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_ Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a
feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of
men. And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to
the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called
Gorsedd Arberth. "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to
the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without
either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder." "I
fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the
wonder, gladly would I see it. I will therefore go and sit upon
the mound."
And upon the mound he sat. And while he sat there, they saw a
lady, on a pure white horse of large size, with a garment of
shining gold around her, coming along the highway that led from
the mound. "My men," said Pwyll, "is there any among you who knows
yonder lady?" "There is not, lord," said they. "Go one of you and
meet her, that we may know who she is." And one of them arose, and
as he came upon the road to meet her, she passed by; and he
followed as fast as he could, being on foot, and the greater was
his speed, the further was she from him. And when he saw that it
profited him nothing to follow her, he returned to Pwyll, and said
unto him, "Lord, it is idle for any one in the world to follow her
on foot." "Verily," said Pwyll, "go unto the palace, and take the
fleetest horse that thou seest, and go after her."
And he took a horse and went forward. And he came to an open,
level plain, and put spurs to his horse; and the more he urged his
horse, the further was she from him. And he returned to the place
where Pwyll was, and said, "Lord, it will avail nothing for any
one to follow yonder lady. I know of no horse in these realms
swifter than this, and it availed me not to pursue her." "Of a
truth," said Pwyll, "there must be some illusion here; let us go
towards the palace." So to the palace they went, and spent the
day.
And the next day they amused themselves until it was time to go to
meat. And when meat was ended, Pwyll said, "Where are the hosts
that went yesterday to the top of the mound?" "Behold, lord, we
are here," said they. "Let us go," said he, "to the mound, and sit
there. And do thou," said he to the page who tended his horse,
"saddle my horse well, and hasten with him to the road, and bring
also my spurs with thee." And the youth did thus. And they went
and sat upon the mound; and ere they had been there but a short
time, they beheld the lady coming by the same road, and in the
same manner, and at the same pace. "Young man," said Pwyll, "I see
the lady coming; give me my horse." And before he had mounted his
horse she passed him. And he turned after her and followed her.
And he let his horse go bounding playfully, and thought that he
should soon come up with her. But he came no nearer to her than at
first. Then he urged his horse to his utmost speed, yet he found
that it availed not. Then said Pwyll, "O maiden, for the sake of
him whom thou best lovest, stay for me." "I will stay gladly,"
said she; "and it were better for thy horse hadst thou asked it
long since." So the maiden stopped; and she threw back that part
of her head-dress which covered her face. Then he thought that the
beauty of all the maidens and all the ladies that he had ever seen
was as nothing compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt thou
tell me aught concerning thy purpose?" "I will tell thee," said
she; "my chief quest was to see thee." "Truly," said Pwyll, "this
is to me the most pleasing quest on which thou couldst have come;
and wilt thou tell me who thou art?" "I will tell thee, lord,"
said she. "I am Rhiannon, the daughter of Heveydd, and they sought
to give me a husband against my will. But no husband would I have,
and that because of my love for thee; neither will I yet have one,
unless thou reject me; and hither have I come to hear thy answer."
"By Heaven," said Pwyll, "behold this is my answer. If I might
choose among all the ladies and damsels in the world, thee would I
choose." "Verily," said she, "if thou art thus minded, make a
pledge to meet me ere I am given to another." "The sooner I may do
so, the more pleasing will it be to me," said Pwyll; "and
wheresoever thou wilt, there will I meet with thee." "I will that
thou meet me this day twelvemonth at the palace of Heveydd."
"Gladly," said he, "will I keep this tryst." So they parted, and
he went back to his hosts, and to them of his household. And
whatsoever questions they asked him respecting the damsel, he
always turned the discourse upon other matters.
And when a year from that time was gone, he caused a hundred
knights to equip themselves, and to go with him to the palace of
Heveydd. And he came to the palace, and there was great joy
concerning him, with much concourse of people, and great
rejoicing, and vast preparations for his coming. And the whole
court was placed under his orders.
And the hall was garnished, and they went to meat, and thus did
they sit: Heveydd was on one side of Pwyll, and Rhiannon on the
other; and all the rest according to their rank. And they ate and
feasted, and talked one with another. And at the beginning of the
carousal after the meat, there entered a tall, auburn-haired
youth, of royal bearing, clothed in a garment of satin. And when
he came into the hall, he saluted Pwyll and his companions. "The
greeting of Heaven be unto thee," said Pwyll; "come thou and sit
down." "Nay," said he, "a suitor am I, and I will do my errand."
"Do so willingly," said Pwyll. "Lord," said he, "my errand is unto
thee, and it is to crave a boon of thee that I come." "What boon
soever thou mayest ask of me, so far as I am able, thou shalt
have." "Ah!" said Rhiannon, "wherefore didst thou give that
answer?" "Has he not given it before the presence of these
nobles?" asked the youth. "My soul," said Pwyll, "what is the boon
thou askest?" "The lady whom best I love is to be thy bride this
night; I come to ask her of thee, with the feast and the banquet
that are in this place." And Pwyll was silent, because of the
promise which he had given. "Be silent as long as thou wilt," said
Rhiannon, "never did man make worse use of his wits than thou hast
done." "Lady," said he, "I knew not who he was." "Behold, this is
the man to whom they would have given me against my will," said
she; "and he is Gawl, the son of Clud, a man of great power and
wealth, and because of the word thou hast spoken, bestow me upon
him, lest shame befall thee." "Lady," said he, "I understand not
thy answer; never can I do as thou sayest." "Bestow me upon him,"
said she, "and I will cause that I shall never be his." "By what
means will that be?" asked Pwyll. Then she told him the thought
that was in her mind. And they talked long together. Then Gawl
said, "Lord, it is meet that I have an answer to my request." "As
much of that thou hast asked as it is in my power to give, thou
shalt have," replied Pwyll. "My soul," said Rhiannon unto Gawl,
"as for the feast and the banquet that are here, I have bestowed
them upon the men of Dyved, and the household and the warriors
that are with us. These can I not suffer to be given to any. In a
year from to-night, a banquet shall be prepared for thee in this
palace, that I may become thy bride."
