Math the Son of Mathonwy

THIS IS THE FOURTH PORTION OF THE MABINOGI

Math the son of Mathonwy was lord over Gwynedd, and Pryderi the sonof Pwyll was lord over the one-and-twenty Cantrevs of the South; andthese were the seven Cantrevs of Dyved, and the seven Cantrevs ofMorganwc, the four Cantrevs of Ceredigiawn, and the three of YstradTywi.

At that time, Math the son of Mathonwy could not exist unless hisfeet were in the lap of a maiden, except only when he was preventedby the tumult of war. Now the maiden who was with him was Goewin,the daughter of Pebin of Dol Pebin, in Arvon, and she was the fairestmaiden of her time who was known there.

And Math dwelt always at Caer Dathyl, in Arvon, and was not able togo the circuit of the land, but Gilvaethwy the son of Don, and Eneydthe son of Don, his nephews, the sons of his sisters, with hishousehold, went the circuit of the land in his stead.

Now the maiden was with Math continually, and Gilvaethwy the son ofDon set his affections upon her, and loved her so that he knew notwhat he should do because of her, and therefrom behold his hue, andhis aspect, and his spirits changed for love of her, so that it wasnot easy to know him.

One day his brother Gwydion gazed steadfastly upon him. "Youth,"said he, "what aileth thee?" "Why," replied he, "what seest thou inme?" "I see," said he, "that thou hast lost thy aspect and thy hue;what, therefore, aileth thee?" "My lord brother," he answered, "thatwhich aileth me, it will not profit me that I should own to any.""What may it be, my soul?" said he. "Thou knowest," he said, "thatMath the son of Mathonwy has this property, that if men whispertogether, in a tone how low soever, if the wind meet it, it becomesknown unto him." "Yes," said Gwydion, "hold now thy peace, I knowthy intent, thou lovest Goewin."

When he found that his brother knew his intent, he gave the heaviestsigh in the world. "Be silent, my soul, and sigh not," he said. "Itis not thereby that thou wilt succeed. I will cause," said he, "ifit cannot be otherwise, the rising of Gwynedd, and Powys, andDeheubarth, to seek the maiden. Be thou of glad cheer therefore, andI will compass it."

So they went unto Math the son of Mathonwy. "Lord," said Gwydion, "Ihave heard that there have come to the South some beasts, such aswere never known in this island before." "What are they called?" heasked. "Pigs, lord." "And what kind of animals are they?" "Theyare small animals, and their flesh is better than the flesh of oxen.""They are small, then?" "And they change their names. Swine arethey now called." "Who owneth them?" "Pryderi the son of Pwyll;they were sent him from Annwvyn, by Arawn the king of Annwvyn, andstill they keep that name, half hog, half pig." "Verily," asked he,"and by what means may they be obtained from him?" "I will go, lord,as one of twelve, in the guise of bards, to seek the swine." "But itmay be that he will refuse you," said he. "My journey will not beevil, lord," said he; "I will not come back without the swine.""Gladly," said he, "go thou forward."

So he and Gilvaethwy went, and ten other men with them. And theycame into Ceredigiawn, to the place that is now called RhuddlanTeivi, where the palace of Pryderi was. In the guise of bards theycame in, and they were received joyfully, and Gwydion was placedbeside Pryderi that night.

"Of a truth," said Pryderi, "gladly would I have a tale from some ofyour men yonder." "Lord," said Gwydion, "we have a custom that thefirst night that we come to the Court of a great man, the chief ofsong recites. Gladly will I relate a tale." Now Gwydion was thebest teller of tales in the world, and he diverted all the Court thatnight with pleasant discourse and with tales, so that he charmedevery one in the Court, and it pleased Pryderi to talk with him.

And after this, "Lord," said he unto Pryderi, "were it more pleasingto thee, that another should discharge my errand unto thee, than thatI should tell thee myself what it is?" "No," he answered, "amplespeech hast thou." "Behold then, lord," said he, "my errand. It isto crave from thee the animals that were sent thee from Annwvyn.""Verily," he replied, "that were the easiest thing in the world togrant, were there not a covenant between me and my land concerningthem. And the covenant is that they shall not go from me, until theyhave produced double their number in the land." "Lord," said he, "Ican set thee free from those words, and this is the way I can do so;give me not the swine to-night, neither refuse them unto me, and to-morrow I will show thee an exchange for them."

