The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics)

by Sioned Davies

  Late Bearer and Evil Bearer and Complete Bearer their three wives;

  Alas and Scream and Shriek their three grandchildren;

  Flash of Lightning and Desire and Need their three daughters;

  Bad and Worse and Worst of All their three maidservants.

  ‘Eheubryd son of Cyfwlch, Big-Bone son of Strength, Gwaeddan son of Cynfelyn Ceudog, Pwyll Half-Man,1 Dwn Vigorous Chieftain, Eiladar son of Pen Llarcan, Cynedyr the Wild2 son of Hetwn Silver Brow, Sawyl High Head,3 Gwalchmai son of Gwyar,4 Gwalhafed son of Gwyar, Gwrhyr Interpreter of Languages …5 and Cethdrwm the Priest. Ear son of Hearer … Aim son of Aimer … Gwiawn Cat-Eye … Track son of Tracker … Bedwini the Bishop …’6

  ‘And also the gentle, golden-torqued ladies of this Island. Besides Gwenhwyfar, chief queen of this Island, and Gwenhwyfach her sister,1, and Rathtien, only daughter of Clememyl, Celemon daughter of Cai, and Tangwen daughter of Gwair Bird-Servant, White Swan daughter of Cynwal Hundred-Hogs, Eurneid daughter of Clydno Eidin,2 [189] Eneuog daughter of Bedwyr, Enrhydreg daughter of Tuduathar, Gwenwledyr daughter of Gwaredur the Hunchback, Erdudfyl daughter of Tryffin, Eurolwyn3 daughter of Gwddolwyn the Dwarf, Teleri daughter of Peul, Indeg daughter of Garwy the Tall,4 Morfudd daughter of Urien Rheged,5 Gwenllian the Fair, the magnanimous maiden, Creiddylad daughter of Lludd Silver-Hand, the most majestic maiden there ever was in the Three Islands of Britain and her Three Adjacent Islands. And for her Gwythyr son of Greidol and Gwyn son of Nudd fight each May day forever until the Day of Judgement.6 Ellylw daughter of Neol Hang-Cock,7 and she lived for three generations. Esyllt Fair Neck, and Esyllt Slender Neck. In the name of all of these did Culhwch son of Cilydd invoke his gift.’ (Few of these names are attested elsewhere, and many are daughters of the men already listed.)

  Then Cai gets up: of the long Court List, six individuals are chosen to go on the quest with Culhwch, reflecting the tale-type known as Six Go Through the World or The Giant’s Daughter, where magical helpers ensure that the hero wins the giant’s daughter.

  Drych son of Cibddar: Drych (‘aspect, mirror’) is one of the Three Enchanters of the Island of Britain, according to the triads (TYP 27).

  She was happy that her nephew: Custennin’s wife is therefore an aunt to both Culhwch and Olwen, since her husband the shepherd is Ysbaddaden’s brother.

  She was sent for … called Olwen: as in Glewlwyd’s bombastic speech (p. 182), the translation attempts to highlight the elaborate structure of the description by dividing the prose into lines based on repetition of syntactical patterns. The colour comparisons are conventional: see A. M.Colby’s classic study, The Portrait in Twelfth-Century French Literature (Geneva, 1965); but the careful structuring of the passage sets it apart from any other description of female beauty in the Mabinogion. For ‘the flowers of the broom’, see the note on Blodeuedd (p. 58) and on the hideous black-haired maiden in ‘Peredur son of Efrog’ (p. 94). According to the Welsh laws, a ‘mewed’ hawk was more valuable after it had ‘moulted’ and grown new plumage, whereas a ‘thrice-mewed’ falcon was a bird in its prime (LHDd 183). At the end of the passage we are given an onomastic explanation for the name Olwen—‘white track’. The track she leaves behind her is paralleled by that left by Culhwch and his horse (see note to p. 181).

  he shall only live until I take a husband: a common motif whereby the giant is fated to die once his daughter marries.

  Ysbaddaden Bencawr snatched one of the three poisoned stone spears: when these are hurled back at him, the giant complains of the ‘iron’ injuring him, suggesting that the point of each spear was made of stone, or perhaps flint, while the shaft was made of iron.

  dowry and maiden-fee … must consult with them: agweddi (‘dowry’) and amobr (‘maiden-fee) are two legal terms associated with marital union: the former was given to the bridegroom by the bride’s father, but could be recovered by her if the marriage lasted less than seven years; the latter was the fee payable by the girl’s father to his lord on her marriage, originally perhaps payable for loss of virginity. The reference to the relatives reflects the family unit of four generations which shared legal responsibility for the maiden. See Jenkins and Owen (eds.), The Welsh Law of Women.

