The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.

com

THE

MABINOGION

FROM

THE WELSH OF THE LLYFR COCH O HERGEST

(THE RED BOOK OF HERGEST)

IN THE LIBRARY OF JESUS COLLEGE, OXFORD

TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES

BY

LADY CHARLOTTE GUEST

LONDON:

BERNARD QUARITCH, 15 PICCADILLY

[1877]

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, February, 2004. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text
is in the public domain. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose,
provided this notice of attribution is left intact.
The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. v]

TO IVOR AND MERTHYR.

My dear Children,

Infants as you yet are, I feet that I cannot dedicate more fitly than to you these
venerable relics of ancient lore, and I do so in the hope of inciting you to
cultivate the Literature of "Gwyllt Walia," in whose beautiful language you are
being initiated, and amongst whose free mountains you were born.

May you become early imbued with the chivalric and exalted sense of honour, and the
fervent patriotism for which its sons have ever been celebrated.

May you learn to emulate the noble qualities of Ivor Hael, and the firm attachment
to your Native Country, which distinguished that Ivor Back, after whom the elder of
you was named.

I am,

Your affectionate Mother,

C. E. GUEST.

Dowlais, August 29th, 1838.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. vii]

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

THE Arthurian Legends have at all times furnished a congenial subject to the
students of Romance; and in the eight-and-thirty years which have elapsed since the
first part of this Translation appeared, my "Mabinogion" have found their way into
the hands of the learned both among ourselves and on the Continent.

More recently, however, the publication of the "Idyls of the King"--and among them
of "Enid," which is founded on my version of "Geraint"--has interested a much wider
circle of readers in the Legends, and there has arisen a demand for a new and more
popular edition of my work, which it is the object of the present issue to supply.

It will be found to differ from its predecessor in the omission of the Welsh text,
of all Welsh quotations in the Notes, and of the French Metrical Romance of the
"Chevalier au Lion." The notices relating to the corresponding versions of the
Tales in other European languages have also been condensed.

[p. viii]

It is, then, under these altered conditions, and in the absence of all means of
comparison on their part, that I ask my new readers to believe that I have striven
to preserve in Saxon English the primitive simplicity of the Welsh original.

To these remarks it only remains for me to add, that the text of the Mabinogion
exists in the Llyfr Coch o Hergest (or Red Book of Hergest) preserved in the
Library of Jesus College, Oxford, and that for the accurate copy which I used, I
was indebted to the learned labours of the Rev. John Jones (Tegid), Fellow of that
College, and to the courtesy of the late Mr. Justice Bosanquet, for whom the
transcript in question was originally made.

LANGHAM HOUSE, LONDON,

18th January, 1877.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. ix]

CONTENTS.

PAGE
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION <page vii>
INTRODUCTION <page xi>
THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN <page 3>
NOTES TO THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN <page 31>
VERSIONS IN OTHER LANGUAGES <page 66>
NOTE ON THE FOREST OF BRECELIANDE, &c. <page 67>
LLYN DULYN IN SNOWDON <page 77>
PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC <page 81>
NOTES TO PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC <page 125>
NOTICE OF VARIOUS OTHER VERSIONS <page 136>
GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN <page 141>
NOTES TO GERAINT <page 185>
NOTICE OF VARIOUS OTHER 'VERSIONS <page 214>
KILHWCH AND OLWEN <page 217>
NOTES TO KILHWCH AND OLWEN <page 259>
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY <page 299>
NOTES TO THE DREAM OF RHONABWY <page 315>
PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED <page 339>
NOTE TO PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED <page 360>
BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR <page 369>
NOTES TO BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR <page 385>
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR <page 397>
NOTE TO MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR <page 411>
MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY <page 413>
NOTES TO MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY <page 434>
THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG <page 443>
NOTE TO MAXEN WLEDIG <page 453>
THE STORY OF LLUDD AND LLEVELYS <page 459>
NOTE TO LLUDD AND LLEVELYS <page 466>
TALIESIN <page 471>
NOTES TO TALIESIN <page 495>

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[p. xi]
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
extensive 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 Mabinogion 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,

[p. xii]

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 customs which implied brotherhood
with their foes.

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 (if indeed their
successors in territory be at all of their blood), prevents us from clearly seeing,
and makes us wonder, how stories, originally embodied

[p. xiii]

in the Celtic dialects of Great Britain and France, could so influence 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 Germans, 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'Angleterre about 1155. Sir Tristan was written in French prose in 1170; and
The Chevalier au Lion, Chevalier de l'Epee, 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 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

[p. xiv]

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, nevertheless, 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,
professing 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

[p. xv]

[paragraph continues] Society, their Editor, Mr. Robson, seems to hint at a similar
claim.

Here then are various known channels, by which portions of Welsh and Armoric
fiction crossed the Celtic border, and gave rise to the more ornate, and widely-
spread romance of the Age of Chivalry. It is not improbable that there may have
existed many others. It appears then that a large portion of the stocks of
Mediaeval Romance proceeded from Wales. We have 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 many of
these compositions.

The more strictly Romantic Literature of Wales has been 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]

[p. xvi]

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, 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 examined 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
topography of the country. It is found that Saxon

[p. xvii]

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
Morwynion," 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 argument supports remote antiquity
only for such legends as are connected with the greater topographical features, as
mountains, 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, 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

[p. xviii]

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 appositeness 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 the Dart; "Llyn
Llyngclys," Lake of the Engulphed Court; "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 Howell; "Caer
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.

[p. xix]

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 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.

It appears to me, then, looking back upon what has been 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 encumbered 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 after romance, 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

[p. xx]

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 belief in some of these conclusions, that I commenced my

labours, and I end them with my 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 is not only, as Dr. Prichard has
proved it to be, an 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.

DOWLAIS, August 29th, 1848.

Footnotes

^xv: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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 3]

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 handmaidens 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 welcome 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.
[p. 4]

Then Arthur spoke, "If I thought you would not disparage me," said he, "I would
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 Arthur 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
first place, and then we will tell thee the best tale that we 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." "Truly," said Kynon, "thou are 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 continued 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

[p. 5]

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 life, with his beard newly
shorn, clad in a robe and a mantle of yellow satin; and round the top of his mantle
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

[p. 6]

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, however, 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 much, I would show thee that 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 disadvantage 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 camest 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
is not smaller in size than two of the men of this world. He has but one foot; and
one eye in the middle of his forehead.

[p. 7]

[paragraph continues] And he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are
no two men in the world who would not find their burden in that club. 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.'

"And long seemed that night to me. And the next 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 I hold over
these animals?' Then I inquired of him the way, and he became very rough in his

[p. 8]

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 fountain , 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
complaining 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 overtake 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,

[p. 9]

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 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

[p. 10]

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 still possess, and he is in the stable yonder.
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."

"Now," quoth Owain, "would it not be well to go and 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.

[p. 11]

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 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. However, 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

[p. 12]

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 visor, and
through the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the very brain.
Then 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 resplendent 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

[p. 13]

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. Therefore," quoth she, "whatever is in 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 to 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 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

[p. 14]

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 administering 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 sendall, 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 sendall .
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

[p. 15]
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 knows," replied the
maiden, "she 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
yesterday." "Verily," said Owain, "she is the woman 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
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

[p. 16]

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 hast 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 Countess. "In truth," said the Countess,
"evil is thy disposition; but if thou knowest what is to my advantage, declare it
to me." "I will do 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;

[p. 17]

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 it
might have taken her to have travelled to the Court 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.

Right glad was the Countess of their coming, and she gazed steadfastly upon Owain,
and said, "Luned, this knight has not the look of a traveller." "What harm is there
in that, lady?" said Luned. "I am certain," said 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

[p. 18]

arms, and military skill. "Therefore," said she, "this is what I 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, Gwalchmai," said Arthur, "I am 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 I am sure, that it is through the tale which Kynon the son 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 the men of his household prepared 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

[p. 19]

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. "My lord," said he, "I know the 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 that may 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 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

[p. 20]

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 again to-day." "Thou 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 resumed 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

[p. 21]

for my cousin , owing to the robe of honour that enveloped 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
Arthur," said Gwalchmai, "here is Owain, who has vanquished 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,
therefore, 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 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

[p. 22]
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
disgraced, 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

[p. 23]

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
that was. "Truly," said the maiden, "a 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 refused to become his wife." "That is 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 flask into her hand. "Ha!
maiden," said the Countess, "where is all the balsam?" "Have I not used it all?"
said she. "Oh, maiden," said the Countess, "I 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 to his former guise, and became even more comely than he had ever been
before.

One day Owain heard a great tumult, and a sound of arms in the Castle, and he
inquired of the maiden 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 maiden. "Wilt thou go and
request the loan of a horse and arms for me," said Owain, "that

[p. 24]

[paragraph continues] I may go and look at this army?" "I 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, "Behold 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 as he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a wood. And it was repeated a

second and a third time. And Owain

[p. 25]

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 lion, and every time
the lion sought 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." "And what dost thou
here?" said Owain. "I am imprisoned," said she, "on account of the knight who 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,

[p. 26]

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
she; "cross over 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 side of Owain, and on the other
side his only 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

[p. 27]

enough for sadness and care." "What is that?" said Owain. "I have two sons,"
replied the Earl, "and 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."

"Truly," said Owain, "that is lamentable. And which 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 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

[p. 28]

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." "Truly,"
said Owain, "he 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."

And they attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by them. And with that the lion came
to Owain's assistance, 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

[p. 29]

worth four-and twenty pence, and they were as sorrowful as death. And Owain asked
them the cause of their sadness. And they said, "We are 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, "it is not to seek thy friendship that I am here." "In sooth," said he,
"thou shalt not find it then." And with that they charged each other, and fought
furiously. And Owain overcame him, and bound his hands behind his back. Then 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 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.

[p. 30]

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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 31]

NOTES TO THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.

3a ARTHUR.--Page <page 3>.

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 uphold 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 powerful 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 Caerlleon and its Round Table formed
to us an ideal

[p. 32]

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 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

glorious 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-
laud, 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

[p. 33]
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 grave of March is this, and this the grave of Gwythyr.

Here is the grave of Gwgawn Gleddyfrudd
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 in Llywarch 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.

3b CAERLLEON UPON USK.--Page <page 3>.

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
probably 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.

[p. 34]

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.

[paragraph continues] And on a subsequent occasion we find the City of

Chester named--

"The kyng that time at Cester lay."--line 1567.

[paragraph continues] In the French Copy,-

 "Q' li rois cort a cestre tint."

Of CHESTER it may be remarked, that it bears in Welsh the name 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.

3c OWAIN THE SON OF URIEN.--Page <page 3>.

OWAIN AB URIEN RHEGED.--AMONGST all the characters of 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, i. 52, 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

[p. 35]

said to have excelled all the other kings, procured his assassination during the
expedition.

According to Llywarch Hen's Elegy upon Urien Rheged, this event occurred in a place
called Aberlleu. [*1]

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

is on the strand of Menai, where makes the wave a sullen sound." [*2]

"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 it is recorded in the Morte d'Arthur, "Thenne the Kyng remeued in to Walys,
and lete crye a grete feste that it shold be 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 distinguished 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 course of this Elegy, the Bard bursts forth with all the energy
of the Awen,

"Could Lloegria sleep with the light upon her eyes?" [*3]

[p. 36]

[paragraph continues] 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; [*1] 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 is also mentioned with Rhun mab Maelgwn, and Rhufawn befr mab Deorath Wledig,
as one of the Three blessed Kings; [*2] 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 Llan 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 expression
may allude to Griffith presenting his son with a shield, with his own arms
emblazoned upon it, and the royal lion for a

[p. 37]
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 the
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 Lanfal, 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 Ivain,
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 l'usage
des fourrures ou zibelines aux manteaux, des ceintures aux robes, et des boucles
pour attacher les eperons et Den, et pour avoir encore invente la mode des gants."

3d KYNON THE SON OF CLYDNO.--Page <page 3>.

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 the son of
Clydno Eiddin, Aron the son of Kynfarch ap Meirchion gul, and Llywarch hen the son
of Elidir Lydanwyn. And these three knights were the Counsellors of Arthur, and
whatever 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 in another place it is added,

"And he had nothing but success when he acted by the advice

[p. 38]

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.

"The three ardent lovers of the Island of Britain, Caswallawn the son of Beli 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,

commencing with the words, "To Cattraeth's vale in 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 Kadreith, and Katlew of Catnant,
And I myself from the shedding of blood."

Kynon is frequently mentioned by the bards of the Middle Ages, and

celebrated both for his bravery and for his devotion as a lover.

[p. 39]

[paragraph continues] It is in the latter character that be is alluded to by

Gruffudd 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.

"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 is the grave beneath the hill?
It is the grave of a warrior valiant in the conflict
The grave of Kyrion the son of Clydno Eiddin."

3e CLYDNO.--Page <page 3>.

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 a
place of considerable 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. Benno,
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.

[p. 40]

3f KAI THE SON OF KYNER.--Page <page 3>.

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, bear his name; and it was the opinion of Iolo 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 Messire 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 Morte d'Arthur,
particularly a story of his want of courtesy to Sir 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 himself
before Arthur, and craved a boon, which the monarch immediately 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 youth still
persisted in his request. "Well sayde the kynge ye shal haue mete and drynke ynouz,
I neuer deffended yt none, nother my 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

[p. 41]

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 yt he shall be as fatte by the
twelue monethes 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 disgrace. But Beaumayns unhorsed Sir Kai, and took possession of his arms,
with which he performed several gallant exploits to the great surprise of all,
inasmuch as he was taken by his shield to be Sir Kai, whose prowess was by no means
in high repute. Afterwards Beaumayns proved to be Sir Gareth of Orkney, the son of
King Lot, and brother of Sir Gawain.

3g GWENHWYVAR.--Page <page 3>.

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 name of Gwenhwyvar. Concerning the latter lady, [*2] the
following couplet is still current in the Principality:--

"Gwenhwyvar, the daughter of Gogyrvan the Giant,

Bad when little, worse when great."

This confusion of names and persons is only what might be expected

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

[p. 42]

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, Genievre, and Geneura,
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.

3h PORTER.--Page <page 3>.

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.

3i GLEWLWYD GAVAELVAWR.--Page <page 3>.

"THE dusky hero of the mighty grasp" is said to have escaped from the battle of
Camdan 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 fiction, and that when
those adventures became objects of fabulous 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 considered by Davies to have reference to
some Druidical mysteries. Although it may appear presumptuous to differ from

[p. 43]

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."

3j ON A SEAT OF GREEN RUSHES.--Page <page 3>.

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 apparently in the 14th 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 Bach (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 playing, and the modulation, he supposes
that the performer can be no other than Gwgan himself. In order to ascertain if his
surmise is correct, be 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. ...... A lightsome 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

[p. 44]

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 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, [*2] and bitterns, and sundry spiced
collops besides; and the servants, all dressed in one livery, [*3] 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. We find
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.

[p. 45]

3k FLAME-COLOURED SATIN.--Page <page 3>.

THE literal translation of this expression is yellow-red. 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)." Hence, M. Le Grand
conjectures, "that the crimson 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), the contradictory compounds above given
(white crimson, green crimson, &c.) would be easily accounted for." II. 227.

4a DISTANT REGIONS.--Page <page 4>.

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 chyef lady of the
lake," &c.

4b TREES OF EQUAL GROWTH.--Page <page 4>.

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."

[p. 46]

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 following beautiful lines, descriptive of the avenues of
"okes" which 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."

4c YELLOW SATIN.--Page <page 4>.

PALI MELYN.--The exact 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 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.)

5a SINEWS OF THE STAG.--Page <page 5>.

MOSELEY, in his work upon Archery, says that "bowstrings were composed from the
sinews of beasts, and on that account are termed 'Nervus,' neyra." "It was
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."

[p. 47]

5b BONE OF THE WHALE.--Page 5.

A SIMILAR substance is mentioned in the ancient Romance of "The Erle of Tolous,"--

"Hur hondys whyte as whallys bonne,"--verse 355.

[paragraph continues] 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 mistaken 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 whales bone.'

Again, in Syr Isembras,

'His wyfe as white as whales bone.'

Again, in 'The Squyr of low degree,'

'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 Love's 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, whales, or, more properly, whalees), which it certainly is, in
every instance."--Rit. Met. Rom. III. 343, 344.

5c WINGED WITH PEACOCK'S FEATHERS.--Page <page 5>.

THAT it was fashionable to feather arrows in this manner, we 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,
Wel 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
[p. 48]

[paragraph continues] 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, <page 43>. 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 neck, 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; 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 legislation 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 depredators."

5d GOLDEN HEADS.--BLADES OF GOLD.--Page <page 5>.

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, nor cloths, mantle, nor gold furred with miniver,
nor of ermins, nor

[p. 49]

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 restriction as to dress, except with respect to "ermins and
letuses and apparel of pearl and stone," which they might only wear upon the head.
Merchants and burgesses of 500 marks had the same privilege 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 14th 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.)

5e VARIEGATED LEATHER.--Page <page 5>.

CORDWAL.--This word occurs in another of the Mabinogion; 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.

[p. 50]

5f DAMSELS EMBROIDERING SATIN.--Page <page 5>.

IN the English Romance of "Ywayne and Gawain," paraphrased from the French
"Chevalier an 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, "wirkand silk and
gold wir." They are very meanly attired, and inform Owen that they were once of
great estate in the country of Mayden-land, whence they were sent as hostages by
their sovereign. They complain 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."

5f MORE LOVELY THAN GWENHWYVAR.--Page <page 5>.

THIS was the highest compliment that Kynon could 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 fair ladies of Arthur's Court.

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."

5g THEY ROSE UP AT MY COMING.--Page <page 5>.

IT was very usual in the chivalric days, for the ladies to perform those courteous
offices for the Knights, even where there were male attendants, to whom we may
consider that they would have been more appropriately assigned. Ste. Palaye tells
its, "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 uniformement
repetes, pour nous permettre de revoquer en doute la realite 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.

[p. 51]

5h GOLD BAND UPON THE MANTLE.--Page <page 5>.

THE word in the original Welsh is gorffoys, which is evidently the same as orfrays,
or aurifrigia. [*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.

6a BUFFALO HORN.--Page <page 6>.

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 Kyveiliog, 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 Tudur and
Moreiddig, at the same time expatiating with gratitude and admiration upon their
valour, and the eminent services they had tendered him in the arduous conflicts ill
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!"

8a FOUNTAIN.--Page <page 8>.

THIS description answers to that of the Fountain of Barenton, in the forest of

Breceliande, to which locality it is referred in the

[p. 52]

[paragraph continues] "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 des Faux Amans.

An amerawd was the stane,

Richer saw i never nane,
On fowr rubyes on heght standand,
Their light lasted over al the land."--line 364.

10a AN ADVENTURE SO MUCH TO HIS OWN DISCREDIT.--Page <page 10>.

BY the laws of Chivalry, the knights were under a solemn obligation, when relating
their adventures, to give a faithful account of what befell them, without
concealing anything, however disadvantageous to themselves.

10b UNCOURTEOUS SPEECH.--Page <page 10>.

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 thi tong may never blyn
Thi felows so fowly to shende?
Sertes, sir Kay, thou ert unhende."--line 488.

10c HORN FOR WASHING.--Page <page 10>.

IT was customary to prepare for dinner by washing the hands, and the summons for
this preparation was given by sounding a horn, which, by the French, was termed
corner l'eau, or corner l'eue. Amongst the Monks, the same notice was given by
ringing a bell.

[p. 53]
12a BLACK KNIGHT.--Page <page 12>.

We have 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 Elcadoc le rous, which bears some resemblance to the
Welsh Cadoc or Cattwg.

12b MAIDEN.--Page <page 12>.

THIS maiden, whose name we subsequently find to be Luned, is supposed, in the Notes
to Jones's Welsh Bards, to be the same person as Elined 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:--

"Elined, the Almedha of Giraldus Cambrensis, who says that she suffered martyrdom
upon a hill called Penginger, near Brecknock, which the Historian of that County,
so often quoted, identifies with Slwch.

'Crug gorseddawl,' [*1] mentioned after the name of Elined 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, rejecting the proposals of an earthly prince, who sought her in marriage,
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 firstday 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 Gwenhwyvar of Anglesey:--

"Alas, for the loss of her who was 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'Arthur
she acts a conspicuous part in the story of Sir Gareth of Orkney, who undertook the
adventure of the "Castel

[p. 54]

peryllous" on her behalf, and whose illtreatment by Sir Kai is related, <page 40>.
Sir Gareth took his full revenge upon Sir Kai, but his conduct under the taunts he
received from Luned, who called. him a kechen knaue, 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 Sir Gareth's
brother. And these nuptials were 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.

13a WHATEVER IS IN MY POWER.--Page <page 13>.

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 the English Metrical Romance, we find that they were old
friends, Luned having been on an embassy to Arthur's Court some time previously.

13b TAKE THIS RING.--Page <page 13>.

THE ring is enumerated among the "Thirteen Rarities of Kingly Regalia of the Island
of Britain, which were formerly kept at Caerlleon, 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 concealed 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 prototype from which it was indirectly derived.

13c HORSEBLOCK.--Page <page 13>.

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

[p. 55]

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.)

13d PAINTED WITH GORGEOUS COLOURS.--Page <page 13>.

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 put into its present
dress. Chaucer has several instances, 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 were emitted 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.)
14a SENDALL.--Page <page 14>.

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 "Doctour of Phisike,"
one of the pilgrims to Canterbury, was, no doubt, a handsome one, and of him we are
told--

"In sanguine and in perse he clad was alle

Lined with taffata and with sendalle."--(441.)

15b SHE WASHED OWAIN'S HEAD.--Page <page 15>.

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,

[p. 56]

[paragraph continues] King Leodagan made his daughter Genievre (Gwenhwyvar) take
the richest cloths which were in the house, and warm water, and fair 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."

15a COUNTESS.--Page <page 15>.

THE English Version gives this Countess the title of

"The riche lady Alundyne,

The dukes doghter of Landuit."--line 1255.

And it is very satisfactory to find that she was not that Penarwen,
daughter of Culfynawyt 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 circumstance 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 Penarwen, 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.
18a HER NUPTIALS WITH OWAIN.--Page <page 18>.

THIS trait of manners is very characteristic of the times in which 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.)

18b GWALCHMAI.--Page 18.

GWALCHMAI AP GWYAR.--This ancient British name, Gwalchmai, which signifies the Hawk
of Battle, is in the French Romances changed

[p. 57]

into the not very similar form of Gawain, having first been Latinized into Walganus
and Walweyn. In the Triads, he is mentioned in the following manner:--

"There were three golden-tongued Knights in the Court of Arthur: 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."