And that night he and his fellows went unto their lodging, and theytook counsel. "Ah, my men," said he, "we shall not have the swinefor the asking." "Well," said they, "how may they be obtained?" "Iwill cause them to be obtained," said Gwydion.

Then he betook himself to his arts, and began to work a charm. Andhe caused twelve chargers to appear, and twelve black greyhounds,each of them white-breasted, and having upon them twelve collars andtwelve leashes, such as no one that saw them could know to be otherthan gold. And upon the horses twelve saddles, and every part whichshould have been of iron was entirely of gold, and the bridles wereof the same workmanship. And with the horses and the dogs he came toPryderi.

"Good day unto thee, lord," said he. "Heaven prosper thee," said theother, "and greetings be unto thee." "Lord," said he, "behold hereis a release for thee from the word which thou spakest last eveningconcerning the swine; that thou wouldst neither give nor sell them.Thou mayest exchange them for that which is better. And I will givethese twelve horses, all caparisoned as they are, with their saddlesand their bridles, and these twelve greyhounds, with their collarsand their leashes as thou seest, and the twelve gilded shields thatthou beholdest yonder." Now these he had formed of fungus. "Well,"said he, "we will take counsel." And they consulted together, anddetermined to give the swine to Gwydion, and to take his horses andhis dogs and his shields.

Then Gwydion and his men took their leave, and began to journey forthwith the pigs. "Ah, my comrades," said Gwydion, "it is needful thatwe journey with speed. The illusion will not last but from the onehour to the same to-morrow."

And that night they journeyed as far as the upper part ofCeredigiawn, to the place which, from that cause, is called Mochdrevstill. And the next day they took their course through Melenydd, andcame that night to the town which is likewise for that reason calledMochdrev between Keri and Arwystli. And thence they journeyedforward; and that night they came as far as that Commot in Powys,which also upon account thereof is called Mochnant, and there tarriedthey that night. And they journeyed thence to the Cantrev of Rhos,and the place where they were that night is still called Mochdrev.

"My men," said Gwydion, "we must push forward to the fastnesses ofGwynedd with these animals, for there is a gathering of hosts inpursuit of us." So they journeyed on to the highest town ofArllechwedd, and there they made a sty for the swine, and thereforewas the name of Creuwyryon given to that town. And after they hadmade the sty for the swine, they proceeded to Math the son ofMathonwy, at Caer Dathyl. And when they came there, the country wasrising. "What news is there here?" asked Gwydion. "Pryderi isassembling one-and-twenty Cantrevs to pursue after you," answeredthey. "It is marvellous that you should have journeyed so slowly.""Where are the animals whereof you went in quest?" said Math. "Theyhave had a sty made for them in the other Cantrev below," saidGwydion.

Thereupon, lo, they heard the trumpets and the host in the land, andthey arrayed themselves and set forward and came to Penardd in Arvon.

And at night Gwydion the son of Don, and Gilvaethwy his brother,returned to Caer Dathyl; and Gilvaethwy took Math the son ofMathonwy's couch. And while he turned out the other damsels from theroom discourteously, he made Goewin unwillingly remain.

And when they saw the day on the morrow, they went back unto theplace where Math the son of Mathonwy was with his host; and when theycame there, the warriors were taking counsel in what district theyshould await the coming of Pryderi, and the men of the South. Sothey went in to the council. And it was resolved to wait in thestrongholds of Gwynedd, in Arvon. So within the two Maenors theytook their stand, Maenor Penardd and Maenor Coed Alun. And therePryderi attacked them, and there the combat took place. And greatwas the slaughter on both sides; but the men of the South were forcedto flee. And they fled unto the place which is still calledNantcall. And thither did they follow them, and they made a vastslaughter of them there, so that they fled again as far as the placecalled Dol Pen Maen, and there they halted and sought to make peace.

And that he might have peace, Pryderi gave hostages, Gwrgi Gwastragave he and three-and-twenty others, sons of nobles. And after thisthey journeyed in peace even unto Traeth Mawr; but as they went ontogether towards Melenryd, the men on foot could not be restrainedfrom shooting. Pryderi dispatched unto Math an embassy to pray himto forbid his people, and to leave it between him and Gwydion the sonof Don, for that he had caused all this. And the messengers came toMath. "Of a truth," said Math, "I call Heaven to witness, if it bepleasing unto Gwydion the son of Don, I will so leave it gladly.Never will I compel any to go to fight, but that we ourselves shoulddo our utmost."

