAIN. Page 138.
The treachery of Iddawc or Eiddilig Cordd Prydain, 1 is the subject
of more than one of the Triads, 2 where he is said to have betrayed
Arthur by divulging his plans. The meeting between him and
Medrawd, with their men at Nanhwynain before the battle of Camlan,
is spoken of as one of the three traitorous meetings of the Island,
for there they plotted the betrayal of Arthur, which occasioned the
strength of the Saxons. In another place their ascendancy is attri-
buted to Iddawc's magical arts, which there were not warriors in the
Island capable of withstanding, so that the Saxons prevailed. This
magic, for which he is also greatly celebrated, was taught him by
Rhuddlwm Gawr.
The Triad which ranks Iddawc Cordd Prydain amongst the en-
3
chanters is prettily versified by Davydd ap Gwilym, who speaks of
him as an Irishman.
Iddawc was also, with Trystan and Gweirwerydd Vawr, one of the
three stubborn ones, whom none could divert from their purpose ; he
is supposed to have afterwards embraced a religious life, probably
when he did penance at Llechlas (possibly Glasgow), in North
Britain, as mentioned in the Tale. His name is found in the Cata-
logue of the Welsh Saints. Professor Rees, however, considers this
an error for Iddew ab Cawrda ab Caradawc Vreichvras, arising from
the similarity of their names. 4
CAMLAN. Page 138.

The
battle of Camlan was the last of Arthur's battles, and that in
which he lost his life. His opponents were headed by Medrawd, his
nephew, the son of his sister Anna and Llew ap Cynvarch.
The Triads assign two different causes for this battle. The one,
the blow given by Gwenhwyvar, Arthur's wife, to Gwenhwyvach ;
the other, the blow given to Medrawd by Arthur himself. The
events immediately preceding it, together with the account of the
battle itself as related in the Triads, and by Gruffydd ab Arthur, are
briefly as follows.
Lies, emperor of Rome, demanded from Arthur the tribute that
his ancestors had paid, from the time of Caswallawn the son of Beli
to that of Cystennin, Arthur's grandsire. The Roman Ambassadors
proceeded to Caerlleon upon Usk, when Arthur not only denied their
claim, but on the ground of the British origin of Bran and Con-
stantine, both Roman emperors, determined by a counterclaim to
retaliate. Medrawd was appointed Regent of the kingdom, whilst
Arthur and his Britons crossed the sea, and fought a battle in the
Cisalpine territory, in which the Roman emperor was slain, and both
parties sustained severe loss. The result of this encounter encouraged
Medrawd to attempt his uncle's throne. He seized upon the royal
1
Possibly Gordd Prydain, the hammer of Britain.
8 Triads 22, 20, 50,
90. 78.
8
Davydd ab Gwilym s Poems, 207. Cyffelybiad rhwng Morfudd a'r Delyn.
* Welsh Saints, p. 280.
344 Notes
residence of Gelliwig, dragged the queen Gwenhwyvar from her
throne (or, according to some versions, appropriated her as his wife),
and, strengthening himself by making treaties with the Saxons, Scots,
and Picts, collected a force of eighty thousand men to oppose his uncle's
landing. Arthur, however, disembarked at Port Hamwnt, and put
his rebellious nephew to flight after a hard fought engagement.
Medrawd retreated to Winchester, whither Arthur, after remaining
three days on the field of battle to bury the dead, followed him, and
gained a second victory ; upon this Medrawd fled into Cornwall,
but was overtaken on the banks of the Camlan, supposed to ue the
river Camel, in that county. The celebrated battle of Camlan
ensued. Arthur there gained the victory, but received a moital
wound at the hand of Medrawd, whom, however, he slew upon the
field ; he did not himself die on the spot, but was conveyed to
Avallach or Avalon, and the crown descended to Cystennin the son
of Kadwr, his kinsman. A mystery hangs over the final fate of
Arthur.
One of the Triads l
admits that Arthur died, and was buiied at
Avalon, nowGlastonbury, in Somersetshire, where we learn from
other authorities that Henry the II. many years afterwards discovered
what were said to be his remains, with the inscription, 2
" Hie " 3
facet Arthurus, rex quondam rexque futurus.
They were also visited, and a second time disinterred, by Edward I.
and his queen.

Medrawd, notwithstanding the treachery with which his career
ended, had always been considered a valiant warrior, and in the
Triads* he is styled one of the three kingly knights of Arthur's
Court, to whom no one could deny any thing by reason of their
courtliness. The peculiar qualities to which his persuasive powers
were due, were calmness, mildness, and purity.
ADAON THE SON OF TALIESIN. Page 140.

Adaon or Avaon, son of the chief of the bards, and a bard him-
self, was also celebrated for his valour. He was one of those three
1
Myv. Arch. II. p.
4.
2 Giraldus
Cambrensis, who says he saw the inscription, gives it thus : "Hie
jacet sepultus inclytus Rex Arthurus in insula Avallonia."
3 It
may be here permitted to quote old Lydgate's verses upon Arthur's
disappearance and expected return :
" He is a
King crouned in Fairie,
With scepter and sword and with his regally
Shall resort as Lord and Soveraigne
Out of Fairie and reigne in Bntaine ;
And repaire again the Round Table.

By prophesy Merlin set the date,
Among Princes King incomparable,
His seate againe to Caerhon to translate,
The Parchas sustren sponne so his fate,
His Epitaph recordeth so certaine
Here lieth K. Arthur that shall raigne againe."
* Triad 118.
Notes 345
dauntless chieftains whofeared nothing in the day of the battle and
strife, but rushed onwards regardless of death. Tr. 73.
This courage and daring supported him through all the dangers
of war. He fell at length by the hand of an assassin, Llawgad Trwm
Bargawd or Llawgad Trwm Bargawd Eiddyn, whose name is pre-
served only as the perpetrator of this crime. Tr. 47.
The bold and determined character of Avaon appears to have con-
tinued even after death, for there is a Triad (quoted, p. 414) in
which Avaon is spoken of as one of the grave-slaughtering ones, so
called from their having avenged their wrongs from their graves.
None of his poetry is known to be preserved, except the following
which is given in the Englynion y Clyweid. Myv. Arch. I. 173.
" Hast thou heard what Avaon
sang,
The son of Taliesin, of the recording verse?
The cheek will not conceal the anguish of the heart."
ELPHIN. Page 140.
Elphin was the son of Gwyddno Garanhir, the unfortunate king

whose possessions were submerged through the intemperance of
Seithenin, the person employed to attend to the sea-banks. Some
further particulars concerning him will be mentioned in a subsequent
Mabinogi.
BATTLE OF BADON. Page 141.
The battle of Badon or Badon Mount, was one of the later,
Nennius says the twelfth, and most successful of the battles fought
by Arthur and the British elders, against the Saxons under Cerdic.
The Britons not only gained the victory, but were by it enabled for
some time to hold the Saxons in check.
The date of the battle has been the subject of dispute. From the
persons engaged in it, it must be placed in the sixth century. A
passage in the Red Book of Hergest, fixes its chronology 128 years
after the age of Vortigern. The later Gildas, named Badonicus,
from his birth having taken place in the year of the battle, has left
a passage on the subject, which Bede appears to have misinterpreted,
and from which Mr. Stevenson, the last editor of Gildas, place >
the birth of his author, and therefore the date of the battle, in the
year 520.
The site of this conflict is also doubtful. Usher, following Cam-
den, fixes it at Bath, and Camden, led probably by the similarity of
names, gives his opinion in favour of Banner Down, near that city,
upon which, in common, however, with most of the neighbouring
heights, are remains of entrenchments more or less perfect. Carte
prefers what he calls Mount Badon, in Berkshire. It is remarkable
that the latter Gildas speaks of the battle as " obsessio," a siege.
He also places " Mons Badonicus " near to the mouth of the Severn
*' "
prope Sabrinae ostium ; but this latter passage has been considered
an interpolation. Mr. Freeman, whose historical and antiquarian
346 Notes
learning entitles his opinion to respect, suggests that Badon may
be identical with Badbury Rings, near Wimborne in Dorsetshire.
To quote more poetical authority, the feats performed by the hero
Arthur, at the battle of Badon Mount, are thus prettily celebrated
in Drayton's verse.
"
They sung how he himself at Badon bore that day,
When at the glorious gole his British scepter lay ;
Two dales together how the battel stronglie stood :
Pendragon's worthie son, who waded there in blood,

Three hundred Saxons slew with his owne valiant hand."
Song iv:
Cynddelw, and others of the Welsh Bards, speak of this fight with
becoming admiration.
OSLA GYLLELLVAWR. Page 141.
Ossa, or Osla, Gyllellvawr has already appeared in the Mabinogi

of Kilhwch, pp. 103 and 133, where his prowess in the hunt of the
Twrch Trwyth, occasioned the loss of his marvellous knife. From
his name, and from the part assigned to him in this Tale, he was
probably a Saxon ; the Ossa, it may be, of Nennius's genealogies.
This conjecture is strengthened by the epithet "Cyllellvawr" ; the
great or long knife, being in some measure associated with the Saxon
name, owing to the massacre of Stonehenge, commonly called the
" " Brad "l
Hen-
Treachery of the Long Knives," y Cyllyll hirion.
gist on that occasion is said to have invited the British Chieftains to
a banquet and conference at Ambresbury, when beside each was
placed a Saxon, who, at a signal agreed upon, drew forth his long
knife, and suddenly fell upon his neighbour. This scheme was so
effectually executed that four hundred and sixty of the British nobles
are supposed to have been slaughtered. They did not, indeed, fall
wholly unavenged ; some defended themselves valiantly, and killed
3
many of the Saxons with the stones that lay around. Eidiol, earl
of Gloucester, who was fortunate enough to escape the general car-
nage, slew seventy Saxons with his own hand ; the Triads say six
hundred and sixty. The circle of Stonehenge is said, though with
small semblance of probability, to have been erected by the Britons
as a monument of this massacre upon the spot on which it occurred!.
CARADAWC VREICHVRAS. Page 141.

Caradawc, like Trystan, and many other heroes whose names occur
in the Mabinogion, was celebrated both in Welsh and Norman story.
He was a son of Llyr Merini, a prince of Cornwall, and himself
8
chief elder of Gelliwig, the royal residence in that part of the Island,
l Triad 20.
Gruffydd ab Arthur. Myv. Arch. II. 254.
Eidiol is associated for his strength with Gwrnerth Ergydlym, who slew
the largest bear that ever was seen, with an arrow of straw ; and Gwgan Law-
gadarn, who rolled the stone of Maenarch from the valley to the top of the
hill, which not less than thirty oxen could
have drawn. Tr. 60.
8 Triad 64.
Notes 347
His mother was Gwen, grand-daughter ot Brychan, through whose
right he is supposed to have become ruler of the district
of Brychei-
According to the Triads, he was one of the battle knights of
1
niog.
2 he
Britain, and in an Englyn attributed to Arthur himself, is styled
"Caradawc pillar of the Cymry."

His prowess at the battle of Cattraeth, is also sung in the verse of
his contemporary Aneurin, 3 who calls several of his fellow- warriors
in evidence of his assertion.
" When Caradawc rushed into battle,
It was like the tearing onset of the woodland boar,
The bull of combat in the field of slaughter,
He attracted the wild dogs by the action of his hand.
My witnesses are Owain the son of Eulat,
And Gwrien, and Gwynn, and Gwriat
From Cattraeth and its carnage,
From the hostile encounter,
After the clear bright mead was served,
He saw no more the dwelling of his father."
From the latter part of this passage, it appears that Caradawc fell
in this battle, and the same is again repeated a few lines further on
in the passage quoted in the notes to Peredur ab Evrawc. See p.
39 1 -
Several Welsh families trace their pedigree to Caradawc.
Caradawc's horse Lluagor is recorded as one of the three battle
horses of the Island. 4
Tegau Eurvron, the beautiful wife of Caradawc, was no leas
renowned for her virtue than for her charms. In the Triads she is
spoken of as one of the three fair ladies, and one of the three chaste
damsels of Arthur's Court. 6 She possessed three precious things of
which she alone was worthy ; her mantle, her goblet of gold, and her
knife. She is frequently alluded to by the bards.
In Anglo-Norman Romance, Caradawc's cognomen of Vreichvras
*'
with the brawny arm," becomes " Brise Bras and he himself takes
his place as a principal hero of the Round Table. His wife preserves
her British character and attributes under a Norman garb, and is
well known as " faithful among the faithless
"
of Arthur's Court, the
heroine of the mantle, "over her decent shoulders drawn." Sir
Caradawc's well-founded confidence in his wife's virtue, enabled him
to empty the marvellous Horn, and carve the tough Boar's Head,
adventures in which his compeers failed. In token of the latter of
them, the Boar's head, in some form or other, appears as the armorial
bearing of all of his name.
The Trouveres have a pretty story in reference to the appellation
of Brise Bras which they rendered the "wasted arm." They tell of
an enchanter who fixed a serpent upon Caradawc's arm, from whose
1 * Triad
Jones's History of Brecknockshire, I. p. 53. 29.
Myv. Arch. I. p. 5. 4 Trioedd r
A
y Meirch, Myv. Arch.. II. p. 20.
6 Triads 10^, 108.
See Metrical and Prose versions of Perceval le Gallois.
348 Notes
wasting tooth he could never be relieved, until she whom he loved
best should consent to undergo the torture in his stead. His betrothed
on learning this, was not to be deterred from giving him this proof of
her devotion. As, however, the serpent was in the act of springing
from the wasted arm of the knight to the fair neck of the lady, her
brother, Kadwr, earl of Cornwall, struck off its head with his sword,
and thus dispelled the enchantment. Caradawc's arm, however,
never recovered its prestine strength and size, and hence, according
to some authorities, the name of Brise Bras.
name are mentioned,
In the life of St. Collen, two persons of the
one of whom wasthe ancestor of St. Collen himself, and was called
Vreichvras, because he broke his arm in the battle of Hiraddig, from
which injury that arm became larger than the other. He is expressly
distinguished from the other Caradawc Vreichvras the son of Llyr
Merini. See Greal, 337.
CEVN DIGOLL. Page 141.

Onthe eastern boundary of Montgomeryshire, we find situated
Cevn Digoll, called also " Hir Vynydd," or the Long Mountain.
From its natural position, it seems to have been considered as a
military post of some importance, and is celebrated as the scene of
several remarkable events. There is a Triad relating to the conflicts
that took place between Cadwallawn, and Edwin, King of Northum-
bria, on Cevn Digoll, in the early part of the seventh century, and
which is said to have occasioned one of the three discolourings of the
Severn, when that river was discoloured from its source to its
1
estuary.
These engagements are thus alluded to in an Elegy upon Cadwall-
awn ab Cadvan. Myv. Arch. I. 121.
"It was on Cevn Digoll that the Welsh maintained their last
struggle against Edward I. when Madawc, the son of Llewellyn ab
Grufrydd was defeated and taken prisoner by the Lords Marchers.
It was also said that Henry VII. encamped on this mountain, on his
march from Wales to Bosworth field. On the summit of Cevn
Digoll is a circular encampment, called the Beacon Ring. It is
several acres in extent, but there is no water within its limits."
MARCH, THE SON OF MEIRCHION. Page 141.

This prince, whose territory said to have been in Cornwall,
is
was particularly unfortunate in having such a nephew as Trystan,

and such a wife as Essyllt, the Yseult La Belle of the Trouveres.
As a possessor of ships he has been noticed, the Triad which
represents him as such being cited at p. 406. His grave is men-
tioned by the Englynion y Beddau, Myv. Arch. II. p. 81.
KADWR, EARL OF CORNWALL. Page 142.

In the wars of Arthur, as recounted by Gruffydd ab Arthur, Kadwr
bore a conspicuous part. He shared the dangers of the expedition
1 Triad Ixxv.
Notes 349
against the Romans, and was present at the battle in which the
emperor of Rome was slain. He assisted at the coronation of his
sovereign at Caerlleon upon Usk. Kadwr is mentioned in the Triads
as one of the three battle knights, who fled neither for spear, nor
arrow, nor sword, and who never shamed their leader in the day of
1
conflict.
His son Cystennin succeeded Arthur in his kingdom. Tegau
Eurvron, the virtuous wife of Caradawc Vreichvras, and the heroine
of the Mantel mal taille, appears to have been the sister of Kadwr.
Talieisin alludes to him in his poem entitled the Glaswawd
" He will spare no kindred,
Neither cousin nor brother ;
At the sound of Kadwr's horn
Nine hundred are stunned. "
OVERLAID WITH FINE SILVER. Page 147.

The words in the original are " Gwedy latteinu ac aryant coeth,"
being lattened over with refined silver. Latten, or laton, was a
mixed metal of the colour of brass, and was much employed in the
fourteenth century for monumental effigies. For this and many
other purposes it was prepared in the form of plate, and hence its
name seems occasionally to have been used to express a plate or
coating of metal generally, as in this particular instance of silver.
It may be remarked, that the term "latten" is still technically
applied to the thinnest manufactured iron plate.
RAVENS. Page 147.

The Ravens of Owain have already appeared in the Mabinogi of
larllesy Ffynawn, where they are said to have been three hundred
in number, and to have descended to their master from Cynvarch,
his paternal grandsire. It seems from passages in the writings of
various bards, that the tradition of this singular army was familiarly
current in the middle ages. It is alluded to by Bleddynt Vardd, in
an Elegy on Davydd, the son of Gruffydd (and brother to Llewelyn,
the last of the Welsh Princes), who was imprisoned and put to death
by Edward I. about 1283.
" A man he was with a battered shield and a
daring lance, in the
field of battle ;
A man proud to seek the furious trampling ;
A man whose warriors were proud of their stately array ;

A man of the cleaving stroke and broken spear, loving the fight ;
A man who caused the birds to fly upon the hosts [of slain]
Like the ravens of Owain eager for prey."
Lewis Glyn Cothi even mentions the particular staff or shaft, by
1
Myv. Arch. II. p. 80.
35 Notes
the uplifting of which the Ravens were inspirited to destroy Arthur's
pages and attendants, as related in the text.
" Owain son of Urien overthrew
The three towers of Cattraeth of old,
Arthur dreaded, as the flames,
Owain, his ravens, and his parti-coloured staff." Works, I. 140.
Another poem of his has also an allusion to the " Vran a'r vaner
Traith." I. 72.
SELYV THE SON OF KYNAN GARWYN. Page 148.

has been already noticed as one of the " grave-slaughtering
"
He
warriors of the Island of Britain, who avenged their wrongs from
their sepulchres. A
satire
upon his father, Kynan Garwyn, is
printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology, I. p, 168, among the Poems
of Taliesin, to whom it is assigned.
GWGAWN GLEDDYVRUD. Page 148.

We find the name
of this chieftain twice occurring in the Triads.
He is first noticed as one of the three stayers of slaughter l (ysgym-
mydd aereu), and afterwards, as one of the sentinels in the battle of
Bangor Orchard. Tr. Ixvi.
His grave is alluded to in the Englynion y Beddau. The passage
has been already quoted (p. 354).
The name of his horse, which was Buchestom, is preserved in the
Trioedd y Meirch.
RHIOGAN. Page 148.
This prince mentioned in the graves of the warriors.
is
" Whose is the

grave on the banks of the Rhydnant ?
Rhun was his name, of the steady progress,
He was a king Rhiogan slew him.
;
'
GWAIR THE SON OF GWESTYL. Page 148.

It would seem that personage was distinguished as being of a
this
peculiarly
dismal disposition, for we find him referred to as such
2
by Llywarch ab Llewelyn, in an Elegy on Hywel ap Gruffydd,
(who died in 1216,) where he tells us, that through grief for his
loss, his friends are become like Gwair ab Gwestyl. Myv. Arch. I.
p. 294.
And Einion in his Elegy on Madawc ab Gruffydd Maelor, a
Wan,
few years later, has the same expression in allusion to Madawc.
" The man who has become like Gwair ab Gwestyl."
It is not impossible that he is the same person as the Gwevyl
anab Gwestad, of Kilhwch and Olwen, whose melancholy was such
l The others were Morvran eil
Tegid, and Gilbert mab Cadgyffro. Tr. xxix.
* Commonly called Prydydd y Moch.
Notes 35 *
that " on the day that he was sad, he would let one of his lips
drop below his" waist, while he turned up the other like a cap
upon his head (p. 105).
The variation in the names is perhaps not greater than may be
accounted for by the errors into which the transcribers of the
olden time are well known to have but too frequently fallen.
In one version of the Triads, he is mentioned as one of the
three diademed chiefs of the Island, together with Kai, and Try-
stan mab Tallwch. 1 But others substitute for his name that of
Huail, the son of Kaw of Cwm Cawlwyd.
TRYSTAN THE SON OF TALLWCH. Page 149.

This personage is better known as the Tristan of Chivalric, and
the Sir Tristrem of Metrical Romance, than in his proper character
as a chieftain of the sixth century. In the Triads, 2 he is mentioned
as one of the three compeers of Arthur's Court, as one of the diademed
Princes, as one of the three Heralds, and as one of the three stubborn
ones, whom no one could deter from their purpose. His chief
celebrity, however, is derived from his unfortunate attachment to
Essyllt, the wife of his uncle, March ab Meirchion, which gained him
the appellation of one of the three ardent lovers of Britain. It was
owing to the circumstance of his having tended his uncle's swine,

whilst he despatched their usual keeper with a message to this lady,
that he became classed as one of the three swineherds of the Island.
There is a further Triad concerning Trystan, in which he is repre-
sented as able to transform himself into any shape he pleased.
Myv. Arch. II. p. 80.
MORYEN. Page 149.

A warrior whose name repeatedly occurs in the Gododin.
LLACHEU THE SON OF ARTHUR. Page 149.

Llacheu mentioned (p. 377) with Gwalchmai, and Rhi-
is
wallon of the broom blossom hair, as one of the learned ones of
the Island of Britain, to whom the elements and material essence of
every thing were known. He was no less renowned for warlike
prowess than for his deep knowledge, and is said to have fallen fight-
ing bravely for his country, in the battle of Llongborth, so celebrated
in the verse of Lly warch Hen. The death of Llacheu is thus alluded
to, in a curious Dialogue between Gwyn ab Nudd and Gwyddno
3
Garanhir.
" Iknow where Llacheu the son of Arthur
Renowned in song was slain,
When the ravens rushed upon blood."
1 Tr. xxiii. Myv. Arch. II., p. \v.
2 Triads 113, 102. See also the dialogue between him and
32, 69, 78,
Gwalchmai (p. 375).
3
352 Notes
RHYAWD THE SON OF MORGANT. Page 149.
celebrate him as one of the three irregular Bards of the
The Triads
Island of Britain, the other two being Arthur himself, and Cad-
wallawn the son of Cadvan. He also ranked with Trystan, and
Dalldav mab Kynin C6v, as one of the three compeers of Arthur's
Rhuddfrych was the name of his horse.
1
court.
GILBERT THE SON OF KADGYFFRO. Page 149.

Gilbert the son of Kadgyffro, has already been cited (p. 350) with
Gwgan Gleddyvrudd and Morvran Eil Tegid, as one of the three
stayers of slaughter. His name occurs again in the Trioedd y
Meirch 3, where his horse is said to have been one of the chief
steeds of the Island of Britain, and to have been known by the
designation of Rhuddfreon Tuthfleidd.
GWRTHMWL WLEDIG. Page 149.

Gwrthmwl, a prince of North Britain, was the chief elder of Penrhyn
Rhionydd, one of the three tribe-thrones or royal cities of the Island.
The celebrated St. Kentigern was chief Bishop of Penrhyn Rhionydd,
during Gwrthmwl's eldership. Tr. vii.
Gwrthmwl's history is brief. It may be inferred that he was slain
by Maelwr of Rhiw or Allt Faelwr, in Cardiganshire, since there are
notices in the Triads of his sons, Gwair and Clais, and Arthaual, 2
i
iding against Maelwr, upon Erch their horse, to avenge their father's
fate. It was one of Maelwr's customs never to close his gates against
a single horse-load, and thus they gained entrance, and slew him.
This was one of the three great horse-loads of the Island of Britain.
The first of the three was a burthen of seven persons and a half,
borne by Du y Moroedd, the horse of Elidyr Mwynvawr, from Llech
Elidyr in the North, to Llech Elidyr in Anglesey. The seven were
Elidyr himself, and Eurgain the daughter of Maelgwn Gwynedd, his
wife, and Gwynda Gyned, and Gwynda Rheimad, and Mynach
Nawmon the counsellor, and Petryleu Venestyr the butler, and
Arianvagyl his servant, and Gellfeinesin his jester, who held on with
his two hands at the horse's crupper and so was the half person. It
does not appear what was the reason of their travelling in so singular
a manner.
Gwrthmwl Wledig, was also the possessor of one of the spectre
bulls of the Island of Britain, or as another version has it, one of the
spectre stags 3
Carw and Tarw, having been evidently confounded by
;
the copyists. What these sprites were is not explained. According

to Beddau y Milwyr, his grave was in the wood of Briavael. 4
1 Triads Ixxxix. 113, and Trioedd y Meirch, 5.
2
Myv. Arch. II. 8, 10, 20, 8p. In some accounts only two of his sons are
aid to have been on this expedition, and one of them is called Achlen.
* Ib. I.
Myv. Arch. II. p. 16, 17, 71. p. 81.
Notes 353
THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.

ARTHUR. Page 150.
AMONG the various characters introduced into the foregoing tale,
none is more strictly and successfully maintained than that of Arthur.
In him we see the dignified and noble-hearted sovereign, the stately
warrior, and the accomplished knight, courteous of demeanour and
dauntless in arms. And whilst the lofty bearing of the monarch
himself excites our admiration, we are scarcely less struck with the
devoted attachment evinced towards him by his knights, who are
ever solicitous that he should be the last to encounter danger, and
ever ready themselves to dare the most perilous adventures to up-
hold the dignity of his crown. But it is not merely the consistency
observed in these several characters that arrests our attention in this
and similar compositions professing to record the achievements of
Arthur and his knights we are also forcibly struck with the power-
;
ful influence which those legends exercised over society, and the
ascendancy which their principal hero so decidedly maintained.

