Manawyddan son of Llyr

Here is the third branch of Mabinogi. When the seven men of whom we spoke above had buried in Gwynvryn in London the head of Bendigeit Vran, with his face turned towards France, Manawyddan, casting his eyes on the city of London, on his companions, heaved a great sigh and was overcome with great pain and regret.

Manawyddan son of Llyr

 » Almighty God, he cried, woe is me! There is no one who does not have shelter this night, except me!
“Lord,” said Pryderi, “do not let yourself be defeated like this. He's your cousin german who is king of the Isle of Forts. Supposing that he may have been wronged towards you, it must be recognized that you never claimed land or possession; you are one of the three who are a prince without being one.
“Although this man is my cousin,” replied Manawyddan, “it is still rather sad for me to see anyone in place of my brother Bendigeit Vran. I could never be happy in the same home as him.
– Do you want to take some advice?
– I have great need of it; what is this advice?
– Seven cantrevs were left to me as an inheritance; my mother Rhiannon lives there. I will give it to you and with it the seven cantrevs. Don't worry if you don't have any other possessions; there are no better ones in the world. My wife is Kicva, the daughter of Gwynn Gohoyw. The estates will be in my name, but you and Rhiannon will have the use of them. If you ever wanted domains of your own, you could take those.
– No, never, lord: God restore your brotherhood to you!
– If you want, all the friendship I am capable of will be for you.
– I accept, my soul: God returns it to you. I will go with you to see Rhiannon and your states.
- You're right; I don't think you've ever heard a woman talk better than her. At the time when she was in the flower of youth, there was none more perfect, and even now her face will no longer displease you. “ 

They set out immediately, and, however long their journey had been, they arrived in Dyvet. They found a feast prepared for them on arriving at Arberth; it was Rhiannon and Kicva who organized it. They all sat down at the table together and Manawyddan and Rhiannon talked. This interview inspired him with tender feelings for her and he was happy to think that he had never seen a more beautiful or more accomplished woman. » Pryderi, he said, I will comply with your words.
– What words? Rhiannon asked.
– Princess, replied Pryderi, I gave you as a wife to Manawyddan son of Llyr.
“I will obey with pleasure,” said Rhiannon.
“And me too,” said Manawyddan. God rewards the one who shows me such solid friendship. »
Before the banquet was over, he slept with her. »Enjoy, said Pryderi, what remains of the feast. I went to pay my homage to Kasswallawn, son of Beli, in Lloegyr.
“Lord,” replied Rhiannon, “Kasswallawn is in Kent. You can finish this banquet and wait until it is closer.
“So we’ll wait,” he said.

They finished the banquet and began to make their rounds of Dyvet, to hunt, to take their pleasure. As they traveled across the country, they noticed that they had never seen a more inhabited country, a better hunting country, better provided with honey and fish. Their friendship between the four of them grew to such an extent that they could not do without each other day or night.

In the meantime, Pryderi went to pay his respects to Kasswallawn at Ryt-ychen. He received an excellent welcome there and people were grateful to him for his tribute. When he returned, he and Manawyddan returned to feasting and relaxing. The feast began at Arberth; it was the main courtyard and it was always with it that every ceremony began. After the first meal that evening, while the servants were eating, the four of them went out and went with their retinue to the Mound of Arberth. As they sat there, a loud clap of thunder was heard, followed by a cloud so thick that they could not see each other. The cloud dissipated and everything became clearer around them. When they cast their eyes on this countryside where previously one saw herds, wealth, dwellings, everything had disappeared, house, cattle, smoke, men, dwellings; All that remained were the houses in the courtyard, empty, without a human creature, without an animal. Their very companions had disappeared without a trace; only the four of them remained. " Oh ! Lord God! cried Manawyddan, “where are the people of the court? Where are all our other companions? Lets go see. “ 

They went to the room: no one; in the room and dormitory: no one; in the mead cellar, in the kitchen: everything was deserted. The four of them began to continue the feast, to hunt, to enjoy themselves. Each of them searched the country and estates to see if they would find houses and inhabited places, but they saw nothing but wild animals. The feast and the provisions exhausted, they began to feed on game, fish, and wild honey. They spent the first year happily, then a second, but eventually food began to run out. “We cannot, indeed,” said Manawyddan, “remain thus. Let's go to England and look for a job that will allow us to live. “ 

