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| The Estruary copyright Susan Morrison Jones |
Arthur (as a legend) is mentioned in many writings. Often as
a legend or mythical being and as an historical figure less so. Never the less
I began collecting what I could in English translations of tales of the man.
Here are the beginnings of other aspects of Arth descriptions of mannerisms and
tales and weaning through them began a long year of study.
The majority of the following are not historical records 'of
the times' but where possible I have included the notations simply because so
many people continually refer to Monmouth or someone similar. These people had
their ideas from somewhere, they don't always say how or when they read
whatever inspired their own versions of legends, tales, myths and in some cases
historical records. But they spent a great deal of effort and time to write....
ARTHUR THE NATIONAL HERO, —A.D. 600 TO 1066.
King Arthur is the centre of the ancient national Traditions
of Wales; he is the single root of a gigantic tree, whose branches, for nearly
ten centuries, spread over the whole of Europe, until in modern times it
withered away together with the last remains of Chivalry.
The oldest accounts of the Chronicles of King Arthur are
short and meagre. The Anglo-Saxon Bede knows nothing of the British Kings, nor
of the origin of the Britons, whom he derives from Eneas and Brutus. He names
Cassibelaunus, Androgens, St. Albanus, Vortigern; he mentions the wars of the
Britons and the Saxons against the Romans; Hengist and Horsa, St. Oswald, and
his miracles; but he is entirely silent upon the subject of Arthur. In
concluding his History with the words, "Hsec de Historia ecclesiastica
Brittanorum Qi maccime gentis Anglorum prout vel ex literis antiquorum, vel ex traditione
majorum^ vel ex mea ipsa cognitione scire potui digessi Beda,'"* he leads
us to suppose, that he found nothing remarkable in the Traditions of the eighth
century. Besides Bede was an Anglo-Saxon, which, from the hostile separation
of the two nations, is a sufficient reason for supposing
that the Welsh Traditions were unknown to him.
INFLUENCE OF WELSH
TRADITION
Nennius, who wrote about the year 858, speaks of Arthur, and
at the same time gives us an interesting explanation of his name in these words:
—"At that time the Saxons greatly increased in strength and numbers in Britain;
and after the death of Hengist,'' (at the end of the fifth century,) "his
son Ochta passed over from the northern part of Britain to the kingdom of Kent;
and from him are descended the Kings of that country.
Arthur together with the Kings of the Britons fought against
the Saxons; but he was the commander in battle, and was victorious in every
engagement. (Arthur when translated signifies the terrible Bear or the Iron Hammer
of the teeth of Lions
In the 63rd Chapter, Nennius continues, —"Arthur went
to Jerusalem, and there made a cross of the same dimensions with the real
cross, which was consecrated there; and for three successive days he fasted and
watched and prayed before the holy cross, that the Lord would, by this
standard, give him the victory over the Pagans; which was granted to him.
Pieces of this cross
are still preserved at Wedale Avith with great veneration. Wedale (an English
word, signifying the Valley of Grief,) is a village in the Province of
Lothian.'
He mentions the twelve expeditions of Arthur, and in the
last record he wrote that Arthur slays 840 enemies with his own hand.
Further extracts
Gildas, a Chronicler, (who claims he was born in the year in
which the Battle of Badon Mount was fought, and who died in 570, -SMJ)
wrote a Book "De
excidio Britannise." We have not seen it, but Henry of Huntingdon quotes
it, affirmino
' that Gildas speaks of the twelve expeditions of Arthur against
the Saxons, which that king conducted in the most courageous and brilliant
manner. In the eighth expedition he carried the image of the Holy Virgin on his
shoulders;
It was through the means of this image, and the assistance
of God, that he was enabled to vanquish the Saxons.
Gildas would have had people available to him, who had been
at the battle itself, survivors and nobles who would have given him much
information. WHY would a notable Historian lie about a battle or a chieftain, king,
leader? why is this man’s work dismissed as made up or lies?
Geoffrey of Monmouth expressly states in his History, that
neither Gildas nor Bede mention anything of Arthur, or of several other
celebrated kings and yet I have just included a comment which says entirely
differently.
William of Malmesbury, who wrote about 1143, in quoting a
written History of Arthur, relates a heroic action of that King-
"We read in the acts of the most illustrious King
Arthur, that when, on a certain Christmas at Caerlleon, he had conferred
military honours upon a valiant youth named Ider the son of King Nuth; and for
the purpose of proving him, led him to the Hill of Frogs, now called Brentenol,
where he had learnt there were three giants notorious for their crimes, in
order to fight with them;
the youth preceding
Arthur and his companions without their knowledge, boldly attacked the giants,
and slew them with a surprising slaughter. Hurrying on, Arthur finds Ider dying
from exhaustion after the combat; he leaves him to procure help, but it comes
too late. On his return he finds Ider is dead. He was buried in the Abbey of
Glastonbury, and Arthur established twenty-four Monks, and assigned lands and
money for their maintenance.
Johannes Fordun
(Testorum Hist. Thomas Gale, p. 639.) mentions the Tradition, according to
which Arthur was to live for ever among his people. —
"Note, that in the year 542, Arthur, being mortally
wounded in battle, went to be healed of his wounds to the Island of Avallon. We
do not know how he died; but as he is said to have been buried in the Abbey
Church of Glastonbury with an epitaph in this manner, so we believe him to
remain there still, whence the line
'Here lies Arthur, a
King that was, and a King to be,"*
for some of the race of the Britons believe that he is to
come alive again, and restore them from a state of servitude to liberty."^
Here we see clearly the political reason which preserved the memory of Arthur
among the Welsh as a Hero, who still existed, in order that he might avenge on
the Saxons the subjugation of his people.
This Tradition is
also found in Hartman von Aue, (v. 8 to 17,) but the political reason is
unknown to him.
Though his body is dead, Yet his name lives for ever.
William of Malmesbury, who cannot avoid speaking of the
Arthur of History, ridicules the fabulous stories relating to him. —"This
is the Arthur, of whom at this day the tales of the Britons rave. One who
evidently deserved to be celebrated in the records of History rather than in
the dreams of Fables." And after referring to the valour of Arthur, and
his repressing the encroachments of the barbarians, that is, of the Saxons, he says,
—
'Lastly in the attack of Badon Mount, trusting in the image
of the Virgin which he placed upon his arms, he alone put to flight nine
hundred of his enemies with incredible slaughter.
Malmesbury and Monmouth are 12th century and venerated by
many for their skill with words, their records and writings.
Bede is a saint to some and he lived in the later than
Gildas and his works are quoted as often as Monmouth’s and Malmsbury's....BUT,
according to what is available. Gildas never mentions Arthur by name. He
apparently had an older brother whom Arthur killed in battle!!!!!!!!!
which is one of the reasons he is supposedly avoiding
Arthurs name and yet
'We have not seen it, but Henry of Huntingdon quotes it,
affirmino
' that Gildas speaks of the twelve expeditions of Arthur
So who is telling fibs I wonder and of course it is highly
unlikely that we will ever find out the truth, unless some unknown treasite
eventually surfaces to clarify the situation.
