The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) (48 page)

the good story:
the term here is
ymddiddan
, ‘conversation’ in Modern Welsh. The term occurs in the title of a number of dialogue poems, implying perhaps a dramatic performance between two speakers. In this context, however,
ymddiddan
is a prose monologue of some length, where Cynon narrates a personal experience to Arthur’s knights but directs his comments at Cai; hence it is a dialogue of sorts, although it elicits no response from the listener.

Cai went to the kitchen and the mead cellar:
this implies that Cai holds the high-ranking office of steward, one of the twenty-four officers of the king’s court whose function, among other things, is ‘to control the food in the kitchen and the drink in the mead-store’ (
LHDd
13).

an enormous black-haired man … keeper of that forest:
some translators have taken this to be a dark-skinned man. However, an adjective denoting colour, when employed to describe a human, usually denotes hair colour or colour of clothing (see note to p. 86). Parallels have been drawn between this forester and the Irish Fer Caille in the tale
The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel
. Both men are giants, and have one foot, one eye, and carry a club. Both have also been associated with the Celtic horned god Cernunnos, often portrayed as an antlered god seated cross-legged, wearing a torque and accompanied by a ram-horned snake, and sometimes a bull and a stag. See Miranda Green,
The Gods of the Celts
(Gloucester, 1986).

And under that tree there’s a well … such singing as theirs:
compare the Third Branch of the Mabinogi, where Pryderi comes across a well with marble-work around it, and a golden bowl fastened to four chains (
p. 40
). Indeed, many medieval poets refer to Owain as
Iarll y Cawg
, ‘the Earl of the Bowl/Basin’. As in the Third Branch, too, a huge noise or an uproar precedes the supernatural incident. Birdsong is often associated with the Otherworld; compare the birds of Rhiannon who wake the dead and send the living to sleep (see pp.
33
and
196
).

The black man:
in this case, ‘black’ refers to the colour of his garments (see above).

anointing the nobleman who owns the castle:
that is, administering the last rites. The death of the Black Knight is skilfully interwoven with the traditional technique of tripartite repetition.

sendal:
a thin, light silk used for fine garments.

the Lady of the Well:
Iarlles y Ffynnon
in Welsh.
Ffynnon
is the common Welsh word for ‘well’. However, in this particular context, most translators have chosen the archaic or poetic ‘fountain’. ‘Well’, however, is a better reflection of modern usage, ‘fountain’ carrying with it Victorian connotations of artificial structures erected in public places. Wells, on the other hand, were associated with Celtic ritual, and many have a religious significance to this day. See Francis Jones,
The Holy Wells of Wales
(Cardiff, 1992; first published Aberystwyth, 1954).

with an image of a golden lion fastening them:
this may well be in anticipation of Owain’s relationship with the lion. In Chrétien’s work he is known as the Knight with the Lion. See D. D. R. Owen (trans.),
Chrétien de Troyes: Arthurian Romances
(London, 1987).

a maiden approaching:
there is no reason to suppose that this maiden should be identified with Luned.

the Black Oppressor:
this episode seems to be an addition to the main tale. ‘Black’ in this context is ambiguous, but could be taken in the sense of ‘wicked’; compare the ‘Black Oppressor’ in ‘Peredur’ (p. 87). They are not to be identified with each other, although the nouns in both cases mean ‘Oppressor’: in ‘Peredur son of Efrog’, the character is called the
Du Trahawg
, while here he is the
Du Traws
.

I will become a hospitaller:
yspytty
(hostel) occurs in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ (
p. 181
), and refers to a place where guests would stay before gaining entrance to Arthur’s hall. Here, however, it may well have more precise associations and refer to the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (later known as the Knights of Malta), an important military order that placed great weight on hospitality and caring for the sick. However, records suggest that their hostels in Wales were centres for thieving and ill-doing, the point made here by the author of the tale. See William Rees,
A History of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in Wales and on the Welsh Border
(Cardiff, 1947).

