Celtic Mythology: Captivating Celtic Myths of Celtic Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Legendary Creatures

by Matt Clayton

  "Go and get the fastest horse in the stable," said Pwyll. "Follow her, and find out who she is."

  The nobleman did as Pwyll bid him. He took the fastest horse in the stable and galloped after the woman. The woman's horse seemed to be going at an easy pace, but no matter how fast the nobleman rode, he could come no closer to her than when he first espied her on the road. Soon his horse tired, and he had to turn back. He went to Pwyll and told him what had happened.

  "I see," said Pwyll. "There is something magical afoot here. We can do no more for now."

  Then he and his nobles returned to the court, where they spent the rest of their day.

  The next day there was another banquet. Pwyll again set out for the mound after he had eaten and drunk, but this time he took a fast horse with him, and a servant to ride it. They had barely reached the top of the mound when they saw the lady on the white horse approaching on the highway, just as had happened the previous day.

  Pwyll told the servant, "Quick! Mount, and go after her. Find out who she is and where she lives."

  By the time the lad was mounted and on the highway, the lady had already passed. The servant spurred his horse to catch up with her, but no matter how fast he galloped he could not draw any closer, even though the lady's mount seemed to be going at an easy pace. The servant tried slowing his horse, to see whether he might be able to catch her if he matched her pace, but neither was this of any use. He tried once more to ride hard after her, but he could not catch her, and she never varied her speed. The servant returned to the court and told Pwyll what had happened. Pwyll realized that it was of no use to try to chase her, although he was convinced that she had a message to deliver if only someone were able to speak with her.

  That evening and the next day passed in the same fashion as the ones before, and at the end of the day's feast Pwyll returned to the mound with a company of his nobles. But this time he brought his own horse and wore his own spurs. Soon enough, they saw the lady approaching on her horse. Pwyll mounted as she rode past. He galloped after her, thinking that surely he would be able to catch her, for no horse in the land could match his own for fire and speed. But it was no different for him than for any of the others who had tried: however hard he rode she always stayed the same distance away, going at the same easy pace.

  Finally Pwyll called out, "My lady! For the sake of your own beloved, I beg that you wait for me."

  "That I will do gladly," said the woman, "but your horse might have preferred it if you had asked me earlier."

  The lady waited for Pwyll, and as he drew near she pulled away the veil that had been covering her face.

  "My lady," said Pwyll, "where are you from, and where is it that you are going?"

  "I go where I will, on business of my own," she said. "And I am very glad to speak with you."

  "I am grateful also that you will speak with me," said Pwyll, and he saw that she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen before.

  "My lady," said Pwyll, "may I know what business you are on?"

  "Certainly," she replied. "My business is to speak with you."

  "Surely that is the best business you could undertake," said Pwyll. "If it please you, may I know your name?"

  "I am Rhiannon, daughter of Hyfaidd Hen. My father wishes me to marry a man of his choosing. But I do not wish that marriage, because of the love I bear for you. I will not marry another, unless you say you do not want me. But that is why I have ridden by the mound these past days: to have your answer whether we shall wed or not."

  Pwyll said, "I swear solemnly that if I were given all the women in the world to choose from, I would choose only you to be my bride."

  "I am well pleased," said Rhiannon. "You must arrange to meet with me, then, before I am wed to another."

  "I shall meet with you at the time and place that you choose," said Pwyll.

  "Very well," said Rhiannon. "Meet me at the court of Hyfaidd, a year from tonight. I shall have a feast prepared for you when you come."

  Pwyll agreed to Rhiannon's plan. Then they took their leave of each other, and Pwyll returned to the mound where he found his nobles still waiting for him. They asked him many times what had happened while he was away, but he would not answer.

  When the time came for his meeting with Rhiannon, Pwyll called to himself a retinue of ninety-nine nobles. They went to the court of Hyfaidd where they were made most welcome. At the banquet, Pwyll sat with Hyfaidd to one side of him and Rhiannon to the other, and the rest of the company sat according to their stations. They ate and drank and enjoyed themselves greatly, and while they were enjoying themselves a tall youth with auburn hair strode into the hall. He walked up to Pwyll and greeted him well.

