Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
And thereupon went she forth for the arms, and behold she returned, and
two maidens, and suits of armour for two men, with her. “Lady,” said he,
“do you accoutre this stripling, and I will arm myself with the help of
thy maidens. Lo, I hear the tumult of the men approaching.” “I will do
so, gladly.” So she armed him fully, and that right cheerfully. “Hast
thou finished arming the youth?” said he. “I have finished,” she
answered. “I likewise have finished,” said Gwydion. “Let us now take
off our arms, we have no need of them.” “Wherefore?” said she. “Here is
the army around the house.” “Oh, lady, there is here no army.” “Oh,”
cried she, “whence then was this tumult?” “The tumult was but to break
thy prophecy and to obtain arms for thy son. And now has he got arms
without any thanks unto thee.” “By Heaven,” said Arianrod, “thou art a
wicked man. Many a youth might have lost his life through the uproar
thou hast caused in this Cantrev to-day. Now will I lay a destiny upon
this youth,” she said, “that he shall never have a wife of the race that
now inhabits this earth.” “Verily,” said he, “thou wast ever a malicious
woman, and no one ought to support thee. A wife shall he have
notwithstanding.”
They went thereupon unto Math the son of Mathonwy, and complained unto
him most bitterly of Arianrod. Gwydion showed him also how he had
procured arms for the youth. “Well,” said Math, “we will seek, I and
thou, by charms and illusion, to form a wife for him out of flowers. He
has now come to man’s stature, and he is the comeliest youth that was
ever beheld.” So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of
the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a
maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw. And they
baptized her, and gave her the name of Blodeuwedd.
After she had become his bride, and they had feasted, said Gwydion, “It
is not easy for a man to maintain himself without possessions.” “Of a
truth,” said Math, “I will give the young man the best Cantrev to hold.”
“Lord,” said he, “what Cantrev is that?” “The Cantrev of Dinodig,” he
answered. Now it is called at this day Eivionydd and Ardudwy. And the
place in the Cantrev where he dwelt, was a palace of his in a spot called
Mur y Castell, on the confines of Ardudwy. There dwelt he and reigned,
and both he and his sway were beloved by all.
One day he went forth to Caer Dathyl, to visit Math the son of Mathonwy.
And on the day that he set out for Caer Dathyl, Blodeuwedd walked in the
Court. And she heard the sound of a horn. And after the sound of the
horn, behold a tired stag went by, with dogs and huntsmen following it.
And after the dogs and the huntsmen there came a crowd of men on foot.
“Send a youth,” said she, “to ask who yonder host may be.” So a youth
went, and inquired who they were. “Gronw Pebyr is this, the lord of
Penllyn,” said they. And thus the youth told her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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