Books: The Mabinogion
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And he took counsel, and in the council it was resolved that he
should accept this, and this was all done by the advice of Branwen,
and lest the country should be destroyed. And this peace was made,
and the house was built both vast and strong. But the Irish planned
a crafty device, and the craft was that they should put brackets on
each side of the hundred pillars that were in the house, and should
place a leathern bag on each bracket, and an armed man in every one
of them. Then Evnissyen came in before the host of the Island of the
Mighty, and scanned the house with fierce and savage looks, and
descried the leathern bags which were around the pillars. "What is
in this bag?" asked he of one of the Irish. "Meal, good soul," said
he. And Evnissyen felt about it until he came to the man's head, and
he squeezed the head until he felt his fingers meet together in the
brain through the bone. And he left that one and put his hand upon
another, and asked what was therein. "Meal," said the Irishman. So
he did the like unto every one of them, until he had not left alive,
of all the two hundred men, save one only; and when he came to him,
he asked what was there. "Meal, good soul," said the Irishman. And
he felt about until he felt the head, and he squeezed that head as he
had done the others. And, albeit he found that the head of this one
was armed, he left him not until he had killed him. And then he sang
an Englyn:-
"There is in this bag a different sort of meal,
The ready combatant, when the assault is made
By his fellow-warriors, prepared for battle."
Thereupon came the hosts unto the house. The men of the Island of
Ireland entered the house on the one side, and the men of the Island
of the Mighty on the other. And as soon as they had sat down there
was concord between them; and the sovereignty was conferred upon the
boy. When the peace was concluded, Bendigeid Vran called the boy
unto him, and from Bendigeid Vran the boy went unto Manawyddan, and
he was beloved by all that beheld him. And from Manawyddan the boy
was called by Nissyen the son of Eurosswydd, and the boy went unto
him lovingly. "Wherefore," said Evnissyen, "comes not my nephew the
son of my sister unto me? Though he were not king of Ireland, yet
willingly would I fondle the boy." "Cheerfully let him go to thee,"
said Bendigeid Vran, and the boy went unto him cheerfully. "By my
confession to Heaven," said Evnissyen in his heart, "unthought of by
the household is the slaughter that I will this instant commit."
Then he arose and took up the boy by the feet, and before any one in
the house could seize hold of him, he thrust the boy headlong into
the blazing fire. And when Branwen saw her son burning in the fire,
she strove to leap into the fire also, from the place where she sat
between her two brothers. But Bendigeid Vran grasped her with one
hand, and his shield with the other. Then they all hurried about the
house, and never was there made so great a tumult by any host in one
house as was made by them, as each man armed himself. Then said
Morddwydtyllyon, "The gadflies of Morddwydtyllyon's Cow!" And while
they all sought their arms, Bendigeid Vran supported Branwen between
his shield and his shoulder.
Then the Irish kindled a fire under the cauldron of renovation, and
they cast the dead bodies into the cauldron until it was full, and
the next day they came forth fighting-men as good as before, except
that they were not able to speak. Then when Evnissyen saw the dead
bodies of the men of the Island of the Mighty nowhere resuscitated,
he said in his heart, "Alas! woe is me, that I should have been the
cause of bringing the men of the Island of the Mighty into so great a
strait. Evil betide me if I find not a deliverance therefrom." And
he cast himself among the dead bodies of the Irish, and two unshod
Irishmen came to him, and, taking him to be one of the Irish, flung
him into the cauldron. And he stretched himself out in the cauldron,
so that he rent the cauldron into four pieces, and burst his own
heart also.
In consequence of that the men of the Island of the Mighty obtained
such success as they had; but they were not victorious, for only
seven men of them all escaped, and Bendigeid Vran himself was wounded
in the foot with a poisoned dart. Now the seven men that escaped
were Pryderi, Manawyddan, Gluneu Eil Taran, Taliesin, Ynawc, Grudyen
the son of Muryel, and Heilyn the son of Gwynn Hen.
And Bendigeid Vran commanded them that they should cut off his head.
"And take you my head," said he, "and bear it even unto the White
Mount, in London, and bury it there, with the face towards France.