  "You are most welcome, friend," said Pwyll. "Come, take a seat, and meat and drink will be brought to you."

  "I thank you, but I shall not sit," said the youth. "For I have come to ask of you a favor."

  "You have my leave to ask," said Pwyll, "and whatever I may do for you, I shall do or see done."

  Rhiannon turned to Pwyll in alarm. "You should not have given your word so freely!" she said.

  "It is too late, my Lady," said the youth, "for his word is now given, and in the presence of witnesses."

  "Make your request," said Pwyll.

  "You are here tonight to wed the woman I love most," said the youth, "and I therefore ask that she become my bride, and that this feast before you tonight become my wedding feast."

  At this Pwyll said nothing.

  "Holding your peace avails you nothing," said Rhiannon. "Never was any man more foolhardy than you have been tonight, for this is the man my father wanted me to marry against my will."

  "My lady, I beg your pardon," said Pwyll, "for I did not know who he was."

  "He is Gwawl son of Clud, a nobleman with a large retinue. And now you must give me over to him, for you have pledged your word to do so."

  "My lady, I could never give you to another man," said Pwyll.

  "You must. But never fear: he shall never have me if you do as I say," said Rhiannon.

  "What must I do?" said Pwyll.

  Then Rhiannon whispered to Pwyll her plan how she would set herself free from Gwawl. Rhiannon gave Pwyll a small bag and told him that he should come to the feast she would make for Gwawl in a year's time, but that Pwyll should disguise himself as a beggar. He should ask Gwawl to fill the bag with food and that he would leave when the bag was full. Except the bag was magical: no matter how much food was put into the bag, it would only ever be half full unless a man of the very highest quality climbed inside and stamped down the food. Surely Gwawl would want to prove his quality and would climb inside the bag. Then Pwyll could close the bag up tight with Gwawl inside it, and he would be in Pwyll's power. Once Gwawl was Pwyll's prisoner, Pwyll could summon his warriors to invade the court and subdue Gwawl's retinue.

  While Rhiannon was speaking to Pwyll, Gwawl became impatient. "My lord, you have given your word, and I wait for you to make good upon it."

  Pwyll said, "I will grant your request insofar as I have power to grant it."

  Then Rhiannon said to Gwawl, "Me you shall have, but the feast is not Pwyll's to give. I have already given it to him and to his retinue. Come back a year from tonight, and I shall prepare a feast for you, and we shall be wed at that time."

  Gwawl agreed to these terms, and departed from the court of Hyfaidd.

  At the appointed time, Rhiannon made ready a feast for Gwawl and his retinue. Pwyll also made ready. He disguised himself in ragged, dirty clothes and wore boots with holes in them. He took with him his own retinue of ninety-nine warriors, all armed and ready for battle. The warriors he hid in the forest outside the court of Hyfaidd, while he himself limped up to the gate. Pretending to be a beggar, Pwyll went to the gate of the court and was allowed in, for it was the custom there that no beggar be turned away. Pwyll went into the hall where Gwawl sat with Rhiannon on his right hand, and Hyfaidd on his left.

  Gwawl saw the begga
r approaching and said, "Welcome to you. What is it that you want?"

  "I come to beg for food, my lord," said Pwyll, "food to fill my small bag, here."

  Gwawl ordered his servants to give food to the beggar, thinking that such a small bag would be quickly filled and he would be rid of this pest. But no matter how many loaves of bread or haunches of meat the servants put into the bag, it was never full.

  "What is taking so long?" said Gwawl. "Why is that bag not yet full?"

  "My lord," said Pwyll, "it will only be full if a nobleman of the highest quality should step in and stamp down what is already inside."

  Rhiannon said to Gwawl, "You are such a nobleman. No one else here could do that deed, I am sure of it!"

  Wishing to prove himself to Rhiannon and to the court, Gwawl said, "I will gladly do this thing."