As a proof of the high estimation in which Gwalchmai's powers of persuasion were

held, the following translation from the Myvyrian 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 Gwalchmai
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. [p. 58]

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 fear,--
Who are the warriors before me?

GWALCHMAI.

Trystan, of distinguished qualities,

Are they not known to thee?
It is the household of Arthur that comes.

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.

Let me but have my sword upon my thigh,

And my right hand to defend me,
And I myself will be more formidable than they all.

GWALCHMAI.

Trystan of brilliant qualities,

Before exciting the tumult of conflict,--
 Reject not Arthur as a friend. [p. 59]

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 Arthur.

GWALCHMAI.

Arthur, of courteous replies,

The 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.

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 be added
scientific attainments to his other remarkable qualities.

[p. 60]

"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 Rhos, which is understood to be that
still 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.

20a SATIN ROBE OF HONOUR.--Page <page 20>.

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
palfrey, or, at least, with a horse's bit, either golden or gilded. His words are,
"Le manteau long et trainant qui enveloppoit toute la personne, etoit reserve
particulierement au chevalier, comme la plus auguste et la plus noble decoration
qu'il put avoir lorsqu'il n'etoit point pare de ses armes .... on l'appeloit le
manteau d'honneur."--(I. 287.)

20b EARL OF RHANGYW.--Page <page 20>.

PROBABLY this is meant for the Earl of Anjou, and was originally written Iarll yr
Angyw, the Welsh particle yr, in its contracted form 'r, being by some error of the
transcriber incorporated with Angyw, which is the Welsh name for Anjou. What
renders this the more likely is, that the Earldom of Anjou, or Angyw, was

[p. 61]

according to the Brut, one of the possessions of Arthur, who bestowed it upon his
seneschal Sir Kai.

20c STRONG LANCES.--Page <page 20>.

IT would be vain to 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.
21a COUSIN.--Page <page 21>.

THE following genealogical table will explain this consanguinity, as given in the
Welsh Pedigrees.

Genealogical chart

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 subject, 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 be 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 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

[p. 62]

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."

21b GIVE ME YOUR SWORDS.--Page <page 21>.

THIS modesty, in disclaiming praise, and attaching merit to others, was one of the
most esteemed qualities of knighthood. Ste. Palaye quotes from Olivier de la Marche
(Mem. i. 315), a contest of generosity somewhat similar to that between Owain and
Gwalchmai. "Jacques de Lalain et Pietois, en 1450, ayant fait armes a pied, se
renverserent lun sur l'autre; ils furent releves 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 porte par terre, il se croiroit egalement
oblige de lui donner le sien. Ce nouveau combat de politesse finit par ne plus
parler de bracelet, et par former une etroite liaison d'amitie entre ces genereux
ennemis."--(I. 150.)

21c BANQUET.--Page <page 21>.

A FEAST which took three years to prepare, and three months to consume, appears in
our degenerate days as something quite enormous; but it is a trifle to what we read
in another of the Mabinogion, where a party spend eighty years in listening to the
songs of the birds of Rhianon, that charm away the remembrance of their sorrows.

21d A DAMSEL ENTERED, UPON A BAY HORSE.--Page <page 21>.

THE custom of riding into a hall, while the Lord and his guests sat at meat, the
memory of which is still preserved in the coronation ceremonials of this country,
might be illustrated by innumerable passages of ancient Romance and History. 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, [p. 63]
In at the halle dore al sodenly
Ther came a knight upon a stede of bras,
And in his hond a brod mirrour of glas;
Upon his thombe he had of gold a ring,
And by his side a naked swerd hanging:
And up be rideth to the highe bord.
In all the halle ne was ther spoke a word,
For mervaille of this knight; him to behold
Ful besily they waiten yong and old."--10,390-10,401.

22a AND ANOINT HIM WITH THIS BALSAM.--Page <page 22>.

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 celebrated, as the adventure of the Manteau mal taille will
unfortunately prove.

23a WRESTED FROM HER BY A YOUNG EARL.--Page <page 23>.

THE name of this invader is in Ywain and Gawin, "The ryche eryl, syr Alers,"--line
1871; and the "Cuens Alers," in the Chevalier au Lion.

24a A BEAUTIFUL BLACK STEED.--Page <page 24>.

THE name of Owain's horse is recorded, with the epithet of "irrestrainable"

(Anrheithfarch), but we cannot venture to affirm that the Carn 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.

25a WENT ON HIS WAY, AS BEFORE.--Page <page 25>.

THE story 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

[p. 64]

[paragraph continues] Gruffydd 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."

25b STONE VAULT.--Page <page 25>.

THIS part of the Tale is by no means clearly expressed, but it 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.

27a A MONSTER.--Page <page 27>.

THIS monster is in the English called "Harpyns of Mowntain," 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 wreched ragges war thai kled

And fast bunden thus er thai led:
The geant was both large and lang,
And bar a lever of yren ful strang,
Tharwith he bet them bitterly,
Grete 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."

[p. 65]

And further on, it is said of the giant,

"Al the armure he was yn

Was noght bot of a bul-skyn."

29a STATE OF STUPOR.--Page <page 29>.

THE literal meaning of this passage is not advantageous to the 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.

29b HOSPICE.--Page <page 29>.

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.

30a RAVENS.--Page <page 30>.

As some explanation of this strange expression, it may, be noticed, that in another

of the Mabinogion, called the "Dream of Rhonabwy," Owain is represented as having
an army of Ravens in his service, which are engaged in combat with some of Arthur's
attendants. 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 hearings of that house already
alluded to.

Footnotes

^33:1 March ap Meirchion, Gwythyr ap Greidiol, and Gwgawn Gleddyfrudd, were three
of Arthur's Knights; the second of them was father to Queen Gwenhwyvar.

^34:1 In the Life of St. Kentigern, mention is made of a wicked king of

Strathclyde, called Morken. 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.
^35:1 Myv. Arch. i. 105.

^35:2 Myv. Arch. i. 78.

^35:3 This line, with the substitution of Cambria for Lloegria [England], was taken
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 [p. 35] of the
Cymreigyddion Society of Abergavenny, in the Autumn of 1835. The effect it produced
was quite electric.

^36:1 Lancelot du Lac 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.

^36:2 The arrangement of ancient pedigrees is at all times attended with

difficulty, 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.

^40:1 Kai's horse, according to the Welsh authorities, was called Gwineu gwddwf
hir, the long-necked bay.

^41:1 It is somewhat singular that this adventure was undertaken on behalf of

Luned, who, under the title of the damoysel saueage, 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.

^41:2 According to the Romances, Arthur's Queen was daughter of King Leodegrance.

^44:1 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 "a cushion of red satin under his elbow," <page 3>; 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, <page 6>. In this latter instance, the cushions we find were
covered with red linen.

^44:2 Swans appear to have been a great dainty in those days. Of the luxurious Monk
in the Pilgrimage to Canterbury, Chaucer tells us, "A fat swan loved he best of any
rost."--line 206.

^44:3 Uniformity of dress in those who held the same office, appears to be dwelt
upon 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 DYER, and a TAPISER,
Were alle yclothed in o livere,
Of a solemne and grete fraternite."--line 363.

^51:1 See Du Cange, in voce.

^52:1 A long note on the story of the Fountain of Barenton in printed separately on
<page 67>, so which the reader is referred.

A fountain possessed of the like properties occurs in the Fabliau of "The Paradise
of Love," and a similar one is mentioned in " The noble Hystory of Kyng Ponthus of
Galyce."

^53:1 Crug gorseddawl, "the hill of Judicature."--Dr. Pughe's Welsh Dictionary.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 66]

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 from the
French work of Chrestien de Troyes), was published 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 12th century, the trouvere Chrestien de Troyes made Owain's
adventures the subject of his metrical Romance of the "Cheualier an 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 Hartmann von der Aue, a
Meister-sanger of the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th century. Of this
production many copies exist, that in the Library of 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 15th
century, has likewise left a poem on the subject of "Ivain," as one of an immense
series of metrical compositions embracing 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."

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 67]

NOTE ON 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 it seems to have been, but "cast about," as
the Romance tells us, how she might "detain him for evermore," and 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

[p. 68]

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, whatever it might be.
So at last he said to her, "Certes, lady, yes, and 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 Merlin, "I
will perform all this." " Sir," said she, "I would 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 grant
you this," said Merlin. Then 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 enchantments;
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

[p. 69]

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 if she could."--(T. 2. f. 134.)

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 be could not
pass." Merlin then addressed him from out the smoke, and told him by what
misadventure be 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 departed
from this place, I shall never more speak to you, nor to any other person, save
only my mistress." And after this he comforted 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.--(T. 2. f, 146.) [*1]

It is evident that the wonders ascribed by Chrestien de Troyes to

[p. 70]

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 be
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 lee,
Ki en Bretaigne est mult loee;
La Fontaine de Berenton
Sort d'une part lez le perron;
Aler i solent veneor
A Berenton par grant chalor,
Et o lor cors l'ewe puisier
Et li perron de suz moillier,
Por co soleient pluee aveir;
Issi soleit jadis pluveir
En la forest tut envirun,
Maiz jo ne sai par kel raisun.
La solt l'en li fees veir,
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.
La alai jo merveilles querre,
Vis la forest e vis la terre; [p. 71]
Merveilles quis, maiz nes' trovai;
Fol m'en revins, fol i alai,
Fol i alai, fol m'en revins,
Folie quis, per fol me tins."--v. 11514-11539.
Roman de Rou, publie 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.

"Por cou que n'iert pas mult lontaingne

La fores de Breceliande,
Mes cuers ki souvent 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 Vrete 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 sentiers
Qui par une gaste lande,
Me mena en Breceliande,
Mult est espesse et oscure,
En la forest par aventure
Perdi le sens de mon sentier,
Car li solaus s'aloit couchier,
Qui avoit faite sa journee.
Mais la clartes est ajornee
De la lune qui lors leva." [p. 72]
* * * * *
"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 l'arbre
Le bachin, le perron de marbre,
Et le vert pin et la caiere
Trouvai en icele maniere,
Comme l'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 le puisai plain
Com se la vousisse espuisier.
Quand ge mis la main au puisier,
Lors vi le firmament doubler.
Quant oi puisie, lors vi doubler
Le torment, quant l'eve versai,
Je qui, tous seus le sai,
Ne talent n'en ai du mentir,
Mais le chiel oi desmentir
Et eselarcir de toutes pars.
De plus de .vc. mile pars
Ert la fores enluminee;
Se tous li chiex ert queminee
Et tous li mons ardoit ensamble,
Ne fesist-il pas, ce me samble,
Tel clarte, ne si grant orage.
.C. fois maudis en mon corage
Par cui conseill ting la mon oirre,
Car a cascun cop de tonnoirre
La foudre du ciel descendoit
Qui troncounoit et porfendoit
Parmi le bois, caines et fals.
Or escoutes com ge fui fals
Et tresperdus et entrepris,
 K'encor plain bachin d'iaue pris [p. 73]
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'oi mene a tout le monde,
Can del' tounoire a la reonde
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 pair 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 a aprochier
Li jours dont l'aube ert ja' venue;
Joie firent de sa venue
Trestout li oiseillon menu
Ke a voleter ai veu
De par tout Bercheliande.
En broche, n'en forest, n'en lande
N'en vit mais nus tant amasses
Sus le pin en ot plus amasses.
Ke n'en vit Kalogrinans.
Et faisoient de divers cans
Une si douce melodie
Ke a ma mort, ni a ma vie,
Ne keisse avoir autre gloire.
Encore, quant me vient en memoire,
En mon cuer en ai si grant joie
Qn'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)

[p. 74]

The Fairies, who are reported to haunt the Forest of Breceliande, 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 fragment of a curious Romance, named Brun de la Montague, which is founded
entirely upon this circumstance. It is printed in Le Roux de Lincy's Livre des
Legendes. The outline of the story, is as follows:--

Butor de la Montague, on the birth of his infant son, is desirous that he should
receive a Fairy's blessing; and after revolving in his mind the names of all the
"lieux faes" [*1] with which he is acquainted, he determines on sending him to the
haunt of the Fairies in the "bois 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 [*2] 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 prospects, 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

[p. 75]

famous Forest of Breceliande, in our own times, from an account of a visit made to
it by the Vicomte de la Villemarque, and published by him in the Revue de Paris for
May, 1837.

"J'avais tant de fois, dans mon enfance, entendu parler de Merlin, et lu, dans nos
romans de chevalerie bretonne, de si merveilleuses choses sur son tombeau, la foret
de Brecilien, la fontaine de Baranton, et la vallee de Concoret, que je fus pris
d'un vif desir de visiter ces lieux, et qu'un beau matin je partis.

"Ploermel est la ville la plus voisine de Concoret; de la an bourg la route est

longue et difficile; toujours des chemins creux, des montagnes, des bois, on des
landes sans fin."

* * * * * * *

"La plaine qu'on appelle en breton Concoret, [*1] et dans les romans da moyen-age
le Val-des-Fees, est un immense amphitheatre couronne de bois sombres, jadis nommes
Broc'hallean, [*2] aujourd'hui par corruption Brecilien. A l'une de ses extremites,
coule une fontaine pres de laquelle on voit deux pierres couvertes de mousse que
domine une vieille croix de bois vermoulue; c'est la fontaine de Barandon et le
tombeau 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, l'oeil embrasse toute la vallee, et un horizon sans bornes de
bois, de champs remplis de bles on de genets aux fleurs jaunes, de paroisses et de
lointains clochers.

"Brecilien etait une de ces forets sacrees qu'habitaient les pretresses du

druidisme dans les Gaules; son nom et celui de sa vallee l'attesteraient a defaut
d'autre temoignage; les noms de lieux sont les plus surs garans des evenemens
passes."

All the old traditions which give an interest to the Forest continue to be current
there. The Fairies, who are kind to children, are still 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.

[p. 76]

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 epingles, et disent par commun proverbe: 'Ris
donc, fontaine de Berendon, et je te donnerai une epingle.'" [*1]

Footnotes

^67:1 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.

^67:2 Of the nature and extent of the powers with which Merlin was endowed, Spenser
has left us a most marvellous account.

"For he by wordes could call out of the sky

Both sunne and moone, and make them him obey;
The land to sea, and sea to maineland dry,
And darksom night he eke could turne to day; [p. 68]

Huge hostes of men he could alone dismay,

And hostes of men of meanest thinges could frame,
Whenso him list his enimies to fray:
That to this day, for terror of his fame,
The feendes do quake when any him to them does name."
Faerie Queens, 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. at. xxxvi.

^69:1 Preface--Morte d'Arthur, xliii--xlviii.

In the "Prophecies of Merlin," though the result is the same, the circumstances
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, [p. 69] by arts which he
himself had taught her, that it never after could be opened.--See Morte d'Arthur,
ii. 463-8.

It is this version that Ariosto appears to have followed; but he 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 Furioso, C. iii.

^73:1 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.

^74:1

"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 on 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 Legendes, 264.

^74:2 The following is the description given of these Ladies in the Romance;--

Les dames dont je di si estoient faees

Qui si tres noblement estoient asesmees.
Leur cors furent plus blanc que n'est noif sor gelee,
Et si tres chierement estoient atournees.
Car de couronnes d'or furent tontes dorees
Et de blaus dras de soie estoient aournees;
En mi de la portrine estoient escollees.
Se uns hom en eust erre .ij. c. mile journees
Ne fussent point par li trois plus belles trouvees
Et s'eust converse en cent mile contrees."
Liv. des Leg. 267-8.

^74:3 Ibid. 260, 284.

^75:1 "Kun-kored, vallee des druidesses."

^75:2 "Le bois de la Nonne, de l'Hermite, de la Solitaire."

^76:1 Revue de Paris. Tome 41. 7 Mai, 1837, pp. 47-58, article "Visite ou Tombeau
de Merlin," par Theodore de la Villemarque.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 77]

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 Greal, 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 alighting 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
Iolyn, and Sion Davydd, of Rhiwlas, in Llan Silin."

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 81]

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 permitted 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 daily to divert himself in

[p. 82]

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,"
said Peredur, "what are those yonder?" "They are angels, my son ," said she. "By my
faith," said Peredur, "I will 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 am," said Owain. "If thou wilt tell me what I ask
thee, I will tell thee that which thou askest me." "Gladly will I do so," replied
Owain. "What is this?" demanded Peredur, concerning the saddle. "It is a 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 for, and how they were used. And
Owain shewed him all these things fully, and told 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."

Then Peredur returned to his mother and her company,

[p. 83]

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 pack into the form of a saddle, and with twisted twigs he
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. "My son," said she,
"desirest thou to ride forth?" "Yes, with thy leave," said he. "Wait, then, that I
may counsel thee before thou goest." "Willingly," he answered; "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 Paternoster 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

[p. 84]

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, "told me, wheresoever I saw a fair jewel, to take it." "Do so, my
soul," said she. So Peredur took the ring. And he mounted his horse, and proceeded
on his journey.

After this, behold the knight came to whom the tent 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 departed." "A man," said she, "of wonderful
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 I will
await him." So the knight

[p. 85]

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
me, tall man," said Peredur, "is that Arthur yonder?" "What wouldest thou with
Arthur?" asked Kai. "My mother told me to go to Arthur, and receive the honour of
knighthood." "By my faith," said he, "thou art all too meanly equipped with horse
and with arms." Thereupon he was perceived by all the household, and they threw
sticks at him. Then, behold, a dwarf came forward. He had already been a year at
Arthur's Court, both he and a female dwarf. They had craved harbourage 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." "Of a truth, maiden," said Kai, "thou art ill-bred to 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 is Arthur." "Hold thy peace,"
said Kai, "and go after the knight who

[p. 86]

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 of
knighthood." "I will do 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 coming after me from the Court?" "The tall man that 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.

"Verily," said Owain the son of Urien to Kai, "thou 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 overthrown 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 and his

[p. 87]

clothes. "Here, my good soul," said he, "is a horse and armour better than thine.
Take them joyfully, 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. "Yes, by my faith," he answered. "A good service,
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.

[p. 88]

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 household 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 sword. "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
think," said Peredur, "that the yellow-haired youth could draw blood from the
other, if he chose." "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

[p. 89]

courtesy, and gentleness, 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 large as a warrior could grasp. "Take 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 both 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 before. "Youth," said the nobleman,
"come now, and sit down, and my blessing be upon thee. Thou fightest best with the
sword of any man in

[p. 90]

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 this, they began wailing and
lamenting. But for all that, the man did not break 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, surrounded 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, sister," said
Peredur, "wherefore art thou bewailing?" "Oh! accursed Peredur, little pity has my
ill-fortune ever met with from thee." "Wherefore," said Peredur, "am I accursed?"
"Because thou wast the 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;

[p. 91]

and do not thou go near him, lest thou shouldest 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." And without 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,

[p. 92]

and where there was nothing but bushes and weeds. And at 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 battlements. "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, "I will share out the
food and the liquor." "Not so, my soul," said she. "By my faith but I will." So
Peredur took the bread, and he gave an equal portion of it to each

[p. 93]

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 lamenting. "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 accept him 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.

[p. 94]

[paragraph continues] 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 bring?" "None 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 accoutred, 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
possessions are under thy control?" "One-third part," answered

[p. 95]

he. "Verily," said Peredur, "thou shalt fully 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."
"Verily," said Peredur, "thou shalt restore the 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 thy leave," said Peredur, "I will go hence." "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 the Glade. "Behold," said he, "I am the knight 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 Peredur, "I am he whom thou seekest; and by my
faith, thou deservest ill of thy household for thy treatment of the maiden, for she
is innocent concerning me." So

[p. 96]
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 camest, and declare that thou holdest 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

[p. 97]

chivalry and the use of thy arms." Said Peredur, "Thou shalt have mercy, if thou
pledge thy faith thou wilt never 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 whiteness
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?" "Lord,"
said one of them, "I will go and learn who he 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,

[p. 98]

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 is thinking of the lady whom 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 to Kai,
"Thou 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

[p. 99]

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, pondering the same thought, and
Gwalchmai 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 uncourteously 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
eyebrows 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 thou?" "I am called Gwalchmai," he replied. "I
am 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

[p. 100]

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 said, "I knew that Gwalchmai needed not to fight the
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. "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 . "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

[p. 101]

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, full of the bones of men and animals. And
Peredur drew his sword and struck the lion, so that he fell into the mouth of the
pit and hung there by the 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.

[p. 102]

[paragraph continues] 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 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 maiden, "grant the young man mercy." "That will I 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
service." "This will we do willingly, by Heaven." "And you shall also receive
baptism;

[p. 103]

and I will send to 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 possessed this
valley I have not seen any Christian depart 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.

[p. 104]

[paragraph continues] 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.

[p. 105]

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 also do love thee." Thereupon it was known
that he was Peredur. And then he held fellowship with Gwalchmai, 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?" inquired Peredur. "If thou art so daring as to remain here to-
night, I will tell thee." "How great soever my danger may be from remaining here, I
will listen unto thee." "This Palace is owned by him who is my father," said the
maiden, "and he slays every one who comes hither without his leave." "What sort of
a man is thy father, that he is able to slay every one thus?" "A man 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

[p. 106]

rested and pondered awhile, he looked at Peredur, and asked who the knight was.
"Lord," said one of the maidens, "he is the 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 is one of my habits," said the black man,
"that whosoever 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 just now." "I will 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 encounter 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 Carn. There is a mound, which is
called the Mound of Mourning; and on the mound there is a carn, and in the carn
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

[p. 107]

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
Peredur, "how far is it hence?" "The same day that thou settest forth, thou wilt
come to the Palace of the Sons of the King of the Tortures." "Wherefore are they
called 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
camest 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 Tortures; 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,

[p. 108]

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
refused 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 beheld. "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." "I will, by my troth," said Peredur, "for
when 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

[p. 109]

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
was he that he had never seen a youth of so royal a bearing 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 go." "The other road 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 towards 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 companions 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

[p. 110]

him in marriage whichever of the three sisters he might choose, and half their
kingdom with her. "I 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
kindly. "Lord, I come to make a request unto thee." "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 overthrow 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 seen him."
"Of a truth, Etlym is my 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.

[p. 111]
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 desire them to come and do me homage." So Etlym went unto them, and said unto
them thus,--"Come and do homage to my lord." "Who is thy lord?" said they. "Peredur
with the 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
overthrew 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 valley

[p. 112]

he 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
workman's garb, and Peredur inquired of him who he was. "I am the chief miller,"
said he, "of all the mills yonder." "Wilt thou give me lodging?" said Peredur. "I
will, gladly," he answered. And Peredur 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 remained 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
[p. 113]

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 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 tournament 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 into the tent there was no
one chamber less 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,

[p. 114]

[paragraph continues] "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 proceeded 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." "Lady," answered he, "thou 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

[p. 115]

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 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 whoever 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.

