Apr 16, 2009

The Legend Of Pwyll And Rhiannon (part 2)


He asked what her errand was. She said that her chief quest was to seek out Pwyll. He asked who she was. She said that she was Rhiannon daughter of Heveyth Hen, and that her father was seeking to marry her off against her will. So she ran away, because she was in love with Pwyll only, and would not marry her fathers choice, unless Pwyll rejected her. So Pwyll said that he would marry her. Rhiannon said that Pwyll should pledge to meet her before she was given away to another, and that he should meet her on the same day, in the Twelfth month, at her fathers palace. He said he would keep the date. Whenever Pwyll was asked by others, what he had spoken of with the maiden, he would change the subject.

When the twelfth month came, Pwyll took a hundred knights, and went to the Palace of Heveyth Hen, so that he could marry Rhiannon. There was great joy at his arrival, and he was put in charge of the whole court

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When they went to the feast, Pwyll was seated on one side of Heveyth Hen, and Rhiannon on the other. As they finished the feast, a tall Auburn haired youth came into the hall ...Pwyll asked him to join the table, and the youth said no, that he was a suitor and would finish his errand.

So Pwyll said that he would grant the youth anything that he could to help him with his errand....and asked what he wanted. The youth said, that the lady whom he wanted was Rhiannon, and that he realized that she was to marry Pwyll, but nevertheless Pwyll had given him his word. Rhiannon asked what Pwyll had done, for he just promised her to the man that her father had wanted her to marry before, his name was Gwawl, and he was wealthy and powerful, and because Pwyll had given him his word, she would now have to marry Gwawl. Pwyll said that he would not allow this, but Rhiannon said that he must, but she would make it so that she would never be Gwawl's.

Rhiannon gave Pwyll a small bag and told him to keep it safe, and that she would arrange to marry Gwawl the next Twelfth month, and would prepare a large banquet. Pwyll should come there then and bring a hundred knights with him, but to hide them in the orchard, and come to the palace dressed in rags, carrying the bag. Pwyll should then say that he came in search of food...and Rhiannon would make the bag so that it could be filled with all the food in the palace, but would appear no fuller.

Pwyll was then to say that the bag would never be full until a man of noble birth and power, would press the food into the bag with both his feet and say"enough has been put tin the bag". Rhiannon said that when Gwawl treads on the food in the bag, Pwyll should pull the bag over his head and knot it...then sound his horn to call all the knights to the palace.

So Pwyll told Gwawl that he could have the hand of Rhiannon...and Rhiannon set the date for the feast, the next twelfth month. The next twelfth month came and Gwawl arrived at the palace for his nuptial feast. After the feast had begun, Pwyll came in disguised in his rags and begged for food.....No matter how much food was placed in the bag, it got no fuller. Pwyll told Gwawl as planned, that only a man of noble birth and power could fill the bag by pressing the food into the bag with both his feet, and saying that enough had been placed in the bag. Gwawl did this, and was captured by Pwyll.

Pwyll sounded his horn, threw off his rags, and the knights appeared in the palace. Everyone of his knights struck a blow apon the bag, and asked "what's in the bag?" Pwyll said that there was a badger in the bag. So they played the game of "Badger in the bag" by striking and kicking the bag with their feet and staffs. After this had gone on for a while, Gwawl cried out from inside the bag that he didn't want to be slain in a bag.

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