"Verily," said the messengers, "Pryderi saith that it were more fairthat the man who did him this wrong should oppose his own body tohis, and let his people remain unscathed." "I declare to Heaven, Iwill not ask the men of Gwynedd to fight because of me. If I amallowed to fight Pryderi myself, gladly will I oppose my body tohis." And this answer they took back to Pryderi. "Truly," saidPryderi, "I shall require no one to demand my rights but myself."

Then these two came forth and armed themselves, and they fought. Andby force of strength, and fierceness, and by the magic and charms ofGwydion, Pryderi was slain. And at Maen Tyriawc, above Melenryd, washe buried, and there is his grave.

And the men of the South set forth in sorrow towards their own land;nor is it a marvel that they should grieve, seeing that they had losttheir lord, and many of their best warriors, and for the most parttheir horses and their arms.

The men of Gwynedd went back joyful and in triumph. "Lord," saidGwydion unto Math, "would it not be right for us to release thehostages of the men of the South, which they pledged unto us forpeace? for we ought not to put them in prison." "Let them then beset free," saith Math. So that youth, and the other hostages thatwere with him, were set free to follow the men of the South.

Math himself went forward to Caer Dathyl. Gilvaethwy the son of Don,and they of the household that were with him, went to make thecircuit of Gwynedd as they were wont, without coming to the Court.Math went into his chamber, and caused a place to be prepared for himwhereon to recline, so that he might put his feet in the maiden'slap. "Lord," said Goewin, "seek now another to hold thy feet, for Iam now a wife." "What meaneth this?" said he. "An attack, lord, wasmade unawares upon me; but I held not my peace, and there was no onein the Court who knew not of it. Now the attack was made by thynephews, lord, the sons of thy sister, Gwydion the son of Don, andGilvaethwy the son of Don; unto me they did wrong, and unto theedishonour." "Verily," he exclaimed, "I will do to the utmost of mypower concerning this matter. But first I will cause thee to havecompensation, and then will I have amends made unto myself. As forthee, I will take thee to be my wife, and the possession of mydominions will I give unto thy hands."

And Gwydion and Gilvaethwy came not near the Court, but stayed in theconfines of the land until it was forbidden to give them meat anddrink. At first they came not near unto Math, but at the last theycame. "Lord," said they, "good day to thee." "Well," said he, "isit to make me compensation that ye are come?" "Lord," they said, "weare at thy will." "By my will I would not have lost my warriors, andso many arms as I have done. You cannot compensate me my shame,setting aside the death of Pryderi. But since ye come hither to beat my will, I shall begin your punishment forthwith."

Then he took his magic wand, and struck Gilvaethwy, so that he becamea deer, and he seized upon the other hastily lest he should escapefrom him. And he struck him with the same magic wand, and he becamea deer also. "Since now ye are in bonds, I will that ye go forthtogether and be companions, and possess the nature of the animalswhose form ye bear. And this day twelvemonth come hither unto me."

At the end of a year from that day, lo there was a loud noise underthe chamber wall, and the barking of the dogs of the palace togetherwith the noise. "Look," said he, "what is without." "Lord," saidone, "I have looked; there are there two deer, and a fawn with them."Then he arose and went out. And when he came he beheld the threeanimals. And he lifted up his wand. "As ye were deer last year, beye wild hogs each and either of you, for the year that is to come."And thereupon he struck them with the magic wand. "The young onewill I take and cause to be baptized." Now the name that he gave himwas Hydwn. "Go ye and be wild swine, each and either of you, and beye of the nature of wild swine. And this day twelvemonth be ye hereunder the wall."

At the end of the year the barking of dogs was heard under the wallof the chamber. And the Court assembled, and thereupon he arose andwent forth, and when he came forth he beheld three beasts. Now thesewere the beasts that he saw; two wild hogs of the woods, and a well-grown young one with them. And he was very large for his age."Truly," said Math, "this one will I take and cause to be baptized."And he struck him with his magic wand, and he become a fine fairauburn-haired youth, and the name that he gave him was Hychdwn. "Nowas for you, as ye were wild hogs last year, be ye wolves each andeither of you for the year that is to come." Thereupon he struckthem with his magic wand, and they became wolves. "And be ye of likenature with the animals whose semblance ye bear, and return here thisday twelvemonth beneath this wall."

