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Bendigeid Vran, the son of Llyr was the crowned king of this Island, and
he was exalted from the crown of London. {39a} And one afternoon he was
at Harlech in Ardudwy, at his court, and he sat upon the rock of Harlech,
looking over the sea. {39b} And with him were his brother Manawyddan the
son of Llyr, and his brothers by the mother's side, Nissyen and
Evnissyen, and many nobles likewise, as was fitting to see around a king.
His two brothers by the mother's side were the sons of Eurosswydd, by his
mother, Penardun, {40} the daughter of Beli son of Manogan. And one of
these youths was a good youth and of gentle nature, and would make peace
between his kindred and cause his family to be friends when their wrath
was at the highest; and this one was Nissyen; but the other would cause
strife between his two brothers when they were most at peace. And as
they sat thus, they beheld thirteen ships coming from the South of
Ireland, and making towards them, and they came with a swift motion, the
wind being behind them, and they neared them rapidly. "I see ships
afar," said the king, "coming swiftly towards the land. Command the men
of the court that they equip themselves, and go and learn their intent."
So the men equipped themselves and went down towards them. And when they
saw the ships near, certain were they that they had never seen ships
better furnished. Beautiful flags of satin were upon them. And behold
one of the ships outstripped the others, and they saw a shield lifted up
above the side of the ship, and the point of the shield was upwards, in
token of peace. And the men drew near that they might hold converse.
Then they put out boats and came towards the land. And they saluted the
king. Now the king could hear them from the place where he was, upon the
rock above their heads. "Heaven prosper you," said he, "and be ye
welcome. To whom do these ships belong and who is the chief amongst
you?" "Lord," said they, "Matholwch king of Ireland is here and these
ships belong to him." "Wherefore comes he?" asked the king, "and will he
come to the land?" "He is a suitor unto thee, lord," said they, "and he
will not land unless he have his boon." "And what may that be?" enquired
the king. "He desires to ally himself with thee, lord," said they, "and
he comes to ask Branwen the daughter of Llyr, that, if it seem well to
thee, the Island of the Mighty may be leagued with Ireland and both
become more powerful." "Verily," said he, "let him come to land, and we
will take counsel thereupon." And this answer was brought to Matholwch.
"I will go willingly," said he. So he landed, and they received him
joyfully; and great was the throng in the palace that night, between his
hosts and those of the court; and next day they took counsel, and they
resolved to bestow Branwen upon Matholwch. Now she was one of the three
chief ladies of this Island, and she was the fairest damsel in the world.
And they fixed upon Aberffraw, as the place where she should become his
bride. And they went thence, and towards Aberffraw the hosts proceeded;
Matholwch and his host in their ships; Bendigeid Vran and his host by
land, until they came to Aberffraw. And at Aberffraw they began the
feast and sat down. And thus sat they. The King of the Island of the
Mighty and Manawyddan the son of Llyr, on one side, and Matholwch on the
other side, and Branwen the daughter of Llyr beside him. And they were
not within a house, but under tents. No house could ever contain
Bendigeid Vran. And they began the banquet and caroused and discoursed.
And when it was more pleasing to them to sleep than to carouse they went
to rest, and that night Branwen became Matholwch's bride.
And next day they arose, and all they of the court, and the officers
began to equip and to range the horses and the attendants, and they
ranged them in order as far as the sea.
And behold one day, Evnissyen, the quarrelsome man of whom it is spoken
above, came by chance into the place, where the horses of Matholwch were,
and asked whose horses they might be. "They are the horses of Matholwch
king of Ireland, who is married to Branwen, thy sister; his horses are
they." "And is it thus they have done with a maiden such as she, and
moreover my sister, bestowing her without my consent? They could have
offered no greater insult to me than this," said he. And thereupon he
rushed under the horses and cut off their lips at the teeth, and their
ears close to their heads, and their tails {42} close to their backs, and
wherever he could clutch their eyelids, he cut them to the very bone, and
he disfigured the horses and rendered them useless.
And they came with these tidings unto Matholwch, saying that the horses
were disfigured, and injured so that not one of them could ever be of any
use again. "Verily, lord," said one, "it was an insult unto thee, and as
such was it meant." "Of a truth, it is a marvel to me, that if they
desire to insult me, they should have given me a maiden of such high rank
and so much beloved of her kindred, as they have done." "Lord," said
another, "thou seest that thus it is, and there is nothing for thee to do
but to go to thy ships." And thereupon towards his ships he set out.
