The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) (29 page)

There came to Geraint’s mind the dwarf’s words to him, and he summoned up his strength and raised his sword and struck the knight on the top of his head so that all the armour on his head shatters and all the flesh splits, and the skin, and it pierces the bone and the knight falls on his knees. He throws his sword away and asks Geraint for mercy.

‘And my false pride and arrogance have prevented me from asking
for mercy until it is too late,’ he said, ‘and unless I receive respite to engage with God for my sins and to talk with a priest, I am none the better for being spared.’

‘I shall show you mercy on these conditions,’ he said, ‘that you go to Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s wife, to make amends to her for the insult done to the maiden by the dwarf—I am satisfied with what I have done to you in return for the insult I received from you and your dwarf—and that you do not dismount from the time you leave here until you are in Gwenhwyfar’s presence to make amends to her as will be decided in Arthur’s court.’

‘I will do that gladly. And who are you?’ he said.

‘I am Geraint son of Erbin. And you, too, say who you are.’

‘I am Edern son of Nudd.’
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Then he was thrown on his horse, and he came to Arthur’s court and the woman he loved most riding ahead of him, and his dwarf, amidst loud lamentation.

His story so far.
*

Then the young earl and his men came to Geraint, and greeted him and invited him along to the castle.

‘No,’ said Geraint. ‘Where I stayed last night I will go tonight.’

‘Though you refuse the invitation, you will surely not refuse a plentiful supply of what I can have prepared for you in the place where you stayed last night. And I will arrange a bath for you, and throw off your weariness and exhaustion.’

‘God repay you,’ said Geraint, ‘and I will go to my lodging.’ So Geraint went, and Earl Ynywl
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and his wife and daughter, and when they came to the upstairs storey the young earl’s chamberlains had already arrived at the court with their service and were preparing all the rooms and supplying them with straw and fire. In a short while the bath was ready, and Geraint got into it and his head was washed. Then the young earl arrived, one of forty ordained knights what with his own men and guests from the tournament. Then Geraint got out of the bath and the earl asked him to go to the hall and eat.

‘Where is Earl Ynywl,’ he replied, ‘and his wife and daughter?’

‘They are in the upstairs chamber over there,’ said the earl’s chamberlain, ‘putting on the clothes the earl has had brought to them.’

‘Let the maiden wear nothing but her smock and linen mantle,’ he said, ‘until she gets to Arthur’s court, so that Gwenhwyfar may dress
her in whatever garment she wants’. So the maiden did not get dressed.

Then they all came to the hall and washed and went to sit and eat. This is how they sat: on one side of Geraint sat the young earl and then Earl Ynywl; on the other side of Geraint sat the maiden and her mother; and after that, each one in order of rank. They ate and were served generously, and received an abundance of various dishes. They conversed, and the young earl invited Geraint to be his guest the next day.

‘No, between me and God,’ said Geraint, ‘to Arthur’s court I will go tomorrow with this maiden. And for long enough, I believe, Earl Ynywl has been in poverty and misery, and it is mainly to try and increase maintenance for him that I am going.’

‘Lord,’ said the young earl, ‘it is not through any fault of mine that Ynywl is without land.’

‘By my faith,’ said Geraint, ‘he will not be without the land that is his unless sudden death takes me.’

‘Lord,’ he said, ‘as regards any disagreement that has been between me and Ynywl, I will gladly submit to your advice, since you are impartial between us in respect of what is right.’

‘I do not ask that he be given anything except what he is entitled to,’ said Geraint, ‘together with his various losses, from the time he lost his land until today.’

‘And I agree to that gladly for your sake,’ he said.

‘Good,’ said Geraint. ‘All those here who should be vassals of Ynywl, let them pay him homage here and now.’

All the men did so, and that settlement was agreed upon. His castle and his town and his land were relinquished to Ynywl, and all that he had lost, even the smallest jewel he had lost. Then Ynywl said to Geraint: ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘the maiden you championed on the day of the tournament is ready to do your bidding. And here she is, under your authority.’

‘I want nothing,’ he replied, ‘except that the maiden remain as she is until she comes to Arthur’s court. And I want Arthur and Gwenhwyfar to give the maiden away.’
*
The next day they set out for Arthur’s court.

Geraint’s adventure so far.

