{133a} Or, "so great, so immense was the slaughter." Another reading;
"So great, a sea of radiance was the slaughter," "mor o wawr," in
reference to the brightness of the weapons.
{133b} Morien Manawc is mentioned in the "Dream of Rhonabwy", as one of
the counsellors of Arthur, (p. 416.) His grave is pointed out in the
following lines;--(Myv. Arch. vol. i. page 79.)
"E Beteu ae cut gwitwal
Ny llesseint heb ymtial
Gwrien Morien a Morial.
The graves that have their mounds together,
Are theirs, who fell not unavenged,
Gwrien, Morien, and Morial.
His memory was much cherished by the mediaeval Bards, who not
unfrequently compare their patrons to him. Thus Risserdyn (1290, 1340)
says that Hywel ap Gruffydd had "vreich Moryen," the arm of Morien; and
his contemporary Madawg Dwygraig eulogises Gruffydd ap Madawg as being
"ail Morien," a second Morien.
{133c} "Medut," from "meddu," to possess, or it may signify "_drunk_,"
from "meddw." The kindling of the fire seems to have been for the
purpose of annoying the enemy. Perhaps the allusion to fires, which
occurs so frequently in the Poem, may, in some measure, explain the burnt
and calcined features of many of our old camps.
{133d} Cynon was probably the general of this camp, under whom Morien
fought.
{133e} "Welei." Al. _make_.
{133f} Meaning _himself_. Another reading of the latter part of the
line would be "with his brass armour shattered."
{133g} I.e. the camp occupied by the enemy, as the next line clearly
indicates.
{134a} "Noc ac escyc," from "ysgog," to stir. Al. "Noe ac Eseye," as if
they were the names of some Saxon officers, who hurled the stone. In
this case we should render it,
"Noe and Eseye hurled a massive stone from the wall of the fort,
And never," &c.
as if he were crushed beneath it. Adopting the former reading, however,
we must observe the point of the words "ysgyg" and "ysgogit," the one
indicative of his undaunted courage, the other of his motionless state in
death.
"Marw yw--
Nid ysgyg er meddyg mwy."--Dr. S. Cent.
He is dead; he will stir no more for all the doctor's art.
{134b} Cyhadvan, cyd advan, a co-retreat.
{134c} Al. Teithan.
{134d} Or "tumultuous," annovawc, from _an_ not and _dov_, tame, gentle,
Al. "anvonawc," sent, ordered.
{134e} See a description of his warlike character in the thirtieth
stanza.
{134f} That is, Morien himself, who bore the epithet Mynawg or Manawg,
(_high-minded_.) See preceding stanza, note two.
{134g} "Yn trwm," as a person "seirchiawc saphwyawc--(and perhaps)
elydnan," would necessarily be. The bundles of combustible materials,
which he also carried, would add to the weight of his armour, and tend to
retard his movements. Or, "yn trwm" may refer to the battle, as being a
_pressure_, or a _sad_ affair.
{135a} Qu. Pedrawg, whose son Bedwyr was one of the three crowned chiefs
of battle?
{135b} "Varchawc" may be coupled with "fowys," indicating that the enemy
fled on horseback.
{135c} "Cylchwy," means a circular inclosure as well as a shield, and in
that sense it can be taken here, as showing that Morien surrounded the
camp with fire.
{135d} "Gwyth;" another reading gives "gwych," which would have the same
meaning as "gowychydd," line 296.
{135e} Whether we read "ceinion" or "gleinion," we should have the same
meaning, viz.--"of the saints," the Britons being thus distinguished from
the pagan Saxons. Thus Llywarch Hen says of Geraint that he was
"Gelyn i Sais, car i saint."
The Saxon's foe, the friend of Saints.
{136a} "Lleithig," a _throne_, or _the dais of the hall_; in the latter
sense it would have reference to a banquet, and perhaps "tal" would mean
the front or principal seat where Cynon sat. When, however, the battle
commenced, the chieftain quitted the convivial board, and displayed the
valour of a distinguished soldier.
{136b} His first thrust being so effectual. Al. "were not recognised,"
having been so greatly mutilated.
{136c} Al. "in the day of gallantry."
{136d} I.e. Elphin son of Gwyddno ab Gorvynion ab Dyvnwal Hen king of
Gwent. In the early part of his life he was the patron of Taliesin, whom
he found when an infant in a leathern bag, exposed on a stake of his
father's wear. "When Elphin was afterwards imprisoned in the castle of
Dyganwy by Maelgwn Gwynedd, Taliesin by the influence of his song
procured his release. There is a poem in the Myvyrian Archaiology,
entitled the "Consolation of Elphin," said to have been written by the
chief of Bards.
Or, more likely, because of his connection with the North, he was one of
the sons of Urien Rheged, mentioned by Llywarch Hen in the following
triplet,--
"Pwylrai Wallawg, marchawg trin,
Er echwydd gwneuthur dyvin,
Yn erbyn cyvrysedd Elphin."
