The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) (40 page)

Then they heard a commotion that was louder by far than the first one. When they looked towards the commotion, behold, a young lad with yellowish-red hair, without a beard or a moustache, and the look of a nobleman about him, on a large horse. From the top of its shoulders and its kneecaps downwards, the horse was yellow. The man was wearing a garment of red brocaded silk, embroidered with yellow silk, and the fringes of the mantle were yellow. What was yellow of his and his horse’s garment was as yellow as the flowers of the broom, and what was red was as red as the reddest blood in the
world. Then, behold, the rider catches up with them, and asks Iddog if he would give him a share of these little men.

‘The share that is proper for me to give, I will do so: to be a friend to them as I have been.’ The rider agreed to that and went off.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who was that man?’

‘Rhuawn Bebyr son of Deorthach Wledig.’
*

Then they travelled across the great plain of Argyngroeg to Rhydy-groes on the Hafren. And a mile from the ford, on each side of the road, they could see huts and tents and the mustering of a great host. They came to the edge of the ford, and saw Arthur sitting on a flat meadow below the ford, with Bedwin the Bishop on one side and Gwarthegydd son of Caw
*
on the other. A tall, auburn-haired young man was standing beside them, holding his sword in its sheath, and wearing a tunic and cape of pure black brocaded silk, his face as white as ivory, and his eyebrows as black as jet. What could be seen of his wrist between his gloves and sleeves was whiter than the lily, and thicker than the calf of a warrior’s leg. Then Iddog, accompanied by the men, went up to Arthur, and greeted him.

‘May God prosper you,’ said Arthur. ‘Iddog, where did you find these little men?’

‘I found them, lord, up there on the road.’ The emperor smiled disdainfully.

‘Lord,’ said Iddog, ‘why are you laughing?’

‘Iddog,’ said Arthur, ‘I am not laughing; but rather I feel so sad that scum such as these are protecting this Island after such fine men that protected it in the past.’

Then Iddog said, ‘Rhonabwy, do you see the ring with the stone in it on the emperor’s hand?’

‘I do,’ he said.

‘One of the virtues of the stone is that you will remember what you have seen here tonight; and had you not seen the stone, you would remember nothing about this.’

After that Rhonabwy saw a troop coming towards the ford.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘whose is that troop?’

‘The companions of Rhuawn Bebyr son of Deorthach Wledig. And those men receive mead and bragget with honour, and get to make love to the daughters of the kings of the Island of Britain with no objection, and they have a right to that, for in each battle they lead and bring up the rear.’

Rhonabwy could see no other colour on a horse or a man in that troop that was not as red as blood. And if one of the riders broke away from that troop, he would be like a column of fire rising to the sky. And that troop encamped above the ford.

Then they saw another troop coming towards the ford. And from the horses’ front pommels upwards they were as white as the lily, and from there downwards as black as jet. Behold, they saw a rider coming forward and spurring his horse in the ford so that the water splashed over Arthur and the bishop and all who were conferring with them, so that they were as wet as if they had been dragged out of the river. As the rider was turning his horse’s head, the lad who was standing beside Arthur struck the horse on its nostrils with the sword in its sheath, so that it would have been a wonder had it not shattered steel, let alone flesh or bone. The rider drew his sword half out of his sheath, and asked him, ‘Why did you strike my horse? Was it out of disrespect or by way of advice?’

‘You needed advice. What madness made you ride so foolishly, causing the water to splash from the ford over Arthur and the consecrated bishop and their counsellors, so that they were as wet as if they had been dragged out of the river?’

‘Then I shall take it as advice.’ And he turned his horse’s head back towards his troop.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who was the rider just now?’

‘A young man considered to be the wisest and most accomplished in this kingdom, Addaon son of Taliesin.’

‘Who was the man who struck his horse?’

‘A stubborn and fierce lad, Elphin son of Gwyddno.’
*

Then a proud, handsome man with eloquent, bold speech said that it was strange that a host as large as that could be accommodated in such a confined place, and that it was even stranger that those who had promised to be at the battle of Baddon by noon, to fight Osla Gyllellfawr,
*
should still be there: ‘Decide whether you will go or not. I shall go.’

‘You are right,’ said Arthur. ‘And let us go together.’

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who is the man who spoke so boldly to Arthur as he who spoke just now?’

‘A man who had the right to speak to him as plainly as he wished, Caradog Freichfras son of Llŷr Marini,
*
his chief adviser and nephew.’