Nor can we withhold our wonder at the singular destiny which has
awaited this extraordinary being. Whilst by some his very existence
has been called in question, his name has become celebrated
throughout the civilised world and his exploits, whether fabulous
;
or real, have afforded the most ample and interesting materials to

the poet, the antiquary, and the historian. To this very day the
memory of the mighty warrior, "whose sword extended from
Scandinavia to Spain," exercises a power over our imagination
which we are as unable as we are unwilling to dispel. His image
adorned our earliest visions of Chivalry and Romance, and though
the weightier cares of maturer age must supervene, they serve but
to deepen, not to efface the impression ; and while in the eddying
stream of life we pause to look back upon the days when Cnerllcon
and its Round Table formed to us an ideal world, we feel that, in our
"
hearts at least, King Arthur is not dead."
The real history of this chieftain is so veiled in obscurity, and has
led to so much unsatisfactory discussion, that I shall in this place
only consider him with reference to the position which he occupies
in the regions of Fiction.
Amongst the many incidents of a highly imaginative character, in
the legendary history of Arthur, we may more particularly notice
his introduction upon the scene of his exploits.
During the turbulent times which followed the death of Uther
Pendragon, the nobles of Britain assembled to elect a successor to
him, but, after protracted debate, they were unable to come to any
decision upon the subject. At length a large stone was discovered
near the place of assembly, in which was a sword fastened as it were
in a sheath. Around it was an inscription in gold letters, signifying
N
354 Notes
that whoever should draw out that sword was rightful heir to the
throne. After all those who were ambitious of this dignity had
made the attempt in vain, Arthur, who was previously unknown,
came forward, and drew out the sword from the stone as easily as he
would have drawn it out of the scabbard. He was thereupon
immediately acknowledged king.
Being thus placed at the head of the Chivalry of Britain, he
proceeded in a gl< >rious and triumphant career, until, by the treachery
of his nephew, Modred, he sustained a defeat in the battle of
Camlan.
After witnessing the destruction of his army in that fatal conflict,
Arthur, finding himself mortally wounded, delivered his sword to
Caliburn, one of his knights, with a request that he would cast it
into a certain lake. The knight, thus commissioned, proceeded to
the appointed spot, and, standing upon the bank, flung the sword
forward with all his might. As it was descending, a hand and arm
came out of the lake, and seizing; it by the hilt brandished it three
times, and disappeared with it in the water.
Arthur was afterwards conducted by the knight to the border of
the lake, where he found a little bark moored, in which were Viviane,
the Lady of the Lake, and Morgan le Fay, and other ladies, who
carried him off to the Island of Avalon, in Fairy-land, where it was
affirmed that he was healed of his wounds, and continued to live
in all the splendour of that luxurious country, waiting for the time
when he should return once more to take possession of his ancient
dominions.
In confirmation of this idea it was asserted that the place of his
sepulture was not known. This tradition was current for many ages,
and is found among the Welsh, in the Memorials of the Graves of
the Warriors,
" The of March is this, and this the grave of Gwythyr.
grave
Here the grave of Gwgawn Gleddyfrudd
is
But unknown is the grave of Arthur." 1

Our English ears are so familiarized with the name of King
Arthur that it seems impossible to give him the appellation of
Emperor, by which he is designated in the original Welsh, and to
which, according to the old Romances, he was fully entitled, since
once upon a time, "at crystemas," he was crowned
"
Emperour
with creme as it
bylongeth to so hyhe astate." Morte d'Arthur.
We find the title of Emperor bestowed upon Arthur inLlywarch
Hen's Elegy upon Geraint ab Erbin.
" At
Llongborth were slain to Arthur
Valiant men, who hewed down with steel ;
He was the emperor, and conductor of the toil of war."
OWEN'S Heroic Elegies.
1 March
ap Meirchion, Gwythyr ap Greidiol, and Gwgawn Gleddyfrudd,
were three of Arthur'i Knights ; the second of them was father to Queen
Gwreahwyrar.
Notes 355
CAERLLEON UPON USK. Page T*O.

This place derives its name from the circumstance of its being the
station of the Second Legion (Legio Secunda Augusta) during the
dominion of the Romans. The name by which they originally called
it was Isca Silurum, evidently from its situation upon the river Usk ;
but by later Latin writers it is named Urbs Legionum, which pro-

bably is a translation of the Welsh Caer-lleon, and not the original
of that appellation. This place still exhibits many traces of Roman
magnificence, and among others the remains of an amphitheatre.
It is natural to suppose that, upon the departure of the Legions,
Caerlleon would attract the attention of the native Sovereigns, who
were at that time beginning to resume their power ; accordingly,
tradition informs us that it was the principal residence of King
Arthur ; and the amphitheatre is still called Arthur's Round Table.
In confirmation of this traditionary evidence, Nennius asserts that
one of Arthur's battles was fought at Cairlion.
In the old English version of this tale the opening scene is laid
at Cardiff.
" He made a feste, the soth to say,

Opon the Witsononday,
At Kerdyf, that es in Wales.'* Line 17.
And on a subsequent occasion we find the City of Chester named

"The kyng that time at Cester lay." Line 1567.
In the French Copy,

*'
Q* li rois cort a cestre tint."
Of CHESTER may be remarked, that it bears in Welsh the name

it
of Caerlleon Gawr, which seems to indicate its having been the

station of the Twentieth Legion, called Legio Vicesima Valens
Victrix, the word Gawr being nearly equivalent to the Latin
Valens.
OWAIN THE SON OF URIEN. Page 150.
OWAIN AB URIEN RHEGED. Amongst the characters of

all
ancient British history, none is more interesting, or occupies a more
conspicuous place, than the hero of this tale. Urien, his father, was
prince of Rheged, a district comprising the present Cumberland and
part of the adjacent country. His valour and the consideration in
which he was held, are a frequent theme of Bardic song, and form
the subject of several very spirited odes by Taliesin, particularly
those upon the battles of Gwenystrad and Argoed Llwyfein, which
are given, with English translations, in the Myvyrian Archaiology,
356 Notes
! 5 2 > 3 4- The name of Fflamddwyn, the flame-bearer, which
occurs in these poems, is supposed to be that by which the Welsh
designated Ida, the Anglian King of Northumberland. In the
Appendix to Gale's Nennius, it is mentioned that Urien was one of
the four Northern princes who opposed the progress of Deodric the
son of Ida. Urien besieged the latter in the island of Lindisfarne.
The other princes were Rhydderch Hael, Gwallawc ap Llenawc,
and Morcant, 1 the latter of whom being jealous of Urien's military
skill, in which he is said to have excelled all the other kings,
procured his assassination during the expedition.
According to Llywarch HSn's Elegy upon Urien Rheged, this
'
event occurred in a place called Aberlleu. 2
The Triads mention Llovan Llawdivo as the assassin. Of him
little is known ; but that he was a person of some note is evident
from the circumstance of his grave being recorded.
" The
grave of Llovan Llawdivo H
Is on the strand of Menai, where makes the wave a sullen sound. *
" The
Genealogy of the Saints records that Urien came into South
Wales, and was instrumental with the sons of Ceredig ab Cunedda,
and his nephews, in expelling the Gwyddelians, who had gained a
footing there from about the time of Maxen Wledig." Camb. Biog.
The old Romancers connect him with South Wales, and call
him King Uryens of Gore, evidently intended for Gower in
Glamorganshire.
Thus itrecorded in the Morte d' Arthur, "Thenne the Kyng
is
remeued Walys, and lete crye a grete feste that it shold be
in to
holdyn at Pentecost after the incoronacion of hym at the Cyte of
Carlyon, vnto the feste come kyng Lott of Lowthean, and of Orkeney
with fiue C knygtes with hym. Also there come to the feste kynge
Uryens of gore with four C knyghtes with hym."
But to return to Owain ; it appears from the manner in which he
is always mentioned by contemporary Bards, that he greatly dis-
tinguished himself in his country s cause, subsequently to the death
of his father, but with what ultimate success we are not acquainted.
There exists an ancient Poem, printed among those of Taliesin,
called the Elegy of Owain ap Urien, and containing several very
beautiful and spirited passages. It commences,
"The soul of Owain ap Urien

May its Lord consider its exigencies,
Reged's chief the green turf covers."
In the Life of St. Kentigern, mention is made of a wicked king of Strath-

1
clyde, called Morkeru Perhaps he is the Morcant, who caused the death of
Urien Rheged.
Probably it is through a confusion of names, by no means unusual in those
days, that Urien's wife, Morgan le Fay, is by the old romancers accused of an
attempt to assassinate him.
2 3
Myr. Arch. I. 105. Myv. Arch. I. 78.
Notes 357
In the course of this Elegy, the Bard bursts forth with all the
energy of the Awen,
" Could " l
Lloegria sleep with the light upon her eyes ?
Alluding to the incessant warfare with which this chieftain, during
his lifetime, had harassed his Saxon foes.
In the Myvyrian Archaiology (II. 80) we have the following Triad
relating to him.
"Three Knights of battle were in the Court of Arthur ; Cadwr,
the Earl of Cornwall ; Lancelot du Lac ; a and Owain the son of
Urien Rheged. And this was their characteristic, that they would
not retreat from battle, neither for Spear, nor for Arrow, nor for
Sword, and Arthur never had shame in battle, the day he saw their
faces there, and they were called the Knights of Battle."
Owain mentioned with Rhun mab Maelgwn, and Rhufawn
is also
befr mab Deorath Wledig, as one of the Three blessed Kings 3 and ;
in the 52nd Triad, we are informed that his Mother's name was
Modron, the daughter of Afallach, and that he was born a twin
with his sister Merwydd, or Morvyth, to whom Cynon ap Clydno's
attachment is well known.
His place of sepulture is thus mentioned in the Graves of the
Warriors.
" The
grave of Owain ap Urien is of quadrangular form,
Under the turf of Lian Morvael."
Frequent allusions are made to Owain by the Bards of the Middle
Ages, especially by Lewis Glyn Cothi, who in an ode to Gruffudd ap
Nicholas, a powerful chieftain of Carmarthenshire, and one of the
descendants of Urien Rheged, has, among other things, the following
passage,
"Gruffudd will give three ravens of one hue,
And a white lion to Owain, [his son]." I. 133.
The Editor of the works of Glyn Cothi supposes that "this

may allude to Griffith presenting his son with a shield,
expression
with his own arms emblazoned upon it, and the royal lion for a
1
This with the substitution of Cambria for Lloegria [England], was taken
line,
as the subject of a speech to rouse the Welsh to the due consideration of their
literature, by the Rev. Thomas Price of Crickhowel, at the Meeting of the Cym-
reigyddion Society of Abergavenny, in the Autumn of 1835. The effect it produced
was quite electric.
^ Lancelot tiu I./ac is generally considered as an exception to the general rule,
that all the heroes of the Arthurian Romances are of Welsh origin. But it has
been suggested to me by a learned Antiquary, that this distinction does not really
exist, the name of Lancelot being nothing more than a translation of Paladr-
ddellt (splintered spear), which was the name of a knight of Arthur's Court,
celebrated in the Triads.
3 The
arrangement of ancient pedigrees is at all times attended with diffi-
culty, but vain indeed would be the attempt to reconcile the genealogies of
Romance with those of history.
In Morte d" Arthur, Owain's Mother is Morgan le Fay, sister to King Arthur.
358 Notes
crest." The three ravens undoubtedly apply to the armorial bearings
of Urien Rheged, which are still borne by his descendants of the
House of Dynevor; the lion also may have been an heraldic bearing
of the family, but I am inclined to think that the Bard here intended
an allusion to one of the principal incidents of ihe Lady of the
Fountain. That he was acquainted with this Tale is evident, from
some lines occurring in one of his Poems, addressed to Thomas ap
Philip of Picton Castle, in which Owain and Luned are mentioned
together.
In the early French compositions, called Lays and Fabliaux,
Owain's name frequently occurs. He is mentioned in the Lay of
Lanlal, and in Court Mantel, where he is particularized for his love
of dogs and hawks.
" Li rois
prit par la destre main
L'amiz monsegnor I vain,
Qui au roi Urien fu filz,
Et bons chevaliers et hardiz
Qui tant ama chiens et oisiaux."
(Fab. MSS. du roi, n. 7615, fol. 114 recto, col. 3.)
He acts a conspicuous part in the Romances of the Round Table;
and it is on such authority that Ste. Palaye celebrates him, "pour
avoir introduit 1'usage des fourrures ou zihelines aux manteaux, des
ceintures aux robes, et des boucles pour attacher les eperons et 1'ecu,
et pour avoir encore invente la mode des gants."
KYNON THE SON OF CLYDNO. Page 150.

CYNON AP CLYDNO EIDDIN. This ancient British Warrior is
celebrated in the Triads as one of the Three wisely-counselling
Knights of Arthur's Court.
"Three counselling Knights were in the Court of Arthur, which
were Cynon ihe son of Clydno Eiddin, Aron the son of Kynfarch
ap Meiichion gul, and Llywarch hen the son of Elidir Lydanwyn.
And these three knights were the Counsellors of Arthur, and what-
ever dangers threatened him in any of his wars, they counselled him,
so that none was able to overcome Arthur ; and thus he conquered
all the nations through three things which followed him ; and these
were, Good hope, and the consecrated arms which had been sent
him, and the virtue of his warriors ; and through these he came to
wear twelve crowns upon his head, and he became Emperor of
Rome."
And another place it is added,
in
"And he had nothing but success when he acted by the advice

which he received from them, and reverses when he did not follow
their counsel."
Kynon is also called one of the three ardent Lovers, on account

of his passion for Morvyth, daughter of Urien Rheged, and sister of
Owain, the Hero of this Tale.
Notes 359
"The three ardent lovers of the Island of Britain, Caswallawn
the son of Bell for Flur the daughter of Mugnach Gorr, and Trystan
the son of Talluch for Yseult the wife of March Meirchawn his
uncle, and Kynon the son of Clydno Eiddin for Morvyth the daughter
of Urien."
This warrior is mentioned by Aneurin,

"And Kynon like rushes they fell before his hand.
O son of Clydno, a song of lasting praise will I sing unto thee."
And it is probable that he was one of the three, who, together

with the Bard himself, escaped from the disastrous battle of Cattraeth.
' '
The Warriors who went to Cattraeth were renowned ;
Wine and Mead out of golden goblets was their beverage.

That year was to them one of exalted dignity,
Three warriors and three score and three hundred, wearing the
golden torques.
Of those who marched forth after the excess of revelling,
But three escaped from the conflict of gashing weapons ;
The two War-dogs of Aeron and Kynon the dauntless,
(And I myself from the spilling of blood) worthy are they of my
song."
Gray has given a poetical version of this passage in his fragments,

" To Cattraeth's vale in
commencing with the words, glittering
row."
Also, in another poem by Aneurin, named the Gwarchan (or
Incantation) of Cynvelyn, are the following lines :
" Three Warriors and three score and three

hundred,
To the conflict of Cattraeth went forth.
Of those who hastened from the banquet of mead,
Three only returned,
Kynon, and t\adreith, and Katlew of Catnant,
And 1 myself from the shedding of blood."
Kynon frequently mentioned by the bards of the Middle Ages,

is
and celebrated both for his bravery and for his devotion as a lover.
It is in the latter character that he is alluded to by Gruftudd
ap
Meredith, in the beginning of the fourteenth Century, who compares
the force of his own passion to that of Kynon for Morvyth, and that
of Uther Pendragon for the fair Ygrayne.
" As the
sigh of Uther for the love of Ygraine, the fair and splendid,
And the sigh of Kynon for the love of the beauteous daughter of
Urien,
Such is the sigh of the bard for the lovely object of his affections."
Myv. Arch.
In the Memorials of the Graves of the Warriors, the following
stanza records the place of the sepulture of Kynon.
360 Notes
*'
The grave of a warrior of high renown
Is in a lofty region but a lowly bed,
The grave of Kynon the son of Clydno Eiddin."
In another stanza, the term lowly bed seems to be explained, and
it would appear that a little hollow among the mountains was
meant:
" Whose isthe grave beneath the hill ?
It is the grave of a warrior valiant in the conflict
The grave of Kynon the son of Clydno Eiddin."
CLYDNO. Page 150

CLYDNO EIDDIN, the father of Cynon. But little is known of
the history of this Chieftain, although as late as the fourteenth
Century, his name is found recorded by the Bards, in such terms as
to make it evident that he still continued to occupy a place of con-
siderable distinction among the heroes of the Principality, as may
be seen in a poem by Risierdyn, a bard who flourished about the
year 1300. In this poem, which records the burial of Hywel ap
Gruffudd in the Church of St. Beuno, that Warrior is compared in
point of bravery to Clydno.
"The red-weaponed chief, the ruler of the golden region of
costly wine,
Saint Beuno's blessed choir now conceals ;
The mighty high-famed leader, daring as Clydno.

Silent are his remains within their oaken cell."
Myv. Arch. I. 432.
KAI THE SON OF KYNER. Page 150.

CAI AP CYNYR. According to the Welsh pedigrees, Kai was the
son of Cynyr Cainvarvawc, the son of Gwron, the son of Cunedda
Wledig. In the Triads he is called one of the three diadem'd chiefs
of battle, and is said to have been possessed of magical powers, by
which he could transform himself into any shape he pleased. 1 Of
his real history, however, nothing is known. It is supposed that
Caer Gai, in North Wales, bears his name ; and it was the opinion
of lolo Morganwg, that the place of his sepulture was at Cai Hir, at
Aberavan, in Glamorganshire.
In the Brut he is called the Dapifer^ or Sewer of King Arthur.
And in the French Romances he is mentioned as the Seneschal, and
is styled Mtssire Queux, and Maitre Queux, or Keux the original
name being evidently altered in this manner in order to adapt it to
his office of Chief of the Cooks. In these productions, his general
character is a compound of valour and buffoonery : always ready to
fight, and generally getting the worst of the battle.
There is much that is very entertaining concerning him in the
i Kai's Gwincv gnddw/
according to the Welsh authorities, was called
horse,
fur, the long-necktd bay.
Notes 361
Morte want of courtesy to Sir
<TArthur, particularly a story of his
Gareth, Gwalchmai's (Gawain's) brother, which led him into
trouble.
" Whan Arthur held his round table moost plenour, it fortuned
that he commaunded that the hyhe feest of Pentecost shold be holden
at a cyte and a Castel the whiche in tho dayes was called kynke
kenadonne upon the sondes that marched nyghe walys." Upon this
occasion, a youth who would not declare his name, presented him-
self before Arthur, and craved a boon, which the monarch immedi-
ately promised to grant. The boon he asked was, that he should
be allowed meat and drink for the space of a twelvemonth in the
King's palace. This the King considered a very unworthy petition,
and counselled him to ask something more honourable, but the
" Well
youth persisted in his request.
still sayde the kynge ye shal
haue mete and drynke ynouz, I neuer deffended y none, nother my
fc
frende ne my foo." "Thenne the kyng betook hym to sir Kay the
steward and charged hym that he shold gyue hym of al manner of
metes and drynkes of the best, and also that he hadde al maner of
fyndynge as though he were a lordes sone. That shal lytel nede
sayd syr Kay to doo suche cost upon hym. For I dare undertake
he is a vylayne borne, and neuer will make man, for and he had
come of gentylmen he wold haue axed of you hors and armour, but
such as he is so he asketh. And sythen he hath no name, I shall
yeue hym a name that shall be Beaumayns that is fayre handes, and
in to the kechen I shalle brynge hym, and there he shalle haue
fatte broweys euery day y he shall be as fatte by the twelue monethes
fc
ende as a porke hog." So Sir Kai "scorned hym and mocked

hym."
At the end of the twelvemonth, Beaumayns desired to be knighted,
in order to achieve a certain perilous adventure; 1 and Sir Kai called
him a "kechyn knave." And when the young man left the Court,
to set out on his expedition, Kai armed himself and followed him,
thinking to vanquish him without difficulty, and bring him to dis-
grace. But Beaumayns unhorsed Sir Kai, and took possession of
his arms, with which he performed several gallant exploits to the
was taken by his shield to be
great surprise of all, inasmuch as he
Sir Kai, whose prowess was by no means in high repute. After-
wards Beaumayns proved to be Sir Gareth of Orkney, the son of
King Lot, and brother to Sir Gawain.
GWENHWYVAR. Page 150.

According to the Welsh Legends, Arthur had three queens, one
of whom was daughter of Gwythyr ap Greidiol, another of Gwryd
Gwent, and a third of Gogyrvan Gawr ; and each of them bore the
1 It is somewhat
singular that this adventure was undertaken on behalf of
Luned, who, under the title of the damoysel saucage, rode to Arthur's Court, to
beseech the championship of some of the Knights of the Table rounde, for her
sister dame Lyones, of the Castel peryllous. The story is again referred to in a
subsequent Note.
362 Notes
1
name of Gwenhwyvarl Concerning the latter lady, the following
couplet is still current in the Principality :
"
Gv/enhwyvar, the daughter of Gogyrvan the Giant,
Bad when little, worse when great."
This confusion of names and persons is only what might be ex-
pected from the mass of traditionary matter that has accumulated
among the Welsh. As the exploits of Arthur began to assume a
fabulous character, it is evident that many of the more ancient
legends of Britain became blended with those of the Round Table,
and perhaps some of the mythological traditions of the Druidic age
are to be found amongst them. This continual accession of fable
tends to render still more obscure that which a redundancy of
imagination had already sufficiently involved.
The name of Gwenhwyvar, under the various forms of Guenever,
Genicvre, and Centura, must be familiar to all who are conversant
with chivalric lore. And it is to her adventures, and those of her
true knight, Sir Lancelot, that Dante alludes in the beautiful episode
of Francesca da Rimini.
PORTER. Page 150.

The absence of a Porter was formerly considered as an indication
of hospitality, and as such is alluded to by Rhys Brychan, a bard
who flourished at the close of the fifteenth century.
"The stately entrance is without porters,
And his mansions are open to every honest man."
Lewis Glyn Cothi also (about 1450), in an eulogium upon Owain,
the son of Gruffudd ap Nicholas, says, that his establishment was
complete in every respect, with the exception of a Porter :
"Every officer there is to the great Knight

Of the South, except a Porter." I. 139.
GLEWLWYD GAVAELVAWR. Page 150.

" The "
dusky hero of the mighty grasp is said to have escaped
from the battle of Camlan by means of his extraordinary strength
and stature. There is nothing of his real history known indeed, :
from the construction of his name, he appears to be altogether a

fictitious character and it is not impossible that he may be one of
;
those mythological personages who formed the subjects of the Welsh

legendary tales, before the adventures of
Arthur had assumed the
character of ficiion, and that when those adventures became objects
of fai ulous composition, this and other ancient Druidical traditions
were incorporated with them.
Among the Bardic remains there is a poem, called a Dialogue
betwixt Arthur and Kai, and Glewlwyd, some lines in which are
*
According to the Romances, Arthur's Queen was daughter of King
Leodegrance
Notes 363
considered byDavies to have reference to some Druid ical mysteries.
Although it may appear presumptuous to differ from so high an
authority, I shall venture to give the following translation
" Who is the Porter?
Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr.
Who is it that asks ?
Arthur and the blessed Kai.
If thou shouldst bring with thee
The best wine in the world,
Into my house thou shalt not come,
Unless it be by force, &c."
ON A SEAT OF GREEN RUSHES. Page 150.

The use of green rushes in apartments was by no means peculiar
to the Court of Caerleon upon Usk. Our ancestors had a great
predilection for them, and they seem to have constituted an essential
article, not only of comfort but of luxury. The custom of strewing
the floor with rushes is well known to have existed in England
during the Middle Ages, and that it also prevailed in the Principality
we have evidence from allusions which occur in the works of native
writers. Of this, one example will suffice, from a tale written appa-
rently in the I4th Century ; and as the passage contains several
curious traits of ancient manners, I shall give it at some length.
In this tale Davydd ap Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales,
wishing to send an embassy to Rhys, Prince of South Wales, and
having fixed upon Gwgan the Bard as a proper person for that
mission, despatches a messenger called y Paun Back (the Little
Peacock) in search of him. This person, after a long and tedious
journey, arrives towards the close of evening at a house in a wooded
valley, where he hears the tuning of a harp. From the style of play-
ing, and the modulation, he supposes that the performer can be no
other than Gwgan himself. In order to ascertain if his surmise is
correct, he addresses him in a rambling high-flown style of language.
The Bard answers him in the same strain, and asks him what he
requires. To which Y Paun Bach thus replies "I want lodging
:
for to-night And that not better than I know how to ask
for. .... Alightsome hall, floored with tile, and swept, in which
there has been neither flood nor rain-drop for the last hundred years,
dressed with fresh green rushes, laid so evenly that one rush be not
higher than the other the height of a gnat's eye, so that my foot
should not slip either backward or forward the space of a mote in
the sunshine of June. Then I would have a chair with a cushion
beneath me, and a pillow under each elbow," 1 &c. Y Paun Bach then
1 We trace the customs of a country in what may appear accidental expressions.
Thus a cushion in a chair was one of the requisites of a Welsh establishment.
Three things proper for a man to have in his house,
A virtuous wife,
His cushion in his chair
And his harp in tune.
In like manner it is particularly mentioned in the present tale, that Arthur had
364 Notes
goes on to describe the entertainment he desires to have. The fire is
to be of ashen billets, without smoke or sparks ; and the supper is to
consist of wine, and swans, 1 and bitterns, and sundry spiced collops
besides ; and the servants, all dressed in one livery/ are to ply him
continually with ale, and urge him to drink, for his own good and
the honour of his entertainers.
In France, the practice of strewing rushes on the floor was also
prevalent. Wefind the Seigneur Amanieu des Escas giving his
instructions to the young men of his household on the Art of Love,
"dans sa salle bien jonchee." Poesies Provencales, cited by Ste.
Palaye, I. 453.
FLAME-COLOURED SATIN. Page 150.

