Part III. Gwydion and Arianrhod

MATH, THE SON OF MATHONWY

III. GWYDION AND ARIANRHOD

A day came when Math, the son of Mathonwy, said to Gwydion, his councillor, "What maiden shall I seek that my feet may be in her lap?" "Lord," said Gwydion, "it is easy to give thee counsel in this matter; seek Arianrhod, the daughter of Don, thy niece, thy sister's daughter."

Then Gwydion brought Arianrhod before him. "Ha, damsel," said Math, "art thou a maiden?" "I know not, Lord, other than I am." He took up his magic wand, and bent it. "Step over this," said he, "and I shall know if thou art a maiden." She stepped over the magic wand. There were born then two children. Math took one and had him baptized. Gwydion took the other and hid him in a chest.

The boy that was baptized, as soon as they baptized him he plunged into the sea. And immediately when he was in the sea, he took its nature, and swam as well as the best fish that was therein. And for that reason was he called Dylan, the Son of Wave. Beneath him no wave ever broke.

As Gwydion lay one morning on his bed awake, he heard a cry in the chest at the foot of his bed; it was not loud, but it was such that he could hear it. He rose in haste, and opened the chest, and when he opened it, he beheld an infant boy stretching out his arms to him. He took up the boy in his arms, and he carried him to a place where he knew there was a woman that could nurse him. That

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year he was nursed by her, and the second year he was a big child and able to go to the court by himself. Gwydion took charge of him, and the boy became familiar with him, and loved him better than anyone else. The boy was reared at the court until he was four years old, when he was as big as though he had been eight.

Now Gwydion with the boy following him came to the castle of Arianrhod. Arianrhod rose up to meet Gwydion, and greeted him, and bade him welcome. "Who is the boy that followeth thee?" she asked. "He is thy son." "Why shouldst thou shame me thus?" said Arianrhod. "What afflicts thee is that thou canst no longer be called a maiden," said Gwydion to her, "but unless thou suffer dishonour greater than that of bringing up a boy like this, small will be thy disgrace." "What name has he?" "As yet he has no name." "Verily," said Arianrhod, "I lay this destiny upon him, that he shall be nameless until he receives a name from me."

The next day Gwydion arose and took the boy with him, and went to walk on the sea-shore. And there he saw sedges and sea-weed, and by his magic and the charms that he made, he turned them into a boat. And out of dry sticks and sedges he made leather, and he coloured the leather in such a way that no one ever saw leather more beautiful than it. He put a sail on the boat, and he had the boy sail with him in it to the port of the castle of Arianrhod. He began forming shoes and stitching them till he was observed from the castle. "What men are those in yonder boat?" said Arianrhod to those who were about her. "They are cordwainers," she was told. "Go, then," said she, "and see what kind of leather they have, and what kind of work they can do."

The messengers came back and told her that the leather that they in the boat had was beautiful, and that no one ever did better work than they did. "Well," said Arianrhod, "take the measure of my foot, and desire the cordwainer to make shoes for me." Gwydion made the shoes for her, yet not according to the measure, but larger. "These are too large," said she, "but he shall receive their value. Let him also make some that are smaller than these." He made others that were much smaller than her foot and sent them to her. "Tell him that these will not go upon my feet," said she. They went and told Gwydion this. "Verily," said he, "I will not make her shoes unless

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[paragraph continues] I see her foot." And this was told to Arianrhod. "Truly," said she, "I will go unto him."

So she went down to the boat, and when she came there Gwydion was shaping shoes and the boy was stitching them. And behold! a wren stood upon the deck of the boat, and the boy shot at it, and bit the wren on the leg between the sinew and the bone. Then Arianrhod smiled. "Verily," said she, "with what a sure hand he shoots the bird." Lleu Llaw Gyffes were the words she uttered. "Lion of the Sure Hand is a good name," said Gwydion, "and you, Arianrhod, have given that name to your son."

Then the work disappeared in sea-weed and sedges. "Well," said Arianrhod, "I will lay this destiny upon the boy, that he shall never have armour nor arms until I invest him with them." "By Heaven," said Gwydion, "let thy malice be what it will, Lleu shall have arms."

He taught the boy until he could manage any horse; Lleu was perfect in features, and strength, and stature. But he languished through the want of arms. "Ah, youth," said Gwydion on a certain day, "we will go to-morrow on an errand together. Be therefore more cheerful than thou hast been." "That I will," said the youth.

Next morning, at the dawn of day, they arose. They went towards the castle of Arianrhod. "Porter," said Gwydion to him who was at the gate, "go thou in and say that there are here bards from Glamorgan." And the porter went in. "The welcome of Heaven be unto them, let them come in," said Arianrhod.

So they entered, and their shapes were not their own, so that Arianrhod did not know them. And in the early twilight Gwydion arose, and he called unto him his magic and his power. And by the time that the day dawned, there resounded through the land uproar, and trumpets, and shouts. When it was now day Gwydion and Lleu heard a knocking at the door of their chamber, and therewith Arianrhod asking that it might be opened. Up rose the youth and opened the door to her, and she entered. "Ah, good men," said she, "in evil plight are we in this castle." "Yes, truly," said Gwydion, "we have heard the trumpets and the shouts." "What can we do," said she, "against those who come against us?" "Lady," said Gwydion, "there is no other counsel than to close the castle upon us, and to

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defend it as best we may." "May Heaven reward you," said Arian. rhod, "and do you defend the castle. Here you have plenty of arms."

And thereupon she went forth for the arms, and she returned with suits of armour for two men with her. "Lady," said Gwydion, "do you arm the youth, and I will arm myself with the help of your maidens. Lo! I hear the tumult of the men approaching." "I will arm the youth gladly." Thereupon she armed Lleu fully, and that right cheerfully. "Hast thou finished arming the youth?" said Gwydion. "I have finished," she answered. "I likewise have finished," said Gwy. dion. "Let us now take off our arms, we have no need of them," "Wherefore?" she asked. "There is no army." "Whence, then, was the tumult?" "The tumult was but to break the prophecy and to obtain arms for this youth, thy son. And now he has got arms without any thanks to thee." "By Heaven," said Arianrhod, "thou, Gwydion, art a wicked man. Many a one might have lost his life through the uproar thou hast caused in this territory to-day. Still I will lay a destiny upon this youth. He shall never a wife of a race that now inhabits this earth." "Verily," said Gwydion, "thou wert ever a malicious woman. But as I have succeeded before, so I shall succeed again, and Lleu, thy son, shall have a wife."