(all spelling within this tale is of the times it was
written SMJ )
WELSH HISTORICAL REFERENCE:
-
It is in Wales that the memory of this valiant king is
principally cherished, and it was there that the tomb of Gawain (G-walchmai)
son of King Lot of Norway, was discovered in 1087.
"In a Province of Wales called Rhos, the grave of
Walwen was found, who was the worthy nephew of Arthur, the son of his sister.
He reigned in that part
of Wales which is still called Walwertha;
a warrior greatly renowned for valour; but being first
driven from his kingdom by the brother and nephew of Hengist, of whom I have
spoken in the first book, he avenged his exile by much injury to them; adding
deservedly to his uncle's fame, inasmuch as he for many years delayed the fall
of his tottering country.
But the grave of Arthur is nowhere to be seen, whence
ancient fables feign that he is yet too come
The Annals of Margam,
which go as far as 1231, state, —
"The bones of the renowned Arthur, formerly king of
Britain, were discovered in a very ancient sarcophagus; near which stood two
pyramids, on which were inscribed some letters; but which, on account of their
barbarous and uncouth form, could not be read.
The occasion of their being found was this.
Whilst some persons were digging the earth between the
aforesaid pyramids, in order to bury a certain monk, who had purchased
permission to be buried there, they found a sarcophagus, in which they observed
what appeared to be the bones of a woman, with the hair still undecayed ; which
being removed, they found another laid before the first, in which were the
bones of a man; and having removed that also, they found a third below the
other two, upon which was placed a leaden cross, on which was inscribed, '
Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur in the Island of
Avellan.'
For that place, being surrounded by marshes, is called The
Island of Avalon that is, the Island of Apples; because an apple is called in
British aval. (British being the Welsh language Aval -Apple)
Then opening this sarcophagus, they found the bones of the
aforesaid prince, very large and long, which the monks placed with due honours
in a marble tomb within their church [of Glastonbury.]
The first grave is said to have been that of Queen Gwenever,
the wife of the said Arthur; the second that of Modred his nephew; and the
third that of Arthur himself."'
The Waverlev Annals
(1283) acquaint us that—
"In the year 1283 also the crown of the celebrated King
Arthur, who was long held in the greatest honour by the Welsh, was together
with other precious jewels presented to the King [Edward I.] and thus the glory
of the Welsh was, though unwillingly, transferred to the English.
It is evident that this presentation of the crown of Arthur
to him, who had suppressed the independence of the Welsh Princes, must have
been a humiliation to them; and this trait proves how deeply the above
tradition of Arthur was rooted in their hearts, and how piously they cherished
his memory.
The Monk Alberic des Trois Fontaines, who wrote in the
middle of the thirteenth century, does not fail to remark, under the year 1091,
—
"That mention is made of the grave of Gauxain which was
fourteen feet long;
and under the year 1193,
"that about this
year the body of the great Arthur was discovered in England in the Island of
Avallon, where the Abbey of St. Dunstan stands, commonly called St. Peter's of
Glastonbury, in the Diocese of Bath. And this was effected by the industry of a
certain monk of the same Church of the New Abbey, who caused the whole cemetery
of the place to be diligently searched by excavating; being animated by the
words which formerly a monk had heard from the mouth of Henry the father of Richard;
and there was found a stone tomb buried deep in the earth, upon which was a
leaden plate inscribed with certain lines, ‘Here lies Arthur, the flower of
Kings, the glory
of sovereignty,
'Whose honourable life enjoys everlasting fame;
'Here lies Arthur the King of the Britons, the avenger,
unavenged.
Guillaume le Petit, in the fifth Book of his Hist. rer.
Anglic,
goes so far as to
stigmatize Geofirey of Monmouth as a most impudent liar, and extravagant
visionary, who would endeavour to introduce the stories of Arthur, Merlin,
Uther Pendragon, and others into authentic history.
(Welsh tradition and histories did not question the reality
of Arthur as a genuine person SMJ)
The Chronicle of Geofirey of Monmouth, which was written
after the year 1140.book, De Origine et gestis regum Britanniae,
is so generally known, that any detailed extracts would be unnecessary.
He likewise wrote Vita Merlini Caledonii; Arturi regisgesta; et Commentaria in
Merlini prophetias; and, although we have not ourselves seen these works, a
good idea of them may be formed from the contents of the book first mentioned;
throughout which it is apparent, that Geoffrey's principal object was to
collect all the ancient traditions of Wales, and that
''A certain very
ancient book in the British tongue, which in most beautiful language,
continuously, and in order, relates the acts of all the kings of the Britons
from Brutus, their first king, to Cadwalader, the son of Cadwallon, and which
book Walter, Archdeacon of Oxford, brought out of Britain,'"- was not the
only book he had in view, but also many others, which he frequently quotes,
particularly Le Brut d^Angleterre in Bas Breton,^ (nieder bretonische,) written
towards the middle of the twelfth century, which he translated into Latin,
at the same time that Maister Grasse (Wace, 1155,)
translated it into the Langue d’oui. * Also the Laws of Dyfnwal Moelmud, (Leges
Mulmutinge,) which Gildas is said to have rendered from British into Latin;
King Alfred's in Anglo-Saxon; and another works, whose contents he does not
give, because they are not to be found in Walter of Oxford.
The Prophetia Merlmi, which he introduced in the seventh
Book, is a sublime fiction which no doubt existed before his time: It is a
perfect Apocalypse, which maintained a high degree of importance even during
the Wars of the Roses; and historians refer to it, as to the Prophets of the
Holy Scriptures, Ut impleretur prophetia Merlini. As Geoffrey's History
approaches the time of Arthur, his language, generally dry and simple, becomes
spirited, rich, and florid, until his work appears to assume the character of a
complete epic poem.
The deeds of Arthur himself form the basis of the history;
and although the well-known names of Mazadan, Oaradoc, Oador, Lot, Vortigern,
Uther Pendragon, (i. e. Uter Caput draconis,) Maugantius, and Merlin are
mentioned, they belong too secondary and less important personages. Above all,
we must remark, that Geoffrey does not mention the institution of the Round
Table, as a society of Knights ; which leads us to presume, that the Liber
vetustissimus contained nothing on the subject of the Round Table,
although at Chap. 11.
of the ninth Book there is an indication of it, where it is said that the
renown of Arthur had become so much extended over the world, that all valiant
men were armed and dressed in imitation of the Knights (Milites) of King
Arthur. Besides the Historians we have quoted, and to whom we might add Leland,
(Assertio Arturii,) and some other writers of that period, there remains to us
a much more important source, which gives us not only a description of facts,
but (if we may be permitted the expression) a direct reflection of the person
of Arthur and his companions, in the wars against the Saxons: —
We allude to the ancient poems of Aneurin, Taliesin,
Llywarch Hen.
AN ESSAY ON THE INFLUENCE OF WELSH TRADITION UPON LITERATURE
of GERMANY, FRANCE, AND SCANDINAVIA;
WHICH OBTAINED THE PRIZE OF THE ABERGAVENNY
CYMREIGYDDION SOCIETY, AT THE EISTEDDVOD OF 1840.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF ALBERT SCHULZ,
AUTHOR OF THE LIFE OF WOLFRAN VON ESCHENBACH, &C.
&C.
