Books: The Mabinogion
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And no later than the next day was Teirnyon equipped, and two other
knights with him. And the boy, as a fourth in their company, went
with them upon the horse which Teirnyon had given him. And they
journeyed towards Narberth, and it was not long before they reached
that place. And as they drew near to the palace, they beheld
Rhiannon sitting beside the horseblock. And when they were opposite
to her, "Chieftain," said she, "go not further thus, I will bear
every one of you into the palace, and this is my penance for slaying
my own son and devouring him." "Oh, fair lady," said Teirnyon,
"think not that I will be one to be carried upon thy back." "Neither
will I," said the boy. "Truly, my soul," said Teirnyon, "we will not
go." So they went forward to the palace, and there was great joy at
their coming. And at the palace a feast was prepared, because Pywll
was come back from the confines of Dyved. And they went into the
hall and washed, and Pwyll rejoiced to see Teirnyon. And in this
order they sat. Teirnyon between Pwyll and Rhiannon, and Teirnyon's
two companions on the other side of Pwyll, with the boy between them.
And after meat they began to carouse and to discourse. And
Teirnyon's discourse was concerning the adventure of the mare and the
boy, and how he and his wife had nursed and reared the child as their
own. "And behold here is thy son, lady," said Teirnyon. "And
whosoever told that lie concerning thee, has done wrong. And when I
heard of thy sorrow, I was troubled and grieved. And I believe that
there is none of this host who will not perceive that the boy is the
son of Pwyll," said Teirnyon. "There is none," said they all, "who
is not certain thereof." "I declare to Heaven," said Rhiannon, "that
if this be true, there is indeed an end to my trouble." "Lady," said
Pendaran Dyved, "well hast thou named thy son Pryderi, {3} and well
becomes him the name of Pryderi son of Pwyll Chief of Annwvyn."
"Look you," said Rhiannon, "will not his own name become him better?"
"What name has he?" asked Pendaran Dyved. "Gwri Wallt Euryn is the
name that we gave him." "Pryderi," said Pendaran, "shall his name
be." "It were more proper," said Pwyll, "that the boy should take
his name from the word his mother spoke when she received the joyful
tidings of him." And thus was it arranged.
"Teirnyon," said Pwyll, "Heaven reward thee that thou hast reared the
boy up to this time, and, being of gentle lineage, it were fitting
that he repay thee for it." "My lord," said Teirnyon, "it was my
wife who nursed him, and there is no one in the world so afflicted as
she at parting with him. It were well that he should bear in mind
what I and my wife have done for him." "I call Heaven to witness,"
said Pwyll, "that while I live I will support thee and thy
possessions, as long as I am able to preserve my own. And when he
shall have power, he will more fitly maintain them than I. And if
this counsel be pleasing unto thee, and to my nobles, it shall be
that, as thou hast reared him up to the present time, I will give him
to be brought up by Pendaran Dyved, from henceforth. And you shall
be companions, and shall both be foster-fathers unto him." "This is
good counsel," said they all. So the boy was given to Pendaran
Dyved, and the nobles of the land were sent with him. And Teirnyon
Twryv Vliant, and his companions, set out for his country, and his
possessions, with love and gladness. And he went not without being
offered the fairest jewels and the fairest horses, and the choicest
dogs; but he would take none of them.
Thereupon they all remained in their own dominions. And Pryderi, the
son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn, was brought up carefully as was
fit, so that he became the fairest youth, and the most comely, and
the best skilled in all good games, of any in the kingdom. And thus
passed years and years, until the end of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn's
life came, and he died.
And Pryderi ruled the seven Cantrevs of Dyved prosperously, and he
was beloved by his people, and by all around him. And at length he
added unto them the three Cantrevs of Ystrad Tywi, and the four
Cantrevs of Cardigan; and these were called the Seven Cantrevs of
Seissyllwch. And when he made this addition, Pryderi the son of
Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn desired to take a wife. And the wife he
chose was Kicva, the daughter of Gwynn Gohoyw, the son of Gloyw Wallt
Lydan, the son of Prince Casnar, one of the nobles of this Island.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogion.
BRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR
HERE IS THE SECOND PORTION OF THE MABINOGI
Bendigeid Vran, the son of Llyr, was the crowned king of this island,
and he was exalted from the crown of London. And one afternoon he
was at Harlech in Ardudwy, at his Court, and he sat upon the rock of
Harlech, looking over the sea. And with him were his brother
Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and his brothers by the mother's side,
Nissyen and Evnissyen, and many nobles likewise, as was fitting to
see around a king. His two brothers by the mother's side were the
sons of Eurosswydd, by his mother, Penardun, the daughter of Beli son
of Manogan. And one of these youths was a good youth and of gentle
nature, and would make peace between his kindred, and cause his
family to be friends when their wrath was at the highest; and this
one was Nissyen; but the other would cause strife between his two
brothers when they were most at peace. And as they sat thus, they
beheld thirteen ships coming from the south of Ireland, and making
towards them, and they came with a swift motion, the wind being
behind them, and they neared them rapidly. "I see ships afar," said
the king, "coming swiftly towards the land. Command the men of the
Court that they equip themselves, and go and learn their intent." So
the men equipped themselves and went down towards them. And when
they saw the ships near, certain were they that they had never seen
ships better furnished. Beautiful flags of satin were upon them.
And behold one of the ships outstripped the others, and they saw a
shield lifted up above the side of the ship, and the point of the
shield was upwards, in token of peace. And the men drew near that
they might hold converse. Then they put out boats and came towards
the land. And they saluted the king. Now the king could hear them
from the place where he was, upon the rock above their heads.
"Heaven prosper you," said he, "and be ye welcome. To whom do these
ships belong, and who is the chief amongst you?" "Lord," said they,
"Matholwch, king of Ireland, is here, and these ships belong to him."
"Wherefore comes he?' asked the king, "and will he come to the land?"
"He is a suitor unto thee, lord," said they, "and he will not land
unless he have his boon." "And what may that be?" inquired the king.
"He desires to ally himself with thee, lord," said they, "and he
comes to ask Branwen the daughter of Llyr, that, if it seem well to
thee, the Island of the Mighty may be leagued with Ireland, and both
become more powerful." "Verily," said he, "let him come to land, and
we will take counsel thereupon." And this answer was brought to
Matholwch. "I will go willingly," said he. So he landed, and they
received him joyfully; and great was the throng in the palace that
night, between his hosts and those of the Court; and next day they
took counsel, and they resolved to bestow Branwen upon Matholwch.
Now she was one of the three chief ladies of this island, and she was
the fairest damsel in the world.
And they fixed upon Aberffraw as the place where she should become
his bride. And they went thence, and towards Aberffraw the hosts
proceeded; Matholwch and his host in their ships; Bendigeid Vran and
his host by land, until they came to Aberffraw. And at Aberffraw
they began the feast and sat down. And thus sat they. The King of
the Island of the Mighty and Manawyddan the son of Llyr on one side,
and Matholwch on the other side, and Branwen the daughter of Llyr
beside him. And they were not within a house, but under tents. No
house could ever contain Bendigeid Vran. And they began the banquet
and caroused and discoursed. And when it was more pleasing to them
to sleep than to carouse, they went to rest, and that night Branwen
became Matholwch's bride.
And next day they arose, and all they of the Court, and the officers
began to equip and to range the horses and the attendants, and they
ranged them in order as far as the sea.
And behold one day, Evnissyen, the quarrelsome man of whom it is
spoken above, came by chance into the place, where the horses of
Matholwch were, and asked whose horses they might be. "They are the
horses of Matholwch king of Ireland, who is married to Branwen, thy
sister; his horses are they." "And is it thus they have done with a
maiden such as she, and moreover my sister, bestowing her without my
consent? They could have offered no greater insult to me than this,"
said he. And thereupon he rushed under the horses and cut off their
lips at the teeth, and their ears close to their heads, and their
tails close to their backs, and wherever he could clutch their
eyelids, he cut them to the very bone, and he disfigured the horses
and rendered them useless.
And they came with these tidings unto Matholwch, saying that the
horses were disfigured, and injured so that not one of them could
ever be of any use again. "Verily, lord," said one, "it was an
insult unto thee, and as such was it meant." "Of a truth, it is a
marvel to me, that if they desire to insult me, they should have
given me a maiden of such high rank and so much beloved of her
kindred, as they have done." "Lord," said another, "thou seest that
thus it is, and there is nothing for thee to do but to go to thy
ships." And thereupon towards his ships he set out.
