CULHWCK AND OLWEN.
or the TWRCH TRWYTH
(Translation by Lady Charlotte Guest
Notes by Joseph Loth, my English translation)
Kilydd
the son of Prince Kelyddon desired a wife as a helpmate, and the wife that he
chose was Goleuddydd (1),
the daughter of Prince Anlawdd (2).
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.
(1) Goleuddydd, “shiny
day;” ref. Breton gouloudeiz.
(2)
In Achau
saint ynys Prydain (Myv.,
p. 431, collar. 2) or Genealogies of the
saints of the
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 Culhwck (1), because he
had been found in a swine's burrow. Nevertheless the boy was of gentle lineage,
and cousin unto Arthur (2);
and they put him out to nurse.
(1) Kulhwch.
This is one of these whimsical etymologies, as met from time to time
in the Mabinogion, and, in general, in the Middle
Ages texts. The author, breaking up the word into kul and hwch, saw in
kul the word cil, “hiding-place, retirement, corner, or narrow
bottom,” and in hwch the word
hwch, today sow,
but formerly pig in general (ref. Armorican, houch, “pig”). The name Kulhwch is preserved in Tref Culhwch, close to Pencaer in
Pembrokeshire (Egerton
Phillimore, Owen's Pembrok., 72. b. 322, notes).
(2)
Arthur. The name of Arthur is marked neither by Gildas, nor by Bede. It
appears for the first time in Nennius. According to the author of
Historia Britonum, Arthur was war
leader against the Saxons at the end of the 5th century; he would have gained
over them twelve victories. A part that perhaps does not even belong to
primitive work, mentions a hunt for the monster called porcum Troit, by Arthur
and his dog Cavall. Historia, in its original parts, dates from the IXth century (See Arthur de
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 (1)
[should be: ‘family teacher’] 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 :
(1) Athraw or Athro. Former Welsh had the habit to have a athraw in the
family: “There are three things
that a Welshman, owner of ground, must keep and maintain: a legitimate woman,
an armed man, if it cannot itself carry weapons, and a private teacher” (Athraw leuluaidd. Ancient laws,
II, p. 514, 31). The bardd often
played this role; and, in particular, held the genealogies. Athro might rather point at the
confessor perhaps here, or rather one of these family clerks called ‘latiniers,’
(‘latiners’) who, in XIIIth c.,
France cumulated the functions of interpreter, writer and chaplain (See Lecoy de
“I
know a wife that will suit thee well, and she is the wife of King Doged. (1)” 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
(2) [should be: witch] 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 that 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. (3)” And he sent messengers for his son, and he was
brought to the Court. His stepmother said unto him, “It were
well for thee to have a wife, and I have a daughter who is sought of every man
of renown in the world.”
(1) According to Rees, Welsh
Saints, p. 209 (see Lady
Guest, Mab., II, p.320), there was a king Doged, son of Cedig ab Ceredig ab
Cunedda Wledig, brother of the bishop Avan, founder of Llan-Avan in
Breconshire. He was put amongst the saints, and gave his name to Llan-Ddoged,
in Denbighshire. He could have lived from 500 to 542.
(2) Old witch in the figurative
meaning of the word (ref. old
fay). The Breton
word groac'h has all the meanings of
Welsh gwrach.
(3) This whole text is in the Welsh
version of the Seven Wise ones of
“I
am not yet of an age to wed (1),”
answered the youth. Then she said 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 (2), 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 (3), and ask this of him as a boon.”
(1) According to the oldest drafting
of the Welsh laws, the one of Gwynedd or North-Wales, girls could be married (‘to give them to a husband’: rody
y wr) at twelve. Boys could be married at fourteen years, because, at this
age, he was a master of his actions, he can own things; his father does not
have any more a right of beating him (Ancient
laws, I, p. 202, 8; 204, 3). It goes without saying that Kulhwch’s
answer does not refer to the age fixed by law.
(2) Dafydd ab Gwilym, singing a
woman, calls her fain Olwen “thin,
slender Olwen” (p. 162); a
similar comparison is found in Iolo mss., p. 239.
(3) According to Rees’ Cyclopaedia, quoted by Lady Guest, families
of standing during the VIIIth century used to ask a well-considered person to
perform the first haircut of their children: these people would become
something like the children’s spiritual fathers or godfathers. Constantin sent
to the Pope the hair of his son Heraclius, as a pledge of his wish to see him
become an adoptive father to Heraclius. Guortigern had a son with his daughter,
and convinced her to carry the child to bishop Germain, declaring who was the
father. Germain said to the child: “Pater tibi
ero, nec le permittam nisi mihi novacula cum forcipe et pectine detur, et ad patrem tuum carnalem
tibi dare liceat.”
The child goes straight to Guortigern, and says: “Pater
meus es tu,
caput meum tonde, et comam capitis
mei pecte.” (Hist., XXXIX). The word diwyn
indicates here thus the action to put in order, to cut and comb the
hair. This same habit existed in the Germanic world (See Loth, Revue Celt., 1890, p. 495-496). The present example
does not support, however, that this operation would be intended to provide a
child with a spiritual father, but that it was reserved to the father and to
the parents.
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 (1), 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 (2). 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 a hundred kine (3). And there was
precious gold of the value of three hundred kine upon his shoes, and upon his
stirrups, from his knee to the tip of his toe.
(1) [Loth comments on his translation
of Welsh gleif by spear and not by broadsword,
as a French speaker would expect.] What
is called a glaive (broadsword) in the Middle Age French novels, is a spear. The Welsh gleif, borrowed from
French glaive, has the same meaning. In Brut Gr. ab Arthur (Myv. Arch., 532.2), Arthur takes his
sword Caletvwlch; then takes a gleif named Ron uwchel.
However in the corresponding Nod., found in a
XIIth.-XIIIth century manuscript (Myv.
arch., p. 589, n° 510), the
word gleif is replaced by gwaew; spear. In the same way in Brut Tysilio. (ibid.,
463.1), the spear is called Rongymyniat: in Kulhwch its name is Rongomiant.
(2) the
Welsh text says lugorn olifant yndi (and an ivory lugorn in it). It could be possible to
translate lugorn by war horn [as Lady Guest does] but it is a very rare meaning. It evokes
perhaps of a lantern in the cross or the pommel of the sword. Sometimes lantern
indicated, in the Middle Ages, a jewel containing scented balls; according
to Littré, this name is still given to the open worked part of the cross of a
bishop, or stick of a priest helper. The pommels of sword, in the Middle Ages, were often open worked; and would contain,
under a bezel, relics to swear upon (See
Viollet-le-Duc, Dictionnaire du mobilier français, V, p. 378). Peniarth, IV (L Blanc 483), instead of lugorn, says
lloring of unknown meaning.
(3) By the old Britons, as among
Irishmen, the commercial value was appreciated in cattle heads. It is still the
way of counting, in the laws of Howel Da, written during the tenth century, but
of which the oldest manuscript is dated of the twelfth century. It recalls the
times when wealth consisted mainly of herds.
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 [Loth notices a gap here]. 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 (1), 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 (2), 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 (3).
But
there will be refreshment for thy dogs, and for thy horses; and for thee there
will be collops cooked and peppered (4), 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 [more straightforwardly:
“a woman to lie with”], and shall lull thee
with songs; and early to-morrow morning, when the gate is open for the
multitude that came 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.”
(1) Huandaw, “who hears well; “Gogigwc is probably a fault
of the copyist for Gogihwc, an
epithet which one finds in Aneurin’s Gododin (Skene, Four ancient books of Wales, p. 90, verse 13),
but whose meaning is not certain; Llaesgenym might be also distorted, Pen. 4. Laes Kemyn perhaps for Llaes Kevyn; the
first term, llaes, come from Latin laxus; Owen Pughe gives to Pennpingion
read meaning of branchy head, by linking pingion and pingc.
(2) The Welsh word indicates that the
drinking horn with was made originally and usually also, of buffalo horn or
wild ox.. According to the Welsh laws, the drinking
horn of the king, the one he would carry during is raids, and the horn of the
chief hunter, were to be of wild ox (Ancient
laws, II p. 991).
(3) The same life-style feature is
found among former Irishmen. When Lug, son of Eithlenn, a kind of Irish Mercury, arrives at the royal
palace of Tared, the gatekeeper refuses entrance to him, unless he masters some
art or profession (O' Curry, One the manners, III, p, 42).
(4) The dystein or the king’s bailiff had to provide some
herbs to the cook; only pepper is explicitly spoken of (Ancient laws, I, p. 48). The peppered meats are in honour
also in our tales of chivalry: “poons rostis, et bons cisnes (cygnes) pevreis,” (“roasted
meats and good peppered swans”) (about
Said the youth, “That I will 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 (1) at this very gate,
than which none were ever more deadly, from the top of Pengwaed (2) in Cornwall (3) [called Kernyw in the Welsh text] to the bottom of Dinsol, in the
North (4), and to Esgair Oervel(5), in Ireland [called Iwerddon in the Welsh text]. And all the women in this Palace that are
pregnant shall lose their offspring; and such as are not pregnant, their hearts
shall be turned by illness, so that they shall never bear children from this
day forward.”
(1) The piercing cry (diaspad) was a legal means of
protest according to the Laws.
It was still of use, according to the code of Gwynedd, if a descendant to the
ninth degree would come claiming that some ground belonged to him: it was
called diaspat uwch annwvyn, that is ‘cry deeper than the chasm’ (Ancient laws I, 173,174.2). According to the Gwent code,
the diaspat egwan or
distress cry, was legal for the Welshman whom assistance of the law in the king
court or in front of the judges was refused, about his inheritance. The same
for the ninth degree descendants, to protest against a
property forfeiture (Ancient
laws, I, p. 774, 1). On shouting as protest against a decree of the
sovereign among Frenchmen, see Paulin, Paris, Romans de
(2) In the Laws, 1, p. 184, we find the name Penryn Penwaed y Kernyw.
It would have become, according to the editor, Penwith in
(3) Kernyw is the Welsh name
of British Cornwall, same name as that the one
Armorican Cornwall: Kernèo and Kerné. Kernyw is sometimes
confused with
(4) In the Mabinogion, the North is Briton country of
the North of England, from
(6) As pointed out Kuno Meyer (Early relations between Gael and Brython, Society of Cymmrodorion, 1896, p. 35), this is a deformation of Sescenn Uairbhéoil in
“What
clamour soever thou mayest make,” said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr (1), “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
(1) Glewlwyt of the strong grip. He is already
found in the black Book,
fulfilling his functions of gatekeeper, but not, so it seems, those of Arthur’s
gatekeeper (Skene, II, p. 50,
See 24).
(2) The Welsh legend distinguishes two Ynyr: Ynyr Gwent and Ynyr
Llydaw or the
Armorican Ynyr. Ynyr Gwent would be, according to the Liber Laudavensis, p. 111, the father of one prince
Idon, contemporary of saint Teliaw. Armorican Ynyr would be son of king Alan, and nephew of Cadwaladr (Gaufrei of Monmouth, San-Marte ed., XII, 19, written Iny; Brut
Tysilio, p. 475, col. 2). Taliesin sings the achievements of Ynyr (Skene, II, p. 167, See 25; p. 168,
verse 8 and following; at line 25 the poet speaks of the gwystlon or hostages of Ynyr).
