had read the letter he grieved exceedingly at the tidings of Branwen's
woes. And immediately he began sending messengers to summon the island
together. And he caused sevenscore and four countries to come unto
him, and he complained to them himself of the grief that his sister
endured. So they took counsel. And in the council they resolved to go
to Ireland, and to leave seven men as princes here, and Caradawc the
son of Bran as the chief of them, and their seven knights. In Edeyrnion
were these men left. And these abode as seven ministers to take charge
of this island; and Caradawc the son of Bran was the chief amongst them.
Bendigeid Vran, with the host of which we spoke, sailed towards
Ireland, and it was not far across the sea, and he came to shoal water.
It was but by two rivers; the Lli and the Archan were they called; and
the nations covered the sea. Then he proceeded with what provisions he
had on his own back, and approached the shore of Ireland.
Now the swineherds of Matholwch were upon the seashore, and they came
to Matholwch. "Lord," said they, "greeting be unto thee."
"Heaven protect you!" said he, "have you any news?"
"Lord," said they, "we have marvellous news: a wood have we seen upon
the sea in a place where we never yet saw a single tree."
"This is indeed a marvel," said he. "Saw you aught else?"
"We saw, lord," said they, "a vast mountain beside the wood, which
moved, and there was a lofty ridge on the top of the mountain, and a
lake on each side of the ridge. And the wood, and the mountain, and all
these things moved."
"Verily," said he, "there is none who can know aught concerning this,
unless it be Branwen."
Messengers then went unto Branwen. "Lady," said they, "what thinkest
thou that this is?"
"The men of the Island of the Mighty, who have come hither on hearing
of my ill-treatment and my woes."
"What is the forest that is seen upon the sea?" asked they.
"The yards and the masts of ships," she answered.
"Alas!" said they, "what is the mountain that is seen by the side of
the ships?"
"Bendigeid Vran, my brother," she replied, "coming to shoal water:
there is no ship that can contain him in it."
"What is the lofty ridge with the lake on each side thereof?"
"On looking towards this island he is wroth; and his two eyes, one on
each side of his nose, are the two lakes beside the ridge."
The warriors and the chief men of Ireland were brought together in
haste, and they took counsel. "Lord," said the nobles unto Matholwch,
"there is no other counsel than to retreat over the Linon (a river
which is in Ireland), and to keep the river between thee and him,
and to break down the bridge that is across the river; for there is
a loadstone at the bottom of the river that neither ship nor vessel
can pass over." So they retreated across the river and broke down the
bridge.
Bendigeid Vran came to land, and the fleet with him by the bank of the
river. "Lord," said his chieftains, "knowest thou the nature of this
river, that nothing can go across it, and there is no bridge over it?
What," said they, "is thy counsel concerning a bridge?"
"There is none," said he, "except that he who will be chief let him
be a bridge. I will be so," said he. And then was that saying first
uttered, and it is still used as a proverb. And when he had lain down
across the river, hurdles were placed upon him and the host passed over
thereby.
And as he rose up, behold the messengers of Matholwch came to him,
and saluted him, and gave him greeting in the name of Matholwch his
kinsman, and showed how that of his good-will he had merited him
nothing but good. "For Matholwch has given the kingdom of Ireland to
Gwern the son of Matholwch, thy nephew and thy sister's son. And this
he places before thee as a compensation for the wrong and despite
that has been done unto Branwen. And Matholwch shall be maintained
wheresoever thou wilt, either here or in the Island of the Mighty."
Said Bendigeid Vran, "Shall not I myself have the kingdom? Then
peradventure I may take counsel concerning your message. From this time
until then no other answer will you get from me."
"Verily," said they, "the best message that we receive for thee we will
convey it unto thee, and do thou await our message unto him."
"I will wait," answered he; "and do you return quickly."
The messengers set forth and came to Matholwch. "Lord," said they,
"prepare a better message for Bendigeid Vran. He would not listen at
all to the message that we bore him."
"My friends," said Matholwch, "what may be your counsel?"
"Lord," said they, "there is no other counsel than this alone. He was
never known to be within a house, make therefore a house that will
contain him and the men of the Island of the Mighty on the one side,
and thyself and thy host on the other, and give over thy kingdom to his
will, and do him homage. So by reason of the honor thou doest him in
making him a house, whereas he never before had a house to contain him,
he will make peace with thee." So the messengers went back to Bendigeid
Vran, bearing him this message.
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 killed the man].
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 caldron of renovation, and they
cast the dead bodies into the caldron 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 caldron. And he
stretched himself out in the caldron, so that he rent the caldron 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.
MANAWYDDAN AND THE MICE.
[ENTITLED IN THE ORIGINAL "MANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR."]
When the seven men of whom we spoke [in the foregoing tale] had buried
the head of Bendigeid Vran, in the White Mount in 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 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."
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 honorable 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 honor. 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. 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.
"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 colored 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 any thing 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 them, as they 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."
"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 learned the method. And therefore he was 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 color 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 then 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.