KING ARTHUR was at Caerlleon upon Usk and one day he sat in
his chamber; and with him were Owain the son of Urien and Kynon the son of
Clydno 3e, and Kai the son of Kyner and Gwenhwyvar and her handmaidens at
needlework by the window. And if it should be said that there was a porter at
Arthur's palace, there was none. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was there, acting as
porter, to welcome guests and strangers, and to receive them with honour, and
to inform them of the manners and customs of the Court; and to direct those who
came to the Hall or to the presence-chamber, and those who came to take up
their lodging.
In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a seat of
green rushes over which was spread a covering of flame-coloured satin 3k, and a
cushion of red satin was under his elbow.
Then Arthur spoke, "If I thought you would not
disparage me," said he, "I would sleep while I wait for my repast;
and you can entertain one another with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon
of mead and some meat from Kai." And the King went to sleep. And Kynon the
son of Clydno asked Kai for that which Arthur had promised them. "I, too,
will have the good tale which he promised to me," said Kai.
"Nay," answered Kynon, "fairer will it be for thee to fulfil
Arthur's behest, in the first place, and then we will tell thee the best tale
that we know." So Kai went to the kitchen and to the mead-cellar, and
returned bearing a flagon of mead and a golden goblet, and a handful of
skewers, upon which were broiled collops of meat. Then they ate the collops and
began to drink the mead. "Now," said Kai, "it is time for you to
give me my story." "Kynon," said Owain, "do thou pay to Kai
the tale that is his due." "Truly," said Kynon, "thou are
older, and art a better teller of tales, and hast seen more marvellous things
than I; do thou therefore pay Kai his tale." "Begin thyself," quota
Owain, "with the best that thou knowest." "I will do so,"
answered Kynon.
"I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was
exceedingly aspiring, and my daring was very great. I thought there was no
enterprise in the world too mighty for me, and after I had achieved all the
adventures that were in my own country, I equipped myself, and set forth to
journey through deserts and distant regions and at length it chanced that I
came to the fairest valley in the world, wherein were trees of equal growth and
a river ran through the valley, and a path was by the side of the river. And I
followed the path until mid-day, and continued my journey along the remainder
of the valley until the evening; and at the extremity of a plain I came to a
large and lustrous Castle, at the foot of which was a torrent. And I approached
the Castle, and there I beheld two youths with yellow curling hair, each with a
frontlet of gold upon his head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin and they
had gold clasps upon their insteps.
In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung with
the sinews of the stag and their arrows had shafts of the bone of the whale and
were winged with peacock's feathers 5c; the shafts also had golden heads and
they had daggers with blades of gold and with hilts of the bone of the whale.
And they were shooting their daggers.
"And a little way from them I saw a man in the prime of
life, with his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a mantle of yellow satin;
and around the top of his mantle was a band of gold lace. On his feet were
shoes of variegated leather fastened by two bosses of gold. When I saw him, I
went towards him and saluted him, and such was his courtesy that he no sooner
received my greeting than he returned it. And he went with me towards the
Castle. Now there were no dwellers in the Castle except those who were in one
hall. And there I saw four-and-twenty damsels, embroidering satin at a window.
And this I tell thee, Kai, that the least fair of them was fairer than the
fairest maid thou hast ever beheld in the Island of Britain, and the least
lovely of them was more lovely than Gwenhwyvar , the wife of Arthur, when she
has appeared loveliest at the Offering, on the day of the Nativity, or at the
feast of Easter. They rose up at my coming 5 and six of them took my horse, and
divested me of my armour; and six others took my arms, and washed them in a
vessel until they were perfectly bright. And the third six spread cloths upon
the tables and prepared meat. And the fourth six took off my soiled garments,
and placed others upon me; namely, an under-vest and a doublet of fine linen,
and a robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin with a broad gold band
upon the mantle and they placed cushions both beneath and around me, with
coverings of red linen; and I sat down. Now the six maidens who had taken my
horse, unharnessed him, as well as if they had been the best squires in the
Island of Britain. Then, behold, they brought bowls of silver wherein was water
to wash, and towels of linen, some green and some white; and I washed. And in a
little while the man sat down to the table. And I sat next to him, and below me
sat all the maidens, except those who waited on us. And the table was of
silver, and the cloths upon the table were of linen; and no vessel was served
upon the table that was not either of gold or of silver, or of buffalo-horn 6a.
And our meat was brought to us. And verily, Kai, I saw there every sort of meat
and every sort of liquor that I have ever seen elsewhere; but the meat and the
liquor were better served there than I have ever seen them in any other place.
"Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor
any one of the damsels spoke a single word to me; but when the man perceived
that it would be more agreeable to me to converse than to eat any more, he
began to inquire of me who I was. I said I was glad to find that there was someone
who would discourse with me, and that it was not considered so great a crime at
that Court for people to hold converse together. 'Chieftain,' said the man, 'we
would have talked to thee sooner, but we feared to disturb thee during thy
repast; now, however, we will discourse.' Then I told the man who I was, and
what was the cause of my journey; and said that I was seeking whether any one
was superior to me, or whether I could gain the mastery over all. The man
looked upon me, and he smiled and said, 'If I did not fear to distress thee too
much, I would show thee that which thou seekest.' Upon this I became anxious
and sorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, 'If thou wouldest rather
that I should show thee thy disadvantage than thine advantage, I will do so.
Sleep here to-night, and in the morning arise early, and take the road upwards
through the valley until thou reachest the wood through which thou camest
hither. A little way within the wood thou wilt meet with a road branching off
to the right, by which thou must proceed, until thou comest to a large
sheltered glade with a mound in the centre. And thou wilt see a black man of
great stature on the top of the mound. He is not smaller in size than two of
the men of this world. He has but one foot; and one eye in the middle of his
forehead. and he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are no two
men in the world who would not find their burden in that club. And he is not a
comely man, but on the contrary he is exceedingly ill-favoured; and he is the
woodward of that wood. And thou wilt see a thousand wild animals grazing around
him. Inquire of him the way out of the glade, and he will reply to thee
briefly, and will point out the road by which thou shalt find that which thou
art in quest of.'
"And long seemed that night to me. And the next morning
I arose and equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and proceeded straight
through the valley to the wood; and I followed the cross-road which the man had
pointed out to me, till at length I arrived at the glade. And there was I three
times more astonished at the number of wild animals that I beheld, than the man
had said I should be. And the black man was there, sitting upon the top of the mound.
Huge of stature as the man had told me that he was, I found him to exceed by
far the description he had given me of him. As for the iron club which the man
had told me was a burden for two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would be a
heavy weight for four warriors to lift; and this was in the black man's hand.
And he only spoke to me in answer to my questions. Then I asked him what power
he held over those animals. 'I will show thee, little man,' said he. And he
took his club in his hand, and with it he struck a stag a great blow so that he
brayed vehemently, and at his braying the animals came together, as numerous as
the stars in the sky, so that it was difficult for me to find room in the glade
to stand among them. There were serpents, and dragons, and divers sorts of
animals. And he looked at them, and bade them go and feed; and they bowed their
heads, and did him homage as vassals to their lord.
