Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
Fiercely angry, and with rapid pace, came the youth to the place where
Arthur was playing at chess with Owain. And they perceived that he was
wroth. And thereupon he saluted Owain, and told him that his Ravens had
been killed, the chief part of them, and that such of them as were not
slain were so wounded and bruised that not one of them could raise its
wings a single fathom above the earth. “Lord,” said Owain, “forbid thy
men.” “Play,” said he, “if it please thee.” Then said Owain to the
youth, “Go back, and wherever thou findest the strife at the thickest,
there lift up the banner, and let come what pleases Heaven.”
So the youth returned back to the place where the strife bore hardest
upon the Ravens, and he lifted up the banner; and as he did so they all
rose up in the air, wrathful and fierce and high of spirit, clapping
their wings in the wind, and shaking off the weariness that was upon
them. And recovering their energy and courage, furiously and with
exultation did they, with one sweep, descend upon the heads of the men,
who had erewhile caused them anger and pain and damage, and they seized
some by the heads and others by the eyes, and some by the ears, and
others by the arms, and carried them up into the air; and in the air
there was a mighty tumult with the flapping of the wings of the
triumphant Ravens, and with their croaking; and there was another mighty
tumult with the groaning of the men, that were being torn and wounded,
and some of whom were slain.
And Arthur and Owain marvelled at the tumult as they played at chess;
and, looking, they perceived a knight upon a dun-coloured horse coming
towards them. And marvellous was the hue of the dun horse. Bright red
was his right shoulder, and from the top of his legs to the centre of his
hoof was bright yellow. Both the knight and his horse were fully
equipped with heavy foreign armour. The clothing of the horse from the
front opening upwards was of bright red sendal, and from thence opening
downwards was of bright yellow sendal. A large gold-hilted one-edged
sword had the youth upon his thigh, in a scabbard of light blue, and
tipped with Spanish laton. The belt of the sword was of dark green
leather with golden slides and a clasp of ivory upon it, and a buckle of
jet-black upon the clasp. A helmet of gold was on the head of the
knight, set with precious stones of great virtue, and at the top of the
helmet was the image of a flame-coloured leopard with two ruby-red stones
in its head, so that it was astounding for a warrior, however stout his
heart, to look at the face of the leopard, much more at the face of the
knight. He had in his hand a blue-shafted lance, but from the haft to
the point it was stained crimson-red with the blood of the Ravens and
their plumage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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