They traveled to England and stopped at Henffordd (Hereford). They gave themselves as saddlers. Manawyddan began to shape pommels and color them enameled blue as he had seen done at Llasar Llaesgygwyd. Like him, he manufactured blue enamel, which was called laser calch from the name of its inventor, Llasar Llaesgygwyd. As long as they were found at Manawyddan, neither tree nor saddle was bought from any saddler in all of Henffordd; so much so that the saddlers noticed that their earnings were greatly diminishing; we only bought anything from them when we could not obtain supplies from Manawyddan. They all gathered together and agreed to kill Manawyddan and his companion. But they were informed of this and decided to leave the city. » By me and God, said Pryderi, I am not of the opinion to leave, but to kill these villains. “ 
– No, replied Manawyddan; If we fought with them, we would get a bad name and be imprisoned. We would do better to seek our sustenance in another city. “ 

The four of them then went to another city. » What profession will we profess? Pryderi said.
“Let us make shields,” replied Manawyddan.
– But do we know anything about it?
– We will always try. “ 

They began to make shields; They modeled them on the models they had seen and gave them the same color as the stools. This work was so successful for them that a crown was only bought throughout the city when one could not be found among them. They worked quickly; they made an enormous quantity; They continued until they brought down the trade of the city's workers and the workers conspired to try to kill them. But they were warned; they learned that these people had decided their death. » Pryderi, said Manawyddan, these men want to kill us.
“Let us not put up with such a thing,” he replied, “from these villains; let us march against them and kill them.
– No point; Kaswallawn and his men would learn of it; we would be lost. Let's go to another city. “ 

They arrived in another city.
 » What art shall we take up now? Manawyddan said.
“Whoever you want from those we know,” replied Pryderi.
– No point; let's do some shoemaking. Shoemakers will never have the audacity to try to kill us or create obstacles for us.
– But I don’t know anything about it.
– I know something about it, and I will teach you to sew. Let's not get involved in preparing the leather, let's buy it ready-made and put it to work. » He began to buy the finest cordwal he found in the city; he didn't buy any other leather except for the soles. He joined forces with the best goldsmith in the city; he made him make buckles for the shoes, gilded the buckles, and watched him do it until he had learned it himself. It is because of this that he was nicknamed one of the three goldsmiths and shoemakers. As long as we found shoes at his house, we didn't buy them from any shoemaker in the whole town. The shoemakers recognized that they no longer earned anything. As Manawyddan shaped, Pryderi sewed. The shoemakers met and took counsel; the result of the deliberation was that they agreed to kill them. » Pryderi, said Manawyddan, these people want to kill us.
“Why put up with such a thing,” replied Pryderi, “from these villainous thieves? Let's kill them all.
– No, said Manawyddan; we will not fight with them and we will not stay in England any longer. “Let’s head to Dyvet and look around the country.”

Some time after they were on the road, they arrived in Dyvet and went to Arberth. They lit a fire there, and began to feed on game; they spent a month like this. They gathered their dogs around them and lived like this for a year. One morning Pryderi and Manawyddan got up to go hunting; they prepared their dogs and left the yard. Some of their dogs went ahead and came to a small bush next to them. But they had barely gone to the bush when they immediately backed away, their hair standing on end, and returned to their masters. "Let's approach the bush," said Pryderi, "to see what there is." “ 