(3) Instead of Kaer Oeth ac Anoeth,
one generally reads Carchar (jail)
Oeth ac Anoeth. The black Book mentions family of Oeth and Anoeth (Skene, 31, 8). According to the Triads of the Red Book (Mab.,
p. 300, 1; 306, 9), Arthur would have been three nights in this prison with
Llyr Lledyeith, Mabon, son of Modron, and Geir, son of Geiryoed; he was made
free by Goreu, son of Kustennin, his cousin. We find several of these
characters in our mabinogi. The names of the prisoners differ (see below in connection with
Modron). The meaning of oeth and anoeth here is not sure. Oeth
has also the meaning
of wealth, jewels, gift,
like anoeth: (ref. to - oeth in cyf-oeth, richness, power; ref. to Irish, cumachte).
Said Kai, “By the hand of my friend (1), if thou wouldest follow my counsel, thou wouldest not break through
the laws of the Court because of him.”
"Not so, blessed Kai. It is an honour to us to be resorted to, and the
greater our courtesy the greater will be our renown, and our fame, and our
glory.”
And
Glewlwyd came to the gate, and opened the gate before him; and although all
dismounted upon the horse-block at the gate, yet did he not dismount, but rode
in upon his charger. Then said Culhwck, “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 (2). And complete be thy favour, and thy fame, and thy
glory, throughout all this
(1) Kei is one of the best known characters of the Welsh legends. In the mabinogion since they
received some French influence, and in the
French novels, he is courageous, but talkative, (old French: gabeur = blabbermouth), and it is not always happy in its fights. In
this mabinogi he is truly shown ; he however starts
already to blabber. The Black Book presents him as a companion of
Arthur, and a terrible warrior “when
he drank, he drank against four, when he went to combat, he fought against
hundred” (Skene, p. 50, XXXII;
52, verse 5, verse 17 and following). According to the Triads (Mab.,
303, 3), he is one of the three
taleithawc or chiefs carrying a broad
gold crown on their helmet,
together with Gweir, son of Gwystyl, and Drystan, son of Tallwch. The Welsh
poets of the Middle Ages
(Gogynveirdd), form the XIIth to the XVth century, allude frequently to
Kei: Myv. arch., 978, col. 2: Mae yn gyveill grymus
val Kei gwynn (he is a strong
friend like blessed Kei); ibid., p.
328, col. 2: Wryd Cai (Kei’s
courage); ibid., p. 329, col. 1: Cai boneddigaidd (noble as Kei); ibid., p. 332,
col. 1: Pwyll Cai (the
reason, the understanding
of Kei); Davydd ab Gwilym, p. 323 (1873
edition), against Rhys Meigen: Nid gwrol Gai hir, he is not a brave man like Cai the Long; Llewis Glyn Cothi, p.
309, 15, quotes also Kai hir (Kai the Long). He is the son of Kynyr, but it
seems, according to a sentence of our mabinogi and a most singular poem of Myv.
arch., that there
were divergences of opinion or doubts about this point. In this poem, which is
a dialogue between Gwenhwyvar and Arthur she did not recognize, he is called
son of Sevyn. Gwenhwyvar praises him like an incomparable warrior; she states
in front of Arthur that, judging form
his stature, he would not hold Cai, even if he was the hundredth to attack; to
that Arthur answers that, though he is small, it would resist alone a
whole hundred (Myv. arch.,
p. 130, col. 2). The marvellous qualities of Kei are given a bit below in the
present text. Gaufrei of Monmouth describes him as being Arthur’s dapifer (IX, 11, 12, 13; X, 3, 6, 9. 13); he
has, indeed, the roles of a dystein in the mabinogi of
Owen and Lunet. The form of its name, in the
French novels, Keu (pronounce
Keï), is quite Welsh. According to our mabinogi, he would have been killed by
Gwyddawc ab Menestyr (149).
(2) A similarly elaborated formula of salute is found in a poem of Myv.
arch., p. 248, col. 2, and attributed to Elidyr Sais (XII-XIIIth c.).
save only my ship; and my mantle; and
Caledvwlch (1), my sword; and
Rhongomyant, my lance; and Wynebgwrthucher, my shield (2); and Carnwenhau (3),
my dagger; and Gwenhwyvar (4),
my wife. By the truth of Heaven, thou shalt have it cheerfully, name what thou
wilt.”
“I
would that thou bless my hair.” [as understood two lines below, it should be : “I
wish you put my hair in order.”]
“That
shall be granted thee.”
(1) Caledvwlch, from calet “hard,” and bwlch “notch, breach” :
“hard to notch?” or
“notches strongly.” A famous sword in Irish epics, the sword of Leité, which came to him from fairy place,
bears a similar name, Calad-holg, which O' Curry translated by “hard-bulging”
(O' Curry, On the manners II, p. 320). - Rongomyant:
ron means spear; the second term is not clear. The Brut Gr. ab Arthur (Myv. arch., p. 32,2 and Nod.
500) gives Ron uwchel and Rongoruchel, and in Brut Tysilio (ibid., p. 163-178) Rongymynyat or Spear
which cuts.
(2) Gwyneb Gwrthucher: gwyneb, “face,” gwrthucher “evening” (ref. Cornic gwrthuher: Cornic Vocabulary, Zeuss, Gr.
Celt. appendix).
(3) Karnwenhan; the first term, carn,
means “handle;” gwenan has, in the
dictionaries, the meaning
of bulb or pimple under the
skin; it is more probable than one deals here with a diminutive of gwen
“white “: the gender of kyllell, “knife,” is feminine
: Karnwenhan “with a white (or whitish) handle.”
(4) Gwenhwyvar, Gaufrei of
Monmouth’s Gvanhumara, and ‘Guenièvre’ in the
French novels. According to Gaufrei, IX, 9, it would be of Roman
race, and raised by Cador, duke of
Gwenhwyvar merch Ogyrvan Gawr
Drwg yn vechan, waeth yn vawr.
“Gwenhwyvar, the daughter of Gogyrvan Gawr ,
bad when young, becoming worse while aging” (Myv. arch., p 863, column 1l.
Gwenhwyvar
(white phantom or white
fairy) is identical to Irish Finnabair: the
two words are composed of vindo - (fem. vindā,
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 Culhwck, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by
Goleuddydd, my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd.”
“That
is true,” said Arthur; "thou art my cousin. Whatsoever boon thou mayest
ask, thou shalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name.”
“Pledge
the truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof.”
“I
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 (1), and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Greid the son
of Eri, and Kynddelig Kyvarwydd (2),
and Tathal Twyll Goleu (3),
and Maelwys the son of Baeddan (4),
and Crychwr the son of Nes (5),
and Cubert the son of Daere (6),
(1) One of the three main Gallovydd or engine master of the
(2) In the poems on the
graves, Black Book, Skene ed., p. 32, the grave of one
Kindilic, Corknud’s son, is mentioned as the grave of an alltud or
foreigner. It is also the
name of one of Llywarch Hen’ sons (Black Book, p. 48, 34; 61. 25).
(3) Tywyll Goleu, “half dark, half light.”
(4) The author saw a relationship
between the second word wys,
in Maetwys, and Baeddan:
Gwys , ref. Breton gwes,
“sow” ; Baeddan,
diminutive of baedd, pig or male wild boar.
(5) This is the name of famous
(6) Kubert is, undoubtedly, a fault
of the copyist or
several successive copyists. There is one well-known Daere’s son, who is Conroi
or Cúroi. Curoi, king de West Munster, was killed treacherously by the biggest hero of Irish
epic, Cuchulain, who took along with him in Ulster Blanait, Curoi’ wife.
Curoi’s faithful bard and harpist, Fercoirtne, went to the court of Cuchulain, one day when the leaders were gathered in
Rinn Chin Bearraidhe, on a cliffy hill; he came near Blanait, and while talking
to her, brought her at the edge
of the cliff, and
throwing his arms around
her body, thrown the
both of them down the cliff. One finds, among the poems allotted to Taliesin, an elegy on the death of Conroi mab Dayry;
the name of Cuchulain is
mentioned there (Cocholyn). The
poem was not understood by Stephens, like points out by Skene, who besides
mistranslated it as well. On Conroi, see O' Curry, On the manners, II, p. 9, 10, 97, 199. 358; III, t5, 75, etc.
and
Percos the son of Poch, and Lluber Beuthach, and Corvil Bervach, [missing:
Gwynn the son of Nwyvre (1)], and Gwynn the son of Nudd, and Edeyrn (2) the son of Nudd, and Gadwy (3) the son of Geraint, and Prince Fflewddur Fflam (4), and Ruawn Pebyr the son of Dorath (5), and Bradwen the son of Moren Mynawc,
(1) Nwyvre, firmament, Empyrean.
(2) Edern, which plays a significant
role in the mabinogi of
Geraint ab Erbin, became, like many other heroes, a saint. He gave his name to
Bod-Edern, in
(3) The manuscript carries Adwy:
it is a mistake for Arvy, which itself replaces Garwy. Garwy, son
of Geraint, are one of the most
often quoted characters: Myv. arch., p. 411,
col. 1. He is one of the loving
and generous three knights of Arthur’s court, together with Gwalchmei and
Cadeir, son of Seithin Saidi; a poet quotes his courage (Myv., p. 293, col. 2; 323. col. 1), another his
generosity (Myv., p.
328, col. 2), cf. Llew-Glyn Cothi, p. 161, verse 21: Gwryd Garwy,
“the courage of Garwy;”
Daf ab Gwil., p. 191; he is
Creirwy’s lover: the poet
Hywel ab Einiawn Llygliw (1330-1370)
compares a woman to the beautiful Creirwy, who bewitched him as she did Garwy (Myv. arch., p. 339, col. 1).
(4) One of the three unbenn (prince, leader) of Arthur’s court, with Goronwy, son of Echel,
and Kadyrieith (Mab. Triads,
303, 13; cf. Triads, Skene, II, p. 456); Pen-4 (L Rh. 460): Flewdwr Flam wledic: flam is borrowed from
Latin flamma.
(5) One of the three
Gwyndeyrn (beautiful kings
or blessed kings) of the
and
Moren Mynawc himself, and Dalldav the son of Kimin Côv (1), and the son of Alun Dyved (2), and the son of Saidi, and the son of Gwryon, and Uchtryd Ardywad Kad
(3), and Kynwas Curvagyl,
and Gwrhyr Gwarthegvras (4),
and Isperyr Ewingath (5),
and Gallcoyt Govynynat, and Duach, and Grathach (6), and Nerthach, the sons of Gwawrddur Kyrvach (these men came forth from the confines of hell),
(1) He is one of the three pairs of
Arthur’s court together with Ryhawt, son of Morgant, and Drystan, son of March (Myv. arch. , p. 393, 89.)
His horse, Fer-las (blue
ankle), is one of the three
Gordderch varch (horse of a lover) from the island (Mab. Triads, 307, 3). Instead of Kimin,
one finds also Kunin.