Then Iddog took Rhonabwy behind him on the horse, and that large host set off towards Cefn Digoll,
*
each troop in its proper place. When they were halfway across the ford on the Hafren, Iddog turned his horse’s head round, and Rhonabwy looked at the Hafren valley. He could see two most disciplined troops approaching the ford on the Hafren. A brilliant white troop was approaching, each man wearing a mantle of white brocaded silk with pure black fringes, and from the kneecaps and the tops of the horses’ forelegs downwards they were pure black, but apart from that they were pale white all over. And their banners were pure white, and the tip of each one was pure black.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who is that pure white troop over there?’

‘They are the men of Norway, led by March son of Meirchawn.
*
He is Arthur’s cousin.’

Then Rhonabwy could see a troop, and each man wearing a pure black garment with pure white fringes, and from the tops of the horses’ forelegs and their kneecaps downwards, they were pure white. And their banners were pure black and the tip of each one was pure white.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who is that pure black troop over there?’

‘The men of Denmark, led by Edern son of Nudd.’
*

By the time these had caught up with the host, Arthur and his host of warriors had dismounted below Caer Faddon. Rhonabwy could see that he and Iddog were going the same way as Arthur. When they had dismounted he heard a huge, dreadful commotion among the host. And the man who would be at the edge of the host one moment would be in their midst the next, and the one who would be in their midst would be at the edge. Suddenly he could see a rider approaching, both he and his horse dressed in chain-mail, its rings as white as the whitest lily, and its rivets as red as the reddest blood, and he was riding among the host.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘is the host retreating from me?’

‘The emperor Arthur has never retreated, and if you were heard uttering those words, you would be a dead man. But the rider you see over there, that’s Cai;
*
he is the fairest man who rides in Arthur’s court. And the man at the edge of the host is rushing back to see Cai ride, and the man in the middle is retreating to the edge for fear of being hurt by the horse. And that’s the meaning of the commotion in the host.’

Then they heard Cadwr, earl of Cornwall,
*
being summoned. Behold, he got up with Arthur’s sword in his hand and the image of two golden serpents on the sword. When the sword was drawn from the sheath, it was like seeing two flames of fire from the serpents’ jaws. And it was not easy for anyone to look at that, because it was so terrifying. Then, behold, the host calmed down and the commotion ceased; and the earl returned to the tent.

‘Iddog,’ said Rhonabwy, ‘who was the man who brought the sword to Arthur?’

‘Cadwr, earl of Cornwall, the man whose duty it is to dress the king in his armour on the day of battle and combat.’

Then they heard Eiryn Wych Amheibyn,
*
Arthur’s servant, being summoned, a rough, ugly, red-haired man, with a red moustache full of bristling hairs. Behold, he came on a big red horse with its mane parted on both sides of its neck, carrying a large, handsome load. The big red-haired servant dismounted in front of Arthur and pulled out a golden chair from the load, and a mantle of damasked, brocaded silk. He spread out the mantle in front of Arthur, with a reddish gold apple at each of its corners. He placed the chair on the mantle, and the chair was so large that three armed men could sit on it. Gwen was the name of the mantle.
*
One of the attributes of the mantle was that the person wrapped in it could see everyone yet no one could see him. And no colour would ever last on it except its own colour. Arthur sat down on the mantle; Owain son of Urien
*
was standing near him.

‘Owain,’ said Arthur, ‘do you want to play
gwyddbwyll?’
*

‘I do, lord,’ said Owain. And the red-haired servant brought the
gwyddbwyll
to Arthur and Owain—pieces of gold and a board of silver. And they began to play.

When their game of
gwyddbwyll
was at its most entertaining, behold, they see coming from a white, red-topped tent—with an image of a pure black serpent on top of the tent, and crimson-red, poisonous eyes in the serpent’s head, and its tongue flame-red—a young squire with curly yellow hair and blue eyes, sprouting a beard, wearing a tunic and surcoat of yellow brocaded silk, and stockings of thin greenish-yellow cloth on his feet. And over the stockings two buskins of speckled Cordovan leather,
*
and clasps of gold around his ankles to fasten them, and a golden-hilted, heavy, triple-grooved sword, with a sheath of black Cordovan leather, and a tip of excellent
reddish gold at the end of the sheath. And he was coming to where the emperor and Owain were playing
gwyddbwyll
. The squire greeted Owain. And Owain was surprised that the squire greeted him but did not greet the emperor Arthur. And Arthur knew what Owain was thinking, and he said to Owain, ‘Do not be surprised that the squire greeted you just now. He greeted me earlier. And his message is for you.’

