"A successful warrior, flaming in steel, before the enemy."
{181a} "Dinus;" from "din," a fort, and "ysu," to consume.
{181b} "Gwych." Al. "the angry."
{181c} Or, "the honourable."
{181d} "Echadaf," i.e. "ech," [Greek word] ex, and "adav," a hand.
{181e} A person of this name is ranked in the Triads as one of the three
"trwyddedawg hanvodawg," or free guests of the court of Arthur. (Myv.
Arch. ii. 73 )
{181f} Or, "the sovereign of the impregnable strand, or extremity of
Gododin," traeth y annor (an nhor.)
{182a} "Am rann, (i.e. amrant.) See line 40.
{182b} The city of Mynyddawg, from whence he was called Mynyddawg
Eiddyn.
{182c} Or, "The raging flame turns not from Eiddyn."
{182d} Or, "at the entrance or gate."
{182e} "Trusi;" al. "trin;" "he placed a thick cover in front of the
battle."
{182f} The effects of his toil in battle.
{182g} Al. "O goledd," by arrangement, being actuated by the same motive
as that which induced Gwrgan the Freckled long before to "enact a law
that no one should bear a shield, but only a sword and bow;" hence it is
said, "his countrymen became very heroic." (Iolo MSS. p. 351.)
{183a} Lit. "the strand supported." Traeth means also the extremity of
a district, and may accordingly be applied here to the boundary line
between Gododin and the British dominions.
{183b} "Periglawr;" one who has to do with what is extreme, or
dangerous; one who administers extreme unction; a parish priest.
{183c} Al. "penifeddawr," giddy-headed. Al. "penufuddawr" having an
obedient head--rein-obeying.
{183d} Al. "The mounted spearman."
{183e} Another reading gives "Odren" but the one adopted above suits the
rhyme better.
{183f} There is a reference here to some pagan ceremonies to which the
Saxons had recourse, for the purpose either of propitiating their gods,
or of receiving omens at their altars.
{184a} A body of British soldiers under the command of Nwython son of
Gildas, and nephew of Aneurin, seem to have taken advantage of the
peculiar position of the enemy, who were now probably unarmed, and to
have attacked them, which caused the latter, as usual, to seek refuge by
flight in one of the neighbouring forts. That we are right in adopting
Nwython as a proper name would appear, moreover, from two different
passages in the fragments of the Gododin subjoined to Gorchan Maelderw,
where "the son of Nwython," is distinctly mentioned as one of the heroes
that fell at Cattraeth.
{184b} Donald Brec, or as he is called in Latin, Dovenal Varius, king of
the Scots, who was slain by Owain, king of the Strathclyde Britons in the
battle of Vraithe Cairvin, otherwise Calatros, which in sound somewhat
resembles Galltraeth, or Cattraeth. It is true that the Scottish
chronicles assign a much later date to that event, than the era of the
Gododin, nevertheless as they themselves are very inconsistent with one
another on that point, giving the different dates of 629, 642, 678 and
686, it is clear that no implicit deference is due to their chronological
authority, and that we may, therefore, reasonably acquiesce in the view
which identifies Dyvnwal Vrych, with Donald Brec, seeing the striking
similarity which one name bears to the other.
{184c} Supposing the person who killed Donald to be the same with Owain,
son of Urien, there may be here an allusion to his men as well as to the
birds of prey. See line 18 note one.
{184d} Lit. "The bone;" even as it is popularly said at this day that a
man who gives great support to another is his back bone.
"Caletach wrth elyn nog asgwrn."