The translation of this expression is yellow-red.
literal With
regard to this mixture of colours, Ellis, in his notes to Way's
Fabliaux, remarks, "The old French writers speak also of pourpre
and ecarlate blanches (white crimson}; of pourpre sanguine (sanguine
crimson} ; and, in the Fabliau de Gautier d'Aupais, mention is
made of "un vert mantel porprin, (a mantel of green crimson)"
" that the crimson
Hence, M. Le Grand conjectures, dye being,
from its costliness, used only on cloths of the finest manufacture, the
term crimson came at length to signify, not the colour, but the
texture^ of the stuff. Were it allowable to attribute to the Weavers
of the Middle Ages the art now common amongst us, of making what
are usually called shot silks (or silks of two colours, predominating
interchangeably as in the neck of the drake or pigeon), and contra-
dictorycompounds above given (white crimson, green crimson, &c.)
would be easily accounted for." II. 227.
"a
cushion of red satin under bis elbow," p. 150; and that at the Castle where Kynon
was received, on his way to the adventure of the Fountain, the maidens, in doing
him honour, " placed cushions both beneath and around him," when he sat down
to meat, p. 152. In this latter instance, the cushions we find were covered with
red linen.
1 Swans appear have been a great dainty in those days. Of the luxurious
to
Monk in the Pilgrimage to Canterbury, Chaucer tells us, " A fat swan loved he
best of any rpst." Line 206.
8
Uniformity of dress in those who held the same office, appears to be dwelt
npon with much satisfaction by the writers of the Middle Ages. In Geoffrey of
Monmouth, the thousand young noblemen, who, at Arthur's Coronation Banquet,
assisted Kai in serving up the dishes, were clothed like him in robes of Ermine.
The same writer proceeds to tell us, that " at that Time Britain was arrived to
such a pitch of Grandeur, that whether we respect its Affluence of Riches, Luxury
'
of Ornaments, or Politeness of Inhabitants, it far surpassed all other Kingdoms.
And he adds, "The Knights in it that were famous for Feats of Chivalry, wore
their Clothes and Arms all of the same colour and Fashion. And the Women
also no less celebrated for their Wit, wore all the same Kind of Apparel.'
Thompson's Translation.
In the Procession to Canterbury, Chaucer relates that
"An HABERDASHER, and A CARPENTER,

A WEBBE, a DEYER, and a TAPISER,
Were alle yclothed in o Hvere,
"
Of a solempne and grcte rraternite. Line 363.
Notes 365
DISTANT REGIONS. Page 151.
*'
Literally, desert places, and the extremities of the earth.** It
is possible that some peculiar district of romantic geography was
intended to be here alluded to, since we find that "la terre deserte"
was formerly a kingdom of no inconsiderable importance, the
sovereign of which, named Claudas, overran the territories of King
Ban of Benoic, one of Arthur's allies in Gaul. And in the Morte
d' Arthur, it is said that Arthur, being wounded in the battle of
Camlan, was conveyed to the Island of Avalon "in a shyppe
wherin were thre quenes, that one was kyng Arthurs syster quene
Morgan le fay, the other was the quene of North galys, the thyrd
was the quene of the waste londes. Also there was Nynyue (Viviane)
the chyeflady of the lake," &c.
TREES OF EQUAL GROWTH. Page 151.

This species of scenery appears to have been much admired by
our ancestors.
A similar description occurs in a chivalric tale of considerable
interest, by Gruffydd ab Adda, a Bard who was killed at Dolgellau,
about 1370.
" In the furthermost end of this forest he saw a level green valley,
and trees of equal height, &c."
Chaucer describes a bower in the same style, in his Flour and
Leaf. It was composed of "sicamour and eglatere,"
*'
Wrethen in fere so well and cunningly
That every branch and leafe grew by mesure
Plaine as a bord, of an height by and by"
The whole account which he gives us of the "pleasaunt herber"

is very poetical, particularly the beautiful lines, descriptive
of the avenues of
" okes " which following
led to it.
" In which were okes
great, streight as a line,
Under the which the grasse so fresh of hew
Was newly sprong, and an eight foot or nine
Every tree well fro his fellow grew,
With branches brode, laden with leves new,
That sprongen out agen the sunne-shene,
Some very red, and some a glad light grene."
YELLOW SATIN. Page 151.

PALI MELYN. Theexact signification of the word Pali in the
original is not quite obvious, as it sometimes seems to imply satin
and sometimes velvet, according to the rank of the persons who are
represented as wearing it. Nor is the question so immaterial as at
first sight it may appear ; for, in the best days of
Chivalry, the most
exact etiquette was observed by the different grades of
society with
366 Notes
regard to the materials of which their dress was composed. Ste.
Palaye mentions that, on occasions where the Knights wore cloth of
damask, the Squires were restricted to dresses of satin ; and where
the Knights were clothed in velvet, the Squires could only appear
in cloth of damask. The colour of scarlet was permitted to be worn
only by Knights. (I. 247, 283.)
SINEWS OF THE STAG. Page 151.

Moseley, in his work upon Archery, says that "bowstrings were
composed from the sinews of beasts, and on that account are termed
* " It was
Nervus,' vtvpd." customary for this purpose,*' says he,
"to select the sinews of several of those kinds of animals remarkable
for their strength or activity, such as Bulls, Lions, Stags, &c., and
from those particular parts of each animal in which their respective
strength was conceived to lie. From Bulls, the sinews about the
back and shoulders were collected ; and from Stags, they took those
of the legs."
BONK OF THE WHALE. Page 151.

A similar substance is mentioned in the ancient Romance of
"The Erie of Tolous,"
" Hur as whallys bonne," verse 355.
hondys whyte
Upon which Ritson has the following note : "This allusion is not
to what we now call -whale-bone, which is well known to be black,
but to the ivory of the horn or tooth of the Narwhal, or Sea-unicorn,
which seems to have been mistakeen for the -whale. The simile is a
remarkable favourite. Thus, in Syr Eglamour of Artoys^
'
The erle had no chylde but one,
A mayden as white as whalis bone.'
Again, in Syr Isembras,
*
His wyfe as white as whalis bone.'
Again, in
'
The Squyr of low degree,'
' 1
Lady as white as -whales bone.
It even occurs in Skelton's and Surrey's Poems and, what is still ;
more extraordinary, in Spenser's Faery Quene, and Shakespeare's

Lovers Labour Lost (if, in fact, that part of it ever received the
illuminating touch of our great dramatist). Mister Steevens, in
his Note on the last instance, observes that whales 'is the Saxon
genitive case,' meaning that it requires to be pronounced as a
dissyllable (thus, whalis, or, more properly, whalees], which it
certainly is, in every instance." Rit. Met. Rom. III. 343, 344.
WINGED WITH PEACOCKS' FEATHERS. Page i$i.

That it was fashionable to feather arrows in this manner, we
Notes 367
learn from the following description of the Yeman who attended upon
the Knight, in the Prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
" A shefe of peacock arwes bright and kene
Under his belt he bare ful thriftily,
\Vel coude he dresse his takel yemanly :
His arwes drouped not with fetheres low,
And in his hond he bare a mighty bowe." Line 104-8.
In a Wardrobe account, 4th of Ed. II., the following entry occurs :
" Pro duodecim flecchiis cum
pennis de pavone emptis pro rege, de
12 den'." For twelve arrows with peacock's feathers, bought for
the King, twelvepence.
There was much art and care required in the construction and
feathering of arrows. That the Welsh archers paid much attention
to their equipments may be seen in an interesting passage from the
composition already noticed, p. 363. In this Tale the messenger
from the Court of North Wales, who appears to be a skilful archer,
on being told by Gwgan the Bard that a robber will ride away with
**
his horse, answers, But what if I were opposite to him in yonder
Wood, with a bow of red yew in my hand, ready bent, with a
tough tight string, and a straight round shaft with a compass-
rounded nock, and long slender feathers fastened on with green
silk, and a steel head heavy and thick, and an inch across, of a
green blue temper, that would draw blood out of a weathercock j
and with my foot to a hillock, and an oak behind me, and the wind
to my back, and the sun to my side, and the maid I love best on the
footpath hard by looking at me, and I conscious of her being there ;
then would I shoot him such a shot, so strong and long-drawn, so
low and sharp, that it would be no more avail to him there were
between him and me a breastplate and Milan hauberk, than a tuft
of fern, or a kiln mat, or a herring net."
It is well known that bows and arrows formed a subject of legis-
lation in England, and among the Welsh Laws we find the following
clause :
"Three weapons by law: A

sword, a spear, and a bow with
twelve arrows in a quiver. And it is required of every master of a
family to keep them in readiness against the attacks of a foreign
army, and of strangers, and other dspredators,"
GOLDEN HEADS. BLADES OF GOLD. Page 151.

To Knights and to their families was exclusively confined the
privilege of decorating their dress, their arms, and the accoutrements
of their horses with gold ; Squires being only permitted the use of
silver. Ste Palaye, I. 247, 283. By the sumptuary laws of Ed. III.
(an. 27, c. ix. x. xi. xii.) Esquires were to possess property of at
least 200 marks yearly value, before they could be permitted to
wear " cloth of silk and of silver, ribband, girdle, and other apparel
reasonably garnished with silver." And Knights, their wives,
daughters, and children, were not entitled to wear "cloth of gold,
368 Notes
nor cloths, mantle, nor gold furred with miniver, nor of ermins, nor
no apparel bordered of stone, nor otherwise," if their possessions
were below the yearly value of 251 marks. But to such Knights
and Ladies as possessed 400 marks annually, there was no restric-
tion as to dress, except with respect to
" ermins and Ictuses and
apparel of pearl and stone," which they might only wear upon the
head. Merchants and burgesses of 500 marks had the same privi-
lege of dress as Esquires of 200 markland. Hence perhaps it may
be inferred that the two Youths mentioned in this Tale were of
knightly origin.
That the gilding of bows was customary in the I4th Century, we
have the authority of Davydd ap Gwilym. In lines addressed to
his fair countrywomen against gaudiness of dress, and which have
been thus elegantly rendered by Arthur Johnes, Esq., in his
Poetical Translation of the Works of that celebrated Bard, he
says :
"The vilest bow that e'er was framed of Yew,

That in the hand abruptly snaps in two,
When all its faults are varnished o'er with gold,
Looks strong, and fair,and faultless, and is sold." (p. 412.)
Lewis Glyn Cothi has the following line,

" With
gold shall be adorned thy fingers, thy sword, and thy
mantle."
And examples might be multiplied to almost any extent.
Where arrow-heads, and the blades of weapons are mentioned as
golden, it is very evident that in many instances steel inlaid with
gold is meant. Thus, the Bard above alluded to says,
*'
A gold Brigandine like the casting of a Dragon's skin."
And subsequently this gold Brigandine is said to be of steel,
"Good is the band of this steel vestment." (I. 158.)
VARIEGATED LEATHER. Page 152.

CORDWAL. This word occurs
another of the Mabmogioa;
in
and from the manner that it is used, it is evidently intended for the
French Cordouan, or Cordovan leather, which derived its name
from Cordova, where it was manufactured.
DAMSELS EMBROIDERING SATIN. Page 152.

In the English Romance of *' Ywayne and Gawain," paraphrased
from the French "Chevalier au Lyon," we find a similar picture.
In a beautiful city, named in English the " Castel of the Hevy
"
Sorrow," and in the French the Chastel de Pesme Auenture," the
hero, Ywayne or Owen, finds a number of ladies, "wirkandsilk
and goldwir." They are very meanly attired, and inform Owen
Notes 369
that theywere once of great estate in the country of Mayden-land,
whence they were sent as hostages by their sovereign. They com-
plain that they have to work very hard, and for a very slight
remuneration ; the best of them receiving only "four penys" in a
week, which was scarce sufficient to maintain them, whereas they
consider that they might earn
"
fourty shilling."
MORE LOVELY THAN GWENHWYVAR. Page 152.

This was the highest compliment that Kynon no'jH pay to the
beauty of these four-and-twenty damsels, since Gwenhwyvar is
celebrated in the Triads (with Enid and Tegau Euron) as one of
the three of Arthur's Court.
fair ladies
Lewis Glyn Cothi, in extolling the charms of Annes, the daughter
of John, of Caerlleon upon Usk, has the following allusion to this
Triad :
" The beauteous and amiable Annes is where Tegau was,

Where Gwenhwyvar was, with all her charms ;
Where Enid was seen, wearing azure robes,

Where the Castle of the valorous Arthur stands."
THEY ROSE DP AT MY COMING. Page 152.

It was very usualin the chivalric days, for the ladies to perform
those courteous offices for the Knights, even where there were male
attendants, to whom we mayconsider that they would have been
more appropriately assigned. Ste. Palaye tells us,
" Les
jeunes
demoiselles . .
preVenoient de civilite* les chevaliers qui
.
arrivoient dans les chateaux ; suivant nos romanciers, elles les

desarmoient au retour des tournois et des expeditions de guerre, leur
donnoient de nouveaux habits et les servoient a table. Les
exemples en sont trop souvent et trop uniform^rnent repei6s, pour
nous permettre de revoquer en doute la ralit6 de cet usage.'.' (I.
10.) I should imagine, however, it was the absence of male
assistance that induced the damsels in Kynon's story to extend their
cares to his horse, for I am not aware that in general their courtesy
went so far.
GOLD BAND UPON THB MANTLE./^ 152.

The word in the original Welsh which is evidently the
is
gorffoys,
same as or/rays^ or aurifr/gia. 1 This was a kind of fretwork, or
embroidery of gold, and is mentioned thus in the playful description
of the allegorical figure of Idlenesse, which occurs in the Romaunt
of the Rose :
"And of fine orfrais had she eke

A chapelet, so semely on,
Ne wered never maide upon ;
And faire above that chapelet

A rose garlonde had she set." 562-6.
1 See Du Cange, in wee.
370 Notes
BUFFALO HORN. Page 152.
Drinking-horns of this material are frequently mentioned by the
Bards, and appear to have been made use of by the Welsh in all
their banquets. There is still extant in the Welsh language, a
spirited poem by Owain Kyveilio^, Prince of Powis, called the
Hirlas, a name by which his drinking-horn was known, and which
he describes as
" The
highly honoured buffalo-horn Hirlas, enriched with ancient
silver."
In the course of this poem, one passage occurs of a highly

dramatic character. The Prince having sent round the horn to
several chieftains, at length orders it to be filled with the choicest
beverage, and borne to Tudor and Moreiddig, at the same time
expatiating with gratitude and admiration upon their valour, and
the eminent services they had rendered him in the arduous conflicts
in which he had been engaged. Turning round in the fulness of his
heart to address them personally, he perceives their places vacant ;
and suddenly recollecting that they had both fallen in one of the
late encounters, he bursts out in a pathetic strain of lamentation,
"The wail of death has been heard, they both have departed O, !
"
lost Moreiddig, how greatly shall I miss thee !
FOUNTAIN. Page 154.

This description answers to that of the Fountain of Barenton, in
the forest of Breceliande, to which locality it is referred in the
"Chevalier au Lion." 1 Breceliande is in Brittany, and is the
fabled scene of Merlin's imprisonment, by the enchantments of his
Mistress Viviane, the Lady of the Lake. Within the precincts of
this forest also lay the Val sans Retour, or the Vallon dex Faux
Amans.
The English poem tells us of a Chapel that was hard by the
Fountain, and says,
" An amerawd was the
stane,
Richer saw never nane,
i
On owr rubyes on heght standand,

Their light lasted over al the land." Line 364.
AN ADVBNTURE so MUCH TO HIS OWN DISCREDIT. Page 156.

the laws of Chivalry, the knights were under a solemn obliga-
By
tion, when relating their adventures, to give a faithful account of
what befell them, without concealing anything, however disadvan-
tageous to themselves.
1 A long
note on the story of the Fountain of Barenton is printed separately
on which the reader is referred.
p. 391, to
A fountain possessed of the like properties occurs in the Fabliau of
" Tb?
Paradise of Love," and a similar one is mentioned in "The noble Hystory of
King Poothtu of Galyce."
Notes 371
UNCOURTEOUS SPEECH. Page 157.
Sir Kai's uncourteous speech was proverbial. In Ywain and
Gawin, we are told,
" And than als smertly sayd Sir Kay ;
He karpet to tham wordes grete."
And so rude was his manner, that at length
" The
quene answered, with milde mode,
And said, Sir Kay, ertow wode?
What the devyl es the withyn,
At tong may never blyn
thi
Thi felows so fowly to shende?
Series, sir Kay, thou ert unhende." Line 488.
HORN FOR WASHING. Page 157.

It was customary by washing the hands, and
to prepare for dinner
the summons for this preparation was given by sounding a horn,
which, by the French, was termed corner Feau, or corner Petu*
Amongst the Monks, the same notice was given by ringing a bell.
BLACK KNIGHT. Page 158.
Wehave the name of the Black Knight given us both in the
English and in the French version. In the former, the appellation
of Salados the rouse is bestowed upon him, and in the latter he is
called ILlcadoc le rous, which bears some resemblance to the Welsh
Cadoc or Cattwg.
MAIDEN. Page 159.

This maiden, whose name we subsequently find to be Luned, is
supposed, in the Notes to Jones's Welsh Bards, to be the same per-
son as Eiined the daughter of Brychan ; although from the accounts
transmitted to us of that illustrious lady, she appears to have differed
much in disposition and pursuits from the handmaid of the Lady of
the Fountain. Mr. Rees, in his valuable Essay on the Welsh Saints,
has the following notice concerning her :
"
Eiined, the Almedha of Giraldus Cambrensis, who says that she
suffered martyrdom upon a called Penginger, near Brecknock,
hill
which the Historian of that County, so often quoted, identifies with
Slwch.
" 1
Crug gorseddawl, mentioned after the name of Eiined in the
Myvyrian Archaiology, has been taken for Wyddgrug, or Mold, in
Flintshire ; but it may be no more than a descriptive appellation of
Slwch, on which there were lately some remains of a British Camp.
'
Cressy, speaking of St. Almedha, says, This devout virgin, reject-
ing the proposals of an earthly prince, who sought her in marriage,
1 " the of Judicature." Dr. Pughe's Welsh Dictionary.
Crug gorseddawl, hill
372 Notes
and espousing herself to the eternal king, consummated her life by
a triumphant martyrdom. The day of her solemnity is celebrated
"
every year on the first day of August.' (149-50.)
The beauty of Luned was much celebrated amongst the Bards of
the Middle Ages. Gruffudd ap Meredydd, who flourished between
1290 and 1340, thus alludes to- her charms, in an Elegy on Gwen-
hwyvar of Anglesey :
" who was

Alas, for the loss of her equal to Luned, that gem of
"
!
light
And Dafydd ap Gwilym mentions her in the same strain.
She is in the French Romances generally called Lunette, and in
the Morte d'Arlhur she acts a conspicuous part in the story of Sir
Gareth of Orkney, who undertook the adventure of the " Castel
peryllous" on her behalf, and whose illtreatment by Sir Kai is re-
lated, p. 360. Sir Gareth took his full revenge upon Sir Kai, but his
conduct under the taunts he received from Luned, who called him
a kechen knauc, and used towards him very discourteous language,
considering that he was taking up her quarrel, is generous and high-
minded in the extreme. It ended in Sir Gareth marrying Luned's
sister, Dame Lyones, of the Castel peryllous and in Luned herself,
;
who is also called the "daymoysel saueage," becoming the wife of

Sir Gaherys, who was And
these nuptials were
Sir Gareth's brother.
solemnized with great pomp and splendour at King Arthur's Court.
See Morte d' Arthur, Book VII. Compare Mr. Tennyson's poem of
Gareth and Lynette in the Idylls of the King.
WHATEVER is IN MY POWER.- Page 159.

It appears rather extraordinary at first sight that Luned should
take so lively an interest in Owain, and give herself so much trouble
to forward his suit with the Countess, and also that she should
express herself so well acquainted with his character. But from
Romance, we find that they were old friends,
the English Metrical
Luned having been on an embassy to Arthur's Court some time
previously.
TAKE THIS RING. Page 159.
The ring is enumerated among the "Thirteen Rarities of Kingly
Regalia of the Island of Britain, which were formerly kept at Caerl-
leon, on the River Usk, in Monmouthshire. These curiosities went
with Myrddin the son of Morvran, into the house of Glass, in Enlli,
or Bardsey Island. It has also been recorded by others that it was
Taliesin, the Chief of the Bards, who possessed them."

" The Stone of the
Ring of Luned, which liberated Owen the son
of Urien from between the portcullis and the wall. Whoever con-
cealed that stone, the stone or bezel would conceal him."
The properties of this magical ring will, doubtless, call to mind
the ring of Gyges, which was most probably the prototy,
which it was indirectly derived.
Notes 373
HORSEBLOCK. Page 159.
Ellis, in his Notes to Way's Fabliaux, has the following remarks

upon horseblocks, which are mentioned in a vast number of the old
"
Romances: They were frequently placed on the roads and in the
forests, and were almost numberless in the towns. Many of them
still remain in Paris, where they were used by the magistrates in
order to mount their mules, on which they rode to the courts of
justice. On these blocks, or on the tree which was generally planted
near them, were usually suspended the shields of those Knights who
wished to challenge all comers to feats of arms. They were also
sometimes used as a place of judgment, and a rostrum, on which the
barons took their seats when they determined the differences between
their vassals, and from whence the publick criers made proclamations
to the people." (II. 229.)
PAINTED WITH GORGEOUS COLOURS. Page 160.
This custom of painting figures upon the panels of rooms was

much practised and esteemed at the time when we may suppose that
this Tale was into its present dress. Chaucer has several in-
put
stances, of which we may notice more particularly the allegorical
figures on the wall, at the opening of the Romaunt of the Rose,
and the far more interesting and descriptive representations in the
Temples of Mars, Venus, and Diana, in the "Knightes Tale." The
paintings at the Temple of Mars were executed with so much art
that even sounds werr naitted by them.
" First on the wall was
peinted a forest
In which ther wonneth neyther man ne best
With knotty knarry barrein trees old
Of stubbes sharpe and hidous to behold,
In which ther ran a romble and a swough,
As though a storme shuld bresten every bough," &c. (1977.)
SENDALL. Page 160.

This word is the same as that in the original Welsh, and is used
by the old writers to signify a thin kind of silk like Cyprus. The
dress of the
" Doc tour of Phisike" one of the pilgrims to Canter-
bury, was, no doubt, a handsome one, and of him we are told
" In and in he clad was alle
sanguine perse
Lined with taffata and with sendalle." (441.)
SHE WASHED OWAIN'S HEAD. Page 161.

However these personal services may appear to be at variance
with the manners of the present day, it is clear that they were in
perfect accordance with those of our ancestors. Of this, the following
passage from the Life of Merlin will afford an example :
" When they went to the palace and had disarmed themselves,
King Leodagan made his daughter Genievre (Gwenhwyvar) take the
374 Notes
richest cloths which were in the house, and warm water, and fail
basins of silver, and made them be placed before King Arthur, and
King Ban, and King Boors and his daughter would wait upon
;
Arthur, and would wash his neck and his face ; but he would not
allow thereof, till Leodagan and Merlin requested him, and made
him accept the lady's service. The damsel washed his face right
humbly, and then she wiped it with a fine towel, full gently and *
;
then she went and ministered in like manner to the other twain. 1
COUNTESS. Page 162.
The English version gives this Countess the title of

" The riche
lady Alundyne,
The dukes doghter of Landuit." Line 1255.
And very satisfactory to find that she was not that Penarwen,
it is
daughter of Culfynawyi Prydein, who is mentioned as Owain's wife

in the Triads, though in terms which are anything but complimentary.
Perhaps Penarwen may have been a subsequent wife, since we may
infer that Owain survived the Lady of the Fountain, from the cir-
cumstance so naively mentioned in the text, of her continuing to
be his wife as long as she lived.
In Owen's Llywarch Hen, it is stated that after the death of Pen-
arwen, Owain was married to Denyw, the daughter of Llewddyn
Luyddawg of Edinburgh, by whom he had Kendeyrn Garthwys, the
celebrated St. Kentigern, who founded the Cathedral at Glasgow.
HER NUPTIALS WITH OWAIN. Page 164.

This trait of mannersvery characteristic of the times in which
is
the present Tale was written. It was very usual for widows and
heiresses in the troublous days of Knight-errantry to marry those
whose strength and valour rendered them best able to defend and
preserve to them their possessions. Ste. Palaye, in enumerating the
advantages of the order of Knighthood, does not forget to mention
this easy mode of advancing to fortune. (I. 267, 326.)
GWALCHMAI. Page 164.

GWALCHMAI AP GwvAR. This ancient British name, Gwalchmai,
which signifies the Haivkof Battle^ is in the French Romances changed
into the not very similar form of Gawain, having first been Latinized
into Walganus and Walweyn. In the Triads, he is mentioned in
the followingmanner :
" There were three in the Court of Arthur :

golden-tongued Knights
Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar ;
Drudwas
the son of Tryffin, and
Eliwlod the son of Madog ap Uthur. For there was neither King,
nor Earl, nor Lord, to whom these came, but would listen to them
before all others ; and whatever request they made, it would be
granted them, whether willingly or unwillingly ; and thence were
they called the Golden Tongued"
Notes 375
As a proof of the high estimation in which Gwalchmai's powers
of persuasion were held, the following translation from the Myvy-
rian Archaiology (I. 178) may be adduced :
HERE ARE ENGLYNS

Between Trystan the son of Tallwch, and Gwalchmai the son
of Gwyar, after Trystan had been absent three years from Arthur's
Court, in displeasure, and Arthur had sent eight-and-twenty warriors
to seize him, and bring him to Arthur, and Trystan smote them all
down, one after another, and came not for any one, but for Gwalch-
mai with the Golden Tongue.
GWALCHMAI.
Tumultuous is the nature of the wave,
When the sea is at its height.
Who art thou, mysterious warrior ?
TRYSTAN.
Tumultuous are the waves and the thunder.
In their bursting forth let them be tumultuous.
In the day of conflict I am Trystan.
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan of the faultless speech,
Who, in the day of battle, would not retreat,
A companion of thine was Gwalchmai.
TRYSTAN.
I would do for Gwalchmai in that day,
In the which the work of slaughter is let loose,
That which one brother would not do for another.
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan, endowed with brilliant qualities,
Whose spear has oft been shivered in the toil of war,
I am Gwalchmai the nephew of Arthur.
TRYSTAN.
Gwalchmai, there swifter than Mydrin,
Shouldst thou be in danger,
I would cause blood to flow till it reached the knees.
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan, for thy sake would I strive
Until my wrist should fail me ;
Also for thee I would do my utmost.
TRYSTAN.
I ask it in defiance,
I ask it not through tear,
Who are the warriors before me ?
376 Notes
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan, at distinguished qualities,
Are they not known to thee ?
It is the household of Arthur that cornea.
TRYSTAN.
Arthur will I not shun,
To nine hundred combats will I dare him,
If I am slain, I will also slay.
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan, the friend of damsels,
Before commencing the work of strife,
The best of all things is peace.
TRYSTAN.
Letme but have my sword upon my thigh.
And my right hand to defend me,
And I myself will be more formidable than they aU
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan of brilliant qualities,
Before exciting the tumult of conflict,
Reject not Arthur as a friend.
TRYSTAN.
Gwalchmai, for thy sake will I deliberate,
And with my mouth I utter it.
As I am loved, so will I love.
GWALCHMAI.
Trystan, of aspiring mind,
The shower wets a hundred oaks.
Come to an interview with thy kinsman;
TRYSTAN.
Gwalchmai, of persuasive answers,
The shower wets a hundred furrows,
I will go where'er thou wilt.
Then came Trystan with Gwalchmai to Artkw .
GWALCHMAI.
Arthur, of courteous replies,
Tiie shower wets a hundred heads,
Here is Trystan, be thou joyful.
ARTHUR.
Gwalchmai, of faultless answers,
The shower wets a hundred dwellings.
A welcome to Trystan, my nephew.
Notes 377
Worthy Trystan, chief of the host,
Love thy race, remember the past ;
Am I not the Chief of the Tribe?
Trystan, leader of onsets,

Take equal with the best,
But leave the sovereignty to me.
Trystan, wise and mighty chieftain,
Love thy kindred, none shall harm thee,
Let there be no coldness between friend and friend.
TRYSTAN.
Arthur, to thee will I attend,
To thy command will I submit,
And that thou wishest will I do.
In one Triad we find Gwalchmai extolled as one of the three most
courteous men towards guests and strangers and from another we
;
learn that he added scientific attainments to his other remarkable

qualities.
"The three learned ones of the island of Britain, Gwalchmai ab
Gwyar, and Llecheu ab Arthur, and Rhiwallon with the broom-bush
hair ; and there was nothing of which they did not know the elements
and the material essence."
William of Malmsbury says, that during the reign of William the
Conqueror (A.D. 1086) the tomb of Gwalchmai, or Walwen, as he
calls him, was discovered on the sea-shore, in a certain province of
Wales called Rh6s, which is understood to be that siill known by
the same name, in the county of Pembroke, where there is a district
called in Welsh Castell Gwalchmai, and in English Walwyn's Castle.
In the Graves of the Warriors a similar locality is indicated :
'*
The grave of Gwalchmai is in Pyton,
Where the ninth wave flows."
The Romances make Gawain one of the four sons of King Lot of
Orkney, and of Morgawse, sister to King Arthur ; and in them the
character for courtesy given to him in the Triads is fully maintained.
So proverbial, indeed, was he for this quality, that the highest praise
the Squier could bestow upon the address of the Knight who rode the
" stede of bras"
was,
" That Gawain with his olde
curtesie,
Though he were come agen out of faerie,
Ne coude him not amenden with a word." line 10410.
SATIN ROBE OF HONOUR. Page 166.