(2) The text carries only: son of
Dyvet Alum. Black Book, 30, 26, 27: Bet Run mab Alun Diwed, “grave
of Run, son of Dyved Alum;” the tomb
of Alum is also mentioned as that of a valiant warrior. There is a Dyvyr, also
given as Alun Dyved’s son (Mab.,
159, 30; 2-5, 17).
(3) Ychtryt vab
Etwin is mentioned in the Brut
y Tywysogyon, Myv. arch., p. 612, col. 2; a canton of Carmarthenshire had the name Uchtryd; the
text gives ardywat; it is probably necessary to read ardwyat
cat, “director, regulator
of the combat.” (Confirmed by Pen, 4 (L Rh. 460): ardwyat).
(4) Gwarthegvras, of the big cattle.
(5) He is mentioned in Chwedlau y
Doethion. (words of the wise ones). Ewingath means nail of cat.
(6) Pen. 4 (White Book) shows
Brathach which seems to be better (Brath, prick, bite).
and
Kilydd Canhastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw (1), and Cors Cant-Ewin (2),
and Esgeir Gulhwch Govynkawn, and Drustwrn Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and
Lloch Llawwynnyawc (3), and Aunwas
Adeiniawc (4), and Sinnoch
the son of Seithved (5), and
Gwennwynwyn the son of Naw (6),
and Bedyw the son of Seithved,
(1) Kanllaw, “help,
support; “Kanhastyr or
Kanastr is translated by Owen Pughe, by “hundred connections, hundred
recourses;” the word
designates, in any case, some kind embarrassment; it contrasts with Kanllaw (ref. Tywyll Goleu and Rwydd Dyrys). This term appears in the Laws: Cyhyryn canhastyr
is said of “the stolen
meat that reaches the hundredth
hand.” There could have been hundred men taking part to the thievery, the one
who is caught carrying the theft is liable to a fine (Richards, Welsh Dict., according to Wotton).
(2) One finds also Kwrs; Kors
is better; one finds a Kors, son of Erbig, and another, son of Gafran, in the Liber Land., p. 466, 487. Kant ewin “with the hundred
nails.”
(3) Lloch Llawwynnawc “of the white hand” is mentioned
in the Black Book, 51,
14, among Arthur’s companions (Lluch
Llawynnauc). Lloch appears to be Loth or Batch of the Romans de
(4) adeinawc
“the winged one” is
mentioned beside Llwch Llawwynnyawc in the
Black Book (51, 15). This is probably the same character as the one under the name of Edenawc (Pen
(5) We have also a Seitwet (Mab. Triads, 302, 16),
but he is perhaps a different character; seithvet means seventh.
(6) The text gives Naw, but the
Red Book reproduces a manuscript in which the sign indicating w
also has, sometimes, value v: Pen. 4 (L. Rh. 461) adds after Naw: mab Seithvet; Gwennwynwyn
is one of the three
leaders of the Brittany fleet, with Geraint ab Erbin and March ab Meirchion;
each one had a hundred and twenty ships, each one carrying a hundred and twenty
men (Myv. arch., p. 407, 68). One of the three
masterpieces of the island
is the ship of Nefydd
Nef Neifion, which carried a male and a female of each species of animals when the pond of Llion broke (Myv. arch., p. 409, col.
97). Neifion would have swam from
and
Gobrwy the son of Echel Vorddwyttwll (1), and Echel Vorddwyttwll himself, and Mael the son of Roycol, and
Dadweir Dallpenn (2), and Garwyli
the son of Gwythawc Gwyr, and Gwythawc Gwyr himself, and Gormant the son of
Ricca (3), and Menw the son of
Teirgwaedd, and Digon the son of Alar (4), and Selyf the son of Smoit, and Gusg the son of Atheu, and Nerth the
son of Kedarn (5), and Drudwas
the son of Tryffin (6),
(1) Echel is identified by the Welsh poets to the name of Achilles. Morddwyt Twll (‘one
with the pierced thigh’).
(2) The text shows Datweir, but
the Dallweir form is
further and in other texts. Coll, son of Collfrewi, was the pig-keeper of
Dallweir Dallbenn and was one of the
three big pig-keepers of the
island. See lower the note
on Coll and the pigs of
Dallweir at Twrch Trwyth.
(3) Instead of Ricca, read Rita:
See lower, and the Triads. [I
will put them online much later, sorry.] This name is represented today
still in North-Wales
toponomy (J. Rhys, Celtic
Folkl., II, pp. 477-80; 566-4.)
(4) Digon, enough, Alar dislike,
satiety.
(5) Nerth, strength, Kadarn,
strong.
(6) According to a letter written by
Robert Vaugban to Meredith Llwyd, July 24, 1655, published by Cambrian
Register, III, p. 311, and reproduced by Lady Guest, one played still of his time, a tune known as Caniad Adar Llwch
Gwin, song of the birds
of Llwch Gwin. A Triad gives Drudwas ab Tryphin as one of the three aurdafodogion or
men of the gold tongue, of Arthur’s court, with Gwalchmai and Madawc ab Uthur (Myv., p. 410, 121).
and Twrch the son of Perif, and Twrch
the son of Annwas, and
(1) Kaer Dathl, see p. 175, n°
4. [Here is this footnote : “* Caer Dathl, or, with an irrational or euphonic vowel, Caer
Dathyl and Dathal. It is still a place name in Caernarvonshire. The caer or
stronghold was on an eminence close to Llanrwst (Lady Guest, according to Cambro-Briton, II, p. 3). The Mab. and other texts refer to
it quite often (Myv. arch., p. 151 col. 1; Llewis Glyn Cothi, IV, 1, 7).” ]
(2) Kaw of Prydyn (
and Hueil (1) the son of Kaw (he
never yet made a request at the hand of any Lord).
And
Samson Vinsych (2), and Taliesin
the chief of the bards (3),
and Manawyddan the son of Llyr (4),
and Llary (5) the son of
Prince Kasnar, and Ysperni the son of Fflergant (6) king of Armorica, and Saranhon, the son of Glythwyr, and Llawr Eilerw
(7),
(1) According to a tradition
mentioned by Tegid (Llew. Glyn
Cothi, p. 199, See 21), Hueil was beheaded in Rhuthyn, in
Denbighshire, on Arthur’s order. Lady Guest tells it at length from Jones, Welsh
Bards, p. 22. Hueil
would have been impudent (and
unwise) to court
the same woman as
Arthur, whereupon a duel occurred in
which Arthur was seriously wounded at the
thigh. He cured, but remained slightly lame. Arthur made promise
Hueil to never utter word under death penalty. Some time afterwards, Arthur
fell in love with a lady from Rhuthyn. He disguised himself as a woman to meet
her. One day as he danced with her and some friends, Hueil caught him,
recognized him and cried
“The dance would be very well, thigh withstanding!” Arthur had
him beheaded on a stone now named Maen Hueil. The poets name him quite often (Myv. arch., p. 281, col. 2),
(2) Samson with the dry lips.
(3) Taliessin pennbeird, or
chief of the bards.
(4) See the mabinogi bearing this name.
(5) Llary, generous.
(6) See Mab. of
Math [note for the three
unfair families in the mabinogi
of Math.]
(7) Llawr, “ground; “Erw, ” furrow .”
and
Annyanniawc (1) 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 (2), and Eiddon
Vawr Vrydic (3), and Reidwn
Arwy, and Gormant the son of Ricca (Arthur's brother by his mother's side; the Penhynev of Cornwall (4) was his father), and Llawnrodded Varvawc (5), and Nodawl Varyf Twrch (6), and Berth the son of Kado (7),
(1) Annyannawc,
well endowed, Menw, intelligence.
(2) Hyveidd Unllen, “with only one coat.” See Mabinogi of Pwyll, notes at
Heveidd Hen.
(3) Mawrvrydic, “magnanimous.”
(4) Pennhynev, “the leader of the old men.” The name misses.
It should be, undoubtedly, Kadwr, count de
(5) This character is often confused
with another: Llawfrodedd, also called Varvawc, “the bearded one” (Myv. arch., 166, col. 2; 148,
col. 1; 303, col. 1). According to a Triad, he is one of the three shepherds of
(6) Baryv Twrch, “wild boar beard.”
(7) Below, he is given as a powerful
chief in
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).
(1) Morvran. “sea crow.” [almost
always, the French call ‘raven’ (corbeau)
what is a crow. I guessed that Loth would too.] According to the life of Taliesin, he would
be son of Tegid Voel,” the Bald,”
and of Ceridwen. He is one of the three
ysgymydd aereu or esgemydd aereu (esgemydd, according to E. Lhwyd, had the meaning of bench;
Cf. istomid in the cart.
of Redon, to be corrected into iscomid = ysgymydd); the others were Gilbert, son of Catgyffro and Gwynn Cleddyfrudd (Skene, II, p. 458; Mab. Triads,
304, 25); they returned from
combat only on stretchers, when they could
stir neither finger nor tongue (Myv.
arch, p. 404, 33). The third, who escaped from Kamlan, is Glewlwyd
Gavael Vawr. (Myv., p. 392. 85).
(2) Cambriae Annals carry, at year 537, the
mention “Gueith
Camlann, the battle of
Camlann, where Arthur and Medraut fell; there was great mortality in
And
Sandde Bryd Angel (1)(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 (2) his horse). And
Uchtryd the son of Erim (3), and Eus the son of Erim, and Henwas Adeinawg the
son of Erim, and Henbedestyr (4) the son of Erim, and Sgilti Yscawndroed the
son of Erim. (Unto these three
men belonged these three qualities,--With Henbedestyr there was not any one who
could keep pace, either on horseback or on foot; with Henwas Adeinawg, no
four-footed beast could run the distance of an acre, much less could it go
beyond it; and as to Sgilti Yscawndroed (5), when he intended to go upon a
message for his Lord,
(1) Pryd-angell, “angel face.”
(2) Hen-groen, “old skin .”
(3) This name originates perhaps from Irish érimm,
race, runner (Kuno Meyer, Gael
and Brython, p. 35, note 5).
(4) Hen-beddestyr, “old
pedestrian.”
(5) Ysgavndroet, “with a light foot.”
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 (1). 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 Hên 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 Hên, and Gwenwynwyn the son of Nav
Gyssevin (2), Arthur's champion, and Llysgadrudd Emys (3), and Gwrbothu Hên, (uncles unto Arthur were they, his mother's brothers).
Kulvanawyd (4) the son of Goryon, and Llenlleawg Wyddel (5)
(1) Pen. 4 (L. Rh. 463) adds: as long as he was on
a mountain, he would walk on the top
of the reeds.
(2) Nav Gyssevin, “Naf, the first”; gyssevin could be also associated to rysswr,
the whole meaning then: the first
warrior or champion. He is the Welsh Noah.
(3) Llygad-rudd, “red eye;” emys, “steed.”