And at the same day at the end of the year, he heard a clamour and abarking of dogs under the wall of the chamber. And he rose and wentforth. And when he came, behold, he saw two wolves, and a strong cubwith them. "This one will I take," said Math, "and I will cause himto be baptized; there is a name prepared for him, and that isBleiddwn. Now these three, such are they:-

The three sons of Gilvaethwy the false,The three faithful combatants,Bleiddwn, Hydwn, and Hychdwn the Tall."

Then he struck the two with his magic wand, and they resumed theirown nature. "Oh men," said he, "for the wrong that ye did unto mesufficient has been your punishment and your dishonour. Prepare nowprecious ointment for these men, and wash their heads, and equipthem." And this was done.

And after they were equipped, they came unto him. "Oh men," said he,"you have obtained peace, and you shall likewise have friendship.Give your counsel unto me, what maiden I shall seek." "Lord," saidGwydion the son of Don, "it is easy to give thee counsel; seekArianrod, the daughter of Don, thy niece, thy sister's daughter."

And they brought her unto him, and the maiden came in. "Ha, damsel,"said he, "art thou the maiden?" "I know not, lord, other than that Iam." Then he took up his magic wand, and bent it. "Step over this,"said he, "and I shall know if thou art the maiden." Then stepped sheover the magic wand, and there appeared forthwith a fine chubbyyellow-haired boy. And at the crying out of the boy, she wenttowards the door. And thereupon some small form was seen; but beforeany one could get a second glimpse of it, Gwydion had taken it, andhad flung a scarf of velvet around it and hidden it. Now the placewhere he hid it was the bottom of a chest at the foot of his bed.

"Verily," said Math the son of Mathonwy, concerning the fine yellow-haired boy, "I will cause this one to be baptized, and Dylan is thename I will give him."

So they had the boy baptized, and as they baptized him he plungedinto the sea. And immediately when he was in the sea, he took itsnature, and swam as well as the best fish that was therein. And forthat reason was he called Dylan, the son of the Wave. Beneath him nowave ever broke. And the blow whereby he came to his death, wasstruck by his uncle Govannon. The third fatal blow was it called.

As Gwydion lay one morning on his bed awake, he heard a cry in thechest at his feet; and though it was not loud, it was such that hecould hear it. Then he arose in haste, and opened the chest: andwhen he opened it, he beheld an infant boy stretching out his armsfrom the folds of the scarf, and casting it aside. And he took upthe boy in his arms, and carried him to a place where he knew therewas a woman that could nurse him. And he agreed with the woman thatshe should take charge of the boy. And that year he was nursed.

And at the end of the year he seemed by his size as though he weretwo years old. And the second year he was a big child, and able togo to the Court by himself. And when he came to the Court, Gwydionnoticed him, and the boy became familiar with him, and loved himbetter than any one else. Then was the boy reared at the Court untilhe was four years old, when he was as big as though he had beeneight.

And one day Gwydion walked forth, and the boy followed him, and hewent to the Castle of Arianrod, having the boy with him; and when hecame into the Court, Arianrod arose to meet him, and greeted him andbade him welcome. "Heaven prosper thee," said he. "Who is the boythat followeth thee?" she asked. "This youth, he is thy son," heanswered. "Alas," said she, "what has come unto thee that thoushouldst shame me thus? wherefore dost thou seek my dishonour, andretain it so long as this?" "Unless thou suffer dishonour greaterthan that of my bringing up such a boy as this, small will be thydisgrace." "What is the name of the boy?" said she. "Verily," hereplied, "he has not yet a name." "Well," she said, "I lay thisdestiny upon him, that he shall never have a name until he receivesone from me." "Heaven bears me witness," answered he, "that thou arta wicked woman. But the boy shall have a name how displeasing soeverit may be unto thee. As for thee, that which afflicts thee is thatthou art no longer called a damsel." And thereupon he went forth inwrath, and returned to Caer Dathyl and there he tarried that night.

And the next day he arose and took the boy with him, and went to walkon the seashore between that place and Aber Menei. And there he sawsome sedges and seaweed, and he turned them into a boat. And out ofdry sticks and sedges he made some Cordovan leather, and a great dealthereof, and he coloured it in such a manner that no one ever sawleather more beautiful than it. Then he made a sail to the boat, andhe and the boy went in it to the port of the castle of Arianrod. Andhe began forming shoes and stitching them, until he was observed fromthe castle. And when he knew that they of the castle were observinghim, he disguised his aspect, and put another semblance upon himself,and upon the boy, so that they might not be known. "What men arethose in yonder boat?" said Arianrod. "They are cordwainers,"answered they. "Go and see what kind of leather they have, and whatkind of work they can do."