This species of honourable dress could only be worn by knights ;
and, according to Ste. Palaye, was generally the gift of the sovereign,
who accompanied it with a paWrey, or, at least, with a horse's bit,
either golden or gilded. His words are, "Le manteau long et
378 Notes
trainant qui enveloppoit toute la personne, &oit reserve particu-
lierement au chevalier, comme la plus auguste et la plus noble decora-
tion qu'il put avoir lorsqu'il n'^toit poidt psa6 de ses armes .... on
Tappeloit le manteau d'honneur." (I. 287.)
EARL OF RHANGYW. Page 166.

Probably this is meant for the Earl of Anjou, and was originally
written larllyr Angyw, the Welsh particle yr, in its contracted form
V, being by some error of the transcriber incorporated with Angyw,
which is the Welsh name for Anjou. What renders this the more
likelyis, that the Earldom of Anjou, or Angyw, was according to
the Brut, one of the possessions of Arthur, who bestowed it upon
his seneschal Sir Kai.
STRONG LANCES. Page 166.

It would be vainto attempt to find English terms corresponding
precisely with those used in the Welsh text, to designate the various
kinds of arms which the knights fought with, in this Tale.
COUSIN. Page 167.

The following genealogical table will explain this consanguinity,
as given in the Welsh Pedigrees.
CYNVARCH, SON OF MEIRCHION.
Arawn, Urien Rheged, Llew,

called, in the Latin Brut, also called Lot, King of
Auguselus. Lothian and of Orkney,
Owain ap Urien. Gwalchmai, or Gawain.

From very remote periods down to the time of Elizabeth, the
Welsh kept up their Pedigrees with much care, and many copies of
them are extant both in public and private collections ; and although
in these occasional discrepancies may be perceived, yet, in general,
their authenticity is well established. It must be allowed, that it
appears somewhat extraordinary that these family records should be

transmitted with such accuracy through so many generations. But
when we consider the imperative obligations of the Welsh Laws
upon this subjert, we are no longer surprised at the existence of
such ancient documents, nor at the solicitude of the Welsh to
preserve them.
" It has been
observed," says the Essayist on Welsh Pedigrees, in
the Transactions of the Cymmrodorion Society,
" that
genealogies
were preserved as a matter of necessity, under the ancient British
constitution. A man's pedigree was to him of the first importance,
as thereby he was enabled to ascertain and prove his birthright, and
claim the privileges which the law attached to it. Every one was
obliged to show his descent through nine generations, in order to be
Notes 379
acknowledged a free native, by which right he claimed his portion
of land in the community. He was also affected with respect to legal
process in his collateral affinities through nine degrees ; for instance,
every murder committed had a fine levied on the relations of the
murderer, divided into nine degrees ; his brother paying the greatest,
and the ninth in relationship the least. The fine thus levied was in
the same proportions distributed among the relations of the victim.
A person beyond the ninth, descent formed a new family ; every
family was represented by its elder, and these elders from every
family were delegates to the national council."
GIVE MB YODR SWORDS. Page 167.

This modesty, in disclaiming praise, and attach ing merit to others,
was one of the most esteemed qualities of knighthood. Ste. Palaye
quotes from Olivier de la Marclie (Mm. i. 315), a contest of gene-
rosity somewhat similar to that between Uwain and Gwalchmai.
''Jacques de Lalain et Pietois, en 1450, ayant fait armes k pied, se
renverserent lun sur 1'autre ; il furent rel eves par les escortes et
amenes aux juges qui les firent toucher ensemble en Signe de paix.
Comme Lalain, par modestie, voulut envoyer son bracelet, suivant
la convention faite pour le prix, Pietois declara qu'ayant ete aussi
bien que lui port par terre, il se croiroit egalement oblige de lui
donner le sien. Ce nouveau combat de poliiesse finit par ne plus
parler de bracelet, et "par former une etroite liaison d'amitie entre
ces genereux ennemis. (I. 150.)
BANQUET. Page 167.

A feast whichtook three years to prepare, and three months to
consume, appears in our degenerate days as something quite enor-
mous ; but it is a trifle to what we read in another of the Mabi-
nogion, where a party spend eighty years in listening to the songs of

the birds of Rhianon, that charm away the remembrance of their
sorrows.
A DAMSEL ENTERED, UPON A BAY HORSE. Page 168.
The custom of riding into a hall, while the Lord and his guests
sat at meat, the memory of which is still in the coronation
preserved
ceremonials of this country, might be illustrated by innumerable
passages of ancient Romance and Histoiy. But I shall content
myself with a quotation from Chaucer's beautiful and half-told Tale

of Cambuscan.
" And so befell that after the thridde cours
While that this king sit thus in his nobley,
Herking his ministralles hir thinges pley
Beforne him at his bord deliciously,
In at the halie dore al sodenly
Ther came a knight upon a stede of bras,
And hi his bond a brod mirrour of glas ;
380 Notes
Upon his thombe he had of gold a ring,
And by his side a naked swerd hanging :
And up he rideth to the highe bord.

In the lialle ne was ther spoke a word,
all
For mervaille of this knight ; him to behold
Ful besiiy they waiten yong and old." 10,390-10,401.
AND ANOINT HIM WITH THIS BALSAM. Page 169.

The
healing art was always confined to females in chivalric times,
a principal part of whose education it formed, and to the wives and
daughters of knights was confided the care of such as were sick or
wounded. Of this, the instances are so numerous, that it is needless
to adduce any here.
We find, from the English metrical version of this Tale, that the
ointment here mentioned, was the gift of Morgant le sage, very
probably the same as Morgan le fay, who was sister of King Arthur,
and wife to Urien Rheged, and whose skill in magic was justly cele-
brated, as the adventure of the Manteau mal taille will unfortunately
prove.
WRESTED FROM HER BY A YOUNG EARL. Page 169.

The name of this invader is inYwain and Gawin, "Theryche
eryl, syr Alers," line 1871; and the " Cuens in the Alers,"
Ckevalier an Lion.
A BEAUTIFUL BLACK STEED. Page IJQ.

The name
of Owain's horse is recorded, with the epithet of "irre-
"
strainable (Anrkeithfarch}^ but we cannot veniure to affirm that the
Cam Aflawg (or grasping-hoofed) of the Triads, was either the
charger which he received from the Lady of the Castle, or that
which met with so disastrous a fate at the falling of the portcullis.
WENT ON HIS WAY, AS BEFORE. Page 171.

Thestory of this adventure, as well as that of the fountain,
appears to have been popular in the Principality, during the Middle
Ages, as it is alluded to in an Ode addressed to Owain Glendower,
by GruffyHd Llwyd ab Davydd ab Einion, one of his Bards, about
the year 1400.
Of this, the following translation is given in Jones's Welsh Bards,
I. 41 :
*'
On sea, on land, thou still didst brave
The dangerous cliff, and rapid wave ;
Like Owain, who subdued the knight,

And the fell dragon put to flight,
Yon moss-grown fount beside ;
The grim, black warrior of the flood,

The dragon, gorged with human blood,
The water's scaly pride."
Notes 381
STONE VAULT. Page 173.
This part of the Tale by no means clearly expressed, but it is
is
evidently intended to be understood that Luned was incarcerated in

a stone cell, near which Owain chanced to halt for the night. We
subsequently find that he shut up the Lion in the same place, during
his contest with Luned's persecutors.
A MONSTER. Page 173.

This monster is in the English called " Harpyns of Mountain,**
and he is, moreover, said to have been "a devil of mekil pryde."
According to this and the French version, the good knight (who, it
appears, had married a sister of Sir Gawain) was, originally, the
father of "sex knyghts," two of whom Harpyns had already slain,
while he threatened to put the remaining four to death, unless their
sister was given "hym to wyve." The costume of the Harpyns
and the four young men is very characteristic.
" With wretched
ragges war thai kled
And bunden thus er thai led
fast :
The geant was both large and lang,

And bar a lever of yren ful strang,
Tharwith he bet them bitterly,
Crete rewth it was to her tham cry,
Thai had no thing tham for to hyde.
A dwergh yode on the tother syde ;
He bar a scowrge with cordes ten,
Thar- with he bet tha gentil men."
And further on, it is said of the giant,
" Al the armure he was
yn
Was noght bot of a bul-skyn."
STATE OF STUPOR. Page 175.

The literal meaning of this not advantageous to the
passage is
four-and-twenty ladies, as it gives them a character for anything but

sobriety. It is possible, however, that allusion is made to some act
of necromancy (not by any means unusual in the old writers of
romance), by which they were thrown into a state of insensibility.
HOSPICE. Page 175.

SPYTTY. This term is derived from the Latin word Hospitium,
and is used to designate those establishments which were erected
and maintained by the monks for the reception of travellers. They
bore some remote resemblance to our present inns, and were
generally placed in secluded spots at a distance from any town.
Several places in Wales retain the recollection of these hospitable
institutions in the name they still bear, as Spytty Ivan,
Spytty
Cynvyn, &c.
382 Notes
RAVENS./^ 176.
As some explanation of this strange expression, it may be noticed,
that in another of the Mabinogion, called the "Dream of Rhon-
abwy," Owain is represented as having an army of Ravens in his
service, which are engaged in combat with some of Arthur's attend-
ants. But in that, as well as in the present Tale, the adventure is
introduced with an abruptness that can only be accounted for by
supposing that the story was well known, and that it formed a part
of that great store of Romance which existed among the Welsh, and
which furnished to the other nations of Europe the earliest materials
of imaginative composition. This Raven Army of the Prince of
Rheged has evidently a connection with the armorial bearings of
that house already alluded to.
VERSIONS IN OTHER LANGUAGES

OF
THE TALE OF "THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN."
The story of Owain and the Lady of the Fountain was very
popular in the days of Chivalry, and we meet with it in many
European languages besides the Welsh.
The English version, under the title of "Ywaine and Gawin"
(derived irom the French work of Chrestien de Troyes), was pub-
lished by Ritson in the first volume of his Metrical Romances,
from a MS. in the British Museum, supposed by him to be of the
reign of Richard II.
Towards the end of the I2th century, the trouvere Chrestien de
Troyes made Owain's adventures the subject of his metrical Romance
of the "Cheualier au Lyon," which I have printed in the first
edition of this work, and of which there are several MS. copies in
the Bibliotheque Nationale.
Chrestien's French poem was turned into German verse by Hart-
raann von der Aue, a Meister-sanger of the end of the I2th or the
beginning of the I3th century. Of this production many copies
exist, that in the Library ol the
Vatican being considered by Tieck
to be the oldest German MS. preserved there. It has appeared
more than once in print, and is to be found in Professor Myller's
Collection of Teutonic Romances, 2 vols. 4to., Berlin, 1784. It
was also published by Michaeler in four small 8vo. volumes.
Vienna, 1786.
Ulrich Furterer, a Bavarian rhymer, who flourished in the later
part of the I5th century, has likewise left a poem on the subject of
Iwein, as one of an immense series of metrical compositions embrac-
ing the entire story of the Grail and the Round Table heroes.
In the Royal Library at Stockholm are preserved MS. versions of
"
the Tale of Ivain," both in the Danish and Swedish languages,
and the British Museum, as well as the University Library of
Copenhagen, possesses MSS. of the Icelandic "Ivent Saga,"
Notes 383
THE FOREST OF BRECELIANDE,

AND THE
FOUNTAIN OF BARANTON.
The Forest of Breceliande, in Brittany, the scene of the leading
incident in the Chevalier au Lion, has ever been one of the most
favoured haunts of Romance, and one whose marvels the Trouveres
have most delighted to celebrate. Amongst those whose names
have contributed to add to the renown of this remarkable spot, is
the mighty Enchanter, Merlin, whose prison it became through the
artifices of his Lady love. The manner of his being incarcerated
there is very circumstantially detailed in the Romance which bears
his name, as quoted by Mr. Southey, in the Preface to the Morte
d' Arthur.
Merlin, having become enamoured of the fair Viviane,
1
was weak
enough to impart to her various important secrets of his art, 2 being
impelled by a fatal destiny, of which he was at the same time fully
aware. The Lady, however, was not content with his devotion,
unbounded as seems to have been, but "cast about," as the
it
Romance how she might "detain him for evermore," and

tells us,
with a view of learning some mode of accomplishing this object, she
one day addressed him in these terms, "Sir," said she, "I would
have you teach and show me how to enclose and imprison a man
without a tower, without walls, without chains, but by enchantment
alone, in such manner that he may never be able to go out, except
by me." Aware of her design, Merlin shook his head, and evinced
great reluctance to comply with her request. But Viviane, "for
her great treason," began to fawn and to flatter him, and used many
subtle arguments to prove that he ought to perform her will, what-
ever it might be. So at last he said to her, " Certes, lady, yes, and
1 This Viviane is said to be the
daughter of a Vavasour of high lineage, called
Dyonas, from Dyane, a goddess of the sea. He married a niece of the Duchess
of Burgundy, with whom he received as a dowry half the Forest of Briogne ; the
other half was granted him soon after in reward for his good services. Under
"
the title of the Lady of the Lake Viviane is well known.
2 Of the nature and extent of the
powers with which Merlin was endowed,
Spenser has left us a most marvellous account.
u For he
by wordes could call out of the sky
Both sunne and moone, and make them him obay ;
The land to sea, and sea to maineland dry,

And darksom night be eke could turne to day ;
Huge hostes of men he could alone dismay,

And hustes of men of meanest thinges could frame,
Whenso him list his enimies to fray :
1 hat to this day, for terror of his fame,

The feendes do quake when any him to them does name."
Faerie Queene, b. iii. c. 3. st. xii.
What wonder is it then that he should elsewhere characterize him as the being
"
Which whylome did excell
All living wightes in might of magicke spell."
Ibid. b. i. c. 7. st. xxxvi.
384 Notes
I will do it ; tell me what you would have." "
Sir," said she, "I
would that we should make a fair place and a suitable, so contrived
by art and by cunning, that it might never be undone, and that you
and I should be there in joy and in solace." "My lady," said
" I will " " I would
Merlin, all this."
perform said
Sir," she, not
have you do it, but you shall teach me, and I will do it, and then it
will be more to my will."
"I said Merlin. Then
grant you this,"
he began to devise, and the damsel put it all in writing. And when
he had devised the whole, then had the damsel full great joy, and
showed him greater semblance of loving him than she had ever
before made and they sojourned together a long while.
; At length
it fell out that, as they were going one day hand in hand
through the
forest of Broceliande, they found a bush of white thorn which was
laden with flowers and they seated themselves under the shade of
;
this white thorn upon the green grass, and they disported together and
took their solace, and Merlin laid his head upon the damsel's lap,
and then she began to feel if he were asleep. Then the damsel rose
and made a ring with her wimple round the bush and round Merlin,
and began her enchantments such as he himself had taught her ; and
nine times she made the ring, and nine times she made the enchant-
ments and then she went and sate down by him, and placed his
,
head again upon her lap and when he awoke, and looked round
;
him, it seemed to him that he was enclosed in the strongest tower

in the world, and laid upon a fair bed. Then said he to the dame,
"My lady, you have deceived me unless you abide with me, for no
one hath power to unmake this tower, save you alone." She then
promised she would be often there, and we are told that in this she
held her covenant to him.
" And Merlin never went out of that
tower where his mistress Viviane had enclosed him. But she entered
and went out again when she listed and oftentime she regretted
;
what she had done, for she had thought that the thing which he
taught her could not be true, and willingly would she have let him
out she could." (T. 2. f. 134.)
if
From the same authority, it appears that after this event Merlin
was never more known to hold converse with any mortal but
Viviane, except on one occasion. Arthur having for some time missed
him from his Court, sent several of his Knights in search of him,
and among the number Sir Gawain, who met with a very unpleasant
adventure while engaged in this quest. Happening to pass a damsel
on his road, as he journeyed along, and neglecting to salute her, she
revenged herself for his incivility, by transforming him into a
hideous dwarf. He was bewailing aloud his evil fortune as he went
"
through the Forest of Breceliande, when suddenly he heard the
voice of one groaning on his right hand ;" and "looking that way he
could see nothing save a kind of smoke which seemed like air, and
through which he could not pass." Merlin then addressed him from
out the smoke, and told him by what misadventure he was imprisoned
there. "Ah, Sir," he added, "you will never see me more, and
that grieves me, but I cannot remedy it ; and when you shall have
Notes 385
departed from this place, I shall never more speak to you, nor to
any other person, save only my mistress." And after this he com-
forted Gawain under his transformation, assuring him that he should
speedily be disenchanted, and he predicted to him that he should find
the King at Carduel, in Wales, on his return, and that all the other
Knights who had been on the like quest, would arrive there the same
day as himself. And all this came to pass as Merlin had said.
1
(T. 2. f. 146. J
wonders ascribed by Chrestien de Troyes to
It is evident that the
the Fountain of Baranton, in this famous Forest, were not the
creation of his own fancy, but were in his time already in no small
repute ; for we find his precursor Wace so much impressed with the
desire to be an eye-witness of them, that he actually made a journey
to the spot for that purpose. In his Roman de Rou he relates
the whole affair with admirable naivete. After adverting to the
marvels of the slab, he tells us, that if what the Bretons say is true,
Fairies are often to be seen sporting on the Fountain's bank ; but
he very frankly owns that he met with nothing but disappointment
to repay the trouble of his expedition, and he reproaches himself for
his folly in having ever undertaken it.
The passage is brought in by the mention of the Barons who
accompanied William of Normandy to the conquest of England,
some of whom he says were
" de verz Brecheliant,
Dune Bretunz vont sovent fablant,
Une forest mult lunge e le,
Ki en Bretaigne est mult
La Fontaine de Berenton
Sort d'une part lez le perron ;
Aler i solent veneor
A Berenton par grant chalor,
Et o lor cors 1'ewe puisier
Et li perron de suz moillier,
For 90 soleient plue aveir ;
Issi soleit jadis pluveir
En la forest tut envirun,
Maiz jo ne sai par kel raisun.
* Preface Morte d' Arthur, xliii xlviii.
In the " Prophecies of Merlin," though the result is the same, the circum-
stances attending his disappearance are differently related. There the scene
is laid, not in Breceliande, but in the Forest of
Arvantes, and Merlin's living
sepulchre is not a white-thorn bush, but a tomb which he had constructed for
himself, and which Viviane persuaded him to lie down in, under pretence of
trying whether it would be large enough for her to be buried in it with him. As
soon as he had entered it, Viviane put down the lid, and closed it so effectually, by
arts which he himself had taught her, that it never after could be
opened. See
Morte d 'Arthur, ii. 4638.
It is this version that Ariosto
appears to have followed ; but be places in the
South of France, somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Garonne, the tomb in
which
"
Col corpo morto il vivo spirto alberga."
Orlando Furioco, C. Hi.
386 Notes
La solt 1'en li fees v&r,
Se li Bretunz disent veir,

Et altres merveilles plusors ;
Aigres solt aveir destors

E de granz cers mult grant plente,
Maiz li vilain ont deserte.
L& alai jo merveilles querre,
Vis la forest e vis. la terre ;
Merveilles quis, maiz nes' trovai ;
Fol m'en revins, fol i alai,
Fol i alai, fol m'en revins,
Folie quis, por fol me tins." v. 11514-11539.
Roman de Rou, publi par F. Pluquet.
Rouen, 1827. ii. 143, 4.
Huon de Mery, a subsequent trouvere, set out on a similar errand,

and was either more
fortunate, or less ingenuous than Wace. One
cannot help suspecting him of reckoning rather largely upon the
credulity of his readers, in the narrative he gives of his journey ;
however, he shall tell his story in his own words.
Being one of those who accompanied an expedition made by the
" Rois
Loeys en Bretaingne," he considered the opportunity thus
afforded him of visiting its Forest of wonders too tempting to be
overlooked.
11
Por cou que n'iert pas mult lontaingne
La fores de Breceliande,
Mes cuers ki sou vent me commande
Faire autre cose ke mon preu,
Me fist faire, aussi comme veu,
Ke ge en Breceliande iroie,
Ge m'en tornai et pris ma voie
Vers la forest, sans plus atendre,
Kar la Vret voloie aprendre
De la perilleuse fontaine,
Une espee ou ot fer d'Andainne
Dont lameure n'estoit pas double
Et un hauberc a maille double
Portai qui puis m'orent mestier
Sans tenir voie ne sentier
Chevauchai .iiij. jours entiers.
Adonc m'aparut uns senders
Qui par une gaste lande,
Me mena en Breceli mde,
Mult est espesse et oscure,
En par aventure
la forest
Perdi le sens de mon sentier.
Car lisolaus s'aloit couchier,
Qui avoit faite sa journê.
Notes 387
Mais la clarte"s est ajornee
De la lune qui lors leva."
**
Cele nuis resambla le jour.
Sans faire alonge ne sejour,
Ce fu la quinte nuis de mai ;
La fontainne mult esgardai

Ke la trouvai par aventure.
La fontaine n'iert pas oscure
Ains ert clere com fins argens,
Mult estoit li praales gens.
Qui sombroioit de desous 1'arbre
Le bachin, le perron de marbre,
Et le vert pin et la caiere
Trouvai en icele maniere,
Comme 1'a descrit Crestiens
En plus clere eve crestiens ....
Ne sambla pas que ce fust cresme.
Quant le bachin ting en ma main,
Car tout aussi puisai plain
Com se la vousisse espuisier.
Quand ge mis la main au puisier,
Lors firmament doubler.
vi le
Quant oi puisie, lors vi doubler
Le torment, quant 1'eve versai,
Je qui, tous seus le sai,
Ne talent n'en ai du mentir,
Mais le chiel oi' desmentir
Et esclarcir de toutes pars.
De plus de .vc. mile pars
Ert la fores enluminee ;
Se tous li chiex ert queminê
Et tous li mons ardoit ensamble,
Ne fesist-il me gamble,
pas, ce
Tel clart, ne si
grant orage.
-C. fois maudis en mon corage
Par cui conseill ting la mon oirre,
Car \ cascun cop de tonnoirrc
La foudre du ciel descendoit
Qui tronounoit et porfendoit
Parmi le bois, caines et fals.
Or escoute"s com ge fui fals
Et tresperdus et entrepris,
K'encor plain bachin d'iaue pris
Et seur le perron le flasti
Mais se le ciel ot bien glati
Et envoies foudres en terre.
Lors double la noise et la guerre
Ke j'ol mene 4 tout le monde,
388 Notes
Can del' tounoire k la rônde
Toute la terre vi tranbler
Ge cuidai bien que assambler
Fesist del' chiel et terre ensamble.
Ce fu folie, ce me samble,
De .ij.
fois le bachin widier,
Mais ce fu par mon fol cuidier,
Car le tans apaisier cuidai
Quant le secont bachin widai;
*****
Mais lors perchui que cil qui cuide
Qu'il a de seus la teste wide.
Lours commencha aprochier zk.
Li jours dont 1'aube ers ja' venue j
Joie firent de sa venue

Trestout oiseillon menu
li
Ke & voleter ai v6u

De par tout Bercheliande.
En broche, n'en forest, n'en lande
N'en mais nus tant amasses
vit
Sus pin en ot plus amasses.
le
Ke n'en vit Kalogrinans.
Et faisoient de divers cans
Une si douce m&odie
Ke k ma mort, ni & ma vie,
Ne keisse avoir autre gloire.
Encore, quant me vient en memoire,
En mon cuer en ai si grant joie
Qu'encore me sanlle qu'eus ge oie ;
M'est-il tous vraiement avis

"
Que c'est terrestre paradis.
Tournoiement Ante-Crist, 1 MS. du Roi,
No. 541. S. F. (fol. 72. col. 2. v. 5.)
The Fairies, who are reported to haunt the Forest of Brec61iande,

appear to have patronized children in an especial manner, and to have
delighted in showering down gifts upon such as were brought there
soon after their birth to receive their benediction. There is extant
in the Bibliotheque du Roi (MS. du Roi, n. 7989 4 Bal.) a frag-
ment of a curious Romance, named Brun de la Montagne, which is
founded entirely upon this circumstance. It is printed in Le Roux
de Lincy's Livre des L^gendes. The outline of the story is as
follows :
Butor de la Montagne, on the birth of his infant son, is desirous

that he should receive a Fairy's blessing ; and after revolving in his
1 Livre des Legendes. Par le Roux de Lincy. Intro. 230, 4. Paris, 1836.
Huon de Mery was a Monk of St. Germain des Pres, near Paris. He wrote
the Poem above quoted about A.D. 1228. See Warton's History of English
Poetry, ii. 121.
Notes 389
mind the names of all the "lieux faes " l with which he is acquainted,
he determines on sending him to the haunt of the Fairies in the "bob
Bersillant." The little Brun is accordingly conveyed thither by a
trusty Knight, and placed on the margin of the enchanted fountain.
It is not long before the Fairies 8 appear, and the child is endowed
with the choicest gifts which they have in their power to bestow.
One of them, however, envious of the extreme brightness of his
propects, dooms him to misfortune and disappointment in love.
On his return to his parents, one of the benevolent Fairies, who
had taken a particular liking to him, disguises herself, and becomes
his nurse. The MS. breaks off abruptly, just as the story of his
disastrous love-adventure is about to commence. 3
I shall conclude this Note with a description of the state of the
famous Forest of Brec61iande, in our own times, from an account of
a visit made to it by the Vicomte de la Villemarqu6, and published
by him in the Revue de Paris for May, 1837.
" tant de dans mon entendu de
J'avais fois, enfance, parler Merlin,
et lu,dans nos romans de chevalerie bretonne, de si merveilleuses
choses sur son tombeau, la fort de Brecilien, la fontaine de Baranton,
et la vallee de Concoret, que je fus pris d'un vif dsir de visiter ces
lieux, et qu'un beau matin
je partis.
" Ploermel
*******
est la ville la plus voisine de Concoret ; de la au bourg
la route est longue et difficile ; toujours des chemins creux, des
montagnes, des bois, ou des landes sans fin."
" La 4
plaine qu'on appelleen breton Concoret, et dans les romans
du moyen-age He Val-des-Fes> est un immense amphitheatre couronn
5
de bois sombres, jadis nommes Broc'hallean, aujourd'hui par cor-
ruption Brecilien. A Tune de ses extremites, coule une fontaine pres
de laquelle on voit deux pierres couvertes de mousse que domine une
vieille croixde bois vermoulue ; c'est la fontaine de Barandon et
"
II a des lieux faes es marches de Champaigne,
Et ausi en a il en la roche grifaigne,
Et si croy qu'il en a aussi en Alemaigne,
Et ou bois Bersillant, par desous la montaigne ;
Et non por quant ausi en a il en Espaigne,

Et tout cil lieu fae sont Artu de Bretaigne."
Livre des L<gend**s, 264.
a The is the description given of these Ladies in the Romance
following :
" Les dames dont

je di si estoient faes
Qui si tres noblement estoient asesmees.
Leur cors furent plus blanc que n'est noif sor gc!4,
Et si tres chierement estoient atourndes.
Car de couronnes d'or furent toutes dorees
Et de blans dras de soie estoient aournees ;
En mi de la portrine estoient escollees.