Said Gwalchmai, "By my faith, I will not rest tranquilly until I have proved if I
can release the maiden." 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

[p. 116]

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 encounter with thee take place," said the knight.
"Willingly," 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

[p. 117]

porter, and go forward to yonder tower, and therein thou wilt 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 girl," said he,
"if thou didst think it was 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!
chieftain," said the maiden, "if thou wilt do as I counsel 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 Gwalchmai, the son of Gwyar." "Hold thy peace, then," said the
Earl, "I will go in." And the Earl was joyful concerning Gwalchmai. "Ha!
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 this palace, and do one of two
things, either acknowledge it, or deny it." And the time was granted him willingly;
and he remained

[p. 118]

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 horseman 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 clad in armour on such a
day as this." "And what 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."

[p. 119]

Then Peredur rode forward. And he came to the valley in which was the river, and
there met him a number of men going to hunt, and in the midst of them 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 husband; 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 become so unless he
were cautious. "What is 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
imprisoned. "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 of the King himself, and thou shalt
have the best entertainment that the palace affords. And if

[p. 120]

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 thee," said Peredur, "to cause a
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 Earldoms." "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 the knight whom

[p. 121]

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 her, and the two Earldoms as a gift." "Heaven reward thee,
lord," said Peredur, "but I came not here to woo." "What seekest thou then,
chieftain?" "I am seeking 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

[p. 122]

[paragraph continues] 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?" said Peredur. "I will show thee the 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
possessions of the Empress." "I 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 is the Empress?" "I declare
to Heaven that thou wilt not see her now, unless thou dost slay the monster that is
in yonder forest." "What monster is there?" "It is a stag that is as swift as the
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

[p. 123]

was. And the stag attacked Peredur, and he let him pass by him, and as he did so,
he smote off his head with his sword. And while he was looking at the head of the
stag, he saw a lady on horseback 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,
"uncourteously 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
disappeared 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 friendship. "Lord," said the youth, "it was I that came in the form of
the black maiden to Arthur's Court, and when thou didst throw down

[p. 124]

the chessboard, and when thou didst slay the black man of Ysbidinongyl, and 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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 125]

NOTES TO PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC.

81a PEREDUR.--Page <page 81>.

OF the real history of Peredur, nothing is known. It is probable that he fell in

the battle of Cattraeth, in the beginning 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, Gwynn, and Kynvan,
Peredur of 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."

[p. 126]

Peredur is frequently alluded to by the Bards of the Middle Ages, in terms

illustrative of the high esteem in which his deeds of prowess then were held.
Gruffydd ab Meredydd, who flourished about the end of the 13th century, in his
Elegy on Tudur ap Goronwy, one 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 of the Angles, he who never shunned the fight."

In the old Romances, as Morte d'Arthur, &c., be 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. lxi. 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."

81b ATTENDING TOURNAMENTS.--Page <page 81>.

WE find various instances of knights, who made it a practice to resort to

Tournaments as a lucrative occupation; for, on those occasions, not only the home
and arms of the vanquished frequently became the property of the victor, but the
prizes contested for were often of so valuable a nature as greatly to enrich those
who were fortunate enough to win them. Sometimes they consisted of diamonds 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 lady's

[p. 127]

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]

81c WARS AND COMBATS.--Page <page 81>.

FROM this passage we may probably infer that Evrawc was one 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 Beaujeu, and sir Arnold d'Andreghen, marshal
of France, wished to lead them into Spain, to don Henry de Trastamare, against don
Pedro, king of Spain.

Sir John Hawkwood and his companions remained in Italy, and

[p. 128]

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; in 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, 4to. II. c. 97.

82a THEY ARE ANGELS, MY SON.--Page <page 82>.

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 1450. [*1]

From these the idea has been adopted and worked up by the Italian novelist.

83a POSSESS THYSELF OF IT, AND GIVE IT TO ANOTHER.--Page <page 83>.

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

[p. 129]

feelings of the day, may be gathered from various passages in the works of
contemporary writers. An amusing anecdote, illustrative of this, is thus quoted by
Mr. Hallam, from Joinville's celebrated History of St. Louis.

"He is speaking of Henry count of Champagne, who 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 importunity, but rather awkward, we must own, in the turn of big
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, but seized hold of the
burgess fast by the collar, and told him he should not go till he had ransomed
himself. And 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 all struck with the facility of a virtue that is exercised at
the cost of others." [*1]

85a THROUGH MAGIC OR CHARMS.--Page <page 85>.

THE dread of supernatural agency has in all ages exerted a powerful 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.

86b THIS IRON COAT.--Page <page 86>.

IN the English version, Perceval, after several vain attempts to

[p. 130]

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 ye Iren bren ye tree
Now es me fyre ynede.
Now he getis hy flynt,
His fyre Iren he hent,
And yen wt owtten any stynt,
He kyndilt a glede."

86a BETWEEN THE NECK AND THE SHOULDER.--Page <page 86>.

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.

89a STAPLE.--Page <page 89>.

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."

90a SPEAR OF MIGHTY SIZE.--Page 90.

IN the French version of this tale, the spear here alluded to is 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 ultimately

[p. 131]

achieved by Perceval of Wales, the Peredur ab Evrawc of Welsh Romance.

94a THE THIRD PART.--Page <page 94>.

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 Distein), were each entitled to a third part of certain fines there
mentioned; to express which portion the same word (trayan) is used as in the
present tale.

98a GWALCHMAI.--Page <page 98>.

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.

100a ANGHARAD LAW EURAWC.--Page <page 100>.

THIS name literally signifies Angharad with the Golden Hand, an epithet which was
most probably bestowed on her, to designate her liberality.

100b SPEAK A WORD TO ANY CHRISTIAN AGAIN.--Page <page 100>.

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 be 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

[p. 132]

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 dois, sur l'oeil destre, li mist isnelement, [*1]

Et si li a clos l'oeil, et freme [*2] fermement,
Et chix [*3] a demande 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,
Qu'i n'est jamais ouvers, pour ore, [*4] ne pour vent,
Pour mal, ne pour martire, ne pour encombrement, [*5]
Si seray dedans Franche, ou il a bonne gent,
Et si aray le fu [*6] boute entierement,
Et serai combatus a grand efforchement,
Contre les gens Philype, qui taut a hardement;
Je ne sui en bataille prins, par boin ensient, [*7]
Bien li ederai [*8] a acomplir son talent:
Or aviegne qu'aviegne, car il n'est autrement.
Adonc osta son doit la puchelle an cors gent,
Et li iex [*9] clos demeure, si ques virent le gent,
Et quand Robert l'entent, moult de joie l'enprent.
Quant li quens Salebrin ot voue son avis, [*10]
Et demoura l'oeil clos en la guerre toudis.
Li bers [*11] Robers d'Artois ne s'est mie alentis." [*12]

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 come deed of prowess against the
French.
[p. 133]

105a SITTING ON A BENCH.--Page <page 105>.

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 is very reason to believe that they were far from being
common, even in the houses of the great. No mention whatever is made 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. episcopi. Et v. formis in eadem

camera." [*1]

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. 1572. [*2]

And the more general use of benches may be gathered from many passages in the elder
poets. In the Geste of King Horne, we find,--

"Horne 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." [*3]

107a ADDANC.--Page <page 107>.

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 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

[p. 134]

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 of 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 still existing in
different parts of the Principality.

110a ETLYM GLEDDYV COCH.--Page <page 110>.

LITERALLY, Etlym. with the red sword.

114a HOWEL THE SON OF EMYR LLYDAW.--Page <page 114>.

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 them anything they asked.--T. 118. Myv. Arch. II.
74.

The Cambrian Biography places Howel's tomb at Llan. Illtyd 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 Cadvan, emigrated to this country from
Armorica, and are ranked among the most eminent of the Welsh Saints. [*2]

[p. 135]

121a CHESSMEN WERE PLAYING.--Page <page 121>.

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 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 du Lac.--II. P. 101. [*1]

Footnotes

^126:1 Mem. de Chev. I. 322.

^126:2 Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, 134.

^127:1 Hist. of the Chev. Bayard (Lond. 1825) I. 84.

^128:1 Hist. Eng. Poe. I. ccxxiv. cclxv.

^129:1 Middle Ages, III. 499, 500.

^132:1 Promptement.

^132:2 Ferme.

^132:3 Celui-ci.

^132:4 Temps, heure.

^132:5 Empechement.

^132:6 Feu.

^132:7 A bon escient, savoir ou certitude.

^132:8 Edouard aiderai.

^132:9 Oeil.

^132:10 Souhait, dessein.

^132:11 Baron.

^132:12 Mem Chev. II. 102 103.

^133:1 Warton's Hist. Eng. Poe. 1824. I. 43.

^133:2 Hallam's Middle Ages. Chap. on the State of Society,. 1834. III. 427 There
were, however, a few chairs in Mr. Fermor's house at Easton, according to the
inventory printed by Strutt.

^133:3 Notes to Way's Fabliaux, I. 222.

^134:1 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, from all the descriptions, must have been a
most fierce and savage monster.

^134:2 See Professor Rees's Essay, p. 213.

^135:1 Sir W. Scott's Notes to Sir Tristram (1811), p. 275.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 136]

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, entitled "Perceval le 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 to be
extant. It is contained in a very curious folio 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 15th century, is commonly known by the name of
the Thornton MS. Sir Frederick Madden, in his Introduction 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 the Round 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 Provins, 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

[p. 137]

end of the 15th century. It is also comprised in Myller's Selection of Ancient

Poems, and in Karl Lachmann's edition of Wolfram von Eschenbach's Works. Berlin,
1833. 8vo. Mr. Albert Schulz (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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 141]

Robert's Tower, Cardiff Castle, 1840.

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 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 Gwalchmai; for he, from the

[p. 142]

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 answered, "and be thou welcome. Dost thou bring
any new tidings?" "I do, Lord," he said. "I know thee not," said Arthur. "It is a
marvel to me that thou dost not know me. I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the
Forest of Dean , and my name is Madawc, the son of Twrgadarn." "Tell 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

[p. 143]

stag of which the young man spoke?" "I will gladly," said Arthur. "Then will I go,"
said 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 to his own
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 discourse, and ample
entertainment. And when it 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 her. "Disturb 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 huntsman, 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 apparelled herself. "Maidens," said she, "I had leave last night
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

[p. 144]

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 of 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 prosper thee, Geraint," said she, "I 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

[p. 145]

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," said he.
"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 Gwenhwyvar. And Geraint went up to the dwarf. "Who is yonder
knight?" said Geraint. "I will 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. "Lady," said he, "I will follow
him yet, with thy permission; and at last he will come to some inhabited place,
where I may have arms either as a loan or for a 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
alive," said he, "thou shalt hear tidings of me by to-morrow afternoon;" and with
that he departed.

[p. 146]

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 so, he looked around him; and at a little 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 man," he said, "wherefore art
thou thoughtful?" "I am thoughtful," said he, "because I know not where to go to-
night." "Wilt thou come forward this way, chieftain?" said he, "and thou shalt have
of the best that 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

[p. 147]

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 full of comeliness, and grace, and beauty than she. And the
hoary-headed man said to the maiden, "There is no attendant for the horse of this
youth but thyself." "I will render the best service I am able," said she, "both to
him and to his horse." And the maiden disarrayed the youth, 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. And they
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.

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. "Truly,"
said he, "it was I that built it, and to me also 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

[p. 148]

them. I had a nephew, the son of my brother, and I took his possessions to myself;
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." "Sir," said
Geraint, "what is thy counsel to me concerning this 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

[p. 149]

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 needful 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 thou." "If 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, 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 Geraint. "Oh! chieftain," said he, "since
no other will hold with thee, behold, here is the lance

[p. 150]

which was in my hand on the day when I received the honour of 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 thereupon the dwarf also brought
a lance to his lord. "Behold, here is a lance for thee, not less good than his,"
said the dwarf. "And 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 fighting 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 treatment which thou hadst from the dwarf; and wilt
thou not seek vengeance for the insult to thyself, and for the insult to Gwenhwyvar
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,"

[p. 151]

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 priest, thy
mercy will avail me little." "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 atonement 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 thee," said Geraint, "and I will 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 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

[p. 152]

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 the young Earl, "it is not by my fault that Earl Ynywl is without his
possessions." "By my faith," said Geraint, "he shall not remain without 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 judge right between us." "I but ask thee," said Geraint, "to
restore to him what is his, and what he should have 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

[p. 153]

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," said Arthur, "to attend 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 Gwenhwyvar 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

[p. 154]

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 people they saw, and what aspect they bore. "I know not who
they are," said he. "But I know," said Gwenhwyvar; "this is the 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. "I do," said he; "he tells me that he is Edeyrn the son of Nudd." Then
she replied, "I know him 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 Gwenhwyvar. "Heaven protect thee," said she.
"Lady," said he, "Geraint the son of 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,

[p. 155]
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 thereupon 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 inquired of
him, "Art thou Edeyrn the son of Nudd?" "I am, Lord," said he, "and I have met with
much trouble, and received wounds unsupportable." Then he told Arthur all his
adventure. "Well," said Arthur, "from what I hear, it behoves Gwenhwyvar to be
merciful towards thee." "The mercy which thou desirest, Lord," said she, "will I
grant to him, since it is as insulting 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 the son of Llyr, Gwallawg the son of
Llenawg and Owain the son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai, and many others with them. And
Arthur caused Morgan Tud to be called to him. He was the chief physician155e.
"Take

[p. 156]

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 thy disciples, to
administer to him remedies." "I 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 handmaidens," 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
to the 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 the women," 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 thy revenge." "Verily," said Gwenhwyvar, "the welcome of
Heaven be unto her; and it is fitting that we should receive her joyfully." Then
they went in, and dismounted. And Geraint came to where Arthur was, and saluted
him. "Heaven 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

[p. 157]

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."
"Now," said Arthur, "where is the maiden for 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 night 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 Gwenhwyvar 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 her friends thenceforward
became more in number than before. And Geraint from

[p. 158]

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 Custennin, 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 advancing 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
boundaries. 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

[p. 159]

night were spent in abundance of feasting. And Arthur showed Geraint the cause of
the mission, and of the coming of the ambassadors to him out of Cornwall. "Truly,"
said Geraint, "be it to my advantage or disadvantage, Lord, I will do according to
thy will concerning this embassy." "Behold," 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 friends, and
among thy companions in arms." "Heaven 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 for me to consider," 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, Howel 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 Ieithoedd , 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 permit him to go with me, if he give sureties."
"If she please, she can

[p. 160]

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 welcome 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 possessions." "Truly," said Geraint, "with 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 satisfy those who have boons to
ask, to-day, and to-morrow thou

[p. 161]

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 territories; 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 acquainted with valiant and mighty men, until he had
gained as

[p. 162]

much fame there as he had formerly done elsewhere. 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
scoffing concerning him among the inhabitants of the palace, on account of his
relinquishing 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 she 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

[p. 163]

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 she, "of thy meaning." "Neither wilt
thou know at this time," said he.

Then Geraint went to see Erbin. "Sir," said he, "I 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 enough to
traverse the land of Lloegyr alone?" "But one person only will go with me."
"Heaven counsel thee, my son," said Erbin, "and may many attach themselves 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 keep a long way before him. "And whatever thou
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 and most beset by thieves, and robbers, and venomous
animals. And they came to a high

[p. 164]

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 lifted up his eyes, and looked at her angrily. "Thou
hadst only," said he, "to hold 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 their saddles, and tied together the reins of their
horses, and he mounted his horse again. "Behold what thou must do,"

[p. 165]

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, it will be to thy
cost." "I will 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, "dust thou not hear the discourse of yonder men concerning 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." "My
Lord," said she, "I 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 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

[p. 166]

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 advice." "I will do 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 wilderness." "I declare to 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

[p. 167]

thee, thy heaviness would be greater than it is." Angrily and bitterly did Geraint
smile upon her, and he said, "Thee do I hear doing everything that I forbade thee;
but it may be that 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 not," said he, "what
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 he, "it is vain to attempt
proceeding forward!" "Well, Lord," said she, "whatsoever thou 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 pursue our journey." "That will 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 thou,
therefore, watch the horses, and sleep not." "I 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. "My Lord," 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 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

[p. 168]

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 thee," said Geraint, "and
whence dost thou come?" "I come," said he, "from the city that lies before thee. My
Lord," he added, "will it be displeasing to thee if I ask whence thou comest also?"
"By no means--through yonder wood did I come." "Thou camest 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 counsel," 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 shall have none of it." "I 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 where the Earl was, and told him all his adventure. "I go
now, Lord," said

[p. 169]

he, "to meet the young man, and to conduct him to his lodging." "Go, gladly," said
the Earl, "and 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,"
said she, "as thou sayest." And thereupon the man of 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 youth; "and whilst thou sleepest, I will go to see the Earl." "Go,
gladly," he said, "and come here 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 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."

[p. 170]

And the man of the house brought there those whom he chose, and feasted them at
Geraint's expense. Thereupon, 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 maiden, for I see
that she is apart from thee?" "Thou 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 journey thus with yonder man!" "It is not unpleasant
to me," said she, "to journey the same road that he journeys." "Thou hast neither
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 counsel," said he. "All my Earldom will I place in thy
possession, if thou wilt dwell with me." "That will I 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 though I knew nothing thereof." "I

[p. 171]

will do 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 midnight she arose, and placed all Geraint's armour
together, so that it might be ready to put on. And although fearful 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," said he, "thou wilt be the 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 when he looked out, he saw fourscore knights in complete armour
around the house, with the Earl Dwrm at their head. "Where is the knight that was
here?" said the Earl. "By thy hand," said he, "he went hence some time ago."
"Wherefore, villain," said he, "didst thou let him go without informing

[p. 172]

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
hastening 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

[p. 173]

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 thee, willingly,"
said he. "Gwiffert Petit he 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 Heaven,"
said Geraint, "that I 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 proceeded 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 it is through ignorance or through presumption that
thou seekest to insult my dignity, and to infringe my rules." "Nay," answered
Geraint, "I knew not this road was forbid to any." "Thou didst know it," said the
other; "come with me to my Court, to give me satisfaction." "That will I not, by my

[p. 174]
faith," said Geraint; "I would 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 assistance whenever thou hearest of my
being in trouble." "This will I do, gladly, Lord," said he. So he pledged him his
faith thereof. "And now, Lord, come with me," said he, "to my Court yonder, to
recover from thy weariness and fatigue." "That will 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

[p. 175]

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, knight!" said he, "what dost thou 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 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

[p. 176]

Gwalchmai's tent. "Oh, Sir," said he to Gwalchmai, "I was told 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 it was Gwalchmai, but Gwalchmai knew 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 state to go and see any
one." Thereupon, behold, 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

[p. 177]

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 from her horse. "Alas! Enid," said
Arthur, "what 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 invited by me," said Gwalchmai. "But 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 thou wouldest let me go forth." "That will I not, I declare to
Heaven," said he. Then he caused a maiden to be sent for to conduct Enid to the
tent where Gwenhwyvar'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 was fully recovered, Geraint came to Arthur, and asked his
permission to depart. "I know not if thou art quite well." "In truth I am, Lord,"
said Geraint. "I shall 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

[p. 178]

[paragraph continues] 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?" "Behold," she
answered, "I 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

[p. 179]

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 Sir," said she, "the 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 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 not eat until the man that is upon yonder bier
shall eat likewise." "Thou canst not fulfil that," said the Earl, "yonder man is
dead already." "I will prove that I can," said she. Then

[p. 180]

he offered her a goblet of liquor. "Drink this goblet," he said, "and it will cause
thee to 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 felt at seeing the 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 following 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!
chieftain, whoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?"
"Oh! Heaven," said

[p. 181]

he, "is it Geraint?" "Yes, in truth," said she. "And who art 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 assistance in the
kingdom." "I will do so 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 gladness, 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 ourselves." "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 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

[p. 182]

the Court of the Earl Owain is there, and he permits no one to go to lodge in the
town, except he will go to his Court." "I 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 taking up our 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 thy rank
shall ever go either." "Heaven reward thee," said Geraint, "but I wish nothing
better than to go to the games, and to be shown the way thither." "If that is what
thou dost prefer, thou shalt obtain it willingly." "I do prefer it, indeed," said
he. Then they ate, and they were amply served, and they had a variety of gifts, and
abundance of liquor. And when they had finished

[p. 183]

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 Geraint. "I know not," said
Owain, "but enter 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 dismounted, 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 sit in it." "I 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 was plenty of armour. "Tell me, chieftain," said he to Geraint, "who it
was that bade thee sit there?" "Myself," 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

[p. 184]

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," said
Geraint, "that this 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 morning 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.

(Cardiff Castle: the Keep, as it appeared in 1840.)

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 185]

NOTES TO GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN.

141a EASTER--CHRISTMAS--WHITSUNTIDE.--Page <page 141>.

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 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 tournaments being perform'd, and various
other kinds of divertisements, which lasted several days."--III. 235.

These three principal festivals, or prif wyl, "Pasc, Nadolic, a Sulgwyn," are
commemorated as such in one of the Triads, lvii.
141b CHURCHES WERE SET APART FOR MASS.--Page <page 141>.

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

[p. 186]

[paragraph continues] 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 all the parish wif ne was ther non,

That to the offring before hire shulde gon,
And if ther did, certain so wroth was She,
That she was out of alle charitee."
Pro. v. 451-4.

141c STEWARD OF THE HOUSEHOLD.--Page <page 141>.

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.

141d MASTER OF THE HOUSEHOLD.--Page <page 141>.

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 a year, with their complement of nails.

[p. 187]

142a GRYNN, AND PEN PIGEON, &c.--Page <page 142>.

THESE personages appear to have received their names altogether from the office
which they held; and we cannot expect to find any very authentic records concerning
"Sight the son of Seer," and "Ear the son of Hearer," which is the interpretation
of Drem vab Dremhitid, and Clust vab Clustveinyd.

To these two worthies, however, the following allusion is made in a composition

attributed to Iolo Goch, 1400.

"When will that be?

"When Bleuddyn Rabi Rhol 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."

It may be well to remark in this place, that several of the characters which are
incidentally introduced in Geraint ab Erbin, appear again in others of the
Mabinogion, where they will be more particularly noticed.

142b DIAPERED SATIN.--Page <page 142>.

HAVE ventured thus to translate the words Pali caerawg," though the strict meaning
of "caerawg" is "mural"; and Dr. Owen Pughe, in his Dictionary, gives it the
signification of "kersey-woven," as applied to a particular kind of cloth, and says
that the epithet is derived "from the similitude of its texture to the work in
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, &c." Thus, in the Squire of Low Degree, the King of Hungary promises
his daughter "clothes of fyne golds" for her head.

With damaske 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.

[p. 188]

142c FOREST OF DEAN.--Page <page 142>.