  It is easy for me to get that, though you may think it’s not easy: the beginning of a long list of tasks, forty in all, that Culhwch must accomplish to win the giant’s daughter. The author makes use of an external frame— the list opens with the words ‘When I get what I ask from you, then you shall get my daughter’, and closes with ‘And when you get those things, you shall get my daughter’. We are also reminded of the Court List, for Culhwch’s initial reaction to Ysbaddaden is ‘Name what you want’ (cf. p. 183). Each task is introduced by the same formula, which is summarized in both White and Red Book versions, in various permutations, until it is eventually reduced to two words: Hawd. Kyt (‘Easy. Although’). A second formula follows the naming of several tasks, when Ysbaddaden claims that an individual will not come of his own free will. This section is, therefore, linked together by verbal repetition which functions as a chorus of sorts, easing the process of listing, as well as listening, to the tasks; indeed, one could envisage a situation whereby the audience would join in the repetition, and so become active participants in the performance itself. Italics have been used in the translation to draw attention to this feature.

  Amaethon … Gofannon son of Dôn: Amaethon (‘Great/Divine Plough-man’) and his brother Gofannon (‘Great/Divine Smith’) may reflect Celtic gods associated with agriculture and craftsmanship. See note to Gilfaethwy son of Dôn on p. 240.

  Gwlwlydd Winau … Melyn Gwanwyn and the Ych Brych: the two oxen mentioned here, Melyn Gwanwyn (‘Yellow Spring’) and Ych Brych (‘Speckled Ox’) appear in the triad of the Three Principal Oxen of the Island of Britain (TYP 45), owned by Gwlwlydd. In the tale, the third in the triad, Gwinau (‘Chestnut’), has become an epithet to describe the owner.

  Mynydd Bannog … Nyniaw and Peibiaw: Mynydd Bannog (‘the horned mountain’) is the old Welsh name for a mountain in Scotland, surviving today only in the name Bannock Burn. The ‘far side’ of the Bannog refers to Pictland. Nyniaw and Peibiaw are historical characters, the sons of Erb, king of Archenfield in the sixth century.

  hestors: a measure of quantity used for dry commodities, as well as the corresponding vessel.

  honey of the first swarm … bragget for the feast: bees were regarded as a valuable commodity in medieval Wales, having come, according to the laws, ‘from Paradise’ (LHDd 183–4). ‘Bragget’ was a drink made of honey and ale fermented together.

  Llwyr son of Llwyrion: ‘Complete son of Complete.’ His cup, together with the other vessels of plenty that follow, are reminiscent of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain (TYP, pp. 258–65); indeed, Gwyddnau’s hamper and Diwrnach’s cauldron are common to both texts.

  The hamper of Gwyddnau Garan Hir: one of the Thirteen Treasures mentioned above, owned by Gwyddnau ‘Long Shank’, a legendary figure associated with the Taliesin story and the drowning of Cantre’r Gwaelod in Cardigan Bay (see note to Later the sea spread out on pp. 234–5). See TYP, pp. 391–2.

  The horn of Gwlgawd Gododdin: Gwlgawd is mentioned twice in the Gododdin poem, under the form Gwl(y)ged, as the one ‘who made the feast of Mynyddog famous’, implying he was court steward to Mynyddog, leader of the Gododdin tribe.

  the birds of Rhiannon: see notes to pp. 11 and 32.

  The cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel: in the Thirteen Treasures, this is listed as the cauldron of Dyrnwch the Giant rather than ‘Diwrnach the Irishman’, as here: ‘if meat for a coward were put in it to boil, it would never boil; but if meat for a brave man were put in it, it would boil quickly (and thus the brave could be distinguished from the cowardly)’ (TYP, pp. 259–60). A cauldron possessing a similar attribute and belonging to the Head of Annwfn is mentioned in the poem Preiddiau Annwfn (‘The Spoils of Annwfn’, see Sims-Williams, AOW). See also note to p. 200 on Wrnach Gawr.

  Ysgithrwyn Pen Baedd:
‘White Tusk Chief of Boars.’