So uns horn en eust err ij. .c. mile journeys
.
Ne fussent point par li trois

plus belles trouvês
Et s'eust conversd en cent mile contrees."
"
Liv. des Leg. 267*
"
*
Ibid. 260, 284. Kun-kored, valtee des druidesses.
" Le bois de la
Nonne, de 1'Hermite, de la Solitaire."
390 Notes
lctombeau de Merlin ; la dort, dit-on, le vieux druide, au murmure
des eaux et du vent qui gemit dans les bruyeres d'alentour.
" De cette
hauteur, 1'oeil embrasse toute la vallee, et un horizon
sans bornes de bois, de champs remplis de bles ou de genets aux
fleurs jaunes, de paroisses et de lointains clochers.
"
Brecilien eiait une de ces f6rets sacrees qu'habitaient les pre-
tresses du druidisme dans les Gaules ; son nom et celui de sa vallee
1'attesteraient a defaut d'autre t^moignage ; les noras de lieux sont
garans des evenemens passes."
les plus stirs
All the old traditions which give an interest to the Forest continue
to be current there. The Fairies, who are kind to children, are tili
reported to be seen in their white apparel upon the banks of the
Fountain ; and the Fountain itself (whose waters are now considered
salubrious) is still said to be possessed of its marvellous rain-
producing properties. In seasons of drought, the inhabitants of the
surrounding parishes go to it in
procession, headed by their five
great banners, and their priests, ringing bells and chanting Psalms.
On arriving at the Fountain, the Rector of the Canton dips the foot
of the Cross into its waters, and it is sure to rain before a week
elapses.
The Fountain of Baranton is supplied by a mineral spring, and it
bubbles up on a piece of iron or copper being thrown into it.
" Les enfans s'amusent a
y jeter des ping!es, et disent par commun
proverbe 'His do9U fontaine de Berendon, et je te donnerai une
:
%
LLYN DULYN IN SNOWDON.

THE extraordinary property of producing rain, when spilt upon
a stone, is attributed to the waters of Llyn Dulyn, in Snowdon,
according to the following account, which is translated from the
Great, a Welsh Magazine, published in London, 1805.
"There is a lake in the mountains of Snowdon, called Dulyn, in
a rugged valley, encircled by high steep rocks. This lake is
extremely black, and its fish are deformed and unsightly, having
large heads and small bodies. No wild swans are ever seen alight-
ing upon it (such as are on all the other lakes in Snowdon), nor ducks,
nor any bird whatever. And there is a causeway of stones leading
into this lake ; and if any one goes along this causeway, even when
it is hot sunshine, and throws water so as to wet the furthest stone,
which is called the Red Altar [yr Allawr Goch], it is a chance if it

do not rain before night Witness, T. Prys, of Plas lolyn, and
Sion Davydd, of Rhiwlas, in Llan Silin."
1 Revue de
Paris. Tome 41. 7 Mai, 1837, pp. 4758, article " VitiU au
7*<rmiea <it Merlin," par Theodore de la Villemarque.
Notes 391
PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC.

PEREDUR. Page 176.
OF the real of Peredur, nothing is known.
history It is
in the beginning
probable that he fell in the battle of Cattraeth,
of the 6th century, as Aneurin mentions a chieftain of this name
among the slain.
"Warriors marched forth, unanimously they bounded forward ;
Short-lived were they, they had revelled over the flowing mead ^
The host of Mynyddawc renowned in battle ;

Their life was the price of their banquet.
Caradawc, and Madawc, Pyll, and Yeuan,
Gwgawn, and Gwiawn, Gvvynn, and Kynvan,
Peredur oj steel arms, Gwawrdur, and Aedan.
A defence in the tumult, a shield in the conflict ;
When they were slain they also slaughtered.

None to his home returned."
Peredur is by the Bards of the Middle Ages,

frequently alluded to
esteem in which his deeds of prowess
in terms illustrative of the high
then were held. Gruffydd abMeredydd, who flourished about the
end of the I3th century, in hisElegy on Tudur ap Goronwy, oiie of
the ancestors of the House of Tudor, thus mentions him :
" O Bountiful Creator of the radiant sun and waning moon,

Sad is the fall of the chief of valiant deeds,
Eagle of the battle-charge, equal to Peredur, '*
Tudor, assaulter ot the Angles, he who never shunned the fight.
In the old Romances, as Morte d* Arthur, &c., he is celebrated,
under the name of Perceval, as one of those engaged in the quest of
the Sangreal, in which character he is also spoken of in the Triads,
together with Bort, the son of the King of that name, and Galath,
the son of Lancelot du Lac. Tri. Ixi. Myv. Ar. II. 14.
Like Owain, his exploits were sung by Chrestiens de Troyes, and
they also form the subject of romantic compositions in German, and
in other languages of Northern Europe. Our own Chaucer alludes
to him in his Rime of Sire Thopas, Cant. Tales, 1384-5
" Himself drank water of the
well,
As did the Knight, Sire Percivell,
So worthy under wede."
ATTENDING TOURNAMENTS. Page 176.

Wefind various instances of knights, who made a practice to
it
resort to Tournaments as a lucrative occupation on those
; for,
occasions, not only the horse and arms of the vanquished frequently
became the property of the victor, but the prizes contested for were
39 2 Notes
often of so valuable a nature as greatly to enrich those who were
fortunate enough to win them. Sometimes they consisted of dia-
monds and precious stones, and sometimes even of the revenues of
different domains. 1
In the Romance of Ipomydon, " a thousand
"
pound is the guerdon bestowed on the successful combatant. Our
Henry the VII. proposed a ring of gold, set with a ruby, and another
set with a diamond, as the reward of the knights who should be
victorious at a Tournament at which he was to be present. 2 And
there is a characteristic story on record of the Chevalier Bayard,
who being the conqueror on one of these occasions, refused to take
the prize, which was a ruby worth a hundred ducats attached to a
ladjrs sleeve, saying that the honour of the victory was entirely due to
the sleeve, for which he had contended. The ruby was accordingly
presented to the knight who had acquitted himself best after Bayard,
and the lady herself resumed possession of the sleeve, declaring that
after what Bayard had said, she should keep it all her life for his
sake. 1
WARS AND COMBATS. Page 176.

From passage we may probably infer that Evrawc was one
this
of those knights who, during the Middle Ages, ranked themselves
under the banners of such princes as were disposed to engage their
services. Many of these adventurers were held in high estimation,
and Froissart, in speaking of Sir John Hawkwood who was one of
the most distinguished of them, calls him "a right valiant English
knight, who had performed many most gallant deeds of arms." He
gives the following account of Hawkwood's progress, from which
an idea may be formed of the emoluments that accrued to those
mercenary bands, and of the manner in which they were employed.
" He had left France at the conclusion of the
peace of Bretigny,
and was at that time a poor knight, who thought it would not be of
any advantage to him to return home but when he saw, that by
;
the treaties, all men-at-arms would be forced to leave France, he

put himself at the head of those free companions called late-comers,
and marched into Burgundy. Several such companions, composed
of English, Gascons, Bretons, Germans, and of men from every
nation, were collected there. Hawkwood was one of the principal
leaders, with Bricquet and Carnelle, by whom the battle of Brignais
was fought, and who aided Bernard de la Salle to take the Pont
du St. Esprit.
" When
they had harassed the country for some time, the marquis
de Montferrat made a treaty with them to assist him in his war with
the lords of Milan. This marquis led them over the Alps, after he
had paid them sixty thousand francs, of which Hawkwood received,
for himself and his troops, ten thousand. When they had finished
the war for the marquis, the greater part of them returned to
France for sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the lords de la Marche, de
;
1 Mem. de Chev. I. 2 Strutt's

322. Sports and Pastimes, 134.
3 Hist, of the Chev. Bayard (Lond. 1825). I. 84.
Notes 393
Beaujeu, and sir Arnold d'Andreghen, marshal of France, wished
to lead into Spain, to don Henry de Trastamare, against don
them
Pedro, king of Spain.
" Sir
John Hawk wood and his companions remained in Italy, and
were employed by pope Urban as long as he lived, in his wars in the
Milanese. Pope Gregory, successor to Urban, engaged him in the
same manner. Sir John had also a profitable employment, under
the lord de Coucy, against the count de Vertus and his barons ; ID
which, some say, the lord de Coucy would have been slain, if sir
John Hawkwood had not come to his assistance with five hundred
combatants, which he was solely induced to do because the lord
de Coucy had married one of the king of England's daughters.
This sir John Hawkwood was a knight much inured to war, which
he had long followed, and had gained great renown in Italy from
his gallantry.
"The Romans, therefore, and Urban, who called himself pope,,
resolved, on Clement leaving Italy, to send for Hawkwood, and
appoint him Commander-in-chief of all their forces ; they made him
large offers of retaining him and his whole troop at a handsome

subsidy, which he accepted, and acquitted himself loyally for it."
Johnes's Froissart, 410. II. c. 97.
THEY ARE ANGELS, MY SON. Page 177.

Incidents similar to that in the text are of frequent occurrence
in the old Romances. St. John of Damascus, a Greek writer of the
8th century, has a story of a youth brought up in utter ignorance
of all worldly affairs, in order to evade a prophecy which existed
against him. Here, however, the compliment paid by Peredur*s
mother to the knights, in calling them Angels, is far from being
returned to her sex. For, in describing to him all the objects he
meets on his first going out, and mixing with the world, the Greek
writer makes the young man's father apply an appellation to the
ladies, which is the very reverse of angelic.
There is another story to the same effect, in a Latin Collection
of Materials for composing Sermons, by John Herolt, sirnamed
Discipulus, a Dominican friar of Basil, who flourished about I45O.
1
From these the idea has been adopted and worked up by the
Italian novelist.
POSSESS THYSELF OF IT, AND GIVE IT TO ANOTHER. Page 178.
The ideas of liberality entertained in the days of Chivalry were

often widely at variance with every principle of justice. That the
advice given to Peredur by his mother was consistent with the feel-
ings of the day, may be gathered from various passages in the work*
of contemporary writers. An amusing anecdote, illustrative of this,
is thus quoted by Mr. Hallam, from Joinville's celebrated History
of St. Louis.
3
Hist. Eng. Poe. I. ccxxiv. cclxv.
394 Notes
" He is
speaking of Henry count of Champagne, wh acquired,
says he, very deservedly, the sirname of Liberal, and adduces the
following proof of it :
" A poor knight implored of him on his knees one day as much
money as would serve to marry his two daughters. One Arthault
de Nogent, a rich burgess, willing to rid the count of this im-
portunity, but rather awkward, we must own, in the turn of his
argument, said to the petitioner My lord has already given away
:
so much that he has nothing left. Sir Villain, replied Henry,

turning round to him, you do not speak truth, in saying that I have
nothing left to give, when I have got yourself. Here, Sir Knight,
I give you this man and warrant your possession of him. Then, says
Joinville, the poor knight was not at all confounded, hut seized hold
of the burgess fast by the collar, and told him he should not go till
ke had ransomed himself. Ai-d in the end he was forced to pay a
ransom of five hundred pounds. The simple-minded writer who
brings this evidence of the count of Champagne's liberality is not at
allstruck with the facility of a virtue that is exercised at the cost of
others." 1
THROUGH MAGIC OR CHARMS. Page 180.
The dread of supernatural agency has in all ages exerted a power-

fill influence over the human mind. Even in the present day,
instances are not wanting of men of the most approved natural
courage, quailing with fear at the idea of an invisible enemy. It
must, therefore, not be surprising, if, in less enlightened times, we

find this superstitious feeling interfering still more generally with
the common affairs of life. So decidedly was it acknowledged in
the Middle Ages, that a solemn oath was required to be taken by
every knight previous to his engaging in wager of battle, that he did
not bear about him any charm or spell, and that he was not protected
by magic or enchantment.
THIS IRON COAT. Page 181.
In the English version, Perceval, after several vain attempts to

disencumber the dead knight of his armour, betakes himself to
rather a curious expedient for effecting his object :
" He sayd my moder bad me,
When my dart solde broken be,
Owte of y Iren bren y6 tree :
Now es me fyre ynede.

Now he getis hy Hynt,
His fyre Iren he hent,
And yen w* owtten any stynt,
He kyndilt a glede."
1 Middle Ages, III. 499, 500.
Notes 395
BETWEEN THE NECK AND THE SHOULDER. Page 181.
It should seem that this was a favourite point of attack in the
energetic encounters of those days ; for in the Morte d' Arthur we
meet with a similar expression to the above. It is stated, that when
Arthur first assumed the government of Britain, several kings and
knights would not acknowledge his authority, and assembled in
order to oppose him. Believing their visit to have a friendly object,
he sent them many valuable presents, which they refused to accept,
" "
rebuking the messagers shamefully," and sending Arthur word,
they wold none of his yeftes. But that they were come to gyue hym
yeftes with hard swerdys betwixt the neck and the sholders.
B. I. c. 8.
STAPLE. Page 184.
This was, probably, a staple for fastening horses to, as it is well
known that the horses were often brought into the hall among the
guests. In the account of the thirteen rarities of the Island of
Britain, as enumerated in an unpublished MS. in the possession of
Mr. Justice Bosanquet, it is said that one chieftain had the staple for
holding his horse at the foot of his bed.
" The halter of
Clydno Eiddyn, which was in a staple below the
feet of his bed ; and whatever horse he wished for in it, he would
find there."
SPEAR OF MIGHTY SIZE. Page 185.

In the French version of this tale, the spear here alluded to in
said to have been the Holy Lance, and with it is brought in the
celebrated Sangreal. The latter was the great object of research
with the Knights of the Round Table, and its recovery was ulti-
mately achieved by Perceval of Wales, the Peredur ab Evrawc of
Welsh Romance.
THE THIRD PART. Page 189.

This apportionment is strictly in accordance with ancient Welsh
customs ; for by the Laws of Howel Dda, it appears the Master of
the Royal Household and the Steward (Penteulu and Dtstein), were
each entitled to a third part of certain fines there mentioned ; to
express which portion the same word (irayan] is used as in the
present tale.
GWALCHMAI. Page 193.

Gwalchmai's reputation for courtesy and eloquence is here
admirably kept up, and we find him fully entitled to the appellation
of the Golden Tongued, so poetically bestowed upon him in the
Triads. No less faithfully is Kai's character for the very opposite
quality of detraction sustained.
ANGHARAD LAW EURAWC. Page 195.

This name literally signifies Angharad with the Golden Hand, an
396 Notes
epithet which was most probably bestowed on her, to designate her
liberality.
SPEAK A WORD TO ANY CHRISTIAN AGAIN. Page 195.

During the days of Chivalry, vows for the performance of some
singular or romantic feat, of a similar nature with that mentioned
in the text, were greatly in vogue. In an ancient French Poem,
entitled Le Voeu du Heron, printed by Ste. Palaye, an amusing
instance of this occurs.
Robert of Artois presents himself at the Court of Edward the III.
and incites that Monarch to the Conquest of France. One day he
enters the hall in which the King and his courtiers are assembled,
accompanied by musicians and two noble damsels, and bearing in
great pomp a Heron, which he had killed, and which he ironically
offers to Edward, as a compensation for the French crown. Edward,
roused by the taunt, immediately swears upon the Heron, that the
year shall not elapse without his entering France with fire and
sword. His nobles follow his example. Among them is the Earl
of Salisbury, who is seated by the daughter of the Earl of Derby, to
whom he was devotedly attached. He asks the lady to lend him
one of her fingers and to place it upon his eye.
" Si pri a la pucelle, de ceur devotement,
Qu'elle me preste un doit de sa main seulement,
Et methe sur mon oeil destre parfaitement. "
She is complaisant enough to grant him two fingers, which she
puts upon his eye, so as to close it. Whereupon the Earl makes
oath never more to open that eye until he shall have done battle
against the army of the French King. And this he faithfully
performs.
" Les deux mist isnelement, 1
dois, sur 1'oeil destre, li
Et si li a clos 1'ceil, et frem6 a fermement,

Et chix 3 a demand^ moult gracieusement :
Bele, est-il bien clos ? Oyl certainement.

A dont dist, de la bouche, du ceur le pensement ;
Et je veu, et prometh a Dieu omnipotent,
Et a sa douche mere, que de beaute resplent,
4
Qu'i n'est jamais ouvers, pour ore, ne pour vent,
Pour mal, ne pour martire, ne pour encombrement, 8
Si seray dedans Franche, ou il a bonne gent,
Et si aray le fu 6 bout entierement,
Et serai combatus a grand efforchement,
Centre les gens Philype, qui tant a hardement ;
7
Je ne sui en bataille prins, par boin ensient,
8
Bien li ederai a acomplir son talent :
Or aviegne qu'aviegne; car il n'est autrement.

1 2 Ferme. 8 Celui-ci.
Promptement.
4 Temps, heure. 6
Empgchement. Feu.
7 A bon escient, savoir ou certitude. 8 Edouard aiderai.
Notes 397
Adonc osta son doit la puchelle au cors gent,
Et li iex 1 clos demeure, si ques virent le gent,
Et quand Robert 1'entent, moult de joie 1'enprent.
a
Quant li quens Salebrin ot vou6 son avis,
Et demoura 1'oeil clos en la guerre toudis.
Li bers 3 Robers d'Artois ne s'est mie alentis." 4
In the same reign, Froissart mentions a number of young
bachelors, who appeared with a bandage over one eye, which they
had sworn to their ladies not to remove until they had distinguished
themselves by some deed of prowess against the French.
SITTING ON A BENCH. Page 200.

Benches were formerly much more general than chairs. Wherever
the latter are spoken of by our old English writers, it appears to
have been as an article of luxury, and even of magnificence ; and
there is every reason to believe that they were far from being
common, even in the houses of the great. No mention whatever
ismade of chairs in the catalogue of the furniture in the chamber of
the Bishop of Winchester, in 1266, where benches, or forms, are,
however, particularly enumerated.
" Et de i. mensa cum tressellis in camera dom. Et v.
episcopi.
6
formis in eadem camera."
This is also the case in the inventory preserved of the goods
belonging to Contarini, a rich Venetian trader, at his house in St.
Botolph's-lane, A.D. 1481, and in that of the furniture of Skipton
Castle, the great honour of the Earls of Cumberland, and one of
the most splendid mansions of the North, A.D. I572. 8
And the more general use of benches may be gathered from many
passages in the elder poets. In the Geste of King Home, we
find,
" Home sett him abenche"
And in Piers Plowman's Crede, the author, describing the luxury
of the monks, tells us of
" An halle for an
hygh kynge an houshold to holden
With brode bordes abouten, ybenched wel clene."
Ellis remarks, that "from this usage our Court of King's Bench
had its name." 7
ADDANC. Page 202.
In the Triads mention is made of the Addanc, or Avanc of the
Lake, as an aquatic monster which exercised a mysterious influence
over some tremendous inundation, there alluded to and generally
1 GEil. 2 3 Baron.
Souhait, dessein.
*
Me"m. de Chev. II. 102, 103.
5
Warton's Hist. Eng. Poe. 1824. I. 43.
8 Hallam's Middle
Ages. Chap, on the State of Society. 1834. HI. 437.
There were, however, a. few chairs in Mr. Fermor's house at Baston, according
to the inventory printed by Strutt.
7 Notes to
Way's Fabliaux, I. 222.
398 Notes
considered to have been the universal deluge, of which event most
primitive nations have preserved a traditional recollection. The
drawing of the Avanc from the Lake was an exploit performed by
the horned Oxen of Hu Gadarn, or the Mighty, the hero who is
recorded as having first conducted the nation of the Cymry into the
Island of Britain. See Triad 4. Myv. Arch. II. 57.
" The three
great exploits of the Island of Britain : The ship of
Nevydd Nav Neivion, which carried in it a male and female of all
things living, when the Lake of floods burst forth. And the horned
oxen of Hu the Mighty, which drew the Avanc of the Lake to land,
so that the Lake burst forth no more. And the stones or Gwyddon
Ganhebon, on which were read all the arts and sciences of the
world." T. 97. Myv. Arch. II. 71.
There are many popular traditions connected with this event stil
existing in different parts of the Principality.
ETLYM GLEDDYV COCH. Page 205.

Literally, Etlym with the red sword.
HOWEL THB SON OF EMYR LLYDAW. Page 2OQ.

Howel, the Prince of Llydaw, or Armorica, distinguished himself
greatly in Arthur's wars against the Romans, and was one of the
most strenuous in urging his Sovereign to resist their unjust claims.
When Arthur was called suddenly home, by the news of Modred's
treachery, he left Howel with part of his army in Gaul, to secure
his possessions in that country. 1
He was one of the three knights of princely bearing in Arthur's
Court, who were so kind and gentle, and so courteous of demeanour,
that it was difficult for any one in the world to refuse or deny then
anything they asked. T. 118. Myv. Arch. II. 74.
The Cambrian Biography tomb at Llan Illtyd
places Howel's
Vawr, or Lantwit, in Glamorganshire.
Emyr Llydaw, Howel's father, was nephew of the celebrated St.
Germanus, or Garmon. A great number of his descendants, headed
by Cad van, emigrated to this country from Armorica, and are ranked
8
among the most eminent of the Welsh Saints.
CHESSMEN WERE PLAYING. Page 216.
A chessboard and men possessed of similar qualities with
those in
the tale, belonged to Gwenddolen, the celebrated beauty of Arthur's
Court, and are thus described :
" The
Chessboard of Gwenddolen ; when the men were placed
1
See Gruffydd ab Arthur, Wace's Brut, Rob. of Glou., &c. The tragical
story of Howel's niece Helen, the victim of Dinabuc, the Spanish Giant of St.
Michael's Mount, forms a long episode in all these accounts of the expedition
against Rome. The St. Michael's Mount here alluded to is that in Normandy.
Arthur went there with no other escort than his two knights, Kai and Bedwer,
and had the satisfaction of overcoming and slaying the Giant, who, froca all the
descriptions, must have been a most fierce and savage monster.
2 See Professor Rees's
Essay, p. 213.
Notes 399
upon it, they would play of themselves.
The Chessboard was of
gold, and the men of silver." Bosanquet MS.
Something of the same kind occurs in the Romance of Sir Gaheret.

That champion is entertained in the Enchanted Castle of a beautiful
Fairy, who engages him in a party at Chess, in a large hall, where
flags of black and white marble form the chequer, and
the pieces,
consisting of massive statues of gold and silver, move at the touch
of
the magic rod held by the player.
A
similar adventure occurs in the Romance of Lancelot duLac.
II. p. loi. 1
NOTICE OF VARIOUS OTHER VERSIONS.

THE story of Peredur exists in the French language in two different
forms one of these is a Metrical Romance, by Chrestien de Troyes,
:
" Perceval le
entitled Galois," of which several MSS. are deposited
in the Bibliotheque du Roi ; the other is a Prose Composition, and
has appeared in print. This last is of small folio size, bearing the
date of Paris, March 20, 1529. Copies of it are extremely rare.
Of the English Metrical Romance
of Perceval, only one ancient
copy is known contained in a very curious folio
to be extant. It is
MS. on paper, belonging to the library of Lincoln Cathedral, and

which from the name of its transcriber, Robert de Thornton, a
monk who lived in the I5th century, is commonly known by the
name of the Thornton MS. Sir Frederick Madden, in his Intro-
duction to the Romance of Sir Gawaine, gives a particular description
of the MS. and its contents.
I possess a transcript of it, which, by the kind permission of the
Chapter, I made in 1840.
Amongst the various Romances of theRound Table none appears

to have enjoyed a larger share of popularity in Germany than that
of Perceval. It is the subject of a poem written by Wolfram von
Eschenbach, about the year 1200, which he professedly derived
from a French original totally distinct from that of Chrestien. The
author's name is given as Kyot, or Guyot, of Provence ;
apparently
a different person from Guyot of Proving, whose satirical poem,
written at the same period, is well known in old French literature.
Kyot seems to have been acquainted with the wild fictions of the
Arabic story-tellers in Spain, and to have blended them in his own
work with the Welsh legends which, either in Latin or French form,
had already made their way to Southern France, and were eagerly
listened to at the court of Anjou.
Numerous MS. copies of Wolfram's poem are in existence, and
a printed edition, now of extreme rarity, appeared as early as the
end of the I5th century. It is also comprised in Myller's Selection
of Ancient Poems, and in Karl Lachmann's edition of Wolfram
1
Sir W. Scott's Notes to Sir Tristram (1811), p. 275.
400 Notes
von Eschenbach's Works. Berlin, 1883. 8vo. Mr. Albert Schufc
(San Marte) has published a modern German translation of it,
Magdeburg, 1836. 8vo.
The Romance of Peredur is found in Icelandic under the title
of the Saga of Perceval, of which there are copies in the British
Museum and in the Royal Library at Stockholm.
GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN.

