Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
“In the name of Heaven,” cried Manawyddan, “where are they of the Court,
and all my host beside these? Let us go and see.” So they came into the
hall, and there was no man; and they went on to the castle and to the
sleeping-place, and they saw none; and in the mead-cellar and in the
kitchen there was nought but desolation. So they four feasted, and
hunted, and took their pleasure. Then they began to go through the land
and all the possessions that they had, and they visited the houses and
dwellings, and found nothing but wild beasts. And when they had consumed
their feast and all their provisions, they fed upon the prey they killed
in hunting, and the honey of the wild swarms. And thus they passed the
first year pleasantly, and the second; but at the last they began to be
weary.
“Verily,” said Manawyddan, “we must not bide thus. Let us go into
Lloegyr, and seek some craft whereby we may gain our support.” So they
went into Lloegyr, and came as far as Hereford. And they betook
themselves to making saddles. And Manawyddan began to make housings, and
he gilded and coloured them with blue enamel, in the manner that he had
seen it done by Llasar Llaesgywydd. And he made the blue enamel as it
was made by the other man. And therefore is it still called Calch Lasar
[blue enamel], because Llasar Llaesgywydd had wrought it.
And as long as that workmanship could be had of Manawyddan, neither
saddle nor housing was bought of a saddler throughout all Hereford; till
at length every one of the saddlers perceived that they were losing much
of their gain, and that no man bought of them, but him who could not get
what he sought from Manawyddan. Then they assembled together, and agreed
to slay him and his companions.
Now they received warning of this, and took counsel whether they should
leave the city. “By Heaven,” said Pryderi, “it is not my counsel that we
should quit the town, but that we should slay these boors.” “Not so,”
said Manawyddan, “for if we fight with them, we shall have evil fame, and
shall be put in prison. It were better for us to go to another town to
maintain ourselves.” So they four went to another city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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