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 consequence of the Danes having taken up their residence there; and
Giraldus Cambrensis appears to have inclined to this opinion, at least if we may
judge from the name by which he designates it, Danubiae Sylva, which is similar to
that used by Asser Menevensis, in speaking of Denmark. [*1] 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
fenced 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, corrupted into Ferleg and Ferreg, he supposes to have been given to this
district from the iron-works with which it abounded, the word Feryll signifying "a
worker in metal." It appears also to have been considered as one of the three
Gwents, and to have borne the appellation of "Gwent Coch yn y Dena," or the Red
Gwent in the Deans, 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 history of the Forest of Dean, as
I shall probably have occasion again to allude to

[p. 189]

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.

142d CHIEF HUNTSMAN.--Page <page 142>.

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 required, and took the seat appointed
for him in the 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 1st of December he
went to hunt badgers, and was not accountable for his conduct to any except his
fellow-officers; and after that he was 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).

142e CHIEF PAGE.--Page <page 142>.

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
upon it; and in his keeping were the king's treasures, "his cups, his

[p. 190]

horns, and his rings," for the losing of which he was punished. He lodged in the
royal chamber, and, except during the three great festivals, acted as cupbearer to
the king.

142f GWENHWYVAR SAID TO ARTHUR, "WILT THOU PERMIT ME, LORD TO GO TO-MORROW TO SEE
AND HEAR THE HUNT OF THE STAG?"--Page <page 142>.

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 is of opinion that the ladies had even separate hunting parties
of their own.--Sports and Pastimes, p. 12.

143a GIVE IT TO WHOM HE PLEASES.--Page <page 143>.

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

Quant il ot la parole oie.
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, A il caians cinq cens [p. 191]
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 a droit
Que cele qui li atalente
Ert la plus bele et la plus gente.
Li Rois respont ce sai ge bien
Mais porce nel lairrai jo rien;
Mais ne puest estre contredite
Parole, puisque Rois l'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.

143b CADYRNERTH THE SON OF PORTHAWR GANDWY.--Page <page 143>.

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 urbanity towards guests and strangers; [*1]
and in another he is said to have preferred residing with King Arthur to exercising
the sovereignty 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 Cadreith 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 Knights." [*3]

Nor is this characteristic lost sight of in the present Tale, for, a little further
on, while every one else is engrossed by the pleasures of the chase, we find all
Cadyrnerth's ideas of propriety violated by Gwenhwyvar's riding up with no other
retinue than a single handmaiden;

[p. 192]

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.

143c GOREU THE SON OF CUSTENNIN.--Page <page 143>.

HE is recorded as the deliverer of Arthur from the three imprisonments assigned to

him in the Triads.

"The three supreme prisoners of the Island of Britain, Llyr Liediaith, in the
prison of Euroswydd Wledig, [*1] and Madoc, or Mabon, [*2] son of Modron, and Geyr
the son of Geyrybed, or Geiryoed; [*2] and one more exalted than the three, and
that was 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 designated as the most
complete ever known to have taken place.--Tr. 61.

144a HEAVEN PROSPER THEE, GERAINT.--Page <page 144>.

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
against 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, bow 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. [p. 193]

Before Geraint, the scourge of the enemy,

I 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 similarity of the names, and the locality; Langport being situated on
the river Parret, the Peryddon of the Welsh bards, and the Pedridan of the Saxon
Chronicle.

From the Triads we learn that Geraint was also a naval commander. Gwenwynwyn the
son of Nav, and March the son of 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 being canonized. It is said that a church
was dedicated to him at Caerffawydd, or Hereford. Four of his sons, Selyf, Cyngan,
Iestin, 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, "Ger###7823###n erl of Carco###7823###s." This hero figures in Arthur's
very latest battles, whereas Geraint ab Erbin, as we have already seen, fell at
Llongborth, in

[p. 194]

an encounter with the Saxons, which must have taken place at an earlier period of
that monarch's reign;--according to Dr. O. Pughe, about the year 530. [*1]

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, and 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 declaring 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, he 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 Dingerein, [*3] Teiliaw proceeded forthwith to visit the King, whom be 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. [*4]

[p. 195]

148a SPARROW-HAWK.--Page <page 148>.

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 joyful occasion, "Le Margrave de Brandebourg remporta un des prix,
qui consistait en un faucon d'or."

151a THAT THOU WILT GO TO GWENHWYVAR.--Page <page 151>.

THIS custom of sending a conquered foe as a present to the victorious knight's
lady-love forms a frequent incident in chivalric 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 mie,

Mais je feray de toy un present a ma mie."

151b EDEYRN THE SON OF NUDD.--Page <page 151>.

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, l. 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 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

[p. 196]

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]

152a SAT ACCORDING TO THEIR PRECEDENCE IN HONOUR.--Page <page 152>.

PRECEDENCE at table was formerly considered a point of great importance, 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. [*2] 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 distinguished 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,

"Wel semed eche of hem a fayre burgeis,

To sitten in a gild halle, on the deis."--v. 372.

153a THIS IS HOW ARTHUR HUNTED THE STAG.--Page <page 153>.

STRUTT gives a description of the various preparations formerly made or 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

[p. 197]

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.

"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 appointed 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 manner 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 tamed 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 commanded 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
[p. 198]

the game, according to the ancient custom."--Sports and Pastimes, 18, 19.

153b CAVALL WAS HIS NAME.--Page <page 153>.

THE dog Cavall is mentioned in another of the Mabinogion--that of Kilhwch and

Olwen.

153c HORN FOR SLAYING.--Page <page 153>.

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 in the Book of Sir Tristram, where we find,--

"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.

16. The death of the bucke with houndes,--Two longe notes and the rechace." [*1]

153d GILDAS THE SON OF CAW.--Page <page 153>.

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.

155a CARDIFF.--Page. <page 155>.

WHETHER regarded as the scene of Roman [*2] and Norman enterprise, or of British
patriotism and valour, [*3] Cardiff is a spot to which

[p. 199]

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; [*1] 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.

"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 the maddening broils where sparkling wine goes round!

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 [p. 200]

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 year of woes,

Mid battle broil's unequall'd throes;-------
Forlorn is he who prays that death his life may close!'" [*1]

About the year 1091, the Normans were called into Glamorganshire by
the native princes, who were in a state of enmity and warfare, 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 expedition, 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] provoked the resolute Welshman to hostilities. One of Ivor's
strongholds 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
of which is a spot [*3] 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 stipendiary 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
[p. 201]

deprived, but also had ceded to him a large additional extent of territory.

In a curious old composition, printed in 1825, by Sir Thomas Phillipps, and

entitled, "A Book of Glamorganshire Antiquities, by 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: Vel###7713###. 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 or 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.

155b SURETY FOR EDEYRN.--Page <page 155>.

THE knights of old were very good-natured in coming forward as 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 English version of
this tale, gives a

[p. 202]

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 shipwreck, his queen vowed
to St. Nicholas a vessel of silver, and, as a further security to the saint,
insisted that Joinville should become her pledge for the execution of the
promise."--Fab. II. 225.

The Welsh legislator of the 10th 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 surety and 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 say, he must not stir from the spot,) "until he does one of these three
things."

155c GWALLAWG THE SON OF LLENAWG.--Page <page 155>.

IN the Triads, we find him celebrated with Dunawd Fur and Cynvelyn 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 then, 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 (<page 34>) 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.

[p. 203]

In Gruffydd ab Arthur, [*1] he is mentioned as one of the knights who were present
at Arthur's coronation; and his death is recorded to have taken place in the last
conflict between that Sovereign and the Romans. The "Englynion y Beddau" place his
tomb in Carrawc.

155d MORGAN TUD.--Page <page 155>.

THIS sapient personage is very probably the same as that Morgan the Wise who
prepared the ointment which restored Owain to a state of health and sanity, in the
romance of Ywaine and Gawin, and whom Ritson, [*2] 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.

155e CHIEF PHYSICIAN.--Page <page 155>.

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 land, 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

[p. 204]

[paragraph continues] (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.

157a ENID THE DAUGHTER OF YNYWL.--Page <page 157>.

THROUGHOUT the broad and varied region of romance, it would be difficult to find a
character of greater simplicity and truth than that of Enid the daughter of Earl
Ynywl. Conspicuous for her beauty and noble bearing, we are at a loss whether most
to admire the untiring 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.

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.

159a GWEIR GWRHYD VAWR.--Page <page 159>.

WE find him noticed in the Triads as one of the three stubborn ones of the island
of Britain, whom no one could turn from their purpose. Tr. 78.

159b GWREI GWALSTAWD IEITHOEDD.--Page 159.

THIS singular personage acts a somewhat conspicuous part in another of the

Mabinogion, Kilhwch and Olwen, in which he is described knowing all languages, and
being able to interpret even those of the birds and the beasts. In an old Welsh
composition, attributed to Iolo Goch, and printed in the "Cydymaith Diddan," before
quoted, he is alluded to under the corrupted appellation of Uriel Wastadiaith,
[p. 205]

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.

159c BEDWYR THE SON OF BEDRAWD.--Page <page 159>.

BEDWYR was one of the most valiant of Arthur's knights, and rendered him valuable
service in the different wars in which be was engaged. In the king's household too
he filled a very important office, that of chief butler, and there is no doubt,
from the estimation in which he was ever held by his sovereign, that he acquitted
himself equally well of the duties which devolved upon him in that capacity.

His name is often coupled with that of the seneschal, Sir Kai, and their fortunes
in many respects appear to have been very similar. They were the two knights whom
Arthur selected as his sole companions in his expedition to St. Michael's Mount, to
avenge the death of Helen, the niece of Howel ab, Emyr Llydaw (already adverted to,
<page 134>). 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 ###658###ef yat lond of Normand###7823###e Bedwer ###7823###s

boteler,
And yat lond of Aungeo Kaxe ###7823###s panter."--I. 187.

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 circumstance. [*2] The etymology, it must be confessed,
is not very apparent.

The names of these two heroes occur together in the Triads, where Kai is styled one
of the Three Diademed Chiefs of battle, superior

[p. 206]

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 Tryvan.

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.
160a THE SEVERN.--Page <page 160>.

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 Homber, [*1] 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 as he made it more impressive by taking his
great axe in his hand, which, in the king's presence,

"So grisliche he schok & faste,

yat ye kyng quakede & ys men, so sore heo were a gaste."

[paragraph continues] 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

[p. 207]

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 yt was hire lorde's do###658###ter yat mayde Auerne,

And for honour of hire lord, and for heo was of hys kynde,
Heo wolde yat hire name euer more in mynde,
And lette clepe [*1] yat watur after Auerne,
And seyye yor###514### diuerse tonge me clepede hit Seuerne,
And dey a letre per to, and no more y wys,
In yis manner yike water Seuerne y cleped is".--I. 27.

Havren, the Welsh name for this river, bears a very near affinity to
that of Gwelldolen's innocent and unfortunate victim, Averne.

160b BOUNDARIES.--Page <page 160>.

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 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

[p. 208]

a brook or a 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 carn or tumulus,
especially in the mountainous part 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 clergyman ascends to
the top with the book in his hand, and with a loud voice pronounces the words
"Cursed is he that removeth his neighbour's landmark," upon which all the people
answer "Amen." 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 effect is exceedingly
striking, especially when occurring upon some lonely part of the mountain. The
sudden halt round the carn, 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.

160c VARIETY OF MINSTRELSY AND OF GAMES.--Page <page 160>.

CHAUCER has a pretty passage illustrative of what were the diversions 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, [p. 209]
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.

161a DIGANHWY.--Page <page 161>.

CONFUSED as the geography of Romance is known to be, yet we 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?

162a WINDOWS OF GLASS.--Page <page 162>.

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 architecture, [*1] to which they were 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 said,"
he continues, "that in the reign of Henry III. a few ecclesiastical 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; [*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 dimensions,
were generally decorated in a similar manner. Yet glass is said not to have been
employed in the domestic architecture of France before the fourteenth century; [*5]
and its introduction into

[p. 210]

[paragraph continues] 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." [*1]--Middle
Ages. 1834. III. 425-6 [*2]

A monastery having a hall

"With wyndowes of glass, wrought as a chirche,"

is spoken of in Pierce Plowman's Crede as an instance of the extreme

luxury of the monks; [*3] 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." [*4]

[paragraph continues] 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,
Undyd a pynne of yvere." [*5]

From both these quotations, their very fastenings appear to have been
of the most costly materials.

163a LLOEGYR.--Page <page 163>.

LLOEGYR is the term used by the Welsh to designate England. The writers of the
Middle Ages derive the name from the son of the

[p. 211]

[paragraph continues] Trojan Brutus, Locryn (already alluded to, <page 206>), 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.

174a THEIR SHIELDS LOST ALL THEIR COLOUR.--Page <page 174>.

THE custom of painting and decorating shields is one which might 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 poet, who describes a knight "with a shield 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."

[paragraph continues] 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.

178a WOMAN'S SADDLE.--Page <page 178>.

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 [*1] were grene felvet,
Ipaynted with ymagerye,
The bordure was of belles, [*2]
Of ryche gold and nothyng elles,
That any man myte aspye. [p. 212]

In the arsouns, before and behynde,

Were twey stones of Ynde,
Gay for the maystrye;
The paytrelle [*1] of her palfraye
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; and he quotes the authority of certain illuminations in ancient MSS.
[*2] which is, I fear, rather conclusive evidence. But the mention of the Lady's
saddle and riding-dress [*3] 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 out. 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.

181a ENCHANTED GAMES.--Page <page 181>.

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 conning 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. This magician proposed, by his art, to put
into the power of these

[p. 213]

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 to deceyve 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 styled, "Men of Illusion and
Phantasy") to have been "Math ab 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,
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.

Footnotes

^188:1 Asser Menevensis speaks of a great fleet of Pagans Corning to Britain, "de
Danubio."--Annales de rebus gestis Aelfredi.

^191:1 T. xc. The other was Gadwy the son of Geraint.

^191:2 T. xv.

^191:3 T. 114.

^192:1 Probably Ostorius, the Roman commander.

^192:2 In the Triads contained in the Llyfr Coch, these names are written Mabon,
and Geiryoed (Myv. Arch. II. 6); and in the Mabinogion it is Mabon vab Modron.

^193:1 See the remainder of the Elegy in Llywarch Hen's Poems, edited by Dr. Owen
Pughe.

^194:1 Poems of Llywarch Hen. p. 3.

^194:2 Called in Welsh "Y Fad Felen."

^194:3 Perhaps Gerrans, near Falmouth, which, as Hale 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 12th century; but it is more likely that the
former is the place referred to here.

^194:4 The Life of Saint Teiliaw forms part of the Liber Landavensis, published by
the Welsh Manuscript Society.

^196:1 Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 298.

^196:2 Myv. Arch. III. 363.

^198:1 Reprint of the Book of St. Alban's, p. 83, the original edition of which by
Wynkn de Worde, bl. let. 1486, was the first treatise upon hunting that ever issued
from the press.

^198:2 It is asserted by some that Cardiff was known to the Romans by the name of
Tibia Amnis.

^198:3 Besides the contests upon record, the situation of Cardiff makes it probable
[p. 199] that it was the scene of many others of which no notice remains. From the
expression,
 "And an armed band
Around Cogawn Penardd,"

it is possible 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 is a place called Cogan Penarth in the vicinity of this town.

^199:1 A representation of this tower is introduced in the first vignette to the

tale of Geraint ab Erbin, while the last vignette presents a view of the Keep as it
appeared in 1840 and 1841. Unhappily the hand of restoration has since defaced the
beauty of those interesting ruins.

^200:1 The original poem is printed in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for 1794. The
translation given in the text is due to Mr. Taliesin Williams (ab Iolo), and first
appeared in the notes to his poem of "Cardiff Castle."

^200:2 Giraldus Cambrensis, from whom this account is taken.

^200:3 Pant Cad Ivor, which is, according to the tradition of the place, the Valley
of the Battle of Ivor.

^202:1 In another series of the Triads, Urien ap Cynvarch's name is substituted for
that of Gwallawg, as one of the pillars of battle.--(Tr xxxi Myv Arch. II. 14.)

^203:1 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 Gallucus Salesberiensis of Geoffrey of Monmouth. In the
Cambrian Biography, Dr. Pughe says that he was a chieftain of the Vale of
Shrewsbury; and Camden confounds him with the celebrated Galgacus, though he lived
some centuries later.

^203:2 Met. Rom. III. 239.

^203:3 Gruff. ab Ar. Myv. Arch. II. 325.

^205:1 Brut. l. 13,404.

^205:2 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.

^206:1 He ended his days in the Humber, which took its name from that circumstance.

^207:1 Clepe, to call.

^207:2 The value of a foot was fixed by law, to be six cows and one hundred and
twenty pence.

^209:1 Paulus Silentiarius, a poet and historian of the 6th 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.

^209:2 "Du Cauge, v. Vitreae. Bentham's History of Ely, p. 22."

^209:3 "Matt. Paris, Vitae Abbatum St. Alb. 122."

^209:4 "Recueil des Hist. t. xii. p. 101."

^209:5 "Paulmy, t, iii. p. 132. Villaret, t. xi. p. 141. Macpherson, p. 679."

^210:1 Northumberland Household Book, preface, p. 16. Bishop Percy says, on the
authority of Harrison, that glass was not commonly used in the reign of Henry
VIII."

^210:2 Aeneas Silvius, afterwards Pope Pius II., in his Treatise, De Moribus
Germanorum, written in the 15th century, records that there were then glass windows
in all the houses of Vienna.

^210:3 Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry, II. 140.

^210:4 Ibid. III. 409.

^210:5 Ibid. II. 8.

^211:1 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 sambuca, or
saddle-cloth, on which were gold, silver, or pearls.

^211:2 Of the well-known custom of decking the harness and trappings of horses [p.
212] 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.

[paragraph continues] 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 is still preserved amongst the Welsh, 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.

^212:1 Breastplate.

^212:2 MS. in Royal Lib. marked 2 B. vii. Sports and Pastimes, p. 12.

^212:3 See <page 178>.

^213:1 Treggetour, a juggler.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 214]

NOTICE OF VARIOUS OTHER VERSIONS.

IT is to Chrestien de Troyes, the author of the "Chevalier au Lyon" and "Perceval
le Galois," that we are also indebted for the 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 composition, called "Erik

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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 217]

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 swineherd,
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.

[p. 218]

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 where he should find a wife. Said one of
his counsellors, "I know a wife 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 crone,
"He has 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 lady returned home with joy; and she asked her 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

[p. 219]

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 stepmother 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

[p. 220]

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 holdest 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 for thy horses; and for thee there will be collops cooked 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 lower." Said the youth, "That will 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 of 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

[p. 221]

illness, so that they shall never bear children from this day forward." "What
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 said to him, "Hast thou 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 the
twelve hostages were brought from Llychlyn. And I have also been in Europe, and in
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 I 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 the door of the portal." Then
said Arthur, "If 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 horseblock at the gate, yet did he not dismount, but rode in

[p. 222]
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 youth, "I came
not here to consume meat and drink; 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 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 Gwenhwyvar, my wife.
By the truth of Heaven, thou shalt 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."

[p. 223]

[paragraph continues] "Pledge the truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom
thereof." "I pledge it thee, gladly." "I crave of 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 Cov , 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 from the confines of
hell), and Kilydd Canhastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw, and Cors Cant-Ewin, and Esgeir
Gulhwch Govynkawn, and Drustwrn Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and Lloch
Llawwynnyawc , 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 Roycol,
and Dadweir Dallpenn , and Garwyli the son of Gwythawc Gwyr, and Gwythawc Gwyr
himself, and Gormant 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 Iona king of France, and Sel the son of Selgi, and
Teregud the son of Iaen, and Sulyen the son of Iaen, and Bradwen the son of Iaen,
and Moren the son of Iaen, and Siawn the son of Iaen, and Cradawc the son of Iaen.

[p. 224]
[paragraph continues] (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 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 in the battle of Camlan by reason
of his ugliness; all thought he was an auxiliary devil. Hair 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,--

[p. 225]

[paragraph continues] 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 Wyddel 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
Keinvarvawc (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,

[p. 226]
if he is my son he will always be stubborn; and he will have another peculiarity,
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 revenge Kai). Garanwyn the son of Kai, and Amren the son of Bedwyr,
and Ely Amyr, and Rheu Rhwyd Dyrys, 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 Llawwynnyawg (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 Camlan ). Keli and Kueli, and Gilla Coes Hydd (he would clear three
hundred acres at one bound: the chief leaper of Ireland was he). Sol, and Gwadyn
Ossol, and Gwadyn Odyeith. (Sol could stand all day upon one foot.

[p. 227]

[paragraph continues] 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). Dygyflwng 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

[p. 228]
in North Britain). And Grudlwyn Gorr. Bwlch, and Kyfwlch, and Sefwlch, the sons of
Cleddyf 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
Llwyrdyddwg. Their three wives, Och, and Garym, and Diaspad. Their three
grandchildren, Lluched, and Neved, and Eissiwed. Their three daughters, Drwg, and
Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oll. 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 Diessic Unbenn, 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 Ieithoedd (to whom all tongues were known), and
Kethcrwm the Priest. Clust the son of Clustveinad (though he were buried seven
cubits beneath the earth, he would hear the ant fifty miles off 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 born 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
Datharweniddawg. 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

[p. 229]

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 said, "I will 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 knowledge 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, whatever he carried
remained dry for a handbreadth above and a handbreadth below his hand; and when his
companions were coldest, it was to them as fuel with which to light their fire.

[p. 230]
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 Ieithoedd, 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 in quest. He was the best of footmen 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 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 Ieithoedd, 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 Teirgwaedd, "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?" "There is no hurt to injure me but my own." [*1] "Whose are the 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 Dyfnedig, 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 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."
[p. 232]

[paragraph continues] "And who is he?" asked the woman, "Kilhwch the son of Kilydd,
the son of Prince Kelyddon, 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 footsteps 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, "It is a 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 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

[p. 233]

herself or sends any messengers to fetch them."

"Will she come here if she is sent to?" "Heaven 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 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. Whatever 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 life." "I 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.

[p. 234]

"The greeting of Heaven and of man be unto thee, Yspaddaden Penkawr," said they.
"And you, wherefore 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, "Yspaddaden Penkawr, give us thy
daughter in consideration of 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. "A cursed ungentle 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

[p. 235]

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 my daughter?" "It is I," answered
Kilhwch. "I must have thy pledge that thou wilt not do towards me otherwise 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." "I will do
so," said he.

"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

[p. 236]

wedding of thee and my daughter. And all this I require done in one day."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou 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 mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"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."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the yellow and
the brindled bull yoked together do I require."

"It will be easy for me to compass this."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Seest thou yonder
red tilled ground?"

"I see it."

