Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
And they attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by them. And with that
the lion came to Owain’s assistance, and they two got the better of the
young men. And they said to him, “Chieftain, it was not agreed that we
should fight save with thyself alone, and it is harder for us to contend
with yonder animal than with thee.” And Owain put the lion in the place
where the maiden had been imprisoned, and blocked up the door with
stones, and he went to fight with the young men, as before. But Owain
had not his usual strength, and the two youths pressed hard upon him.
And the lion roared incessantly at seeing Owain in trouble; and he burst
through the wall until he found a way out, and rushed upon the young men,
and instantly slew them. So Luned was saved from being burned.
Then Owain returned with Luned to the dominions of the Countess of the
Fountain. And when he went thence he took the Countess with him to
Arthur’s Court, and she was his wife as long as she lived.
* * * * *
And then he took the road that led to the Court of the savage black man,
and Owain fought with him, and the lion did not quit Owain until he had
vanquished him. And when he reached the Court of the savage black man he
entered the hall, and beheld four-and-twenty ladies, the fairest that
could be seen. And the garments which they had on were not worth
four-and-twenty pence, and they were as sorrowful as death. And Owain
asked them the cause of their sadness. And they said, “We are the
daughters of Earls, and we all came here with our husbands, whom we
dearly loved. And we were received with honour and rejoicing. And we
were thrown into a state of stupor, and while we were thus, the demon who
owns this Castle slew all our husbands, and took from us our horses, and
our raiment, and our gold, and our silver; and the corpses of our
husbands are still in this house, and many others with them. And this,
Chieftain, is the cause of our grief, and we are sorry that thou art come
hither, lest harm should befall thee.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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