(4) Kulvanawyd or Kulvynawyd (mynawyd, Armorican menaoued,
“awl;” cul, “narrow” ) is the father
of the three
shameless women of
(5) This name is also written Llenvleawc;
it seems to be corrupted in both cases.
from
the headland of Ganion (1), and Dyvynwal Moel (2), and Dunard (3) king of the
North, Teirnon Twryf Bliant (4), and Tegvan Gloff (5), and Tegyr Talgellawg,
Gwrdinal the son of Ebrei, and Morgant Hael (6), Gwystyl (7) the son of Rhun
the son of Nwython,
(1) Ganion is perhaps better [Loth
gives Gamon in his translation, unlike Lady Guest.]. According to Richards’
dictionary, there would have been a headland of this name in
(2) Better known under the name of Dyvynwal Moelmut.
According to the Triads, it
is one of the three post-cenedl,
“pillars of race” , of the
(3) Perhaps Dyvnarth.
(4) See higher, p. 22 and 108. [ p. 22: remarks on the
orthography of the Old
and Middle Welsh (the one of the
Mabinogion). p 108: bliant is “the
name of a kind of fine fabric or cambric.” ]
(5) Cloff, “the lame one.”
(6) The same one appears as Morgan
Mwynvawr. He is one of the three
Ruddvoawc (doublet ruddvaawc),
who make red the ground, with Run, son of Beli and Llew Llawgyffes;
nothing grew, neither grass nor plant, where they went, for one year; Arthur was more ruddvaawc that them: nothing grew after him during
seven years (Tr. Mab.,
p. 303, 5; cf. Myv. arch., p. 405, col. 1).
(7) His son Gweir is
better known. He is one of the three
Taleithawc (headband
carrier) of Arthur’s court (Tr.
Mab., 303, 4); the poets
speak of him: “Estimated like
Gweir, son of Gwestyl” (Myv. arch, p.
233. column 1; cf. ibid, 300, col. 2; 294, col. 1).
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.)
(1) Drem, “sight, aspect”; dremidydd, “that
one who sees.” The Englynion y Clyweid and a poet of XVth century speak
of him, Iolo Goch (Lady
Guest, II, p. 341).
(2) Prydyn. That is the name given to
And Eidyol (1) the son of Ner, and Glywyddn Saer (2) (who constructed Ehangwen (3), Arthur's Hall). Kynyr Keinvarvawc (4) [French version: Kei was said to be his son](when he was told he had a son born he said to his wife, 'Damsel, if thy
son be mine, his heart will be always cold, and there will be no warmth in his
hands; and he will have another peculiarity, if he is my son he will always be
stubborn (5); 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').
(1) Eidyol. Pen.4 gives Eidoet
thus Eidiol should read
Eideol; ref. Black Book, Evans ed. Eidoel also for Eideol,
Eidiol as the rhyme
proves it. We shall meet below Eidoel, [cousin to Mabon, and the only person able to
find him back.] see below. Eidiol the
Strong, during the treason
of Caersallawg, killed six hundred and sixty Saxon with a distaff made of
service wood (Myv. arch., p.
407, 60).
(2) Saer, workman, working
stone or wood, here a carpenter. On the saer, to see Trioedd Doethineb beirdd, the Triads of bards’ wisdom, Myv.
arch., p. 927, col.1; Brut Tysilio, ibid, p. 459, col. 2; In Irish, the saer is a
also carpenter, mason, architect (O'
Curry. On the manners,
III, p. 40-42; Cornic vocabulary, sair).
(3) Ehangwen, “broad and white.”
(4) A poet of XIVth century, Madawc
Dwygraig, singing Gruffudd ab Madawc, says that the men of Kynyrle country cry. However, Madawc is of
Ystrad Llechwedd, i.e. the country between
(5) It was not however most obstinate
of the Britons. The
three obstinate ones in the Triads are:
Eiddilic Gorr, Trystan ab Tallwch and Gweirwerydd Vawr. One could never make them change their mind (Myv. arch., p. 408, 78).
Henwas, and Henwyneb (an
old companion to Arthur) (1). 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).
(1) Henwas, “old servant"; ref. Anwas; Hen wyneb, “old face"; Hen gedymdeith, “old companion.”
(2) The text shows Gerenhir. Ceraint is the first who made a proper beer. He just finished
boiling the malt with
field flowers and honey when a wild boar arrived, drank some of it, and dropped
down its scum, that made the beer ferment. Geraint was took to drink and died
of it.
(3) Osla, “with a large knife.” In the
Dream of Ronabwy, Arthur must fight him in Kaer Vaddon. His name is
also once written Ossa, which would bring us easily to Offa, a well-known Welsh
name. In the Irish
account, known under the name
of Bruighean Daderga, appears, at the
court of Daderg, three Saxon princes one of which bears the name of Osalt (O' Curry, On the manners, III, p. 146).
and Ely Amyr (1), and
Rheu Rhwyd Dyrys (2), 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 (4), and Gweir (5) 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 (6). Cas the son of Saidi (7),
(1) Perhaps a mistake of the copyist for Ely and
Trachmyr spoken of one line lower.
(2) Reu is probably for Rew,
“cold “; rwydd, “easy, free “; dyrys, “embarrassed “.
(3) This son of Kelcoet is called
Llwyd by Dafydd ab Gwilym, p. 114.
(4) Gwynn Gotyvron appears in the Black Book, in the dialogue between Arthur
and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr. He is given as one of Arthur’s servants, p. 51, verse 4: Guin Godybrion or, more probably, Godybron.
(5) Gweir, son of Gwestyl, is more
famous than these Gweir. There
is another Gweir, son of Ruvawn, who would have composed a book of laws (Ancient laws I, p. 218). Talaryant “silver
forehead”; paladyr hir, “with
the long spear”.
For Llwch, see higher, at Lloch, Pen. 4 (L. Rh. 466.); Gweir Gwrhyt Baladyr.
(6) It is possible that Arderchawc
Prydein does not refer to Llenlleawc and designates another
character.
(7) Cas, “object of hatred, hateful”; it is probably Seithynin, son of
Seithyn Saidi, king de Dyvet, one of the
three hardened drunkards of the
island of Brittany, which, in one day of intoxication, released the sea on the country called Cantrev y
Gwaelod (Myv. arch.,
p.104, col. 2; cf.
Black Book, p. 59). Llewei, daughter of Seithwedd Saidi, is one of the three Amazon
(gwrvorwyn, “man-woman”) of
Gwrvan
Gwallt Avwyn (1), and Gwyllennhin the king of France, and Gwittart the son of
Oedd (2) king of Ireland, Garselit (3) Wyddel, Panawr Pen Bagad, and Ffleudor
the son of Nav, Gwynnhyvar (4) mayor of Cornwall and Devon (the ninth man that rallied the battle of Camlan). Keli
and Kueli, and Gilla Coes Hydd (5)(he
would clear three hundred acres at one bound: the chief leaper of
(1) Gwallt, “hair;” avwgn, ””reins,” from the
Latin abêna (habena).
(2) The Red Book has Oed; I adopt the lesson of Pen. 4, Aedd, because he is a king of
(3) Garselit bears an Irish name
meaning (the man) with
a short span of time (Kuno
Meyer, Guel and Brython p. 35, note 5: Irish Gearr-selut).
(4) The maer was a significant
character; he carried the high
monitoring of the servile tenures and who divided the lands which depended of it. Maer comes from
Latin major. there was also at the court a maer (see Ancient laws, I, passim).
(5) Coes hydd, “with the leg of a stag “: Gilla is Irish gilla, modern Irish giolla, companion,
page, servant.
(6) Gwadyn or gwadn,
signifie “foot sole.” Odyeith has the meaning of "rare, extraordinary “. For ground, one would
rather expect sawdl, “heel”
(Middle Breton, seuzl,
now seul). It is possible that the
scribe had sodl under the
eyes or reproduced an oral form of Irish sál. Sol from Latin solum has into Briton, sometimes,
the meaning of sole.
Hirerwm
and Hiratrwm (1) (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 (2) (who asked Arthur such a boon as would satisfy him. It
was the third great plague of
(1) These two uncommon characters are
mentioned together in a poem of Myv. arch., p. 129, col. 1 (Englynion
y Klyweit. The first name is mistreated: Llucrum; but
assonance shows that it is necessary to correct cruor in crwm.)
(2) Avlawn, “non full “; Huarwar, “easy to alleviate “.
(3) Pen.4 (L. Rh. 467) adds: and of Dyvneint (
(4) Probably Gwri Wallt Euryn, “Gwri with the golden hair,” better known under the name of Pryderi. See the mabinogion of Pwyll, and
Math, son of Mathonwy. Dafydd ab Gwilym mentions Gwri Gwallt Euryn.
(5) Gast, “bitch.” Rymi, written also as
Rymhi, is for Rymni.
(6) Astrus,
“tangled up”.
Sugyn
(1) 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 (2). And Hir Eiddyl, and Hir Amren (3) (they were two attendants of Arthur). And Gwevyl (4) 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 upon the other like a cap upon his
head). Uchtryd Varyf Draws (5) (who
spread his red untrimmed beard over the eight-and-forty rafters (6) which were
in Arthur's Hall).
(1) Sugyn, “act of sucking”
; sugnedydd, “which
sucks, which pumps” (ref. sugno,
“to suck, suckle;” Armorican,
suno, seuno or cheuno).
(2) Beiddiawc, “daring.”
(3) Hir, “long”, eiddil, “thin”.
(4) Gwevyt or Gwevl, “lip”. Instead of
Gwestat, Pen.
(5) Baryvdraws, slanted beard or with the rough
beard; traws has also the meaning
of hard, violent. The royal house, made of wood, had, according to the Laws, six columns only. The same hold for all houses, be them housing people of nobility or not. (Ancient laws, I,
p. 292).
(6) Pen. 4 (L. Rh. 468) gives: fifty beams.
Elidyr Gyvarwydd. Yskyrdav, the Yscudydd (2) (two attendants of Gwenhywyvar 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 (3) in
(1) Kyvarwydd, “guide, who informs and, also, is
skilful “. Kyvarwyddon
means sometimes enchantments, magic spells (See Campeu Charlymaen in the Selections from Hengwrt mss., XVII; cf. dorguid,
Gloses of Orleans, Middle Welsh derwydd “soothsayer, prophet” ).
(2) Yscudydd of ysgud, “rapid”; ysgudo, “to run hurriedly”; ysgyrdaf, perhaps
for ysgrydaf of ysgryd, shiver, tremor.
(3) Tal, “the end, the forehead”; redynawc,
of redyn, “fern” , = Armorican, radenec, “fernbrake” , du “black .”
(4) Corr, “dwarf .”
(5) Kyvwlch. This name appears
in the Codex Lichf., (Th. Rovk of Llandav, Rhys-Evans ed. XVI): Arthan
filius Cimulch. However, in the
Black Book, in connection with the grave of Eiddiwlch it seems that there is a
pun on this name: mab Arthan gywlavan gyvwlch. F B a.
If, See 22). Bwlch means notch, breach; Divwlch, without
notch and figuratively without defect and continuous; eyvwlch has the meaning of complete, perfect; Cleddyv, means
sword.