So they came unto them. And when they came he was colouring someCordovan leather, and gilding it. And the messengers came and toldher this. "Well," said she, "take the measure of my foot, and desirethe cordwainer to make shoes for me." So he made the shoes for her,yet not according to the measure, but larger. The shoes then werebrought unto her, and behold they were too large. "These are toolarge," said she, "but he shall receive their value. Let him alsomake some that are smaller than they." Then he made her others thatwere much smaller than her foot, and sent them unto her. "Tell himthat these will not go on my feet," said she. And they told himthis. "Verily," said he, "I will not make her any shoes, unless Isee her foot." And this was told unto her. "Truly," she answered,"I will go unto him."

So she went down to the boat, and when she came there, he was shapingshoes and the boy stitching them. "Ah, lady," said he, "good day tothee." "Heaven prosper thee," said she. "I marvel that thou canstnot manage to make shoes according to a measure." "I could not," hereplied, "but now I shall be able."

Thereupon behold a wren stood upon the deck of the boat, and the boyshot at it, and hit it in the leg between the sinew and the bone.Then she smiled. "Verily," said she, "with a steady hand did thelion aim at it." "Heaven reward thee not, but now has he got a name.And a good enough name it is. Llew Llaw Gyffes be he calledhenceforth."

Then the work disappeared in seaweed and sedges, and he went on withit no further. And for that reason was he called the third Gold-shoemaker. "Of a truth," said she, "thou wilt not thrive the betterfor doing evil unto me." "I have done thee no evil yet," said he.Then he restored the boy to his own form. "Well," said she, "I willlay a destiny upon this boy, that he shall never have arms and armouruntil I invest him with them." "By Heaven," said he, "let thy malicebe what it may, he shall have arms."

Then they went towards Dinas Dinllev, and there he brought up LlewLlaw Gyffes, until he could manage any horse, and he was perfect infeatures, and strength, and stature. And then Gwydion saw that helanguished through the want of horses and arms. And he called himunto him. "Ah, youth," said he, "we will go to-morrow on an errandtogether. Be therefore more cheerful than thou art." "That I will,"said the youth.

Next morning, at the dawn of day, they arose. And they took wayalong the sea coast, up towards Bryn Aryen. And at the top of CevnClydno they equipped themselves with horses, and went towards theCastle of Arianrod. And they changed their form, and pricked towardsthe gate in the semblance of two youths, but the aspect of Gwydionwas more staid than that of the other. "Porter," said he, "go thouin and say that there are here bards from Glamorgan." And the porterwent in. "The welcome of Heaven be unto them, let them in," saidArianrod.

With great joy were they greeted. And the hall was arranged, andthey went to meat. When meat was ended, Arianrod discoursed withGwydion of tales and stories. Now Gwydion was an excellent teller oftales. And when it was time to leave off feasting, a chamber wasprepared for them, and they went to rest.

In the early twilight Gwydion arose, and he called unto him his magicand his power. And by the time that the day dawned, there resoundedthrough the land uproar, and trumpets and shouts. When it was nowday, they heard a knocking at the door of the chamber, and therewithArianrod asking that it might be opened. Up rose the youth andopened unto her, and she entered and a maiden with her. "Ah, goodmen," she said, "in evil plight are we." "Yes, truly," said Gwydion,"we have heard trumpets and shouts; what thinkest thou that they maymean?" "Verily," said she, "we cannot see the colour of the ocean byreason of all the ships, side by side. And they are making for theland with all the speed they can. And what can we do?" said she."Lady," said Gwydion, "there is none other counsel than to close thecastle upon us, and to defend it as best we may." "Truly," said she,"may Heaven reward you. And do you defend it. And here may you haveplenty of arms."