"When first I met the mother of this maiden, nine bushels

[p. 237]

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 mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

[p. 239]

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It will not be
possible to hunt Twrch Trwyth without Drudwyn the whelp of Greid, the son of Eri."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Throughout the
world there is not a leash that can hold him, except the leash of Cwrs Cant Ewin."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

[p. 240]

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Throughout the
world there is no collar that will hold the leash except the collar of Canhastyr
Canllaw."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The chain of
Kilydd Canhastyr to fasten the collar to the leash."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Thou wilt not get
Mabon, for it is not known where he is, unless thou find Eidoel, his kinsman in
blood, the son of Aer. For it would be useless to seek for him. He is his cousin."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Garselit the
Gwyddelian is the chief huntsman of Ireland; the Twrch Trwyth can never be hunted
without him."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

[p. 241]

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. A leash made from
the beard of Dissull 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Throughout the
world there is no huntsman 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 Annwn, lest they should destroy the present race. He
will never be spared thence."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

[p. 242]

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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."

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The Twrch Trwyth
cannot be hunted unless thou get Bwlch, and Kyfwlch [and Sefwlch], the grandsons 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 Oll. Their three hand-maids
[Eheubryd, the daughter of Kyfwlch; Gorasgwrn, the daughter of Nerth; and 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."

[p. 243]

"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that it will
not be easy."

"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou 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 have, and chivalry; and my lord and kinsman Arthur will obtain for
me all these things. And 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 castle is
that?" asked they. "Stupid are ye truly, O men. There is no one in the world that
does not know to whom this castle belongs. It is the castle of Gwrnach the Giant."
"What treatment is there for guests and strangers that alight in that castle?" "Oh!
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 Ieithoedd, "Is there a
porter?" "There is. And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in thy head, wherefore

[p. 244]

dost thou call?" "Open the gate." "I will not open it." "Wherefore wilt thou not?"
"The knife is 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 best burnisher of swords am I in the world."
"I will 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 draw blood from the wind, and will
descend upon its shaft again." Then the

[p. 245]

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 Custennin, "Thou hast done this! Thou art the best
of all 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 best," said they, "to seek 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 proceeded until they came before the Castle
of Glivi, where Eidoel was imprisoned. Glivi stood on the summit of his castle, and
he said, "Arthur, what requirest thou of me, since nothing remains to me in

[p. 246]

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 injure thee came I hither,
but to seek for the prisoner that is with thee." "I will give thee my prisoner,
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 small adventures as these." Then said Arthur, "It were
well for thee, Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, to go upon this quest, for thou knowest
all languages, and art familiar 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 the Ousel answered, "When I first 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 his mother when three nights old?" The Stag said, "When first I came
hither, there was

[p. 247]

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 from his mother?" "If I 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, "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 Llyw.
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

[p. 248]

fish spears out of his back. Unless he know 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 two shoulders." So Kai and Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd 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
Lludd 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 for us now to seek first?" "It
will be best to seek for the two

[p. 249]

cubs of Gast Rhymhi." "Is it known," asked Arthur, "where she is?" "She is in Aber
Deu ," 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 it escaped being burned in the fire. And the ants
said to him, "Receive from us the blessing of 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 carn 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 fled from
Arthur," said Bedwyr unto Kai. "Dost thou know him?" "I do know him," answered Kai,

[p. 250]

"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?" said Bedwyr. "Let us suffer him," said Kai, "to eat as
much as he will of the meat, and after that he will fall asleep." And during that
time they employed themselves 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

[p. 251]

[paragraph continues] Greid the son of Eri, and Glinneu the son of Taran, and
Gwrgwst Ledlwm, 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
absolutely 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

[p. 252]

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,
[p. 253]

at Porth Kerddin in Dyved. And there is the measure of the cauldron.

Then Arthur summoned unto him all the warriors that 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 the third 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
transformed him into a swine for his sins.

Then Arthur sent Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, to endeavour 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 Ieithoedd 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 do so,
and we will not speak

[p. 254]

with Arthur. That we have been transformed thus is enough for us to suffer, without
your coming here to fight with us." "I will tell you. Arthur comes but to fight for
the comb, and the razor, and the scissors which are between the two ears of 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 Porth 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 as far as Preseleu, and Arthur and
his hosts followed him 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

[p. 255]

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 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

[p. 256]

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
warriors of this Island, "Twrch Trwyth has slain 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 razor from 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

[p. 257]

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. 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 overtook the boar in Cornwall, and
the trouble which they had met with before was mere play to what they encountered
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 Orwen, 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

[p. 258]

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 door he struck at the witch, with
Carnwennan his dagger, and clove her in twain, so that she fell in two parts. And
Kaw, of North Britain, took the blood of the witch and kept it.

Then Kilhwch set forward, and Goreu the son of Custennin 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 to ear. "Art thou shaved, man?" said Kilhwch. "I am shaved,"
answered he. "Is 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.

Footnotes

^230:1 This dialogue consists of a series of repartees with a play upon words which
it is impossible to follow without the translation.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 259]

NOTES TO KILHWCH AND OLWEN.

217a KILHWCH AND OLWEN.--Page <page 217>.

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 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.

[p. 260]

217b ANLAWDD WLEDIG.--Page <page 217>.

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's 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 Cunedda Wledig. This
explains the relationship between Kilhwch and Arthur.
218a KING DOGGED.--Page <page 218>.

THE name of this most unfortunate king is enrolled among the number of the Saints
of Wales, and he is recorded as the founder or the church of Llauddogged 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
Llanavan Fawr, in Breconshire, which he founded. The date assigned to these
brothers is from 500 to 542.--Rees's Welsh Saints, p. 209.

219a OLWEN.--Page <page 219>.

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 comparing her to

"Olwen of slender eyebrow, pure of heart."

219b CUT THY HAIR.--Page <page 219>.

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 ceremony were reputed a sort of spiritual
parents, or godfathers to them. This practice appears, however, to have been still
more ancient, inasmuch

[p. 261]

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.

219c A HUNDRED KINE.--Page <page 219>.

IT appears that in early times cows formed the standard of 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
supposed to have lived about the early part of the seventh century.
220a PENGWAED IN CORNWALL.--Page <page 220>.

PENGWAED is the Land's End. In the Triad on the three divisions 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.

222a SAVE ONLY MY SHIP AND MY MANTLE.--Page <page 222>.

ARTHUR'S ship is mentioned several times in the course of the present tale. Its
name was Prydwen, and under that appellation it is alluded to by Taliesin in his
Preidden Annwn, [*1] the Spoils of Hell. In that mystical poem, which appears to be
full of allusions to traditions now no longer intelligible, various expeditions,
consisting 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,

[p. 262]

The kynn, was aboue yarmed wyy haubert noble & r###7823###che,
w###7823###y helm of gold on ys heued, (nas nour h###7823###m
###7823###l###7823###che)
The fourme of a dragon yeron was ycast.
Hys sseld, yat het Prydwen, was yanne ###7823###honge wast
Aboute ys ssoldren, and yeron ###7823###peynt was and ###7823###wort
The ###7823###mage of our Lady, inwan was al ys yo###658###t.
M###7823###d ###7823###s suerd he was ###7823###gurd, yat so strong
was & kene,
Cal###7823###bourne yt was ###7823###cluped, nas nour no such ye wene.
In ys r###7823######658###t hond ###7823###s lance he nom, pat ycluped
was Ron,
Long & gret & strong ynow, hym ne m###7823######658###t atsytte non.

I. 174.

Gruffydd ab Arthur's account of King Arthur's arms agrees with this;

but respecting his sword Caledvwlch, or Caleburn, he adds the information that it
was formed in the Isle of Avallon. [*1] It has already been detailed in a previous
portion of this work (<page 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. [*2]

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.

223a GREIDAWL GALLDONYD, OR GALLDOVYDD.--Page <page 223>.

ONE of the three architects of the island of Britain, whose privilege it was to go
wheresoever they would, so that they did not go unlawfully.--Triad 32.

223b GWYTHYR THE SON OF GREIDAWL.--Page <page 223>.

This warrior, whose grave is noticed in the Englynion Beddau,

[p. 263]

[paragraph continues] (see <page 33>), was father to one of the three wives of
Arthur, who all bore the name of Gwenhwyvar. [*1]

It is he that fights with Gwyn ab Nudd, for the fair Cordelia, every first of May.
[*2]

223c GWYN THE SON OF NUDD.--Page <page 223>.

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 in 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 amusement of this kind; for one dark night the
bard, having ridden into 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 Archaiology, a dialogue between Gwyn ab Nudd, and Gwyddno
Garanhir, [*3] in which he is represented 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, Gwyn 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

[p. 264]

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. [*1]

A very curious legend, in which Gwynn ab Nudd bears a conspicuous part, is

contained in the Life of St. Collen (Buchedd Collen), which is printed in a
collection of Welsh remains, entitled the Greal. [*2] This Saint was the son of
Gwynawc, ab Caledawc, ab Cawrdav, ab Caradawc Vreichvras, and having distinguished
himself greatly in foreign countries [*3] by his zeal and piety, be 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, I 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; who is it that asks?' 'It is
I, a messenger from Gwyn ab Nudd, the king of Annwn, to command thee to come and
speak with him on the top of the hill at noon.' [*4]

"But Collen did not go. And the next day behold the same messenger came, ordering
Collen to go and speak with the king on the top of the hill at noon.

"But Collen did not go. And the third day behold the same messenger came, ordering
Collen to go and speak with the king on

[p. 265]

the top of the hill at noon. 'And if thou dost not go, Collen, thou wilt be the
worse 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 equipment as it is.'

"'What kind of equipment is that?' said the king.

"Then said Collen, 'The red on the one 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, whereupon they vanished from his sight, so that there
was neither castle, nor troops, nor men, nor maidens, nor music, nor song, nor
steeds, nor youth, nor banquet, nor the appearance of any thing whatever, but the
green hillocks."

223d EDEYRN THE SON OF NUDD.--Page <page 223>.

See Page <page 195>.

223e GADWY THE SON OF GERAINT.--Page <page 223>.

GADWY MAB GERAINT was noticed for his courtesy to guests and strangers, as we learn
from Triad xc.

[p. 266]

223f FFLEWDDUR FFLAM.--Page <page 223>.

A NOTICE concerning Flewddur Flam, occurs in Triad 114, where under the appellation
of Fleidur Flam mab Godo he is ranked as one of the three sovereigns of Arthur's
Court who preferred remaining with him as knights, although they had territories
and dominion, of their own.--For this Triad, see the note on Cadyrnerth mab
Porthawr Gandwy, <page 191>.

223g RHUAWN PEBYR.--Page <page 223>.

RHUAWN or Rhuvawn Pebyr stands conspicuous amongst those who 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 himself 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 circumstance 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 Urien, as one of the Three
blessed Kings; [*2] 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."

[p. 267]

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.

223h DALLDAV THE SON OF KIMIN COV.--Page <page 223>.

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.

223i ISPERYR EWINGATH.--Page <page 223>.

THERE is an 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.
Myv. Arch. I. p. 173.

It is uncertain whether he is identical with the Isperyr Ewingath of

the Twrch Trwyth.

223j LLOCH LLAWWYNNYAWC.--Page <page 223>.

LLOCH LLAWWYNNAWC is named, with several of the other warriors adjured by Kilhwch,
in the curious dialogue between Arthur, and Kai, and Glewlwyd, of which mention has
been made.--Page <page 42>.
223k AUNWAS ADEINIAWC.--Page <page 223>.

THE preceding note applies as well to Aunwas as to Lloch Llawwynnawc.

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.

223l GWENNWYNWYN THE SON OF NAW.--Page <page 223>.

has been already noticed with Geraint ab Erbin, and March ab Meirchion, ai 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 <page 193>.

[p. 268]

223m ECHEL VORDDWYTTWLL.--Page <page 223>.

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.--See <page 191>,
where the triad is given.

223n DADWEIR DALLPENN.--Page <page 223>.

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 Henwen, was with young, and it was prophesied 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, where she plunged into the sea, and she landed again at
Aberdarogi, in Gwent Iscoed. And all the way she went Coll ab Collfrewi held 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 Collfrew, 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 lvi.
This story is supposed to have a figurative meaning, and, under the appellation of
Henwen, the sow of Dallweir Dallpen, to allude to

[p. 269]

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
<page 213>.

223o MENW THE SON OF TEIRGWAEDD.--Page <page 223>.

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 be taught his
enchantments to Uthyr Pendragon, the father of King Arthur.--See <page 213>.

In the Abergavenny Prize Essay, [*1] on the Genuineness of the Coelbren y Beirdd,
or Bardic Alphabet, by Mr. Taliesin Williams (Ab Iolo), there is a curious
allegorical tale, which connects Menw with the discovery of that alphabet. The
substance of the tale is 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

[p. 270]

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.

223p DRUDWAS THE SON OF TRYFFIN.--Page <page 223>.

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 guin, I have, but cannot finde it. The
birds were two griffins, which were Drudwas ab Tryffin's birds, whoe had taught
them to seise upon the first man 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 might ask; Gwalchmai, and Eliwlod
ab Madawc ab Uthur were the other two.--Triad 115.

224a CAERDATHAL.--Page <page 224>.

CAERDATHAL, which the Mabinogion assign as a residence to Math ab Mathonwy, is in

Caernarvonshire, and crowns the summit of all eminence near Llanrwst. It is
peculiar for having large stones set upright to guard its entrance.

The name of this place occurs in Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr's Elegy on the death of his
patron Owain Gwynedd, circa 1160. The

[p. 271]

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."

224b KAW.--Page <page 224>.

CONSIDERABLE variations exist in the different catalogues which axe 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
greater number little is known. Some account has already been given of one of the
most eminent of them, Gildas mab Kaw, p. 1913. Huail, another of the brothers,
obtained a less honourable notoriety for his vices which eventually cost him his
life. Jones details the 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 his lameness, and said, "This dancing might do very well, but for the
thigh." It chanced that Arthur overheard his remark; he withdrew from the dance,
and summoning Huail before him, upbraided him angrily for the breach of his promise
and oath, and commanded him

[p. 272]

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."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 173.

224c TALIESIN, THE CHIEF OF THE BARDS.--Page <page 224>.

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.

224d MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR.--Page <page 224>.

THIS chieftain, who figures in the Triads, will be alluded to hereafter in the
notes to one of the Mabinogion more particularly relating to him.

224e GERAINT THE SON, OF ERBIN.--Page <page 224>.

OF this chieftain a full account has been given in the notes to the Mabinogi
bearing his name.--It may be added that a saying of his is 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."--
Myv. Arch. 1. p 172.

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.

224f DYVEL THE SON OF ERBIN.--Page <page 224>.

THE death of Dyvel mab Erbin is mentioned in the dialogue between Myrddin Wyllt and
Taliesin, where the former says:--

[p. 273]

"Through and through with rush and bound they came,

Yonder and still beyond, were Bran and Melgan seen approaching,
And by them, at the battle's close,
Dyvel ab Erbin and his hosts were slain."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 48.

His grave was in the plains of Gwesledin.--Ib. I. p. 80.

224g LLAWNRODDED VARVAWC.--Page <page 224>.

IN days when, as we have already seen (<page 219>), 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
subject 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 Bran and big 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, <page 268>.

Llawnrodded's knife was one of the thirteen precious things possessing marvellous
properties. It would serve four-and-twenty men at once with meat.

224h MORVRAN THE SON OF TEGID.--Page <page 224>.

THIS circumstance of the three warriors escaping from the battle of Camlan is
related in the Triads, in words very nearly corresponding With those in the text.
The two accounts differ only as regards the name of the third man, whom the Triad-,
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.

[p. 274]

225a LLENLLEAWG WYDDEL.--Page <page 225>.

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."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 174.

225b DYVYNWAL MOEL.--Page <page 225>.

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 all of which he is represented as a great benefactor to
his people. [*1] 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 third, one of
the beneficent Sovereigns of the Cymry, because he had first reduced to a system,
and improved, and extended their 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
Archaiology, and are very curious and interesting remains.

225c GWYSTYL THE SON OF RHUN THE SON OF NWYTHON.--Page <page 225>.

RHUN the father of Gwystyl, was one of the chieftains mentioned by Gruffydd ab
Arthur, [*2] as being present at King Arthur's Coronation, at Caerlleon upon Usk.--
Both he and Nwython are named in Taliesin's poem addressed to Gwallawg. [*3]

225d DREM THE SON OF DREMIDYD.--Page <page 225>.

IN addition to the notice already given (<page 187>), 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

[p. 275]

[paragraph continues] Englynion y Clyweid, he is represented to have pronounced the

very sensible opinion recorded in the following lines:--
 "Hast thou heard what Dremhidydd sang,
An ancient watchman on the castle walls!
A refusal is better than a promise unperformed."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 174.

225e GELLI WIC.--Page <page 225>.

OF Gelli Wic (or, as it is generally written, Gelliwig), in Cornwall, frequent

mention is made in the Triads, where it is named as one of the three national
thrones of the Island of Britain, [*1] 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
(Penrhaith 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. [*2] 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 the court, "not
even so much as would feed a fly," but consumed and wasted all. [*3] The fatal
battle of Camlan was fought to avenge this insult.

The site of Gelliwig is now a matter of some doubt. Hals places it at 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 vndoubtedly 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
earles of Cornwall, then translated into a dutchy or dukedom." [*4]

It may be taken as some confirmation of this opinion with regard to the locality of
Gelliwig, that there is a place in the vicinity of

[p. 276]

[paragraph continues] 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 following
description of the spot:--"It is a square Plott, about 60 foote long and about 3.5
foote broade situate in a playne Mountayne, wrowghte some 3 foote in the grounds
and by reason of the depression 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 taken) it is "the custom in Cornwall to ascribe everything
that is great and whose use is unknown to that immortal hero." [*1]

225f PEN BLATHAON IN NORTH BRITAIN.--Page <page 225>.

PEN or Penrhyn Blathaon (supposed to be Caithness in Scotland) has already been

noticed [*2] as the extreme point from Penwaeth or Pengwaed, in Cornwall, from
which it was distant nine hundred miles. [*3] 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 Rowel Dda, the son of
Cadell. And afterwards Rowel Dda made new laws, and changed some of the laws of
Dyvynwal. 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 Promontory 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

[p. 277]

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 handbreadth, 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."

226a THE THREE ISLANDS ADJACENT.--Page <page 226>.

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
limits orbis Brittanniae ultra Pictos, et vocatur Orc. Sic in proverbio, antiquo
dicitar, quando de judicibus vel regibus sermo fuit, 'Judicavit Brittanniam cum
tribus insulis.'"--P. 7, ed. 1838.

226b GWYNN GODYVRON.--Page <page 226>.

MENTIONED in the dialogue between Arthur, Kai, and Glewlwyd see <page 42>, where
the passage is given.

226c GARSELIT WYDDEL.--Page <page 226>.

 "Hast thou heard what Garselit sang,
The Irishman whom it is safe to follow?
Sin is bad when long pursued."--
Englynion y Clyweid. [*1]

[p. 278]

226d THE NINTH MAN THAT RALLIED THE BATTLE OF CAMLAN.--Page <page 226>.

THIS is very probably an allusion to the disposition made by Arthur of his forces,
previous to the battle of Camlan. Geoffrey of Monmonth states that he arranged his
army in nine divisions, with a commander over each, of whom Gwynnhyvar was possibly
one.

227a GWARE GWALLT EURYN.--Page <page 227>.

GWARE GWALLT EURYN was the son of Pwyll and Rhianon. The mysterious circumstances
connected with his birth are detailed in another Mabinogi.

228a KYNVELYN KEUDAWD PWYLL, THE HALF MAN.--Page <page 228>.

THE Welsh have a fable on the subject of the Hanner 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,
endeavours to provoke the king to wrestle. Despising 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.

228b SAWYL BEN UCHEL.--Page <page 228>.

SAWYL BEN UCHEL is accused of being one of those whose arrogance produced anarchy
in the Island of Britain; and the lawless party united with the Saxons, and
themselves became Saxons at last.--Triad 74.

228c GWRHYR GWASTAWD IETTHOEDD.--Page <page 228>.

IOLO GOCH'S allusion to Gwrhyr's extraordinary aptitude for acquiring languages has
already been noticed, in the notes to Geraint ab Erbin. The Englynion y Clyweid
refer in like manner to the singular talent by which he was characterised:--

Hast thou heard what Gwrhyr Gwalstawt sang,

He who was perfect in all languages?
Who practises deceit will be deceived."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 172.
[p. 279]

228d BEDWINI THE BISHOP.--Page <page 228>.

BEDWINI was Bishop of Gelliwig in Cornwall, and as such is spoken of in the Triads,
[*1] 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?
Consider thy word before it is given." [*2]

229a INDEG.--Page <page 229>.

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. [*3] 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 of Clydno Eiddyn. Her mother's name was Modron, the daughter of
Avallach. [*4]

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:--

Hast thou heard what Creiddylad sang,

The daughter of Lludd, the constant maiden?
Much will the faithful messenger effect."--
Myv. Arch. I. p. 174.

Essyllt Vinwen or Fyngwen, the daughter of Culvanawyd Prydain, and

sister of Owain's faithless wife Penarwen, is mentioned very disparagingly in the
Triads. [*5] She was married to March ab Meirchion, and acquired a very undesirable
celebrity for her attachment to her husband's nephew Tristan ab Tallwch, the
renowned Sir Tristan of

[p. 280]

the Romancers, who bestow upon Essyllt the appellation of Yseult La Belle.

Essyllt Vingul, we may presume to be the Yseullt aux Blanche 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.
230a DRYCH AIL KIBDDAR.--Page <page 230>.

ONLY the first series of the Triads, printed in the Myvyrian Archaiology, takes
notice of Drych ail Kibddar, and there be is classed among the dealers in phantasy
or enchantment.--Triad xxxiii.

236a AMAETHON THE SON OF DON.--Page <page 236>.

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,
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 Cad 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.'

[p. 281]

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 and 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 efficient of counsel, in
Taliesin's Elegy on Aeddon of Mon. [*1]

236b OXEN OF GWLWLYD.--Page <page 236>.

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. [*2]

"They know not the brindled ox with the broad headband Seven score handbreadths are
in his yoke."

236c NYNNIAW AND PEBIAW.--Page <page 236>.

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,
[*3] who had himself 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.

[p. 282]

"There was a certain king of the region of Ergyng [*1] (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 be ordered
his daughter Eurddil to wash his head." The legend then goes on to state that
circumstances 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, [*2] because therein
was born the holy man. The father, bearing 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 be 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 roaring lion, was now turned to a lamb, and he began to
love the infant above all his sons and grandsons; and of that place, Madle (that
is, Mad, good, lle, 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." [*3]

[p. 283]

Whether these events took place before or after King Pebiaw's distressing
transformation does not appear. All the further information concerning him, in the
Liber Landavensis, consists of the due. recital of sundry grants of land which be
made to the Church, "being penitent, with an humble heart, and mindful of his evil
deeds."