And tidings came to Bendigeid Vran that Matholwch was quitting the
Court without asking leave, and messengers were sent to inquire of
him wherefore he did so. And the messengers that went were Iddic the
son of Anarawd, and Heveydd Hir. And these overtook him and asked of
him what he designed to do, and wherefore he went forth. "Of a
truth," said he, "if I had known I had not come hither. I have been
altogether insulted, no one had ever worse treatment than I have had
here. But one thing surprises me above all." "What is that?" asked
they. "That Branwen the daughter of Llyr, one of the three chief
ladies of this island, and the daughter of the King of the Island of
the Mighty, should have been given me as my bride, and that after
that I should have been insulted; and I marvel that the insult was
not done me before they had bestowed upon me a maiden so exalted as
she." "Truly, lord, it was not the will of any that are of the
Court," said they, "nor of any that are of the council, that thou
shouldest have received this insult; and as thou hast been insulted,
the dishonour is greater unto Bendigeid Vran than unto thee."
"Verily," said he, "I think so. Nevertheless he cannot recall the
insult." These men returned with that answer to the place where
Bendigeid Vran was, and they told him what reply Matholwch had given
them. "Truly," said he, "there are no means by which we may prevent
his going away at enmity with us, that we will not take." "Well,
lord," said they, "send after him another embassy." "I will do so,"
said he. "Arise, Manawyddan son of Llyr, and Heveydd Hir, and Unic
Glew Ysgwyd, and go after him, and tell him that he shall have a
sound horse for every one that has been injured. And beside that, as
an atonement for the insult, he shall have a staff of silver, as
large and as tall as himself, and a plate of gold of the breadth of
his face. And show unto him who it was that did this, and that it
was done against my will; but that he who did it is my brother, by
the mother's side, and therefore it would be hard for me to put him
to death. And let him come and meet me," said he, "and we will make
peace in any way he may desire."
The embassy went after Matholwch, and told him all these sayings in a
friendly manner, and he listened thereunto. "Men," said he, "I will
take counsel." So to the council he went. And in the council they
considered that if they should refuse this, they were likely to have
more shame rather than to obtain so great an atonement. They
resolved therefore to accept it, and they returned to the Court in
peace.
Then the pavilions and the tents were set in order after the fashion
of a hall; and they went to meat, and as they had sat at the
beginning of the feast, so sat they there. And Matholwch and
Bendigeid Vran began to discourse; and behold it seemed to Bendigeid
Vran, while they talked, that Matholwch was not so cheerful as he had
been before. And he thought that the chieftain might be sad, because
of the smallness of the atonement which he had, for the wrong that
had been done him. "Oh, man," said Bendigeid Vran, "thou dost not
discourse to-night so cheerfully as thou wast wont. And if it be
because of the smallness of the atonement, thou shalt add thereunto
whatsoever thou mayest choose, and to-morrow I will pay thee the
horses." "Lord," said he, "Heaven reward thee." "And I will enhance
the atonement," said Bendigeid Vran, "for I will give unto thee a
cauldron, the property of which is, that if one of thy men be slain
to-day, and be cast therein, to-morrow he will be as well as ever he
was at the best, except that he will not regain his speech." And
thereupon he gave him great thanks, and very joyful was he for that
cause.
And the next morning they paid Matholwch the horses as long as the
trained horses lasted. And then they journeyed into another commot,
where they paid him with colts until the whole had been paid, and
from thenceforth that commot was called Talebolion.
And a second night sat they together. "My lord," said Matholwch,
"whence hadst thou the cauldron which thou hast given me?" "I had it
of a man who had been in thy land," said he, "and I would not give it
except to one from there." "Who was it?" asked he. "Llassar
Llaesgyvnewid; he came here from Ireland with Kymideu Kymeinvoll, his
wife, who escaped from the Iron House in Ireland, when it was made
red hot around them, and fled hither. And it is a marvel to me that
thou shouldst know nothing concerning the matter." "Something I do
know," said he, "and as much as I know I will tell thee. One day I
was hunting in Ireland, and I came to the mound at the head of the
lake, which is called the Lake of the Cauldron. And I beheld a huge
yellow-haired man coming from the lake with a cauldron upon his back.
And he was a man of vast size, and of horrid aspect, and a woman
followed after him. And if the man was tall, twice as large as he
was the woman, and they came towards me and greeted me. 'Verily,'
asked I, 'wherefore are you journeying?' 'Behold, this,' said he to
me, 'is the cause that we journey. At the end of a month and a
fortnight this woman will have a son; and the child that will be born
at the end of the month and the fortnight will be a warrior fully
armed.' So I took them with me and maintained them. And they were
with me for a year. And that year I had them with me not grudgingly.
