Y Gododin: A Poem of the Battle of Cattraeth Part 25

{121f} Or "by the commander on his prancing charger." "Llemenig," might be a proper name, for we find that one of "the three free guests of the court of Arthur," was so called. Nevertheless, as it would in that character appear somewhat out of place here, we have chosen the etymological sense in preference.

{121g} "Vym am," i.e. vy mam, as it occurs, though with the addition of am vyrn, in 6.

{121h} The Bard would here pay an indirect compliment to his own gallantry.

{122a} "Bedryolet." Al. "Spears of quartered ash were scattered from his hand."

{122b} "Veinnyell." Al. "veingel," qu. narrow shelter?

{122c} Mygedorth is mentioned by Llywarch Hen,-

"Yn Llongborth gwelais i vygedorth A gwyr yn G.o.dde ammorth A gorvod gwedi gorborth."

In Llongborth I beheld a solemn pile, And men suffering privation, And in a state of subjection after excess of fruition

It is likewise alluded to in the Triads,-

"Cornan, march meibion Elifer Gosgorddfawr, a ddwg arnaw Gwrgi, Peredur, Dunawd Fyr, a Chynfelyn Drwsgl, i edrych ar fygedorth Gwenddoleu yn Arderydd."

Cornan, the horse of the sons of Elifer with the great retinue, carried Gwrgi, Peredur, Dunawd Fyr, and Cynfelyn the stumbler, to see the funeral pile of Gwenddoleu in Arderydd.

"Falsely was it said by Tudlew, That no one's steeds would be overtaken by Marchleu; As he was reared to bring support to all around, Powerful was the stroke of his sword upon the adversary; Eagerly ascended the ashen spear from the grasp of his hand, From the narrow summit of the awful pile." _Gorch. Mael_.

{122d} "Vygu," or "the place where he would suffocate some one."

{122e} Or, "he would cut (lladd, mow) with a blade armfuls of furze."

The furze was for the purpose of supplying the pile.

{122f} When the weather is unsettled in harvest time, the reapers display greater energy and activity during the intervals of sunshine; hence the point of the simile.

{123a} Nothing more is known of this chieftain.

{123b} Or "Isaac," as a proper name.

{123c} "O barth deheu." "Deheu," literally means _the right_, and as the mid-day sun is to the right of a person looking eastward, the word is also taken to signify the south; hence we say "deheudir" for South Wales.

The "parth deheu" in this place must accordingly mean some district south of the scene of action, such as Wales, where Gwyddno and his family resided, would be.

{123d} "Devodeu," manners, customs.

{123e} That is, the ebb and influx of the tide represented the contrary aspects of his character, the mild and the impetuous, which are respectively described in the succeeding lines.

{123f} Al. "_from_ the point of Maddeu."

{123g} If we take this "clawdd" to be the Catrail, we must look for Offer and Maddeu towards the extremity most remote from head quarters, i.e. the fort of Eiddin, (Edinburgh) and it is rather remarkable that, whilst the Catrail is generally supposed to terminate southward at the Peel-fell, some eminent antiquaries have fixed its furthest point at Castle _Over_, where there is a British fort, and others have thought that they could trace it in the _Maiden-way_ near the Roman wall, though it must be confessed that these supposed continuations are by a third party regarded as Roman roads. The similarity between the words Offer and Over is very obvious. Baxter identifies _Over_ with _Oliclavis_, which is naught else but _ol y clawdd_ the extremity of the rampart.

{124a} Al. "There was no young offspring that he cut not to pieces, no aged man that he did not scatter about."

{124b} "Murgreit." The t.i.tle is ascribed by Taliesin to the Deity.

"Trindawd tragywydd A oreu elvydd, A gwedi elvydd, Addav yn gelvydd; A gwedi Adda, Y goreu Eva; Yr Israel bendigaid A oreu _Murgraia_."

The eternal Trinity Made the elements; And after the elements Adam wonderfully; And after Adam He made Eve; The blessed Israel The _mighty Spirit_ made. (Gwawd Gwyr Israel.)

{124c} Gwyddneu or Gwyddno Garanhir, lord of Cantrev y Gwaelod, A.D.

460520. Three poems attributed to him are preserved in the Myvyrian Archaiology. A character mentioned in the Mabinogion, goes by the name of Gwyddneu ab Llwydau.

{124d} Mr. Davies thinks that this warrior was the son of Cunedda, who gave his name to Ceredigion. As Cunedda, however, flourished in the early part of the fifth century, the martial age of his son Ceredig would not well coincide with the date of this poem. There was another Caredig, who succeeded Maelgwn Gwynedd as king of the Britons, about A.D. 590.

{125a} "Lletvegin;" lit. a _domestic animal_. We have another example here of the Bard's favourite practice of contrasting the different qualities of the person whom he celebrates.

{125b} Or "When the appointed time of his departure is at hand," q.d., "gar cyrdd," from "cerdd" a _walk_. The adopted reading, however, is very strongly corroborated by pa.s.sages in other poems, where "cyrdd" is unmistakeably used as the plural of "cerdd," a _song_, e.g.-

"Cyrdd a cherddorion A chathleu englynion."

Songs and minstrels, And Angel's melodies. (Taliesin.)

"Ys cad ffyrdd, ys _car cyrdd_ cyflef."

"He is the roads of battle, he is the friend of harmonious songs."

(Cynddelw.)

"Llary deyrn cedyrn yn cadw gwesti _cyrdd_, _Cerddorion_ gyflochi."

A mild prince of mighty men keeping festivals of songs, And equally protecting the minstrels. (Llygad Gwr.)

"Arddelw cain ffyrdd _cyrdd cyflef_, Urddedig wledig wlad nef."

Claim the splendid paths of harmonious songs, Consecrated governor of the kingdom of heaven. (Bleddyn Vardd.)

{125c} A favourite saying of a person of that name has been preserved in the following triplet;

"A glywaist ti chwedl Ceredig Brenin doeth detholedig?

Pawb a'i droed ar syrthiedig."

Hast thou heard the saying of Ceredig, A wise and select king?

Every one has his foot on the fallen. (Iolo MSS. pp. 259, 664.)

{126a} The other reading "ceiniad" would mean a _minstrel_, which, on the supposition that the chieftain of the present is the same with that of the preceding stanza, would further support the textual construction which we have given there to "car cyrdd," viz. _the friend of song_.

{126b} Al. "gowan," gashing.

{126c} Al. "Crwydyr," perambulated.

{126d} "Cystudd daear," _buried_; "cystudd haiarn," _killed_. See line 128.

{126e} Caradawg Vreichvras, chief elder (pen hynaiv) of Gelliwig in Cornwall. (Triad lxiv. first series.) According to the Triads he was one of the battle knights of the Isle of Britain, and in the Englyn attributed to Arthur he is styled "Pillar of Cymru."

"Tri chadvarchawg Teyrn ynys Prydain: Caradawc Vreiehvras, a Llyr Lluyddawg, a Mael ab Menwaed o Arllechwedd; ac Arthur a gant iddynt hynn o Englyn,