And thereupon went she forth for the arms, and behold she returned,and two maidens, and suits of armour for two men, with her. "Lady,"said he, "do you accoutre this stripling, and I will arm myself withthe help of thy maidens. Lo, I hear the tumult of the menapproaching." "I will do so, gladly." So she armed him fully, andthat right cheerfully. "Hast thou finished arming the youth?" saidhe. "I have finished," she answered. "I likewise have finished,"said Gwydion. "Let us now take off our arms, we have no need ofthem." "Wherefore?" said she. "Here is the army around the house.""Oh, lady, there is here no army." "Oh," cried she, "whence then wasthis tumult?" "The tumult was but to break thy prophecy and toobtain arms for thy son. And now has he got arms without any thanksunto thee." "By Heaven," said Arianrod, "thou art a wicked man.Many a youth might have lost his life through the uproar thou hastcaused in this Cantrev to-day. Now will I lay a destiny upon thisyouth," she said, "that he shall never have a wife of the race thatnow inhabits this earth." "Verily," said he, "thou wast ever amalicious woman, and no one ought to support thee. A wife shall hehave notwithstanding."

They went thereupon unto Math the son of Mathonwy, and complainedunto him most bitterly of Arianrod. Gwydion showed him also how hehad procured arms for the youth. "Well," said Math, "we will seek, Iand thou, by charms and illusion, to form a wife for him out offlowers. He has now come to man's stature, and he is the comeliestyouth that was ever beheld." So they took the blossoms of the oak,and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet,and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful thatman ever saw. And they baptized her, and gave her the name ofBlodeuwedd.

After she had become his bride, and they had feasted, said Gwydion,"It is not easy for a man to maintain himself without possessions.""Of a truth," said Math, "I will give the young man the best Cantrevto hold." "Lord," said he, "what Cantrev is that?" "The Cantrev ofDinodig," he answered. Now it is called at this day Eivionydd andArdudwy. And the place in the Cantrev where he dwelt, was a palaceof his in a spot called Mur y Castell, on the confines of Ardudwy.There dwelt he and reigned, and both he and his sway were beloved byall.

One day he went forth to Caer Dathyl, to visit Math the son ofMathonwy. And on the day that he set out for Caer Dathyl, Blodeuweddwalked in the Court. And she heard the sound of a horn. And afterthe sound of the horn, behold a tired stag went by, with dogs andhuntsmen following it. And after the dogs and the huntsmen therecame a crowd of men on foot. "Send a youth," said she, "to ask whoyonder host may be." So a youth went, and inquired who they were."Gronw Pebyr is this, the lord of Penllyn," said they. And thus theyouth told her.

Gronw Pebyr pursued the stag, and by the river Cynvael he overtookthe stag and killed it. And what with flaying the stag and baitinghis dogs, he was there until the night began to close in upon him.And as the day departed and the night drew near, he came to the gateof the Court. "Verily," said Blodeuwedd, "the Chieftain will speakill of us if we let him at this hour depart to another land withoutinviting him in." "Yes, truly, lady," said they, "it will be mostfitting to invite him."

Then went messengers to meet him and bid him in. And he accepted herbidding gladly, and came to the Court, and Blodeuwedd went to meethim, and greeted him, and bade him welcome. "Lady," said he, "Heavenrepay thee thy kindness."

When they had disaccoutred themselves, they went to sit down. AndBlodeuwedd looked upon him, and from the moment that she looked onhim she became filled with his love. And he gazed on her, and thesame thought came unto him as unto her, so that he could not concealfrom her that he loved her, but he declared unto her that he did so.Thereupon she was very joyful. And all their discourse that nightwas concerning the affection and love which they felt one for theother, and which in no longer space than one evening had arisen. Andthat evening passed they in each other's company.

The next day he sought to depart. But she said, "I pray thee go notfrom me to-day." And that night he tarried also. And that nightthey consulted by what means they might always be together. "Thereis none other counsel," said he, "but that thou strive to learn fromLlew Llaw Gyffes in what manner he will meet his death. And thismust thou do under the semblance of solicitude concerning him."

The next day Gronw sought to depart. "Verily," said she, "I willcounsel thee not to go from me to-day." "At thy instance will I notgo," said he, "albeit, I must say, there is danger that the chief whoowns the palace may return home." "To-morrow," answered she, "will Iindeed permit thee to go forth."

The next day he sought to go, and she hindered him not. "Bemindful," said Gronw, "of what I have said unto thee, and conversewith him fully, and that under the guise of the dalliance of love,and find out by what means he may come to his death."

