Three
Exalted Prisoners of the Island of Britain:
Llyr Half-Speech, who was imprisoned by Euroswydd, and the second, Mabon son of
Modron, and third, Gwair son of Geirioedd. And one (Prisoner), who was
more exalted than the three of them. This Exalted Prisoner was Arthur. And it
was the same lad who released him from each of these three prisons- Goreu, son
of Custennin, his cousin.
Three
Fair Princes of the Island of Britain:
Owain son of Urien, Rhun son of Maelgwn, Rhufawn the Radiant son of Dewrarth
Wledig.
Three Frivolous Bards of the Island of Britain:
Arthur, and Cadwallawn son of Cadfan, and Rahawd son of Morgant.
Three Fortunate Concealments of the Island of
Britain:
The Head of Bran the Blessed, son of Llyr, which was concealed in the White
Hill in London, with its face towards France. And as long as it was in the
position in which it was put there, no Saxon Oppression would ever come to this
Island; The second Fortunate Concealment: The
Dragons in Dinas Emrys, which Lludd son of Beli concealed; And the third: the
Bones of Gwerthefyr the Blessed, in the Chief Ports of this Island. And as long
as they remained in that concealment, no Saxon Oppression would ever come to
this Island. And they were the Three Unfortunate Disclosures when these
were disclosed. And Gwrtheyrn the Thin disclosed the bones of Gwerthefyr the
Blessed for the love of a woman. That was Ronnwen
the pagan woman; And it was he who disclosed the Dragons; And
Arthur disclosed the Head of Bran the Blessed from the White Hill, because it
did not seem right to him that this Island should be defended by the strength of
anyone, but by his own.
Three Horses who carried the Three
Horse-Burdens:
Black Moro, horse of Elidir Mwynfawr, who carried on his back seven and a
half people from Penllech in the North to Penllech in Môn. These
were the seven people: Elidir Mwynfawr, and Eurgain his wife, daughter of
Maelgwn Gwynedd, and Gwyn Good Companion, and Gwyn Good Distributor, and Mynach
Naomon his counsellor, and Prydelaw the Cupbearer, his butler, and Silver Staff
his servant, and Gelbeinevin his cook, who swam with his two hands to the
horse's crupper - and that was the half-person. Corvan, horse of the sons of
Eliffer, bore the second Horse-Burden: he carried on his back Gwrgi and Peredur
and Dunawd the Stout and Cynfelyn the Leprous(?), to look upon the battle-fog of
(the host of) Gwenddolau (in) Ar(f)derydd. And no one overtook him but Dinogad
son of Cynan Garwyn, (riding) upon Swift Roan, and he won censure and dishonour
from then till this day. Heith, horse of the sons of Gwerthmwl Wledig, bore the
third Horse-Burden: he carried Gweir and Gleis and Archanad up the hill of
Maelawr in Ceredigion to avenge their father.
Three Roving Fleets of the Island of Britain:
The Fleet of Llawr son of Eiryf, and the Fleet of Divwng son of Alan, and
the Fleet of Solor son of Murthach.
Three Harmful Blows of the Island of Britain:
The first of them Matholwch the Irishman struck upon Branwen daughter of
Llyr; The second Gwenhwyfach struck upon Gwenhwyfar: and for that cause there
took place afterwards the Action of the Battle of Camlan; And the third Golydan
the Poet struck upon Cadwaladr the Blessed.
Three Unrestrained Ravagings of the Island of
Britain:
The first of them when Medrawd came to Arthur's Court at Celliwig in
Cornwall; he left neither food nor drink in the court that he did not consume.
And he dragged Gwenhwyfar from her royal chair, and then he struck a blow upon
her; The second Unrestrained Ravaging when Arthur
came to Medrawd's court. He left neither food nor drink in the court; And
the third Unrestrained Ravaging when Aeddan the Wily came to the court of
Rhydderch the Generous at Alclud [Dumbarton]; he left neither food nor drink nor
beast alive.