Three Hundred Swords of Cenferchyn and the Flight of Ravens:
a reference to Owain’s troops.
Cenferchyn
means ‘the descendants of Cynfarch’, who was Owain’s grandfather. ‘Raven’, on the other hand, is a common metaphor for warrior in Welsh poetry, so the ‘Flight of Ravens’ may well refer again to his retinue. In ‘Rhonabwy’s Dream’, however, Owain’s troops are literally ravens—they swoop down and attack Arthur’s men (
p. 223
). Owain’s ravens are commemorated in the coat of arms of the family of Sir Rhys ap Thomas of Abermarlais, which claimed descent from Owain and his father Urien.

It was Arthur’s custom to hold court at Caerllion ar Wysg:
a formula that is employed to open several episodes in the three ‘romances’ (see pp.
86
and
116
).

for seven Easters and five Christmasses … Whitsuntide:
these were the three major feasts of the Christian calendar, and those at which the Anglo-Norman kings held court. They are also described in the Welsh laws as ‘the three special feasts’ (
LHDd
5).

the steward:
one of the twenty-four officers of the king’s court according to Welsh law. Cai is associated with this office in ‘The Lady of the Well’, see note to
p. 68
.

Odiar the Frank:
as a common noun,
frank
means ‘foreign mercenary’; here, however, it may refer mean ‘Frenchman’ or ‘Norman’.

nine captains of the bodyguard:
the captain of the household or bodyguard was a high-ranking court officer, whose duties included putting the harp ‘into the hand of the bard of the household at the three special feasts’. For the full range of his duties and privileges, see
LHDd
8–11.

Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr … Clust son of Clustfeinydd:
‘Glewlwyd Mighty Grasp’, see note to
p. 116
. Gryn does not occur elsewhere and may well be a scribal error.
Penpingion
and
Llaesgymyn
are Glewlwyd’s assistants in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ too (
p. 181
), while both
Drem son of Dremidydd
(‘Sight son of Seer’) and
Clust son of Clustfeinydd
(‘Ear son of Hearer’) appear in the Court List (pp.
186
and
188
).

go and hunt … and everyone else:
according to the laws, each officer was designated particular lodgings at court; for example, the chief huntsman and chief squire (or groom) were to be lodged in the kiln and the house nearest the barn respectively (see
LHDd
21 and 29). The hunting seasons are also noted, together with the animals to be hunted in each of those seasons (ibid. 22.

would it not be appropriate … on foot:
the laws describe how the carcass was divided into ‘joints’, including its loins, haunches, heart, liver, and tongue, and specify that it was an offence to carry off certain joints without the huntsmen’s permission. The head itself is not mentioned (
LHDd
184–5).

the servants who were in charge of his bed … Gorau son of Custennin:
these seem to fulfil the role of the ‘chamberlain’ see note to
p. 68
.
Cadyriaith
, meaning ‘Fine Speech’, is presented in ‘Rhonabwy’s Dream’ as someone who can understand complex praise poetry (
p. 225
).
Amhren
and
Gorau
appear in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ (see note on
Gorau
,
p. 202
), while the latter appears in ‘Rhonabwy’s Dream’ also (
p. 225
);
Amhar
is mentioned in the
History of the Britons
in the context of an onomastic tale, located in the Archenfield district of Herefordshire, where we are told that he was killed by his own father, Arthur.