They headed in that direction, but when they were near, suddenly a dazzling white boar rose from the bush. The dogs, excited by the men, rushed at him. He left the bush and backed away some distance from the men. Until the men were near him, he returned the dogs to bay without retreating from them. When the men pressed him closely, he backed away a second time and broke through. They thus pursued the boar until they came within sight of a very high fort, appearing newly built, in a place where they had never seen either stone or trace of work. The boar moved quickly towards the fort, the dogs following him. When the wild boar and the dogs had disappeared inside, they were surprised to find a fort where they had never seen a trace of construction. From the top of the mound they looked and listened, but no matter how much they waited, they did not hear a single dog and saw no trace of it. "Sir," said Pryderi, "I'm going to the castle to find news of the dogs.
“It's not a good idea,” replied Manawyddan, “to go to that castle you've never seen. If you want to listen to me, you won't. It is the same one who cast charm and enchantment on the country which made this castle appear in this place.
– Certainly, I will not abandon my dogs. » said Pryderi. Despite all Manawyddan's advice, he went to the castle. He entered and saw neither man, nor animal, nor wild boar, nor dogs, nor house, nor inhabited place. On the ground towards the middle of the fort there was a fountain surrounded by marble, and on the edge of the fountain, resting on a marble slab, a golden cup attached by chains which reached into the air and the end of which he did not see. He was transported by the brilliance of the gold and the excellence of the work of the cup. He approached it and grabbed it. At the same moment, his two hands attached themselves to the cup and his two feet to the marble slab which supported it. He lost his voice and was unable to utter a word. He remained in this situation.

Manawyddan waited until near the end of the day. When nuns' time drew to a close and he was sure that he had no news to expect from Pryderi or the dogs, he returned to court. When he returned, Rhiannon looked at him: “Where is your companion? she says. Where are the dogs?
– This is the adventure that happened to me. “, he replied. And he told her everything.
 » Truly, said Rhiannon, you are a bad comrade and you have lost a very good one! » Saying these words, she went out. She headed towards the area where he had told her Pryderi and the fort were located. The door was open; everything was there in broad daylight. She entered. As she entered, she saw Pryderi with his hands on the cup. She went to him: “Oh! Lord, she said, what are you doing here? » And she took the cup. Immediately, his two hands clung to the cup, his two feet to the slab, and it was impossible for him to utter a word. Then, as soon as it was dark, a clap of thunder was heard, followed by a thick cloud, and the fort and they themselves disappeared.

Kicva, daughter of Gwynn Gohoyw, seeing that only she and Manawyddan remained in the court, felt so much pain that death seemed preferable to her. the life. Seeing this, Manawyddan said to him: “You are certainly wrong, yes. it is through fear of me that you are so affected; I give you God as a guarantee that I will be for you the safest companion you have ever seen, as long as it pleases God to prolong this situation for you. By me and God, I would be in early youth that I would keep my loyalty to Pryderi. I'll keep it for you too. Don't have the slightest fear. My society will be such as you wish, as much as it is in my power, as long as it pleases God to leave us in this painful situation and this affliction.
“God bless you,” she replied; That’s what I assumed.” The young woman felt joy and confidence.
 » Truly, said Manawyddan, this is not the time for us to stay here: we have lost our possessions, it is impossible for us to have our subsistence. Let's go to England, we will find it easier to live there.
“Gladly, lord,” she replied; Let’s follow your idea.”

They walked to England. » What profession will you profess, lord? she says. Get a clean one.
– I will not take any other, he replied, than shoemaking as I did before.
– Lord, this is not a profession clean enough for a man as skillful and of such high status as you.
– However, that’s the one I’ll go for. » He began to practice his profession; he used for his work the finest cordwal he found in the city. Then, as they had done elsewhere, they began to fasten the shoes with golden buckles; so much so that the work of the town's shoemakers was useless or of little value compared to his own. As long as we found shoes or boots at his place, we didn't buy anything from others. At the end of a year of this existence, the shoemakers were moved by jealousy and evil designs against him; but he was warned and informed that the shoemakers had agreed to kill him: “Lord,” said Kicva, “why put up with such a thing from these villains?
“Let us leave,” replied Manawyddan, “and return to Dyvet. » They left for Dyvet.