And tidings came to Bendigeid Vran that Matholwch was quitting the court
without asking leave, and messengers were sent to enquire of him
wherefore he did so. And the messengers that went, were Iddic the son of
Anarawd, and Heveydd Hir. And these overtook him and asked of him what
he designed to do, and wherefore he went forth. "Of a truth," said he,
"if I had known I had not come hither. I have been altogether insulted,
no one had ever worse treatment than I have had here. But one thing
surprises me above all." "What is that?" asked they. "That Branwen the
daughter of Llyr, one of the three chief ladies of this Island, and the
daughter of the King of the Island of the Mighty, should have been given
me as my bride, and that after that I should have been insulted; and I
marvel that the insult was not done me before they had bestowed upon me a
maiden so exalted as she." "Truly, lord, it was not the will of any that
are of the court," said they, "nor of any that are of the council that
thou shouldest have received this insult, and as thou hast been insulted,
the dishonour is greater unto Bendigeid Vran than unto thee." "Verily,"
said he, "I think so. Nevertheless he cannot recall the insult." These
men returned with that answer to the place where Bendigeid Vran was, and
they told him what reply Matholwch had given them. "Truly," said he,
"there are no means by which we may prevent his going away at enmity with
us, that we will not take." "Well, lord," said they, "send after him
another embassy." "I will do so," said he. "Arise Manawyddan son of
Llyr, and Heveydd Hir, and Unic Glew Ysgwyd, and go after him, and tell
him that he shall have a sound horse for every one that has been injured.
And beside that, as an atonement for the insult, he shall have a staff of
silver, as large and as tall as himself, and a plate of gold of the
breadth of his face. And show unto him who it was that did this, and
that it was done against my will; but that he who did it is my brother,
by the mother's side, and therefore it would be hard for me to put him to
death. And let him come and meet me," said he, "and we will make peace
in any way he may desire."
The embassy went after Matholwch, and told him all these sayings in a
friendly manner, and he listened thereunto. "Men," said he, "I will take
counsel." So to the council he went. And in the council they considered
that if they should refuse this, they were likely to have more shame
rather than to obtain so great an atonement. They resolved therefore to
accept it, and they returned to the court in peace.
Then the pavilions and the tents were set in order after the fashion of a
hall; and they went to meat, and as they had sat at the beginning of the
feast, so sat they there. And Matholwch and Bendigeid Vran began to
discourse; and behold it seemed to Bendigeid Vran, while they talked,
that Matholwch was not so cheerful as he had been before. And he thought
that the chieftain might be sad because of the smallness of the atonement
which he had, for the wrong that had been done him. "Oh man," said
Bendigeid Vran, "thou dost not discourse to-night so cheerfully as thou
wert wont. And if it be because of the smallness of the atonement, thou
shalt add thereunto whatsoever thou mayest choose, and to-morrow I will
pay thee the horses." "Lord," said he, "Heaven reward thee." "And I
will enhance the atonement," said Bendigeid Vran, "for I will give unto
thee a cauldron, the property of which is, that if one of thy men be
slain to-day, and be cast therein, to-morrow he will be as well as ever
he was at the best, except that he will not regain his speech." And
thereupon he gave him great thanks, and very joyful was he for that
cause.
And the next morning they paid Matholwch the horses as long as the
trained horses lasted. And then they journeyed into another commot,
where they paid him with colts until the whole had been paid, and from
thenceforth that commot was called Talebolion.
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And a second night sat they together. "My lord," said Matholwch, "whence
hadst thou the cauldron which thou hast given me?" "I had it of a man
who had been in thy land," said he, "and I would not give it except to
one from there." {45} "Who was it?" asked he. "Llassar Llaesgyvnewid;
he came here from Ireland, with Kymideu Kymeinvoll, his wife, who escaped
from the Iron House in Ireland, when it was made red hot around them, and
fled hither. And it is a marvel to me that thou shouldst know nothing
concerning the matter." "Something I do know," said he, "and as much as
I know I will tell thee. One day I was hunting in Ireland, and I came to
the mound at the head of the lake, which is called the Lake of the
Cauldron. And I beheld a huge yellow-haired man coming from the lake
with a cauldron upon his back. And he was a man of vast size, and of
horrid aspect, and a woman followed after him. And if the man was tall,
twice as large as he was the woman, and they came towards me and greeted
me. 'Verily,' asked I, 'wherefore are you journeying?' 'Behold this,'
said he to me, 'is the cause that we journey. At the end of a month and
a fortnight this woman will have a son; and the child that will be born
at the end of the month and the fortnight will be a warrior fully armed.'