That night Llew Llaw Gyffes returned to his home. And the day theyspent in discourse, and minstrelsy, and feasting. And at night theywent to rest, and he spoke to Blodeuwedd once, and he spoke to her asecond time. But, for all this, he could not get from her one word."What aileth thee?" said he, "art thou well?" "I was thinking," saidshe, "of that which thou didst never think of concerning me; for Iwas sorrowful as to thy death, lest thou shouldst go sooner than I.""Heaven reward thy care for me," said he, "but until Heaven take me Ishall not easily be slain" "For the sake of Heaven, and for mine,show me how thou mightest be slain. My memory in guarding is betterthan thine." "I will tell thee gladly," said he. "Not easily can Ibe slain, except by a wound. And the spear wherewith I am struckmust be a year in the forming. And nothing must be done towards itexcept during the sacrifice on Sundays." "Is this certain?" askedshe. "It is in truth," he answered. "And I cannot be slain within ahouse, nor without. I cannot be slain on horseback nor on foot.""Verily," said she, "in what manner then canst thou be slain?" "Iwill tell thee," said he. "By making a bath for me by the side of ariver, and by putting a roof over the cauldron, and thatching it welland tightly, and bringing a buck, and putting it beside the cauldron.Then if I place one foot on the buck's back, and the other on theedge of the cauldron, whosoever strikes me thus will cause my death.""Well," said she, "I thank Heaven that it will be easy to avoidthis."

No sooner had she held this discourse than she sent to Gronw Pebyr.Gronw toiled at making the spear, and that day twelvemonth it wasready. And that very day he caused her to be informed thereof.

"Lord," said Blodeuwedd unto Llew, "I have been thinking how it ispossible that what thou didst tell me formerly can be true; wilt thoushow me in what manner thou couldst stand at once upon the edge of acauldron and upon a buck, if I prepare the bath for thee?" "I willshow thee," said he.

Then she sent unto Gronw, and bade him be in ambush on the hill whichis now called Bryn Kyvergyr, on the bank of the river Cynvael. Shecaused also to be collected all the goats that were in the Cantrev,and had them brought to the other side of the river, opposite BrynKyvergyr.

And the next day she spoke thus. "Lord," said she, "I have causedthe roof and the bath to be prepared, and lo! they are ready.""Well," said Llew, "we will go gladly to look at them."

The day after they came and looked at the bath. "Wilt thou go intothe bath, lord?" said she. "Willingly will I go in," he answered.So into the bath he went, and he anointed himself. "Lord," said she,"behold the animals which thou didst speak of as being called bucks.""Well," said he, "cause one of them to be caught and brought here."And the buck was brought. Then Llew rose out of the bath, and put onhis trowsers, and he placed one foot on the edge of the bath and theother on the buck's back.

Thereupon Gronw rose up from the bill which is called Bryn Kyvergyr,and he rested on one knee, and flung the poisoned dart and struck himon the side, so that the shaft started out, but the head of the dartremained in. Then he flew up in the form of an eagle and gave afearful scream. And thenceforth was he no more seen.

As soon as he departed Gronw and Blodeuwedd went together unto thepalace that night. And the next day Gronw arose and took possessionof Ardudwy. And after he had overcome the land, he ruled over it, sothat Ardudwy and Penllyn were both under his sway.

Then these tidings reached Math the son of Mathonwy. And heavinessand grief came upon Math, and much more upon Gwydion than upon him."Lord," said Gwydion, "I shall never rest until I have tidings of mynephew." "Verily," said Math, "may Heaven be thy strength." ThenGwydion set forth and began to go forward. And he went throughGwynedd and Powys to the confines. And when he had done so, he wentinto Arvon, and came to the house of a vassal, in Maenawr Penardd.And he alighted at the house, and stayed there that night. The manof the house and his house-hold came in, and last of all came therethe swineherd. Said the man of the house to the swineherd, "Well,youth, hath thy sow come in to-night?" "She hath," said he, "and isthis instant returned to the pigs." "Where doth this sow go to?"said Gwydion. "Every day, when the sty is opened, she goeth forthand none can catch sight of her, neither is it known whither shegoeth more than if she sank into the earth." "Wilt thou grant untome," said Gwydion, "not to open the sty until I am beside the stywith thee?" "This will I do, right gladly," he answered.

That night they went to rest; and as soon as the swineherd saw thelight of day, he awoke Gwydion. And Gwydion arose and dressedhimself, and went with the swineherd, and stood beside the sty. Thenthe swineherd opened the sty. And as soon as he opened it, beholdshe leaped forth, and set off with great speed. And Gwydion followedher, and she went against the course of a river, and made for abrook, which is now called Nant y Llew. And there she halted andbegan feeding. And Gwydion came under the tree, and looked what itmight be that the sow was feeding on. And he saw that she was eatingputrid flesh and vermin. Then looked he up to the top of the tree,and as he looked he beheld on the top of the tree an eagle, and whenthe eagle shook itself, there fell vermin and putrid flesh from offit, and these the sow devoured. And it seemed to him that the eaglewas Llew. And he sang an Englyn:-

"Oak that grows between the two banks;Darkened is the sky and hill!Shall I not tell him by his wounds,That this is Llew?"