"Then the black man said to me, 'Seest thou now, little
man, what power I hold over these animals?' Then I inquired of him the way, and
he became very rough in his manner to me; however, he asked me whither I would
go? And when I told him who I was and what I sought, he directed me. 'Take,'
said he, 'that path that leads towards the head of the glade, and ascend the
wooded steep until thou comest to its summit; and there thou wilt find an open
space like to a large valley, and in the midst of it a tall tree, whose
branches are greener than the greenest pine-trees. Under this tree is a
fountain 8a, and by the side of the fountain a marble slab, and on the marble
slab a silver bowl, attached by a chain of silver, so that it may not be
carried away. Take the bowl and throw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and
thou wilt hear a mighty peal of thunder, so that thou wilt think that heaven
and earth are trembling with its fury. With the thunder there will come a
shower so severe that it will be scarce possible for thee to endure it and
live. And the shower will be of hailstones; and after the shower, the weather
will become fair, but every leaf that was upon the tree will have been carried
away by the shower. Then a flight of birds will come and alight upon the tree;
and in thine own country thou didst never hear a strain so sweet as that which
they will sing. And at the moment thou art most delighted with the song of the
birds, thou wilt hear a murmuring and complaining coming towards thee along the
valley. And thou wilt see a knight upon a coal-black horse, clothed in black
velvet, and with a pennon of black linen upon his lance; and he will ride unto
thee to encounter thee with the utmost speed. If thou fleest from him he will
overtake thee, and if thou abidest there, as sure as thou art a mounted knight,
he will leave thee on foot. And if thou dost not find trouble in that
adventure, thou needest not seek it during the rest of thy life.'
"So I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the
steep, and there I found everything as the black man had described it to me.
And I went up to the tree, and beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side
the marble slab, and the silver bowl fastened by the chain. Then I took the bowl,
and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab; and thereupon, behold, the thunder
came, much more violent than the black man had led me to expect; and after the
thunder came the shower; and of a truth I tell thee, Kai, that there is neither
man nor beast that can endure that shower and live. For not one of those
hailstones would be stopped, either by the flesh or by the skin, until it had
reached the bone. I turned my horse's flank towards the shower, and placed the
beak of my shield over his head and neck, while I held the upper part of it
over my own head. And thus I withstood the shower. When I looked on the tree
there was not a single leaf upon it, and then the sky became clear, and with
that, behold the birds lighted upon the tree, and sang. And truly, Kai, I never
heard any melody equal to that, either before or since. And when I was most
charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a murmuring voice was heard through
the valley, approaching me and saying, 'Oh, Knight, what has brought thee
hither? What evil have I done to thee, that thou shouldst act towards me and my
possessions as thou hast this day? Dost thou not know that the shower to-day
has left in my dominions neither man nor beast alive that was exposed to it?'
And thereupon, behold, a Knight on a black horse appeared, clothed in jet-black
velvet, and with a tabard of black linen about him. And we charged each other,
and, as the onset was furious, it was not long before I was overthrown. Then
the Knight passed the shaft of his lance through the bridle rein of my horse,
and rode off with the two horses, leaving me where I was. And he did not even
bestow so much notice upon me as to imprison me, nor did he despoil me of my
arms. So I returned along the road by which I had come. And when I reached the
glade where the black man was, I confess to thee, Kai, it is a marvel that I
did not melt down into a liquid pool, through the shame that I felt at the black
man's derision. And that night I came to the same castle where I had spent the
night preceding. And I was more agreeably entertained that night than I had
been the night before; and I was better feasted, and I conversed freely with
the inmates of the castle, and none of them alluded to my expedition to the
fountain, neither did I mention it to any; and I remained there that night.
When I arose on the morrow, I found, ready saddled, a dark bay palfrey, with
nostrils as red as scarlet; and after putting on my armour, and leaving there
my blessing, I returned to my own Court. And that horse I still possess, and he
is in the stable yonder. And I declare that I would not part with him for the
best palfrey in the Island of Britain.
"Now of a truth, Kai, no man ever before confessed to
an adventure so much to his own discredit and verily it seems strange to me,
that neither before nor since have I heard of any person besides myself who
knew of this adventure, and that the subject of it should exist within King Arthur's
dominions, without any other person lighting upon it."
"Now," quoth Owain, "would it not be well to
go and endeavour to discover that place?"
"By the hand of my friend," said Kai, "often
dost thou utter that with thy tongue which thou wouldst not make good with thy
deeds."
"In very truth," said Gwenhwyvar, "it were
better thou wert hanged, Kai, than to use such uncourteous speech towards a man
like Owain."
"By the hand of my friend, good Lady," said Kai,
"thy praise of Owain is not greater than mine."
With that Arthur awoke, and asked if he had not been
sleeping a little.
"Yes, Lord," answered Owain, "thou hast slept
awhile."
"Is it time for us to go to meat?"
"It is, Lord," said Owain.
Then the horn for washing
was sounded, and the King and all his household sat down to eat. And
when the meal was ended, Owain withdrew to his lodging, and made ready his
horse and his arms.
On the morrow, with the dawn of day, he put on his armour,
and mounted his charger, and travelled through distant lands and over desert
mountains. And at length he arrived at the valley which Kynon had described to
him; and he was certain that it was the same that he sought. And journeying
along the valley by the side of the river, he followed its course till he came
to the plain and within sight of the Castle. When he approached the Castle, he
saw the youths shooting their daggers in the place where Kynon had seen them,
and the yellow man, to whom the Castle belonged, standing hard by. And no
sooner had Owain saluted the yellow man than he was saluted by him in return.
And he went forward towards the Castle, and there he saw the
chamber, and when he had entered the chamber he beheld the maidens working at
satin embroidery, in chairs of gold. And their beauty and their comeliness
seemed to Owain far greater than Kynon had represented to him. And they rose to
wait upon Owain, as they had done to Kynon, and the meal which they set before
him gave more satisfaction to Owain than it had done to Kynon.
About the middle of the repast, the yellow man asked Owain
the object of his journey. And Owain made it known to him, and said, "I am
in quest of the Knight who guards the fountain." Upon this the yellow man
smiled, and said that he was as loth to point out that adventure to Owain as he
had been to Kynon. However, he described the whole to Owain, and they retired
to rest.
The next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him by
the damsels, and he set forward and came to the glade where the black man was.
And the stature of the black man seemed more wonderful to Owain than it had
done to Kynon, and Owain asked of him his road, and he showed it to him. And
Owain followed the road, as Kynon had done, till he came to the green tree; and
he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the fountain, with the bowl upon
it. And Owain took the bowl, and threw a bowlful of water upon the slab. And,
lo, the thunder was heard, and after the thunder came the shower, much more
violent than Kynon had described, and after the shower the sky became bright.
