Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
And that night Olwen became Kilhwch’s bride, and she continued to be his
wife as long as she lived. And the hosts of Arthur dispersed themselves,
each man to his own country. And thus did Kilhwch obtain Olwen, the
daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.
THE DREAM OF RHONABWY
Madawc the son of Maredudd possessed Powys within its boundaries, from
Porfoed to Gwauan in the uplands of Arwystli. And at that time he had a
brother, Iorwerth the son of Maredudd, in rank not equal to himself. And
Iorwerth had great sorrow and heaviness because of the honour and power
that his brother enjoyed, which he shared not. And he sought his fellows
and his foster-brothers, and took counsel with them what he should do in
this matter. And they resolved to dispatch some of their number to go
and seek a maintenance for him. Then Madawc offered him to become Master
of the Household and to have horses, and arms, and honour, and to fare
like as himself. But Iorwerth refused this.
And Iorwerth made an inroad into Loegria, slaying the inhabitants, and
burning houses, and carrying away prisoners. And Madawc took counsel
with the men of Powys, and they determined to place an hundred men in
each of the three Commots of Powys to seek for him. And thus did they in
the plains of Powys from Aber Ceirawc, and in Allictwn Ver, and in Rhyd
Wilure, on the Vyrnwy, the three best Commots of Powys. So he was none
the better, he nor his household, in Powys, nor in the plains thereof.
And they spread these men over the plains as far as Nillystwn Trevan.
Now one of the men who was upon this quest was called Rhonabwy. And
Rhonabwy and Kynwrig Vrychgoch, a man of Mawddwy, and Cadwgan Vras, a man
of Moelvre in Kynlleith, came together to the house of Heilyn Goch the
son of Cadwgan the son of Iddon. And when they came near to the house,
they saw an old hall, very black and having an upright gable, whence
issued a great smoke; and on entering, they found the floor full of
puddles and mounds; and it was difficult to stand thereon, so slippery
was it with the mire of cattle. And where the puddles were, a man might
go up to his ankles in water and dirt. And there were boughs of holly
spread over the floor, whereof the cattle had browsed the sprigs. When
they came to the hall of the house, they beheld cells full of dust, and
very gloomy, and on one side an old hag making a fire. And whenever she
felt cold, she cast a lapful of chaff upon the fire, and raised such a
smoke, that it was scarcely to be borne, as it rose up the nostrils. And
on the other side was a yellow calf-skin on the floor; a main privilege
was it to any one who should get upon that hide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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