"Tudvwlch the oppressor of war, the destroyer of forts."
{100b} "Ech," [Greek text].
{100c} Lit. "until the seventh day;"--an expression intended probably to
denote the space of a week. The operations of each day are specified
further on in the Poem. In like manner we are presented in "Gwawd Lludd
y Mawr," (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 74) with an enumeration of certain
martial deeds that were performed on each day during an entire week.
{100d} Lit. "Should have made him a free man," or "should have continued
him," &c.
{100e} Al. "ugain," _a score_,
{100f} Al. the powerful supporter--"drut nerthyd."
{100g} Kilydd is mentioned in the Mabinogi of "Kilhwch and Olwen," where
he is represented as the son of Prince Kelyddon.
{100h} "Gwyr;" al. the hero, "gwr."
{101a} Lit. "the gleamers assembled." The 1, 2, 3, and 6, versions,
"cyn hynt treiawr," might be translated "ere the return of the ebbing
tide," and the meaning of the whole would seem to be, that the men,
having marched to the field of battle at dawn, experienced a bloody
engagement before the evening; the space of time between tide and tide
being equal to the length of a day.
{101b} "Like the thunder of heaven was the clashing of the
shields."--(Gorch. Mael.)
{101c} "Od uch lle." Al. "Od uch lled," _above the plain_.
{101d} Mark the antithesis "gwr llawr"--"arbennawr," and
"cethrawr"--"llavnawr."
{101e} "En gystud heyrn;" an allusion to the instrument which caused his
death. "Ferreus somnus."
{101f} It is clear from this statement that Erthai was the lawful lord
of the Mordei. He had been deprived of his dominions for a time,
probably through the usurpation of the "steel-clad commander," but at
length succeeded in recovering them. Who Erthai was we know not;
Llywarch Hen had a son, whose name bore some resemblance to the word: he
is mentioned in the following triplet;--
"The best three men in their country,
For protecting their habitation,
Eithyr and _Erthyr_ and Argad." (Elegy on Old Age.)
{102a} Al. "Erthgi," which is obviously the same as "Arthgi," a
_bear-dog_. The rhythmical run of the line seems, however, to point to
the other as the proper word.
{102b} "Erthychei;" there is here evidently an allusion to the name of
the hero, (that is, supposing the name adopted in the translation to be
the right one) which consideration induces us to prefer it to the other
reading, viz. "erthrychei." "With the latter word, however, we should
translate the passage as follows;--
"In the front Erthai would mangle an army."
{102c} Al. "dychurant," _will be afflicted_.
{102d} Probably Edeyrn may have been the hero of this stanza, and that a
play upon the word is intended in the expression "edyrn diedyrn." Edyrn
the kingdom will remain, but Edyrn the king is gone.
{102e} "Gowyssawr," the furrower of battle: the designation of a
warrior.
"Wyr i Vleddyn arv leiddiad
A oedd draw yn _cwysaw cad_." (Hywel Cilan.)
A grandson of Bleddyn with the weapon of slaughter,
Was yonder furrowing the battle.
Al. "lynwyssawr," "the plague;" or "the pool maker," in reference to the
effusion of blood which he caused on the field of battle.
As just observed, this individual may have been Edeyrn, the son of Nudd
ab Beli ab Rhun ab Maelgwn ab Caswallon Lawhir ab Einiawn Yrth ab Cunedda
ab Edeyrn ab Padarn Beisrudd by Gwawl daughter of COEL GODEBOG, who would
be removed from the field of battle by his own clan.
{103a} "Bu truan," just as in line 107.
{103b} The names of both these persons, as we have already seen, occur
together in a Poem attributed to Aneurin, and printed in Davies's
Mythology of the Druids. The latter, moreover, appears in the Tale of
"Kilhwch and Olwen," where a daughter of his is likewise mentioned by the
name of Eheubryd. Cyvwlch is there stated to have been one of the three
grandsons of Cleddyv Divwlch, the other two being Bwlch and Sevwich.
"Their three shields are three gleaming glitterers. Their three spears
are three pointed piercers. Their three swords are three griding
gashers, Glas, Glesig, and Clersag." (page 291.)
{103c} "Leu," the root of "goleu," "lleuad," &c. The other reading
"liw," is equally proper, even as we still say "liw dydd," "liw nos," &c.
{103d} Lit. "rush-light."
