The Mabinogion Vol. 2 by Sir Owen Morgan Edwards and Lady Charlotte Schreiber (early readers .txt) 📗

man of renown in the world.”  “I am not yet of an age to wed,” answered the youth.  Then said she unto him, “I declare to thee, that it is thy destiny not to be suited with a wife until thou obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.”  And the youth blushed, and the love of the maiden diffused itself through all his frame, although he had never seen her.  And his father enquired of him, “What has come over thee, my son, and what aileth thee?”  “My stepmother has declared to me, that I shall never have a wife until I obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.”  “That will be easy for thee,” answered p. 66his father.  “Arthur is thy cousin.  Go, therefore, unto Arthur, to cut thy hair, and ask this of him as a boon.”

And the youth pricked forth upon a steed with head dappled grey, of four winters old, firm of limb, with shell-formed hoofs, having a bridle of linked gold on his head, and upon him a saddle of costly gold.  And in the youth’s hand were two spears of silver, sharp, well-tempered, headed with steel, three ells in length, of an edge to wound the wind, and cause blood to flow, and swifter than the fall [66] of the dew-drop from the blade of reed grass upon the earth, when the dew of June is at the heaviest.  A gold-hilted sword was upon his thigh, the blade of which was of gold, bearing a cross of inlaid gold of the hue of the lightning of heaven: his war-horn was of ivory.  Before him were two brindled white-breasted greyhounds, having strong collars of rubies about their necks, reaching from the shoulder to the ear.  And the one p. 67that was on the left side bounded across to the right side, and the one on the right to the left, and like two sea swallows sported around him.  And his courser cast up four sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air, about his head, now above, now below.  About him was a four-cornered cloth of purple, and an apple of gold was at each corner; and every one of the apples was of the value of an hundred kine.  And there was precious gold of the value of three hundred kine upon his shoes, and upon his stirrups, from his knee to the tip of his toe.  And the blade of grass bent not beneath him, so light was his courser’s tread as he journeyed towards the gate of Arthur’s palace.

Spoke the youth, “Is there a porter?”  “There is; and if thou holdest not thy peace, small will be thy welcome. [67]  I am Arthur’s porter every first day of January.  And during every other part of the year but this the office is filled by Huandaw, and Gogigwc, and Llaeskenym, and Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his feet, neither towards the sky nor towards the earth, but like a rolling stone upon the floor of the Court.”  “Open the portal.”  “I will not open it.”  “Wherefore not?”  “The knife is in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is revelry in Arthur’s hall, and none may enter therein but the son of a king of a privileged country, or a craftsman bringing his craft.  But there will be refreshment for thy dogs, and for thy horses; and for thee there will be collops cooked and peppered, and luscious wine and mirthful songs, and food for fifty men shall be brought unto thee in the guest chamber, where the stranger and the sons of other countries eat, p. 68who come not unto the precincts of the Palace of Arthur.  Thou wilt fare no worse there than thou wouldest with Arthur in the Court.  A lady shall smooth thy couch, and shall lull thee with songs; and early to-morrow morning, when the gate is open for the multitude that came hither to-day, for thee shall it be opened first, and thou mayest sit in the place that thou shall choose in Arthur’s Hall, from the upper end to the lower.”  Said the youth, “That will I not do.  If thou openest the gate, it is well.  If thou dost not open it, I will bring disgrace upon thy Lord, and evil report upon thee.  And I will set up three shouts at this very gate, than which none were ever more deadly, from the top of Pengwaed in Cornwall to the bottom of Dinsol, in the North, and to Esgair Oervel, in Ireland.  And all the women in this Palace that are pregnant shall lose their offspring; and such as are not pregnant, their hearts shall be turned by illness, so that they shall never bear children from this day forward.”  “What clamour soever thou mayest make,” said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, “against the laws of Arthur’s Palace, shalt thou not enter therein, until I first go and speak with Arthur.”  Then Glewlwyd went into the Hall.  And Arthur said to him, “Hast thou news from the gate?”—“Half of my life is past, and half of thine.  I was heretofore in Kaer Se and Asse, in Sach and Salach, in Lotor and Fotor; and I have been heretofore in India the Great and India the Lesser; and I was in the battle of Dau Ynyr, when the twelve hostages were brought from Llychlyn.  And I have also been in Europe, and in Africa, and in the Islands of Corsica, and in Caer Brythwch, and Brythach, and Verthach; and I was present when formerly thou didst slay the family of Clis the son of Merin, and p. 69when thou didst slay Mil Du, the son of Ducum, and when thou didst conquer Greece in the East.  And I have been in Caer Oeth and Annoeth, and in Caer Nevenhyr; nine supreme sovereigns, handsome men, saw we there, but never did I behold a man of equal dignity with him who is now at the door of the portal.”  Then said Arthur, “If walking thou didst enter in here, return thou running.  And every one that beholds the light, and every one that opens and shuts the eye, let him show him respect, and serve him, some with gold-mounted drinking horns, others with collops cooked and peppered, until food and drink can be prepared for him.  It is unbecoming to keep such a man as thou sayest he is in the wind and the rain.”  Said Kai, “By the hand of my friend, if thou wouldest follow my counsel, thou wouldest not break through the laws of the Court because of him.”  “Not so, blessed Kai, it is an honour to us to be resorted to, and the greater our courtesy, the greater will be our renown, and our fame, and our glory.”