  Caw of Prydyn: according to the triads, the family of ‘Caw of Pictland’ was one of the Three Families of Saints (TYP, pp. 306–8); indeed, there are several references to him in the lives of the saints. Caw’s nineteen sons and one daughter appear in the Court List (pp. 184–5 and 186). There is a play on words here—in both White and Red Book versions his name is rendered as Kadw/Gado, meaning ‘to keep’, since he is entrusted with the keeping of the tusk.

  Pennant Gofid: the Valley of Grief.

  the bottles of Gwyddolwyn Gorr: ‘Gwyddolwyn the Dwarf.’

  Rhynnon Ryn Barfog: ‘Rhynnon Stiff Beard.’

  Twrch Trwyth son of Taredd Wledig: the remaining tasks are associated with the hunting of this magical beast Twrch Trwyth, a king who had been transformed into a boar (Welsh twrch). The original form of his name was trwyd and not trwyth, cognate with the Irish triath meaning ‘king’ or ‘boar’. Allusions in Welsh poetry, together with the ninthcentury History of the Britons (see note to p. 150), suggest that traditions about Twrch Trwyth were known from an early period, and that the theme of the hunt existed independently of ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’. References to the Irish Torc Triath, a cognate form, suggests that both Ireland and Wales retained memories concerning a mythical giant boar. For the significance of the boar in Celtic belief, see Anne Ross, Pagan Celtic Britain (London, 1967). For (G)wledig, see note to p. 103.

  Drudwyn, the whelp of Graid son of Eri: Drudwyn means ‘Fierce White’. See p. 184 for Graid son of Eri.

  Cors Cant Ewin … Canhastyr Can Llaw … Cilydd Canhastyr: all three appear as members of Arthur’s Court (p. 184).

  Mabon son of Modron: derived from the Celtic god Maponos, identified with Apollo by the Romans. In the Celtic pantheon he was the son-god, and his mother Matrona (Modron in Welsh) was the mother-goddess. W. J. Gruffydd attempted to identify Mabon with Pryderi (see note to p. 21) in his Rhiannon: An Inquiry into the Origins of the First and Third Branches of the Mabinogi (Cardiff, 1953). In the triads (TYP 52) Mabon is one of the Three Exalted Prisoners of the Island of Britain. For references to the cult of Maponos, together with variants on Mabon in continental romance, see TYP, pp. 424–8. On a possible link between Mabon and the term Mabinogi, see note to p. 21.

  Gwyn Myngddwn, the steed of Gweddw: meaning ‘White Dark Mane’. The triads note Myngrwn (‘Arched Mane’) as being Gweddw’s horse, one of the Three Bestowed Horses of the Island of Britain, together with the horses of Gwalchmai and Cai (TYP 46).

  Eidoel son of Aer: Aer means ‘Slaughter’. Eidoel appears in the Court List as son of Ner (p. 186), possibly a miscopying. He appears later in the tale as a prisoner in the fortress of Gloucester (pp. 202–3).

  Garselyd Wyddel … chief huntsman of Ireland: ‘Garselyd the Irishman’, again named in the Court List (p. 187). The pen-cynydd (‘chief huntsman’) was one of the twenty-four officers of the king’s court (see LHDd 21–3).

  Dillus Farfog … those two whelps: ‘Dillus the Bearded.’ The whelps are probably ‘the two whelps of the bitch Rhymhi’ (p. 205), omitted here in Ysbaddaden’s list.

  Cynedyr Wyllt son of Hetwn Glafyriog: ‘Cynedyr the Wild, son of Hetwn the Leprous.’ In the Court List he is described as a son of Tal Arian (‘Silver Brow’) (p. 188).

  Gwyn son of Nudd … the spirit of the demons of Annwfn: brother to Edern (p. 148). In Welsh tradition, Gwyn (meaning ‘White’) appears as a mythical huntsman and leader of the Otherworld (for Annwfn, see note to p. 4)—in Welsh folk-tales he is associated with the magical cŵn Annwfn, fairy dogs or ‘hell-hounds’, a premonition of death. Gwyn can be probably be equated with the Irish Fionn mac Cumhaill, who was both a seer and a poet; see Mac Cana, Celtic Mythology.

  Du, the steed of Moro Oerfeddog: Du (‘Black) appears in the triads as one of the Three Horses Who Carried the Three Horse-Burdens (TYP 44). There his full name is Du y Moroedd (‘the Black of the Seas’) and he belongs to Elidir Mwynfawr. Moro Oerfeddog is unknown outside this tale—some confusion may have occurred between the Moroedd of the triad and the Moro of the personal name in the tale.

