The Mabinogion Vol. 2 by Sir Owen Morgan Edwards and Lady Charlotte Schreiber (best thriller novels of all time txt) 📕

his head, so that he broke all his head armour, and cut through p. 20all the flesh and the skin, even to the skull, until he wounded the bone.

Then the knight fell upon his knees, and cast his sword from his hand, and besought mercy of Geraint.  “Of a truth,” said he, “I relinquish my overdaring and my pride in craving thy mercy; and unless I have time to commit myself to Heaven for my sins, and to talk with a priest, thy mercy will avail me little.”  “I will grant thee grace upon this condition,” said Geraint, “that thou wilt go to Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur, to do her satisfaction for the insult which her maiden received from thy dwarf.  As to myself, for the insult which I received from thee and thy dwarf, I am content with that which I have done unto thee.  Dismount not from the time thou goest hence until thou comest into the presence of Gwenhwyvar, to make her what atonement shall be adjudged at the Court of Arthur.”  “This will I do gladly.  And who art thou?” said he.  “I am Geraint the son of Erbin.  And declare thou also who thou art.”  “I am Edeyrn the son of Nudd.”  Then he threw himself upon his horse, and went forward to Arthur’s Court, and the lady he loved best went before him and the dwarf, with much lamentation.  And thus far this story up to that time.

* * * * *

Then came the little Earl and his hosts to Geraint, and saluted him, and bade him to his castle.  “I may not go,” said Geraint, “but where I was last night, there will I be to-night also.”  “Since thou wilt none of my inviting, thou shall have abundance of all that I can command for thee, in the place thou wast last night.  And I will order ointment for thee, to recover thee from thy fatigues, and from the weariness that is upon thee.”  “Heaven reward thee,” said Geraint, p. 21“and I will go to my lodging.”  And thus went Geraint, and Earl Ynywl, and his wife, and his daughter.  And when they reached the chamber, the household servants and attendants of the young Earl had arrived at the Court, and they arranged all the houses, dressing them with straw and with fire; and in a short time the ointment was ready, and Geraint came there, and they washed his head.  Then came the young Earl, with forty honourable knights from among his attendants, and those who were bidden to the tournament.  And Geraint came from the anointing.  And the Earl asked him to go to the hall to eat.  “Where is the Earl Ynywl,” said Geraint, “and his wife, and his daughter?”  “They are in the chamber yonder,” said the Earl’s chamberlain, “arraying themselves in garments which the Earl has caused to be brought for them.”  “Let not the damsel array herself,” said he, “except in her vest and her veil, until she come to the Court of Arthur, to be clad by Gwenhwyvar, in such garments as she may choose.”  So the maiden did not array herself.

Then they all entered the hall, and they washed, and went, and sat down to meat.  And thus were they seated.  On one side of Geraint sat the young Earl, and Earl Ynywl beyond him; and on the other side of Geraint was the maiden and her mother.  And after these all sat according to their precedence in honour.  And they ate.  And they were served abundantly, and they received a profusion of divers kind of gifts.  Then they conversed together.  And the young Earl invited Geraint to visit him next day.  “I will not, by Heaven,” said Geraint.  “To the Court of Arthur will I go with this maiden to-morrow.  And it is enough for me, as long as Earl Ynywl is in p. 22poverty and trouble; and I go chiefly to seek to add to his maintenance.”  “Ah, chieftain,” said the young Earl, “it is not by my fault that Earl Ynywl is without his possessions.”  “By my faith,” said Geraint, “he shall not remain without them, unless death quickly takes me hence.”  “Oh, chieftain,” said he, “with regard to the disagreement between me and Ynywl, I will gladly abide by thy counsel, and agree to what thou mayest judge right between us.” [22]  “I but ask thee,” said Geraint, “to restore to him what is his, and what he should have received from the time he lost his possessions, even until this day.”  “That will I do gladly, for thee,” answered he.  “Then,” said Geraint, “whosoever is here who owes homage to Ynywl, let him come forward, and perform it on the spot.”  And all the men did so.  And by that treaty they abided.  And his castle, and his town, and all his possessions, were restored to Ynywl.  And he received back all that he had lost, even to the smallest jewel.

Then spoke Earl Ynywl to Geraint.  “Chieftain,” said he “behold the maiden for whom thou didst challenge at the tournament, I bestow her upon thee.”  “She shall go with me,” said Geraint, “to the Court of Arthur; and Arthur and Gwenhwyvar, they shall dispose of her as they will.”  And the next day they proceeded to Arthur’s Court.  So far concerning Geraint.

* * * * *

Now, this is how Arthur hunted the stag.  The men and the dogs were divided into hunting parties, and the dogs were let loose upon the stag.  And the last dog that was let loose was the favourite dog of p. 23Arthur.  Cavall was his name.  And he left all the other dogs behind him, and turned the stag.  And at the second turn, the stag came towards the hunting party of Arthur.  And Arthur set upon him.  And before he could be slain by any other, Arthur cut off his head.  Then they sounded the death horn for slaying, and they all gathered round.