{103e} Lit. "its enmity lasted long." The latter portion of this
stanza, which refers to Tudvwlch and Cyvwlch, seems to have been
misplaced.
{103f} Qu. "Icenorum arx?"
{103g} "Ewgei," _e wgei_ from "gwg," _a frown_. Al. "negei," _he shewed
resistance_, from "nag," a _denial_. So in "Englynion y Beddau;"--
"Y Beddau hir yn Ngwanas
Ni chavas ae dioes
Pwy vynt hwy, pwy eu _neges_."
i.e. "who will own, or who will deny them."
{104a} Can this mean _blood_ or _bloody field_? It is certain that
Meigant (600-630) uses the word in that sense;--
"_Plwde_ y danav hyd ymhen vy nghlun." (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 160)
Under me was blood to the top of my knee.
{104b} "Digalonnit," the other reading "dygollovit," (dygoll ovid) would
signify that the horn _banished his sorrow_.
{104c} Al. "Even on the foam-bordered Mordei."
{104d} Which "Gwarthlev," ( the voice of reproach) was not. Davies
makes "eno bryt," into a proper name, and construes the sentence thus;--
"Whilst Gwarthlev and Enovryd were pouring forth the liquor."
{105a} "Arch." Al. "arth en llwrw." "He was an impetuous bear." There
may be here a faint allusion to the name Gwarthlev, nor is it unlikely
that his ensign bore the figure of a bear.
{105b} "Gwd," (gwdd) _that turns round_.
{105c} "Gyfgein," (cyvgein) _co-light_.
{105d} A peculiarity observable in Welsh documents is, that they
frequently consign general circumstances to the island of Britain in
particular. This may be exemplified by the account which is given of the
deluge in Triad 13. (Third Series;)--
"The three awful events of the _Isle of Britain_; first, the bursting
of the lake of waters, and the overwhelming of the face of all lands;
so that all mankind were drowned, excepting Dwyvan and Dwyvach, who
escaped in a naked vessel, and of them the Isle of Britain was
repeopled," &c.
{105e} Gwrveling.
{105f} Al. "ungentle."
{105g} Vide supra, lines 89, 113.
{105h} As there is nothing to rhyme with "ryodres," probably there is a
line left out here.
{106a} It would appear from this that the feast was given in celebration
of the time of harvest. That the Britons, like the Jews, exhibited signs
of great joy at that season, may be inferred from the following Triads of
Dyvnwal Moelmud. (Myv. Arch. vol. iii. p. 283.)
"Tair clud udcorn sydd; dygynnull gwlad gan riaint a phencenedloedd,
_corn cynhauav_, a chorn cad a rhyvel rhag gormes gorwlad ac estron."
There are three trumpet progressions; the assembly of a country
according to heads of families and chiefs of tribes, the horn of
harvest, and the horn of war and of battle against the oppression of
neighbours and aliens.
"Tair clud addwyn y sydd; beirdd yn darogan heddwch, _cyrch
cynhauav_, a phriodas."
There are three happy progressions; bards announcing peace, a meeting
in harvest time, and a marriage.
"Tri corn cynghlud y sydd; _corn cynhauav_, corn dadlau, a chorn
goly-chwyd."
There are three horns for mutual progression; the horn of harvest,
the horn of contention, and the horn for religious adoration.
{106b} "Arvel," which is required on account of the rhyme.
{106c} Bright shields, which are here likened to wings.
"Y gylchwy dan y gymwy bu adenawc." Line 361
His round shield was with fire winged for slaughter.
{106d} An allusion to the trappings of the horses.
{107a} "Diryf." "Rhyv;" that enlarges or swells out; "diryv," without
enlargement. A descriptive reference to the expanding or bulging effects
of spears when hurled against a shield.
{107b} Al. "with equal step they thickly assembled," "cnydyn" from
_cnydiaw_, to yield a crop. And "cynfedion" from _cyd_ together, and
_pedion_, feet.
{107c} Al. "unprofitably."
{107d} "Hudid" (huddid) covered over.
{107e} Query, "vras" to rhyme with "glas"?
{107f} "Teithi;" _the character_, i.e. of the military preparations.
{107g} "Amgant;" al. "etmygant;" in which case the passage might be
rendered,--
"Famous were the characteristics
Of, &c."
{107h} The Novantae comprised the present districts of Galloway,
Carrick, Kyle, and Cunningham.