  Gwilenhin, king of France: ‘William’, generally believed to refer to William the Conqueror, included in the Court List on p. 187. In 1081 he visited St David’s, to make peace, so it would seem, with Rhys ap Tewdwr, an event that could have a bearing on the tale’s date of composition.

  the son of Alun Dyfed: see the Court List, p. 184.

  Aned and Aethlem: two hounds.

  he is under my control: this is inconsistent with Arthur’s behaviour—he claims that he has never heard of Ysbaddaden or his daughter—and with the sequence of events, since it is Arthur, as Ysbaddaden himself admits at the end of the tale, who has secured Olwen for Culhwch (p. 213).

  Bwlch and Cyfwlch … fell on the earth: repetition, with very slight variation, of the characters listed on p. 188 of the Court List.

  Wrnach Gawr: ‘Wrnach the Giant.’ Compare Diwrnach Wyddel (pp. 208–9), and also the poem ‘What Man is the Gatekeeper?’ where Arthur is described as fighting with a hag in the hall of Awarnach. For a detailed analysis of the poem, see Sims-Williams, ‘The Early Welsh Arthurian Poems’, in AOW 33–61.

  ‘Open the gate’: this dialogue echoes Culhwch’s arrival at Arthur’s court (p. 181).

  white-bladed or dark-blue-bladed: the value of swords is discussed in the law texts: ‘A sword, if it is ground on the stone, twelve pence; if it is darkblue-bladed, sixteen pence; if it white-bladed, twenty-four pence’ (LHDd 194). Jenkins suggests that ‘the blue-bladed sword had acquired its colour in the process of tempering, whereas the white-bladed one had afterwards been polished and burnished’ (ibid. 300).

  Gorau son of Custennin: an onomastic explanation for the personal name Gorau (‘Best’), which may be a corruption of Gorneu, meaning ‘of Cornwall’— Custennin Gorneu is attested in several early sources. The character is also named in ‘Geraint son of Erbin’ (p. 155), and ‘Rhonabwy’s Dream’ (p. 225). In the triads (TYP 52) he releases Arthur, his cousin, from three imprisonments. His role at the end of this tale suggests an underlying vengeance theme.

  A year from that very day they came: the White Book text ends here.

  Gliwi: derived from the genitive of Latin Glevum, the Roman name for Gloucester, and seen in Welsh as the eponym of the city—Caer Loyw (‘Gloyw’s fort’). According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the city was built by the emperor Claudius, and the place was named after him; in the Welsh translation of Geoffrey’s History Claudius is changed to Gloyw, hence Caerloyw. See CaO 141–2.

  Blackbird of Cilgwri: the beginning of the tale of the Oldest Animals, which has parallels in Indian and Persian literature. Many other versions exist in Welsh, including a triad (TYP 92) where the Three Elders of the World are listed as the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, the Eagle of Gwernabwy, and the Blackbird of Celli Gadarn. Here, however, the Blackbird is associated with Cilgwri, probably a reference to the Wirral Peninsula.

  Stag of Rhedynfre: ‘Fernhill’ or ‘Brackenill’. Again, one cannot be certain about the location, although Rhedynfre may be the original name of Farndon in Cheshire, not too far from Cilgwri.

  Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd: again, several locations possible, although the most probable is the area between Capel Curig and Llanrwst in Gwynedd.

  Eagle of Gwernabwy: gwern is the common name for an ‘alder tree’, although sometimes it means ‘swamp’. It may perhaps be identified with Bodernabwy near Aberdaron in the Lleyn peninsula, Gwynedd.

  Llyn Lliw: probably the same place as Llyn Lliwan mentioned on p. 212, a tidal lake somewhere on the Severn estuary.

  neither the prison of Lludd Llaw Eraint … Graid son of Eri: ‘Lludd Silver Hand’ is named as Creiddylad’s father on p. 189. while Graid, who is mentioned on p. 184, is Gwyn ap Nudd’s prisoner on p. 207. Another version of this triad is found in TYP 52, the Three Exalted Prisoners of the Island of Britain, although Mabon is the only prisoner common to both. See also the note to p. 202 on Gorau.

  Aber Daug
leddyf: ‘the confluence of the two Cleddau rivers’, near Milford Haven in south-west Wales.