Now this is how Arthur hunted the stag: they assigned the hunting stations to the men and the dogs and unleashed the dogs on the stag; and the last dog that was unleashed on it was Arthur’s favourite dog—Cafall
*
was his name. He left all the other dogs behind and caused the stag to turn. On the second turn the stag came to Arthur’s hunting station, and Arthur set upon it, and before anyone could kill it Arthur had cut off its head. Then the horn was sounded announcing the kill, and then they all gathered together. Cadyriaith came to Arthur and said to him, ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘Gwenhwyfar is over there, and she is alone except for one maiden.’

‘Then ask Gildas son of Caw and all the clerics of the court to proceed with Gwenhwyfar to the court,’ said Arthur. That is what they did.

Then they all set off and talked about the stag’s head, to whom it should be given, one wanting to give it to the lady
he
loved best, another to the lady he loved best, and each one of the retinue and the knights quarrelling bitterly over the head. Then they arrived at the court. As soon as Arthur and Gwenhwyfar heard the quarrelling over the head, Gwenhwyfar said to Arthur, ‘Lord,’ she said, ‘this is my advice regarding the stag’s head: do not give it away until Geraint son of Erbin returns from the quest on which he has gone’—and Gwenhwyfar told Arthur the purpose of the quest.

‘Let that be done, gladly,’ said Arthur. They agreed on that.

The next day Gwenhwyfar arranged that watchmen were on the battlements ready for Geraint’s arrival. After midday they could see a hunchback of a little man on a horse, and behind him a woman or a maiden, so they thought, on a horse, and behind her a big, hunched knight, head hanging, dejected and wearing broken armour in poor condition. Before they were near the gate one of the watchmen came to Gwenhwyfar and told her what sort of people they could see and the kind of state they were in.

‘I do not know who they are,’ he said.

‘I do,’ said Gwenhwyfar. ‘That is the knight Geraint went after, and I think it likely that he is not coming of his own free will. And if Geraint caught up with him then he has avenged at least the insult to the maiden.’

Then behold, the gatekeeper came to Gwenhwyfar.

‘Lady,’ he said, ‘there is a knight at the gate, and no one has
ever seen such a terrible sight to gaze upon as he. He is wearing broken armour, in poor condition, with the colour of his blood more conspicuous on it than its own colour.’

‘Do you know who he is?’ she said.

‘I do,’ he replied. ‘He is Edern son of Nudd, so he says; I do not know him myself.’

Then Gwenhwyfar went to the gate to meet him, and in he came. Gwenhwyfar would have been distressed to see the state he was in had he not permitted the dwarf to accompany him, who was so ill-mannered.

Then Edern greeted Gwenhwyfar.

‘May God prosper you,’ she said.

‘Lady,’ he said, ‘greetings to you from Geraint son of Erbin, the best and bravest of men.’

‘Did he confront you?’ she said.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘and not to my advantage. But that was not his fault but mine, lady. And greetings to you from Geraint, and in greeting you he has forced me to come here to do your will for the insult done to your maiden by the dwarf. Geraint himself has forgiven the insult done to him because of what he has done to me, for he thought that my life was in danger. But he placed a firm, bold, brave, warrior-like compulsion upon me to come here and make amends with you, lady.’

‘Alas, sir, where did he catch up with you?’

‘In the place where we were jousting and contending for a sparrowhawk (in the town that is now called Caerdydd). And there was with him by way of retinue only three very poor and shabby-looking people, namely, a very old grey-haired man and an old woman and a beautiful young maiden, all dressed in old, shabby clothes. And because Geraint professed love for the maiden he took part in the tournament for the sparrowhawk, and said that maiden had a better claim to the sparrowhawk than this maiden, who was with me. And because of that we jousted, and he left me, lady, as you now see me.’

‘Sir,’ she said, ‘when do you think Geraint will arrive here?’

‘Tomorrow, lady, I think he will arrive, he and the maiden.’

Then Arthur came to him, and he greeted Arthur.

‘May God prosper you,’ said Arthur. Arthur looked at him for a long time, and was horrified to see him in this state. He thought he recognized him. He asked him, ‘Are you Edern son of Nudd?’

‘Yes, lord,’ he replied, ‘having suffered terrible misery and
unbearable wounds’—and he related the entire unhappy incident to Arthur.

‘Yes,’ said Arthur, ‘it is right for Gwenhwyfar to show you mercy, from what I hear.’