And when Owain looked at the tree, there was not one leaf upon it. And
immediately the birds came, and settled upon the tree, and sang. And when their
song was most pleasing to Owain, he beheld a Knight coming towards him through the valley, and he
prepared to receive him; and encountered him violently. Having broken both
their lances, they drew their swords, and fought blade to blade. Then Owain
struck the Knight a blow through his helmet, head-piece and visor, and through
the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the very brain. Then
the black Knight felt that he had received a mortal wound, upon which he turned
his horse's head, and fled. And Owain pursued him, and followed close upon him,
although he was not near enough to strike him with his sword. Thereupon Owain
descried a vast and resplendent Castle. And they came to the Castle gate. And
the black Knight was allowed to enter, and the portcullis was let fall upon
Owain; and it struck his horse behind the saddle, and cut him in two, and
carried away the rowels of the spurs that were upon Owain's heels. And the
portcullis descended to the floor. And the rowels of the spurs and part of the
horse were without, and Owain with the other part of the horse remained between
the two gates, and the inner gate was closed, so that Owain could not go
thence; and Owain was in a perplexing situation. And while he was in this
state, he could see through an aperture in the gate, a street facing him, with
a row of houses on each side. And he beheld a maiden with yellow curling hair, and a frontlet of
gold upon her head; and she was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her
feet were shoes of variegated leather. And she approached the gate, and desired
that it should be opened. "Heaven knows, Lady," said Owain, "it
is no more possible for me to open to thee from hence, than it is for thee to
set me free." "Truly," said the damsel, "it is very sad
that thou canst not be released, and every woman ought to succour thee, for I
never saw one more faithful in the service of ladies than thou. As a friend
thou art the most sincere, and as a lover the most devoted. Therefore,"
quoth she, "whatever is in my power
to do for thy release, I will do it. Take this ring and put it on thy finger, with the stone
inside thy hand; and close thy hand upon the stone. And as long as thou
concealest it, it will conceal thee. When they have consulted together, they
will come forth to fetch thee, in order to put thee to death; and they will be
much grieved that they cannot find thee. And I will await thee on the
horseblock yonder; and thou wilt be able to see me, though I cannot see thee;
therefore come and place thy hand upon my shoulder, that I may know that thou
art near me. And by the way that I go hence, do thou accompany me."
Then she went away from Owain, and he did all that the
maiden had told him. And the people of the Castle came to seek Owain, to put
him to death, and when they found nothing but the half of his horse, they were
sorely grieved.
And Owain vanished from among them, and went to the maiden,
and placed his hand upon her shoulder; whereupon she set off, and Owain
followed her, until they came to the door of a large and beautiful chamber, and
the maiden opened it, and they went in, and closed the door. And Owain looked
around the chamber, and behold there was not even a single nail in it that was
not painted with gorgeous colours and there was not a single panel that had not
sundry images in gold portrayed upon it.
The maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver bowl,
and put a towel of white linen on her shoulder, and gave Owain water to wash.
Then she placed before him a silver table, inlaid with gold; upon which was a
cloth of yellow linen; and she brought him food. And of a truth, Owain had
never seen any kind of meat that was not there in abundance, but it was better
cooked there than he had ever found it in any other place. Nor did he ever see
so excellent a display of meat and drink, as there. And there was not one
vessel from which he was served, that was not of gold or of silver. And Owain
ate and drank, until late in the afternoon, when lo, they heard a mighty
clamour in the Castle; and Owain asked the maiden what that outcry was.
"They are administering extreme unction," said she, "to the
Nobleman who owns the Castle." And Owain went to sleep.
The couch which the maiden had prepared for him was meet for
Arthur himself; it was of scarlet, and fur, and satin, and sendall, and fine
linen. In the middle of the night they heard a woful outcry. "What outcry
again is this?" said Owain. "The Nobleman who owned the Castle is now
dead," said the maiden. And a little after daybreak, they heard an
exceeding loud clamour and wailing. And Owain asked the maiden what was the
cause of it. "They are bearing to the church the body of the Nobleman who
owned the Castle."
And Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened a window
of the chamber, and looked towards the Castle; and he could see neither the
bounds, nor the extent of the hosts that filled the streets. And they were
fully armed; and a vast number of women were with them, both on horseback and
on foot; and all the ecclesiastics in the city, singing. And it seemed to Owain
that the sky resounded with the vehemence of their cries, and with the noise of
the trumpets, and with the singing of the ecclesiastics. In the midst of the
throng, he beheld the bier, over which was a veil of white linen; and wax
tapers were burning beside and around it, and none that supported the bier was
lower in rank than a powerful Baron.
Never did Owain see an assemblage so gorgeous with satin,
and silk, and sendall And following the
train, he beheld a lady with yellow hair falling over her shoulders, and
stained with blood; and about her a dress of yellow satin, which was torn. Upon
her feet were shoes of variegated leather. And it was a marvel that the ends of
her fingers were not bruised, from the violence with which she smote her hands
together. Truly she would have been the fairest lady Owain ever saw, had she
been in her usual guise. And her cry was louder than the shout of the men, or
the clamour of the trumpets. No sooner had he beheld the lady, than he became
inflamed with her love, so that it took entire possession of him.
Then he inquired of the maiden who the lady was.
"Heaven knows," replied the maiden, "she may be said to be the
fairest, and the most chaste, and the most liberal, and the wisest, and the
most noble of women. And she is my mistress; and she is called the Countess of
the Fountain, the wife of him whom thou didst slay yesterday."
"Verily," said Owain, "she is the woman that I love best."
"Verily," said the maiden, "she shall also love thee not a
little."
And with that the maid arose, and kindled a fire, and filled
a pot with water, and placed it to warm; and she brought a towel of white
linen, and placed it around Owain's neck; and she took a goblet of ivory, and a
silver basin, and filled them with warm water, wherewith she washed Owain's
head Then she opened a wooden casket, and drew forth a razor, whose haft was of
ivory, and upon which were two rivets of gold. And she shaved his beard, and
she dried his head, and his throat, with the towel. Then she rose up from
before Owain, and brought him to eat. And truly Owain had never so good a meal,
nor was he ever so well served.
When he had finished his repast, the maiden arranged his
couch. "Come here," said she, "and sleep, and I will go and woo
for thee." And Owain went to sleep, and the maiden shut the door of the chamber
after her, and went towards the Castle. When she came there, she found nothing
but mourning, and sorrow; and the Countess in her chamber could not bear the
sight of any one through grief. Luned came and saluted her, but the Countess
answered her not. And the maiden bent down towards her, and said, "What
aileth thee, that thou answerest no one to-day?" "Luned," said
the Countess, "what change hath befallen thee, that thou hast not come to
visit me in my grief? It was wrong in thee, and I having made thee rich; it was
wrong in thee that thou didst not come to see me in my distress. That was wrong
in thee." "Truly," said Luned, "I thought thy good sense
was greater than I find it to be. Is it well for thee to mourn after that good man,
or for anything else, that thou canst not have?" "I declare to
heaven," said the Countess, "that in the whole world there is not a
man equal to him." "Not so," said Luned, "for an ugly man
would be as good as, or better than he." "I declare to heaven,"
said the Countess, "that were it not repugnant to me to cause to be put to
death one whom I have brought up, I would have thee executed, for making such a
comparison to me. As it is, I will banish thee." "I am glad,"
said Luned, "that thou hast no other cause to do so, than that I would
have been of service to thee where thou didst not know what was to thine
advantage. And henceforth evil betide whichever of us shall make the first
advance towards reconciliation to the other; whether I should seek an
invitation from thee, or thou of thine own accord shouldst send to invite
me."
With that Luned went forth: and the Countess arose and
followed her to the door of the chamber, and began coughing loudly. And when
Luned looked back, the Countess beckoned to her; and she returned to the
Countess. "In truth," said the Countess, "evil is thy
disposition; but if thou knowest what is to my advantage, declare it to
me." "I will do so," quoth she.
