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You are here: arthurian » mabinogion » manawyddan, son of llyr (final part)

 

Manawyddan, son of Llyr

final part

Annwn  "To despoil thee," he answered. "I am Llwyd the son of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm over the seven Cantrevs of Dyved. And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of Clud, from the friendship I had towards him, that I cast the charm. And upon Pryderi did I revenge Gwawl the son of Clud, for the game of Badger in the Bag, that Pwyll Pen Annwn played upon him, which he did unadvisedly in the Court of Heveydd Hen. And when it was known that thou wast come to dwell in the land, my household came and besought me to transform them into mice, that they might destroy thy corn. And it was my own household that went the first night. And the second night also they went, and they destroyed thy two crofts. And the third night came unto me my wife and the ladies of the Court, and besought me to transform them. And I transformed them. Now she is pregnant. And had she not been pregnant thou wouldst not have been. able to overtake her; but since this has taken place, and she has been caught, I will restore thee Pryderi and Rhiannon; and I will take the charm and illusion from off Dyved. I have now told thee who she is. Set her therefore free."
  "I will not set her free, by Heaven," said he.
  "What wilt thou more?" he asked.
  "I will that there be no more charm upon the seven Cantrevs of Dyved, and that none shall be put upon it henceforth."
  "This thou shalt have," said he. "Now set her free."
  "I will not, by my faith," he answered.
  "What wilt thou furthermore?" asked he.
  "Behold," said he, "this will I have; that vengeance be never taken for this, either upon Pryderi or Rhiannon, or upon me."
  "All this shalt thou have. And truly thou hast done wisely in asking this. Upon thy head would have lighted all this trouble."
  "Yea," said he, " for fear thereof was it, that I required this."
  "Set now my wife at liberty."
  "I will not, by Heaven," said he, "Behold, until I see Pryderi and Rhiannon with me free."
  "Behold, here they come," he answered.
And thereupon behold Pryderi and Rhiannon. And he rose up to meet them, and greeted them, and sat down beside them.
  "Ah, Chieftain, set now my wife at liberty," said the bishop.
  "Hast thou not received all thou didst ask?"
  "I will release her gladly," said he.
And thereupon he set her free.

Then Llwyd struck her with a magic wand, and she was changed back into a young woman, the fairest ever seen.

  "Look around upon thy land," said he, "and then thou wilt see it all tilled and peopled, as it was in its best state." And he rose up and looked forth. And when he looked he saw all the lands tilled, and full of herds and dwellings.

   "What bondage," he inquired, "has there been upon Pryderi and Rhiannon?"
  "Pryderi has had the knockers of the gate of my palace about his neck, and Rhiannon has had the collars of the asses, after they have been carrying hay about her neck. And such had been their bondage."
And by reason of this bondage is this story called the Mabinogi of Mynnweir and Mynord.

And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.

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