Upon this the eagle came down until he reached the centre of thetree. And Gwydion sang another Englyn:-

"Oak that grows in upland ground,Is it not wetted by the rain?  Has it not been drenchedBy nine score tempests?It bears in its branches Llew Llaw Gyffes!"

Then the eagle came down until he was on the lowest branch of thetree, and thereupon this Englyn did Gwydion sing:-

"Oak that grows beneath the steep;Stately and majestic is its aspect!Shall I not speak it?That Llew will come to my lap?"

And the eagle came down upon Gwydion's knee. And Gwydion struck himwith his magic wand, so that he returned to his own form. No oneever saw a more piteous sight, for he was nothing but skin and bone.

Then he went unto Caer Dathyl, and there were brought unto him goodphysicians that were in Gwynedd, and before the end of the year hewas quite healed.

"Lord," said he unto Math the son of Mathonwy, "it is full time nowthat I have retribution of him by whom I have suffered all this woe.""Truly," said Math, "he will never be able to maintain himself in thepossession of that which is thy right." "Well," said Llew, "thesooner I have my right, the better shall I be pleased."

Then they called together the whole of Gwynedd, and set forth toArdudwy. And Gwydion went on before and proceeded to Mur y Castell.And when Blodeuwedd heard that he was coming, she took her maidenswith her, and fled to the mountain. And they passed through theriver Cynvael, and went towards a court that there was upon themountain, and through fear they could not proceed except with theirfaces looking backwards, so that unawares they fell into the lake.And they were all drowned except Blodeuwedd herself, and her Gwydionovertook. And he said unto her, "I will not slay thee, but I will dounto thee worse than that. For I will turn thee into a bird; andbecause of the shame thou hast done unto Llew Llaw Gyffes, thou shaltnever show thy face in the light of day henceforth; and that throughfear of all the other birds. For it shall be their nature to attackthee, and to chase thee from wheresoever they may find thee. Andthou shalt not lose thy name, but shalt be always called Blodeuwedd."Now Blodeuwedd is an owl in the language of this present time, andfor this reason is the owl hateful unto all birds. And even now theowl is called Blodeuwedd.

Then Gronw Pebyr withdrew unto Penllyn, and he dispatched thence anembassy. And the messengers he sent asked Llew Llaw Gyffes if hewould take land, or domain, or gold, or silver, for the injury he hadreceived. "I will not, by my confession to Heaven," said he."Behold this is the least that I will accept from him; that he cometo the spot where I was when he wounded me with the dart, and that Istand where he did, and that with a dart I take my aim at him. Andthis is the very least that I will accept."

And this was told unto Gronw Pebyr. "Verily," said he, "is itneedful for me to do thus? My faithful warriors, and my household,and my foster-brothers, is there not one among you who will stand theblow in my stead?" "There is not, verily," answered they. Andbecause of their refusal to suffer one stroke for their lord, theyare called the third disloyal tribe even unto this day. "Well," saidhe, "I will meet it."

Then they two went forth to the banks of the river Cynvael, and Gronwstood in the place where Llew Llaw Gyffes was when he struck him, andLlew in the place where Gronw was. Then said Gronw Pebyr unto Llew,"Since it was through the wiles of a woman that I did unto thee as Ihave done, I adjure thee by Heaven to let me place between me and theblow, the slab thou seest yonder on the river's bank." "Verily,"said Llew, "I will not refuse thee this." "Ah," said he, "may Heavenreward thee." So Gronw took the slab and placed it between him andthe blow.

Then Llew flung the dart at him, and it pierced the slab and wentthrough Gronw likewise, so that it pierced through his back. Andthus was Gronw Pebyr slain. And there is still the slab on the bankof the river Cynvael, in Ardudwy, having the hole through it. Andtherefore is it even now called Llech Gronw.

A second time did Llew Llaw Gyffes take possession of the land, andprosperously did he govern it. And, as the story relates, he waslord after this over Gwynedd. And thus ends this portion of theMabinogi.