The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) (23 page)

Then Maxen said to Elen Luyddog, ‘I am greatly surprised, lady,’ he said, ‘that it is not for me that your brothers have conquered this city.’

‘Lord emperor,’ she replied, ‘my brothers are the wisest young men in the world. Go over there and ask for the city, and if they control it, you shall have it gladly.’

Then the emperor and Elen went to ask for the city. They told the emperor that conquering the city and giving it to him was a matter to none save the men of the Island of Britain. Then the gates to the city of Rome were opened, and the emperor sat on his throne, and all the Romans paid homage to him. Then the emperor said to Cynan and Gadeon, ‘Noblemen,’ he said, ‘I have gained possession
of all my empire. And I will give you this host to conquer whatever part of the world you wish.’

Then they set off and conquered lands and castles and cities, and they killed all their men, but left the women alive. And so they continued until the young lads who had come with them were greyhaired men, for they had been conquering for such a long time. Then Cynan said to Gadeon his brother, ‘What do you want,’ he said, ‘to stay in this country or to return to your native land?’

He decided to return to his own country, along with many others. But Cynan and another group stayed on to settle there. And they decided to cut out the tongues of the women, lest their own language be corrupted. Because the women and their language were silenced, while the men spoke on, the Britons were called Llydaw men. And after that there have often come, and still do come to the Island of Britain, people speaking that language.
*

And this tale is called The Dream of Maxen Wledig, emperor of Rome. And here it ends.

B
ELI
the Great,
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son of Manogan, had three sons, Lludd and Caswallon and Nyniaw. And according to the story,
*
Llefelys was a fourth son. And after Beli died, the kingdom of the Island of Britain fell into the hands of Lludd, his eldest son, and Lludd ruled it successfully. He renewed the walls of London and encircled it with countless towers. And after that he ordered the citizens to build houses within it so that no kingdom would have buildings or houses like them. And what is more, he was a good warrior, and benevolent and bountiful in giving food and drink to all who sought it. And although he had many forts and cities, he loved this one more than any other, and there he lived for the most part of the year. For that reason it was called Caer Ludd, finally Caer Lundain,
*
and after a foreign people came there it was called Llundain, or Lwndrys.

Best of all his brothers, Lludd loved Llefelys, for he was a wise and prudent man. When Llefelys heard that the king of France had died without leaving an heir, apart from one daughter, and had left the kingdom in her hands, he came to Lludd his brother to ask him for advice and support, not only for his own benefit, but also in an attempt to increase the honour and dignity and status of his people by going to the kingdom of France to seek that maiden as his wife. His brother agreed with him immediately, and Llefelys was pleased with his advice on the matter. And straightaway they prepared ships and filled them with armed knights, and they set out towards France. As soon as they had landed they sent messengers to announce to the noblemen of France the nature of their request. After the noblemen of France and her princes had conferred, the maiden was given to Llefelys and the crown of the kingdom along with her. And after that he ruled the land wisely and prudently and prosperously, as long as he lived.

After a period of time had passed, three plagues
*
fell upon the Island of Britain, the like of which no one in the Islands had seen
before. The first of these was the arrival of a certain people called the Coraniaid.
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And so great was their knowledge that there was no conversation anywhere in the Island that they did not know about, however softly it was spoken, provided the wind carried it. Because of that no harm could be done to them. The second plague was a scream that was heard every May eve
*
above every hearth in the Island of Britain. It pierced people’s hearts and terrified them so much that men lost their colour and their strength, and women miscarried, and young men and maidens lost their senses, and all animals and trees and the earth and the waters were left barren. The third plague was this: however much food and provision might be prepared in the king’s courts, even though it might be a year’s supply of food and drink, none of it was ever consumed except what was enjoyed the very first night. And the first plague was plain and clear, but the other two plagues, no one knew their meaning, and because of that there was more hope of getting rid of the first than there was of the second or the third.

Because of that King Lludd became greatly troubled and anxious, for he did not know how he could get rid of those plagues. He summoned all the nobles of his kingdom, and asked their advice as to what they should do against them. And with the unanimous advice of his nobles, Lludd son of Beli went to Llefelys his brother, king of France, to seek advice from him, for he was a wise man of remarkable counsel. Then they prepared a fleet, and did so in secrecy and silence, in case those people (the Coraniaid) or anyone else should get to know the reason for their mission, apart from the king and his advisers. And when they were ready they went in their fleet, Lludd and those he had selected with him, and they began to sail the seas towards France. When news of that reached Llefelys, since he did not know the reason for his brother’s fleet, he came from the other shore to meet him with a huge fleet. When Lludd saw that, he left all his ships out at sea, apart from one, and in that he went to meet Llefelys who, in another single ship, came forward to meet his brother. And when they met they embraced and greeted each other with brotherly affection.