  Gwawl then climbed into the bag. Quickly Pwyll shook the bag and turned it about so that Gwawl would be head over heels. Then Pwyll pulled the drawstrings tight and tied them so that Gwawl could not escape. Pwyll threw off his rags and took out his hunting horn, which he had concealed in his beggar's clothes, and blew upon it a mighty blast. The warriors he had hidden in the trees came rushing into the court at Pwyll's signal. They subdued Gwawl's retinue and took them prisoner. Once that was done, each of Pwyll's warriors went up to the bag and struck it a blow, saying "What is in here?"

  From inside the bag Gwawl said, "My lord, surely it is not fitting for you to kill me this way, while I am tied up inside a bag and cannot defend myself."

  Hyfaidd Hen said, "Surely what he says is true. He is a nobleman, and this is not fitting."

  "Yes, I agree," said Pwyll. "So what is to be done with him?"

  "I know what should be done, if you will hear me," said Rhiannon to Pwyll. "You now have the power in this court. It is for you now to grant favors here. Have Gwawl make presents to all who are now here, and make him promise that he will seek neither claim nor vengeance against you for what has happened here this day."

  "I accept those terms gladly," said Gwawl, still inside the bag.

  "That is good advice, and I also accept," said Pwyll, "if guarantors may be found for Gwawl."

  "I will stand surety for him," said Hyfaidd, "until his nobles can do that for him."

  At that, Gwawl was let out of the bag. When the nobles who would stand surety for Gwawl had also been set free, and when they had agreed to act on Gwawl's behalf as needed, Gwawl was given permission to withdraw so that he could bathe and have his wounds dressed before he departed for his own lands.

  Then Hyfaidd's hall was prepared once again for a feast, this time to celebrate the wedding of Rhiannon and Pwyll, and when the feast was done Rhiannon and Pwyll went to their chamber, and there they delighted in one another and became man and wife. The next day, Pwyll and Rhiannon arose early. Pwyll went to the court, where he heard the pleas of suppliants and musicians. He gave them all they asked, and no one went away unsatisfied.

  When this was done, Pwyll went to Hyfaidd and said, "I wish to set out for Dyfed tomorrow, with your blessing."

  Hyfaidd said, "This is well. Tell me when Rhiannon is to follow you."

  "My lord," said Pwyll, "I wish that she should come with me when I go."

  Hyfaidd agreed to this, and in the morning Pwyll and Rhiannon went to Dyfed. They stopped at Pwyll's court at Arberth, where they found a feast awaiting them. All the nobles of Dyfed were gathered there, to celebrate the marriage of Pwyll and Rhiannon. To each and every one Rhiannon gave some precious gift, according to their station. For three years after that, the nobles were content with the rule of Pwyll and his bride, but at the end of that time they became restless, for Pwyll did not yet have an heir.

  The nobles came before Pwyll and said, "My lord, we counsel that you take another wife, that you may have a son. You cannot continue to rule us if you cannot produce an heir."

  Pwyll replied, "I hear your words. I beg you give us another year, and if at the end of that time I have no heir, I will do as you ask."

  The nobles agreed to Pwyll's request. Before the end of the year, Rhiannon found herself with child. When her time came, she was delivered of a fine baby boy. Women were set to watch over mother and child after the birth, but one by one the women fell asleep, as did Rhiannon herself. When the women awoke, they found that the baby was missing.

  "What shall we do?" said one woman. "Surely we will all be put to death for this."

  The others agreed that this was likely.

  Then another woman said, "I know what we should do. In the mews there is a hound who has had a litter of pups. Take some of the pups, and kill them. Smear the blood all over the queen's face and hands, and put the bones in the bed with her. We all will then swear that she killed the child herself."

  The women agreed that this was a good plan, and it was done. When Rhiannon awoke, she asked where her child had gone.

  "Do not ask us, my lady," said the women. "You have only to look about you to see what became of him. And you have only to look at the bruises upon our arms to see how we had to fight you, and still you were able to destroy your son."

  Rhiannon looked upon the women and said, "You must not tell lies about me. I cannot protect you if you do not tell me the truth."

  The women swore that they were truthful. Rhiannon urged them again and again not to tell lies, but the women swore each time that they were telling the truth.

