Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 24

{116b} Thus in Gorchan Maelderw,-

"There trod not, in G.o.dodin, on the surface of the fosse, When deprived of his sharpened weapon, none more dest.i.tute."

{116c} One reading has "the weapon of death," another, "the death-formed weapon, is broken and motionless."

{116d} If we give an affirmative meaning to the words "angkynnull agkymandull agkysgoget," the couplet might be thus rendered,-

"They a.s.sembled in arms, and in complete array they moved along, And rolled through the mighty horde."

It is observable that Carnhuanawc adopted this affirmative form in a similar pa.s.sage with which "Gorchan Tudvwlch" opens, thus:

"Arv ynghynnull, Yn nghymandull, Twrv yn agwedd; Y rhag meiwedd, Y rhag mawredd, Y rhag madiedd."

They a.s.semble in arms, The forces are marshalled, Tumult approaches: In the van are the warlike, In the van are the n.o.ble, In the van are the good.

And he moreover traces a similarity between this style and that of Tacitus, wherein the latter describes the effects of Galgacus's address upon his British followers;-

"Jamque agmina, et armorum fulgores, audentissimi, cujusque procursu, simul instruebantur acies." (See Hanes Cymru, p. 96.)

{117a} Al. "llawr," "and _prostrate_ the horde of the Lloegrians."

{117b} The Lloegrians were the second "social tribe" that settled in Britain. Their province was that of Lloegyr, by which the Welsh still designate England, (Triads v. ii. first series) though there is reason to believe that it was originally of much smaller extent. The Lloegrians for the most part coalesced with the Saxons, (Triad vii. third series) and grievously hara.s.sed the Cymry in the sixth century.

"Cynddylan, cae di y rhiw, Er yddaw Lloegyrwys heddiw; Amgeledd am un nid gwiw!" (Llywarch Hen.)

Cynddylan, guard thou the cliff, Against any Lloegrians that may come this day; Concern for one should not avail.

{117c} "Ygcynuor," i.e. "yn cynvor." Al. "cynnor," _the entrance_. Al.

"ynghynwr," _in the turmoil_.

{117d} This probably refers to the enemy, who, being pagans, burnt their dead. The fact might have been suggested to the poet's mind, by the name of his hero "Graid," which signifies _heat_.

{117e} Viz. that of Graid.

{117f} The rhyme determines this form, which occurs in 1. In Gorchan Maelderw, we have, instead of Graid the son of Hoewgi, "Braint the son of Bleiddgi."

{118a} "Orwydan," from Gorwydd. Another way of translating these lines would be-

"There was the hero of the two shielded wings, The one with the variegated front; the other of like quality with Prydwen;

which was the name of Arthur's shield;-

"Tarian a gymmerai Arthur ar ei Ysgwydd, yr hon a elwid Prydwen."

A shield did Arthur take upon his shoulder, which was called Prydwen.

(Gr. ab Arthur.)

The supposition that Arthur's shield had already acquired a notable renown is indirectly corroborated by an alleged contemporary poem, "Preiddiau Annwn." (Myv. Arch. vol. i. p. 45) in which his ship of the same name is clearly invested with a similarly extravagant character,-

"Tri lloneid Prydwen ydd aetham ni ar for."

{118b} Al. "in the midst of arms."

{118c} Perhaps scintillations from the clash of arms.

{118d} Occasioned by the brightness of the arms. Al. "Clouded was the dawn, and the sun," Al. "there was misery."

{118e} "_Bud_ e vran," an allusion to the name of _Bud_van.

{119a} An old Adage says,-

"Nac addev dy rin i was."

Reveal not thy secrets to a servant.

{119b} Perhaps buried on the field of battle, where the horses would trample on his grave; or the expression might allude to the mode of his being conveyed by horses to his last resting place.

{119c} "Eleirch," lit. _swans_, but the expression "meirch eilw eleirch," (horses of the colour of swans) in the Maelderw version, seems to favour the translation we have given above.

{119d} Or, "the trappings" of his charger.

{119e} His history is not known.

{120a} That is, he would not cowardly desert his post, and thus leave an opening in the rank.

{120b} During the Christmas festivities, which lasted for twelve days:

"Llon ceiliog a thwylluan Au _deuddeng-nydd_ yn hoean"-Engl. y Misoedd.

On those occasions Bards and minstrels were frequent guests at the halls of the n.o.bility, and their company contributed not a little to the general entertainment. The air "Nos Galan," we may fairly presume, was a favourite at those festivities.

{120c} The word "arvaeth" in this poem seems to have a reference throughout to "arwydd," or _ensign_. Thus we may suppose that Gwenabwy bore the _Dragon_ for his arms, which device conveyed the idea of devastation, rather than that of cultivation.

{120d} The Bard, according to his general custom, is here contrasting the two aspects of his hero's character, the domestic and the martial.

{121a} A person of the name of Gwenabwy is mentioned in the Hoiannau of Merddin.-Myv. Arch. v. i. p. 137.

{121b} Llywarch Hen had a son of the name of Gwen: see his Elegy on Old Age, where he speaks in rapturous terms of the youth's valour.

"Pedwar meib ar ugaint a'm bu, Eurdorchawg, tywysawg llu; Oedd Gwen goreu o naddu," &c.

Four and twenty sons I have had, Wearing the golden chain, leaders of armies; Gwen was the best of them.

{121c} "Mai y _mead y gathleu_." There seems to be a playful allusion in these words to _mewian_ and _cath_, the mewing of a cat.

{121d} "Meirch," suggested by the name "Marchleu."

{121e} Al. "Maenor," stones.