the castle of Yspaddaden Penkawr."
"And who art thou?"
"I am called Custennin, the son of Dyfnedig; and my brother Yspaddaden
Penkawr oppressed me because of my possessions. And ye, also--who are
ye?"
"We are an embassy from Arthur, come to seek Olwen, the daughter of
Yspaddaden Penkawr."
"O men! the mercy of Heaven be upon you! Do not that for all the world.
None who ever came hither on this quest has returned alive."
And the herdsman rose up. And, as he arose, Kilhwch gave unto him a
ring of gold. And he sought to put on the ring, but it was too small
for him: so he placed it in the finger of his glove. And he went home,
and gave the glove to his spouse to keep. And she took the ring from
the glove when it was given her, and she said, "Whence came this ring?
For thou art not wont to have good fortune."
"I went," said he, "to the sea to seek for fish, and, lo, I saw a
corpse borne by the waves. And a fairer corpse than it did I never
behold. And from its finger did I take this ring."
"O man! does the sea permit its dead to wear jewels? Show me, then,
this body."
"O wife! him to whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in the
evening."
"And who is he?" asked the woman.
"Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon by Goleuddydd,
the daughter of Prince Anlawdd, his mother, who is come to seek Olwen
as his wife."
And, when she heard that, her feelings were divided between the joy
that she had that her nephew, the son of her sister, was coming to her,
and sorrow, because she had never known any one depart alive who had
come on that quest.
And they went forward to the gate of Custennin, the herdsman's
dwelling. And, when she heard their footsteps approaching, she ran out
with joy to meet them. And Kai snatched a billet out of the pile. And,
when she met them, she sought to throw her arms about their necks. And
Kai placed the log between her two hands, and she squeezed it so that
it became a twisted coil.
"O woman!" said Kai, "if thou hadst squeezed me thus, none could ever
again have set their affections on me. Evil love were this."
They entered into the house, and were served; and, soon after, they all
went forth to amuse themselves. Then the woman opened a stone chest
that was before the chimney-corner, and out of it arose a youth with
yellow curling hair. Said Gwrhyr, "It is a pity to hide this youth. I
know that it is not his own crime that is thus visited upon him."
"This is but a remnant," said the woman. "Three and twenty of my sons
has Yspaddaden Penkawr slain, and I have no more hope of this one than
of the others."
Then said Kai, "Let him come and be a companion with me, and he shall
not be slain unless I also am slain with him."
And they ate. And the woman asked them, "Upon what errand come you
here?"
"We come to seek Olwen for this youth."
Then said the woman, "In the name of Heaven, since no one from the
castle hath yet seen you, return again whence you came."
"Heaven is our witness, that we will not return until we have seen the
maiden."
Said Kai, "Does she ever come hither, so that she may be seen?"
"She comes here every Saturday, to wash her head; and, in the vessel
where she washes, she leaves all her rings, and she never either comes
herself, or sends any messengers, to fetch them."
"Will she come here if she is sent to?"
"Heaven knows that I will not destroy my soul, nor will I betray those
that trust me. Unless you will pledge me your faith that you will not
harm her, I will not send to her."
"We pledge it," said they. So a message was sent; and she came.
The maiden was clothed in a robe of flame-colored silk; and about her
neck was a collar of ruddy gold, on which were precious emeralds and
rubies. More yellow was her head than the flower of the broom; and her
skin was whiter than the foam of the wave; and fairer were her hands
and her fingers than the blossoms of the wood-anemone amidst the spray
of the meadow fountain. The eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the
three-mewed falcon, was not brighter than hers. Her bosom was more
snowy than the breast of the white swan; her cheek was redder than the
reddest roses. Whoso beheld her was filled with her love. Four white
trefoils sprung up wherever she trod. And therefore was she called
Olwen.
She entered the house, and sat beside Kilhwch, upon the foremost bench.
And as soon as he saw her he knew her. And Kilhwch said unto her, "Ah,
maiden! thou art she whom I have loved. Come away with me, lest they
speak evil of thee and of me. Many a day have I loved thee."
"I cannot do this; for I have pledged my faith to my father not to go
without his counsel, for his life will last only until the time of my
espousals. Whatever is must be. But I will give thee advice, if thou
wilt take it. Go, ask me of my father, and that which he shall require
of thee, grant it, and thou wilt obtain me; but, if thou deny him any
thing, thou wilt not obtain me, and it will be well for thee if thou
escape with thy life."