Gwallawg, the knight of tumult, would violently rave,
With a mind determined to try the sharpest edge,
Against the conflict of Elphin.
{137a} Probably the Epidii, in Cantyre and Argyleshire. Al. "Hud a
phyd," "The valour of the forward Elphin had recourse to wiles and
stratagems."
{138a} Morien is probably alluded to here again, whose especial
department seems to have been the superintendence of the martial fire.
"Mur greit," to which we have given the same meaning as to "Murgreit,"
(line 292) might, however, in connection with the rest of the verse be
differently translated; thus "The furze was kindled on the rampart by the
ardent bull of conflict," or "The furze was kindled by the ardent
bulwark, the bull of conflict." The latter construction seems to be
favoured by a stanza in "Cyvoesi Merddin," (Myvyrian Archaiology, vol. i.
p. 148) where Morien is styled "mur trin," "the bulwark of conflict."
"Marw Morgeneu marw kyvrennin
Marw Moryen mur trin
Trymmav oed am dy adoed di Vyrdin."
Morgeneu dead, Kyvrenin dead,
Morien the bulwark of conflict dead;
Most sad the lingering that thou art left, O Merddin.
{138b} The meaning seems to be, that the enemies directed their attack
to the part which abounded most with riches, or where the treasures were
collected, or it may refer to the banquet; "alavvedd," signifying the
_flowing mead_.
{138c} "Llaes;" al. "lliaws," _numerous_.
{138d} Beli son of Benlli, a famous warrior in North Wales. Allusion is
made to his burying place in Englynion y Beddau;--
"Pieu y bedd yn y maes mawr,
Balch ei law ar ei lavnawr?
Bedd Beli vab Benlli gawr."
Who owns the grave in the great plain,
Proud his hand upon his spear?
The grave of Beli son of Benlli Gawr. (Myv. Arch. v. i. p. 82.)
Or Beli son of Rhun, a sovereign of North Wales.
{139a} "Ffin;" i.e. the Catrail.
{139b} The contrast between the appearances of the two heralds is
remarkable.
{139c} I.e. the "Nar," the puny messenger of the Saxons, compared here
to a "twrch," a _boar_, or a _mole_.
{139d} "Of a worthy character."
{139e} Or, "the battle spear."
{139f} "A clat," cladd, a trench. "In those parts where it (the
Catrail) is pretty entire,--the fosse is twenty-six and twenty-five feet
broad; and in one place which was measured by Dr. Douglas, the fosse was
twenty-seven and a half feet broad. But in those parts where the rampart
has been most demolished, the fosse only measures twenty-two and a half
feet, twenty, and eighteen; and in one place only sixteen feet wide."
Chalmers's Caledonia, vol. i. Al. "aclut," i.e. Alclud, (Dunbarton.)
"The warriors upon the far-famed Alclyde."
{140a} Or, "in behalf of the power."
{140b} Being skilled in the knowledge of the stars.
{140c} Lit. "For the falling." To pull one's hair was looked upon in
the light of a great insult, as we may well infer from the kindred one of
handling the beard, which was punishable by law. Thus e.g. a man might
legally beat his wife "am ddymuno mevl ar varv ei gwr"--for wishing
disgrace on the beard of her husband. Such a treatment appears to have
been offered to Gwydion, which made his attendant determined upon
avenging his cause.
{140d} "Awyr eryr," a title given to him in reference to the sublime
character of his profession. Gwydien, or Gwydion, was one of the three
blessed astronomers of the Isle of Britain,
"Tri gwyn Seronyddion ynys Prydain. Idris Gawr, a Gwydion mab Don, a
Gwyn ab Nudd; a chan vaint eu gwybodau am y ser a'u hanianau a'i
hansoddau y darogenynt a chwenychid ei wybod hyd yn nydd brawd."
(Triad lxxxix. third series.)
Two stanzas entitled "Cad Goddau," published in the Myv. Arch. vol. i. p.
167, are ascribed to him. He is reported to have been buried in Morva
Dinllev. See Englynion y Beddau, (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 78.)
{141a} Gwyddwg seems to have been in the service of Gwydien.
{141b} Al. "protect him with his spear," (wayw.) The other reading
(waen) is preferred on account of the rhyme.
{141c} "Murdyn;" it may be "mur dyn," (_the bulwark of men_) as
descriptive of the character of Morien, who is elsewhere styled "mur
trin," see line 382, note.
{141d} We meet in British history with several instances of female
heroism; the following Triad records the names of three viragos in
particular;--
"Tri gwrvorwyn ynys Prydain; Llewei verch Seithwedd Saidi; a Mederai
Badellvawr, a Rhorei vawr verch Usber Galed." (Triad 96, third
series.)