And a long time will you be upon the road. In Harlech you will be
feasting seven years, the birds of Rhiannon singing unto you the
while. And all that time the head will be to you as pleasant company
as it ever was when on my body. And at Gwales in Penvro you will be
fourscore years, and you may remain there, and the head with you
uncorrupted, until you open the door that looks towards Aber
Henvelen, and towards Cornwall. And after you have opened that door,
there you may no longer tarry, set forth then to London to bury the
head, and go straight forward."
So they cut off his head, and these seven went forward therewith.
And Branwen was the eighth with them, and they came to land at Aber
Alaw, in Talebolyon, and they sat down to rest. And Branwen looked
towards Ireland and towards the Island of the Mighty, to see if she
could descry them. "Alas," said she, "woe is me that I was ever
born; two islands have been destroyed because of me!" Then she
uttered a loud groan, and there broke her heart. And they made her a
four-sided grave, and buried her upon the banks of the Alaw.
Then the seven men journeyed forward towards Harlech, bearing the
head with them; and as they went, behold there met them a multitude
of men and of women. "Have you any tidings?" asked Manawyddan. "We
have none," said they, "save that Caswallawn the son of Beli has
conquered the Island of the Mighty, and is crowned king in London."
"What has become," said they, "of Caradawc the son of Bran, and the
seven men who were left with him in this island?" "Caswallawn came
upon them, and slew six of the men, and Caradawc's heart broke for
grief thereof; for he could see the sword that slew the men, but knew
not who it was that wielded it. Caswallawn had flung upon him the
Veil of Illusion, so that no one could see him slay the men, but the
sword only could they see. And it liked him not to slay Caradawc,
because he was his nephew, the son of his cousin. And now he was the
third whose heart had broke through grief. Pendaran Dyved, who had
remained as a young page with these men, escaped into the wood," said
they.
Then they went on to Harlech, and there stopped to rest, and they
provided meat and liquor, and sat down to eat and to drink. And
there came three birds, and began singing unto them a certain song,
and all the songs they had ever heard were unpleasant compared
thereto; and the birds seemed to them to be at a great distance from
them over the sea, yet they appeared as distinct as if they were
close by, and at this repast they continued seven years.
And at the close of the seventh year they went forth to Gwales in
Penvro. And there they found a fair and regal spot overlooking the
ocean; and a spacious hall was therein. And they went into the hall,
and two of its doors were open, but the third door was closed, that
which looked towards Cornwall. "See, yonder," said Manawyddan, "is
the door that we may not open." And that night they regaled
themselves and were joyful. And of all they had seen of food laid
before them, and of all they had heard of, they remembered nothing;
neither of that, nor of any sorrow whatsoever. And there they
remained fourscore years, unconscious of having ever spent a time
more joyous and mirthful. And they were not more weary than when
first they came, neither did they, any of them, know the time they
had been there. And it was not more irksome to them having the head
with them, than if Bendigeid Vran had been with them himself. And
because of these fourscore years, it was called "the Entertaining of
the noble Head." The entertaining of Branwen and Matholwch was in
the time that they went to Ireland.
One day said Heilyn the son of Gwynn, "Evil betide me, if I do not
open the door to know if that is true which is said concerning it."
So he opened the door and looked towards Cornwall and Aber Henvelen.
And when they had looked, they were as conscious of all the evils
they had ever sustained, and of all the friends and companions they
had lost, and of all the misery that had befallen them, as if all had
happened in that very spot; and especially of the fate of their lord.
And because of their perturbation they could not rest, but journeyed
forth with the head towards London. And they buried the head in the
White Mount, and when it was buried, this was the third goodly
concealment; and it was the third ill-fated disclosure when it was
disinterred, inasmuch as no invasion from across the sea came to this
island while the head was in that concealment.
And thus is the story related of those who journeyed over from
Ireland.
In Ireland none were left alive, except five pregnant women in a cave
in the Irish wilderness; and to these five women in the same night
were born five sons, whom they nursed until they became grown-up
youths. And they thought about wives, and they at the same time
desired to possess them, and each took a wife of the mothers of their
companions, and they governed the country and peopled it.
And these five divided it amongst them, and because of this partition
are the five divisions of Ireland still so termed. And they examined
the land where the battles had taken place, and they found gold and
silver until they became wealthy.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi, concerning the blow given
to Branwen, which was the third unhappy blow of this island; and
concerning the entertainment of Bran, when the hosts of sevenscore
countries and ten went over to Ireland to revenge the blow given to
Branwen; and concerning the seven years' banquet in Harlech, and the
singing of the birds of Rhiannon, and the sojourning of the head for
the space of fourscore years.
MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR
HERE IS THE THIRD PORTION OF THE MABINOGI
When the seven men of whom we spoke above had buried the head of
Bendigeid Vran, in the White Mount an London, with its face towards
France; Manawyddan gazed upon the town of London, and upon his
companions, and heaved a great sigh; and much grief and heaviness
came upon him. "Alas, Almighty Heaven, woe is me," he exclaimed,
"there is none save myself without a resting-place this night."
"Lord," said Pryderi, "be not so sorrowful. Thy cousin is king of
the Island of the Mighty, and though he should do thee wrong, thou
hast never been a claimant of land or possessions. Thou art the
third disinherited prince." "Yea," answered he, "but although this
man is my cousin, it grieveth me to see any one in the place of my
brother Bendigeid Vran, neither can I be happy in the same dwelling
with him." "Wilt thou follow the counsel of another?" said Pryderi.
"I stand in need of counsel," he answered, "and what may that counsel
be?" "Seven Cantrevs remain unto me," said Pryderi, "wherein
Rhiannon my mother dwells. I will bestow her upon thee and the seven
Cantrevs with her, and though thou hadst no possessions but those
Cantrevs only, thou couldst not have seven Cantrevs fairer than they.
Kicva, the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw, is my wife, and since the
inheritance of the Cantrevs belongs to me, do thou and Rhiannon enjoy
them, and if thou ever desire any possessions thou wilt take these."
"I do not, Chieftain," said he; "Heaven reward thee for thy
friendship." "I would show thee the best friendship in the world if
thou wouldst let me." "I will, my friend," said he, "and Heaven
reward thee. I will go with thee to seek Rhiannon and to look at thy
possessions." "Thou wilt do well," he answered. "And I believe that
thou didst never hear a lady discourse better than she, and when she
was in her prime none was ever fairer. Even now her aspect is not
uncomely."
They set forth, and, however long the journey, they came at length to
Dyved, and a feast was prepared for them against their coming to
Narberth, which Rhiannon and Kicva had provided. Then began
Manawyddan and Rhiannon to sit and to talk together, and from their
discourse his mind and his thoughts became warmed towards her, and he
thought in his heart he had never beheld any lady more fulfilled of
grace and beauty than she. "Pryderi," said he, "I will that it be as
thou didst say." "What saying was that?" asked Rhiannon. "Lady,"
said Pryderi, "I did offer thee as a wife to Manawyddan the son of
Llyr." "By that will I gladly abide," said Rhiannon. "Right glad am
I also," said Manawyddan; "may Heaven reward him who hath shown unto
me friendship so perfect as this."
And before the feast was over she became his bride. Said Pryderi,
"Tarry ye here the rest of the feast, and I will go into Lloegyr to
tender my homage unto Caswallawn the son of Beli." "Lord," said
Rhiannon, "Caswallawn is in Kent, thou mayest therefore tarry at the
feast, and wait until he shall be nearer." "We will wait," he
answered. So they finished the feast. And they began to make the
circuit of Dyved, and to hunt, and to take their pleasure. And as
they went through the country, they had never seen lands more
pleasant to live in, nor better hunting grounds, nor greater plenty
of honey and fish. And such was the friendship between those four,
that they would not be parted from each other by night nor by day.
And in the midst of all this he went to Caswallawn at Oxford, and
tendered his homage; and honourable was his reception there, and
highly was he praised for offering his homage.
And after his return, Pryderi and Manawyddan feasted and took their
ease and pleasure. And they began a feast at Narberth, for it was
the chief palace; and there originated all honour. And when they had
ended the first meal that night, while those who served them ate,
they arose and went forth, and proceeded all four to the Gorsedd of
Narberth, and their retinue with them. And as they sat thus, behold,
a peal of thunder, and with the violence of the thunderstorm, lo
there came a fall of mist, so thick that not one of them could see
the other. And after the mist it became light all around. And when
they looked towards the place where they were wont to see cattle, and
herds, and dwellings, they saw nothing now, neither house, nor beast,
nor smoke, nor fire, nor man, nor dwelling; but the houses of the
Court empty, and desert, and uninhabited, without either man or beast
within them. And truly all their companions were lost to them,
without their knowing aught of what had befallen them, save those
four only.