Lewis, in his "History of Great Britain," printed in 1729, mentions Pebiaw as King
of Erchenfield, 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, 'See,' said Nynniaw, 'what a beautiful and
extensive field I possess!' 'Where is it?' said Peibiaw; 'the whole Firmament,'
said Nynniaw, 'far as vision can extend.' 'And do thou see,' said 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 superintend their wanderings.' 'They shall not graze in MY pasture,' said
Nynniaw; 'They shall,' said Peibiaw; 'They shall not,' said one: 'They shall.' said
the other, repeatedly, in bandied contradiction, 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 disbearded the other kings. When
the kings of the surrounding countries

[p. 284]

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

[p. 285]

[paragraph continues] 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 are seven [*1] 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 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 characteristics 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. [*2]

237a THE BASKET OF GWYDDNEU GARANHIR.--Page <page 237>.

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. Dyrnwyn the sword of Rhydderch Hael; if any man drew it 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.

[p. 286]
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; 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 of 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.

8. The whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud; if the sword of a brave 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, it suited
him well, but if a churl it would not fit him.

10, 11. The pan and the platter of Rhegynydd Ysgolhaig; whatever 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
bas already been seen in the story of the Lady of the Fountain; 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.

[p. 287]

237b THE HARP OF TEIRTU.--Page <page 237>.

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 life), the
bard, addressing Reinallt, a once rival harper, says:--

"His companion has become silent,

The turtle-dove of the Harp of Teirtud." [*1]
 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 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.

239a TWRCH TRWYTH.--Page <page 239>.

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.--Myv. Arch. I. p. 60.

Davies, in his "Mythology of the Druids," [*2] and Jones, in his "Relies of the
Welsh Bards," [*3] 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. [*4]

[p. 288]

"Were I to compose the strain--were I to sing--magic spell, 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 is 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
Trychinffwrch, or monstrous horse cut off from the haunches; the Carn Caffan, 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 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,

[p. 289]

"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 quae 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 Arthuri 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 invenitur 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, [*3] 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 it is found on its heap.--

The fact of this story of the Twrch Trwyth being found in a MS. 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 preserved in
connection 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 Rhayader Gwy, and within sight
of that town. Such was the interest excited in my mind by the discovery of the
existence of such a remarkable piece of evidence, corroborative of the great
antiquity of the traditions contained in the Mabinogi of Kilhwch, that I prevailed
upon a gentleman to undertake a pilgrimage

[p. 290]

for me to the summit of Cefn Carn Cavall. The following is the account he wrote me
of his expedition; whether he has succeeded in finding the stone itself, bearing
the imprint of Cavall's footstep, I must leave to others to determine.
"Carn Cavall, or, as it is generally pronounced, Corn Cavall, is a lofty and rugged
mountain, in the upper part of the district anciently called Buellt, now written
Builth, in Breconshire. Scattered over this mountain are several carns 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 carns 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 footprint is nothing more than the
cavity, left by the removal of a rounded pebble, which was once imbedded in the
stone; such all opinion scarcely requires a remark. The following sketch will give
an idea of the stone."

240a MABON THE SON OF MODRON.--Page <page 240>.

BOTH the Triads relating to Mabon's mysterious captivity having already been cited
in this volume, <page 192>, it is considered unnecessary

[p. 291]

to repeat them in this place. 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,
Mabon the son of Modron the 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 Glewlwyd, where Mabon ab Mellt
is also mentioned.--See <page 267>.

246a OUSEL OF CILGWRI.--Page <page 246>.

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 disappointed 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 Cwm Cawlwyd 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 Flintsbire.

248a LLUDD LLAW EREINT.--Page <page 248>.

LLUDD LLAW 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 appellation of Lludd and Llyr, indiscriminately.

251a LLAMREI.--Page <page 251>.

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.

253a PORTH KERDDIN.--Page <page 253>.

THE precise position of this harbour is not easily ascertained. The proximity of
places called Pen Arthyr and Trelethin (probably, Tre

[p. 292]

[paragraph continues] Lwydden ap Kelcoed), would induce a conjecture of Porthmawr,

near St. David's Head, Pembrokeshire, being the site of Porth Kerddin. The words in
the text, however, "And there is the measure of the cauldron," would favour the
supposition of Porth 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.

253b THE SUMMER COUNTRY (GWLAD YR HAF).--Page <page 253>.

THIS name stands translated in the text as the Summer Country, 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, considered to be somewhere near Constantinople. In the present instance,
however, it may have been intended to allude to Somersetshire, of which Gwlad yr
Hav is the Welsh appellation, and with which the etymology of the Havren (Severn)
is probably connected.

254a PORTH CLEIS.--Page <page 254>.

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 Porth 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,

[p. 293]

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 Cwm Kerwyn, 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 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 remark 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 be flung from the summit of Pen Arthur to its
present position; a distance of

[p. 294]

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 [*1] to 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.

256a LLYN LLIWAN.--Page <page 256>.

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 appear, 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 wonder, which is Oper Linn Liuan, [*2] 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 wave, in size like to a mountain. And if there should be the
whole army of all that country there, and they should turn their faces towards 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. [*3]

[p. 295]

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 Llydaw, 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. [*1] And 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.

Footnotes
^260:1 From him the county of Cardigan (Ceredigion) received its name.

^261:1 Myvyrian Archaiology, I. p. 45.

^262:1 Myvyrian Archaiology, II. p. 306.

^262:2 Lord Lyttelton's History of Henry II.

^263:1 Myvyrian Archaiology, II. p. 14.

^263:2 See page <page 251>.

^263:3 Myv. Arch. I. p. 165.

^264:1 Myv. Arch. II. p. 71.

^264:2 Greal, p. 337, 8vo. London, 1805.

^264:3 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."

^264:4 We are told that Gwyn ab Nudd greatly affects the tops of mountains.

^266:1 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.

^266:2 Triad 25.

^266:3 Triad xxxiv. Myv. Arch. II. p. 15.

^269:1 Published at Llandovery 1840.

^272:1 Welsh Bards, II. p. 22.

^274:1 Triads, 4, 57, 59, 36.

^274:2 Myv. Arch. II. p. 321.

^274:3 Myv. Arch. I. p. 58.

^275:1 The other two cities which ranked with Gelliwig, were Caerlleon upon Usk,
and Penrhyn Rhionydd, in the North.

^275:2 Triads 62, 64, 111.

^275:3 Triad 52.

^275:4 Powhele's Hist. of Cornwall, 4to. II. p. 50.

^276:1 C. S. Gilbert's Historical Survey of Cornwall, I. p. 170.

^276:2 See <page 261>.

^276:3 Triad ii.

^277:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 174.

^279:1 Triad 64.

^279:2 Myv. Arch. I. p. 173.

^279:3 Triad 110.

^279:4 Tr. lii. liii.

^279:5 Triad 105.

^280:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 167.

^281:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 70.

^281:2 Myv. Arch. I. p. 45.

^281:3 Jones's Hist. of Breconshire, I. p. 42.

^282:1 Ergyng, or Archenfield, comprehended the portion of Herefordshire, S.W. of

the river Wye, of which the present Ecclesiastical Deanery of Archfield, or
Irchenfield, constitutes a part.

^282:2 "Madley is a parish in Herefordshire, on the S. of the river Wye."

^282:3 Liber Landavensis, p. 323, 4.

^284:1 "This meane wbyle came a messager from kynge Ryons of Northwalys. And kynge
he was of all Ireland and of many Iles. 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 moche as ther was, wherfor the messager came for kyng
Arthurs berd. 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 leas 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 me
hommage on bothe his kneys, or els he shall lose his hede by the feith of my body,
for this is the most shamefullest message that euer I herd spoke of. I have aspyed,
thy kyng 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.

^284:2 Cambro-Briton, I. p. 129-11. p. 61. Cambrian Register, III. p. 165.

^285:1 Triads 4, 5, 54, 56, 57, 92, 97.

^285:2 Cambro Briton II. p. 61, where will be found a summary of the opinions
concerning Hu Gadarn.

^286:1 Jones's Welsh Bards, II. p. 47.

^287:1 Jones's Welsh Bards, I. p. 44.

^287:2 Myth. of the Druids, p. 42.

^287:3 Jones's Welsh Bards, II. p. 13.

^287:4 Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1790.

^289:1 See Dr. Owen Pughe's Dictionary, II. p, 206. 8vo. 1832.

^289:2 See Mr. Stevenson's Preface to the Edition of Nennius, published by the
English Historical Society. London, 1838, p. xxi.

^289:3 Another MS. has Troit, which is still nearer to the Welsh Trwyth.

^294:1 The summit of which still retains the name of Cadair Arthur. There is also
in Breconshire a valley bearing the name of one of the pigs; Cwm Banw.

^294:2 Probably a corrupted form of the Welsh "Aber Llyn Llivan."

^294:3 Nennius. Published by the English Historical Society. London, 1838, p. 57.

^295:1 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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 299]

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, Iorwerth the
son of Maredudd , in rank not equal to himself. And Iorwerth 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 Household and to have horses, and arms, and honour, and to fare like
as himself. But Iorwerth refused this.

And Iorwerth 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 Commots of Powys
to seek for him. And thus did they in

[p. 300]

the plains of Powys from Aber Ceirawc, 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 Vrychgoch, 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 a burthen of faggots on his
back, and a pale slender woman, also carrying a bundle under her arm. And they
barely welcomed 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

[p. 301]

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 Groes 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-hilted sword, with a scabbard of new leather of
Cordova, 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 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 mercy. "You have it gladly," said he, "fear nought." "Ha, chieftain, since thou
hast

[p. 302]

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 thy nickname is?" "I will
tell you; it is Iddawc Cordd Prydain ." "Ha, chieftain," 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 Camlan ; 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 Medrawd, 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 him. "That which is fitting for me to grant I will grant,
and thou shalt be a companion to them as I have been." And the horseman

[p. 303]

went away. "Iddawc," inquired Rhonabwy, "who was that horseman?" "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. "Iddawc," inquired Rhonabwy,
"to whom does yonder 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 the kings of the Island of Britain. And this

[p. 304]
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 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 , fighting with Osla Gyllellvawr . "Whether
thou mayest choose to

[p. 305]

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 his army of mighty ones dismounted
below Caer Badou, and he perceived that he and Iddawc journeyed the same 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

[p. 306]

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 horseman 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.

"Iddawc," said Rhonabwy, "who 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

[p. 307]

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 Arthur, "wilt thou play chess?" "I will, Lord," said 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 Owain's
thought. And he said to Owain, "Marvel 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, and when they were in the midst
of the game, behold, a ruddy young man with auburn curling hair and large eyes,
well-grown,

[p. 308]

and having his beard new-shorn, came forth from a bright yellow tent, upon the
summit of 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

[p. 309]

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 thy men." "Play," said he, "if it 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 air,
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 erewhile 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-hilted 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 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

[p. 310]

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 their plumage.

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 attendants. 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-horse, 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

[p. 311]

thick ashen lance, the head whereof, which had been newly steeped in blood, 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 flapping 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 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

[p. 312]

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 Gwenwynwyn
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 Arthur312g, and Llawvrodedd Varvawc, and Kadwr
Earl of Cornwall, Morvran the son of Tegid, and Rhyawd the son of Morgant312h, and
Dyvyr the son of Alun Dyved, Gwrhyr
[p. 313]

[paragraph continues] Gwalstawd Ieithoedd, 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 Teirgwaedd, 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, let him be with him to-
night in Cornwall, and whosoever will not, let him be opposed to Arthur even 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.

[p. 314]

And this tale is called the Dream of Rhonabwy. And this is the reason 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 wondrous colours of the
arms and of the panoply, and of the precious scarfs, and of the virtue-bearing
stones.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 315]

NOTES TO THE DREAM OF RHONABWY.

299a MADAWC THE SON OF MAREDUDD.--Page <page 299>.

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 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
contrary, Madawc combined with Henry II. in the attacks he made

[p. 316]

upon Wales in 1158, and during that monarch's
the command of the English ships, and ravaged
expedition, however, Madawc was defeated with
he was "euer the king of Englands freend, and
the poore." [*1]
first and unsuccessful campaign, took
the shores of Anglesey. In this
much loss. Powell says of him, that
was one that feared God, and releeued

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. [*3] 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 powerful. 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.

[p. 317]

299bPOWYS WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES, &c.--Page <page 299>.

THAT part of the ancient principality of Powys, which belonged to Madawc ab

Maredudd, extended from the vicinity of Chester to 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 of 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 by
limiting parts in seueraltie amongst his sonnes Meredyth and Cadogan, yet at length
it came wholie to the possession of Meredyth ap Blethyn, who had issue two sonnes
Madoc and Gruffyth, betweene whom the said dominion was diuided." [*1] 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 , however, of Merford, a lordship in the parish
of Gresford, Midway between Wrexham and Chester, and of which the name

[p. 318]

bears at least an equal resemblance to that of Porfoed, renders it doubtful which

of the two is alluded to in the text. Merford contains 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 extremity 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 from Garn Gynnull on
the river Conwy to Rhyd Helyg on the river Wye." [*1]

299c IORWERTH THE SON OF MAREDUDD.--Page <page 299>.

IORWERTH 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 Lordship of Mochnant, near Oswestry, and be went by the name
of Iorwerth Goch of Mochnant. Like most princes of his age, Iorwerth was a warrior,
and in 1156 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 Ial or Yale, which Owain had built
only ten years previously. The site of this fortress is still to be seen on a
tumulus called Tomen Rhodwydd, by the roadside about halfway between Llangollen and
Rhuthin. The partiality evinced by Iorwerth 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. Iorwerth married Maude, the daughter of Roger de Manley of Cheshire.

It is supposed by some, that the tribe (Gwelygordd) of Iorwerth is celebrated by

Cynddelw, in his poem called Gwelygorddeu Powys, under the title of Yorwerthyawn.--
Myv. Arch. I. 256.

It is also thought that Iorwerth, after his expulsion from Mochnant, settled on the
English side of Offa's dyke, for we find his grandson (some say his son), Sir
Gruffydd Vychan, [*2] called by the

[p. 319]

[paragraph continues] 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.

300a FROM ABER CEIRAWC IN ALLICTWN VER, TO RHYD Y WILURE.--Page <page 300>.

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 we have already seen, was the extreme boundary of
Madawc's possessions 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 Nillystan Trevan,
which may possibly be Halistan Trevan, now called Halston, near Whittington, the
"Tre wen (or white town) ym mron y coed" of Llywarch Hen. Haliston was a sanctuary
from time immemorial; if Iorwerth was a fugitive, be might have sought it as 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.

300b KYNWRIG VRYCHGOCH, A MAN OF MAWDDWY.--Page <page 300>.

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

[p. 320]

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.

Iorwerth Goch, the Iorwerth 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 1697. "One Llywarch ab Cadfan, an opponent of Prince Llywelyn ab
Iorwerth, 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 have been given in
allusion to the characteristic complexion of the men of Mawddwy.

300c MOELVRE IN KYNLLEITH.--Page <page 300>.

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
precipitously 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. Arc. I. 213.

[p. 321]

301a ARGYNGROEG.--Page <page 301>.

IN following Rhonabwy on his visionary journey, it may be allowable 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 of
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 particularly 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 of wood, no
traces of it now remain. The house and farm bearing the name of "The Abbey" belong
to the Earl of Powis. The Abbey 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 fish caught in the
river Dyvi. The monks of Marcella were 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

[p. 322]

the main stream, gives name by an ordinary abbreviation to the church and village
of Berriew; and a little lower down occur, "Rhyd-y-Groes ar Havren," "The Cross, or
Ford upon the Severn."

The Ford still remains, but has been from time immemorial converted into a ferry.
At this point was carried on the chief communication between western
Montgomeryshire, and the adjacent district 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 size. There are also British encampments in the adjacent
parishes of Churchstoke and Cherbury. [*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, by Gruffydd ab
Llewelyn, called by way of eminence, "Y tywysog dewr."

The Ford near Montgomery, was named as the place of meeting between Prince Llewelyn
ab Gruffydd, and the commissioners of Edward I.

[p. 323]

302a IDDAWC CORDD PRYDAIN.--Page <page 302>.

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 attributed 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 enchanters is prettily
versified by Davydd ap Gwilym, [*3] 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
Catalogue 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]

302b CAMLAN.--Page <page 302>.

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,

Lles, emperor of Rome, demanded from Arthur the tribute that

[p. 324]

his ancestors had paid, from the time of Caswallawn the son of Beli to that of
Cystennin, Arthur's grandsire. The Roman Ambassador, proceeded to Caerlleon upon
Usk, when Arthur not only denied their claim, but on the ground of the British
origin of Bran and Constantine, 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 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
Porth 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 be the river Camel, in that county. The celebrated battle
of Camlan ensued. Arthur there gained the victory, but received a mortal 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 [*1] admits that Arthur died, and was buried at Avalon, now
Glastonbury, 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]

"Hic jacet Arthurus, rex quondam rexque futurus." [*3]

[p. 325]

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 [*1] 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.

304a ADAON THE SON OF TALIESIN.--Page <page 304>.

ADAON or Avaon, son of the chief of the bards, and a bard himself, was also
celebrated for his valour. He was one of those three dauntless chieftains who
feared 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 preserved only as the perpetrator of this crime.--Tr. 47.

The bold and determined character of Avaon appears to have continued even after
death, for there is a Triad (quoted, <page 202>) 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."

304b ELPHIN.--Page <page 304>.

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.

[p. 326]

304c BATTLE OF BADON.--Page <page 304>.

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, places 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 Camden, 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
learning entitles his opinion to respect, suggests that Badon way 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 daies 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.

[p. 327]

304d OSLA GYLLELLVAWR.--Page <page 304>.

OSSA, or Osla, Gyllellvawr has already appeared in the Mabinogi of Kilhwch, pp.
<page 226> and <page 256>, 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 "Treachery of
the Long Knives," "Brad y Cyllyll hirion." [*1] Hengist 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 many of the Saxons with the stones that lay
around. Eidiol, [*2] earl of Gloucester, who was fortunate enough to escape the
general carnage, 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.

305a CARADAWC VREICHVRAS.--Page <page 305>.

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 chief elder of Gelliwig; [*3] the royal residence
in that part of the Island. His mother was Gwen, grand-daughter of Brychan, through
whose right he is supposed to have become ruler of the district of Brycheiniog.
[*4] According to the Triads, he was one of the battle knights of Britain, [*5] and
in an Englyn attributed to Arthur himself, he is styled "Caradawc pillar of the
Cymry."

[p. 328]

His prowess at the battle of Cattraeth, is also sting in the verse of his
contemporary Aneurin, [*1] 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
already quoted in the notes to Peredur ab Evrawc. See <page 125>.

Several Welsh families trace their pedigree to Caradawc.

Caradawc's horse Lluagor is recorded as one of the three battle horses of the
Island. [*2]

Tegau Eurvron, the beautiful wife of Caradawc, was no less 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. [*3] 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.

[p. 329]

The Trouveres have a pretty story [*1] 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 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 pristine strength and size, and hence,
according to some authorities, the name of Brise Bras.

In the life of St. Collen, two persons of the name are mentioned, one of whom was
the 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.

305b CEVN DIGOLL.---Page <page 305>.

ON the 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 Northumbria, 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 estuary. [*2]

These engagements are thus alluded to in an Elegy upon Cadwallawn 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 Llywellyn ab Gruffydd 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."

[p. 330]

305c MARCH THE SON OF MEIRCHION.--Page <page 305>.

THIS prince, whose territory is said to have been in Cornwall, 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 already noticed, the Triad which represents him
as such having been cited at <page 193>. His grave is mentioned by the Englynion y
Beddau, Myv. Arch. II. p. 81.

306a KADWR, EARL OF CORNWALL.--Page <page 306>.

IN the wars of Arthur, as recounted by Gruffydd ab Arthur, Kadwr bore a conspicuous

part. He shared the dangers of the expedition 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 conflict. [*1]

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.

Taliesin 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."
Myv. Arch. I. p. 64.

311a OVERLAID WITH FINE SILVER.--Page <page 311>.

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.

[p. 331]

It may be remarked, that the term "latten" is still technically applied to the
thinnest manufactured iron plate.

311b RAVENS.--Page <page 311>.

THE Ravens of Owain have already appeared in the Mabinogi of Iarlles y 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."
Myv. Arch. I. p. 365.

Lewis Glyn Cothi even mentions the particular staff or shaft, by 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
Vraith."--I. 72.

312a SELYV THE SON OF KYNAN GARWYN.--Page <page 312>.

HE has been already noticed as one of the "grave-slaughtering" 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.

[p. 332]

312b GWGAWN GLEDDYVRUDD.--Page <page 312>.

WE find the name of this chieftain twice occurring in the Triads. He is first
noticed as one of the three stayers of slaughter [*1] (ysgymmydd aereu), and
afterwards, as one of the sentinels in the battle of Bangor Orchard.--Tr. lxvi.

His grave is alluded to in the Englynion y Beddau. The passage has been already
quoted (<page 33>).

The name of his horse, which was Buchestom, is preserved in the Trioedd y Meirch.

312c RHIOGAN.--Page <page 312>.

THIS prince is mentioned in the graves of the warriors.

"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."--Myv. Arch. I. p. 82.

312d GWAIR THE SON OF GWESTYL.--Page <page 312>.

IT would seem that this personage was distinguished as being of a peculiarly dismal
disposition, for we find him referred to as such by Llywarch ap Llewelyn, [*2] 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 ah Gwestyl.--Myv. Arch. I. p.
294.

And Einion Wan, in his Elegy on Madawc ab Gruffydd Maelor, a few years later, has
the same expression in allusion to Madawc.

"The man who has become like Gwair ab Gwestyl."

Myv. Arch. I. p. 333.

It is not impossible that he is the same person as the Gwevyl mab

Gwestad, of Kilhwch and Olwen, whose melancholy was such 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" (<page 227>).

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 m one of the

[p. 333]

three diademed chiefs of the Island, together with Kai, and Trystan mab Tallwch.
[*1] But others substitute for his name that of Huail, the son of Kaw of Cwm
Cawlwyd.

312e TRYSTAN THE SON OF TALLWCH.--Page <page 312>.

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 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 represented as able to transform
himself into any shape he pleased.--Myv. Arch. II. p. 80.

312f MORYEN.--Page <page 312>.

A WARRIOR whose name repeatedly occurs in the Gododin.

312g LLACHEU THE SON OF ARTHUR.--Page <page 312>.