EASTER CHRISTMAS WHITSUNTIDE. Page 219.
"
RITSON, in a note to his Metrical Romancees," mentions, that
our early historians, as Roger Hoveden, Matthew Paris, &c., often
advert to the custom of the ancient monarchs of France and England,
of holding a cour pleniere, or plenary court, at the three principal
feasts of Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas. On
those occasions
"
they were attended by the earls and barons of the kingdom, their
ladys and children ; who dine'd at the royal table with great pomp
and eclat ; minstrels flocking thither from all parts ; justs and tour-
naments being perform'd, and various other kinds of advertisements,
which lasted several days.'* III. 235.
These three principal festivals, or prif my I, " Pasc, Nadolic, a
Sulgwyn," are commemorated as such in one of the Triads, Ivii.
CHURCHES WERE SET APART FOR MASS. Page 220.

In another part of this work, the word Offeren is rendered offering ;
but here it has been thought advisable to use the more general term
Mass, although the former seems to correspond best with the
language of the day.
Thus Chaucer, in his description of the Wif of Bathe, tells us, that
'*
In the parish wif ne was ther non,
all
That to the
ojfring
before hire shulde gon,
And if ther did, certain so wroth was she,
That she was out of alle charitee."
Pro. v. 451-4-
STEWARD OF THE HOUSEHOLD. Page 220.

He was the chief of all the officers of the Court, who had each to
pay him a fee of twenty-four pence upon their installation. On him
devolved the important care of providing food for the kitchen, and
liquor for the mead-cellar ; and he had the charge of the king's share
of booty, until the king desired to dispose of it, when he was allowed
to choose from it a steer, as his own share. It was his particular
duty "to swear for the king." Besides his clothes, and four horse-
shoes, and various perquisites of the skins of beasts, he was entitled
to a
" male
hawk, from the master of the hawks, every feast of St.
Michael." Welsh Laws.
Notes 401
MASTER OF THE HOUSEHOLD. Page 220.
The post of Master of the Household was one of much honour
and distinction ; and in the Laws of Howel Dda it is ordained that
it should be filled by the king's son or nephew, or one of dignity
sufficient for so high a situation. Gwalchmai was therefore peculiarly

eligible to it from the relation in which he stood to King Arthur.
The privileges attached to this office were important, while its
duties do not appear to have been of a very arduous nature ; one of
them consisted in giving the harp into the hands of the domestic
bard at the three great festivals.
The Master of the Household had the largest and most central
house in the town for his
lodging.
He was entitled to the second
most honourable dish in the Court, and to be served first after the
king ; and his allowance was three dishes and three hornfuls of the
best liquor in the Court. Besides other perquisites, some of which
were in money, he claimed his clothes at the three great festivals,
and also his horses, his dogs, his hawks, and his arms, from the king ;
and from the smith of the Court he had four horse-shoes once &
year, with their complement of nails.
GRYNN, AND PEN PIGHON, ETC. Page 220.

These personages appear to have received their names altogether
from the office which they held ; and we cannot expect to find any
authentic records
" the son of and
very concerning Sight Seer,"
" Ear the son of
Hearer," which is the interpretation of Drem vab
Dremhitid, and Ciust vab Clustveinyd.
To these two worthies, however, the following allusion is made
in a composition attributed to lolo Goch, 1400.
"When will that be?
"When Bleuddyn RabiRhol is as quick-sighted as Tremydd ap
Tremhidydd, the man who could discern a mote in the sunbeam, in
the four corners of the world.
" When the ears of deaf Deicin
Fongam of Machynlleth are as
good as those of Clustfain ap Clustfeinydd, the man who could hear
the sound of the dewdrop in June falling from the grass stalk, in
the four corners of the world."
may be well to remark in this place, that several of the charac-

It
terswhich are incidentally introduced in Geraint ab Erbin, appear
again in others of the Mabinogion, where they will be more par-
ticularly noticed.
DIAPERED SATIN. Page 220.

have ventured thus to translate the words "Pali caerawg,"
I
though the strict meaning of "caerawg" is "mural"; and Dr.
kersey-
the
jpithet
402 Notes
stone walls." In speaking of satin, it seemed, however, more
appropriate to use the term diapered, which Wharton, who has a
long note upon the subject (Eng. Poe. II. 9, 1824), believes, properly,
to signify " embroidering on a rich ground, as tissue, cloth of gold,
Ac." Thus, in the Squire of Low Degree, the King of Hungary
"
promises his daughter "clothes of fyne golde for her head
" With damask e
whyte and asure blewe,
Well dyaperd with lyllyes newe."
And Chaucer talks of
*
"a stede bay, trapped in stele,
Covered with cloth of gold diapred wele."
Cant. T. v. 2159.
FOREST OF DEAN. Page 220.

The history of the Forest of Dean is much too interesting and
important to be compressed within the limits of a note the very ;
derivation of its name having alone afforded materials for very

lengthened discussion. Many suppose that it was so called in con-
sequence of the Danes having taken up their residence there ; and
Giialdus Cambrensis appears to have inclined to this opinion, at least
if we may from the name by which he designates it, Danubiae
judge
Sylva, which is similar to that used by Asser Menevensis, in
1
speaking of Denmark. It argues, however, greatly against this
etymology, that Dean was a common name in forests among the
Celts, both of Britain and Gaul. Besides Ardennes in France, and
Arden in Warwickshire, many forest towns still bear the appellation,
as Dean in Rockingham Forest, Dean in the New Forest, &c.
From this circumstance, it has occurred to me that the name was
very probably derived from the Welsh or Celtic word DIN, which
signifies "a fortified mount, or fort." For Sharon Turner informs
us, on the authority of Caesar, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus, that
the Britons
" cleared a space in the wood, on which they built their
huts and folded their cattle ; and they fended the avenues by ditches
and barriers of trees. Such a collection of houses formed one of their
towns" Ang.-Sax. B. I. c. v. Din is the root of Dinas, the Welsh
word in actual use for a city.
The Rev. T. Price, in his History of Wales, gives it as his
opinion, that the Forest of Dean was the original Feryllwg, or land
betwixt the Wye and the Severn, which at one time formed a part
of one of the five divisions of Wales. The name of Feryllwg, cor-
rupted into Ferleg and Ferreg, he supposes to have been given to
this district from the iron-works with which it abounded, the word
" a worker in metal." It
Feryll signifying appears also to have been
considered as one of the three Gwents, and to have borne the appel-
lation of
" Gwent Coch yn y Dena," or the /WGwent in the Deans,
1 Asser Menevensis speaks of a great fleet of Pagans coining to Britain, " de
Danubio." Annales de rebus gestis yElfredi.
Notes 403
for which epithet it is most likely indebted to the colour of its
ferruginous soil. "
In the time of Giraldus Cambrensis, this district amply supplied
Gloucester with iron and venison." The renowned Spanish Armada
was strictly charged to destroy its noble oaks, which were then
considered of the highest importance to our naval pre-eminence.
I will not here enter into detail upon the mining industry of the
Forest of Dean, as I shall probably have occasion again to allude to
it. It is said that the peculiar and extensive mining privileges of
its inhabitants were confirmed to them by the grant of one of our
sovereigns, in acknowledgment for the good service done him by

its archers against the Scots ; for, like most foresters, they were
skilful bowmen. The yew-tree, sacred to archers, which is still
seen to mark the site of almost every ancient mine in the forest,,
might seem to have a fanciful allusion to the nature of the grant,
and a lingering desire to perpetuate the recollection of its origin.
CHIEF HUNTSMAN./^ 221.

In the Laws of Howel Dda, this important personage ranks
as the
tenth officer of the Court, and his duties and immunities are very
clearly defined. From Christmas
to February he was to be with
the king when and took the seat appointed for him in the
required,
palace, which was "about the recess with the domestic chaplain."
After the 8th of February he was to go with his dogs, his horns,
and his greyhounds to hunt the young stags until the feast of St.
John, which is in the middle of summer ; and during that time he
was not bound to make compensation (that is, in a Court of Law)
to any one who had a claim upon him, except it were one of his
fellow-officers. He was to hunt deer from the feast of St. John till
the ninth day of winter and unless he could be taken before he
;
had risen from his bed, and put on his boots, he was not obliged to
render compensation to any who had a claim upon him during all
that period. From the ninth day of winter to the ist of December
he went to hunt badgers, and was not accountable for his conduct
to any except his fellow-officers ; and after that he has employed
in sharing the skins of the beasts that had been slain, to a portion
of which he had himself a right. His lodging was in the kilnhouse*
and his allowance was three hornfuls of liquor and a dish of meat.
The value of his horn was one pound, and it was to be of buffalo-
horn (buelin).
CHIEF PAGE. Page 221.

The Chief Page, or Penn Mackwy, appears to have been the
officer designated in the Welsh Laws as the Gwas Ystavell, and, as
that name implies, he was required to attend to the arrangements of
the king's chamber. It was his business to seek the burden of straw
for the king to lie on, to make his bed, and to spread the clothes
it ; and in his keeping were the king's treasures,
" his
upon cups, his
horns, and his rings," for the losing of which he was punished. He
404 Notes
lodged in the royal chamber, and, except -during the three great
festivals, acted as cupbearer to the king.
GWENHWYVAR SAID TO ARTHUR, " WlLT THOU PERMIT ME,

LORD, TO GO TO-MORROW TO SEE AND HEAR THE HUNT OF
THE STAG?" Page 221.
It was formerly very customary for ladies to join in the pleasures
of the chase ; and Strutt informs us that when they did so it was
usual to draw the game into a small compass by means of inclosures ;
and temporary stands were erected for them, from which, when not
contented with being merely spectators of the sport, they shot at the
game with arrows as it passed by. This appears to be the manner
in which the hunting party was to be conducted, which was promised
by the King of Hungary to his daughter in the old romance of the
Squire of Low Degree, where he tells her,
"A lese of grehound with you to stryke,
And hert and hynde and other lyke,
Ye shal be set at such a tryst,
That herte and hynde shall come to your fyst." 765-8.
Strutt isof opinion that the ladies had even separate hunting
parties of their own. Sports and Pastimes, p. 12.
GIVE IT TO WHOM HE PLEASES. Page 221.

Gawain (Gwalchmai) gives a different counsel in the French
Romance of Eric and Enide, and endeavours to dissuade the King
from the hunting of the White Stag.
"
Monsignor Gauvain ne plot mie
Quaint il ot la parole oi'e.
Sire, fet-il, de ceste cace
N'aurois vous ja ne gre, ne grace.
Nous savons bien trestot pieca
Quel costume le blanc cerf a ;
Qui le blanc cerf ocire puet,
Par raison baisier li estuet,
Le plus bele a quanqu'il cort,
Des puceles de vostre cort ;
Mais en porroit venir molt grant
Error, ilA$aians cinq cens
Damoiselles de halt paraiges
Filles a Roi gentis et saiges
Ne n'i a nul qui n'ait ami
Chevalier vaillant et hardi
Qui tost desrainer la voldroit
Ou fust a tort, ou fust & droit
Que cele qui li atalente
Ert la plus bele et la plus gnte.
Notes 405
Li Rois respont ce sai ge bien
Mais porce nel lairrai jo rien ;
Mais ne puest estre contredite
Parole, puisque Rois 1'a dite."
This recalls the words which Chaucer puts into the mouth of
"
Pluto, that is the King of Faerie," when urged by his Queen to
deviate from a resolution once declared :
" I am a king, it sit me not to lie."
Cant. Tales, 1. 10189.
CADYRNERTH THE SON OF PORTHAWR GANDWY. Page 221.

Cadyrnerth the son of Porthawr Gandwy appears to have been a
very courtly personage, and a man of most polished manners ; as in
one Triad we find him ranked with the courteous Gwalchmai for his
l
urbanity towards guests and strangers ; and in another he is said to
have preferred residing with King Arthur to exercising the sove-
reignty over his own dominions, which was, doubtless, in some
measure because the refined habits of the Court were more congenial
to a person of his cultivation and taste.
" The three
sovereigns of the Court of Arthur, Goronwy the son
of Echel Vorddwytwll, and Caldreith the son of Porthfawr Gadw,
and Ffleidwr Fflam the son of Godo ; 2 because they were princes
possessing territory and dominion, and in preference to which they
remained as knights in the Court of Arthur, as that was considered
the chief of honour and gentility in the opinion of the Three Just
8
Knights."
Noris this characteristic lost sight of in the
present Tale, for, a
further on, while every one else is engrossed by the pleasures
little
of the chase, we find all Cadyrnerth's ideas of propriety violated by
Gwenhwyvar's riding up with no other retinue than a single hand-
maiden ; and he hastens to Arthur, to make him acquainted with
so flagrant a breach of etiquette, who instantly rectifies it by
commanding Gildas and the scholars of the Court to attend her.
GrOREU THE SON OF CUSTENNIN. Page 221.

He is recorded the deliverer of Arthur from the three
as
imprisonments assigned to him in the Triads.
"The three supreme prisoners of the Island of Britain, Llyr
4
Llediaith, in the prison of Euroswydd Wledig, and Madoc, or
5
Mabon, son of Modron, and Geyr the son of Geyrybed, or
B
Geiryoed ; and one more exalted than the three, and that was
1 T. xc.The other was Gadwy the son of Geraint.
2 T. xv. 3 T.
114.
4
Probably Ostorius, the Roman commander.
5 In the Triads contained in the
Llyfr Coch, these names are written Mabon,
and Geiryoed (Myv. Axch. II. 6) ; and in the Mabinogion it is Mabo* vab
Modron.
4o6 Notes
Arthur, who was for three nights in the Castle of Oeth and Anoeth,
and three nights in the prison of Wen Pendragon, and three nights
in the dark prison under the stone And one youth released
him from these three prisons ; that youth was Goreu the son of
Custennin, his cousin." Tr. L.
The Castle of Oeth and Anoeth is spoken of in the Mabinogion ;
and in another series of the Triads it is named as the prison of the
above-mentioned Geyr. In this version, Arthur is not alluded to,
but all the members of the families of the other prisoners are said to
have shared their captivity, which is design?ted as the most complete
ever known to have taken place. Tr. 61.
HEAVEN PROSPER THEE, GERAINT. Page 222.

The name of Geraint ab Erbin is familiar to all lovers of ancient
Welsh literature, through the beautiful Elegy composed on him by
his fellow warrior, the venerable bard Llywarch Hen. He was a
Prince of Dyvnaint (Devon), and fell fighting valiantly ngainst the
Saxons, under Arthur's banner, in the battle of Llongborth.
*'
Before Geraint, the terror of the foe,
I saw steeds fatigued with the toil of battle,
And after the shout was given, how dreadful was the onset.
At Llongborth I saw the tumult,

And the slain drenched in gore,
And red-stained warriors from the assault of the foe.
Before Geraint, the scourge of the enemy,
1 saw steeds white with foam,
And after the shout of battle, a fearful torrent
At Llongborth I saw the raging of slaughter,
And an excessive carnage,
And warriors blood-stained from the assault of Geraint,
At Llongborth was Geraint slain,

A valiant warrior from the woodlands of Devon,
"
Slaughtering his foes as he fell. 1
Llongborth, where this fatal conflict took place, is by some

believed to have been Portsmouth, and the name literally signifies
the Haven of Ships. But the Rev. T. Price supposes it to be
Langport, in Somersetshire. This opinion he founds on the simi-
larity of the names, and the locality ; Langport being situated on
the river Parrel, the Peryddon of the Welsh bards, and the Pedridan
of the Saxon Chronicle.
From the Triads we learn that Geraint was also a naval com-
mander. Gwenwynwyn the son of Nav, and March the son of
1 See the remainder of the Elegy in Llywarch Hen's Poems, edited by Dr.
Owen Pughe.
Notes 407
Meirchion, are ranked with him as such ; and we are told that
with each of them were six score ships, having six score men in
each. Tr. 68.
In the Gododin of Aneurin he is spoken of in terms of high
eulogium. Myv. Arch. I. 13.
Geraint ab Erbin has had the honour of bein^ canonized. It is
said that a church was dedicated to him at Caertfawydd, or Hereford.
Four of his sons, Selyf, Cyngan, lestin, and Cado, or Cataw, are
also included in the list of Saints, and were members of the college of
St. Garmon. Garwy, another of his sons, appears in a very different
character from his brothers, in the Triads, where he is celebrated
as one of the three amorous and courteous knights of the Court of
Arthur. Tr. 119.
We can hardly identify Geraint ab Erbin with the Geraint
Carnwys or Garwys of Gruffydd ab Arthur, who, in the "
Brut, is
called Gerin de Chartres and in Robert of Gloucester,
; Geryn erl
of Carcoys." This hero figures in Arthur's very latest battles,
whereas Geraint ab Erbin, as we have already seen, fell at Llong-
borth, in an encounter with the Saxons, which must have taken
place at an earlier period of that monarch's reign j according to
Dr. O. Puo;he, about the year 530. l
In the Life of Saint Teiliaw, the second bishop of Llandaff,
mention occurs of a person named Gerennius, and an account is
given of his death, which is described as having taken place very
differently from that of the subject of Llywarch Hen's Elegy. It is
probable, however, that the same person is alluded to ; but the whole
narrative is of too legendary a character to be received as history,
especially in opposition to the testimony of an eye-witness. In this
composition, it is stated that Saint Teiliaw, when retiring to .
Armorica with a number of his countrymen, in order to escape from

a pestilence, called Pestis Flava, 2 which was then desolating Britain,
was, on his way, hospitably entertained by Gerennius, or Geraint,
King of Cornwall, to whom, on his departure, the Saint confidently
promised that he should not die until he had received the Holy
Communion at his hands. Accordingly when the King approached
his death, Teiliaw was miraculously informed of his situation, ad
immediately made preparations to fulfil his promise, and at the same
time to return to his own country, the pestilence having then
subsided. As they were going to embark, Teiliaw desired his
followers to take with them a huge sarcophagus, which he had
destined for the reception of Gerennius's body ; and on their declar-
ing their inability to comply, on account of its great magnitude,
inasmuch as ten yoke of oxen could scarcely move it from its place,
the Saint instructed them that it should, by Divine assistance, be
conveyed across the sea before the prow of the ship ; which was
accordingly done, and the sarcophagus reached the shore without the
intervention of human aid. Having landed at the port called
1 Poems of Llywarch Hen. p. 3.
2 Called in Welsh "Y FSd Felon."
408 Notes
Dingerein, Teiliaw proceeded forthwith to visit the King, whom he
1
found still alive, but who, after the ministration of the Holy
Ordinance, immediately expired ; and his remains were placed by
the Saint in the above-mentioned sarcophagus. 2
SPARROW-HAWK. Page 226.

A similar prize was contended for at the nuptials of Maximilian
and Mary of Burgundy, when there were great jousts and rejoicing.
In the very interesting Chronicle of the events of the reign of these
two illustrious persons, translated from the Flemish by M. Octave
Delepierre, and published at Brussels, it is recorded that upon that
" Le
joyful occasion, Margrave de Brandebourg remporta un des
prix, qui consistait en un faucon d'or."
THAT THOU WILT GO TO GWENHWYVAR. Page 229.

This custom of sending a conquered foe as a present to the
victorious knight's forms a frequent incident in chivalric
lady-love
Romances. It is admirably ridiculed by Don Quixote, when he
desires the released criminals to go and offer themselves to his
Dulcinea.
In the old French poem, entitled the Combat des Trente, which
celebrates the encounter which took place in Brittany between thirty
English and thirty French knights, during the reign of Edward III,
Pembroke calls to Beaumanoir to surrender, telling him that he will
not kill him, but will send him as a present to the lady of his
affections.
" Rent toi tost Biaumanoir
je ne tochiray raie,
Mais je feray de toy un present a ma mie."
EDEYRN THE SON OF NUDD. Page 229.

Of Edeyrn ap Nudd but little is known, except that he was one of
the most valiant knights of Arthur's Court, and that in the celebrated
expedition against the Emperor of Rome he was sent by his royal
master, with five thousand men under his command, to the aid of
Gawain and the other ambassadors to the Roman camp, who were
treacherously assailed in returning from their mission, Gruffydd ab
Arthur. Myv. Arch. II. 339. In Wace's Brut, 1. 12,336 (as in
the romance of Eric and Enide), he is called Yder le fils Nut, or Nu.
In the account of the antiquities of Glastonbury, attributed to
William of Malmesbury, the author says, " It is written in the Acts
of the illustrious King Arthur, that at a certain festival of the
1
Perhaps Gerrans, near Falmouth, which, as Hals suggests, was probably
named after Geraint. (Davies Gilbert's Hist, of Cornwall, II. 50.) The Welsh
Chronicle mentions the Castle of Dingeraint (Cilgerran), on the river Teivy, in
Pembrokeshire, as fortified in the iath century ; but it is more likely that the
former is the place referred to here.
2 The Life of Saint Teiliaw forms
part of the Liber Landavensis, published by
the Welsh Manuscript Society.
Notes 409
Nativity, at Caerleon, that monarch having conferred military
distinction upon a valiant youth of the name of Ider the son of King
Nuth, in order to prove him, conducted him to the hill of Brentenol,
for the purpose of fighting three most atrocious giants. And Ider
going before the rest of the company, attacked the giants valorously,
and slew them. And when Arthur came up he found him apparently
dead, having fainted with the immense toil he had undergone,
whereupon he reproached himself with having been the cause of his
death, through his tardiness in coming to his aid ; and arriving at
Glastonbury, he appointed there four-and-twenty monks to say mass
for his soul, and endowed them most amply with lands, and with
gold and silver, chalices, and other ecclesiastical ornaments."
The name of Edeyrn ab Nudd occurs in the Catalogue of Welsh
Saints, where he is noticed as a bard, who embraced a life of
sanctity, and to whom the Chapel of Bodedeyrn, under Holyhead,
is dedicated. 1
SAT ACCORDING TO THEIR PRECEDENCE IN HONOUR. Page 230.

Precedence at table was formerly considered a point of great im-
portance, and was even a subject of legislation with the Welsh. In
the Laws of Howel Dda, all the officers of the palace have their
places in the hall very particularly allotted to them ; some having their
seats above, and some below the partition. 3 This partition may be
supposed to answer to the raised platform called the dais, still seen
at the upper end of all ancient baronial halls, and where the table
was placed, at which the lord and his guests, and the most distin-
guished of his retainers, sat at meat. The honour of being admitted
to it was greatly esteemed, of which innumerable instances might be
adduced from passages in the older writers. Chaucer, to give a
favourable idea of the consideration in which some of the characters
in his Prologue were held, says,
" Wei semed eche of hem a
fayre burgeis,
To sitten in a gild halle, on the deis" v. 372
THIS is HOW ARTHUR HUNTED THE STAG. Page 231.

Strutt gives a description of the various preparations formerly
made for a royal hunting party, from a treatise, entitled, "The
Maister of the Game," written for the use of Prince Henry, by the
Master of the Game to Henry IV. It exists in the Harleian MSS.,
and is an enlargement of one previously composed in French, by
William Twici, or Twety, grand huntsman to Edward II. The
name of John Gyfford is coupled with that of Twety in an English
version, of nearly the same date. It was from these two that the
treatise upon hunting, contained in the Book of St. Alban's, was
compiled.
As the passage is very curious, I shall make no apology for giving
it at length.
1 Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 298.
* MTV. Arch. III. 363.
410 Notes
" When the
king shall think proper to hunt the hart in the parks
or forests, either with bows or greyhounds, the master of the game,
and the park-keeper, or the forester, being made acquainted with his
pleasure, shall see that everything be provided necessary for the
purpose. It is the duty of the sheriff of the county, wherein the
hunting was to be performed, to furnish fit stabling for the king's

horses, and carts to take away the dead game. The hunters and
officers under the forester, with their assistants, were commanded
to erect a sufficient number of temporary buildings for the reception
of the royal family and their train ; and, if I understand my author
clearly, these buildings are directed to be covered with green boughs,
to answer the double purpose of shading the company and the hounds
from the heat of the sun, and to protect them from any inconveniency
in case of foul weather. Early in the morning, upon the day ap-
pointed for the sport, the master of the game, with the officers
deputed by him, ought to see that the greyhounds were properly
placed, and the persons nominated to blow the horn, whose office
was to watch what kind of game was turned out, and, by the man-
ner of winding his horn, signify the same to the company, that they
might be prepared for its reception upon its quitting the cover.
Proper persons were then to be appointed, at different parts of the
inclosure, to keep the populace at due distance. The yeomen of the
king's bow, and the grooms of his tutored greyhounds, had in charge
to secure the king's standing, and prevent any noise being made to
disturb the game before the arrival of his majesty. When the royal
family and the nobility were conducted to the places appointed for
their reception, the master of the game, or his lieutenant, sounded
three long mootes, for the uncoupling of the hart hounds. The
game was then driven from the cover, and turned by the huntsmen
and the hounds so as to pass by the stands belonging to the king
and queen, and such of the nobility as were permitted to have a
share in the pastime ; who might either shoot at them with their
bows, or pursue them with the greyhounds, at their pleasure. We
are then informed that the game which the king, the queen, or the
princes or princesses, slew with their own bows, or particularly com-
manded to be let run, was not liable to any claim by the huntsmen or
their attendants ; but of all the rest that was killed they had certain
parts assigned to them by the master of the game, according to the
ancient custom." Sports and Pastimes, 18, 19.
CAVALL WAS HIS NAME. Page 231.

The dog Cavall mentioned in another of the Mabinogion
is that
of Kilhwch and Olwen.
HORN FOR SLAYING. Page 231.

The several incidents of the chase were wont to be announced by
the different ways in which the horn was sounded. A list of these
various modes of winding the horn is given iu the Book of Sir
Tristram, where we find,
Notes 411
"
14. The death of the bucke eyther with bowe hounds or
grehoundes, One longe note.
"
15. Knowledge of the same, Two short and one longe.
" 1 6. The death of the bucke with houndes, Two longe notes
l
and the rechace."
GlLDAS THE SON OF CAW. Page 2$l.