{108a} If we have interpreted "pumcant" aright, as giving the number of
men in each battalion, it would appear that "mwnt," though primarily
standing for one hundred thousand, has also a general sense. This view
of it might in like manner apply to the statement made at line 49.
{108b} "Trychwn," i.e. tri cwn (a head) a regiment commanded by one
head.
{108c} Al. "Thrice six," &c. Al. "Three noisy," &c. That as many as
300 commanders should issue from Eiddin, can only be explained on the
supposition that, because of its proximity to Cattraeth, it formed the
principal station of the allied forces.
{108d} Lit. "golden kings wearing chains." The manner in which the
greater and lesser numbers are placed in juxtaposition (lines 184-187)
makes it very probable that the latter designate the commanders of the
troops there mentioned. And we may well suppose that the statement from
line 188 to line 191 is a mere continuation of the character of the
"three bold knights."
{108e} _Lead_, being heavy, answers to "trwm" in the preceding line.
{108f} A reference to the armour of the soldiers.
{109a} Or "who were Brython." The Brython were the third "social tribe
of the Isle of Britain," who "came from the land of Llydaw, and were
descended from the primitive tribe of the Cymry," (Triad 5, third
series.) Being the third principal tribe that settled in Britain, it is
probable that their original inheritance was Alban, one of the "three
principal provinces of the Isle of Britain," (See Triad 2) which they
must have occupied prior to the time of Prydain the son of Aedd Mawr.
Dunbarton is Dun Bretton, i.e. Dinas y Brython.
{109b} Cynon was the son of Clydno Eiddin, and one of the three
counselling warriors of Arthur.
"Tri chyngoriad varchawg llys Arthur; Cynon ab Clydno Eiddin, Arawn
ab Cynvarch, a Llywarch Hen ab Elidyr Lydanwyn." (Triad 86, first
series.)
He was also one of the "three ardent lovers," on account of his passion
for Morvydd, daughter of Urien Rheged.
"Tri serchawg Ynys Prydain; Caswallawn mab Beli am Flur merch Fugnach
Gorr, a Thrystan mab Tallwch am Essyllt gwreig March Meirchiawn ei
ewythr, a Chynon ab Clydno Eiddun am Forwydd verch Urien." (Tr. 53.)
Cynon ab Clydno Eiddin was educated at the college of Llancarvan, and is
said to have answered one of the seven questions proposed by Cattwg
Ddoeth, the President, as follows,--
"Pa gamp decav ar ddyn?
Atteb. Cyweirdeb." (Cynan ab Clydno Eiddin ai dywawd.)
What is man's fairest quality?
Answer. Sincerity.
His grave is recorded in the Englynion y Beddau. (Myv. Arch. vol i. p.
79.)
{109c} We adopt this as a proper name, because it makes up the number
three. A person of that name is mentioned in the following stanza;--
"A glywaist ti chwedl Cynrain,
Pen cyngor Ynys Prydain,
Gwell ydyw cadw nag olrhain."
Hast thou heard the saying of Cynrain,
The chief counsellor of the Island of Britain?
Better to keep than to pursue. (Iolo MSS. pp. 251, 651.)
The word has however been construed "chief spearmen," and "of the stock
of."
{109d} There is a place so called in Cardiganshire.
{110a} Al. "gogyverth," to oppose.
{110b} "Yn hon," from _on_ an ash, and by metonymy, a spear. Or, as
"hon" means what is present to the sight, we may construe the passage
thus,--
"To greet openly," &c.
{110c} "Deivyr diverogion," the droppers of Deivyr; not "the men who
dropped _into_ Deira," as Davies has it. Deivyr and Bryneich were now
opposed to the British patriots. See lines 50, 78.
{110d} Namely Cydywal, a chieftain of Gwynedd, now stationed in the
region of Mordei; considering the disaster that ensued, it appeared
whilst he presided over the banquet in his own camp, as if he were merely
preparing a feast for the birds of prey.
{110e} His history is unknown.
{110f} "Cyn y," i.e. _cyni_.
{111a} Nothing is known of this diviner.
{111b} The "croes" was probably a kind of cross bow. Taliesin in
"Gwaith Gwenystrad" says of the slain warriors,--
"Llaw ynghroes"--
Which has been translated by Ieuan Vardd,
"Their hands were on the crucifix [cross.]" (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p.
52.)