LLACHEU has already been mentioned (<page 60>) with Gwalchmai, and Rhiwallon 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 fighting bravely for his country, in the battle of Llongborth, so celebrated
in the verse of Llywarch Hen. The death of Llacheu is thus alluded to, in a curious
Dialogue between Gwyn ab Nudd and Gwyddno Garanhir. [*3]

"I know where Llacheu the son of Arthur

Renowned in song was slain,
When the ravens rushed upon blood."

[p. 334]
 RHYAWD THE SON OF MORGANT.--Page <page 312>.

THE Triads celebrate him as one of the three irregular Bards of the Island of
Britain, the other two being Arthur himself, and Cadwallawn the son of Cadvan. He
also ranked with Trystan, and Dalldav mab Kynin Cov, as one of the three compeers
of Arthur's court. Rhuddfrych was the name of his horse. [*1]

313a GILBERT THE SON OF KADGYFFRO.--Page <page 313>.

GILBERT the son of Kadgyffro, has already been cited (<page 332>) 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.

313b GWRTHMWL WLEDIG.--Page <page 313>.

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 be 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] riding 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

[p. 335]

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; Carw and Tarw,
having been evidently confounded by the copyists. [*1] What these sprites were is
not explained. According to Beddau y Milwyr, his grave was in the wood of Briavael.
[*2]

Footnotes

^316:1 Page 210.

^316:2 Myvyrian Archaiology, I. p. 200.

^316:3 For this anecdote, as well as for much of the topographical information
contained in the notes to the Tale of Rhonabwy, I am indebted to the kindness of
the Rev. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain).

^316:4 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 Dinus Bran,
in North Wales.

^317:1 Page 211.

^318:1 Cambr. Quarterly, III. 403.

^318:2 Sir Gruffydd Vychan was one of the earliest knights of the military order of
St. John of Jerusalem.

^322:1 Acknowledgment should again be made in this place to the Rev. Walter Davies,
for the curious local information contained in this note.

^323:1 Possibly Gordd Prydain, the hammer of Britain.

^323:2 Triads 22, 20, 50, 90, 78.

^323:3 Davydd ab Gwilym's Poems, 207. Cyffelybiad rhwng Morfudd a'r Delyn.

^323:4 Welsh Saints, p. 280.

^324:1 Myv. Arch. II. p. 4.

^324:2 Giraldus Cambrensis, who says he saw the inscription, gives it thug: "Hic
jacet sepultus inclytus Rex Arthurus in insula Avallonia."

^324:3 It may be here permitted to quote old Lydgate's verges 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 Britaine;
And repaire again the Round Table.[p. 325]
By prophesy Merlin set the date,
Among Princes King incomparable,
His seate againe to Caerlion to translate,
The Parchas sustren sponne so his fate,
His Epitaph recordeth so certaine
Here lieth K. Arthur that shall raigne againe."

^325:1 Triad 118.

^327:1 Triad 20.--Gruffydd ab Arthur. Myv. Arch. II. 254.

^327:2 Eidiol is associated for his strength with Gwrnerth Ergydlym, who slow the
largest bear that ever was seen, with an arrow of straw; and Gwgan Lawgadarn, 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.

^327:3 Triad 64.

^327:4 Jones's History of Brecknockshire, I. p. 53.

^327:5 Triad 29.

^328:1 Myv. Arch. 1. p. 5.

^328:2 Trioedd y Meirch, Myv. Arch. II. p. 20.

^328:3 Triads 103, 108.

^329:1 See Metrical and Prose versions of Perceval le Gallois.

^329:2 Triad lxxv.

^330:1 Myv. Arch. II. p. 80

^332:1 The others were Morvran eil Tegid, and Gilbert mab Cadgyffro.--Tr. xxix.

^332:2 Commonly called Prydydd y Moch.

^333:1 Tr. xxiii. Myv. Arch. II., p. 12.

^333:2 Triads 113, 32, 69, 18, 102. See also the dialogue between him and Gwalchmai
(<page 57>).

^333:3 Myv. Arch. I. p. 166.

^334:1 Triads lxxxix. 113, and Trioedd y Meirch, 5.

^334:2 Myv. Arch. II. 8, 10, 20, 80. In some accounts only two of his sons are said
to have been on this expedition, and one of them is called Achlen.

^335:1 Myv. Arch. II. p. 16, 17, 71

^335:2 Ib. I. p. 81.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 339]

PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED

Pwyll Prince of Dyved was lord of the seven Cantrevs 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 as his dogs came to
the edge of the glade, he 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

[p. 340]

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 the stag, and set his own dogs
upon it.

And as he was setting on his dogs he saw a horseman coming towards him upon a large
light-grey steed, with a hunting horn round his neck, and clad in garments of grey
woollen in the fashion of a hunting garb. And the horseman drew near and spoke unto
him thus. "Chieftain," said he, "I know who thou art, and I greet thee not."
"Peradventure," said Pwyll, "thou art of such dignity that thou shouldest not do
so." "Verily," answered he, "it is not my dignity that prevents me." "What is it
then, O Chieftain?" asked he. "By Heaven, it is by 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 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 said. "There is a man whose dominions are opposite to mine, who is
ever warring against me, and he is Havgan, a King of Annwvyn, and by ridding me of
this oppression, 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

[p. 341]

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 semblance
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 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 well as ever before."
"Verily," said Pwyll, "what shall 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 there in thy stead." "Gladly then," said Pwyll, "will I set
forward." "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 palace and its dwellings.
"Behold," said he, "the Court 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 household 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

[p. 342]

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 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.

And the year he spent in hunting, and minstrelsy, and feasting, and diversions, and
discourse with his companions 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 right hast thou to cause my death? I was not
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,
Chieftain," he replied, "I may yet repent doing that unto thee, slay thee who may,
I will not do so." "My trusty Lords," said Havgan, "bear me hence. My death has
come.

[p. 343]

[paragraph continues] 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 ought to be
my subjects." "Lord," said the Nobles, "all should be, for there is no king over
the whole of Annwvyn but thee." "Yes," he replied, "it is right that he who comes
humbly should 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 thereupon 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." "Whatever
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 household, 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,
compared 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,

[p. 344]

[paragraph continues] "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, 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 Arberth. "Lord," said one of the Court, "it is peculiar to
the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence, without either receiving
wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder." "I fear not to receive wounds and blows
in 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 towards the mound. "My men," said Pwyll, "is 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,

[p. 345]

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 he,
"it will avail nothing for any one to follow yonder lady. I know of no horse in
these realms swifter than this, and it availed me not to pursue her." "Of a truth,"
said Pwyll, "there must be some illusion here. Let us 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,
"Verily," said Pwyll, "we will go the 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 notwithstanding 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

[p. 346]

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 Pwyll was. "Lord," said he, "the
horse can no 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, 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 playfully, 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,

[p. 347]
"and right glad am I to see thee." "My greeting be unto thee," said he. Then he
thought that the beauty of all the maidens, and all the ladies that he had ever
seen, was as nothing compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt thou tell me
aught 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 Rhiannon , 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 he, "will I 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 whatsoever 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 concourse of people
and great rejoicing, and vast preparations 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
Hen was on one side of Pwyll,

[p. 348]

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," said he, "my errand is unto thee, and it is to
crave a boon of thee that I come." "What boon soever thou 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," said he, "I understand not 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 give thee a small bag,"
said she. "See that thou 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
[p. 349]

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 request." "As much of that thou
hast asked as it is in my power to give, thou shalt have," replied Pwyll. "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 Clud 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 Pwyll 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

[p. 350]

he came into the hall, he saluted Gwawl the son of Clud, and his company, both men
and women. "Heaven prosper thee," said Gwawl, "and 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 fitting," answered he. "I 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 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," said Gwawl, "will 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

[p. 351]

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 bag, and his liegemen were liberated. "Demand now of
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 covenant."
"It will suffice me that it be as Rhiannon said," answered Pwyll. So unto that
covenant were the sureties pledged. "Verily, Lord," said Gwawl, "I am 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 bounty."
"Thus shall it be gladly," said Pwyll, "both to-day and every day while the feast
shall last." So Pwyll arose, and he caused

[p. 352]

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."
"Willest thou this, Lord?" said Heveydd. "Yes, by Heaven," answered Pwyll.

And the next day, they set forward towards Dyved, 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 suffer thee." "Truly," said Pwyll, "we have not 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

[p. 353]

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 vengeance if we are
burnt or put to death because of the child." Said one of the women, "Is there any
counsel for us in the world in this matter?" "There is," answered another, "I offer
you good counsel." "What 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?" "Lady," said they, "ask us not 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 sake," said Rhiannon; "the Lord God knows 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, "you will receive no evil by
telling the truth." But for 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 household, 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

[p. 354]

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 in that palace of Narberth
until the end of seven years, and that she should sit every day near unto a
horseblock that was without the gate. And that she should relate the story to all
who should come there, 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

[p. 355]

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?" "No, lord," said she, "I was asleep, but as thou camest in
I did awake." "Behold, here is a boy for thee if thou wilt," said he, "since thou
hast never had one." "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?" "A mantle of satin," said he. "He is then
a boy of gentle lineage," she replied. "My lord," she said, "if thou wilt, I shall
have great diversion and mirth. I will call my women unto me, and tell them 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 horses," said he, "that they take care of
him." "Would it not be well, lord," said she, "if thou wert

[p. 356]

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 thee in this matter," said Teirnyon. "I will allow 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 Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, by reason of the pity that he felt on
hearing 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 first
time that he was alone with his wife, he told her that it was not right that they
should keep the boy with 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

[p. 357]

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 horseblock. 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, "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 Pwyll 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 companions 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 the name 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

[p. 358]

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 preserve my own. And when he shall have power, he will more fitly
maintain them than I. And if this counsel 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 prosperously, 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

[p. 359]

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.

Footnotes

^357:1 The word "Pryder" or Pryderi" means anxiety.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 360]

NOTES TO PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED.

339a PWYLL.--Page <page 339>.

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, [*1] son of Pyr y
Dwyrain. Mr. Davies, in the "Rites and 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 big 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 Myvyrian
Archaiology, I. p. 45. It must be allowed that their exact interpretation is by

[p. 361]

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 <page 261>. Gwair's captivity, which one of the
Triads places in the Castle of Oeth and Annoeth, has been already adverted to,
<page 192>.

339b DYVED.--Page <page 339>.

IT often happens, and is a cause of great confusion in comparing 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 modem counties. This is the case with the name now
before us. Dyved, the country inhabited by the Dimetae 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 eastern division of South Wales.

There appears, however, to have been an exception to this general division, a

portion of Cardigan having been once exclusively termed Ceredigiawn, and one-third
part of Carmarthenshire having been included in the District of Rheged, called
subsequently "Cantrev Bychan and Kidwelly." Lewis Dwnn, [*1] in the reign of
Elizabeth, thus describes the ancient boundaries of Dyved, as he understood them to
have been:--

[p. 362]

"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), Dan 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] The addition made by Pryderi probably restored Dyved to its
original extent at the time of the Romans.

339c GLYN CUCH.--Page <page 339>.

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.

[p. 363]

340a ARAWN, KING OF ANNWVYN.--Page <page 340>.

THIS personage is the King of Annwn, already noticed (see <page 280>) 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.

340b ANNWVYN.--Page <page 340>.

ANNWVYN, or Annwn, is frequently rendered "Hell," though, 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 are sometimes heard at night passing
through the air overhead, as if in full cry in pursuit of some object.

344a MOUND.--Page <page 344>.

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 it is commonly applied.

The mound called the Tyn-wald, still remaining in the Isle of Man, was long the
place upon which the Deemsters of that Island held their judicial assemblies.

347a RHIANNON.--Page <page 347>.

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 remained 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 Rhiannon, a song
of wisdom from the mouth of a Saxon, and an invitation to a feast from a miser."
[*2]

[p. 364]

347b HEVEYDD HEN.--Page <page 347>.

ACCORDING to the Triads, Heveydd Hen (probably the same as Hyvaidd Hir) was the son
of Bleiddan Sant [*1] of Glamorgan, and was one of the three stranger kings upon
whom dominion was conferred 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.

354a GWENT IS COED.--Page <page 354>.

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.

355a GWRI GWALLT EURYN.--Page <page 355>.

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, perhaps, however, Pryderi is that by which he is best known. He was
one of the chief swineherds of the island, and was so called because 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's absence in Annwn. This version, however, does not correspond
with the circumstances as given in the text, which imply that Pryderi's birth must
have taken place long after Pwyll's mysterious expedition.

We find 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 took place near Melenryd, a ford on the Cynvael, a

[p. 365]

river of Merionethshire. The same authority places his grave at Maen Tyriawg, near
Ffestiniog, but a different locality is assigned to it in the Enelynion Beddau.
 "In Abergenoli is the grave of Pryderi,
Where the waves beat against the shore."

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.

357a PENDARAN DYVED.--Page <page 357>.

WE learn from the Triads, that the foster-father of Pryderi was the chief of one of
the principal Welsh tribes; that which extended over Dyved, Gower (in Glamorgan),
and Cardigan. [*1]

Beyond this, and the fact of his possessing an immense herd of swine, which his
foster-son Pryderi kept for him in the Vale of Ouch, but few particulars of
Pendaran Dyved are extant.

Footnotes

^360:1 Aircol Law Hir is recorded, in the Liber Landavensis, to have been the son
of Tryfun and contemporary with St. Teiliaw, who flourished in the Sixth century.
We find the grave of Aircol spoken of as being in Dyved.--Myv. Arch. I. p. 82.

^361:1 "Heraldic Visitation of Wales," published by the Welsh MSS. Society, under
the care of Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick.

^362:1 Seissyllwch was one of the ancient kingdoms of South Wales, and must not be
confounded with Essyllwg (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 Llanbadarn Vawr, as the other two, those
of Rein and Morgant, did from St. David and St. Eliu [Teiliaw]. The latter kingdom,
Glamorgan, having derived its appellation from Morgan, a sovereign of the tenth
century, it is probable that the name of Seissyllwch is of the same 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.

^363:1 Triad lxxxvi.

^363:2 Trioedd y Cybydd, The Miser's Triads. Myv. Arch. III. p. 245.

^364:1 Written in other versions of the Triads, Bleiddig in Deheubarth.

^365:1 Triad 16.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 369]
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 Eurosswydd , 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

[p. 370]

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 themselves 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,"
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 thee, lord," said 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 this answer was brought to
Matholwch. "I will 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

[p. 371]

[paragraph continues] 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 place, where the horses of Matholwch were, and asked whose
horses they might be. "They are the horses of Matholwch king of Ireland, who is
married to Branwen, thy sister; his horses are they." "And is it thus they 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."

[p. 372]

[paragraph continues] "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 messengers 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
thing surprises me above all." "What is 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 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 he, "there are no means 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, Manawyddan 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

[p. 373]
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 thereunto. "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 Vran, while they talked, that Matholwch was not so cheerful as he had
been before. And he thought that the chieftain might be sad, because of the
smallness of the atonement 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 be slain to-day, and be cast therein, to-morrow he will be
as well as ever he was at the best, except that 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.

[p. 374]

And a 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 except to one from there." "Who 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 I will tell thee. One day I was hunting in Ireland, 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. '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 the month and the fortnight will be a warrior fully armed.' So I took them
with me and maintained 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
molesting and harassing the nobles and ladies; and thenceforward 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,

[p. 375]

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 unto thee." "Doubtless he came here," said he, "and gave
unto me the cauldron." "In what 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

[p. 376]

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 to come 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 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 what 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 exceedingly at the tidings of Branwen'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

[p. 377]

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, Caradawc 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.

Now the swineherds of Matholwch were upon the seashore, and they came to Matholwch.
"Lord," said they, "greeting be unto thee." "Heaven protect you," said he, "have
you any news?" "Lord," said they, "we 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 Branwen."

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 hearing of my
ill-treatment and my woes." "What is 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;

[p. 378]

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," said they, "is thy
counsel concerning a bridge?" "There is none," said he, "except that he who will be
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 wheresoever 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."

[p. 379]

"Verily," said they, "the best message that we receive for thee, we will convey it
unto thee, and do thou await our 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 therefore 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 the pillars. "What is in this bag?" asked he of one of the Irish. "Meal,
good soul," said he. And Evnissyen 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 his hand upon another, and asked
what was 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

[p. 380]

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:--

"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 Manawyddan,
and he was beloved by all that beheld him. And from Manawyddan the boy was called
by 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 thrust the boy headlong into the blazing fire. And when
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.

[p. 381]

[paragraph continues] Then said Morddwydtyllyon, "The gadflies of Morddwydtyllyon'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 cast himself among the
dead bodies of the Irish, 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 he, "and bear it even unto the White 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

[p. 382]

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 off his head, and these seven went forward 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 uttered a loud
groan, and there broke her heart. And they made her a four-sided 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
Caswallawn382a the son of Beli has conquered the Island of the Mighty, and is
crowned king in London." "What has become," said they, "of Caradawc the son of
Bran, and the seven men 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

[p. 383]

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
Manawyddan, "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
called "the Entertaining of the noble Head." The entertaining of Branwen and
Matholwch was in the time that they went to Ireland.

One day said Heilyn the son of Gwynn, "Evil betide 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 evils they had ever sustained, and of all the 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 it was
buried, this was the third goodly concealment; and it was the third ill-fated
disclosure when it was disinterred, inasmuch as no invasion from across the sea
came to this island while the head was in that concealment.
[p. 384]

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 five women 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
Harlech, and the singing of the birds of Rhiannon, and the sojourning of the head
for the space of fourscore years.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 385]

NOTES TO BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR.

369a BENDIGEID VRAN.--Page <page 369>.

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 celebrated 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. [*1] 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 Foeddawg
[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

[p. 386]

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 particulars of
Caradawc's captivity, and of his family, recorded by classical writers.

Bran is ranked with Prydain ab Aedd Mawr, and Dyvnwal Moelmud 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,

I saw when Morddwyd Tyllon was slain. [*1]

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 go 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

[p. 387]

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.

369b HARLECH.--Page <page 369>.

MOST of the localities which occur in the Tale of Branwen are too 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 ruins of a fine castle.
Harlech stands on the sea coast, on the confines 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.

369c EUROSSWYDD.--Page <page 369>.

EUROSSWYDD is beyond doubt the Roman general Ostorius, the captor of Llyr
Llediaith, and his family, including Bran and Caradawc (Caractacus).

He is mentioned as such in Triad L, already quoted.--See <page 192>.

369d BELI THE SON. OF MANOGAN.--Page <page 369>.

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,--

[p. 388]

"Greatly do I honour thee

Victorious Beli,
Son of Manogan the king.
Do thou preserve the glory
Of the Honey Island [*1] of Beli."
Myv. Arch. I. p. 73.

370a BRANWEN.--Page <page 370>.

THE beautiful Branwen (or Bronwen, 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 place of burial, in which, according to the text, her
sorrowing companions deposited the remains of the unfortunate heroine of the
Mabinogion. The following account of its discovery was communicated, in 1821, to
the Cambro-Briton (and printed in that publication, 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

[p. 389]

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 discovery soon went abroad, and came to the ears of the parson of
the parish, and another neighbouring clergyman, both fond of, and conversant 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 lan 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 paces from the
river Alaw. [*1] 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, and nearly of
the following shape.

[p. 390]

[paragraph continues] When I saw the urn, the ashes and half-calcined bones were in
it."

Branwen appears to be the Brungwaine 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 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.

370b THE ISLAND OF THE MIGHTY.--Page <page 370>.

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. 1.

372a AN ATONEMENT FOR THE INSULT.--Page <page 372>.

THE compensation here offered to Matholwch, is strictly in accordance, 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 king is fixed at a "hundred cows on account of
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 husbandman'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."

374a THE CAULDRON.--Page <page 374>.

THE powers exercised by this family through the influence of the cauldron, bear a
strong resemblance to those possessed by the Tuatha

[p. 391]

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 race which remind
us of some passages in the Mabinogi of Kilhwch and Olwen.--See <page 228>.

"Blackness, obscurity, and darkness were their three cup-bearers; strength,

robustness, and vigour, their three horses; indignation, pursuit and swiftness,
their three bounds, &c."--See Bunting.

377a CARADAWC THE SON OF BRAN.--Page <page 377>.

THIS Prince, so well known under his Latinized name of Caractacus, 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;

[p. 392]

and the treason by which he was cast into 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 opposers," is another of the titles bestowed upon Caradawc,
because he resisted the invasion of the Caesarians.

381a WHITE MOUNT IN LONDON.--Page <page 381>.

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.

CASWALLAWN.--Page <page 382>.

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 Myguach 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 expedition
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.

[p. 393]
The army of Caswallawn did not return with their leader, whence it is called one of
the three Emigrant hosts of Britain. [*1]

Meinlas was the name of Caswallawn's horse.--Trioedd y Meirch ii.

384a FIVE DIVISIONS OF IRELAND.--Page <page 384>.

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.

Footnotes

^385:1 For an account of Bendigeid Vran, see Professor Rees's Welsh Saints p. 77.

^386:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 66.

^388:1 An ancient name for Britain.

^389:1 "This spot is still called Ynys Bronwen, or the Islet of Bronwen, which is a
remarkable confirmation of the genuineness of this discovery."

^391:1 Tr. 17, 23, 24, 34, 41, 55.

^391:2 In this Triad (41) he is called one of the exalted servants, and is
distinguished as the son of a Bard.

^393:1 The above particulars with regard to Caswallawn are related in the Triads
14,102,124, and xl.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 397]

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 an London, with its face towards France; Manawyddan gazed upon the
town of London, and upon his companions, 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 Pryderi. "I stand in need of
counsel," he answered,
[p. 398]

[paragraph continues] "and what may that counsel be?" "Seven Cantrevs remain unto
me," said Pryderi, "wherein Rhiannon 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 not, Chieftain," said he; "Heaven reward
thee for thy friendship." "I would show thee the best friendship in the world if
thou wouldst let me." "I will, my friend," said he, "and Heaven reward thee. I will
go with thee to seek Rhiannon and to look at thy possessions." "Thou 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 Manawyddan; "may Heaven reward him who hath 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 Beli." "Lord," said Rhiannon, "Caswallawn is in Kent, thou
mayest therefore tarry at the feast, and wait until he

[p. 399]

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 was 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 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 befallen 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

[p. 400]

through the land and all the possessions that they had, and they visited 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.

"Verily," said Manawyddan, "we must not bide thus. 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 Pryderi, "it is not 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 Pryderi. "We will make shields," said Manawyddan.
"Do we know anything 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

[p. 401]

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
destruction. "Pryderi," said Manawyddan, "these men desire to slay us." "Let us not
endure this from these boors, but let us rather fall upon them and slay them." "Not
so," he answered; "Caswallawn and his 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. "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 to fight with us or to molest us." "I
know nothing thereof," said Pryderi. "But I know," answered Manawyddan; "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
counsel, and agreed that they would slay them.