When he left, Manawyddan took with him a bundle of wheat. He went to Arberth and settled there. He had no greater pleasure than to see Arberth and the places where he had been hunting with Pryderi and Rhiannon. He got used to taking fish and wild animals into their shelter. Then he began to plow the land, then he sowed a plot, then a second, then a third. He soon saw the best wheat in the world arise and the wheat of his three fields grow in the same way; it was impossible to see more beautiful wheat. The various seasons of the year passed; autumn arrived. He went to see one of his farms: it was ripe. “I’ll harvest that one tomorrow,” he said. He returned to spend the night at Arberth, and at daybreak he set out to harvest his field. When he arrived, he found only bare straw; everything was torn from the place where the stem develops into a spike; the ear was completely removed, only the stubble remained. He was greatly surprised and went to see another enclosure: that one was also ripe. “Surely,” he said, “I will come and harvest this tomorrow.”

The next day, he returned with the intention of harvesting there: when he arrived, he found only bare stubble. » Lord God, he cried, who is thus to complete my ruin? I guess it: it is the one who started who completes both my downfall and that of the country.” He went to see the third enclosure; it was impossible to see more beautiful wheat, and this one too was ripe.
 " Shame on me, he said, if I don't stay up tonight. The one who removed the other wheat will come and remove this one too, I will know who it is. » He warns Kicva. » What do you intend to do? she says.
“Watch this place tonight,” he replied. He went there.

Around midnight, he heard the loudest noise in the world. He looked: it was a troop of mice, the largest in the world, arriving; it was impossible to count them or estimate their number. Before he could realize it, they rushed into the enclosure; each climbed up a stalk, lowered it with her, broke off the ear and rushed with it outside, leaving the stubble bare. He did not see a stalk that was not attacked by a mouse and the ear of which they did not take with them. Driven by fury and spite, he began to strike among the mice, but he did not hit any of them, as if he were dealing with midges or birds in the air. He noticed one that looked very heavy, to the point that she seemed incapable of walking. He followed her, seized her, put her in his glove, the ends of which he tied with a string, and went with the glove to the court.

He entered the room where Kicva was, lit a fire and hung the glove by the string on a stand. »What is there, lord? said Kicva.
“A thief,” he replied, “whom I caught stealing from me.”
– What kind of thief, lord, could you put in your glove like this?
– Here's the whole story. » And he told him how his enclosures had been spoiled and ruined, and how the mice had invaded the last one in his presence. » One of them, he added, was very heavy: it's the one I caught and which is in the glove. I will hang her tomorrow, and, I call God to witness, I would hang them all if I had them.
– Lord, I understand it. But it's not nice to see a man as high, as noble as you, hang a vile animal like that. You better not touch it and let it go.
– Shame on me, if I didn’t hang them all, if I held them. I will always hang the one I took.
– Lord, I have no reason to help this animal; I only wanted to spare you from a less than noble action. Do your will, lord.
– If I knew that you had the slightest reason to help him, princess, I would follow your advice, but, as I do not see any, I have decided to kill him.
– Gladly, do it. “ 

He went to Gorsedd Arberth with the mouse and planted two pitchforks in the highest place on the mound. At that moment, he saw a cleric coming from his side dressed in old clothes of little value, poor. It had been seven years since Manawyddan had seen man or beast, except for the three people with whom he had lived until two more of them had disappeared. » Lord, said the clerk, hello to you.
– God bless you, he replied, you are welcome. Where are you from, clerk?
– I come from England where I went to sing. Why are you asking me?
– Because, for seven years, I have only had four isolated people, and you at the moment.
– Well, Lord, I am now going through this country to my own country. What are you doing, lord?
– To hang a thief whom I caught stealing from me.
– What kind of thief? I see something like a mouse in your hand. It is hardly appropriate for a man of your rank to handle such an animal; leave him alone.
– I will not let him go, through me and God. I caught him stealing from me; I will apply the law of thieves to him and hang him.
– Lord, rather than see a man of your rank accomplish such a task, I will give you a book which I collected while begging; give freedom to this animal.
– I won't do anything with it, and I won't sell it.
– As you wish, lord; If it weren't for not seeing a man of your rank handling such an animal, it would be indifferent to me. » And the clerk walked away.