But thenceforth was there murmuring, because that they were with me.
For, from the beginning of the fourth month they had begun to make
themselves hated and to be disorderly in the land; committing
outrages, and molesting and harassing the nobles and ladies; and
thenceforward my people rose up and besought me to part with them,
and they bade me to choose between them and my dominions. And I
applied to the council of my country to know what should be done
concerning them; for of their own free will they would not go,
neither could they be compelled against their will, through fighting.
And [the people of the country] being in this strait, they caused a
chamber to be made all of iron. Now when the chamber was ready,
there came there every smith that was in Ireland, and every one who
owned tongs and hammer. And they caused coals to be piled up as high
as the top of the chamber. And they had the man, and the woman, and
the children, served with plenty of meat and drink; but when it was
known that they were drunk, they began to put fire to the coals about
the chamber, and they blew it with bellows until the house was red
hot all around them. Then was there a council held in the centre of
the floor of the chamber. And the man tarried until the plates of
iron were all of a white heat; and then, by reason of the great heat,
the man dashed against the plates with his shoulder and struck them
out, and his wife followed him; but except him and his wife none
escaped thence. And then I suppose, lord," said Matholwch unto
Bendigeid Vran, "that he came over unto thee." "Doubtless he came
here," said he, "and gave unto me the cauldron." "In what manner
didst thou receive them?" "I dispersed them through every part of my
dominions, and they have become numerous and are prospering
everywhere, and they fortify the places where they are with men and
arms, of the best that were ever seen."
That night they continued to discourse as much as they would, and had
minstrelsy and carousing, and when it was more pleasant to them to
sleep than to sit longer, they went to rest. And thus was the
banquet carried on with joyousness; and when it was finished,
Matholwch journeyed towards Ireland, and Branwen with him, and they
went from Aber Menei with thirteen ships, and came to Ireland. And
in Ireland was there great joy because of their coming. And not one
great man or noble lady visited Branwen unto whom she gave not either
a clasp, or a ring, or a royal jewel to keep, such as it was
honourable to be seen departing with. And in these things she spent
that year in much renown, and she passed her time pleasantly,
enjoying honour and friendship. And in the meanwhile it chanced that
she became pregnant, and in due time a son was born unto her, and the
name that they gave him was Gwern the son of Matholwch, and they put
the boy out to be foster-nursed, in a place where were the best men
of Ireland.
And behold in the second year a tumult arose in Ireland, on account
of the insult which Matholwch had received in Cambria, and the
payment made him for his horses. And his foster-brothers, and such
as were nearest unto him, blamed him openly for that matter. And he
might have no peace by reason of the tumult until they should revenge
upon him this disgrace. And the vengeance which they took was to
drive away Branwen from the same chamber with him, and to make her
cook for the Court; and they caused the butcher after he had cut up
the meat to come to her and give her every day a blow on the ear, and
such they made her punishment.
"Verily, lord," said his men to Matholwch, "forbid now the ships and
the ferry boats and the coracles, that they go not into Cambria, and
such as come over from Cambria hither, imprison them that they go not
back for this thing to be known there." And he did so; and it was
thus for not less than three years.
And Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the kneading trough,
and she taught it to speak, and she taught the bird what manner of
man her brother was. And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the
despite with which she was treated, and she bound the letter to the
root of the bird's wing, and sent it towards Britain. And the bird
came to this island, and one day it found Bendigeid Vran at Caer
Seiont in Arvon, conferring there, and it alighted upon his shoulder
and ruffled its feathers, so that the letter was seen, and they knew
that the bird had been reared in a domestic manner.
Then Bendigeid Vran took the letter and looked upon it. And when he
had read the letter he grieved exceedingly at the tidings of
Branwen's woes. And immediately he began sending messengers to
summon the island together. And he caused sevenscore and four
countries to come unto him, and he complained to them himself of the
grief that his sister endured. So they took counsel. And in the
council they resolved to go to Ireland, and to leave seven men as
princes here, and Caradawc, the son of Bran, as the chief of them,
and their seven knights. In Edeyrnion were these men left. And for
this reason were the seven knights placed in the town. Now the names
of these seven men were, Caradawc the son of Bran, and Heveydd Hir,
and Unic Glew Ysgwyd, and Iddic the son of Anarawc Gwalltgrwn, and
Fodor the son of Ervyll, and Gwlch Minascwrn, and Llassar the son of
Llaesar Llaesgygwyd, and Pendaran Dyved as a young page with them.
