Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 27

He is also styled one of the three golden corpses of the Isle of Britain, because, when he was slain, his body was redeemed for its weight in gold.

"Tri eurgelein ynys Prydain: Madawc mab Brwyn; Ceugant Beilliawc; a Rhuawn Bevr, ab Gwyddnaw Garanhir; sev yu gelwid felly achaws rhoddi eu pwys yn aur am danynt o ddwylaw au lladdes." (Tr. lxxvii. third series.)

His grave is alluded to by Hywel the son of Owain Gwynedd, about A.D.

1160, in these lines;-

"Tonn wenn orewyn a orwlych bet Gwytua ruuawn bebyr ben teyrnet." (Myv. Arch v. i. p. 277.)

The white wave, mantled with foam, bedews the grave, The resting place of Rhuvawn Pebyr, chief of kings.

{132b} There may be some slight allusion here to the circ.u.mstance mentioned in the last Triad.

{132c} Coelvain; the stones of omen, an honorary reward. In this stanza Rhuvawn is celebrated as pious, valiant, and hospitable.

{132d} The hall (neuadd) might have been the camp itself, or it might have been the general's tent, answering to the Roman praetorium. Along the extent of the Catrail there are several forts of the British people, which were built either on the contiguous hills, or on the neighbouring heights. A field in the neighbourhood of Dolgelley, which exhibits clear vestiges of an ancient encampment, goes by the name of "_Neuadd Goch_."

"Neuadd pob diddos."

Every shelter is a hall. (Adage.)

{133a} Or, "so great, so immense was the slaughter." Another reading; "So great, a sea of radiance was the slaughter," "mor o wawr," in reference to the brightness of the weapons.

{133b} Morien Manawc is mentioned in the "Dream of Rhonabwy", as one of the counsellors of Arthur, (p. 416.) His grave is pointed out in the following lines;-(Myv. Arch. vol. i. page 79.)

"E Beteu ae cut gwitwal Ny llesseint heb ymtial Gwrien Morien a Morial.

The graves that have their mounds together, Are theirs, who fell not unavenged, Gwrien, Morien, and Morial.

His memory was much cherished by the mediaeval Bards, who not unfrequently compare their patrons to him. Thus Risserdyn (1290, 1340) says that Hywel ap Gruffydd had "vreich Moryen," the arm of Morien; and his contemporary Madawg Dwygraig eulogises Gruffydd ap Madawg as being "ail Morien," a second Morien.

{133c} "Medut," from "meddu," to possess, or it may signify "_drunk_,"

from "meddw." The kindling of the fire seems to have been for the purpose of annoying the enemy. Perhaps the allusion to fires, which occurs so frequently in the Poem, may, in some measure, explain the burnt and calcined features of many of our old camps.

{133d} Cynon was probably the general of this camp, under whom Morien fought.

{133e} "Welei." Al. _make_.

{133f} Meaning _himself_. Another reading of the latter part of the line would be "with his bra.s.s armour shattered."

{133g} I.e. the camp occupied by the enemy, as the next line clearly indicates.

{134a} "Noc ac escyc," from "ysgog," to stir. Al. "Noe ac Eseye," as if they were the names of some Saxon officers, who hurled the stone. In this case we should render it,

"Noe and Eseye hurled a ma.s.sive stone from the wall of the fort, And never," &c.

as if he were crushed beneath it. Adopting the former reading, however, we must observe the point of the words "ysgyg" and "ysgogit," the one indicative of his undaunted courage, the other of his motionless state in death.

"Marw yw- Nid ysgyg er meddyg mwy."-Dr. S. Cent.

He is dead; he will stir no more for all the doctor's art.

{134b} Cyhadvan, cyd advan, a co-retreat.

{134c} Al. Teithan.

{134d} Or "tumultuous," annovawc, from _an_ not and _dov_, tame, gentle, Al. "anvonawc," sent, ordered.

{134e} See a description of his warlike character in the thirtieth stanza.

{134f} That is, Morien himself, who bore the epithet Mynawg or Manawg, (_high-minded_.) See preceding stanza, note two.

{134g} "Yn trwm," as a person "seirchiawc saphwyawc-(and perhaps) elydnan," would necessarily be. The bundles of combustible materials, which he also carried, would add to the weight of his armour, and tend to r.e.t.a.r.d his movements. Or, "yn trwm" may refer to the battle, as being a _pressure_, or a _sad_ affair.

{135a} Qu. Pedrawg, whose son Bedwyr was one of the three crowned chiefs of battle?

{135b} "Varchawc" may be coupled with "fowys," indicating that the enemy fled on horseback.

{135c} "Cylchwy," means a circular inclosure as well as a s.h.i.+eld, and in that sense it can be taken here, as showing that Morien surrounded the camp with fire.

{135d} "Gwyth;" another reading gives "gwych," which would have the same meaning as "gowychydd," line 296.

{135e} Whether we read "ceinion" or "gleinion," we should have the same meaning, viz.-"of the saints," the Britons being thus distinguished from the pagan Saxons. Thus Llywarch Hen says of Geraint that he was

"Gelyn i Sais, car i saint."

The Saxon's foe, the friend of Saints.

{136a} "Lleithig," a _throne_, or _the dais of the hall_; in the latter sense it would have reference to a banquet, and perhaps "tal" would mean the front or princ.i.p.al seat where Cynon sat. When, however, the battle commenced, the chieftain quitted the convivial board, and displayed the valour of a distinguished soldier.

{136b} His first thrust being so effectual. Al. "were not recognised,"

having been so greatly mutilated.

{136c} Al. "in the day of gallantry."

{136d} I.e. Elphin son of Gwyddno ab Gorvynion ab Dyvnwal Hen king of Gwent. In the early part of his life he was the patron of Taliesin, whom he found when an infant in a leathern bag, exposed on a stake of his father's wear. "When Elphin was afterwards imprisoned in the castle of Dyganwy by Maelgwn Gwynedd, Taliesin by the influence of his song procured his release. There is a poem in the Myvyrian Archaiology, ent.i.tled the "Consolation of Elphin," said to have been written by the chief of Bards.

Or, more likely, because of his connection with the North, he was one of the sons of Urien Rheged, mentioned by Llywarch Hen in the following triplet,-

"Pwylrai Wallawg, marchawg trin, Er echwydd gwneuthur dyvin, Yn erbyn cyvrysedd Elphin."

Gwallawg, the knight of tumult, would violently rave, With a mind determined to try the sharpest edge, Against the conflict of Elphin.

{137a} Probably the Epidii, in Cantyre and Argyles.h.i.+re. Al. "Hud a phyd," "The valour of the forward Elphin had recourse to wiles and stratagems."

{138a} Morien is probably alluded to here again, whose especial department seems to have been the superintendence of the martial fire.

"Mur greit," to which we have given the same meaning as to "Murgreit,"

(line 292) might, however, in connection with the rest of the verse be differently translated; thus "The furze was kindled on the rampart by the ardent bull of conflict," or "The furze was kindled by the ardent bulwark, the bull of conflict." The latter construction seems to be favoured by a stanza in "Cyvoesi Merddin," (Myvyrian Archaiology, vol. i.

p. 148) where Morien is styled "mur trin," "the bulwark of conflict."