Three Quests that were obtained from Powys:
The first of them is the fetching of Myngan from Meigen to Llansilin, by
nine the next morning, to receive privileges from Cadwallawn the Blessed, after
the slaying of Ieuaf and Griffri; The second is the fetching of Griffri to Bryn
Griffri before the following morning, to attack Edwin; The third is the fetching
of Hywel son of Ieuaf to Ceredigiawn from the Rock of Gwynedd to fight with (on
the side of?) Ieuaf and Iago in that battle.
These Are the Noble Triads:
Three
Great Queens of Arthur:
Gwennhwyfar daughter of Cywryd Gwent, and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son
of Greidiawl, and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran the Giant.
Three Amazons of the Island of Britain:
The first of them, Llewei daughter of Seitwed, and Rore(i) daughter of Usber,
and Mederei Badellfawr.
Three Noble Retinues of the Island of Britain:
The Retinue of Mynyddawg at Catraeth, and the Retinue of Dreon the Brave at
the Dyke of Ar(f)dery(dd), and the third, the Retinue of Belyn of Llyn (in)
Erethlyn in Rhos.
Three Great Enchantments of the Island of
Britain:
The Enchantment of Math son of Mathonwy which he taught to Gwydion son of Dôn,
and the Enchantment of Uthyr Pendragon which he taught to Menw son of Teirgwaedd,
and the Enchantment of Rudlwm the Dwarf which he taught to Coll son of Collfrewy
his nephew.
Three Chief Officers of the Island of Britain:
Gwydar son of Rhun song of Beli; and Cawrdaf son of Caradawg; and Owain son
of Maxen Wledig.
Three Well-Endowed Men of the Island of Britain:
Rhiwallawn Broom-hair, and Gwal(chmai) son of Gwyar, and Llachau son
of Arthur.
Three Unfortunate Counsels of the Island of
Britain:
To give place for their horses' fore-feet on the land to Julius Caesar and
the men of Rome, in requital for Meinlas; and the second: to allow Horsa and
Hengist and Rhonwen into this Island; and the third: the three-fold dividing by
Arthur of his men with Medrawd at Camlan.
Three Diademed Men of the Island of Britain:
Gweir son of Gwystyl, and Cei son of Cynyr, and Drystan son of Tallwch.
Three Red Ravagers of the Island of Britain:
Rhun son of Beli, and Lleu Skilful Hand, and Morgant the Wealthy. But
there was one who was a Red Ravager greater than all three: Arthur was his name.
For a year neither grass nor plants used to spring up where one of the three
would walk; but where Arthur went, not for seven years.
Three Seafarers of the Island of Britain:
Geraint son of Erbin, and Gwenwynwyn son of Naf, and March son of
Meirchiawn.
Three Chieftains of Arthur's Court:
Gobrwy son of Echel Mighty-Thigh, and Ffleudur Fflam son of Godo, and
Caedrieith son of Seidi.
Three Bull-Chieftains of the Island of Britain:
Adaon son of Taliesin, and Cynhafal son of Argad, and Elinwy son of Cadegr.
Three Chieftains of Deira and Bernicia, and the
Three were Sons of a Bard:
Gall son of Disgyfdawd, and Ysgafnell son of Disgyfdawd, and Diffydell son
of Disgyfdawd.
These
Three performed the Three Fortunate Assassinations:
Gall son of Dysgyfdawd who slew the Two Birds of Gwenddolau. And they had a
yoke of gold on them. Two corpses of the Cymry they ate for their dinner, and
two for their supper; And Ysgafnell son of Dysgyfdawd, who slew Edelfled king of
Lloegr; And Diffydell son of Dysgyfdawd who slew Gwrgi Garwlwyd ('Rough Grey').
That Gwrgi used to make a corpse of one of the Cymry every day, and two on each
Saturday so as not to slay on Sunday.