And Glewlwyd came to the gate, and opened the gate before him; and although all dismounted upon the horse-block at the gate, yet did he not dismount, but he rode in upon his charger.  Then said Kilhwch, “Greeting be unto thee, Sovereign Ruler of this Island; and be this greeting no less unto the lowest than unto the highest, and be it equally unto thy guests, and thy warriors, and thy chieftains—let all partake of it as completely as thyself.  And complete be thy favour, and thy fame, and thy glory, throughout all this Island.”  “Greeting unto thee also,” said Arthur, “sit thou between two of my warriors, and thou shalt have minstrels before thee, and thou shalt enjoy the privileges of a king born to a throne, as long as thou remainest here.  And when I dispense my p. 70presents to the visitors and strangers in this Court, they shall be in thy hand at my commencing.”  Said the youth, “I came not here to consume meat and drink; but if I obtain the boon that I seek, I will requite it thee, and extol thee; and if I have it not, I will bear forth thy dispraise to the four quarters of the world, as far as thy renown has extended.”  Then said Arthur, “Since thou wilt not remain here, chieftain, thou shalt receive the boon whatsoever thy tongue may name, as far as the wind dries and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves, and the sea encircles, and the earth extends; save only my ship; and my mantle; and Caledvwlch, my sword, and Rhongomyant, my lance; and Wynebgwrthucher, my shield; and Carnwenhau, [70a] my dagger; and Gwenhwyvar, my wife.  By the truth of Heaven, thou shalt have it cheerfully, name what thou wilt.”  “I would that thou bless [70b] my hair.”  “That shalt be granted thee.”

And Arthur took a golden comb, and scissors, whereof the loops were of silver, and he combed his hair.  And Arthur enquired of him who he was.  “For my heart warms unto thee, and I know that thou art come of my blood.  Tell me, therefore, who thou art.”  “I will tell thee,” said the youth, “I am Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by Goleuddydd, my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd.”  “That is true,” said Arthur.  “Thou art my cousin.  Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou shalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name.”  “Pledge the truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof.”  “I pledge it thee, gladly.”  “I crave of thee then, that thou obtain for me Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden p. 71Penkawr, and this boon I likewise seek at the hands of thy warriors.  I seek it from Kai, and Bedwyr, and Greidawl Galldonyd, [71a] and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Greid the son of Eri, and Kynddelig Kyvarwydd, and Tathal Twyll Goleu, and Maelwys the son of Baeddan, and Crychwr [71b] the son of Nes, and Cubert the son of Daere, and Percos the son of Poch, and Lluber Beuthach, and Corvil Bervach, and Gwynn the son of Nudd, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and Gadwy [71c] the son of Geraint, and Prince Fflewddur Fflam, and Ruawn Pebyr the son of Dorath, and Bradwen the son of Moren Mynawc, and Moren Mynawc himself, and Dalldav the son of Kimin Côv, and the son of Alun Dyved, and the son of Saidi, and the son of Gwryon, and Uchtryd Ardywad Kad, and Kynwas Curvagyl, and Gwrhyr Gwarthegvras, and Isperyr Ewingath, and Gallcoyt Govynynat, and Duach, and Grathach, and Nerthach, the sons of Gwawrddur Kyrvach, (these men came forth from the confines of Hell), and Kilydd Canhastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw, and Cors Cant-Ewin, and Esgeir Gulhwch Govynkawn, and Drustwrn Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and Lloch Llawwynnyawc, and Aunwas [71d] Adeiniawc, and Sinnoch the son of Seithved, and Gwennwynwyn the son of Naw, and Bedyw the son of Seithved, and Gobrwy the son of Echel Vorddwyttwll, and Echel Vorddwyttwll himself, and Mael the son of Roycol, and Dadweir Dallpenn, and Garwyli the son of Gwythawc Gwyr, and Gwythawc Gwyr himself, and Gormant the son of Ricca, and Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, and Digon the son of Alar, and Selyf the son of Smoit, [71e] and Gusg the son of Atheu, and Nerth the p. 72son of Kedarn, and Drudwas the son of Tryffin, and Twrch the son of Perif, and Twrch the son of Annwas, and Iona king of France, and Sel the son of Selgi, and Teregud the son of Iaen, and Sulyen the son of Iaen, and Bradwen the son of Iaen, and Moren the son of Iaen, and Siawn the son of Iaen, and Cradawc the son of Iaen.  (They were men of Caerdathal, of Arthur’s kindred on his father’s side.)  Dirmyg the son of Kaw, and Justic the son of Kaw, and Etmic the son of