Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 30

Pwyll is the hero of one of the Mabinogion.

{151a} Brwys; "of fine growth," "large."

{151b} Llywarch Hen speaks of a person of this name.

"Tywarchen Ercal ar ar dywal Wyr, o edwedd Morial; A gwedy Rhys mae rhysonial." (Elegy on Cynddylan.)

The sod of Ercal is on the ashes of fierce Men, of the progeny of Morial; And after Rhys there is great murmuring of woe.

{151c} Al. "from the place where he was once overtaken."

{151d} This stanza evidently contains a reproof to one of the British chiefs, who turned coward on the field of battle. The circ.u.mstances mentioned in the two first lines, that his s.h.i.+eld was pierced behind him, "ar grymal carnwyd," (on the crupper of his horse) would indicate that he was then in the act of fleeing, holding his s.h.i.+eld in such a position, as best to protect his back from the darts of his pursuers. Of this the Bard remarks "ni mad," it was not honourable, "non bene."

{152a} Lit. "placed his thigh on." Llywarch Hen gives quite a different account of his own son Pyll;-

"Mad ddodes ei vorddwyd dros obell Ei orwydd, o wng ac o bell." (On Old Age.)

Gracefully he placed his thigh over the saddle Of his steed, on the near and farther side.

{152b} We may suppose that the Bard looks upon the dark hue of his accoutrements as ominous of a mournful and dishonourable result.

{152c} A sarcastic irony addressed to the coward himself, who probably had boasted of some heroic deeds that he would perform. Where are they?

And where is this brave warrior? Not distinguis.h.i.+ng himself on the field of battle; not entering cities in triumph; but in a cell gnawing the shoulder of a buck.

{152d} "Gell." This word has a reference to "gell," _dark_, and it may be that Aneurin regarded the one as typical of the other; that he thought the man who appeared in dark armour would eventually be found in a dark cellar. It is not clear whether this person secreted himself, or whether he was placed by his enemies in the "cell" here mentioned. If the former, we may regard his eating the venison as a further proof of his unwarlike character; if the latter, "cnoi angell bwch" may be considered as something tantamount to living upon bread and water in our days.

{152e} Al. "hwch," a sow.

{152f} Al. "May triumph be far from his hand."

{153a} See line 468. It may be inferred from this place that the person just spoken of had abandoned Gwen, which shows his character in still blacker colours.

{153b} See line 404. O shame upon the nameless knight, to flee where a woman fought!

{153c} "Dibennor;" this word may signify either the rabble who were not invested with military accoutrements, or such as had no regular commander, or the infantry as distinguished from the cavalry mentioned in the succeeding line. Though so many were ready to attack the Saxons, the circ.u.mstance could not inspire our hero(!) with any corresponding amount of patriotic feelings.

{153d} "It is well that Adonwy came, that Adonwy came to the defence of those that were left; Bradwen fought, slaughtered, and burned; Thou didst not guard either the extremity or the entrance Of the towering town; thy helmet did I not behold from the sea, From the rampart of the sea, O thou knight worse than a slave."

_Gorch. Mael_.

{154a} This stanza refers to a conference, to which the Cymry were at length fain to submit.

{154b} _Trimuntium_, belonging to the Selgovae, in Valentia. Al. "The dales beyond the ridges that were cultivated."

{154c} "Gwas," which means also youth. It is probable that the messenger or herald of the Saxons is here meant, who being of an avaricious mind made exorbitant demands, was "heb ymwyd," could not keep his "gwyd," his inclinations or desires, within his own breast. Nor was Aneurin on the other hand willing that his countrymen should make concessions; rather than that, he calls upon them to put forth their strength once more, and a.s.sert their rights on the field of battle.

{154d} Aneurin, addressing his country.

{154e} Al. "Plentiful."

{154f} Llancarvan in Glamorgans.h.i.+re was anciently called by this name.

Al. "tan veithin;" qu. tan eithin, gorze fire?

{154g} "Luthvin," (glwth vin.) Al. "the edge of his sword gleamed."

{154h} The Saxon herald.

{154i} "Gnaws gwan," him, who was necessarily in a weak or defenceless state, namely the British herald.

{154j} By the "bulwark of toil" is probably understood Morien.

{155a} Being like him a Bard.

{155b} "Cynrennin." Al. "expert." The conference having been so egregiously violated by the a.s.sa.s.sination of the British herald, is immediately broken up, and the advice of Aneurin eagerly followed.

{155c} Their loquacity and haste had been greatly excited by liquor.

{155d} See Notes to stanza x.x.xviii.

{155e} The treacherous herald before mentioned.

{156a} Another way of construing these two lines would be,-

"Strangers to the country, their deeds shall be heard of; The bright wave murmured along on its pilgrimage;"

in reference to the British heroes.

{156b} According to version 4,-

"Where they had collected together the most melodious deer."

The deer were collected within the encampment for the purpose of supplying the army with food, or so as to be out of the reach of the enemy. The locality was probably that of Ban Carw, the Deer Bank.

{156c} Dyvynawl Brych.

{156d} I.e. no pacific insignia.

{156e} A moral reflection suggested by the perfidy of the Saxons at the conference of Llanveithin.

{156f} Morial is recorded in one of the Englynion y Beddau, (see line 348, note 2) as one who fell not unavenged. His name occurs in one of Llywarch Hen's poems, (see line 495. note 2.) Meugant gives an account of the expedition of one Morial to Caer Lwydgoed (Lincoln) from whence he brought a booty of 1500 bullocks.

{156g} Or, "mutually sharing" the toils of war.

{157a} These two lines may be translated in reference to the Saxon herald;

"The stranger with the crimson robe pursued, And slaughtered with axes and blades."

{157b} "Cywrein." Al. "The warriors arose, met together, and with one accord," &c.