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seen in Dyfed, except his own companions, since the enchantment began.
The scholar asked him what he was about and begged him to let go the mouse-" Ill doth it become a man of
thy rank to touch such a reptile as this." "I will not let it go, by Heaven," said Manawyddan, and by that he
abode, although the scholar offered him a pound of moncy to let it go free. "I care not," said the scholar
"except that I would not see a man of rank touching such a reptile," and with that he went his way.
As Manawyddan was placing the cross-beam on the two forks of his gallows, a priest came towards him
riding on a horse with trappings, and the same conversation ensued. The priest offered three pounds for the
mouseâs life, but Manawyddan refused to take any price for it. "Willingly, lord, do thy good pleasure," said
the priest, and he too, went his way.
Then Manawyddan put a noose about the mouseâs neck and was about to draw it up when he saw coming
towards him a bishop with a great retinue of sumpter-horses and attendants. And he stayed his work and
asked the bishopâs blessing. " Heavenâs blessing be unto thee," said the bishop; "what work art thou
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upon?" "Hanging a thief," replied Manawyddan. The bishop offered seven pounds "rather than see a man of
thy rank destroying so vile a reptile." Manawyddan refused. Four-and-twenty pounds was then offered, and
then as much again, then all the bishop's horses and baggage-all in vain. "Since for this thou wilt not" said
the bishop, "do it at whatever price thou wilt'." "I will do so," said Manawyddan; "I will that Rhiannon and
Pryderi be free." "That thou shalt have," said the (pretended) bishop. Then Manawyddan demands that the
enchantment and illusion be taken off for ever from the seven Cantrevs of Dyfed, and finally insists that the
bishop shall tell him who the mouse is and why the enchantment was laid on the country. "I am Llwyd son of
Kilcoed," replies the enchanter, "and the mouse is my wife; but that she is pregnant thou hadst never
overtaken her." He goes on with an explanation which takes us back to the first Mabinogi of the Wedding of
Rhiannon. The charm was cast on the land to avenge the ill that was done Llwyd's friend, Gwawl son of
Clud, with whom Pryderi's father and his knights had played "Badger in the Bag" at the court of Hevydd Hen.
The mice were the lords and ladies of LIwyd's court.
Chapter VIII: Myths and Tales of the Cymry 187
 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race
The enchanter is then made to promise that no further vengeance shall be taken on Pryderi, Rhiannon, or
Manawyddan, and the two spell-bound captives having been restored, the mouse is released. "Then Llwyd
struck her with a magic wand, and she was changed into a young woman, the fairest ever seen." And on
looking round Manawyddan saw all the land tilled and peopled as in its best state, and full of herds and
dwellings. "What bondage," he asks, "has there been upon Pryderi and Rhiannon?" "Pryderi has had the
knockers of the gate of my palace about his neck,
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and Rhiannon has had the collars of the asses after they have been carrying hay about her neck." And such
had been their bondage.
The Tale of Math Son of Mathonwy
The previous tale was one of magic and illusion in which the mythological element is but faint. In that which
we have now to consider we are, however, in a distinctly mythological region. The central motive of the tale
shows us the Powers of Light contending with those of the Under-world for the prized possessions of the
latter, in this case a herd of magic swine. We are introduced in the beginning of the story to the deity, Math,
of whom the bard tells us that he was unable to exist unless his feet lay in the lap of a maiden, except when
the land was disturbed by war. [this is a distorted reminiscence of the practice which seems to have obtained
in the courts of Welsh princes, that a high officer should hold the king's feet in his lap while he sat at meat]
Math is represented as lord of Gwynedd, while Pryderi rules over the one-and-twenty cantrevs of the south.
With Math were his nephews Gwydion and Gilvaethwy sons of Don, who went the circuit of the land in his
stead, while Math lay with his feet in the lap of the fairest maiden of the land and time, Goewin daughter of
Pebin of Dol Pebin in Arvon.
Gwydion and the Swine of Pryderi
Gilvaethwy fell sick of love for Goewin, and confided the secret to his brother Gwydion, who undertook to
help him to his desire. So he went to Math one day, and asked his leave to go to Pryderi and beg from him the
gift, for Math, of a herd of swine which had been bestowed on him by Arawn King of Annwn. "They are
beasts," he said, "such as never were known in
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this island before . . . their flesh is better than the flesh of oxen." Math bade him go, and he and Gilvaethwy
started with ten companions for Dyfed. They came to Pryderi's palace in the guise of bards, and Gwydion,
after being entertained at a feast, was asked to tell a tale to the court. After delighting every one with his
discourse he begged for a gift of the swine. But Pryderi was under a compact with his people neither to sell [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]