Three Savage Men of the Island of Britain, who
performed the Three Unfortunate Assassinations:
Llofan Llaw Ddifro who slew Urien son of Cynfarch; Llongad Grwm Fargod Eidyn
who slew Afaon son of Taliesin; and Heiden son of Efengad who slew Aneirin of
Flowing Verse, daughter of Teyrnbeirdd--the man who used to give a hundred kine
every Saturday in a bath-tub to Talhaearn. And he struck her with a woodhatchet
on the head. And that was one of the Three Hatchet-Blows. The second (was) a
woodcutter of Aberffraw who struck Golydan with a hatchet, on the head. And the
third, one of his own men struck upon Iago, son of Beli, with a hatchet, on the
head.
Three
Battle-Leaders of the Island of Britain:
Selyf son of Cynan Garrwyn, and Urien son of Cynfarch, and Afaon son of
Taliesin. This is why they were called battle-leaders: because they avenged
their wrongs from their graves. [?]
Three Pillars of Battle of the Island of
Britain:
Dunawd son of Pabo Pillar of Britain, and Gwallawg son of Lleenawg, and
Cynfelyn the Leprous.
Three Generous men of the Island of Britain:
Nudd the Generous, son of Senyllt, Mordaf the Generous, son of Serwan, and
Rhydderch the Generous, son of Tudwal Tudglyd.
Three Brave Men of the Island of Britain:
Gruddnei, and Henben, and Edenawg. They would not return from battle except
on their biers. And those were three sons of Gleissiar of the North, by
Haearnwedd the Wily their mother.
Three Arrogant Men of the Isle of Britain:
Gwibei the Arrogant, and Sawyl High-Chief, and Arnuawn Penyr the Arrogant.
Three Prostrate Chieftains of the Island of
Britain:
Llywarch the Old son of Elidir Llydanwyn, and Manawydan son of Llyr
Half-Speech, and Gwgon Gwron son of Peredur son of Eliffer of the Great Retinue.
And this is why those were called 'Prostrate Chieftains': because they would not
seek a dominion, which nobody could deny to them.
Three Enemy-Subduers of the Island of Britain:
Greidiawl Enemy-Subduer son of Envael Adrann, and Gweir of Great Valour, and
Drystan son of Tallwch.
Three Slaughter-Blocks of the Island of Britain:
Gilbert son of Cadgyffro, and Morfran son of Tegid, and Gwgawn Red-Sword.
Three Gate-Keepers at the Action of Bangor
Orchard:
Gwgon Red Sword, and Madawg son of Rhun, and Gwiawn son of Cyndrwyn. And
three others on the side of Lloegr:
Hawystyl the Arrogant, and Gwaetcym Herwuden, and Gwiner.
Three Golden Corpses of the Island of Britain:
Madawg son of Brwyn, and Cengan Peilliawg, and Rhu(f)awn the Radiant son of
Gwyddno.
Three Fettered War-Bands of the Islands of
Britain:
The War-Band of Cadwallawn Long-Arm, who each one put the fetters of their
horses on their (own) feet, when fighting with Serygei the Irishman at the
Irishmens' Rocks in Môn; And the second, the War-Band of Rhiwallawn son of
Urien when fighting with the Saxons; And the third, the War-Band of Belyn of
Llyn when fighting with Edwin at Bryn Edwin in Rhos.
Three Faithful War-Bands of the Island of
Britain:
The War-Band of Cadwallawn, when they were fettered; and the War-Band of
Gafran son of Aeddan, at the time of his complete disappearance; and the
War-Band of Gwenddolau son of Ceidiaw at Ar(f)derydd, who continued the battle
for a fortnight and a month after their lord was slain. The number of each one
of the War-Bands was twenty-one hundred men.