"Thou knowest that except by warfare and arms it is
impossible for thee to preserve thy possessions; delay not, therefore, to seek
some one who can defend them." "And how can I do that?" said the
Countess. "I will tell thee," said Luned. "Unless thou canst
defend the fountain, thou canst not maintain thy dominions; and no one can
defend the fountain, except it be a knight of Arthur's household; and I will go
to Athur's Court, and ill betide me, if I return thence without a warrior who
can guard the fountain as well as, or even better than, he who defended it
formerly." "That will be hard to perform," said the Countess.
"Go, however, and make proof of that which thou hast promised."
Luned set out, under the pretence of going to Arthur's
Court; but she went back to the chamber where she had left Owain; and she
tarried there with him as long as it might have taken her to have travelled to
the Court of King Arthur. And at the end of that time, she apparelled herself
and went to visit the Countess. And the Countess was much rejoiced when she saw
her, and inquired what news she brought from the Court. "I bring thee the
best of news," said Luned, "for I have compassed the object of my
mission. When wilt thou, that I should present to thee the chieftain who has
come with me hither?" "Bring him here to visit me to-morrow, at
mid-day," said the Countess, "and I will cause the town to be
assembled by that time."
And Luned returned home. And the next day, at noon, Owain
arrayed himself in a coat, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin, upon
which was a broad band of gold lace; and on his feet were high shoes of variegated
leather, which were fastened by golden clasps, in the form of lions. And they
proceeded to the chamber of the Countess.
Right glad was the Countess of their coming, and she gazed
steadfastly upon Owain, and said, "Luned, this knight has not the look of
a traveller." "What harm is there in that, lady?" said Luned.
"I am certain," said the Countess, "that no other man than this
chased the soul from the body of my lord." "So much the better for
thee, lady," said Luned, "for had he not been stronger than thy lord
he could not have deprived him of life. There is no remedy for that which is
past, be it as it may." "Go back to thine abode," said the
Countess, "and I will take counsel."
The next day the Countess caused all her subjects to
assemble, and showed them that her earldom was left defenceless, and that it
could not be protected but with horse and arms, and military skill.
"Therefore," said she, "this is what I offer for your choice:
either let one of you take me, or give your consent for me to take a husband
from elsewhere to defend my dominions."
So they came to the determination that it was better that
she should have permission to marry some one from elsewhere; and, thereupon,
she sent for the bishops and archbishops to celebrate her nuptials with
Owain And the men of the earldom did
Owain homage.
And Owain defended the Fountain with lance and sword. And
this is the manner in which he defended it: Whensoever a knight came there he
overthrew him, and sold him for his full worth, and what he thus gained he
divided among his barons and his knights; and no man in the whole world could
be more beloved than he was by his subjects. And it was thus for the space of
three years.
It befell that as Gwalchmai
went forth one day with King Arthur, he perceived him to be very sad and
sorrowful. And Gwalchmai was much grieved to see Arthur in this state; and he
questioned him, saying, "Oh, my lord! what has befallen thee?"
"In sooth, Gwalchmai," said Arthur, "I am grieved concerning Owain,
whom I have lost these three years, and I shall certainly die if the fourth
year passes without my seeing him. Now I am sure, that it is through the tale
which Kynon the son of Clydno related, that I have lost Owain."
"There is no need for thee," said Gwalchmai, "to summon to arms
thy whole dominions on this account, for thou thyself and the men of thy
household will be able to avenge Owain, if he be slain; or to set him free, if
he be in prison; and, if alive, to bring him back with thee." And it was
settled according to what Gwalchmai had said.
Then Arthur and the men of his household prepared to go and
seek Owain, and their number was three thousand, besides their attendants. And
Kynon the son of Clydno acted as their guide. And Arthur came to the Castle
where Kynon had been before, and when he came there the youths were shooting in
the same place, and the yellow man was standing hard by. When the yellow man
saw Arthur he greeted him, and invited him to the Castle; and Arthur accepted
his invitation, and they entered the Castle together. And great as was the
number of his retinue, their presence was scarcely observed in the Castle, so
vast was its extent. And the maidens rose up to wait on them, and the service
of the maidens appeared to them all to excel any attendance they had ever met
with; and even the pages who had charge of the horses were no worse served,
that night, than Arthur himself would have been in his own palace.
The next morning Arthur set out thence, with Kynon for his
guide, and came to the place where the black man was. And the stature of the
black man was more surprising to Arthur than it had been represented to him.
And they came to the top of the wooded steep, and traversed the valley till
they reached the green tree, where they saw the fountain, and the bowl, and the
slab. And upon that, Kai came to Arthur and spoke to him. "My lord,"
said he, "I know the meaning of all this, and my request is, that thou
wilt permit me to throw the water on the slab, and to receive the first
adventure that may befall." And Arthur gave him leave.
Then Kai threw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and
immediately there came the thunder, and after the thunder the shower. And such
a thunderstorm they had never known before, and many of the attendants who were
in Arthur's train were killed by the shower. After the shower had ceased the
sky became clear; and on looking at the tree they beheld it completely
leafless. Then the birds descended upon the tree, and the song of the birds was
far sweeter than any strain they had ever heard before. Then they beheld a
knight on a coal-black horse, clothed in black satin, coming rapidly towards
them. And Kai met him and encountered him, and it was not long before Kai was
overthrown. And the knight withdrew, and Arthur and his host encamped for the
night.
And when they arose in the morning, they perceived the
signal of combat upon the lance of the Knight. And Kai came to Arthur, and
spoke to him: "My lord," said he, "though I was overthrown
yesterday, if it seem good to thee, I would gladly meet the Knight again
to-day." "Thou mayst do so," said Arthur. And Kai went towards
the Knight. And on the spot he overthrew Kai, and struck him with the head of
his lance in the forehead, so that it broke his helmet and the head-piece, and
pierced the skin and the flesh, the breadth of the spear-head, even to the
bone. And Kai returned to his companions.
After this, all the household of Arthur went forth, one
after the other, to combat the Knight, until there was not one that was not
overthrown by him, except Arthur and Gwalchmai. And Arthur armed himself to
encounter the Knight. "Oh, my lord," said Gwalchmai, "permit me
to fight with him first." And Arthur permitted him. And he went forth to
meet the Knight, having over himself and his horse a satin robe of honour 20a
which had been sent him by the daughter of the Earl of Rhangyw 20b, and in this
dress he was not known by any of the host. And they charged each other, and
fought all that day until the evening, and neither of them was able to unhorse
the other.
The next day they fought with strong lances 20c, and neither
of them could obtain the mastery.
And the third day they fought with exceeding strong lances.