‘Whatever mercy you wish I will show him, lord,’ she said, ‘since it is as great a disgrace to you, lord, for me to be insulted as for you yourself.’

‘Here is what is most fitting as regards the matter,’ said Arthur. ‘Let the man have medical treatment until it is known whether he will live. And if he lives, let him make amends as judged by the noblemen of the court. And take sureties on that. But if he dies, the death of a young man so excellent as Edern will be more than enough as the insult-price
*
of a maiden.’

‘I am happy with that,’ said Gwenhwyfar.

Then Arthur went as guarantor for him, and Caradog son of Llŷr, and Gwallog son of Llennog, and Owain son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai,
*
and many besides that. Arthur had Morgan Tud summoned to him—he was chief of physicians.
*

‘Take along Edern son of Nudd and have a room prepared for him, and prepare medication for him as well as you would prepare for me if I were wounded. And let no one into his room to disturb him other than yourself and your apprentices who will be treating him.’

‘I will do that gladly, lord,’ said Morgan Tud.

Then the steward said, ‘Who should be entrusted, lord, with the care of the maiden?’

‘Gwenhwyfar and her handmaidens,’ he replied. The steward ordered it.

Their story so far.

The next day Geraint came to the court. There were watchmen on the battlements sent by Gwenhwyfar in case he should arrive without warning. The watchman came to Gwenhwyfar.

‘Lady,’ he said, ‘I think I can see Geraint and the maiden with him. And he is on horseback but wearing walking-clothes. The maiden, on the other hand, I see her very white, and wearing something like a linen garment.’

‘Every woman get ready, and come to meet Geraint, to greet him and welcome him.’

Gwenhwyfar went to meet Geraint and the maiden. When Geraint came to Gwenhwyfar, he greeted her.

‘May God prosper you,’ she said, ‘and welcome to you. And you have had a purposeful, profitable, successful, and praiseworthy expedition. And may God repay you,’ she said, ‘for getting justice for me in such a brave manner.’

‘Lady,’ he said, ‘I wanted to obtain justice for you, whatever the cost. And here is the maiden on whose account you have been freed from your disgrace.’

‘Yes,’ said Gwenhwyfar, ‘God’s welcome to her. And it is right for me to welcome her.’

They came inside and dismounted, and Geraint went to Arthur and greeted him.

‘May God be good to you,’ said Arthur, ‘and God’s welcome to you. And even if Edern son of Nudd has suffered grief and injuries at your hands, you have had a successful expedition.’

‘That was not my fault,’ said Geraint, ‘rather it was due to the arrogance of Edern son of Nudd himself for not giving his name. I would not leave him until I found out who he was, or until one of us should overcome the other.’

‘Sir,’ said Arthur, ‘where is the maiden I hear is under your protection?’

‘She has gone with Gwenhwyfar to her room.’

Then Arthur went to see the maiden. And Arthur and his companions and everyone in the entire court welcomed the maiden, and all were certain that if the provision made for the maiden were to match her beauty, they would never see anyone fairer than she.

Arthur gave the maiden to Geraint, and the bond that was made at that time between a couple was made between Geraint and the maiden. The maiden had her choice of all Gwenhwyfar’s garments, and whoever saw the maiden in that chosen garment would see a graceful, fair, and beautiful sight. And that day and that night they spent with plenty of songs and an abundance of dishes and different kinds of drink and numerous games. And when they thought it was time to go to sleep, they went to bed. And in the room where Arthur and Gwenhwyfar had their bed, a bed was made for Geraint and Enid.
*
And that night for the first time they slept together. The next day Arthur satisfied the suppliants on Geraint’s behalf with generous gifts.

The maiden became accustomed to the court, and companions of both men and women were brought to her until no maiden in the Island of Britain was better spoken of than her. Then Gwenhwyfar said, ‘I did the right thing’, she said, ‘concerning the stag’s head, that it should be given to no one until Geraint returned. And this is a fitting occasion to give it to Enid daughter of Ynywl, the most praiseworthy maiden. And I am sure that there is no one who will begrudge it to her, for there is between her and everyone nothing but love and friendship.’

Everyone applauded that, and Arthur too, and the stag’s head was given to Enid. From then on her reputation increased, and because of that she had more companions than before. Meanwhile Geraint from then on loved tournaments and hard combat, and he would return victorious from each one. This lasted for a year and two and three, until his fame had spread over the face of the kingdom.