"I promise all this, if occasion offer," said he.
She returned to her chamber, and they all rose up, and followed her to
the castle. And they slew the nine porters that were at the nine gates,
in silence. And they slew the nine watch-dogs, without one of them
barking. And they went forward to the hall.
"The greeting of Heaven and of man be unto thee Yspaddaden Penkawr,"
said they.
"And you--wherefore come you?"
"We come to ask thy daughter Olwen for Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the
son of Prince Kelyddon."
"Where are my pages and my servants? Raise up the forks beneath my two
eyebrows, which have fallen over my eyes, that I may see the fashion of
my son-in-law." And they did so. "Come hither to-morrow, and you shall
have an answer."
They rose to go forth; and Yspaddaden Penkawr seized one of the three
poisoned darts that lay beside him, and threw it after them. And Bedwyr
caught it, and flung it, and pierced Yspaddaden Penkawr grievously
with it through the knee. Then he said, "A cursed ungentle son-in-law,
truly! I shall ever walk the worse for his rudeness, and shall ever be
without a cure. This poisoned iron pains me like the bite of a gadfly.
Cursed be the smith who forged it, and the anvil whereon it was
wrought! So sharp is it!"
That night also they took up their abode in the house of Custennin
the herdsman. The next day, with the dawn, they arrayed themselves in
haste, and proceeded to the castle, and entered the hall; and they
said, "Yspaddaden Penkawr, give us thy daughter in consideration of
her dower and her maiden fee, which we will pay to thee and to her two
kinswomen likewise. And, unless thou wilt do so, thou shalt meet with
thy death on her account."
Then he said, "Her four great-grandmothers and her four
great-grandsires are yet alive: it is needful that I take counsel of
them."
"Be it so," answered they. "We will go to meat."
As they rose up, he took the second dart that was beside him, and
cast it after them. And Menw, the son of Gwaedd, caught it, and
flung it back at him, and wounded him in the centre of the breast,
so that it came out at the small of his back. "A cursed ungentle
son-in-law, truly!" said he. "The hard iron pains me like the bite of a
horse-leech. Cursed be the hearth whereon it was heated, and the smith
who formed it! So sharp is it! Henceforth, whenever I go up a hill, I
shall have a scant in my breath and a pain in my chest, and I shall
often loathe my food." And they went to meat.
And the third day they returned to the palace. And Yspaddaden Penkawr
said to them, "Shoot not at me again, unless you desire death. Where
are my attendants? Lift up the forks of my eyebrows, which have fallen
over my eyeballs, that I may see the fashion of my son-in-law."
Then they arose; and, as they did so, Yspaddaden Penkawr took the third
poisoned dart, and cast it at them. And Kilhwch caught it, and threw it
vigorously, and wounded him through the eyeball so that the dart came
out at the back of his head. "A cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly! As
long as I remain alive, my eyesight will be the worse. Whenever I go
against the wind, my eyes will water, and peradventure my head will
burn, and I shall have a giddiness every new moon. Cursed be the fire
in which it was forged! Like the bite of a mad dog is the stroke of
this poisoned iron." And they went to meat.
And the next day they came again to the palace, and they said, "Shoot
not at us any more, unless thou desirest such hurt and harm and torture
as thou now hast, and even more. Give me thy daughter, and, if thou
wilt not give her, thou shalt receive thy death because of her."
"Where is he that seeks my daughter? Come hither, where I may see
thee." And they placed him in a chair face to face with him.
Said Yspaddaden Penkawr, "Is it thou that seekest my daughter?"
"It is I," answered Kilhwch.
"I must have thy pledge that thou wilt not do towards me otherwise than
is just, and, when I have gotten that which I shall name, my daughter
thou shalt have."
"I promise thee that willingly," said Kilhwch. "Name what thou wilt."
"I will do so," said he. "Seest thou yonder vast hill?"
"I see it."
"I require that it be rooted up, and that the grubbings be burned for
manure on the face of the land, and that it be ploughed and sown in one
day, and in one day that the grain ripen. And of that wheat I intend to
make food and liquor fit for the wedding of thee and my daughter. And
all this I require done in one day."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though this be easy for thee, there is yet that which will not be so.