"Pryderi," said Manawyddan, "these men are minded to slay us." "Wherefore should we
bear this from the boorish thieves?" said Pryderi. "Rather let us slay them all."
"Not

[p. 402]

so," said Manawyddan, "we will not 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 greatly. "Let us
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

[p. 403]

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 howl 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 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 dust 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 Manawyddan, she sorrowed so that she cared not whether she lived or
died. And Manawyddan saw this. "Thou art in the wrong," said

[p. 404]

he, "if through fear of me thou grievest thus. I call Heaven to witness that thou
hast never seen friendship mere 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.

"Truly, lady," said Manawyddan, "it 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 find support there." "Gladly, lord," said she, "we will do so." And they set
forth together to Lloegyr.

"Lord," said she, "what craft wilt thou follow? Take up one that is seemly." "None
other 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 cordwainers 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.

"Lord," said Kicva, "wherefore should this be borne from these boors?" "Nay," said
he, "we will 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

[p. 405]

[paragraph continues] 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 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 ripe. "Verily,"
said he, "this will 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 me," said he, "if I
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

[p. 406]

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 the string upon a peg. "What hast thou there, lord?" said Kicva.
"A thief," said he, "that I found robbing me." "What kind of thief may it be, lord,
that 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 she, "this is
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," said he, "if I would not hang
them all could I catch them, and such as I have I will hang." "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 Manawyddan, "but as I know of none, lady, I am minded to destroy it." "Do
so willingly then," said she.

[p. 407]

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, lord," said he, "I 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 go forth free." "I will not 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," said he.
"Heaven 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

[p. 408]

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
confession 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." "I
will not, by Heaven," said he, "take any price for at. 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 blessing." "Heaven's 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?" "Yes," answered he. "And she has robbed me." "Aye,"
said he, "since I have come at the doom of this reptile, I will ransom it of thee.
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
free." "I will 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 price soever thou wilt." "I will do so," said he. "I 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."

[p. 409]

[paragraph continues] "I will not set it free, by Heaven," said he. "I will know
who the mouse may be." "She is my wife." "Even though she be, I will not set her
free. Wherefore came she to me?" "To despoil thee," he answered. "I am 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 Pryderi 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 Hen. And when it was known that thou wast come to dwell in
the land, my household came and besought me to transform them into mice, that they
might destroy thy corn. 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 illusion from off Dyved. I have now told thee who she is.
Set her therefore free." "I will 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,"
said he. "Now set her free." "I will 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.

[p. 410]

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 all tilled and
peopled, as it was in its best state." And he rose up and looked forth. And when he
looked he saw all the lands tilled, and full of 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.

And by reason of this bondage is this story called the Mabinogi of Mynnweir and
Mynord.

And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 411]

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: Caswallawn 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 be was along with Gwydion, the
son of Don, seeking a name and arms from Arianrod, his mother."--Triad 124.

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 be might have done so.--Tr. 38.

[p. 412]

Manawyddan is mentioned in the Dialogue between Arthur, Kai, and Glewlwyd; and his
name occurs in connexion with that of Pryderi in the Poem on the Sons of Llyr,
"Kerdd meib Llyr," [*1] of Taliesin.

The other principal personages whose names appear in this Mabinogi, 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 <page 210>.

Footnotes

^412:1 Myv. Arch. I. 67, 167.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 413]
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, Math the 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 Dol 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.

[p. 414]

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 him. "Youth," said he, "what
aileth thee?" "Why," replied he, "what seest thou in me?" "I see," said he, "that
thou hast lost thy aspect and thy hue; what, therefore, aileth thee?" "My lord
brother," he answered, "that which aileth 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?" he asked. "Pigs, lord." "And what 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
they now called." "Who owneth them?" "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,

[p. 415]

as one of twelve, in the guise of bards, to seek the swine." "But it may be that he
will refuse you," said he. "My journey will not be evil, lord," said he; "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 he, "we shall not have the swine for the asking." "Well," said
they,

[p. 416]

[paragraph continues] "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.

"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 comrades," 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 Commot in Powys, which also upon
[p. 417]

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 they. "It 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 discourteously, 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

[p. 418]

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.

And that 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. "Of a
truth," said Math, "I call Heaven to witness, if it be 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 Pryderi. "Truly," said Pryderi, "I
shall 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

[p. 419]

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. Gilvaethwy 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 prepared 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, and unto thee
dishonour." "Verily," he exclaimed, "I will do to the utmost of my power concerning
this matter. But first I will cause thee to have compensation, and then will I have
amends made unto myself. As for 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 his magic wand, and struck Gilvaethwy, 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 also. "Since now ye are in bonds, I
will that ye go forth together and be companions, and possess the nature of the
animals whose

[p. 420]

form ye bear. And this day twelvemonth 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,"
said he, "what is without." "Lord," said one, "I have 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 thereupon 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 assembled, 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:--

[p. 421]

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

[p. 422]

by his uncle Govannon. The third fatal blow was it called.

As Gwydion lay one morning on his bed awake, he 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 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 she, "what has come unto thee that thou
shouldst shame me thus? wherefore dost thou seek my dishonour, and retain it so
long as this?" "Unless thou suffer dishonour greater than that of my bringing up
such a boy as this, small will be thy disgrace." "What is the 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

[p. 423]

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 sail to
the boat, and he and the 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 boy, so that they
might not be known. "What men are 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. "Truly," she answered, "I will 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 prosper thee,"
said she. "I marvel that thou canst not manage to make shoes

[p. 424]

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, 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 she, "I will
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 cheerful than thou art." "That I 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. "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,

[p. 425]

[paragraph continues] 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 rose
the youth and opened unto her, and she entered 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 all the ships, side by side.
And they are making for the land with all the speed they can. And what can we do?"
said she. "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

[p. 426]

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 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.

[p. 427]

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, truly, lady," said they, "it will be most fitting to invite
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 him,
and bade him welcome. "Lady," said he, "Heaven 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 all their discourse that night was
concerning the affection and 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."

[p. 428]

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. "What aileth thee?" said he, "art thou well?" "I
was thinking," said she, "of that which thou didst never think of concerning me;
for I was sorrowful as to thy death, lest thou shouldst go sooner than I." "Heaven
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

[p. 429]

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 Gwydion, "I shall
never rest until I have tidings of my nephew."

[p. 430]

[paragraph continues] "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," 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 sty until I am beside the sty with thee?" "This will
I 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?"

[p. 431]

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 it not wetted by the rain? Has it not been drenched
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 possession 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.

[p. 432]

[paragraph continues] 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 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 he, "is it needful for me to do
thus? 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

[p. 433]

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 Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 434]

NOTES TO MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY.

413a MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY.--Page <page 413>.

THE fame of Math ab Mathonwy's magic, in which he would seem to have excelled all
the enchanters of Welsh fiction (except, perhaps, 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 has already been given.--See page <page 213>.

The mystical arts of Math appear to have descended to him from his father, whose
magic wand is celebrated by Taliesin, in 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. [*1]

Taliesin also frequently speaks of the powers of Math himself.--See the Cadd
Goddeu, Marwnad Aeddon o Von, &c. [*2]

[p. 435]

The Tale of Math ab Mathonwy has been already printed, with a translation in the
Cambrian Quarterly.

413b GOEWIN, DAUGHTER OF PEBIN.--Page <page 413>.

THE singular occupation assigned to this damsel in the Tale, is by 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.

"The Footholder is to sit under the King's feet

He is to eat from the same dish as the King.

He shall light the candles before the King at his meal.

He shall have a dish of meat and liquor, though he is not top 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."

413c CAER DATHYL.--Page <page 413>.

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 Caernarvonshire,
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 Commot 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

[p. 436]

[paragraph continues] 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 strongholds 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 terminated in the ignoble victory
obtained by Math through the agency of 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, place the grave of Pryderi at
Abergenoli, "where the wave beats against the shore."

414a GWYDION THE SON OF DON.--Page <page 414>.

GWYDION, as already seen in Triad 85 (cited page <page 273>), 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.

[p. 437]

"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 plaited twigs
Formed a cavalcade,
And perfect saddles." [*1]

In another place (Cad Goddeu) Taliesin says of him,--

Minstrels have sung,

Armies have admired,
The exalting of Britons,
Achieved by Gwydion." [*2]

He appears in the double character of seer and poet, in the lines

(already quoted, page <page 280>) 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, accomplished the
required condition on behalf of Amaethon, in consequence of which he prevailed.

Two of his other brothers, Govannon and Eunydd, are also celebrated by the Bards,
and to the latter of them magic powers are especially assigned.--See Marwnad Aeddon
o Von. 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.

421a ARIANROD.--Page <page 421>.

THE "Silver circled " daughter of Don, was one of the three beauteous ladies of the
Island.--Tr. 107.

It has already been noticed (page <page 436>) 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 Gwenwynwyn and Gwanar were
sons of Arianrod, by her alliance with Lliaws ab Nwyvre.--See Tr. 14.

[p. 438]

421b DYLAN THE SON OF THE WAVE.--Page <page 421>.

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.

422a THE CASTLE OF ARIANROD.--Page <page 422>.

THE Rev. P. B. Williams, in his "Tourist's Guide through Caernarvonshire," speaking

of Clynnog in 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."

424a LLEW LLAW GYFFES.--Page <page 424>.

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 already been quoted. [*1]

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 Prydain, as being
protected by the sea. [*2]
Melyngan mangre, the horse of Llew Llaw Gyffes, was one of the chief war-horses of
the island. [*3]

424b DINLLEV.--Page <page 424>.

DINAS DINLLE is situated on the sea-shore, about three miles southward from
Caernarvon, in the parish of Llantwrawg, on the confines

[p. 439]

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.

426a BLODEUWEDD.--Page <page 426>.

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.

426b MUR Y CASTELL.--Page <page 426>.

MUR Y CASTELL, on the confines of Ardudwy, also called Tomen y Mur, is about two
miles south of the Cynvael 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.

432a TRIBE OF GORONWY PEBYR.--Page <page 432>.

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 Cynvael, 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,

[p. 440]

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 Llyn Tegid, or Bala
Lake.

Footnotes

^434:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 63.

^434:2 Myv. Arch. I. p. 30, 70.

^436:1 Tri. 89, sec. ii. p. 325.

^437:1 Myv. Arch. I. p. 66.

^437:2 Myv. Arch. I. p. 29.

^438:1 See <page 411>.

^438:2 Myv. Arch. I. p. 80.

^438:3 Tr. Meirch. ii. ix.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 443]

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 morning 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

[p. 444]

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 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,

[p. 445]

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 chessboard 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

[p. 446]

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 anything 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 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," said the emperor, "do thou 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 he, "I have seen a dream. And in the dream I beheld 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

[p. 447]

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 concerning 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.
"Behold," said they, "the land which our master saw."

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 larger than any of the others. "Behold 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
[p. 448]

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. "Empress 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 therefore 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 according as they named it. "We will
be thy guides, lord," said they, "over 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

[p. 449]

[paragraph continues] Arvon. And the emperor knew the land when he saw it. And when
he beheld the castle of Aber Sain, "Look yonder," said he, "there is the castle
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," said he, "all hail!" And the 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, an 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 to this day. And because 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

[p. 450]

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, and if I come."

And thereupon Maxen set forth towards Rome with his army, and vanquished France and
Burgundy, 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 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

[p. 451]

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 subduing 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.

Then spake Maxen to Helen Luyddawc. "I 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 them selves unto him.
The emperor then said unto Kynan and Adeon, "Lords," said he, "I have now had
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
that had come with them were grown grey-headed, from the length of time they were
upon this conquest.

Then spoke Kynan unto Adeon his brother, "Whether 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

[p. 452]

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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 453]

MAXEN WLEDIG.

443a Page <page 443>.

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.

[p. 454]

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 inhabitants 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 government of the Island from the hands of
those princes to whom Constantine 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 the son of Helen's uncle Llewelyn. Maxen's marriage, and his succession 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 in
an 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,

[p. 455]

[paragraph continues] 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. p. 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
possessions in Britain, he conferred upon them numerous districts from the lake on
the summit of Mons Iovis, 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 disablement of the women,
similar to that in the text; and add, that from this cause they were called
Letewiccion [Lledfydion], that is Semitacentes. This is evidently an attempt to
account for the name of Letavia [Llydaw], as applied to Armorica.

Gildas, in his work "De Excidio Britanniae," 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 the Roman Roads,
which intersected our Island. Their remains in several places in the Principality,
bear, to this day, the name of Sarn

[p. 456]

[paragraph continues] Helen, 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.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 459]

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
Lludd 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
moreover 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.

[p. 460]

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 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.

[p. 461]

The third plague was, that however much of provisions 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 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 otherwise 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

[p. 462]

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 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.

"And the 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

[p. 463]

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,

[p. 464]
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 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 by strength and
might, he besought his mercy. "How 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.

[p. 465]

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.

Footnotes

^460:1 The version in the Greal adds, "And their coin was fairy money;" literally,
dwarf's money: that is, money, which, when received, appeared to be good coin, but
which, if kept, turned into pieces of fungus, &c.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 466]

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 Iorwerth, 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.

[p. 467]

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 that whatever he built in the daytime, 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 despatched 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 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
Bosworth, 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

[p. 468]

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., in the Brut
Gruffydd 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 by the Rev. Peter Roberts, in "The Chronicle of the Kings of
Britain."

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 471]

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 born 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.

[p. 472]

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
incantations, it chanced 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 everything that was to come, and perceived that his
chief care 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

[p. 473]

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 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 wherewith 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]

[p. 474]

"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 Consolation and praise to Elphin, and foretold honour to Elphin; and the
Consolation was as you may see:--

"Fair Elphin, cease to lament!

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 in Gwyddno's weir
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 gain,
Too much grief will bring thee no good;
Nor doubt the miracles of the Almighty:
Although I am but little, I am highly gifted.
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

[p. 475]

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, I have been formed a comely person,

In the court of Caridwen I have done penance;
Though little I was seen, placidly received,
I was 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,
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 hull 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 Elphin. Then said

[p. 476]

[paragraph continues] Gwyddno, "Alas, what will he
himself replied and said, "He will profit him more
thee." Asked Gwyddno, "Art thou able to speak, and
answered him, "I am better able to speak than thou
what thou canst say," quoth Gwyddno. Then Taliesin
profit thee?" And Taliesin
than the weir ever profited
thou so little?" And Taliesin
to question me." "Let me hear
sang:--

"In water there is a quality endowed with a blessing;

On God it is most just to meditate aright;
To God it is proper to supplicate with seriousness,
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 true Creator of heaven, who affords me protection;
It is rightly intended that the saints should daily pray,
For God, the renovator, will bring them to him."

* * * * *

And forthwith Elphin gave his haul to his wife, and she nursed him
tenderly and lovingly. Thenceforward 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 spiritual

[p. 477]

gifts as upon him? 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 greyhounds? 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 languages. Now of 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 .

When they had all made an end of thus praising the king and his gifts, it befell
that Elphin spoke in this wise. "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,

[p. 478]

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 converse,
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 as her mistress, and the mistress to
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 still
kept 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

[p. 479]

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 it is certain, by your grace's leave, that
wheresoever my wife is at this present hour, whether 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 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,

[p. 480]

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.
I Taliesin, chief of bards,
With a sapient Druid's words,
Will 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 force and this wrong; [p. 481]
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
himself 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 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.
Whereupon 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

[p. 482]

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.
 "Primary chief bard am 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 fall of Lucifer into the depth of hell
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 of Nimrod;
I am a wonder whose origin is not known.

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:

I strengthened Moses through the water of Jordan;
I have been in the firmament with Mary Magdalene; [p. 483]
I have obtained the muse from the cauldron of Caridwen;
I have been bard of the harp to Lleon of Lochlin.
I have been on the White Hill, in the court of Cynvelyn,
For a day and a year in stocks and fetters,
I have suffered hunger for the Son of the Virgin,
I have been fostered in the land of the Deity,
I have been teacher to all intelligences,
I am able to instruct the whole universe.
I 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;
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;
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; [p. 484]
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;
Him death will not subdue,
Nor hand or blades;
There is the load of nine hundred 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,
When there is rain abroad,
Through the whelming sky;
The third will appear
Through the mountain veins,
Like a flinty banquet, [p. 485]
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,
Who will loosen Elphin
Out of the golden fetter."
* * * *

"Be silent, 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;
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; [p. 486]
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 is wet, 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, [p. 487]
Out of all creatures,
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 Ieuav;
What meat, what drink, [p. 488]
What roof his shelter;
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;
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 Arianrod
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; [p. 489]
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,
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 away in vanity,
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

[p. 490]

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
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

[p. 491]

poem which is now called "One of the Four Pillars of Song."

"The Almighty made,

Down the Hebron vale,
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,
Till Satan 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. [p. 492]

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 men should 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 Jordan's water,
The aid of the three
Most special rods. [p. 493]

Solomon did obtain

In Babel's tower,
All the sciences
In Asia land.

So did I obtain,
In my bardic 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 Walia.

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. [p. 494]

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.

* * * * *

Footnotes

^473:1 Taliesin.

^475:1 The mention of Gwyddno Garanhir, instead of Elphin ab Gwyddno in this place
is evidently an error of some transcriber of the MS.

The Mabinogion, tr. by Lady Charlotte Guest, [1877], at sacred-texts.com

[p. 495]

NOTES TO TALIESIN.

471a TALIESIN.--Page <page 471>.

TALIESIN, literally, the "Radiant Brow," was a Welsh Bard of the sixth century. His
name, regarded by his countrymen with the reverence due to the "Prince of 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 real history
little is known, excepting what may be gleaned from his works, and from the
following notices given in the volume of Iolo 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 Elffin, the son of
Urien, being once fishing 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

[p. 496]

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 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 son of
Cynvarch:--'I, too, have a son named Elffin,' said Gwyddno, '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 of Goddnou--Rhun, the son of
Maelgwn 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.:--

"Taliesin, Chief of the Bards of the West, the son of Saint 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,

[p. 497]

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.

Taliesin, the son of Henwg, was taken by the wild Irish, who unjustly occupied
Gower; but while on board ship, on his way to Ireland, he saw a skin coracle, quite
empty, on the surface of the sea, and it came closely to the side of the ship;
whereupon Taliesin, 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, however,
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 Talhaiarn, Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, presided 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

[p. 498]

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-Gwyroswydd, 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 education, at the

school of the celebrated Cattwg, at Llanveithin, in Glamorgan. In after life he
became the bard of Urien Rheged, to whom and to his son Owain, his principal poems
are addressed. In the opinion of the most judicious critics these poems are
undoubtedly genuine. They certainly contain passages of exquisite beauty, and are
far superior to many of the other compositions attributed 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
Ionas Athraw o Fynyw.

The name of Taliesin is thus commemorated in the Triads:--

"The three Baptismal Bards of the Isle of Britain:--Merddin 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 Iolo 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 Cynddylan,
the bard. These nine were called the Impulsive Stocks

[p. 499]

of the baptismal bards of Britain; Taliesin being their chair-president; 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 triennially, 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 Hen, the son of Elidr Lydanwyn, Ystudvach, the bard,
and Ystyphan, the bard of Teilo."

There are evidently in the foregoing notices some authentic historical facts, as
well as legendary traditions of the age 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.

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 <page 474>, 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, Iorwerth, 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 of Taliesin, when he liberated Elphin, when he
overshaded the Bardic mystery with the banners of the Bards."--Davies's Myth. of
the Druids.

[p. 500]

From several poems being, addressed to Hopkin ap Thomas ab Einiawn, by Davydd y

Coed, Iorwerth 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 Koch, 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 fragments. 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 hand and bears the title "Y Prif-feirdd Cymreig, sef Canau &c. a
gasglwyd ganwyf fi, William Morris o Gaergybi ym Mon, 1758." The MS. is of quarto
size.

The second fragment is from a MS. in the library of the late Iolo Morganwg, and was
kindly communicated by his son, the late Mr. Taliesin Williams (Ab Iolo).

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 Paghe, in the fifth volume of the Cambrian Quarterly; and, with
two exceptions (the poems beginning "Discover thou what is," and "I adore the
Supreme, Lord of all animation," pp. <page 485>, <page 487>), the translations of
the poems now published are extracted from that work, the necessary 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 Calender in the Arabian Nights.

471b CARIDWEN.--Page <page 471>.

CARIDWEN is generally considered to be the Goddess of Nature of Welsh mythology.

The principal circumstances of her fabulous history 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

[p. 501]

daughter Creirwy. Of these it may be sufficient to instance the Triad which

celebrates her with Arianrod and Gwenn, verch Cywryd ab Crydon, as one of the three
beauteous ladies of the island. [*1] One of the two Triads extant on the subject of
Morvran has been already cited. (See <page 273>.) It alludes to the extreme
ugliness assigned him in the text, to which, nevertheless, he was indebted for the
preservation 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.

472a GWYDDNO GARANHIR.--Page <page 472>.

GWYDDNO GARANHIR was Sovereign of Cantref y Gwaelod, a territory bordering on the

sea, and protected from its ravages by a high embankment. One evening there was
revelry at the Court, and Seithenin, [*3] the son of Seithyn Saidi, King of Dyved,
upon whom it 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 entirely
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 that, from being an opulent monarch, he
was all at once reduced to

[p. 502]

the necessity of maintaining himself and his only son, the unfortunate 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 is also preserved in the Myvyrian Archaiology (I. 165), a 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 <page 285>.

[p. 503]

476a MAELGWN GWYNEDD.--Page <page 476>.

This king succeeded his father Caswallon Lawhir in the sovereignty 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
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, be 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 unburied 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 Llaurhos, 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
Cambriae," published by the Record Commission, "Hir hun Maelgwn en llis Ros," The
long sleep of Maelgwn in the court of Rhos.

[p. 504]

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.

477a HEININ VARDD.--Page <page 477>.

IT would appear that Heinin was Bard to the College of Llanveithin, 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 Iolo MSS. by 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? [*1]
The brave is never cruel!"

_____________________________________
WYMAN AND SONS, PRINTERS, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LONDON, W.C.

Footnotes

^501:1 Triad 107.

^501:2 Triad xxix.

^501:3 Seithinyn the Drunkard's mischance in letting the sea overflow the Cantrev y
Gwaelod, is related in Triad xli.

^501:4 Traces of three ancient stone embankments are said to be still visible in
the district where this inundation took place. They are called Sarn Cynvelyn, Sarn
y Bwch, and Sarn Padrig. "The latter is particularly conspicuous, being left dry at
low water to the extent of about nine miles, and the sailors of the neighbouring
ports describe its whole length to be twenty-one miles, beginning near Harlech, and
running in a south-west direction." (Cambro-Briton, 1. 362.) The Hanes Cymru
contains some interesting remarks on this subject.

^504:1 Qu. ? "Bangor"--Iolo Morganwg.