Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
And one morning Pryderi and Manawyddan rose up to hunt, and they ranged
their dogs and went forth from the palace. And some of the dogs ran
before them and came to a small bush which was near at hand; but as soon
as they were come to the bush, they hastily drew back and returned to the
men, their hair bristling up greatly. “Let us go near to the bush,” said
Pryderi, “and see what is in it.” And as they came near, behold, a wild
boar of a pure white colour rose up from the bush. Then the dogs, being
set on by the men, rushed towards him; but he left the bush and fell back
a little way from the men, and made a stand against the dogs without
retreating from them, until the men had come near. And when the men came
up, he fell back a second time, and betook him to flight. Then they
pursued the boar until they beheld a vast and lofty castle, all newly
built, in a place where they had never before seen either stone or
building. And the boar ran swiftly into the castle and the dogs after
him. Now when the boar and the dogs had gone into the castle, they began
to wonder at finding a castle in a place where they had never before seen
any building whatsoever. And from the top of the Gorsedd they looked and
listened for the dogs. But so long as they were there they heard not one
of the dogs nor aught concerning them.
“Lord,” said Pryderi, “I will go into the castle to get tidings of the
dogs.” “Truly,” he replied, “thou wouldst be unwise to go into this
castle, which thou hast never seen till now. If thou wouldst follow my
counsel, thou wouldst not enter therein. Whosoever has cast a spell over
this land has caused this castle to be here.” “Of a truth,” answered
Pryderi, “I cannot thus give up my dogs.” And for all the counsel that
Manawyddan gave him, yet to the castle he went.
When he came within the castle, neither man nor beast, nor boar nor dogs,
nor house nor dwelling saw he within it. But in the centre of the castle
floor he beheld a fountain with marble work around it, and on the margin
of the fountain a golden bowl upon a marble slab, and chains hanging from
the air, to which he saw no end.
And he was greatly pleased with the beauty of the gold, and with the rich
workmanship of the bowl, and he went up to the bowl and laid hold of it.
And when he had taken hold of it his hands stuck to the bowl, and his
feet to the slab on which the howl was placed, and all his joyousness
forsook him, so that he could not utter a word. And thus he stood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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