No husbandman can till or prepare this land, so wild is it, except
Amaethon, the son of Don; and he will not come with thee by his own
free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
two dun oxen of Gwlwlyd, both yoked together, to plough the wild land
yonder stoutly. He will not give them of his own free will, and thou
wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The
yellow and the brindled bull yoked together do I require."
"It will be easy for me to compass this."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
two-horned oxen, one of which is beyond, and the other this side of,
the peaked mountain, yoked together in the same plough. And these are
Nynniaw and Peibiaw,[14] whom God turned into oxen on account of their
sins."
[Footnote 14: See the story of Nynniaw and Peibiaw in the Introduction.]
"It will be easy for me to compass this."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Seest
thou yonder red-tilled ground?"
"I see it."
"When first I met the mother of this maiden, nine bushels of flax were
sown therein, and none has yet sprung up, neither white nor black; and
I have the measure by me still. I require to have the flax to sow in
the new land yonder, that when it grows up it may make a white wimple
for my daughter's head on the day of thy wedding."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Honey
that is nine times sweeter than the honey of the virgin swarm, without
scum and bees, do I require to make bragget for the feast."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"The vessel of Llwyr, the son of Llwyryon, which is of the utmost
value. There is no other vessel in the world that can hold this drink.
Of his free will thou wilt not get it, and thou canst not compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
basket of Gwyddneu Garanhir. If the whole world should come together,
thrice nine men at a time, the meat that each of them desired would
be found within it. I require to eat therefrom on the night that my
daughter becomes thy bride. He will give it to no one of his own free
will, and thou canst not compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
horn of Gwlgawd Gododin, to serve us with liquor that night. He will
not give it of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel
him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
harp of Teirtu to play to us that night. When a man desires that it
should play, it does so of itself, and when he desires that it should
cease it ceases. And this he will not give of his own free will, and
thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
caldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, the steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, King
of Ireland, to boil the meat for thy marriage-feast."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It is
needful for me to wash my head, and shave my beard; and I require the
tusk of Yskithyrwyn Benbaedd to shave myself withal, neither shall I
profit by its use if it be not plucked alive out of his head."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. There
is no one in the world that can pluck it out of his head, except Odgar
the son of Aedd, King of Ireland."
"It will be easy for me to compass this."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. I
will not trust any one to keep the tusk, except Gado of North Britain.
Now the threescore Cantrevs of North Britain are under his sway; and of
his own free will he will not come out of his kingdom, and thou wilt
not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. I
must spread out my hair in order to shave it, and it will never be
spread out unless I have the blood of the jet black sorceress, the
daughter of the pure white sorceress, from Pen Nant Govid on the
confines of Hell."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
I will not have the blood, unless I have it warm; and no vessels
will keep warm the liquid that is put therein, except the bottles of
Gwyddolwyn Gorr, which preserve the heat of the liquor that is put into
them in the east until they arrive at the west. And he will not give
them of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Some
will desire fresh milk; and it will not be possible to have fresh milk
for all, unless we have the bottles of Rhinnon Rhin Barnawd, wherein no
liquor ever turns sour. And he will not give them of his own free will,
and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Throughout the world, there is not a comb or scissors with which I
can arrange my hair, on account of its rankness, except the comb and
scissors that are between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, the son of
Prince Tared. He will not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt
not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It
will not be possible to hunt Twrch Trwyth, without Drudwyn, the whelp
of Greid, the son of Eri."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Throughout the world there is not a leash that can hold him, except the
leash of Cwrs Cant Ewin."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Throughout the world there is no collar that will hold the leash,
except the collar of Canhastyr Canllaw."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
chain of Kilydd Canhastyr, to fasten the collar to the leash."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Throughout the world there is not a huntsman who can hunt with this
dog, except Mabon, the son of Modron. He was taken from his mother when
three nights old, and it is not known where he now is, nor whether he
is living or dead."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not
get,--Gwynn Mygdwn, the horse of Gweddw, that is as swift as the wave,
to carry Mabon, the son of Modron, to hunt the boar Trwyth. He will not