And these abode as seven ministers to take charge of this island; and
Caradawc the son of Bran was the chief amongst them.
Bendigeid Vran, with the host of which we spoke, sailed towards
Ireland, and it was not far across the sea, and he came to shoal
water. It was caused by two rivers; the Lli and the Archan were they
called; and the nations covered the sea. Then he proceeded with what
provisions he had on his own back, and approached the shore of
Ireland.
Now the swineherds of Matholwch were upon the seashore, and they came
to Matholwch. "Lord," said they, "greeting be unto thee." "Heaven
protect you," said he, "have you any news?" "Lord," said they, "we
have marvellous news, a wood have we seen upon the sea, in a place
where we never yet saw a single tree." "This is indeed a marvel,"
said he; "saw you aught else?" "We saw, lord," said they, "a vast
mountain beside the wood, which moved, and there was a lofty ridge on
the top of the mountain, and a lake on each side of the ridge. And
the wood, and the mountain, and all these things moved." "Verily,"
said he, "there is none who can know aught concerning this, unless it
be Branwen."
Messengers then went unto Branwen. "Lady," said they, "what thinkest
thou that this is?" "The men of the Island of the Mighty, who have
come hither on hearing of my ill-treatment and my woes." "What is
the forest that is seen upon the sea?" asked they. "The yards and
the masts of ships," she answered. "Alas," said they, "what is the
mountain that is seen by the side of the ships?" "Bendigeid Vran, my
brother," she replied, "coming to shoal water; there is no ship that
can contain him in it." "What is the lofty ridge with the lake on
each side thereof?" "On looking towards this island he is wroth, and
his two eyes, one on each side of his nose, are the two lakes beside
the ridge."
The warriors and the chief men of Ireland were brought together in
haste, and they took counsel. "Lord," said the nobles unto
Matholwch, "there is no other counsel than to retreat over the Linon
(a river which is in Ireland), and to keep the river between thee and
him, and to break down the bridge that is across the river, for there
is a loadstone at the bottom of the river that neither ship nor
vessel can pass over." So they retreated across the river, and broke
down the bridge.
Bendigeid Vran came to land, and the fleet with him by the bank of
the river. "Lord," said his chieftains, "knowest thou the nature of
this river, that nothing can go across it, and there is no bridge
over it?" "What," said they, "is thy counsel concerning a bridge?"
"There is none," said he, "except that he who will be chief, let him
be a bridge. I will be so," said he. And then was that saying first
uttered, and it is still used as a proverb. And when he had lain
down across the river, hurdles were placed upon him, and the host
passed over thereby.
And as he rose up, behold the messengers of Matholwch came to him,
and saluted him, and gave him greeting in the name of Matholwch, his
kinsman, and showed how that of his goodwill he had merited of him
nothing but good. "For Matholwch has given the kingdom of Ireland to
Gwern the son of Matholwch, thy nephew and thy sister's son. And
this he places before thee, as a compensation for the wrong and
despite that has been done unto Branwen. And Matholwch shall be
maintained wheresoever thou wilt, either here or in the Island of the
Mighty." Said Bendigeid Vran, "Shall not I myself have the kingdom?
Then peradventure I may take counsel concerning your message. From
this time until then no other answer will you get from me."
"Verily," said they, "the best message that we receive for thee, we
will convey it unto thee, and do thou await our message unto him."
"I will wait," answered he, "and do you return quickly."
The messengers set forth and came to Matholwch. "Lord," said they,
"prepare a better message for Bendigeid Vran. He would not listen at
all to the message that we bore him." "My friends," said Matholwch,
"what may be your counsel?" "Lord," said they, "there is no other
counsel than this alone. He was never known to be within a house,
make therefore a house that will contain him and the men of the
Island of the Mighty on the one side, and thyself and thy host on the
other; and give over thy kingdom to his will, and do him homage. So
by reason of the honour thou doest him in making him a house, whereas
he never before had a house to contain him, he will make peace with
thee." So the messengers went back to Bendigeid Vran, bearing him
this message.
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