Then the squire said to Owain,

‘Lord, is it with your permission that the emperor’s young lads and squires are molesting and harassing and brawling with your ravens?
*
If they don’t have your permission, then ask the emperor to call them off.’

‘Lord,’ said Owain, ‘you hear what the squire says. If you please, call them off my little ravens.’

‘Your move,’ he said. Then the squire returned to his tent.

They finished that game and began another. When they were halfway through the game, behold, a young ruddy-faced lad with very curly auburn hair, sharp-eyed, well-built, having trimmed his beard, coming from a bright yellow tent, with the image of a bright red lion on top of the tent. And he was wearing a tunic of yellow brocaded silk down to his calf, embroidered with thread of red silk, and two stockings on his feet of thin white linen, and over the stockings, two buskins of black Cordovan leather with golden clasps. And he had a large, heavy, triple-grooved sword in his hand, and a sheath of red deerskin for it, and a golden tip on the sheath, and he was coming to where Arthur and Owain were playing
gwyddbwyll
. The lad greeted him. And Owain was put out at being greeted, but Arthur was no more troubled than before. The squire said to Owain, ‘Is it against your will that the emperor’s squires are wounding your ravens, and killing some and bothering others? If it is against your will, beg him to call them off.’

‘Lord,’ said Owain, ‘call your men off if you please.’

‘Your move,’ said the emperor. Then the squire returned to his tent.

They finished that game and began another. As they were beginning the first move in the game, they could see a short distance from them a mottled yellow tent, bigger than anyone had ever seen, with an image on it of an eagle made of gold, and precious stones in the eagle’s head. Coming from the tent they could see a squire with
bright yellow hair on his head, fair and graceful, wearing a mantle of green brocaded silk, a golden pin in the mantle on his right shoulder, as thick as a warrior’s middle finger, and two stockings on his feet of thin totnes cloth,
*
and two shoes of speckled Cordovan leather with golden clasps. The young lad was of noble appearance—he had a white, rosy-cheeked face, and large, hawk-like eyes. In the squire’s hand was a thick, speckled yellow spear, with a newly sharpened head, and on the spear a conspicuous banner. The squire came angrily, passionately, and at a fast canter to where Arthur was playing
gwyddbwyll
with Owain. And they realized that he was angry. Yet he greeted Owain, and told him that the most notable ravens had been killed, ‘and those who have not been killed have been wounded and injured so badly that not one of them can raise its wings six feet from the ground.’

‘Lord,’ said Owain, ‘call off your men.’

‘Play on,’ he said, ‘if you want to.’

Then Owain said to the squire, ‘Go back, and raise the banner where you see the battle at its most intense. And let God’s will be done.’

Then the squire rode to where the battle was at its most intense for the ravens, and raised the banner. As he raised it the ravens flew up into the sky angrily, passionately, and ecstatically, to let wind into their wings and to throw off their fatigue. When they had regained their strength and power, with anger and joy they swooped down together on the men who had previously caused them injury and pain and loss. They carried off the heads of some, the eyes of others, the ears of others, and the arms of others, and took them up into the air. There was a great commotion in the sky with the fluttering of the jubilant ravens and their croaking, and another great commotion with the screaming of the men being attacked and injured and others being killed. It was as terrifying for Arthur as it was for Owain to hear that commotion above the
gwyddbwyll
.

When they looked they could hear a rider on a dapple-grey horse coming towards them. His horse was of a very strange colour
*
— dapple-grey, and its right foreleg bright red, and from the top of its legs to the top of its hoof, bright yellow. The rider and his horse were dressed in strange, heavy armour. His horse’s covering, from the front pommel of his saddle upwards, was of bright red sendal, and from the pommel downwards, of bright yellow sendal. There was a
large, golden-hilted, one-edged sword on the lad’s thigh and a new bright-green sheath with its tip of Spanish latten.
*
The sword’s belt was of rough, black, Cordovan leather with gilded cross-pieces, and a clasp of ivory with a pure black tongue. On the rider’s head was a golden helmet with precious, valuable stones in it, on top of the helmet an image of a yellow-red leopard, with two crimson-red stones in its head, so that it was terrifying for a warrior, however strong-hearted he might be, to look in the face of the leopard, let alone in the face of the warrior. In his hand a spear with a long, heavy, green shaft, and from its hilt upwards it was crimson-red with the blood of the ravens and their feathers. The rider approached the place where Arthur and Owain were over the
gwyddbwyll
. They realized that he was weary, angry, and troubled as he came towards them. The squire greeted Arthur and said that Owain’s ravens were killing his young lads and squires. Arthur looked at Owain and said, ‘Call off your ravens.’