Then came Kadyrieith to Arthur, and spoke to him.  “Lord,” said he, “behold yonder is Gwenhwyvar, and none with her save only one maiden.”  “Command Gildas the son of Caw, and all the scholars of the Court,” said Arthur, “to attend Gwenhwyvar to the palace.”  And they did so.

Then they all set forth, holding converse together concerning the head of the stag, to whom it should be given.  One wished that it should be given to the lady best beloved by him, and another to the lady whom he loved best.  And all they of the household and the knights disputed sharply concerning the head.  And with that they came to the palace.  And when Arthur and Gwenhwyvar heard them disputing about the head of the stag, Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, “My lord, this is my counsel concerning the stag’s head; let it not be given away until Geraint the son of Erbin shall return from the errand he is upon.”  And Gwenhwyvar told Arthur what that errand was.  “Right gladly shall it be so,” said Arthur.  And thus it was settled.  And the next day Gwenhwyvar caused a watch to be set upon the ramparts for Geraint’s coming.  And after mid-day they beheld an unshapely little man upon a horse, and after him, as they supposed, a dame or a damsel, also on horseback, and after her a knight of large stature, bowed down, and hanging his head low and sorrowfully, and clad in broken and worthless armour.

p. 24And before they came near to the gate, one of the watch went to Gwenhwyvar, and told her what kind of people they saw, and what aspect they bore.  “I know not who they are,” said he.  “But I know,” said Gwenhwyvar, “this is the knight whom Geraint pursued, and methinks that he comes not here by his own free will.  But Geraint has overtaken him, and avenged the insult to the maiden to the uttermost.”  And thereupon, behold a porter came to the spot where Gwenhwyvar was.  “Lady,” said he, “at the gate there is a knight, and I saw never a man of so pitiful an aspect to look upon as he.  Miserable and broken is the armour that he wears, and the hue of blood is more conspicuous upon it than its own colour.”  “Knowest thou his name?” said she.  “I do,” said he, “he tells me that he is Edeyrn the son of Nudd.”  Then she replied, “I know him not.”

So Gwenhwyvar went to the gate to meet him, and he entered.  And Gwenhwyvar was sorry when she saw the condition he was in, even though he was accompanied by the churlish dwarf.  Then Edeyrn saluted Gwenhwyvar.  “Heaven protect thee,” said she.  “Lady,” said he, “Geraint the son of Erbin, thy best and most valiant servant, greets thee.”  “Did he meet with thee?” she asked.  “Yes,” said he, “and it was not to my advantage; and that was not his fault, but mine, Lady.  And Geraint greets thee well; and in greeting thee he compelled me to come hither to do thy pleasure for the insult which thy maiden received from the dwarf.  He forgives the insult to himself, in consideration of his having put me in peril of my life.  And he imposed on me a condition, manly, and honourable, and warrior-like, which was to do thee justice, Lady.”  “Now, where did he overtake thee?”  “At the place where we were p. 25jousting, and contending for the Sparrow-Hawk, in the town which is now called Cardiff.  And there were none with him, save three persons, of a mean and tattered condition.  And these were an aged, hoary-headed man and a woman advanced in years, and a fair young maiden, clad in worn-out garments.  And it was for the avouchment of the love of that maiden that Geraint jousted for the Sparrow-Hawk at the tournament; for he said that that maiden was better entitled to the Sparrow-Hawk than this maiden who was with me.  And thereupon we encountered each other, and he left me, Lady, as thou seest.”  “Sir,” said she, “when thinkest thou that Geraint will be here?”  “To-morrow, Lady, I think he will be here with the maiden.”

Then Arthur came to him, and he saluted Arthur, and Arthur gazed a long time upon him, and was amazed to see him thus.  And thinking that he knew him, he enquired of him, “Art thou Edeyrn the son of Nudd?”  “I am, Lord,” said he, “and I have met with much trouble, and received wounds unsupportable.”  Then he told Arthur all his adventure.

“Well,” said Arthur, “from what I hear, it behoves Gwenhwyvar to be merciful towards thee.”  “The mercy which thou desirest, Lord,” said she, “will I grant to him, since it is as insulting to thee that an insult should be offered to me as to thyself.”  “Thus will it be best to do,” said Arthur, “let this man have medical care until it be known whether he may live.  And if he live, he shall do such satisfaction as shall be judged best by the men of the Court; and take thou sureties to that effect.  And it he die, too much will be the death of such a youth as Edeyrn for an insult to a maiden.”  “This pleases me,” said Gwenhwyvar.  And Arthur became surety for Edeyrn, p. 26and Caradawc the son of Llyr, Gwallawg the son of Llenawg, and Owain the son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai, and many others with them.  And Arthur caused Morgan Tud to be called to him.  He was the chief physician.  “Take with thee Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and cause a chamber to be prepared for him, and let him have the aid of medicine as thou wouldest do unto myself if I were wounded, and let none into his chamber to molest him, but thyself and thy disciples, to administer to him remedies.”  “I will do so, gladly, Lord,”