give him of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Thou
wilt not get Mabon, for it is not known where he is, unless thou find
Eidoel, his kinsman in blood, the son of Aer. For it would be useless
to seek for him. He is his cousin."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Garselit the Gwyddelian is the chief huntsman of Ireland: the Twrch
Trwyth can never be hunted without him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--a
leash made from the beard of Dissull Varvawc, for that is the only one
that can hold those two cubs. And the leash will be of no avail, unless
it be plucked from his beard while he is alive, and twitched out with
wooden tweezers. While he lives, he will not suffer this to be done
to him. And the leash will be of no use, should he be dead, because it
will be brittle."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Throughout the world there is no huntsman that can hold those two
whelps, except Kynedyr Wyllt, the son of Hettwn Glafyrawc. He is nine
times more wild than the wildest beast upon the mountains. Him wilt
thou never get, neither wilt thou ever get my daughter."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It is
not possible to hunt the boar Trwyth without Gwynn, the son of Nudd,
whom God has placed over the brood of devils in Annwn, lest they should
destroy the present race. He will never be spared thence."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. There
is not a horse in the world that can carry Gwynn to hunt the Twrch
Trwyth, except Du, the horse of Mor of Oerveddawg."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Until
Gilennhin, the King of France, shall come, the Twrch Trwyth cannot be
hunted. It will be unseemly for him to leave his kingdom for thy sake,
and he will never come hither."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think it
will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The
Twrch Trwyth can never be hunted without the son of Alun Dyved: he is
well skilled in letting loose the dogs."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The
Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted, unless thou get Aned and Aethlem. They
are as swift as the gale of wind, and they were never let loose upon a
beast, that they did not kill him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not
get,--Arthur and his companions to hunt the Twrch Trwyth. He is a
mighty man, and he will not come for thee, neither wilt thou be able to
compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
The Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted, unless thou get Bwlch and Kyfwlch
[and Sefwlch], the grandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch. Their three shields
are three gleaming glitterers. Their three spears are three pointed
piercers. Their three swords are three griding gashers, Glas, Glessic,
and Clersag. Their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall. Their three
horses, Hwyrdydwg and Drwgdydwg and Llwyrdydwg. Their three wives, Och
and Garam and Diaspad. Their three grandchildren, Lluched and Vyned
and Eissiwed. Their three daughters, Drwg and Gwaeth and Gwaethav Oli.
Their three handmaids [Eheubryd, the daughter of Kyfwlch; Gorasgwrn,
the daughter of Nerth; and Gwaedan, the daughter of Kynvelyn]. These
three men shall sound the horn, and all the others shall shout, so that
all will think that the sky is falling to the earth."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get,--the
sword of Gwrnach the Giant: he will never be slain except therewith. Of
his own free will he will not give it, either for a price or as a gift;
and thou wilt never be able to compel him."
"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think
that it will not be easy."
"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.
Difficulties shalt thou meet with, and nights without sleep, in
seeking this, and, if thou obtain it not, neither shalt thou obtain my
daughter."
"Horses shall I have, and chivalry; and my lord and kinsman Arthur will
obtain for me all these things. And I shall gain thy daughter, and thou
shalt lose thy life."
"Go forward. And thou shalt not be chargeable for food or raiment for
my daughter while thou art seeking these things; and, when thou hast
compassed all these marvels, thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife."
All that day they journeyed until the evening, and then they beheld a
vast castle, which was the largest in the world. And lo, a black man,
huger than three of the men of this world, came out from the castle.
And they spoke unto him: "Whence comest thou, O man?"
"From the castle which you see yonder."
"Whose castle is that?" asked they.
"Stupid are ye, truly, O men! There is no one in the world that does
not know to whom this castle belongs. It is the castle of Gwrnach the
Giant."
"What treatment is there for guests and strangers that alight in that
castle?"
"O chieftain, Heaven protect thee! No guest ever returned thence alive,
and no one may enter therein, unless he brings with him his craft."
Then they proceeded towards the gate. Said Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Ieithoedd,
"Is there a porter?"
"There is. And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in thy head, wherefore
dost thou call?"
"Open the gate."
"I will not open it."
"Wherefore wilt thou not?"
"The knife is in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is
revelry in the hall of Gwrnach the Giant, and except for a craftsman
who brings his craft the gate will not be opened to-night."
"Verily, porter," then said Kai, "my craft bring I with me."
"What is thy craft?"
"The best burnisher of swords am I in the world."
"I will go and tell this unto Gwrnach the Giant, and I will bring thee
an answer."
So the porter went in; and Gwrnach said to him, "Hast thou any news
from the gate?"