"In the name of Heaven," cried Manawyddan, "where are they of the
Court, and all my host beside these? Let us go and see." So they
came into the hall, and there was no man; and they went on to the
castle and to the sleeping-place, and they saw none; and in the mead-
cellar and in the kitchen there was nought but desolation. So they
four feasted, and hunted, and took their pleasure. Then they began
to go through the land and all the possessions that they had, and
they visited the houses and dwellings, and found nothing but wild
beasts. And when they had consumed their feast and all their
provisions, they fed upon the prey they killed in hunting, and the
honey of the wild swarms. And thus they passed the first year
pleasantly, and the second; but at the last they began to be weary.
"Verily," said Manawyddan, "we must not bide thus. Let us go into
Lloegyr, and seek some craft whereby we may gain our support." So
they went into Lloegyr, and came as far as Hereford. And they betook
themselves to making saddles. And Manawyddan began to make housings,
and he gilded and coloured them with blue enamel, in the manner that
he had seen it done by Llasar Llaesgywydd. And he made the blue
enamel as it was made by the other man. And therefore is it still
called Calch Lasar [blue enamel], because Llasar Llaesgywydd had
wrought it.
And as long as that workmanship could be had of Manawyddan, neither
saddle nor housing was bought of a saddler throughout all Hereford;
till at length every one of the saddlers perceived that they were
losing much of their gain, and that no man bought of them, but him
who could not get what he sought from Manawyddan. Then they
assembled together, and agreed to slay him and his companions.
Now they received warning of this, and took counsel whether they
should leave the city. "By Heaven," said Pryderi, "it is not my
counsel that we should quit the town, but that we should slay these
boors." "Not so," said Manawyddan, "for if we fight with them, we
shall have evil fame, and shall be put in prison. It were better for
us to go to another town to maintain ourselves." So they four went
to another city.
"What craft shall we take?" said Pryderi. "We will make shields,"
said Manawyddan. "Do we know anything about that craft?" said
Pryderi. "We will try," answered he. There they began to make
shields, and fashioned them after the shape of the good shields they
had seen; and they enamelled they, as them had done the saddles. And
they prospered in that place, so that not a shield was asked for in
the whole town, but such as was had of them. Rapid therefore was
their work, and numberless were the shields they made. But at last
they were marked by the craftsmen, who came together in haste, and
their fellow-townsmen with them, and agreed that they should seek to
slay them. But they received warning, and heard how the men had
resolved on their destruction. "Pryderi," said Manawyddan, "these
men desire to slay us." "Let us not endure this from these boors,
but let us rather fall upon them and slay them." "Not so," he
answered; "Caswallawn and his men will hear of it, and we shall be
undone. Let us go to another town." So to another town they went.
"What craft shall we take?" said Manawyddan. "Whatsoever thou wilt
that we know," said Pryderi. "Not so," he replied, "but let us take
to making shoes, for there is not courage enough among cordwainers
either to fight with us or to molest us." "I know nothing thereof,"
said Pryderi. "But I know," answered Manawyddan; "and I will teach
thee to stitch. We will not attempt to dress the leather, but we
will buy it ready dressed and will make the shoes from it."
So he began by buying the best cordwal that could be had in the town,
and none other would he buy except the leather for the soles; and he
associated himself with the best goldsmith in the town, and caused
him to make clasps for the shoes, and to gild the clasps, and he
marked how it was done until he learnt the method. And therefore was
he called one of the three makers of Gold Shoes; and, when they could
be had from him, not a shoe nor hose was bought of any of the
cordwainers in the town. But when the cordwainers perceived that
their gains were failing (for as Manawyddan shaped the work, so
Pryderi stitched it), they came together and took counsel, and agreed
that they would slay them.
"Pryderi," said Manawyddan, "these men are minded to slay us."
"Wherefore should we bear this from the boorish thieves?" said
Pryderi. "Rather let us slay them all." "Not so," said Manawyddan,
"we will not slay them, neither will we remain in Lloegyr any longer.
Let us set forth to Dyved and go to see it."
So they journeyed along until they came to Dyved, and they went
forward to Narberth. And there they kindled fire and supported
themselves by hunting. And thus they spent a month. And they
gathered their dogs around them, and tarried there one year.