Three Faithless War-Bands of the Islands of
Britain:
The War-Band of Goronwy the Radiant of (Penllyn), who refused to receive the
poisoned spear from Lleu Skilful-Hand on behalf of their lord, at the Stone of
Goronwy at the head of the Cynfal; and the War-Band of Gwrgi and Peredur, who
abandoned their lord at Caer Greu, when they had an appointment to fight the
next day with Eda Great-Knee; and there they were both slain; And the War-Band
of Alan Fyrgan, who turned away from him by night, and let him go with his
servants to Camlan. And there he was slain.
Three Fettered Men of the Island of Britain:
Cadwaladr the Blessed, and Rhun son of Maelgwn, and Rhiwallawn Broom-Hair.
And this is why those men were called Fettered: because horses could not be
obtained that were suited to them, owing to their size; so they put fetters of
gold around the small of their legs, on the cruppers of their horses, behind
their backs; and two golden plates under their knees, and because of this the
knee is called 'knee-pan'.)
Three Bull-Spectres of the Island of Britain:
Three Spectre of Gwidawl, and the Spectre of Llyr Marini, and the Spectre of
Gyrthmwl Wledig.
Three Wild Spectres of the Island of Britain:
The Spectre of Banawg, and the Spectre of Ednyfedawg the Sprightly, and the
Spectre of Melen.
Three Unrestricted Guests of Arthur's Court, and
Three Wanderers:
Llywarch the Old, and Llemenig, and Heledd.
Three Faithful Women of the Island of Britain:
Arddun wife of Cadgor son of Gorolwyn, and Efeilian wife of Gwydyr the
Heavy, and Emerchred wife of Mabon son of Dewengan.
Three Red-Speared Bards of the Island of
Britain:
Dygynnelw, bard of Owain son of Urien, and Arouan Bard Selen son of Cynan,
and Afan Ferddig, bard of Cadwallawn son of Cadfan.
Three Exalted Prisoners of the Island of
Britain:
Llyr Half-Speech, who was imprisoned by Euroswydd, and the second, Mabon son
of Modron, and third, Gwair son of Geirioedd. And one (Prisoner), who was more
exalted than the three of them, was three nights in prison in Caer Oeth and
Anoeth, and three nights imprisoned by Gwen Pendragon, and three nights in an
enchanted prison under the Stone of Echymeint. This Exalted Prisoner was Arthur.
And it was the same lad who released him from each of these three prisons- Goreu,
son of Custennin, his cousin.
For some reason, the scribe repeats this triad, which was the first after the
account of the Host of Llychlyn. Here, though, the triad is expanded to
include the locations of Arthur's imprisonment. Goreu also appears in
Culhwch and Olwen as the killer of Yspaddaden Penkawr.
These Are the Triads of the Horses:
Three
Bestowed Horses of the Island of Britain:
Meinlas [Slender Grey], horse of Caswallawn son of Beli, Melyngan Gamre
[Pale Yellow of the Stud], horse of Lleu Skilful-Hand, and Lluagor
[Host-Splitter], horse of Caradawg Strong-Arm.
Three Chief Steeds of the Island of Britain:
Tall Black-Tinted, horse of Cynan Garrwyn, and Eager Long Fore-Legs, horse
of Cyhored son of Cynan, and Red... Wolf-Tread, horse of Gilbert son of
Cadgyffro.
Three Plundered Horses of the Island of Britain:
Karnaflawc [Cloven-Hoof], horse of Owain son of Urien, and Long Tongue,
horse of Cadwallawn son of Cadfan, and Bucheslom, horse of Gwgawn of the Red
Sword
Three Lively Steeds of the Island of Britain:
Gwineu Gwdwc Hir [Chestnut Long-neck] horse of Cei, and Grei hourse of
Edwin, and Llwyd [Grey] horse of Alfer son of Maelgwn.
Three Adulterers' Horses of the Island of
Britain:
Fferlas [Grey Fetlock] horse of Dalldaf son of Cunin, and Gwelwgan
Gohoewgein horse of Caradawg son of Gwallawc, and Gwrbrith [Spotted Dun] horse
of Rahawd.