Gildas was one of the numerous sons of Caw, who sought refuge
with Arthur, and were hospitably received by him, when their father,
who was a prince of Strath Clyde, was expelled from his possessions
by the inroads of the Saxons. It is said that Gildas was a member
of the congregation of Cattwg, and also that he established a school,
or college, at Caer Badon, or Bath. He is well known as the author
"
of an *' Epistle on the vices and miseries of his country, and of the
Lamentations over the Destruction of Britain, which procured for
him the title of the British Jeremiah. Some identify him with the
poet Aneurin, but his history has been a subject of much controversy.
CARDIFF. Page 233.

z
Whether regarded Roman and Norman enterprise,
as the scene of
8
or of British patriotism and valour, Cardiff is a spot to which much
historical interest must ever attach. Its annals, however, do not always
refer to deeds of open and honourable warfare; and some of the
events which have taken place within its precincts are of a nature
to excite feelings of pity and regret.
Among the early recollections that its name revives, is that of the
unfortunate Robert, Duke of Normandy, who suffered there his six-
and-twenty years of hopeless captivity. The tower which tradition
has assigned as the dungeon he occupied, is pointed out at the Castle
to this day, and is a most venerable ruin ; and there is still extant
a spirited poem in the Welsh language, which he is said to have
composed to beguile the tedious hours of his imprisonment. It is
addressed to a solitary oak on the summit of Pennarth Point, which
was visible from the scene of his sufferings, and is as follows, together
with the explanatory heading.
1
Reprint of the Book of St. Alban's, p. 83, the original edition of which by
Wyr.kyn de Worde, bl. let. 1486, was the firsttreatise upon hunting that ever issued
from the press.
* It is asserted by some that Cardiff was known to the Romans by the name
of Tibia Amiiis.
8 Besides the contests
upon record, the situation of Cardiff makes it probable
that it was the scene of many others of which no notice remains. From tbc
expression,
" And an armed band
Around Cogawn Penardd,"
it ispossible that it is the neighbourhood of Cardiff that is alluded to in the Poem
called Armes Brydain (Myv. Arch. I. 49), and attributed to Taliesin, as there i*
a place called Cogan Penarth in the vicinity of this town.
412 Notes
"
When
Robert, Prince of Normandy, was imprisoned in Cardiff
Castle,by Robert, son of Amon, he acquired the Welsh language,
and seeing the Welsh bards there at the festivals, he admired them,
and became a bard ; and these are verses which he composed,
'
Oak that grew on battle mound,
Where crimson torrents drench'd the ground ;
Woe waits maddening broils where sparkling wine goes round
the !
Oak that grew on verdant plain,

Where gush'd the blood of warriors slain ;
The wretch in hatred's grasp may well of woes complain !
Oak that grew in verdure strong,

After bloodshed's direful wrong ;
Woe waits the wretch who sits the sons of strife among !
Oak that grew on greensward bourn,

Its once fair branches tempest-torn ;
Whom envy's hate pursues shall long in anguish mourn !
Oak that grew on woodcliff high,

Where Severn's waves to winds reply ;
Woe waits the wretch whose years tell not that death is nigh !
Oak that grew through years of woes,

Mid battle broil's unequall'd throes ;
'"
Forlorn is he who prays that death his life may close !
J
About the year 1091, the Normans were called into Glamorgan-
shire by the native princes, who were in a state of enmity and war-
fare, and unwisely sought for foreign aid against each other. The
Normans took advantage of their weakness and dissensions, and
remained to conquer the province for themselves. Their leader,
Robert Fitz-Hammon, while he divided the principal lordships
among the twelve knights who had accompanied him in the ex-
pedition, retained that of Cardiff, as the most important, for his
own portion of the spoil. His family did not, however, enjoy his
newly-acquired possessions in uninterrupted tranquillity ; for his
descendant, William, Earl of Gloucester, having endeavoured to
wrest a large tract of mountainous and woody country from a native
chieftain, named Ivor Bach, or Ivor the little ; "a man," as Giraldus
describes him, "of small stature, but of immense courage," 2 pro-
voked the resolute Welshman to hostilities. One of Ivor's strong-
holds is said to have been the fortress of Castell Coch, whose
beautiful ruin is one of the most picturesque ornaments of the
lovely valley of the TafF; another was the rugged mountain-keep
of Morlais, whose mound still forms a striking feature in the outline
of the rising ground behind Merthyr and Dowlais, and in the vicinity
1 The " Gentleman's "

original poem is printed in the Magazine for 1794. The
translation given in the text is due to Mr. Taliesin Williams (ab lolo), and first
" Cardiff Castle."
appeared in the notes to his poem of
3 Giraldus Cambrensis, from whom this account is taken.
Notes 413
of which is a spot 1 which local tradition yet points out as the scene of
one of his battles.
The Castle of Cardiff was at that time surrounded with high walls,
guarded by one hundred and twenty soldiers, a numerous body of
archers, and a strong watch the city also -contained many stipen-
;
diary troops. Notwithstanding all these precautions, however, the

daring chief, descending from his fastnesses, scaled the castle walls-
in the dead of night, and carried off the Earl and Countess, together
with their only son, into the woods ; nor did he set them free until
he not only recovered all of which he had been unjustly deprived,
but also had ceded to him a large additional extent of territory.
In a curious old composition, printed in 1825, by Sir Thomas
" A
Book of Glamorganshire Antiquities, by
Phillipps, and entitled,
Rice Merrick, Esq., 1578," it is mentioned that "the Earle gave
him of his owne Landes a Meadow near Romney, of whose name
it is at this
day called Morva Yvor. And unto Griffith, Sonne to
Yvor Petit, another Medowe of his name, called Morva Ryffidd,
"
which at this day retayne those names. 29, 30. The same authority
goes on to state that Sir Gilbert de Clare, successor to the Earl of
Gloucester, gave his daughter in marriage to Griffith the son of Ivor,
"by whome hee had diverse Sonnes, whose Grandchildren were
starved in Cardiff Castle, having their eyes put out (Griffith ab Rys
ab Gre ab Ifor Petit being the heire) by Sir Richard de Clare their
ffather's Cousen-German, saving Ho Velg. then being with his
:
Nurse ; of whom God multiplied a great people." 59.

There is a curious story in Giraldus Cambrensis, of a mysterious
warning which King Henry II. received at Cardiff, where he passed
the night on his return from Ireland, the first Sunday after Easter.
It was accompanied by a prophecy, the due fulfilment of which the
worthy historian has not neglected to note.

The great name of Owain Glendower is also connected with the
history of Cardiff. Leland tells us, that " In the year 1404, and in
the fourth year of the reign of King Henry, Owen Glendwr burnt
the southern parts of Wales, and besieged the town and castle of
Caerdyf. The besieged sent to the king for succour ; but he neither
came in person nor sent them any assistance. Owen, therefore, took
the town, and burnt it all except one street, in which the friars minors
dwelled ; which, together with their convent, he left standing for the
love he bore them. He afterwards made himself master of the castle,
and destroyed it, carrying away a rich booty which he found deposited
there. But when the friars petitioned to him for their books and
chalices, which they had lodged in the castle, he replied, why did
you put your goods in the castle ? If you had kept them in your
convent, they would have been secure." Collect, I. 313.
SURETY FOR EDEYRN. Page 233.

The knights of old were very good-natured in coming forward &&-
1 Pant Cad Ivor, which is, according to the tradition of the place, the Valley
of the Battle of Ivor.
414 Notes
surety for one another ; and of this we have an instance in the
interesting Lai de Lanval (" Poemes de Marie de France," I. 232).
Ellis, in a note upon Mr Way's Knglish version of this tale, gives a
curious anecdote on the subject of pledges or securities, out of the
Life of St Louis.
"On his return from Egypt to France, being in danger of ship-
wreck, his queen vowed to St. Nicholas a vessel of silver, and, as a
further security to the saint, insisted that Toinville should become
'
her pledge for the execution of the promise. Fab. II. 225.
The Welsh legislator of the roth century seems to have given the
subject of bail or surety his particular attention, and his celebrated
code contains a long series of enactments relating to it. The following
is a specimen of their character :
" If a suretyand debtor meet upon a bridge formed of a single
tree, the debtor must not refuse to do one of these three things :
either to pay, to give a pledge, or to go to law ; and he must not

move the toe of one foot towards the heel of the other," (that is to
" until he does one of these
say, he must not stir from the spot,)
"
three things.
GWALLAWG THE SON OF LLENAWG. Page 234.

In the Triads, we find him celebrated with Dunawd Fur and Cyn-
velyn Drwsgl, as one of the pillars of battle of the Island of Britain,
which is explained to mean that these chieftains were skilled in the
disposition of the order of battle, and were battle leaders, superior
to all others that ever existed. 1 Tr. 71. Myv. Arch. II. 69.
And in a subsequent Triad, he is called one of the '* Grave-
slaughtering ones," from his having avenged his wrongs from his
grave. Tr. 76. Myv. Arch. II. 69.
Amongst the compositions of the early bards in the Myvyrian
Archaeology, there are several pieces expressly in honour of
Gwallawg. In some of these the scenes of his battles are named,
and one of them signifies that his fame extended from Caer Clud to
Caer Caradawc, that is, from Dumbarton to Salisbury.
His name occurs in Llywarch Hen's Elegy upon Urien Rheged ;
and he has been already spoken of (p. 356) as one of the three northern
kings, who united themselves with that prince for the purpose of
' '
opposing the progress of Ida's successors. See also Turner's Anglo-

'
Saxons, B. III. c. iv.
2
In Gruffydd ab Arthur, he is mentioned as one of the knights
1 In another series of the Triads, Urien ap Cynvarch's name is substituted
Cor that of Gwallawg, as one of the pillars of battle. <Tr. xxxi. Myv. Arch.
II. 14.)
3
Myv. Arch. II. 320, 347. He is there mentioned in the different versions of
the Brut, under the designation of Gwallawc of Amwythic (Shrewsbury), and also
under that of the Earl of Salisbury. Robert of Gloucester also calls him
"Galluc, erl of Salesbury," from the Gallucu
Af annum tb. In the Cambrian Biography, Dr. P<
of the Vale of Shrewsbury ; and Camden conf
Galgacus, though he lived some centuries later,
Notes 415
who were present at Arthur's coronation ; and his death is recorded
to have taken place in the last conflict between that SoTereign and
the Romans. The " Englynion y Beddau" place his tomb in
Carrawc.
MORGAN TUD. Page 234.
This sapient personage is very probably the same as that Morgan
the Wise who prepared the ointment which restored Owain to a
state of heahh and sanity, in the romance of Ywaine and Gawin^
and whom Ritson, 1 on what grounds, I know not, considered to be
the same as the celebrated schismatic Pelagius. His reputation
appears to have extended to Brittany, where the inhabitants still call
by the name of Morgan Tut an herb, to which they ascribe the most
universal healing properties. Morgant was the name of the Bishop
of Caer Vudei, (Silchester,) in Arthur's reign. 3 But the appellation
is a very common one in Wales.
CHIBF PHYSICIAN. Page 234.

The chief physician, from the nature of his office, was necessarily
in very constant attendance upon the royal person ; and this was
carried so far, that not only was he unable to leave the palace
without the king's permission, but it was ordained by the law of
the la:id, that his seat in the hall should be near to that occupied by
the monarch. His lodging was appointed him with the Pennteulu,
or the master of the household, and he received his linen clothes
from the queen, and his woollen clothes from the king. He was
obliged to supply medicine gratis to all the four-and-twenty officers
of the Court, except in the case of one of the three dangerous wounds,
which are explained to be a blow on the head penetrating the brain,
a thrust in the body penetrating the intestines, and the breaking
of one of the limbs. And for every one of these three dangerous
wounds he was entitled to one hundred and eighty pence and his
meat. He was to take security of the family of the wounded man
(that he should not be prosecuted), in case he should die of the
medicines administered to him ; and if he neglected this precaution,
he had to answer for the consequence. The price of some of his
medicaments was established by law. For a plaster of red ointment,
he was allowed to charge twelve pence, and eight pence for one of
medicinal herbs.
ENID THB DAUGHTER OF YNYWL. Page 235.

Throughout the broad and varied region of romance, it would be
a character of greater simplicity rxnd truth than that
difficult to find
of Enid the daughter of Earl Ynywl. Conspicuous for her beauty
and noble bearing, we are at a loss whether most to admire the un-
tiring patience with which she bore all the hardships she was destined
to undergo, or the unshaken constancy and devoted affection which
finally achieved the triumph she so richly deserved.
1 Met. Rom. III. 239,
3 Gruff, ab Ar. Myv. Arch. II. 375.
416 Notes
The character of Enid is admirably sustained throughout the whole
tale and as it is more natural, because less overstrained, so, perhaps,
;
it is even more touching than that of Griselda, over which, however,

Chaucer has thrown a charm that leads us to forget the improbability
of her story.
There is a Triad, in which Enid's name is preserved as one of the
fairest and most illustrious ladies of the Court of Arthur. Tr. 108.
The bards of the Middle Ages have frequent allusions to her in
their poems ; and Davydd ap Gwilym could pay no higher compliment
to his lady-love than to call her a second Enid.
Mr. Tennyson has turned the tale of Geraint and Enid into noble
blank verse, heightening the picture with some additional touches of
his own.
GWEIR GWRHYD VAWR. Page 237.
We find him noticed in the Triads asone of the three stubborn
ones of the island of Britain, whom no one could turn from their
purpose. Tr. 78.
GWREI GWASLTAWD lEITHOEDD. Page 237.

This singular personage acts a somewhat conspicuous part in another
of the Mabinogion, Kilhwch and Olwen, in which he is described as
knowing all languages, and being able to interpret even those of the
birds and the beasts. In the old Welsh composition, attributed to
lolo Goch, and printed in the
"
Cydymaith Diddan," before quoted,
he is alluded to under the corrupted appellation of Uriel Wastadiaith,
and is spoken of as having had so wonderful an aptitude for acquiring
languages, that he never heard one with his ears, that he would not
utter it with his tongue as fast as he heard it.
BEDWYR THE SON OF BEDRAWD. Page 237.

Bedwyr was one of the most valiant of Arthur's knights, and
rendered him valuable service in the different wars in which he was
engaged. In the king's household too he filled a very important
office, thatof chief butler, and there is no doubt, from the estima-
tion in which he was ever held by his sovereign, that he acquitted
himself equally well of the duties which devolved upon him in that
oipacity.
His name often coupled with that of the seneschal, Sir Kai, and
is
their fortunes in many respects appear to have been very similar.
They were the two knights whom Arthur selected as his sole com-
panions in his expedition to St. Michael's Mount, to avenge the
death of Helen, the niece of Howel ab Emyr Llydaw (already
adverted to, p. 398). And he took the same means of recompensing
the valour and fidelity of both, by bestowing upon each of them
the sovereignty of a valuable French province, which Robert of
Gloucester quaintly records in these words,
" He
$ef >at lond of Normandye Bedwer ys boteler,
And Jt lond of Aungeo Kaxe ys panter." I. 187.
Notes 417
Finally, they both shared the same fate, being slain side by side,
while fighting against the Romans in the last engagement of that
war, in which they had so greatly distinguished themselves. Arthur,
whose supremacy was established by the event of that glorious
encounter, was careful to pay every tribute to the memory of the
faithful knights who had fallen in his service. He caused Bedwyr
to be interred at Bayeux, which he had founded himself, as the
capital of his Norman dominions, and Kai to be buried at Chinon,
which town, as Wace 1 informs us, derived its name from that cir-
cumstance. 2 The etymology, it must be confessed, is not very
apparent.
of these two heroes occur together in the Triads, where
The names
Kai is styled one of the Three Diademed Chiefs of
battle, superior
to both of whom was the subject of this note, Bedwyr the son of
Pedrawc. T. 69.
The place of Bedwyr's sepulture is thus recorded in the " Graves
of the Warriors," together with that of another chieftain, whose
name is not given.
The grave of the son of Ossvran is in Camlan,
After many a conflict.
The grave of Bedwyr is in the woody steep of Try van .
There is a lofty mountain bearing the name of Trivaen, at the

head of the valley of Nant-ffrancon, in Snowdon. Dunraven Castle,
in Glamorganshire, is also, in ancient writings, called Dindryvan,
but whether either of these is the place mentioned in the above
stanza, it is not easy to determine.
THE SEVERN. Page 238.

The derivation of the name of this majestic river involves a very
pretty though tragical story.
King Locryn, the son of the Trojan Brutus, and sovereign of
these realms, fell in love with Astrild, the King of Germany's
beautiful daughter, who came over to this island in the retinue of
3
Homber, King of Hungary, when that monarch undertook his
disastrous expedition to endeavour to dispossess Albanak, Locryn's
brother, of his dominions in the North. Locryn, as soon as he
beheld the damsel, determined to wed her, but unfortunately he had
before become betrothed to Gwendolen, the daughter of Corineus,
Duke of Cornwall, the conqueror of Gog and Magog ; and this
stern slayer of giants, on hearing of the change in his intention,
declared that he would not brook so great an insult to his family.
This declaration of Corineus was not to be disregarded, particularly
1 Brut. 1.
13,404.
- The Welsh Brut names Diarnum as the place of Kai's sepulture (Myv. Arch.
II. 352), and in the Latin of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is said he was buried at
Caen.
a He ended his days in the Humber, which took its name from that
circumstance.
P
4i8 Notes
as hemade it more impressive by taking his great axe in his hand,
which, in the king's presence,
" So
grisliche he schok & faste,
kyng quakede & ys men, so sore heo were agaste."
J>at )>e
So Locryn deemed it expedient to marry Gwendolen, but he could

not wean his affections from the beautiful Astrild, and he had a
secret subterraneous habitation contrived, where he concealed her
during Corineus's lifetime, giving out, when he visited her, that he
went to sacrifice to his gods. On the death of Corineus he did not
consider it necessary to keep up this deception any longer, but
dismissed Gwendolen, and elevated Astrild to the rank of Queen.
Gwendolen, however, was far from submitting tamely to this
indignity ;
and summoning her father's Cornish vassals to her aid
she brought them into the field against her faithless husband, who
was slain in the first encounter. Astrild and her daughter Averne
then fell into the power of Gwendolen, who, according to old
Robert of Gloucester, was a "sturne wommon," and caused them
both to be drowned in the Severn.
" And for was hire lorde's
yt dojter )>at mayde Auerne,
And for honour of hire lord, and for heo was of hys kynde,
Heo wolde )>at hire name euer more in mynde,
And lette clepe l )>at watur after Auerne,
And sej>>e >or$ diuerse tonge me clepede hit Seuerne,
And de)> a letre ]>er to, and no more y wys,
In >is manner ]>ike water Seuerne y cleped is." I. 27.
Havren, the Welsh name for this river, bears a very near affinity
to that of Gwendolen's innocent and unfortunate victim, Averne.
BOUNDARIES./^ 238.
In Wales, the penalties for disturbing boundaries were severe.
Howel Dda enacted, that whoever should destroy a boundary
between two villages, by ploughing it up, should forfeit to the king
the oxen with which he ploughed, together with the wood and iron
of the plough, and the value of the ploughman's right foot, 2 and the
driver's left hand ; and that he should pay fourpence to the owner
of the land, and also restore the boundary to its original state.
Parochial perambulations were formerly performed with much
solemnity in the principality, the procession being headed by the
clergyman, and the ceremony begun and ended with a form of prayer,
the surplice and Prayer Book being carried by an attendant, to be
used when required. Remains of this custom are still observable in
some districts. Upon an appointed day, the inhabitants of the
adjoining parishes meet at a certain spot, and proceed along the
boundary line, which in the cultivated land is generally a brook or a
1
Clepe, to call.
2 The value of a foot was fixed by law, to be six cows and one hundred and
twenty pence.
Notes 419
hedge-row, until they come to some particular object, which, where
no natural line of demarcation exists, serves as a mark of division.
This is frequently a stone or mound of earth, or perhaps an ancient
earn or tumulus, especially in the mountainous parts of the country.
Here the procession halts, and the clergyman asks if they are all
agreed upon the boundary, and being answered in the affirmative,
the parties then range themselves around, each on his proper side
of the earn, at the same time baring their heads, while the clergy-
man ascends to the top with the book in his hand, and with a loud
voice pronounces the words
" Cursed is he that removeth his
" Amen."
neighbour's landmark," upon which all the people answer
He then descends, and they proceed to some similar object, where
the same proceedings are repeated.
A person who has witnessed this ceremony assures me that its
exceedingly striking, especially when occurring upon some
effect is
lonely part of the mountain. The sudden halt round the earn,
the clergyman ascending with the book in his hand, the baring of
the head, the imprecation, and the simultaneous response,
altogether form a rite so extremely impressive, that it cannot fail
to contribute greatly towards preserving a recollection of the spot,
and affording to landmarks in lonely situations a protection against
removal, to which, by design or accident, they might otherwise be
liable.
VARIETY OF MINSTRELSY AND OF GAMES. Page 238.

Chaucer has a pretty passage what were the diver-
illustrative of
sions admitted in a baronial hall on similar occasions of state, and
one which is highly descriptive of the manners of the age in which
it was written.
"This Theseus, this duk, this worthy knight,

When he had brought hem into his citee,
And inned hem, everich at his degree,
He festeth hem, and doth so gret labour
To esen hem, and don hem all honour,
That yet men wenen that no mannes wit
Of non estat ne coud amenden it.
The minstralcie, the service at the feste,
The grete yeftes to the most and leste,
The riche array of Theseus paleis,
Ne who sate first ne last upon the deis,
What ladies fayrest ben or best dancing,
Or which of hem can carole best or sing,
Ne who most felingly speketh of love ;
What haukes sitten on the perche above,

What houndes liggen on the floor adoun,
Of all this now make I no mentioun."
Knightes Tale, v. 2192-2208.
420 Notes
DIGANHWY. Page 239.

Confused as the geography of Romance is known to be, yet we
can hardly suppose that this is Diganwy on the Conway, in North
Wales. May it not have been an error of the scribe's for Trefynwy,
the Welsh name for Monmouth ?
WINDOWS OF GLASS. Page 240.

The terms of admiration in which the older writers invariably
speak of glass windows would be sufficient proof, if other evidence
were wanting, how rare an article of luxury they were in the houses
of our ancestors. They were first introduced in ecclesiastical archi-
1
tecture, to which they mere for a long time confined. Mr. Hallam
remarks that French artificers were brought to England to furnish
the windows in some new churches in the seventh century. 2
" It is
" that in the
said," he continues, reign of Henry III. a few eccle-
siastical buildings had glazed windows. 3 Suger, however, a century
before, had adorned his great work, the Abbey of St. Denis, with
windows not only glazed, but painted j 4 and I presume that other
churches of the same class, both in France and England, especially
after the lancet-shaped window had yielded to one of ampler dimen-
sions, were generally decorated in a similar manner. Yet glass is
said not to have been employed in the domestic architecture of
6
France before the fourteenth century ; and its introduction into
England was, very likely, by no means earlier. Nor, indeed, did it
come into general use during the period of the Middle Ages. Glazed
windows were considered as movable furniture, and probably bore
a high price. When the earls of Northumberland, as late as the
reign of Elizabeth, left Alnwick Castle, the windows were taken out
of their frames, and carefully laid by." 6 Middle Ages. 1834. III.
425-6.'
A monastery having a hall
"With wyndowes of glass, wrought as a chirche,"
1 Paulus Silentiarius, a poet and historian of the sixth century (about

A.D. 534), speaks of the brightness of the sun's rays passing through the
eastern windows of the Church of St. Sophia, at Constantinople, which windows
were covered with glass. St. Jerome, about the beginning of the fifth century,
also mentions glass windows. I suppose the question as to whether the ancients
were acquainted with this mode of applying glass, is set at rest by the discoveries
made of late years at Pompeii.
2 ' Du
Cange. v. Vitreae. Bentham's History of Ely, p. 22."
Matt. Pans, Vitae Abbatum St. Alb. 122."
'
3
Recueil des Hist. t. xii. p. 101."

'Paulmy, t. iii. p. 132. Villaret, t. xi. p. 141. Macpherson, p. 679."
6 '
Northumberland Househqld Book, preface, p. 16. Bishop Percy says,
on the authority of Harrison, that glass was not commonly used in the reign of
Henry VII I."
7 iEneas
Silvius, afterwards Pope Pius II., in his Treatise, De Moribus
Germanorum, written in the isth century, records that there were then glass
windows in all the houses of Vienna.
Notes 421
isspoken of in Pierce Plowman's Crede as an instance of the extreme
l
luxury of the monks and they occur in some of the descriptions of
;
very great regal splendour given by the old romancers. In Candace's

Chamber, described in the Geste of Alexander,
" Theo
wyndowes weoren of riche glas :
Theo pinnes weore of ivorye. " 2

And they were sometimes even painted. The King of Hungary's
"
daughter, in the Squyer of Lowe Degre," is represented
"In her oryall there she was,
Closyd well with royall glas,
Fulfylled yt was with ymagery.
Every windowe by and by,
On eche syde had ther a gynne,
Sperde with manie a dyvers pynne.
Anone that ladie fayre and fre,
3
Undyd a pynne of yvere."
From both these quotations, their very fastenings appear to have
been of the most costly materials.
LLOEGYR. Page 241.

Lloegyr the term used by the Welsh to designate England.
is
The writers of the Middle Ages derive the name from the son of
the Trojan Brutus, Locryn (already alluded to, p. 418), and whose
brother, Camber, bequeathed his name to the Principality.
But from another authority, that of the Triads, we collect that the
name was given to the country by an ancient British tribe, called
the Lloegrwys.
THEIR SHIELDS LOST ALL THEIR COLOUR. Page 252.

The custom of painting and decorating shields
one which might
is
be illustrated by innumerable instances. Sharon Turner says that
they were ornamented with gold and brilliant colours, and that some
knights placed on them the portrait of their favourite lady. Among
these he particularizes the Count of Poitou and he quotes a German
;
" with a shield
poet, who describes a knight fulgens auro, and a
helmet vermiculated with amber." Middle Ages, c. xiv.
Notices of arms ornamented with gold are frequently met with in
the works of the Welsh Bards. Gwalchmai the son of Meilir, who
flourished in the twelfth century, speaking of himself, says,
"
Bright is my sword, gleaming in battle,
Glittering and bright is the gold on my buckler."
1 Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry, II. 140. 2 Ibid. III.

409.
Ibid. II. 8.
422 Notes
And that he does not allude to the temporary decorations of the
tournament is evident, from his immediately mentioning several of
the battles of Owain Gwynedd, in which he was himself engaged.
WOMAN'S SADDLE. Page 256.