  Soon enough word of the women's story came to the ears of Pwyll and his nobles. The nobles insisted that Pwyll divorce Rhiannon and take another wife. But Pwyll refused, saying, "I need divorce my wife only if she is barren, and that she is not. I have an heir. But if my wife has done wrong, then she should be punished."

  Rhiannon took counsel with her advisers, and soon it was decided that it was best for her to accept whatever punishment she should be given. And this was her punishment: that for the space of seven years she should sit outside the gate of the court at Arberth and tell her story to whoever asked, and that she should then offer to carry them to the court on her back. Very few asked her to carry them. And in this wise Rhiannon passed part of a year.

  It was at this time that the lord of Gwent Is Coed was a man named Teyrnon Twrf Liant. Teyrnon owned the finest mare in all the land, and every foal she produced was the best to be found anywhere. She would always foal on May Eve, but by morning the foal disappeared. Teyrnon and his wife knew not what to do about this, for every time the mare gave birth, by morning the foal would be gone.

  One May Eve, Teyrnon said to his wife, "By God, I shall surely find out what happens to those foals." And so he armed himself and had the mare brought into the house where he could watch over her. Once night had fallen, the mare dropped a fine, black foal. It was a sturdy little thing, and got to its feet immediately.

  No sooner did the foal stand up but a long black arm burst through the window and grabbed the foal by its mane. Teyrnon drew his sword and slashed at the arm, cutting it off at the elbow. A terrible scream sounded from outside, and another noise that Teyrnon could not identify. He ran to the door to find out what the noise was, and there on the step he found a golden-haired baby boy, swaddled tightly in silken swaddling clothes that were richly embroidered.

  Teyrnon picked up the child and brought it to his wife. "My wife, wake up. For here I have a son for you, if you want him."

  Then Teyrnon told her the whole story. When he was done, she looked at the boy and saw how he was dressed. "Surely this is the son of some nobleman," she said. "If we are to keep him, we must first send out news that I was with child, and get our serving-women to say the same."

  Teyrnon agreed, and it was done as his wife said. They took the boy into their home and raised him as his own. They had him baptized and named him Gwri Wallt Euryn, because he had golden hair. The boy grew quickly and well, and by the time he was a year old he had the growth and strength of a three year old. At the end of his second year, he was as big and strong as a six year old. By the time he was four, he wi
shed to be allowed to work in the stables and care for the horses.

  One day, Teyrnon's wife came to him and asked what had happened to the foal that was born the night they found their son.

  "I told the stable hands to care for it," said Teyrnon.

  "Perhaps it is time that it be trained, and then given to our son?" said his wife.

  Teyrnon agreed, and so the horse was trained to carry a rider and given to Gwri for his own.

  Soon after this, word of what had happened to Rhiannon and her punishment came to the court of Teyrnon. He listened to the tales carefully and felt sorry for the woman. He also looked very closely at Gwri and realized that the boy resembled Pwyll in every feature. Teyrnon knew Pwyll by sight, for once Pwyll had owed him fealty.

  Teyrnon realized that he could not rightfully keep the boy, and this grieved him, for he loved Gwri well. But he knew that the boy must be returned to his rightful parents, and that Rhiannon must be freed from her unjust punishment, so he went to his wife and told her what he intended. Teyrnon's wife listened to all her husband said and agreed that bringing Gwri to the court of Pwyll was the proper thing to do.

  The next day Teyrnon and Gwri set out for Pwyll's court with two noble companions. When they arrived at the gate, Rhiannon rose and said, "Stay, for it is my punishment for having killed my own son that I should carry each of you on my back into the court."

  "Nay, lady," said Teyrnon, "that you'll not do, for me, or for any who are with me."

  Gwri also said that he would not let Rhiannon carry him, and the nobles said likewise. Teyrnon, Gwri, and their companions then went into the court of Pwyll, and they were given a warm welcome. Pwyll ordered a feast be prepared for them, and when the tables were ready Teyrnon sat between Pwyll and Rhiannon, and his two nobles above them with the boy Gwri between them.

  After the feast was over, Teyrnon told his story about the foal and about the boy. He explained how he had taken the boy in to foster, and how he and his wife had raised him as their own.