So I took them with me, and maintained them. And they were with me for a
year. And that year I had them with me not grudgingly. But thenceforth
was there murmuring, because that they were with me. For from the
beginning of the fourth month they had begun to make themselves hated and
to be disorderly in the land; committing outrages, and molesting and
harassing the nobles and ladies; and thenceforward my people rose up and
besought me to part with them, and they bade me to choose between them
and my dominions. And I applied to the council of my country to know
what should be done concerning them; for of their own free will they
would not go, neither could they be compelled against their will, through
fighting. And [the people of the country,] being in this strait, they
caused a chamber to be made all of iron. Now when the chamber was ready,
there came there every smith that was in Ireland, and every one who owned
tongs and hammer. And they caused coals to be piled up as high as the
top of the chamber. And they had the man, and the woman, and the
children, served with plenty of meat and drink; but when it was known
that they were drunk, they began to put fire to the coals about the
chamber, and they blew it with bellows until the house was red hot all
around them. Then was there a council held in the centre of the floor of
the chamber. And the man tarried until the plates of iron were all of a
white heat; and then, by reason of the great heat, the man dashed against
the plates with his shoulder and struck them out, and his wife followed
him; but except him and his wife none escaped thence. And then I
suppose, lord," said Matholwch unto Bendigeid Vran, "that he came over
unto thee." "Doubtless he came here," said he, "and gave unto me the
cauldron." "In what manner didst thou receive them?" "I dispersed them
through every part of my dominions, and they have become numerous and are
prospering everywhere, and they fortify the places where they are with
men and arms, of the best that were ever seen."
That night they continued to discourse as much as they would, and had
minstrelsy and carousing, and when it was more pleasant to them to sleep
than to sit longer, they went to rest. And thus was the banquet carried
on with joyousness; and when it was finished, Matholwch journeyed towards
Ireland, and Branwen with him, and they went from Aber Menei, with
thirteen ships and came to Ireland. And in Ireland was there great joy
because of their coming. And not one great man or noble lady visited
Branwen unto whom she gave not either a clasp, or a ring, or a royal
jewel to keep, such as it was honourable to be seen departing with. And
in these things she spent that year in much renown, and she passed her
time pleasant, enjoying honour and friendship. And in the meanwhile, it
chanced that she became pregnant, and in due time a son was born unto
her, and the name that they gave him was Gwern the son of Matholwch, and
they put the boy out to be foster-nursed, in a place where were the best
men of Ireland.
And behold in the second year a tumult arose in Ireland, on account of
the insult which Matholwch had received in Wales, and the payment made
him for his horses. And his foster-brothers, and such as were nearest
unto him, blamed him openly {48a} for that matter. And he might have no
peace by reason of the tumult until they should revenge upon him this
disgrace. And the vengeance which they took was to drive away Branwen
from the same chamber with him, and to make her cook {48b} for the court;
and they caused the butcher, after he had cut up the meat, to come to her
and give her every day a blow on the ear, and such they made her
punishment.
"Verily, lord," said his men to Matholwch, "forbid now the ships and the
ferry boats and the coracles, that they go not into Wales, and such as
come over from Wales hither, imprison them that they go not back for this
thing to be known there." And they did so; and it was thus for no less
than three years.
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And Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the kneading trough, and
she taught it to speak, and she taught the bird what manner of man her
brother was. And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the despite with
which she was treated, and she bound the letter to the root of the bird's
wing, and sent it towards Wales. And the bird came to this Island, and
one day it found Bendigeid Vran at Caer Seiont in Arvon, conferring
there, and it alighted upon his shoulder and ruffled its feathers, so
that the letter was seen, and they knew that the bird had been reared in
a domestic manner.
Then Bendigeid Vran took the letter and looked upon it. And when he 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 seven score 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 counsel 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 for this reason were the seven knights placed in the town.
{50a} Now the names of these seven were Caradawc the son of Bran, and
Heveydd Hir, and Unic Glew Ysgwyd, and Iddic the son of Anarawc
Gwalltgrwn, and Fodor the son of Ervyll, and Gwlch Minascwrn, and Llassar
the son of Llaesar Llaesgygwyd, and Pendaran Dyved as a young page with
them. 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 hosts 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. {50b} 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 sea shore, 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 on each side of
his nose are the two lakes on each side of the ridge."
The warriors and 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 {52a} 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 load-stone 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 of 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? {52b} 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 honour 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 felt his fingers meet
together in the brain through the bone. 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 gad-
flies 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 cauldron of renovation, and they
cast the dead bodies into the cauldron 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 cauldron. And he stretched
himself out in the cauldron, so that he rent the cauldron 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 {56a} Eil Taran, Taliesin, Ynawc, Grudyen {56b} 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; {59a} and especially of the fate of their lord. And because
of their perturbation they could not rest, {59b} 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.
And thus is the story related of those who journeyed over from Ireland.
In Ireland none were left alive, except five pregnant women in a cave in
the Irish wilderness; and to these five women in the same night were born
five sons, whom they nursed until they became grown up youths. And they
thought about wives, and they at the same time desired to possess them,
and each took a wife of the mothers of their companions, and they
governed the country and peopled it.
And these five divided it amongst them, and because of this partition are
the five divisions of Ireland still so termed. And they examined the
land where the battles had taken place, and they found gold and silver
until they became wealthy.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi, concerning the blow given to
Branwen, which was the third unhappy blow of this Island; and concerning
the entertainment of Bran, when the hosts of sevenscore countries and ten
went over to Ireland, to revenge the blow given to Branwen; and
concerning the seven years' banquet in Harlech, and the singing of the
birds of Rhiannon, and the sojourning of the head for the space of
fourscore years.
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