And they were incensed with rage, and fought furiously, even until noon. And
they gave each other such a shock that the girths of their horses were broken,
so that they fell over their horses' cruppers to the ground. And they rose up
speedily, and drew their swords, and resumed the combat; and the multitude that
witnessed their encounter felt assured that they had never before seen two men
so valiant or so powerful. And had it been midnight, it would have been light
from the fire that flashed from their weapons. And the Knight gave Gwalchmai a
blow that turned his helmet from off his face, so that the Knight knew that it
was Gwalchmai. Then Owain said, "My lord Gwalchmai, I did not know thee
for my cousin owing to the robe of
honour that enveloped thee; take my sword and my arms." Said Gwalchmai,
"Thou, Owain, art the victor; take thou my sword." And with that
Arthur saw that they were conversing, and advanced towards them. "My lord
Arthur," said Gwalchmai, "here is Owain, who has vanquished me, and
will not take my arms." "My lord," said Owain, "it is he
that has vanquished me, and he will not take my sword." "Give me your
swords 21b," said Arthur, "and then neither of you has vanquished the
other." Then Owain put his arms around Arthur's neck, and they embraced.
And all the host hurried forward to see Owain, and to embrace him; and there
was nigh being a loss of life, so great was the press.
And they retired that night, and the next day Arthur
prepared to depart. "My lord," said Owain, "this is not well of
thee; for I have been absent from thee these three years, and during all that
time, up to this very day, I have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing that thou wouldst come to
seek me. Tarry with me, therefore, until thou and thy attendants have recovered
the fatigues of the journey, and have been anointed."
And they all proceeded to the Castle of the Countess of the
Fountain, and the banquet which had been three years preparing was consumed in
three months. Never had they a more delicious or agreeable banquet. And Arthur
prepared to depart. Then he sent an embassy to the Countess, to beseech her to
permit Owain to go with him for the space of three months, that he might show
him to the nobles and the fair dames of the Island of Britain. And the Countess
gave her consent, although it was very painful to her. So Owain came with
Arthur to the Island of Britain. And when he was once more amongst his kindred
and friends, he remained three years, instead of three months, with them.
And as Owain one day sat at meat, in the city of Caerlleon
upon Usk, behold a damsel entered upon a bay horse 21d, with a curling mane and
covered with foam, and the bridle and so
much as was seen of the saddle were of gold. And the damsel
was arrayed in a dress of yellow satin. And she came up to Owain, and took the
ring from off his hand. "Thus," said she, "shall be treated the deceiver,
the traitor, the faithless, the disgraced, and the beardless." And she
turned her horse's head and departed.
Then his adventure came to Owain's remembrance, and he was
sorrowful; and having finished eating he went to his own abode and made preparations
that night. And the next day he arose but did not go to the Court, but wandered
to the distant parts of the earth and to uncultivated mountains. And he
remained there until all his apparel was worn out, and his body was wasted
away, and his hair was grown long. And he went about with the wild beasts and
fed with them, until they became familiar with him; but at length he grew so
weak that he could no longer bear them company. Then he descended from the
mountains to the valley, and came to a park that was the fairest in the world,
and belonged to a widowed Countess.
One day the Countess and her maidens went forth to walk by a
lake, that was in the middle of the park. And they saw the form of a man. And
they were terrified. Nevertheless they went near him, and touched him, and
looked at him. And they saw that there was life in him, though he was exhausted
by the heat of the sun. And the Countess returned to the Castle, and took a
flask full of precious ointment, and gave it to one of her maidens. "Go
with this," said she, "and take with thee yonder horse and clothing,
and place them near the man we saw just now. And anoint him with this
balsam near his heart; and if there is
life in him, he will arise through the efficacy of this balsam. Then watch what
he will do."
And the maiden departed from her, and poured the whole of
the balsam upon Owain, and left the horse and the garments hard by, and went a
little way off, and hid herself to watch him. In a short time she saw him begin
to move his arms; and he rose up, and looked at his person, and became ashamed
of the unseemliness of his appearance. Then he perceived the horse and the
garments that were near him. And he crept forward till he was able to draw the
garments to him from off the saddle. And he clothed himself, and with
difficulty mounted the horse. Then the damsel discovered herself to him, and
saluted him. And he was rejoiced when he saw her, and inquired of her, what
land and what territory that was. "Truly," said the maiden, "a
widowed Countess owns yonder Castle; at the death of her husband, he left her
two Earldoms, but at this day she has but this one dwelling that has not been
wrested from her by a young Earl who is
her neighbour, because she refused to become his wife." "That is
pity," said Owain. And he and the maiden proceeded to the Castle; and he
alighted there, and the maiden conducted him to a pleasant chamber, and kindled
a fire and left him.
And the maiden came to the Countess, and gave the flask into
her hand. "Ha! maiden," said the Countess, "where is all the
balsam?" "Have I not used it all?" said she. "Oh,
maiden," said the Countess, "I cannot easily forgive thee this; it is
sad for me to have wasted seven-score pounds' worth of precious ointment upon a
stranger whom I know not. However, maiden, wait thou upon him, until he is
quite recovered."
And the maiden did so, and furnished him with meat and
drink, and fire, and lodging, and medicaments, until he was well again. And in
three months he was restored to his former guise, and became even more comely
than he had ever been before.
One day Owain heard a great tumult, and a sound of arms in
the Castle, and he inquired of the maiden the cause thereof. "The
Earl," said she, "whom I mentioned to thee, has come before the
Castle, with a numerous army, to subdue the Countess." And Owain inquired
of her whether the Countess had a horse and arms in her possession. "She
has the best in the world," said the maiden. "Wilt thou go and
request the loan of a horse and arms for me," said Owain, "that I may
go and look at this army?" "I will," said the maiden.
And she came to the Countess, and told her what Owain had
said. And the Countess laughed. "Truly," said she, "I will even
give him a horse and arms for ever; such a horse and such arms had he never
yet, and I am glad that they should be taken by him to-day, lest my enemies
should have them against my will to-morrow. Yet I know not what he would do
with them."
The Countess bade them bring out a beautiful black steed
24a, upon which was a beechen saddle, and a suit of armour, for man and horse.
And Owain armed himself, and mounted the horse, and went forth, attended by two
pages completely equipped, with horses and arms. And when they came near to the
Earl's army, they could see neither its extent nor its extremity. And Owain
asked the pages in which troop the Earl was. "In yonder troop," said
they, "in which are four yellow standards. Two of them are before, and two
behind him." "Now," said Owain, "do you return and await me
near the portal of the Castle." So they returned, and Owain pressed
forward until he met the Earl. And Owain drew him completely out of his saddle,
and turned his horse's head towards the Castle, and though it was with
difficulty, he brought the Earl to the portal, where the pages awaited him. And
in they came. And Owain presented the Earl as a gift to the Countess. And said
to her, "Behold a requital to thee for thy blessed balsam."
The army encamped around the Castle. And the Earl restored
to the Countess the two Earldoms he had taken from her, as a ransom for his
life; and for his freedom he gave her the half of his own dominions, and all
his gold, and his silver, and his jewels, besides hostages.
And Owain took his departure. And the Countess and all her
subjects besought him to remain, but Owain chose rather to wander through
distant lands and deserts.
And as he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a wood. And
it was repeated a second and a third time. And Owain went towards the spot, and
beheld a huge craggy mound, in the middle of the wood; on the side of which was
a grey rock. And there was a cleft in the rock, and a serpent was within the
cleft. And near the rock stood a black lion, and every time the lion sought to
go thence, the serpent darted towards him to attack him. And Owain unsheathed
his sword, and drew near to the rock; and as the serpent sprang out, he struck
him with his sword, and cut him in two. And he dried his sword, and went on his
way, as before But behold the lion followed
him, and played about him, as though it had been a greyhound that he had
reared.