The text shows: CledyvKyvwlch, but
according to another part, below, it is necessary to read Divwlch. Kyvwlch in
Bwlch Kyvwlch, Sevwlch is obviously incorrect. I would propose by
merging the two parts: Bwlch,
Hyvwlch (which cuts, prunes
well), Syvwlch, son of Kilydd Kyvwlch, grandson of Cleddyv
Divwlch.
Glas, Glessic, and Gleisad.
Their three dogs (1), Call, Cuall, and Cavall (2). Their
three horses, Hwyrdyddwd, and Drwgdyddwd (3), and Llwyrdyddwg. Their three wives, Och, and Garym, and Diaspad (4). Their three grandchildren, Lluched, and Neved, and Eissiwed (5).
Their three daughters, Drwg, and Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oll (6).
Their three handmaids, Eheubryd the daughter of Kyfwlch,
Gorascwrn the daughter of Nerth, Ewaedan the daughter of Kynvelyn Keudawd (7)
Pwyll the half-man (8)).
(1) When the God Lug appears at the gate of Tara royal palace, among the talents he lists
in order to enter, he gives the one of cup-carrier; he is answered that there are
already some quoted as Glei, Glan, Gleisi, names different from the
above, but invented according to the
same process and probably distorted (O' Curry, On the manners,
III, p. 43). Glas means greenish or whitish; gleissic, gleissat
are two derivatives.
(2) Kall, “thin”; Kuall, “cruel, wild”; Kavall is the
name of the dog
Arthur’s, according to Nennius and Mab. (Nennius, Petrie ed., Mon. Hist. brit., 79); for Kavall, see below; something
misses in the text.
(3) Dyddwc “who carries”; hwyr, “late”, llwyr,” complete”; drwc, “badly, bad”.
It seems that there is inversion in the
text; Hwyrdyddwc, Drwcdyddwc or Hwyrdyddwc would be
adapted better as horses names; Och, Garym and Diaspat
would go well as women names. [Lady Guest did inverse the ordering, as you
can see.]
(4) Och, “exclamation of pain, moaning”; garym or garam, with
a euphonic or irrational vowel for garm, “cry”; diaspat,
“piercing cry .”
(5) Lluchet “lightning” ,
Eisiwed, “poverty”: perhaps Luddet, Nychet and
Eisiwet.
(6) Drwc, “bad” , gwaeth,
“worse”; gwaethav oll, “the
worst of all”.
(7) It is possible that Keudawt should
be separated from Kynvelin. The text is in bad condition.
(8) Hanner dyn, “half of man”; according to Lady Guest, there would be a Welsh fable,
according to which Arthur would have seen, one day, come to him a kind of imp
who, from far, had an indistinct form, and while approaching appeared to
increase little by little; arrived close to him, it was a half-man. The
half-man challenges him. Arthur refuses the
fight by contempt, so that the
half-man grows and that Arthur, finally, needs all his forces to
take the better. It would be, according to Lady Guest, an allegory intended to
show the result of
exercise and practice.
Dwnn
Diessic Unbenn (1), Eiladyr the son of Pen Llarcan (2), Kynedyr Wyllt (3) the
son of Hettwn Talaryant, Sawyl Ben Uchel (4), Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar,
Gwalhaved the son of Gwyar, Gwrhyr Gwastawd Ieithoedd (5) (to whom all tongues were known), and Kethcrwm the
Priest. Clust the son of Clustveinad (7) (though he were buried seven cubits beneath the earth, he would hear the
ant fifty miles off rise from her nest in the morning).
(1) Unbenn, prince or simply lord, originally monarch.
(2) The text holds Harcan; another passage gives Pennlloran;
llorcan should probably be read: pennllorcan, “with the head of green woodpecker”. Llorcan is also the
name of a king de
(3) Kyvedyr, elsewhere Kyledyr
and even Kynedyr; gwyllt, “savage,
insane .”
(4) Samuel with the head up, one of the three proud ones of
Brittany (Triad. Mab., 304, 17; Triad., Skene, II, p. 458). Gaufrei of
Monmouth speaks of king Samuil Pennissel, or
Samuel with the lowered
head (Hist., II1, 19).
(5) See six pages further.
(G) See five pages further.
(7) Clust, “ear”; Clustveinad, ” with the fine ear”; according to Owen Pughe, “who opens up the ears, who listens
attentively”
Medyr
the son of Methredydd (from
Gelli Wic he could, in a twinkling, shoot the wren through the two legs upon
Esgeir Oervel in
(1) Llyyat cath, “with the cats eye”. There is a Gwiawn who does not
bear this nickname and who is better known; he is described as dewin,
“soothsayer”, by Gwilym
Ddu, poet of the XIIIth-XIVth
century (Myv. arch.,
p.277, col.1; ref. Taliesin in Skene, II, p. 130, 9 153, 23). Medyr has
here the meaning of skill
or skilful to aim; Methredydd (medrydydd)
is a derivative: cf. Drem son of Dremhidydd.
(2) Ol, “track, action to follow”; Olwydd, “who follows the tracks.”
(3) Dafydd ab Gwilym refers to the coat of Bedwini. The Triads
show him as head of the bishops
in Arthur’s court with Kelli Wic, in Kernyw (Triads, Skene, II, p. 455). The Dream of Ronabwy speaks also of him.
(4) Gwenn, “white”; alarch, “swan.”
Eurneid the daughter of Clydno Eiddin (1). Eneuawc the daughter of Bedwyr. Enrydreg the daughter of Tudvathar. Gwennwledyr
the daughter of Gwaledyr Kyrvach (2). Erddudnid the
daughter of Tryffin. Eurolwen the daughter of Gwdolwyn
Gorr. Teleri the daughter of Peul. Indeg the daughter of Garwy Hir. Morvudd (3)
the daughter of Urien Rheged. Gwenllian Deg (4) the
majestic maiden. Creiddylad (5) the daughter of Lludd
Llaw Ereint (6). (She
was the most splendid maiden in the three Islands of the mighty, and in the
three
(1) Chief of the North, probably,
according to his nickname, around
(2) Pen, 4 (L. Rh. 569) Gwaredur; read Gwawrddur.
(3) She was one of the three women loved by
Arthur (Triads Mab., p.
302, 14). Its name is synonymous to beauty among poets (Daf. ab Gwil., p. 27).
(4) Tec, “beautiful”.
(5) She was identified the Cordelia
of Gaufrei of Monmouth, II, 11; Cordelia is however the daughter of king Llyr. The Triads confuse
Lludd and Llyr; to see on Lludd Llaw Ereint the note below. In the
Black Book, 51,18, Gwyn ab Nudd says he is
Kreurdilad’s lover, daughter of Lludd.
(6) Llaw Ereint, with the silver hand.
Ellylw
the daughter of Neol Kynn-Crog (she
lived three ages). Essyllt Vinwen, and Essyllt Vingul (1).”
And all these did Culhwck 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 Culhwck, “Every
one has received his boon, and I yet lack mine. I will depart and bear
away thy honour (2) with me.” Then said Kai, “Rash chieftain!
doest 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.
(1) Essyllt is the name
which became Iseult in the French
novels. Min has the meaning
of lips. Essyllt Vinwen, daughter of Kulvanawyt, is one of the three shameless women of the island she is Trystan’s
lover (Myv. arch.,
p. 392, col. 1; there her name is Fyngwen, “white mane”). It is also curious that Essyllt Vinwen would
become Iseult aux blanches mains
(with the white hands).
Could min had been wrongly understood? Minwen, “white lips”; mingul,
“thin lips.” Caradawc Vreichvras,
or Caradawc “with the large arms,” became in the same way, in our French novels,
Brie-arm. On Essyllt, See J. Loth, Contributions à l'étude des
romans de
(2) Word for word: your face (dy
wyneb).
And
Arthur called Bedwyr (1), who never shrank from any enterprise upon which Kai
was bound. None was equal to him in swiftness throughout this
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.
(1) A triad puts him above the three
taleithiawc or diadem carrier of the island, i.e. of Drystan, Hueil, son of Kaw and Kei (Myv. arch., p. 389, col. 2; Mab. Triads, p. 307, 16).
The Black Book puts his tomb at Allt Tryvan, in Carnarvonshire (p. 51, 34); Arthur, in the same book, prides his
worth (p. 51, See 37; 52, 11).
Llewis Glyn CoCothi compares two valiant Welsh with the two thumbs of Bedwyr (Dwy vawd Vedwyr oeddynt, p. 396, verse 25; ref. ibid.,
p. 345, verse 22).
(2) Drych, “look, glance”; Cibddar is, in the
Triads, together with Coll, son of Collvrewi, and Menw, one
of the three prif
Lledrithiawc or first magicians, skilful to change or to metamorphose
themselves (Myv. arch., p. 390,33); another tradition gives him for Elmur son, which is of
the three tarw unbenn
or princes bulls of combat (Myv.
arch., 408, col. 1).
(3) We had here to explain rather
than to translate the text;
the text says that the spear of Bedwyr had a
blow, a wound, and nine consequences (gwrth-wan; gwan, “action of boring.” It seems that this weapon was of the same kind as the gae bulga of the Irish hero Cuchulain. The gae bulga or belly javelin made one only wound while entering,
and thirty while being withdrawn; it would spread out a series of points laid
out like hooks. To take it out, it was often necessary to open the body. Cuchulain would aim
such weapon at the belly
of his enemies (O' Curry, On the manners, II, p. 309).
Spears with points (generally
five) are often mentioned in Irish epics, in particular in Táin Bó Cualgne.
(4) Gwrhyr, the Master or rather the interpreter of the
languages. He is mentioned in the
Dream of Ronabwy and the
novel of Gereint ab Erbin.
He
called Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar (1), 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 (2) 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.”
(1) Gwalchmei: the first term, gwalch,
mean male falcon, gwyar means blood. It is useful to
notice that this name is most probably found in the ‘cartulaire’ of Redon; where the same character is called there Waltmoe and Walcmoel; the form that explains best the error is Walc-Moei.
He is one of the most
significant characters of the Mabinogion, he appears nevertheless only in the
Mabinogion speaking of Arthur. He has the
same features in the Triads as in the Mabin. He is one
of the three
eurdavodogion or “people
with the golden language”; he is one of the best knights of Arthur’s
court for the hosts and the foreigners (Myv. arch., p. 393, col. 1,
col. 2; ibid., p. 407, col. 2). There is an interesting verse dialogue,
in Myv. arch., between him and Trystan; he succeeds, by his courtesy, to
bring him back to Arthur’s court. He fulfils a similar roles
in Peredur, in the mabinogi
bearing this name. In this poem, he calls himself, Arthur’s nephew (Myv. arch. p. 132,
col. 1). There is no name that would more often uttered by the poets (Myv. arch., p. 278,
col. 2; 286, col. 2, etc,; Black Book, Skene, p. 29, 10; 10, 12: His
horse is called Keincaled). He is the Gauvain of our Romans de
(2) Menw, “spirit, intelligence”. The magic of Menw, he learned from
Uthur Penndragon, the magic
of Math, son of Mathonwy, who taught it to Gwydyon, son of Don, and that of
Rudlwm Gorr who taught it to Koll, son of Kollvrewi, are the three principal Magics of
Brittany (Triads Mab.,
p. 302, 23; cf. Myv. arch., p. 390, col. 1). According to a passage of Daf
ab. Gwilym, the three
magicians would be Menw, Eiddilic Corr and Maeth (sic), p. 143 (Eiddilic
Corr, Wyddel call, “subtle
Gael”).