So Gawl went forth to his possessions, and Pwyll went also back to
Dyved. And they both spent that year until it was the time for the
feast at the palace of Heveydd. Then Gawl, the son of Clud, set
out to the feast that was prepared for him; and he came to the
palace, and was received there with rejoicing. Pwyll, also, the
chief of Dyved, came to the orchard with a hundred knights, as
Rhiannon had commanded him. And Pwyll was clad in coarse and
ragged garments, and wore large, clumsy old shoes upon his feet.
And when he knew that the carousal after the meat had begun, he
went toward the hall; and when he came into the hall he saluted
Gawl, the son of Clud, and his company, both men and women.
"Heaven prosper thee," said Gawl, "and friendly greeting be unto
thee!" "Lord," said he, "may Heaven reward thee! I have an errand
unto thee." "Welcome be thine errand, and if thou ask of me that
which is right, thou shalt have it gladly." "It is fitting,"
answered he; "I crave but from want, and the boon I ask is to have
this small bag that thou seest filled with meat." "A request
within reason is this," said he, "and gladly shalt thou have it.
Bring him food." A great number of attendants arose and began to
fill the bag; but for all they put into it, it was no fuller than
at first. "My soul," said Gawl, "will thy bag ever be full?" "It
will not, I declare to Heaven," said he, "for all that may be put
into it, unless one possessed of lands, and domains, and treasure,
shall arise and tread down with both his feet the food that is
within the bag, and shall say, 'Enough has been put therein.'"
Then said Rhiannon unto Gawl, the son of Clud, "Rise up quickly."
"I will willingly arise," said he. So he rose up, and put his two
feet into the bag. And Pwyll turned up the sides of the bag, so
that Gawl was over his head in it. And he shut it up quickly, and
slipped a knot upon the thongs, and blew his horn. And thereupon,
behold, his knights came down upon the palace. And they seized all
the host that had come with Gawl, and cast them into his own
prison. And Pwyll threw off his rags, and his old shoes, and his
tattered array. And as they came in, every one of Pwyll's knights
struck a blow upon the bag, and asked, "What is here?" "A badger,"
said they. And in this manner they played, each of them striking
the bag, either with his foot or with a staff. And thus played
they with the bag. And then was the game of Badger in the Bag
first played.
"Lord," said the man in the bag, "if thou wouldst but hear me, I
merit not to be slain in a bag." Said Heveydd, "Lord, he speaks
truth; it were fitting that thou listen to him, for he deserves
not this." "Verily," said Pwyll, "I will do thy counsel concerning
him." "Behold, this is my counsel then," said Rhiannon. "Thou art
now in a position in which it behooves thee to satisfy suitors and
minstrels. Let him give unto them in thy stead, and take a pledge
from him that he will never seek to revenge that which has been
done to him. And this will be punishment enough." "I will do this
gladly," said the man in the bag. "And gladly will I accept it,"
said Pwyll, "since it is the counsel of Heveydd and Rhiannon. Seek
thyself sureties." "We will be for him," said Heveydd, "until his
men be free to answer for him." And upon this he was let out of
the bag, and his liegemen were liberated. "Verily, lord," said
Gawl, "I am greatly hurt, and I have many bruises. With thy leave,
I will go forth. I will leave nobles in my stead to answer for me
in all that thou shalt require." "Willingly," said Pwyll, "mayest
thou do this." So Gawl went to his own possessions.
And the hall was set in order for Pwyll and the men of his host,
and for them also of the palace, and they went to the tables and
sat down. And as they had sat that time twelvemonth, so sat they
that night. And they ate and feasted, and spent the night in mirth
and tranquility. And the time came that they should sleep, and
Pwyll and Rhiannon went to their chamber.
And next morning at break of day, "My lord," said Rhiannon, "arise
and begin to give thy gifts unto the minstrels. Refuse no one to-
day that may claim thy bounty." "Thus shall it be gladly," said
Pwyll, "both to-day and every day while the feast shall last." So
Pwyll arose, and he caused silence to be proclaimed, and desired
all the suitors and minstrels to show and to point out what gifts
they desired. And this being done, the feast went on, and he
denied no one while it lasted. And when the feast was ended, Pwyll
said unto Heveydd, "My lord, with thy permission, I will set out
for Dyved to-morrow." "Certainly," said Heveydd; "may Heaven
prosper thee! Fix also a time when Rhiannon shall follow thee."
"By Heaven," said Pwyll, "we will go hence together." "Willest
thou this, lord?" said Heveydd. "Yes, lord," answered Pwyll.
And the next, day they set forward towards Dyved, and journeyed to
the palace of Narberth, where a feast was made ready for them. And
there came to them great numbers of the chief men and the most
noble ladies of the land, and of these there were none to whom
Rhiannon did not give some rich gift, either a bracelet, or a
ring, or a precious stone. And they ruled the land prosperously
that year and the next. _
Read next: B. THE MABINOGEON: Chapter IX. Branwen, the Daughter of Llyr
Read previous: B. THE MABINOGEON: Chapter VII. Geraint, the Son of Erbin (Continued)
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