When Lludd told his brother the reason for his mission, Llefelys said that he already knew why he had come to those parts. Then they conferred as to how they could discuss their business in some other way, so that the wind would not catch their conversation and the
Coraniaid find out what they were saying. And then Llefelys ordered a long horn of bronze to be made, and they spoke together through that horn, but whatever one said to the other through the horn, only hateful, hostile words were heard by the other. And when Llefelys saw that, and how there was a demon obstructing them and creating trouble through the horn, he had wine poured into the horn to wash it, and through the power of the wine the demon was driven out.
*

Once there was no obstacle to their conversation, Llefelys told his brother that he would give him some insects, and that he should keep some of them alive for breeding in case, by chance, that sort of plague came a second time, but he should take some others and crush them in water—that, he affirmed, was effective in destroying the Coraniaid. That is to say, when Lludd returned home to his kingdom he should summon all the people together, his own people and the Coraniaid, to one meeting, on the pretext of making peace between them; and when they were all together, he should take that powerful water and sprinkle it over one and all. And Llefelys assured him that the water would poison the Coraniaid but it would neither kill nor harm any of his own people.

‘The second plague in your land,’ he said, ‘that is a dragon, and a dragon of another foreign people is fighting it and trying to overthrow it, and because of that,’ he said, ‘your dragon gives out a horrible scream. And this is how you can find out about it. When you get home, have the Island measured, its length and breadth, and where you find the exact centre, have that place dug up. And then into that hole put a vat of the best mead that can be made, and a sheet of brocaded silk over the top of the vat, and then you yourself keep watch. And then you will see the dragons fighting
*
in the shape of monstrous animals. But eventually they will rise into the air in the shape of dragons; and finally, when they are exhausted after the fierce and frightful fighting, they will fall onto the sheet in the shape of two little pigs, and make the sheet sink down with them, and drag it to the bottom of the vat, and they will drink all the mead, and after that they will sleep. Then immediately wrap the sheet around them, and in the strongest place you can find in your kingdom, bury them in a stone chest and hide it in the ground, and as long as they are in that secure place, no plague shall come to the Island of Britain
*
from anywhere else.

‘The cause of the third plague,’ he said, ‘is a powerful magician who carries off your food and your drink and your provisions. Through his magic and enchantment he puts everyone to sleep, and for that reason you yourself must stand guard over your feasts and provisions. And so that sleep does not overcome you, have a tub of cold water at hand, and when you feel sleep getting the better of you, step into the tub.’

And then Lludd returned to his country, and without delay he summoned every single one of his own people and the Coraniaid. And he crushed the insects in the water, as Llefelys had taught him, and sprinkled it over one and all. And all the Coraniaid were thus destroyed, without harming any of the Britons.

Some time after that Lludd had the length and breadth of the Island measured, and the central point was found to be in Oxford.
*
He had the ground dug up there, and into that hole he put a vat full of the best mead that could be made, and a sheet of brocaded silk on top of it, and he himself kept watch that night. And as he was watching, he saw the dragons fighting. When they had grown tired and weary, they landed on top of the sheet and pulled it down with them to the bottom of the vat. And when they had drunk the mead, they fell asleep, and while they slept Lludd wrapped the sheet around them, and in the safest place he could find in Eryri he hid them in a stone chest. After that the place was called Dinas Emrys,
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and before that it had been Dinas Ffaraon Dandde. Ffaraon Dandde was one of the Three Chief Officers who Broke his Heart from Sorrow.
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And so ended the tempestuous scream that was in the land.

When he had done that King Lludd had an enormous feast prepared, and when it was ready he had a tub of cold water placed beside him, and he personally stood guard. And as he stood there, armed with weapons, about the third watch of the night, he heard many wonderful songs and all kinds of music, and felt drowsiness forcing him to sleep.
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At that, in case his plan was foiled and he was overcome by sleep, he immersed himself in the water again and again. At last a man of enormous stature, and wearing strong, heavy armour, came in carrying a hamper,
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and as had been his custom he put all the food and drink that had been prepared and provided into the hamper, and made off with it. And nothing amazed Lludd more than that so much could fit into that hamper. With that King Lludd set off after him, and spoke to him in this manner: ‘Stop, stop,’
he said. ‘Although you have inflicted many wrongs and losses before this, you will do so no more, unless your fighting skills show that you are stronger and braver than I.’ And immediately the man placed the hamper on the floor and waited for Lludd to approach. There was violent fighting between them until sparks flew from their weapons. And finally Lludd seized him, and fate saw to it that victory should fall to Lludd as he threw the oppressor to the ground beneath him. Having been conquered by strength and force, the man asked him for mercy.

‘How can I grant you mercy,’ said the king, ‘after all the losses and wrongs you have inflicted on me?’

‘All the losses that I have ever inflicted on you,’ he said, ‘I will restore to the extent I have taken. And I will never do this again, but will be your faithful vassal from now on.’ And the king accepted that from him.

And that is how Lludd freed the Island of Britain of the three plagues. From then until the end of his life, Lludd son of Beli ruled the Island of Britain in peace and prosperity. And this story is called the tale of Lludd and Llefelys. And so it ends.