And
they went up to the mound whereon the herdsman was, and they said to him, “How
dost thou fare? O herdsman! (1)”
“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.”
“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
“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, Culhwck 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 (3),
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 (4)
[Loth: the sea does not stand
dead jewels?] Show me then
this body.”
(1) This whole dialogue is unclear.
There is a probable pun on berth, and another on priawt. Berth means beautiful,
shining. It could be possible to be a welcome similar to French: Are
you in good shape? The shepherd takes this word in the
meaning of richness, as seems to prove the exclamation of his
interlocutor. Priawt means indeed clean, and also applies to the legitimate woman. His
brother-in-law Yspaddaden, as the account
will show, killed all his children but one, which is hidden, to grasp his
goods. The gift of a gold ring seems well to show that the travellers intend to buy the kindness of the
shepherd, and validates the
meaning we gave to berth. The text seems here still to be
distorted.
(2) Yspaddaden with the head of giant.
(3) For the
reconstitution from the text,
See Critical notes. [ J
Loth explains there, for the Welsh language experts,
how he reconstituted a text from two Welsh versions. ]
(4) Refer to Anc. Laws, II, p.
258: Kanys pabeth bynac has vo yn varw yn y mor tri llanw a thri tray y brenyn biev (something that remained in a state
of being dead in the sea
during three forward and three backward flows, belongs to the king).
“O
wife, him to whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in the evening.(1)”
“And
who is he?" asked the woman.
“Culhwck
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 (2), 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 herself or sends any
messengers to fetch them.”
(1) The account was watered down
here, undoubtedly, by an awkward arranger. I imagine that the primitive dialogue was to
be something like that: “I took
this jewel on the corpse,
most beautiful I ever saw.” -
“Which corpse?” – “You will see, it is Kulhwch your nephew.” The shepherd looks upon
Kulhwch as a dead man. The arranger will not have understood that, and tried to
explain it by using Kustennin’s words. However, there can be simply a defect in
the way of speech; the meaning is obvious.
(2) The hearth
stone had a particular importance in the
Welsh laws. The houses being out of wood, the hearth stone was the most difficult part to destroy. The fire was
undoubtedly in the middle
of the house, level with the ground. It is, indeed,
question in the Laws of the case or of the pigs entering a house, scatter fire and cause the destruction of the
house (Ancient laws I,
p. 260; for the pentan,
see ibid., p. 76, 452, 455, etc.; II, p. 774). Pentan has also the meaning of tripod (Ancient laws, II, p. 865).
“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 (1). The eye of the
trained hawk, the glance of the three-mewed falcon (2) 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 (3) [white trace].
She
entered the house, and sat beside Culhwck upon the foremost bench; and as soon
as he saw her he knew her. And Culhwck 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 it 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.
“The
greeting of heaven and of man be unto thee, Yspaddaden
Penkawr (4),” said they.
“And
you, wherefore come you?”
“We
come to ask thy daughter Olwen, for Culhwck 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.”
(1) The comparison is as gracious as
exact. The flower of the trifoliate
menyanthium ,
or watery clover, is one of most charming of our countries. It shows a deep
whiteness together with very light purpurin dye; it
likes spring waters. When the stalks
go out of water, the flower
they carry is not spread out
yet; it looks like a chalice with three angles.
(2) According to the Welsh laws, the falcon after its moulting
has a greater value than before, especially if it becomes white (Ancient laws, I, p 282). The
comparison with the eye
of the falcon is
frequent: Myv. arch., p.
252, col.
rei tra llwfyr tra llafar
eu son
ac ereill taerlew termudion
“some very
cowards, very loquacious,
the others
valiant and firm,
completely silent”
(Myv. arch., p. 201, col. 2). Gwalch must be translated by male
falcon. The Laws (Ancient laws, II, p. 197)
speak ( hebawc)
wyedic or male falcon as gwalch. Its price
lower than the hebawc or
simple falcon, i.e. the female
falcon. Aneurin Owen, in Laws vol. I, p.
788, is thus mistaken by translating gwalch by
buzzard. The moult benefited the falcon;
its coat was complete after three moults only. While speaking about the moult, François de
Saint-Aulaire (Fauconnerie,
Paris, 1819) says that “the falcon
becomes more beautiful and more pleasant about it as a person newly suited.”
(3) The author breaks up the word into ol, “trace” ,
and aven, “white.”
(4) Yspaddaden ‘of the head of a giant’ somewhat
looks like Irish Balór. This can even be used to explain some oddities of this obviously mutilated
account. Balór, god of Fomorians, a famous population of
They
rose to go forth, and Yspaddaden Penkawr (1) 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 [their hair carefully combed (2)] 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 [agweddi and amobyr (3)] 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 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 Culhwck 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 Culhwck.
“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 Culhwck, “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 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 (4), and he will not come with thee by his own free
will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.
(1) The proper word is llechwaew, which
three times repeated. It is difficult to suppose an error of the scribe for lluchwaew,
“spear to throw, javelin.”
Llech means flat stone. Precisely, there existed in
(2) Word for word: after running a
valuable comb through their hair.
The comb, in the Middle Ages, was a noble object, often a real work of art.
In the Romans de
(3) According to the laws of Gwynedd or
North-Wales, the one who delivered the
maid to her husband,
be him father or tutor, had to pay the amobyr (Ancient laws, 1, p. 88, 204).
According to other texts, this amobyr was paid to the father of the girl or to the lord. Agweddi point
at the dowry that the girl brings while
marrying, or the gift
made by the husband to
his wife after the consummation
of the marriage: For agweddi
in this last meaning see ‘The dream
of Maxen’, notes about the marital
gift. It seems here that the applicant
wants show generosity; and instead of asking amobyr and agweddi, he
offers to give their value
to Yspaddaden (See on agweddi,
Ancient laws, 1, p. 82, 88 and following; amobyr, ibid., p. 88, 204
and following). The talk Yspaddaden must have with the girl’s other parents follows the spirit of the
Welsh legislation, event though it is not spoken of in the Laws.
(4) Amaethon is the least famous of Don’s children. He should be
an important farmer, according to his name, derived from amaeth, “ploughman” = ambactos. [follows a citation from the forged Iolo mss.: According to Iolo
mss., Don would be a king of Scandinavia and
“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 (1) 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 (2), both yoked together [as companions (3)], 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 [the ox Melyn Gwanwyn and the ox Brych (4). ]
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 (5), whom God
turned into oxen on account of their sins.”
(1) Govannon, See Mabinogi of Math, notes for Govannon .
(2) The three principal oxen of the island were: Melyn Gwanwyn
(also possible: Gwaynhwyn),
Gwyneu, Gwlwlyd’s ox, and the large “mottled”
Brych ox (Myv. arch.,
p. 394, 10). The text here is hardly readable. Gwineu, “brown,” qualifies Gwlwlyd in the Mabinogion, and, in the Triads, the name of
one of the oxen.
(3) Companions (French compagnons) in its etymological meaning, more understandable in the French singular compain. Cyd-preiniawc means
properly who eats with (preiniawc
is derived from prein, of Latin prandium).
(4) Melyn, “yellow, fair;” gwanwyn. “spring;”
melyn y gwanwyn is also the name
of a plant: See note 2. The ox Brych was undoubtedly well-known in Welsh
mythology according to this passage of Taliesin: “they do not know, these
people, the ox Brych
which has a hundred and twenty knots (?)
in its collar” (Skene,
Four anc. books, 182. towards 13).
(5) Nynniaw and Pebiaw. The Liber. Landav, p. 75 and following, tells that one
Pepiau, king of Erchyng (Archenfield,
in Herefordshire, South-west of the Wye), the father of saint Dyvric (Dubricius), saint of VIth century.
The
two horned oxen (ychain bannawc)
most famous in the Triads are
those of Hu Gadarn, which would have trailed to the shore the avanc of the pond of Llion
(the avanc or addanc is
here a mysterious monster); since this time, the pond is said to have stopped to break its dams. It is
supposed to be one of the three
great wonders of the island
(Myv. arch., p.
409, 97). Before the arrival
of the Kymry, there were no other inhabitants in
“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 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 under, 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 gets this, there is yet that which thou wilt not
get. Honey that is nine times sweeter than the honey of the virgin swarm (1),
without scum and bees, do I require to make bragget (2) 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 [that contains a penllad (3)]. 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 (4), 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 (5) 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 (6) 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.”
(1) The first swarm, which is indeed
most vigorous, is priced at a higher price in the Laws (Ancient
laws, 1, p. 284). The expression without (scum and) bees is
very right; if one tolerates the bees
to stay in the honeycombs,
once the first honey
done, honey deceases in quality.
(2) Bragodi is taken here in a
general meaning. It is probably not exactly the drink called bragawd, of
which the English made bragget,
[and as translated by Lady Guest]
a drink made of malt, water, honey and some spices. The other drinks of
Breton were the cwrv (cwryv and cwrwv with
an irrational vowel, today cwrw = curmen), that is beer, and
the medd, Middle Breton mez
“mead” (where from Armorican mezo,
Welsh meddw, “drunk” ). In a passage of the
Laws which deals with the amount of liquor due to certain court
officers, it is known as that they are
entitled to a full measure of cwrw, to
a half measure filled with bragawd, and to the one third measure of medd
(Ancient laws, I, p.
44).
(3) The penllad, which has
also the meaning of
sovereign good, source of blessings, appears to have here a more
material meaning; according to Davies it is a measure of two llad, an
amount equivalent to twelve bushels of oats. The penllad would thus be
worth twenty-four bushels. The word Kib (from
Latin cupa), vase, cut, has in the
Laws the proper
meaning of half-bushel or an amount of four gallons (the gallon is worth
(4) According to an already quoted
manuscript speaking of the thirteen
jewels of the island of
Brittany, the basket of
Gwyddno had this property that, if you would put in it a man’s food, when it
was reopened, it showed the food
of hundred ones (Lady Guest, Mab.,
II, p.354). Gwyddno is a famous character. Seithynin the drunkard, king de Dyvet, during one intoxicated day,
released the sea on the estates de Gwyddno
Garanhir, i.e. on Cantrev y Gwaelod (gwaelod, “lowest part, bottom”) (Myv. arch., p. 409,
37). The Black Book describes a curious dialogue between this character
and the god Gwynn ab
Nudd (Skene, Four anc. books,
II, p. 54, XXXIII; cf. Myv. arch., p. 299, col. 1, allusions to
Gwyddneu; on the flood
of his estates, See Black Book, p. 59, XXXVIII); Ref. to J. Loth, La légende de Maes
Gwyddneu, Revue celt., XXIV, 349). These Gwyddno’s estates
are believed to have been on the site
of today
(5) According to another tradition, the magic horn would be the
one of Bran Galed: it poured the liquor
one wished for (Lady Guest, Mab.,
H, p. 351). - the
ms, Yen.