And one morning Pryderi and Manawyddan rose up to hunt, and they
ranged their dogs and went forth from the palace. And some of the
dogs ran before them and came to a small bush which was near at hand;
but as soon as they were come to the bush, they hastily drew back and
returned to the men, their hair bristling up greatly. "Let us go
near to the bush," said Pryderi, "and see what is in it." And as
they came near, behold, a wild boar of a pure white colour rose up
from the bush. Then the dogs, being set on by the men, rushed
towards him; but he left the bush and fell back a little way from the
men, and made a stand against the dogs without retreating from them,
until the men had come near. And when the men came up, he fell back
a second time, and betook him to flight. Then they pursued the boar
until they beheld a vast and lofty castle, all newly built, in a
place where they had never before seen either stone or building. And
the boar ran swiftly into the castle and the dogs after him. Now
when the boar and the dogs had gone into the castle, they began to
wonder at finding a castle in a place where they had never before
seen any building whatsoever. And from the top of the Gorsedd they
looked and listened for the dogs. But so long as they were there
they heard not one of the dogs nor aught concerning them.
"Lord," said Pryderi, "I will go into the castle to get tidings of
the dogs." "Truly," he replied, "thou wouldst be unwise to go into
this castle, which thou hast never seen till now. If thou wouldst
follow my counsel, thou wouldst not enter therein. Whosoever has
cast a spell over this land has caused this castle to be here." "Of
a truth," answered Pryderi, "I cannot thus give up my dogs." And for
all the counsel that Manawyddan gave him, yet to the castle he went.
When he came within the castle, neither man nor beast, nor boar nor
dogs, nor house nor dwelling saw he within it. But in the centre of
the castle floor he beheld a fountain with marble work around it, and
on the margin of the fountain a golden bowl upon a marble slab, and
chains hanging from the air, to which he saw no end.
And he was greatly pleased with the beauty of the gold, and with the
rich workmanship of the bowl, and he went up to the bowl and laid
hold of it. And when he had taken hold of it his hands stuck to the
bowl, and his feet to the slab on which the howl was placed, and all
his joyousness forsook him, so that he could not utter a word. And
thus he stood.
And Manawyddan waited for him till near the close of the day. And
late in the evening, being certain that he should have no tidings of
Pryderi or of the dogs, he went back to the palace. And as he
entered, Rhiannon looked at him. "Where," said she, "are thy
companion and thy dogs?" "Behold," he answered, "the adventure that
has befallen me." And he related it all unto her. "An evil
companion hast thou been," said Rhiannon, "and a good companion hast
thou lost." And with that word she went out, and proceeded towards
the castle according to the direction which he gave her. The gate of
the castle she found open. She was nothing daunted, and she went in.
And as she went in, she perceived Pryderi laying hold of the bowl,
and she went towards him. "Oh, my lord," said she, "what dust thou
do here?" And she took hold of the bowl with him; and as she did so
her hands became fast to the bowl, and her feet to the slab, and she
was not able to utter a word. And with that, as it became night, lo,
there came thunder upon them, and a fall of mist, and thereupon the
castle vanished, and they with it.
When Kicva the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw saw that there was no one in
the palace but herself and Manawyddan, she sorrowed so that she cared
not whether she lived or died. And Manawyddan saw this. "Thou art
in the wrong," said he, "if through fear of me thou grievest thus. I
call Heaven to witness that thou hast never seen friendship mere pure
than that which I will bear thee, as long as Heaven will that thou
shouldst be thus. I declare to thee that were I in the dawn of youth
I would keep my faith unto Pryderi, and unto thee also will I keep
it. Be there no fear upon thee, therefore," said he, "for Heaven is
my witness that thou shalt meet with all the friendship thou canst
wish, and that it is in my power to show thee, as long as it shall
please Heaven to continue us in this grief and woe." "Heaven reward
thee," she said, "and that is what I deemed of thee." And the damsel
thereupon took courage and was glad.
"Truly, lady," said Manawyddan, "it is not fitting for us to stay
here, we have lost our dogs, and we cannot get food. Let us go into
Lloegyr; it is easiest for us to find support there." "Gladly,
lord," said she, "we will do so." And they set forth together to
Lloegyr.
"Lord," said she, "what craft wilt thou follow? Take up one that is
seemly." "None other will I take," answered he, "save that of making
shoes, as I did formerly." "Lord," said she, "such a craft becomes
not a man so nobly born as thou." "By that however will I abide,"
said he.
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