Geraint:
the many references to Geraint son of Erbin in early sources suggest that he may be a combination of several persons of the same name: the early fifth-century British general Gerontius; a sixth-century Geraint, named in the
Gododdin
poem; the eighth-century Geruntius, king of Domnonia (Devon); the Cornish saint Gerent; and a Gerennius,
king of Cornwall (see
AOW
46–7). In the triads (
TYP
14), he is one of the Three Seafarers/Fleet Owners of the Island of Britain. Traditions about him were also known in Brittany; indeed, it would seem that the cognate hero of the French romance
Erec
takes his name from the Breton
Guerec
, the ruler who gave his name to
Bro Weroc
, the territory around Vannes. In the
Mabinogion
Arthur and Geraint are cousins—Erbin is Arthur’s uncle—probably due to the influence of Geoffrey of Monmouth. For further details, see
TYP
, pp. 356–60.

charger:
there were many terms for ‘horse’ in Medieval Welsh, including
cadfarch
, ‘charger, warhorse’. For descriptions of horses in the
Mabinogion
, see note to
p. 95
. This tale is particularly rich in its elaborate descriptions, the attributes conforming to the virtues of a good horse.

sparrowhawk:
hunting-birds were very important in medieval Welsh society, as attested by the laws. The hawk was worth a pound, while the sparrowhawk was worth 12 pence when young, and 24 pence with its adult plumage (
LHDd
182–3).

Edern son of Nudd:
brother to the legendary Gwyn son of Nudd, cognate with the Irish deity Nuadu. Both characters appear in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ (pp.
184
and
207
); Edern also appears in ‘Rhonabwy’s, Dream’ (
p. 225
).

His story so far:
the author makes a deliberate attempt to show that one strand of the narrative has come to an end, and that the focus of the next section will be on a new protagonist. Cf.
p. 149
, ‘Geraint’s adventure so far’, and again
p. 152
, ‘Their story so far’.

Earl Ynywl:
the name is unknown outside this tale. It may be linked to the common noun
niwl
, meaning ‘mist’, and the character may once have been associated with the ‘hedge of mist’ episode at the end of the tale (pp.
176
–
8
).

And I want Arthur … give the maiden away:
if a girl was given in marriage to a man by her kin, then she would be ‘bestowed’ by them—this was a legal agreement, associated with payments such as
amobr
(the fee payable to the woman’s lord) and
cowyll
(virginity payment made to her by the husband). Here, although Ynywl the father has consented to give his daughter, Geraint wishes to postpone the marriage until he returns to Arthur’s court, where Arthur and Gwenhwyfar can be the official
rhoddiaid
(‘bestowers’).

Cafall:
he is first mentioned in the ninth-century
History of the Britons
, in the context of an onomastic tale. When hunting Twrch Trwyth (see
p. 198
), Arthur’s dog Cabal impressed his footprint on a stone which Arthur then placed on top of a pile of stones. We are told that if the stone is taken away it mysteriously finds its way back to the place that has been called Carn Cabal (Cabal’s Cairn) ever since.
Cafall
is derived from Latin
caballus
, meaning ‘horse’, and may well have originally been the name of Arthur’s horse rather than his dog. He also plays a role in the hunt of the wild boar in ‘How Culhwch Won Olwen’ (see
p. 210
).

insult-price:
see note to
p. 27
.

Caradog son of Llŷr … Gwalchmai:
in ‘Rhonabwy’s Dream’,
Caradog
is presented as Arthur’s nephew (
p. 218
). In the triad of the Three Tribal Thrones of the Island of Britain (
TYP
1), he is linked with Arthur and his court in Celli Wig in Cornwall, and described as ‘Chief of Elders’, and is given the epithet
Freichfras
(‘Strong-arm’), misinterpreted in the French romance as
briefbras
(‘short-arm’).
Gwallog son of Llennog
, according to the triads, is one of the Three Pillars of Battle (
TYP
5) and one of the Three Armed Warriors (
TYP
6) of the Island of Britain. In the
History of the Britons
he is one of the four kings who fought, alongside Urien, against the Angles of Northumbria at the end of the sixth century. Surviving evidence, including early poetry, suggest he was a historical figure associated with the North of Britain.
Owain son of Nudd
seems to be a brother to Edern, Geraint’s adversary, although nothing else is known of him;
Gwalchmai
is discussed in the note to
p. 66
.