The saddles used by the ladies of former days were often very
richly decorated, and frequent descriptions of their costliness occur
in the old Romances. The Lady Triamour, in that of Sir Launfal,
is represented to have ridden on a saddle of the most magnificent
kind when she visited Arthur's Court.
" Here sadelle was
semyly sett,
The sambus J were grene felvet,
Ipaynted with ymagerye,
The bordure was of belles, 2
Of ryche gold and nothyng elles,
That any man myte aspye.
In the arsouns, before and behynde,
Were twey stones of Ynde,
Gay for the maystrye ;
8
The of her palfraye
paytrelle
Was worth an erldome, stoute and gay,
The best yn Lumbardye." v. 949-60.
Strutt accuses the ladies of former times of not having adopted a
very feminine mode of riding on horseback, particularly when they
joined in hunting expeditions arid he quotes the authority of certain
;
illuminations in ancient MSS., 4 which is, I fear, rather conclusive

evidence. But the mention of the Lady's saddle and riding-dress 6
in Geraint ab Erbin, will, I trust, rescue the ladies of the present
Tale from the imputation of so unbecoming a practice, and show
that they wore a peculiar and appropriate costume whenever they
rode put. Catherine de Medicis is said to have been the first who
rode like the ladies of the present age, with a high crutch to her
saddle. Mem. de Chev. II. 336.
1 The sambus or sambuca was a kind of
saddle-cloth, and its ornaments were
usually very splendid. To such an excess were they at one time carried, that
Frederick, King of Sicily, in a sumptuary law, Const, c. 92 (quoted by Warton,
Hist Poet. I. ccxiii.), forbad women, even of the highest rank, to use a sambuca,
or saddle-cloth, on which were gold, silver, or pearls.
decking the harness and trappings of horses
2 Of the well-known custom of
with bells, many instances might be mentioned. Chaucer says of the Monk,
" And when he
rode, men mighte his bridel here
Gingeling in a whistling wind as clere,
And eke as loude, as doth the chapell belle." Pro. v. 169-71.
Which our " hoste of the Tabard "
humorously alludes to at a subsequent stage
of the Pilgrimage, v. 14,800.
A traditional recollection of this custom preserved amongst the Welsh,
is still
who say that the Fairies may sometimes be seen riding over the mountains, on
horses decorated with small silver bells, of a very shrill and musical sound.
3
Breastplate.
4 MS. in Royal Lab. marked 2 B. vii. Sports and Pastimes, p. 12.
5 See p. 256.
Notes 423
ENCHANTED GAMES. Page 260.
The extent to which the belief in magic was carried, even by the
most enlightened, during the Middle Ages, is really wonderful,
and we cannot be surprised at its being frequently employed in the
machinery of Romance, when an historian like Froissart gravely tells
us of castles that were lost and won by means of optical deceptions.
In the case he cites they were produced by an enchanter,
" a con-
ning man in nigromancy," who was with the army of the Duke of
Anjou and the Earl of Savoy, then lying before the city of Naples.
The magician proposed, by his art, to put into the power of these
two princes the castle which they were besieging, and which he
boasted having already delivered to Sir Charles de la Paye, who was
then in possession of it. Shocked, however, at his treachery towards
his former employer, they assured him that he should "never do
more enchauntments todeceyve hym, nor yet any other," and repaid
his offers of service by causing him to be beheaded on the spot.
The Welsh have preserved some curious Triads on the subject of
magic, stating the names of their principal enchanters (who are
" Men of Illusion and " Math ab
styled Phantasy ") to have been
Mathonwy, who declared his illusion to Gwdion the son of Don ;
Menyw the son of Teirgwaedd, who taught his illusion to Uthyr

Pendragon ; and Rhuddlwm the Giant, who learnt his illusion from
Eiddilig the Dwarf, and Coll the son of Collfrewi." T. 90.
The same names occur in other Triads relating to this subject,
with the addition of that of Drych ail Cibddar.
May it not be fairly presumed, that it is to the Coll mab Collfrewi
above mentioned, whose fame had descended to his times, that
Chaucer alludes in the following lines ?
" There saw I Coll Tragetour, 1
Upon a table of sicamour,
Play an uncouth thing to tell,
I saw him carry a wind-mell, , f
J|
Under a walnote shale."
House of Fame, B. III.
The Welsh Chronicle, entitled Brut y Tywysogion, states, that

in the year 1135, Gruffudd ab Rhys, Prince of South Wales, after
recovering his dominions, made a great feast in Ystrad Towi, to
which he invited all that chose to come from the neighbouring
provinces, and entertained them with minstrelsy and manly games,
and with exhibitions of magic and illusions (hud a lledrith). Myv.
Arch. II. 558.
1
Tregetour, a juggiei.
424 Notes
.NOTICE OF VARIOUS OTHER VERSIONS.

It is to Chrestien de Troves, the author of the " Chevalier au
" Perceval le Galois," that we are also indebted for the
Lyon" and
French metrical version of Geraint ab Erbin, entitled " Erec et
Enide." Several copies of his Romance are preserved in the
Bibliotheque Nationale.
In like manner, we find that the German version of the Tale,
under the title of Erec and Enite, is the production of Hartmann
von der Aue, to whom the poem of " Iwein " is to be attributed.
Hartmann's " Erec " was edited in 1839 by Herr Moriz Haupt,
from a MS. in the Imperial Ambraser Collection at Vienna.
The Royal Library at Stockholm possesses an Icelandic com-
" Erik
position, called Saga," on the subject of this Tale.
In our own language I know of no other version of the Mabinogi
of Geraint except that so beautifully rendered by Mr. Tennyson in
his Idyll of Enid.
TALIESIN.
TALIESIN. Page 263.

" Radiant Brow," was a Welsh Bard of the
Taliesin, literally, the
sixth century. His name, regarded by his countrymen with the
" Prince of
reverence due to the Song," is known to the Saxon
chiefly through the brief but spirited invocation of Gray.
The text records the fiction of which Taliesin is the hero. Of his
known, excepting what may be gleaned from his
real history little is
works, and from the following notices given in the volume of lolo
MSS. recently published by the Welsh MSS. Society. The first of
these latter is taken from Anthony Powel of Llwydarth's MS.
"Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, the son of Saint Henwg of

Caerlleon upon Usk, was invited to the court of Urien Rheged,
at Aberllychwr. He, with Elffm, the son of Urien, being once fish-
ing at sea in a skin coracle, an Irish pirate ship seized him and his
coracle, and bore him away towards Ireland ; but while the pirates
were at the height of their drunken mirth, Taliesin pushed his
coracle to the sea, and got into it himself, with a shield in his hand
which he found in the ship, and with which he rowed the coracle
until it verged the land ; but, the waves breaking then in wild foam,
he lost his hold on the shield, so that he had no alternative but to
be driven at the mercy of the sea, in which state he continued for a
short time, when the coracle stuck to the point of a pole in the
Notes 425
weir of Gwyddno, Lord of Ceredigion, in Aberdyvi ; and in that
position he was found, at the ebb, by Gwyddno's fishermen, by
whom he was interrogated ; and when it was ascertained that he
was a bard, and the tutor of Elffin, the son of Urien Rheged, the
I, too, have a son named Elffin,' said Gwyddno,
'
son of Cynvarch :
'
be thou a bard and teacher to him, also, and I will give thee lands
in free tenure.' The terms were accepted, and for several successive
years he spent his time between the courts of Urien Rheged and
Gwyddno, called Gwyddno Garanhir, Lord of the Lowland Cantred;
but after the territory of Gwyddno had become overwhelmed by the
sea, Taliesin was invited by the Emperor Arthur to his court at
Caerlleon upon Usk, where he became highly celebrated for poetic
genius and useful, meritorious sciences. After Arthur's death he
retired to the estate given to him by Gwyddno, taking Elffin, the
son of that prince, under his protection, It was from this account
that Thomas, the son of Einion Offeiriad, descended from GrufFydd
Gwyr, formed his romance of Taliesin, the son of Cariadwen
Elffin, the son ofGoddnou Rhun, the son of Maelgwri Gwynedd>
and the operations of the Cauldron of Ceridwen."
Next follows the Pedigree of Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, from
Thomas Hopkin of Coychurch's MS. :
" Chief of the Bards of the West, the son of Saint

Taliesin,
Henwg, of Caerlleon upon Usk, the son of Fflwch, the son of
Cynin, the son of Cynvarch, the son of Saint Clydawc, of Ewyas,
the son of Gwynnar, the son of Caid, the son of Cadren, the son of
Cynan, the son of Cyllin, the son of Caradog, the son of Bran, the
son of Llyr Llediaith, King Paramount of all the Kings of Britain,
and King, in lineal descent, of the country between the rivers Wye
and Towy. Taliesin became Chief Bard of the West, from having
been appointed to preside over the chair of the Round Table, at
Caerlleon upon Usk."
A manuscript once in the Havod Uchtryd collection gives the

following particulars :
' '
Taliesin, Chief of the Bards of the West, the son of Henwg the
Bard, of the College of Saint Cadocus, the son of Fflwch Lawdrwm,
of Caerlleon upon Usk, in Glamorgan, the son of Cynvar, the son
of Saint Clydog, the son of Gwynnar, the son of Cadrain, the son
of Cynan, the son of Caradog, the son of Bran the Blessed, the son
of Llyr Llediaith.
' '
Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, erected the church of Llanhenwg,
at Caerlleon upon Usk, which he dedicated to the
memory of his
father, called Saint Henwg, who went to Rome on a mission to
Constantine the Blessed, requesting that he would send Saints
Germanus and Lupus to Britain, to strengthen the faith and renew
baptism there.
"
Henwg, was taken by
Taliesin, the son of the wild Irish, who
unjustly occupied Gower but while on board
; ship, on his way to
426 Notes
Ireland, he saw a skin coracle, quite empty, on the surface of the
sea, and came closely to the side of the ship ; whereupon Taliesin,
it
taking a skin-covered spar in his hand, leaped into it, and rowed
towards land, until he stuck on a pole in the weir of Gwyddno
Garanhir ; when a young chieftain, named Elphin, seeing him so
entangled, delivered him from his peril. This Elphin was taken for
the son of Gwyddno, although in reality he was the son of Elivri,
his daughter, but by whom was then quite unknown ; it was, how-
ever, afterwards discovered that Urien Rheged, King of Gower and
Aberllychwr, was his father, who introduced him to the court of
Arthur, at Caerlleon upon Usk, where his feats, learning, and
endowments were found to be so superior that he was created a
golden-tongued Knight of the Round Table. After the death of
Arthur, Taliesin became Chief Bard to Urien Rheged, at Aberllychwr
in Rheged."
Another extract, given in the above volume, is from a manuscript
by Llywelyn Sion, of Llangewydd:
"
Talhaiarn, the father of Tangwn, presided in the chair of Urien
Rheged, at Caer-Gwyroswydd, after the expulsion of the Irish from
Gower, Carnwyllion, Cantrev-Bychan, and the Cantred of Iscennen.
The said chair was established at Caer-Gwyroswydd, or Ystum
Llwynarth, where Urien Rheged was accustomed to hold his
national and royal court.
" After the death of Chief of the
Talhaiarn, Taliesin, Bards, pre-
sided in three chairs, namely the chair of Caerlleon upon Usk, the
:
chair of Rheged, at Bangor Teivy, under the patronage of Cedig ab

Ceredig, ab Cuneddav Wledig ; but he afterwards was invited to
the territory of Gwyddnyw, the son of Gwydion, in Arllechwedd,
Arvon, where he had lands conferred on him, and where he resided
until the time of Maelgwn Gwynedd, when he was dispossessed of
that property, for which he pronounced his curse on Maelgwn, and
all his possessions ; whereupon the Vad Velen came to Rhos, and
whoever witnessed it became doomed to certain death. Maelgwn
saw the Vad Velen through the keyhole, in Rhos church, and died
in consequence. Taliesin, in his old age, returned to Caer-Gwyros-
wydd, to Riwallon, the son of Urien ; after which he visited Cedig,
the son of Ceredig, the son of Cunnedav Wledig, where he died,
and was buried with high honours, such as should always be shown
to a man who ranked among the principal wise men of the Cymric
nation ; and Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, was the highest of the
most exalted class, either in literature, wisdom, the science of vocal
song, or any other attainment, whether sacred or profane. Thus
terminates the information respecting the chief bards of the chair of
Caerlleon upon Usk, called now the chair of Glamorgan."
It is probable that Taliesin was educated, or completed his educa-

tion, at the school of the celebrated Cattwg, at Llanveithin, in Gla-
morgan. In after life he became the bard of Urien Rheged, to
Notes 427
whom, and to his own
son Owain, his principal poems are addressed.
In the opinion of the most judicious critics these poems are un-
doubtedly genuine. They certainly contain passages of exquisite
beauty, and are far superior to many of the other compositions attri-
buted to him, of which some rest on very questionable authority, and
some are evidently Middle Age productions. Indeed, the last of the
poems translated in the text bears in some MSS. the name of lonas
Athraw o Fynyw.
The name of Taliesin is thus commemorated in the Triads :
" The three Merddin

Baptismal Bards of the Isle of Britain :
Emrys, Taliesin, Chief of Bards, and Merddin, son of Madoc

Morvryn." Tr. 125.
This Triad is more fully explained in an extract from MS. Triads

of the Round Table, given in the lolo MSS., p. 468.
"The Nine Impulsive Stocks of the Baptismal Bards of Britain.

The three primitive baptismal bards of the Cambro- Britons :
Madog, the son of Morvryn, of Caerlleon upon Usk ; Taliesin, the
son of Saint Henwg, of Caerlleon upon Usk ; and Merddin Emrys,
of Maesaleg, in Glywysyg ; after whom came Saint Talhaiarn, the
father of Tangwyn, Merddin, the son of Madog Morvryn, and
Meugant Hen, of Caerlleon upon Usk who were succeeded by
;
Balchnoe, the bard of Teilo, at Llandaff ; Saint Cattwg ; and

Cynd iylan, the bard. These nine were called the Impulsive Stocks
of the baptismal bards of Britain ; Taliesin being their chair-pre-
sident ; for which reason he was designated Taliesin, Chief Bard of
the West. They are likewise called the nine superinstitutionists of
the baptismal chair ; and no institution is deemed permanent unless
renewed triennial ly, till the end of thrice three, or nine years. The
institution was also called the Chair of the Round Table, under the
superior privileges of which Gildas, the prophet, and Saint Cattwg
the Wise, of Lancarvan, were bards ; and also Llywarch theHn,
son of EHdr Lydanwyn, Ystudvach, the bard, and Ystyphan, the
bard of Teilo."
There are evidently in the foregoing notices some authentic his-

torical facts, as well as legendary traditions of theage of chivalry,
which it would require an able critic to separate from each other.
Tradition has handed down a Cairn near Aberystwyth as the
grave of Taliesin, the locality of which agrees with the foregoing
account.
At one of the meetings of the Cambrian Archaeological Association
this Cairn was visited. It contains a Cistvaen, eight feet long by
two feet six wide, and about three feet deep, composed of rude slabs
of stone. One of the top stones, which lies near it, measures five
feet nine by three feet nine. The Cairn was opened some fifty or
sixty years ago, and the Cistvaen then contained some earth of
a different colour to that of the adjoining soil.
428 Notes
The various poems recited in the Tale of Taliesin appear to have
been composed at different periods, and it is not improbable that the
above-mentioned Thomas ab Einion OfFeiriad collected the poems
attributed to Taliesin, which were in existence before his time, and
added others to form the Mabinogi, which from expressions in page
265, and the very numerous transformations stated in the poetry,
but not given in the prose, must have been much more complete
than in its present state.
That the story of Taliesin was current in the Middle Ages is well
known. If proof were wanting the lines of Llywarch Prydydd
Moch, in allusion to the liberation of Elphin, might be adduced.
They occur in an ode to Llywelyn ap lorwerth, composed probably
not later than 1220.
"I will address my Lord with the greatly greeting muse, with
the dowry of Keridwen, the Ruler of Bardism, in the manner x>f
Taliesin, when he liberated Elphin, when he overshaded the Bardic
mystery with the banners of the Bards." Davies's Myth, of the
Druids.
From several poems being addressed to Hopkin ap Thomas ab
Einiawn, by Davydd y Coed, lorwerth Llwyd, and others who
flourished about the years 1300 to 1350, it may be inferred that
Hopkin's father, the above Thomas ab Einiawn, was contemporary
with Llywarch Prydydd y Moch, and therefore not the author but
merely the compiler of the already well-known story of Caridwen,
Taliesin, and Elphin.
No perfect copy of the Mabinogi of Taliesin being accessible, it
has been necessary to print it in the present series from two frag-
ments. The former of the two is contained in a MS. in the Library
of the Welsh School, in London. It is written in a modern round
" Y
Prif-feirdd Cymreig, sef Canau &c. a
hand, and bears the title
gasglwyd ganwyf fi, William Morris o Gaergybi ym M6n. 1758."
The MS. is of quarto size.
The second fragment is from a MS. in the library of the late lolo
Morgan wg, and was kindly communicated by his son, the late Mr.
Taliesin Williams (Ab lolo).
It should be mentioned that the Mabinogi of Taliesin has already-
been published, although not in so complete a form as the present
version, with a translation, by the late Dr. Owen Pughe, in the
fifth volume of the Cambrian Quarterly ; and, with two exceptions
" Discover thou what " I adore" the
(the poems beginning is," and
Supreme, Lord of all animation," pp. 276, 278), the translations of
the poems now published are extracted from that work, the neces-
sary alterations being made where the text differed materially. The
first portion of it is also to be found (untranslated) in the Myvyrian
Archaiology, vol. I. page 17, and part of it is inserted in Jones's

Welsh Bards.
The Transmigrations of Taliesin will remind the general reader
of the adventures of the second Royal Calander in the Arabian
Nights.
Notes 429
CARIDWEN. Page 263.
generally considered to be the Goddess of Nature

Caridwen is of
Welsh mythology. The principal circumstances of her fabulous his-
tory are those detailed in the Mabinogi of Taliesin. Upon them are
founded most of the allusions to her contained in the poems of the
bards, with whom the cauldron of Caridwen, of Inspiration, or the
Awen, is a subject of frequent reference. As regards her singular
family we have but little information and few details. Several
notices, however, occur in Welsh writings of her fair daughter
Creirwy. Of these it may be sufficient to instance the Triad which
celebrates her with Arianrod and Gwenn, verch Cywryd ab Crydon,
1
as one of the three beauteous ladies of the island. One of the two
Triads extant on the subject of Morvran has been already cited.
(See page 318.) It alludes to the extreme ugliness assigned him
in the text, to which, nevertheless, he was indebted for the preserva-
tion of his life in the battle of Camlan ; the other ranks him with
Gilbert mab Cadgyffro and Gwgan Gleddyvrudd, as one of the three
stayers of slaughter.
2
No further particulars of him are preserved.
GWYDDNO GARANHIR. Page 264.

Gwyddno Garanhir was Sovereign of Cantref y Gwaelod, a ter-
ritory bordering on the sea, and protected from its ravages by a high
tmbankment. One evening there was revelry at the Court, and
Seithenin, the son of Seithyn Saidi, King of Dyved, upon whom it
3
devolved to look after the embankment, 4 and see that all was safe,
became inebriated and neglected his charge. The consequence was
that the sea broke in through the bank in the course of the night.
Gwyddno and his Court escaped with difficulty from the impending
ruin, and the Cantrev y Gwaelod was submerged and irretrievably
lost. By this calamity sixteen fortified cities, the largest and finest
that were in Wales, excepting only Caerlleon upon Usk, were en-
tirely destroyed, and Cardigan Bay occupies the spot where the
fertile plains of the Cantrev had been the habitation and support
of a flourishing population. Such as escaped the inundation fled to
Ardudwy, and the country of Arvon, and the mountains of Eryri
(Snowdon), and other places not previously inhabited. By none
was this misfortune more severely felt than by Gwyddno Garanhir,
to whom the reverse of circumstances it occasioned was so great
l Triad 2 Triad xxix.

107.
3
Seithinyn the Drunkard's mischance in letting the sea overflow the Cantrev
y Gwaelod, related in Triad xli.
is
4 Traces of three ancient stone embankments are said to be still visible in the
districtwhere this inundation took place. They are called Sarn Cynvelyn, Sarn
" The latter is particularly conspicuous, being left
y Bwch, and Sarn Padrig.
dry at low water to the extent of about nine miles, and the sailors of the neigh-
bouring ports describe its whole length to be twenty-one miles, beginning near
Harlech, and running in a south-west direction." (Cambro- Briton, I. 362.) The
Hanes Cymru contains some interesting remarks on this subject.
430 Notes
that, from being an opulent monarch, he was all at once reduced to
the necessity of maintaining himself and his only son, the unfortu-
nate Elphin, by the produce of the fishing weir mentioned in the
text.
This disastrous event is commemorated in a proverb still repeated
in the Principality.
" The
sigh of Gwyddno Garanhir
When the wave rolled over his land."
There also preserved in the Myvyrian Archaiology (I. 165), a

is
short poem upon the subject attributed to Gwyddno Garanhir, in
which there are some exceedingly poetic and striking passages. The
bereft monarch calls upon the author of his distress to view the
calamitous effects of his intemperance, pronounces maledictions upon
his head, and describes the outcry of the perishing inhabitants of
that unhappy region. The piece bears a strong resemblance to
some of the works of Llywarch Hen, and is probably as old as the
sixth century.
" Stand forth Seithenin and behold the dwelling of heroes, the
plain of Gwyddno the ocean covers !
Accursed be the sea guard, who after his carousal let loose the
destroying fountain of the raging deep.
Accursed be the watcher, who after his drunken revelry, loosed
the fountain of the desolating sea.
A cry from the sea arises above the ramparts ; even to heaven does
it ascend, after the fierce excess comes the long cessation !
A cry from the sea ascends above the ramparts ; even to heaven
does the supplication come after the excess there ensues restraint
! !
A cry from the sea awakens me this night !
A cry from the sea arises above the winds !
A cry from the sea impels me from my place of rest this

night !
"
After excess comes the far extending death !
Another composition, attributed to him, is to be found in the same

valuable collection. It is in the colloquial form, between himself
and the king of Faerie, Gwyn ap Nudd.
The magic basket of Gwyddno has a place amongst the Thirteen
Precious Things of Britain. See page 328.
MAELGWN GWYNEDD. Page 268.

This king succeeded his father Caswallon Lawhir in the sove-
reignty of Gwynedd, about the year 517. He
is the subject of a
most violent invective by Gildas, who accuses him of being a most

cruel and profligate character ; which is rather confirmed by its
being recorded that he was rebuked by St. Padarn, for certain
Notes 431
injuries committed by him in Ceredigion and that he oppressed
;
Tydecho, one of the Armorican Saints, who had settled in his

dominion but in consequence of some miracles said to have been
;
performed by that saint, he was compelled to make ample amends.

He afterwards founded a College at Caergybi, and a Priory at
Penmon, and also endowed Bangor, and erected it into a Bishopric.
His reign was more powerful than most of those we read of in those
unsettled ages ; about the year 546 he was elected to the nominal
sovereignty of the Britons, and, according to the Brut, he added six
islands^ Ireland, Iceland, Gothland, Orkney, Llychlyn (Norway),
and Denmark to the British possessions. He died of the Vad
Velen, or Yellow Pestilence, usually called the Yellow Plague of
Rhos, which was said to have been caused by the number of un-
buried bodies of the slain that remained on that spot, and whoever
went within the reach of the effluvia fell dead immediately.
To avoid the effects of this pestilence it is said that Maelgwn
retired from his castle of Dyganwy, to the church of Llanrhos,
where he hoped to remain, shut up in the sanctuary, safe from all
danger ; but being impelled by curiosity, he looked out through
the keyhole of the door, and thereby caught the infection, thus
fulfilling the prediction uttered by Taliesin,
" A most strange creature will come,

From the sea marsh of Rhianedd,
As a punishment of iniquity,
On Maelgwn Gwynedd ;
His hair and his teeth,

And his eyes being as gold ;
And this will bring destruction
On Maelgwn Gwynedd."
A traditionary remembrance of this circumstance is preserved in
the adage " Hun Maelgwn Gwynedd yn Eglwys Llanrhos," or as
it is given in the "Annales Cambrise,"
published by the Record
" Hir hun
Commission, Maelgwn en llis Ros," The long sleep of
Maelgwn in the court of Rhos.
This plague lasted from the year 557 to 562, and its ravages were
fearful in the extreme. A
Triad records it as one of the three
direful maladies, and it is even employed as an image of horror in
the compositions of the Bards.
HEININ VARDD. Page 268.

It would appear Heinin was Bard to the College of Llan-
that
veithin, at Llancarvan, in Glamorganshire, and that he flourished
between A.D. 520 and 560. In the " Chwedlau'r Doethion," or
" "
Sayings of Wise Men," preserved in a Welsh MS. called Llyfr
Tre Brynn," and published in the collection of lolo MSS. by
432 Notes
the Welsh MSS. Society, the following saying is attributed to
him :
" Hast thou heard the

saying of Heinin,
The Bard of the college of Llanveithin ? i
The brave is never cruel " !
1 " "
Qu. Bar.gor lolo Morganwg.
...
THE END
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EVR.

University of California Berkeley

PHILIP WHALEN COLLECTION

THE PETER AND ROSELL HARVEY

THE MABINOGION WITH

TRAVEL ^ SCIENCE ^ FICTION

IN FOUR STYLES OF BINDING: CLOTH,

ROUND CORNERS, GILT TOP; LIBRARY

BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR . .

MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR . . ,48

THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG . . 81

THE STORY OF LLUDD AND LLEVELYS .

K1LHWCH AND OLWEN . . .

THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN , .

GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN

duction by S. Lanier. pp. xx, 361. 1881. The Text of the

and J. G. Evans (Series of Welsh Texts.), pp. 355. 1887. Les

"Pwyll"in the "Cambrian Register," vol. i; "Cambro- Briton,"

issuing her English version in a cheap form and without any

prove himself master of certain traditional lore. The

by the Matrinogi, which seems to have been at once a

(1) The Mabinogion proper, or, to speak accurately, the

(3) Stories of Arthur viz. Kilhwch and Olwen, Rho~

nabwy's Dream the Lady of the Fountain, Peredur

substance, are pre-Christian and pre-historic ; in their

change has softened down the mythical element, without get-

glimmering tradition merely stones not of this building,' but

of an older architecture, greater, cunninger, more majestical."

growth of the Arthurian legend in Welsh literature.

I became better acquainted with the closeness and extent

of that connexion, its history, and the proofs by which it is

classify and draw from them their legitimate conclusions ;

and though I am loth that what has been collected with

persons and places famous in the traditions of Wales and

possible that Wace may have had access, like Geoffrey, to

portion of the stocks of Mediaeval Romance proceeded from

Book of Hergest, now in the Library of Jesus College,

other subsequent circumstances, have prevented me from obtaining access to it.

and so on. But as these names could not have preceded

pursue this branch of evidence in detail. In following up

I. Names of the great features, involving proper names

Goronwy," the Breast (of the Hill) of Goronwy; "Castell

an individual, because it may help to support some tradition

I. That we have throughout Europe, at an early period,

a great body of literature, known as Mediaeval Romance,

early offshoot of the Indo-European family, and a people of

DOWLAIS, August 2<?t&, 1848.

his chief palace, and he was minded to go and hunt, and

listened to the hounds, he heard the cry of other hounds,

dignity that thou shouldest not do so." "Verily," answered

So he conducted him until he came in sight of the

what service is done there, thou wilt know the customs

Andthe year he spent in hunting, and minstrelsy, and

them only. Each claimeth of the other his land and

Havgan himself was borne to the ground an arm's and

Pwyll Prince of Dyved came likewise to his country

Once upon a time, Pwyll was at Narberth his chief

Hhiannon, the daughter of Heveydd Hen, and they

"what is the boon thou askest?" "The lady whom

been put therein.'" Then said Rhiannon unto Gwawl

but hear me, I merit not to be slain in a bag." Said

born, women were brought to watch the mother and the

Charge me not falsely. If you tell me this from "