(6) A poet of the midst XVth century, Davydd
ab Edmwnt, referred to this harp he calls the harp of Teirtud. According to Lady Guest, from whom I
borrow this quotation, there would exist about this harp a Welsh nurse tale: a
dwarf, called Dewryn Vyehan, would have stolen the harp of a giant, but this
harp started to play, and the giant
rushed after the thief. There is also a magic harp in the Irish epic, the one
of Dagdé. The Liber Land., mentions Castell Teirtud, in Buellt, in Breconshire (p. 374).
“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 (1) of Diwrnach Wyddel, the steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, king of
“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 Benbaedd (2) 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
“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 [sixty] Cantrevs (3) 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 (4), 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.”
“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 Gwyddolwyn Gorr (5), 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 (6) 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 (7), the son of Prince Tared. He will not give them of his own
free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.”
(1) Nothing is said of its functions.
It certainly would look like the cauldron
of Dagdé that one did not leave without being full, spoken of in Leab har
Gabala or The Book of Conquests,. The cauldron of Tyrnog was more
intelligent; if the meat to boil was for a coward, it did not boil; for a
courageous one, it was done at once
(Lady Guest, Mab., II,
p. 354). The Mab. Pwyll refers also to another marvellous
cauldron.
(2) Ysgithyr means “tusk, fangs;” penbeidd, “leader of the wild
boars.” Pen.
4 (L. Rh. 482) shows this
interesting passage which thered Book misses: if
you obtain it, there is a thing you
will not obtain: the birds of Rhiannon,
that awake the dead and put to sleep the living ones, I
want them to entertain me this
night, [ The Mabinogi de
Branwen contains an allusion to these birds.
“In Hardlech you will remain
seven years sitting at your table, while the
birds of Rhiannon sing for you.” ]
(3) Cantrev, See the Mabinogi
of Pwyll. There is here a pun on Kadw, to keep and Kado: Pen. 4 (L RII.482) has even Kadw instead of
Kado. Prydein indicates
(4) Gorddu, “very black;” gorwen, “very white.” Pennant means the end
of the ravine or the
brook (Armorican ant for nant, coming from an nant, the gully between two furrows), French patois, an nant
Govud, “affliction.”
(5) Gwidolwyn-the-dwarf has a daughter Eurolwen, as above mentioned.
(6) Rin, “secrecy,” mysterious virtue. Pen. 4 (L.
Rh.488): Rin Barvawt.
(7) The first mention of Twrch Trwyth
or Trwyth pig is found in Nennius LXXIX: by hunting the pig Troit (porcum
Terit, can be also Troit), Arthur’s dog, Cabal, is said to have printed the mark of its foot on a
stone; Arthur had made at this place a carn (cluster of stones) which bears the name of CarnCabal; one can remove this stone and
carry it away by a walk of one day and
one night, it always comes back to the
same spot; this carn would be in Buellt, Breconshire. It is
not useless to add that this passage probably does not belong to Nennius’
primitive work (ref. to . de
The form Trwyth was influenced by the Irish form or is more
probably due to a scribe error. The true form is Trwyt (or Trwyd): this is Nennius
one and also in the Book
of Aneurin (F A. B., II, p. 94,
verse 23). Silvan Evans (ibid.,
p. 392,393) also quotes a form Trwyd in Cynddelw, a poet of second half
of the XIIth century, and another in Llewis Glyn Cothi, a poet of the XVth
century.
“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.”
“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 (1),
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 (2), 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 (3), 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 (4) is the chief huntsman of
“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. 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 (5); 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 (6) 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.”
(1) Note that, in this novel, the Welsh count time per
nights, which was also the practice
among the
(2) Gwynn, “white;” mygdwnn for
myngdwnn, “with the dark mane”.
(3) See before.
(4) Cited in Englynion y Klyweit,
collection of proverbs or good advice, each uttered by famous or less famous character; they are epigrams of three lines and
beginning with a glywaist ti, “did
you hear?” (Myv.
arch., p. 429, col. 2). See earlier, note on Garselit.
(5) Clavyrawc, “the leprous one.”
(6) Nothing shows better the evolution of the mythological characters
than the history of
Gwynn. Nudd is the regular
nominative Welsh form, of the name
of god found in the dative
form in the Latin Inscriptions of Brittany: Nodenti deo (Inscript.
Brit. lat. Hübner, p. 42,
XIV). Traces of a temple devoted to this god were found in
Lydney, Gloucestershire. The nominative Irish form of this name is Núada. Núada
of the silver hand is a
king of the Túatha Dé Danann. Gwynn was sent in hell by the Christian priests. Its name is synonymous with devil.
Dafydd ab Gwilym, instead of saying: Let the devil carry me away! says: Let Gwynn, son of Nudd, carry me away! (p. 170; cf. ibid.,
p. 260: the owl is
called the bird of
Gwynn, son of Nudd). The legend of saint Collen, who gave his name to Llan-gollen,
in Denbigshire and to Lan-golen, near
“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 (1).”
“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
“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 (2). 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 (3).”
“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 handmaids [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.”
“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 (4); he will never be slain except
therewith. O 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 Gwalstawd
Ieithoedd, “Is there a porter?”
“There
is. And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in thy head, wherefore 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 though 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 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 (5), 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.
(1) aerveddawc
is another possible reading. The three aer-veddawc are Selyv
ab Cynan Garwyn; Avaon son of Taliesin, and Gwallawc
ab Lleenawc. They were called so because they avenged the wrongs that were done to them, even from their grave (Myv. arch., p. 408, 76).
(2) Aethlem (for Aethlym?
) acute, poignant.
(3) Pen. 4 (L. Rh. 495) additions the
curious following explanation “Here
is the cause it is
under my hand.”
(4) This marvellous sword, counted
among the thirteen
jewels of the island, is
the one of Rhydderch Hael. If another but him would draw from its sheath, it blazed up from the handle to the point. He gave it to all
those who asked him, and this is why he was given the name of Rhydderch the Generous, but everyone gave it back because of this
feature (Lady Guest, II, p.
354). The name of Daronwy is preserved in the name of a farm of Llanfachreth close to
Carnarwon (L Rhys, Celt.
Folklore, II, p. 567).
(5) The cadlys corresponds, undoubtedly, to the Irish air-lis. Each lis, residence
of noble surrounded by an earth wall, contained at least an inside square (air-lis) where the herds took refuge (O' Curry, On the manners, 1, p. 304). Cad probably does not mean here combat,
but belongs to the same
root as cadw, to keep. The cadlys was protected by palisades or
other means of defence. In certain British camps (camps of the Celtic
time in the
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 (1) 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
“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 Gwalstawd 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 [‘blackbird’
in the French transaltion] of Cilgwri
(2). 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 (3).
“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 I first
came hither, [Loth: I had one spike (4) only on my head and] there was a plain
all around me, without any trees save one oak sapling, which grew up to be an
oak with an hundred branches. And that oak has since perished, so that now
nothing remains of it but the withered stump; and from that day to this I have
been here, yet have I never heard of the man for whom you inquire.
Nevertheless, being an embassy from Arthur, I will be your guide to the place
where there is an animal which was formed before I was.”
So
they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd
(5).
“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 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 [Loth: Kaer Loyw (6)], 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.”
(1) Tlysseu,
jewels. The primitive meaning of tlws was probably the same as Irish tlus,
cattle; in the same way, alaf, richness, and Irish alam,
herd. As well, Latin soldus (solidos)
gave to the Breton language saout (solt), cows.
(2) The account which follows was
reproduced and modified in Iolo mss., under the title of Henaifion byd, “the old ones of the world” (p. 188). In this [fake] version, the eagle of Gwernabwy wants
to marry again, but with a widow of his age; he thinks of the owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, but he
wants to be informed of her age. He takes information from the stag of Rhedynvre, in
Gwent, the salmon of Llyn Llivon, the blackbird of Cilgwri, the toad of Vochno
Horns, in Ceredigiawn (Cardiganshire),
the oldest creatures in the world: the owl was older than any of them. The eagle could thus marry the owl without mismatch.
Dafydd ab Gwilym refers, in the same
passage, to the animals
of Gwernabwy, Cilgwri and Cwm Cawlwyd (p.
68; cf. Myv. arch., p. 340, col. 2). There is a place named Cilgwri, in
Flintshire (Lew. Glyn
Cothi, p.415, towards 20, note). A French
translation of the tale
‘the Old ones of the world’ was published
in the Revue de
(3) Redyn, “fern”; bre “hill.”
(4) On its second year, two small
points named spikes grow on the
head of the stag.
This word corresponds exactly to
Welsh reidd, from the Latin radius (Vénerie, by Jacques du Foulloux, reprinted in Angers, 1844). The writing reit for reid
= reidd, comes from a copy where ‘t’ had the value of a spirant dental
loud consonant, as it is the rule
in the Black Book; cf. y
byt = y hydd, Mab., p. 237, 1, 27.
(5) According to Lady Guest, there
are a place of this name in Carnarvonshire, and another in Carmarthenshire.
(6)
So Kai and Gwrhyr Gwalstawd
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 (1) who is here imprisoned; and no imprisonment was ever so grievous as
mine, neither that of Lludd Llaw Ereint (2) , nor that of Greid the son of Eri
(3).”
“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
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 cubs of Gast Rhymhi.”
“Is
it known,” asked Arthur, “where she is!”
“She
is in Aber Deu Gleddyf (4),” 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 (5) by sea, and the others went by land, to
hunt her.
(1) Mabon is one of the three prisoners of high
rank of the island,
together with Llyr Lledyeith, and Gweir, son of Geiryoedd. There was one even
more famous: Arthur, who was three nights in prison in Kaer Oeth and Anoeth,
three nights put in prison by Gwenn Benndragon, three nights in an enchanted
prison under Llech Echymeint. Goreu freed them (Triads Mab., p. 308, 9).
Mabon is called in the Black
Book the servant of Uthir Pendragon (Skene, 51, 1).
(2) As already said, there was
confusion between this character and Llyr. I am extremely tempted to correct Ludd
in Nudd Llaw Ereint or Nudd of the silver hand, and to identify him to Núada of the silver hand, king of the Túatha Dé Danann. This Núada
had lost a hand which had been replaced by a silver hand. He and his people
were held in oppression by Fomore Breas, which they took as champion, but he eventually was freed and given
back his the
throne. The meaning of Ereint is made certain by a passage of
our mabinogi on the pig
Grugyn Gwrych Ereint (Ereint =
Argantios).
(3) “Ardent like Greit, son of Eri”, says Kynddelw, poet of the twelfth century (Myv. arch., p. 165,
col. 2); graid, has presently the
meaning of ardent; refer to Vannetais greu, passion, gredus, ardent, zealous.
(4) Aber Deu Cleddyv, today, in English,
Milford Haven, in the
(5) Pritwenn, “white face, white form”. Gaufrei of Monmouth and,
naturally, the Brut Tysilio, name Arthur’s shield Prytwenn (Gaufrei,
IX, 4; Brut Tysilio, Myv. arch, p. 462). Taliesin (Skene, II, 181, 15) alludes to it: “Three times full Prytwen we went
there: only seven came back from Caer Sidi.” The Landav
Liber. mention a place called Messur
Prytguen, p.198 (The measure
of Prytguen).
