Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
And at the close of the seventh year, they went forth to Gwales in
Penvro. And there they found a fair and regal spot overlooking the
ocean; and a spacious hall was therein. And they went into the hall, and
two of its doors were open, but the third door was closed, that which
looked towards Cornwall. "See, yonder," said Manawyddan, "is the door
that we may not open." And that night they regaled themselves and were
joyful. And of all they had seen of food laid before them, and of all
they had heard of, they remembered nothing; neither of that, nor of any
sorrow whatsoever. And there they remained fourscore years, unconscious
of having ever spent a time more joyous and mirthful. And they were not
more weary than when first they came, neither did they, any of them, know
the time they had been there. And it was not more irksome to them having
the head with them, than if Bendigeid Vran had been with them himself.
And because of these fourscore years, it was called the entertaining of
the noble head. The entertaining of Branwen and Matholwch was in the
time that they went to Ireland.
One day said Heilyn the son of Gwynn, "Evil betide me, if I do not open
the door to know if that is true which is said concerning it." So he
opened the door and looked towards Cornwall and Aber Henvelen. And when
they had looked, they were as conscious of all the evils they had ever
sustained, and of all the friends and companions they had lost, and of
all the misery that had befallen them, as if all had happened in that
very spot; {59a} and especially of the fate of their lord. And because
of their perturbation they could not rest, {59b} but journeyed forth with
the head towards London. And they buried the head in the White Mount,
and when it was buried, this was the third goodly concealment; and it was
the third ill-fated disclosure when it was disinterred, inasmuch as no
invasion from across the sea came to this Island, while the head was in
that concealment.
And thus is the story related of those who journeyed over from Ireland.
In Ireland none were left alive, except five pregnant women in a cave in
the Irish wilderness; and to these five women in the same night were born
five sons, whom they nursed until they became grown up youths. And they
thought about wives, and they at the same time desired to possess them,
and each took a wife of the mothers of their companions, and they
governed the country and peopled it.
And these five divided it amongst them, and because of this partition are
the five divisions of Ireland still so termed. And they examined the
land where the battles had taken place, and they found gold and silver
until they became wealthy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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