An
army (of assistance) went with Yrp of the Hosts to Llychlyn. And that man came
here in the time of Cadyal of the Blows(?) to ask for a levy from this Island.
And nobody came with him but Mathuthavar his servant. This is what he asked from
the ten-and-twenty Chief Fortresses that there are in this Island: that twice as
many men as went with him to each of them should come away with him (from it).
And to the first Fortress there came only himself and his servant. (And that
proved grievous to the men of this Island.) And they granted it to him. And
that was the most complete levy that ever departed from this Island. And with
those men he conquered the way he went. Those men remained in the two islands
close to the Greek sea: namely, Clas and Avena. And
the second (army) went with Elen of the Hosts and Maxen Wledig to Llychlyn: and
they never returned to this Island. And the third (army) went with Caswallawn
son of Beli, and Gwennwynwyn and Gwanar, sons of Lliaw son of Nwyfre, and
Arianrhod daughter of Beli their mother. And (it was) from Erch and Heledd that
those men came. And they went with Caswallawn their uncle in pursuit of the men
of Caesar from this Island. The place where those
men are is in Gascony. The number that went with
each of (those armies) was twenty-one thousand men. And those were the Three
Silver Hosts of the Island of Britain.
Three
Dishonoured Men who were in the Island of Britain: One of them: Afarwy son of
Lludd son of Beli. He first summoned Julius Caesar
and the men of Rome to this Island, and he caused the payment of three thousand
pounds in money as tribute from this Island every year, because of a quarrel
with Caswallawn his uncle. And the second is Gwrtheyrn [Vortigern] the Thin, who
first gave land to the Saxons in this Island, and was the first to enter into an
alliance with them. He caused the death of Custennin the Younger, son of
Custennin the Blessed, by his treachery, and exiled the two brothers Emrys
Wledig and Uthur Penndragon from this Island to Armorica, and deceitfully took
the crown and the kingdom into his own possession. And in the end Uthur and
Emrys burned Gwrtheyrn in Castell Gwerthrynyawn beside the Wye, in a single
conflagration to avenge their brother. The third
and worst was Medrawd, when Arthur left with him the government of the Island of
Britain, at the same time when he himself went across the sea to oppose Lles [Lucius],
emperor of Rome, who had dispatched messengers to Arthur in Caerleon to demand
(payment of) tribute to him and to the men of Rome, from this Island, in the
measure that it had been paid (from the time of) Caswallawn son of Beli until
the time of Custennin the Blessed, Arthur's grandfather. This
is the answer that Arthur gave to the emperor's messengers: that the men of Rome
had no greater claim to tribute from the men of this Island, than the men of the
Island of Britain had from them. For Bran son of Dyfnwal and Custennin son of
Elen had been emperors in Rome, and they were two men of this Island. And
they Arthur mustered the most select warriors of his kingdom (and led them)
across the sea against the emperor. And they met beyond the mountain of Mynneu
[the Alps], and an untold number was slain on each side that day. And
in the end Arthur encountered the emperor, and Arthur slew him. And Arthur's
best men were slain there. When Medrawd heard that Arthur's host was dispersed,
he turned against Arthur, and the Saxons and the Picts and the Scots united with
him to hold this Island against Arthur. And when
Arthur heard that, he turned back with all that had survived of his army, and
succeeded by violence in landing on this Island in opposition to Medrawd. And
then there took place the Battle of Camlan between Arthur and Medrawd, and was
himself wounded to death. And from that (wound) he died, and was buried in a
hall on the Island of Afallach.
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:Here
the triads end, according to Rhys and Evans.