They proceeded thus throughout the day, until the evening.
And when it was time for Owain to take his rest, he dismounted, and turned his
horse loose in a flat and wooded meadow. And he struck fire, and when the fire
was kindled, the lion brought him fuel enough to last for three nights. And the
lion disappeared. And presently the lion returned, bearing a fine large
roebuck. And he threw it down before Owain, who went towards the fire with it.
And Owain took the roebuck, and skinned it, and placed
collops of its flesh upon skewers, around the fire. The rest of the buck he
gave to the lion to devour. While he was doing this, he heard a deep sigh near
him, and a second, and a third. And Owain called out to know whether the sigh
he heard proceeded from a mortal; and he received answer that it did. "Who
art thou?" said Owain. "Truly," said the voice, "I am
Luned, the handmaiden of the Countess of the Fountain." "And what
dost thou here?" said Owain. "I am imprisoned," said she,
"on account of the knight who came from Arthur's Court, and married the
Countess. And he stayed a short time with her, but he afterwards departed for
the Court of Arthur, and has not returned since. And he was the friend I loved
best in the world. And two of the pages in the Countess's chamber traduced him,
and called him a deceiver. And I told them that they two were not a match for
him alone. So they imprisoned me in the stone vault , and said that I should be
put to death, unless he came himself to deliver me, by a certain day; and that
is no further off than the day after to-morrow. And I have no one to send to
seek him for me. And his name is Owain the son of Urien." "And art
thou certain that if that knight knew all this, he would come to thy
rescue?" "I am most certain of it," said she.
When the collops were cooked, Owain divided them into two
parts, between himself and the maiden; and after they had eaten, they talked
together, until the day dawned. And the next morning Owain inquired of the
damsel, if there was any place where he could get food and entertainment for
that night. "There is, Lord," said she; "cross over yonder, and
go along the side of the river, and in a short time thou wilt see a great
Castle, in which are many towers, and the Earl who owns that Castle is the most
hospitable man in the world. There thou mayst spend the night."
Never did sentinel keep stricter watch over his lord, than
the lion that night over Owain.
And Owain accoutred his horse, and passed across by the ford,
and came in sight of the Castle. And he entered it, and was honourably
received. And his horse was well cared for, and plenty of fodder was placed
before him. Then the lion went and lay down in the horse's manger; so that none
of the people of the Castle dared to approach him. The treatment which Owain
met with there was such as he had never known elsewhere, for every one was as
sorrowful as though death had been upon him. And they went to meat; and the
Earl sat upon one side of Owain, and on the other side his only daughter. And
Owain had never seen any more lovely than she. Then the lion came and placed
himself between Owain's feet, and he fed him with every kind of food that he
took himself. And he never saw anything equal to the sadness of the people.
In the middle of the repast the Earl began to bid Owain
welcome. "Then," said Owain, "behold, it is time for thee to be
cheerful." "Heaven knows," said the Earl, "that it is not
thy coming that makes us sorrowful, but we have cause enough for sadness and
care." "What is that?" said Owain. "I have two sons,"
replied the Earl, "and yesterday they went to the mountains to hunt. Now
there is on the mountain a monster who
kills men and devours them, and he seized my sons; and to-morrow is the time he
has fixed to be here, and he threatens that he will then slay my sons before my
eyes, unless I will deliver into his hands this my daughter. He has the form of
a man, but in stature he is no less than a giant."
"Truly," said Owain, "that is lamentable. And
which wilt thou do?" "Heaven knows," said the Earl, "it
will be better that my sons should be slain against my will, than that I should
voluntarily give up my daughter to him to ill-treat and destroy." Then
they talked about other things, and Owain stayed there that night.
The next morning they heard an exceeding great clamour,
which was caused by the coming of the giant with the two youths. And the Earl
was anxious both to protect his Castle and to release his two sons. Then Owain
put on his armour and went forth to encounter the giant, and the lion followed
him. And when the giant saw that Owain was armed, he rushed towards him and
attacked him. And the lion fought with the giant much more fiercely than Owain
did. "Truly," said the giant, "I should find no difficulty in
fighting with thee, were it not for the animal that is with thee." Upon
that Owain took the lion back to the Castle and shut the gate upon him, and
then he returned to fight the giant, as before. And the lion roared very loud,
for he heard that it went hard with Owain. And he climbed up till he reached
the top of the Earl's hall, and thence he got to the top of the Castle, and he
sprang down from the walls and went and joined Owain. And the lion gave the
giant a stroke with his paw, which tore him from his shoulder to his hip, and
his heart was laid bare, and the giant fell down dead. Then Owain restored the
two youths to their father.
The Earl besought Owain to remain with him, and he would
not, but set forward towards the meadow where Luned was. And when he came there
he saw a great fire kindled, and two youths with beautiful curling auburn hair
were leading the maiden to cast her into the fire. And Owain asked them what
charge they had against her. And they told him of the compact that was between them,
as the maiden had done the night before. "And," said they,
"Owain has failed her, therefore we are taking her to be burnt."
"Truly," said Owain, "he is a good knight, and if he knew that
the maiden was in such peril, I marvel that he came not to her rescue; but if
you will accept me in his stead, I will do battle with you." "We
will," said the youths, "by him who made us."
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 29a, 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."
And Owain was grieved when he heard this. And he went forth
from the Castle, and he beheld a knight approaching him, who saluted him in a
friendly and cheerful manner, as if he had been a brother. And this was the
savage black man. "In very sooth," said Owain, "it is not to
seek thy friendship that I am here." "In sooth," said he,
"thou shalt not find it then." And with that they charged each other,
and fought furiously. And Owain overcame him, and bound his hands behind his
back. Then the black savage besought Owain to spare his life, and spoke thus:
"My lord Owain," said he, "it was foretold that thou shouldst
come hither and vanquish me, and thou hast done so. I was a robber here, and my
house was a house of spoil; but grant me my life, and I will become the keeper
of an Hospice and I will maintain this
house as an Hospice for weak and for strong, as long as I live, for the good of
thy soul." And Owain accepted this proposal of him, and remained there
that night.
And the next day he took the four-and-twenty ladies, and
their horses, and their raiment, and what they possessed of goods and jewels,
and proceeded with them to Arthur's Court. And if Arthur was rejoiced when he
saw him, after he had lost him the first time, his joy was now much greater.
And of those ladies, such as wished to remain in Arthur's Court remained there,
and such as wished to depart departed. And thenceforward Owain dwelt at
Arthur's Court greatly beloved, as the head of his household, until he went
away with his followers; and those were the army of three hundred ravens 30a
which Kenverchyn had left him. And wherever Owain went with these he was
victorious.
And this is the tale of THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.
Its easy to see the tales of old and how they made the new
tales but oh this story was a true revelation and I hope you enjoyed it.
Invaluable help from sacred-text for this gem
The vast majority of all the above came from various books
now well out of any copyright. Older books tend to have titbits in them that
the newer models have cut out for various reasons, but those little bits often
do far more than fill up a gap in a chapter, they give a more human element.
something more than dry dusty dates.
I
have so much 'stuff' that does exactly that, a thousand tributaries indeed.