As he was putting the crosspiece on the forks, he saw a priest coming towards him mounted on a harnessed horse. » Lord, said the priest, hello to you.
– God gives you well, replied Manawyddan; your blessing?
- God bless you. And what are you doing here, lord?
– I hang a thief whom I caught stealing from me.
– What kind of thief is this, lord?
– It’s an animal, a kind of mouse; he stole me; he will have the death of thieves.
– Lord, rather than seeing you handle such an animal, I will buy it from you; leave him alone.
– I testify to God: I will neither sell nor let go of him.
– It is fair to recognize, lord, that it has no value. But, so as not to see you get dirty in contact with this beast, I will give you three books; leave him alone.
– I do not want, through me and God, any compensation for him other than that to which he is entitled: hanging.
– That’s good, lord, do as you please. » The priest took off.

Manawyddan wrapped the string around the mouse's neck. As he began to raise it in the air, he saw a bishop's train with his baggage and his retinue. The bishop was heading towards him. He stopped in his work. » Lord Bishop, he said, your blessing?
“God blesses you,” he replied.
– So what are you doing here?
– I hang a thief whom I caught stealing from me.
– Isn’t that a mouse that I see in your hand?
– Yes, and she stole from me.

– Since I arrive at the moment when it is about to perish, I buy it from you; I will give you seven pounds for her. I don't want to see a man of your rank destroy an animal as insignificant as this one; so let go of him, and the sum is yours.
– I will not let him go, by me and God.
– Since you do not want to release him at this price, I am offering you twenty-four pounds in cash.
– I will not let him go, I call God to witness, for double that.
– Since you don't want to let him go at this price, I'll give you all the horses you see in this field, the seven loads and the seven horses that drag them.
– I refuse, by me and God.
– Since you don’t want it, decide your price yourself.
– I want Rhiannon and Pryderi’s freedom.
- You'll have it.
– It is not enough, by me and God.
– So what do you want?
– May you make the charm and enchantment disappear from above the seven cantrevs.
- I agree; release the mouse.
– I won't let her go until I know who she is.
– She's my wife, and if it weren't for that, I wouldn't try to get her released.
– Why did she come to me like this?

– To plunder. I am Llwyt, son of Kilcoet. It was I who cast the spell on the seven cantrevs of Dyvet, and that out of friendship for Gwawl, son of Clut, and I took revenge on Pryderi for the game of Badger in the bag which Pwyll, chief of Annwn, had done to Gwawl in the court of Eveydd Hen, by bad inspiration. Having learned that you had come to live in the country, the people of my family came to me, and asked me to change them into mice to destroy your wheat. The first night, only my people went there; the second night, the same, and they destroyed the two enclosures. The third night, my wife and the ladies of the court asked me to transform them too. I did it. She was pregnant; otherwise you would not have reached it. Since it is so, and you hold it, I will restore Pryderi and Rhiannon to you; I will rid Dyvet of charm and enchantment. I revealed to you who she was; let go now.

– I will not do it, by me and God.
– So what do you want?
– This is what I want: that there will never be any enchantment, and that no one can cast a spell on Dyvet.
– I grant it; let her go.
– I will do nothing about it, by my faith.
– What else do you want?
– May this never be taken revenge on Pryderi, Rhiannon and me.
– You will have all this, and you have been really well inspired; otherwise, all misfortunes would fall on you.
– Yes, and it is to avoid it that I clarified in this way.
– Release my wife now.
– I will not deliver her, by me and God, until I see Pryderi and Rhiannon free here with me.
– Here they come. “ 

At that moment Pryderi and Rhiannon appeared. Manawyddan went to meet them, greeted them, and they sat down together.
 » Lord, said the bishop, now deliver my wife; Didn't you get everything you said?
- My pleasure. »
And he set her free. The bishop struck her with his enchanted wand, and she became a young woman again, the most beautiful anyone had ever seen.
 “Look at the country around you,” he said, “and you will see the houses and habitations in as good condition as ever. »
He stood up and looked. The whole country was inhabited, provided with its flocks and all its houses.
 » What service were Pryderi and Rhiannon employed in? Manawyddan said.
– Pryderi wore the hammers of the gate to my courtyard around his neck. Rhiannon had the donkeys' halters around her neck after they had gone to carry the hay. This was their captivity. “ 

It is because of this that this story has been called the Mabinogi of Mynnweir and Mynordd.

Thus ends this branch of the Mabinogi.