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 Culhwck, 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, “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 plow, 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
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
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 Llud Llaw Ereint, and
Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, were betrothed. And before she had become his
bride, Gwn ap Nudd came and carried her away by force;
and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl gathered his host together, and went to fight
with Gwyn ap Nudd. But Gwyn overcame him, and captured Greid the son of Eri,
and Glinneu the son of Taran (3), and Gwrgwst Ledlwm (4), and Dynvarth his son.
(1) Pumlummon, now called
Plimlimmon, mountain of the
(2) A Welsh proverb says: arwydd drwc mwc yn diffeith, “sign
of evil when smoke in loneliness” (Y
Cymmrodor, VII, p.
(3) Taran, « thunder ».
(4)
Llet-lwm, « half naked ».
And
he captured Penn the son of Nethawg, and Nwython (1), and Kyledyr Wyllt his
son. And they slew Nwython, and took out his heart, and constrained Kyledyr to
eat the heart of his father (2). 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 Greidawl. 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
And
after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd was killed, Arthur and his host departed to Gelli
Wic in
(1) Aneurin is said to have written
Gwarchan Maelderw (Four ancient books of Wales, II, p. 103, lines 29, 31). This book
mentions a son of Nwython called Neim? Nwython is perhaps the same name as the Pict name Naiton, name of
a king living in the beginning
of the eighth century (Bede, Hist. eccl., V,
21). This Naiton is the same
character as Nechtan of the Irish annals (See
Connor, Rerum hibernicarum script., IV, p. 236). Would Naithon be the
Pict form of Nechtan, and Nwython the brittonnic form?
(2) The history of Gruffudd ab Cynan,
so much significant for the Welsh uses of the eleventh century, charges an Irishman with anthropophagic
behaviour. Gruffudd’s opponent to the
throne of Gwynedd or North-Wales, was killed with at the battle of
Carno, and one of the auxiliaries
of Gruffudd, the Irishman
Gwrcharis or Gwrcharci used of him as with a pig, made bacwn of
him (salted and desiccated
pork) (Myv. arch.,
p. 727, col. 2).
(3) Mabon ab Mellt.
This character appears beside Arthur in the
Black Book (Skene, 31, 11): Mabon am Mellt.
(4) Lledewic, “the Armorican one,” derived
from Llydaw, in the past
Litaw, Welsh name of Gallic Armorica, and that, like the word Armorique, does
not indicate only Armorican peninsula (See
J. Loth, De Vocis Aremoricae forma atque significatione, Paris, Picard, 1883). Glythvyr:
Glythmyr, with m intact, represents an Old Welsh way of writing.
(5) Taliesin mentions Llamrei (Skene, II, p. 176, 27).
And
thence he sent Menw the son of Teirgwaedd to see if the precious things were
between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, since it were useless to encounter him if
they were not there. Albeit it was certain where he was, for he had laid waste
the third part of
After
this Arthur sent an embassy to Odgar, the son of Aedd king of
When
he had given them this denial, Bedwyr arose and seized hold of the cauldron,
and placed it upon the back of Hygwyd (1), Arthur's servant, who was brother,
by the mother's side, to Arthur's servant, Cachamwri. His office was always to
carry Arthur's cauldron, and to place fire under it. And Llenlleawg Wyddel
seized Caledvwlch, and brandished it. And they slew Diwrnach Wyddel and his
company. Then came the Irish and fought with them. And when he had put them to
flight, Arthur with his men went forward to the ship, carrying away the
cauldron full of Irish money. And he disembarked at the house of Llwydden the
son of Kelcoed, at Porth Kerddin (2) 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
(1) Hygwydd,
means “who falls
easily.”
(2) Porth Kerddin, perhaps
Porthmawr, close Saint-David’s Head, in Pembroke county,
according to Lady Guest. According to Wade-Evans
(Arch. Cambrensis, 1904), it would be Moylgrove in
Pembroke.
(3) Gwlad yr hav, “summer country” a triad tells the
Kymry or Breton come from the summer
country or Deffrobani, “i.e.
where is
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
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 (1) 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 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
(1) Gwrych Ereint, “with the silver hairs.”
(2) Porth Cleis, a small port of the
(3) Miynyw or Saint-David's (Pembrokeskire).
(4) With an angular stick (angular (is) his stick).
Now
when Arthur approached, Twrch Trwyth went on as far as Preseleu (1), and Arthur
and his hosts followed him thither, and Arthur sent men to hunt him; Eli and
Trachmyr, leading Drutwyn the whelp of Greid the son of Eri, and Gwarthegyd (2)
the son of Kaw, in another quarter, with the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewig, and
Bedwyr leading Cavall, Arthur's own dog. And all the warriors ranged themselves
around the Nyver (3). And there came there the three sons of Cleddyf Divwlch,
men who had gained much fame (4) at the slaying of Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd; and
they went on from Glyn Nyver, and came to Cwm Kerwyn (5).
And
there Twrch Trwyth made a stand, and slew four of Arthur's champions,
Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and Tarawc of Allt Clwyd (6), and Rheidwn the son of
Eli Atver, and Iscovan Hael.
(1) Presseleu, see note above.
(2) Gwarthegyt, from gwarthec,
“cows.”
(3) Glynn Nyver. At the end of Presseley-Mountains
is born the Nyver, called today Nevern. Glynn is a narrow valley
furnished with wood. It also often means a narrow deep valley where flows a
river. Glen, in Armorican Middle Breton, means country, ground, world (ref. vale of tears) in opposition to
the sky.
(4) They do not appear in this hunting.
There is a gap here, as in other various places,.
(5) Cwm Kerwyn, “the valley of the tank” (Cwm, “small valley of concave form”); the
valley of Cwm Cerwyn lies on the side of the
highest peak of the mounts
of Preselly, Preselly Top; two miles from there, the height of Carn
Arthur is found (Lady Guest).
(6) Allt-Clwyt; allt, “hill, rock.” Clwyd, a river
of the north of
And
after he had slain these men, he made a second stand in the same place. And
there he slew Gwydre the son of Arthur, and Garselit Wyddel, and Glew the son
of Ysgawd, and Iscawyn the son of Panon; and there he himself was wounded.
And
the next morning before it was day, some of the men came up with him. And he
slew Huandaw, and Gogigwr, and Penpingon, three attendants upon Glewlwyd
Gavaelvawr, so that Heaven knows, he had not an attendant remaining, excepting
only Llaesgevyn, a man 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 (1), 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 (2), where he made another stand, and where he slew
Kynlas (3) the son of Kynan, and Gwilenhin king of
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 (5). 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
(1) Pelunyawc (The
Bruts, p. 335); for Peuliniawc? This district would have included
parts of the current
parishes of Whitland and Landysilio (J.
Rhys, Celt. Folkl., II, p. 512, 513).
(2) Aber Tywi, the mouth
of Tywi or Towy, in the
(3) Kynlas = Cunoglassos, name
of a Breton king in Epistola Gildae (Petrie
ed., Mon. Hist. brit., 17), Armorican Cunglas
(Cart. of Redon); Kynan, in
Armorican Breton Conan.
(4) Perhaps for Clyn ystun; Clyn
ystyn is the name of
a farm between Carmarthen and the confluence of
(5) Dyffrynn Llychwr, writen
today as Loughor, on the borders
of the counties of
(6) Mynydd Amanw or
the
Then
they set upon him life for life, and Twrch Llawin was slain, and then there was
slain another of the swine, Gwys (1) was his name. After that he went on to
Dyffryn Amanw (2), and there Banw and Bennwig (3) 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 (4), and Arthur overtook him there, and he made a
stand. And there he slew Echel Forddwytwll, and Garwyli the son of Gwyddawg
Gwyr (5), and many men and dogs likewise. And thence they went to Llwch Tawy
(6). Grugyn Gwrych Ereint parted from them there, and went to Din Tywi (7). And
thence he proceeded to Ceredigiawn (8),
(1) Gwys means sow (Breton gwes).
(2) Today Dyffryn Amman or
(3) Banw, “sow”; Bennwic is a
diminutive.
(4) Today Llwch, farm of the
parish of Bettws (Celt. Folk., t I, p. 515).
(5) Gwyddawc Gwyr, perhaps
Gwyddawc de Gwyr, in English, Gower, Western part of the Gamorgan county.
(6) Llwch Tawy, the pond of Tawy,
(7) Din Tywi; din, “citadel, fortified place.” Since we
find several places called Dinas on the
course of the Tywi, it is difficult to identify this name.
(8) Keredigiawn, the
and Eli and Trachmyr with him, and a
multitude likewise. Then he came to Garth Gregyn (1), 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 (2), and there the men of Armorica met him, and there he slew Hirpeissawg
the king of
Twrch
Trwyth went from there to between Tawy and Euyas (3), and Arthur summoned all
Cornwall and Devon unto him, to the estuary of the Severn (4), 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
(1) Garth Grugyn; garth, “hill, heights.” The author draws,
undoubtedly, this name from Grugyn.
The text carries Gregyn, but Grugyn
is sure (Celt. Folkl., p. 515, notes 1 and 2). The name is recalled
by Hafod Grugyn, close to Brechfa (in
Carmarthenshire, but formerly
in Cardiganshire).
(2) Ystrad Yw, “the valley of the Yw”, an old
district of the southern part of Breconshire (Hundred of Crickhowel).
(3) Tawy and Euyas.
Evyas is the name of an
old canton of Herefordshire, on the side of
(4) Havren,
(5) Gwynn, white; Mygdwnn, ‘with the brown mane’.
(6) Llynn Lliwan. It is the marvellous lake spoken of
by Nennius LXXIII (Operlin Livan,
the mouth of the pond of Liwan); this lake
was open to the
(7) Aber Gwy, the mouth of the Gwy. Gwy,
called Wye by the English,
runs in the sea arm of the Severn, called by the Welsh, Mor
Havren,
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
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 Penn 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. As they entered the cave, the witch seized upon them,
and she caught Hygwyd by the hair of his head, and
threw him on the floor beneath her. And Kacmwri
caught her by the hair of her head, and dragged her to the earth from off Hygwyd, but she turned again upon them both, and drove them
both out with kicks and with cuffs.
And
Arthur was wroth at seeing his two attendants almost slain, and he sought to
enter the cave; but Gwyn and Gwythyr said unto him,
“It would not be fitting or seemly for us to see thee squabbling with a hag.
Let Hiramreu and Hireidil
go to the cave.” So they went. But if great was the trouble of the first two
that went, much greater was that of these two. And heaven knows that not one of
the four could move from the spot, until they placed them all upon Llamrei,
Arthur's mare. And then Arthur rushed to the door of the cave, and at the door
he struck at the witch, with Carnwennan his dagger,
and clove her in twain, so that she fell in two parts (1). And Kaw, of
Then
Culhwck 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 Culhwck.
“I
am shaved,” answered he.
“Is
thy daughter mine now?”
“She
is thine,” said he, “but therefor 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 because Culhwck'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 Culhwck obtain
Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.
(1)
Word for word: two buckets.