Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 21

{101d} Mark the ant.i.thesis "gwr llawr"-"arbennawr," and "cethrawr"-"llavnawr."

{101e} "En gystud heyrn;" an allusion to the instrument which caused his death. "Ferreus somnus."

{101f} It is clear from this statement that Erthai was the lawful lord of the Mordei. He had been deprived of his dominions for a time, probably through the usurpation of the "steel-clad commander," but at length succeeded in recovering them. Who Erthai was we know not; Llywarch Hen had a son, whose name bore some resemblance to the word: he is mentioned in the following triplet;-

"The best three men in their country, For protecting their habitation, Eithyr and _Erthyr_ and Argad." (Elegy on Old Age.)

{102a} Al. "Erthgi," which is obviously the same as "Arthgi," a _bear-dog_. The rhythmical run of the line seems, however, to point to the other as the proper word.

{102b} "Erthychei;" there is here evidently an allusion to the name of the hero, (that is, supposing the name adopted in the translation to be the right one) which consideration induces us to prefer it to the other reading, viz. "erthrychei." "With the latter word, however, we should translate the pa.s.sage as follows;-

"In the front Erthai would mangle an army."

{102c} Al. "dychurant," _will be afflicted_.

{102d} Probably Edeyrn may have been the hero of this stanza, and that a play upon the word is intended in the expression "edyrn diedyrn." Edyrn the kingdom will remain, but Edyrn the king is gone.

{102e} "Gowyssawr," the furrower of battle: the designation of a warrior.

"Wyr i Vleddyn arv leiddiad A oedd draw yn _cwysaw cad_." (Hywel Cilan.)

A grandson of Bleddyn with the weapon of slaughter, Was yonder furrowing the battle.

Al. "lynwyssawr," "the plague;" or "the pool maker," in reference to the effusion of blood which he caused on the field of battle.

As just observed, this individual may have been Edeyrn, the son of Nudd ab Beli ab Rhun ab Maelgwn ab Caswallon Lawhir ab Einiawn Yrth ab Cunedda ab Edeyrn ab Padarn Beisrudd by Gwawl daughter of COEL G.o.dEBOG, who would be removed from the field of battle by his own clan.

{103a} "Bu truan," just as in line 107.

{103b} The names of both these persons, as we have already seen, occur together in a Poem attributed to Aneurin, and printed in Davies's Mythology of the Druids. The latter, moreover, appears in the Tale of "Kilhwch and Olwen," where a daughter of his is likewise mentioned by the name of Eheubryd. Cyvwlch is there stated to have been one of the three grandsons of Cleddyv Divwlch, the other two being Bwlch and Sevwich.

"Their three s.h.i.+elds are three gleaming glitterers. Their three spears are three pointed piercers. Their three swords are three griding gashers, Glas, Glesig, and Clersag." (page 291.)

{103c} "Leu," the root of "goleu," "lleuad," &c. The other reading "liw," is equally proper, even as we still say "liw dydd," "liw nos," &c.

{103d} Lit. "rush-light."

{103e} Lit. "its enmity lasted long." The latter portion of this stanza, which refers to Tudvwlch and Cyvwlch, seems to have been misplaced.

{103f} Qu. "Icenorum arx?"

{103g} "Ewgei," _e wgei_ from "gwg," _a frown_. Al. "negei," _he shewed resistance_, from "nag," a _denial_. So in "Englynion y Beddau;"-

"Y Beddau hir yn Ngwanas Ni chavas ae dioes Pwy vynt hwy, pwy eu _neges_."

i.e. "who will own, or who will deny them."

{104a} Can this mean _blood_ or _b.l.o.o.d.y field_? It is certain that Meigant (600630) uses the word in that sense;-

"_Plwde_ y danav hyd ymhen vy nghlun." (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 160)

Under me was blood to the top of my knee.

{104b} "Digalonnit," the other reading "dygollovit," (dygoll ovid) would signify that the horn _banished his sorrow_.

{104c} Al. "Even on the foam-bordered Mordei."

{104d} Which "Gwarthlev," ( the voice of reproach) was not. Davies makes "eno bryt," into a proper name, and construes the sentence thus;-

"Whilst Gwarthlev and Enovryd were pouring forth the liquor."

{105a} "Arch." Al. "arth en llwrw." "He was an impetuous bear." There may be here a faint allusion to the name Gwarthlev, nor is it unlikely that his ensign bore the figure of a bear.

{105b} "Gwd," (gwdd) _that turns round_.

{105c} "Gyfgein," (cyvgein) _co-light_.

{105d} A peculiarity observable in Welsh doc.u.ments is, that they frequently consign general circ.u.mstances to the island of Britain in particular. This may be exemplified by the account which is given of the deluge in Triad 13. (Third Series;)-

"The three awful events of the _Isle of Britain_; first, the bursting of the lake of waters, and the overwhelming of the face of all lands; so that all mankind were drowned, excepting Dwyvan and Dwyvach, who escaped in a naked vessel, and of them the Isle of Britain was repeopled," &c.

{105e} Gwrveling.

{105f} Al. "ungentle."

{105g} Vide supra, lines 89, 113.

{105h} As there is nothing to rhyme with "ryodres," probably there is a line left out here.

{106a} It would appear from this that the feast was given in celebration of the time of harvest. That the Britons, like the Jews, exhibited signs of great joy at that season, may be inferred from the following Triads of Dyvnwal Moelmud. (Myv. Arch. vol. iii. p. 283.)

"Tair clud udcorn sydd; dygynnull gwlad gan riaint a phencenedloedd, _corn cynhauav_, a chorn cad a rhyvel rhag gormes gorwlad ac estron."

There are three trumpet progressions; the a.s.sembly of a country according to heads of families and chiefs of tribes, the horn of harvest, and the horn of war and of battle against the oppression of neighbours and aliens.

"Tair clud addwyn y sydd; beirdd yn darogan heddwch, _cyrch cynhauav_, a phriodas."

There are three happy progressions; bards announcing peace, a meeting in harvest time, and a marriage.

"Tri corn cynghlud y sydd; _corn cynhauav_, corn dadlau, a chorn goly-chwyd."

There are three horns for mutual progression; the horn of harvest, the horn of contention, and the horn for religious adoration.

{106b} "Arvel," which is required on account of the rhyme.

{106c} Bright s.h.i.+elds, which are here likened to wings.

"Y gylchwy dan y gymwy bu adenawc." Line 361