Tri penn uarch ynys brydein dugant y tri
marchlwyth y mae eu henwen dracheuyn.
Is this a mistake of the scribe, leaving the triad incomplete?
Three Powerful Swineherds of the Island of
Britain:
Pryderi son of Pwyll, Lord of Annwfn, tending the swine of Penndaran Dyfed
his foster-father. These swine were the seven animals which Pwyll Lord of Annwfn
brought, and gave them to Penndaran Dyfed his foster-father. And the place where
he used to keep them was in Glyn Cuch in Emlyn. And this is why he was called a
Powerful Swineherd: because no one was able either to deceive or to force him;
and the second, Drystan son of Tallwch, tending the swine of March son of
Meirchyawn, while the swineherd went with a message to Essyllt. Arthur and March
and Cai and Bedwyr were (there) all four, but they did not succeed in getting so
much as one pigling - neither by force, nor by deception, nor by stealth; And
the third, Coll son of Collfrewy, tending the swine of Dallwyr Dallben in Glyn
Dallwyr in Cornwall. And one of the swine was pregnant, Henwen was her name. And
it was prophecied that the Island of Britain would be the worse for the
womb-burden. Then Arthur assembled the army of the Island of Britain, and set
out to seek to destroy her. And then she set off, about to bring forth (?), and
at Penrhyn Awstin in Cornwall she entered the sea, and the Powerful Swineherd
after her. And in the Wheat Field in Gwent she brought forth a grain of wheat
and a bee. And therefore from that day to this the Wheat Field in Gwent is the
best place for wheat and for bees. And at Llonion in Pembroke she brought forth
a grain of barley and a grain of wheat. Therefore, the barley of Llonion is
proverbial. At the Hill of Cyferthwch in Arfon she brought forth a (wolf-cub)
and a young eagle. The wolf was given to (M)ergaed and the eagle to Breat, a
prince of the North: and they were both the worse for them. And at Llanfair in
Arfon under the Black Rock she brought forth a kitten, and the Powerful
Swineherd threw it from the Rock into the sea. And the sons of Palug fostered it
in Môn, to their own harm: and that was Palug's Cat, and it was one of the
Three Great Oppressions of Môn, nurtured therein. The second was Daronwy, and
the third was Edwin, king of Lloegr.
It
is worth noting that this triad is likely the inspiration of Lloyd Alexander's
series The Chronicles of Prydein, an award-winning fantasy series that retells
elements of Welsh legend and myth contained in the Red Book, particularly the
Mabinogi and the triads. Henwen the pig, Coll, Dallben, Gwydion, and Pryderi all
play prominent rolls in the series.
Three Favourites of Arthur's Court, and Three
Battle-Horsemen: they would never endure a PENTEULU over them. And
Arthur sang an ENGLYN:
These are my Three Battle-Horsemen:
and Lludd Llurugawc [of the Breastplate],
and the Pillar of the Cymry, Caradawg.
Three Golden Shoemakers of the Island of
Britain:
Caswallawn son of Beli, when he went to Rome to seek Fflur; and Manawydan
son of Llyr, when the Enchantment was on Dyfed; and Lleu Skilful-Hand, when he
and Gwydion were seeking a name and arms from his mother Ar(i)anrhod.
Three Kings who were (sprung) from Villeins:
Gwriad son of Gwrian in the North, and Cadafel son of Cynfeddw in Gwynedd,
and Hyfaidd son of Bleiddig in Deheubarth.
Three Defilements of the Severn:
Cadwallawn when he went to the Action of Digoll, and the forces of Cymry
with him; and Edwin on the other side, and the forces of Lloegr with him. And
then the Severn was defiled from its source to its mouth; The second, the gift
of Golydan from Einiawn son of Bedd, king of Cornwall; And the third, Calam the
horse of Iddon son of Ner from Maelgwn...
Here
the triads end, according to Rhys and Evans.