Myths & Legends of the Celtic RaceRolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race
Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Celts -- Religion; Mythology, Celtic
Then the seven cut off the head of Bran and went forth, and Branwen with
them, to do his bidding. But when Branwen came to land at Aber Alaw she
cried, “Woe is me that I was ever born; two islands have been destroyed
because of me.” And she uttered a loud groan, and her heart broke. They
made her a four-sided grave on the banks of the Alaw, and the place was
called _Ynys Branwen_ to this day.(236)
The seven found that in the absence of Bran, Caswallan son of Beli had
conquered Britain and slain the six captains of Caradawc. By magic art he
had thrown on Caradawc the Veil of Illusion, and Caradawc saw only the
sword which slew and slew, but not him who wielded it, and his heart broke
for grief at the sight.
They then went to Harlech and remained there seven years listening to the
singing of the birds of Rhiannon—“all the songs they had ever heard were
unpleasant compared thereto.” Then they went to Gwales in Penvro and found
a fair and spacious hall overlooking the ocean. When they entered it they
forgot all the sorrow of the past and all that had befallen them, and
remained there fourscore years in joy and mirth, the wondrous Head talking
to them as if it were alive. And bards call this “the Entertaining of the
Noble Head.” Three doors were in the hall, and one of them which looked to
Cornwall and to Aber Henvelyn was closed, but the other two were open. At
the end of the time, Heilyn son of Gwyn said, “Evil betide me if I do not
open the door to see if what was said is true.” And he opened it, and at
once remembrance and sorrow fell upon them, and they set forth at once for
London and buried the Head in the White Mount, where it remained until
Arthur dug it up, for he would not have the land defended but by the
strong arm. And this was “the Third Fatal Disclosure” in Britain.
So ends this wild tale, which is evidently full of mythological elements,
the key to which has long been lost. The touches of Northern ferocity
which occur in it have made some critics suspect the influence of Norse or
Icelandic literature in giving it its present form. The character of
Evnissyen would certainly lend countenance to this conjecture. The typical
mischief-maker of course occurs in purely Celtic sagas, but not commonly
in combination with the heroic strain shown in Evnissyen’s end, nor does
the Irish “poison-tongue” ascend to anything like the same height of
daimonic malignity.
*The Tale of Pryderi and Manawyddan*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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