The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) (18 page)

‘Be silent,’ said Peredur. ‘I am the one you are after, and by my faith, the maiden is innocent on my account.’ But they fought each other, and Peredur overthrew the knight. He asked for mercy.

‘You shall have mercy, by going back the way you came to let it be known that the girl has been found innocent, and that as recompense for the insult I overthrew you.’ The knight promised to do that.

And Peredur went on his way. On a mountain not far from him he could see a castle. And he made for the castle and hammered on the door with his spear. Then behold, a handsome auburn-haired lad opening the door, in stature and strength a warrior, but in age a boy. When Peredur came into the hall there was a large, handsome woman sitting in a chair and numerous handmaidens about her. And the good lady made him welcome. And when it was time to go to eat, they went. And after eating, ‘You would do well, lord,’ said the lady, ‘to go elsewhere to sleep.’

‘Can’t I sleep here?’

‘There are nine witches here, friend,’ she said, ‘together with their father and mother. They are the witches of Caerloyw.
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And by daybreak we shall be no nearer to making our escape than to being killed. And they have taken over and laid waste the land, except for this one house.’

‘Well,’ said Peredur, ‘here is where I want to be tonight, and if there is trouble and I can be of use, I will. I shall certainly do no harm.’ They went to sleep.

And at dawn Peredur heard a scream. He got up quickly in his shirt and trousers, with his sword about his neck, and out he went. And when he arrived a witch was grabbing hold of the watchman,
and he was screaming. Peredur attacked the witch and struck her on the head with a sword until her helmet and mail cap spread out like a dish on her head.

‘Your mercy, fair Peredur son of Efrog, and the mercy of God.’

‘How did you know, witch, that I am Peredur?’

‘It was fated and foretold that I would suffer grief at your hands, and that you would receive a horse and weapons from me. And you will stay with me for a while as I teach you how to ride your horse and handle your weapons.’

‘This is how I shall show you mercy,’ he replied. ‘Give your word that you will never do harm again to this countess’s land.’ Peredur took assurance to that effect, and with the countess’s permission he set off with the witch to the witches’ court. And there he stayed for three successive weeks. Then Peredur chose his horse and his weapons, and went on his way. At the close of day he came to a valley, and at the far end of the valley he came to a hermit’s cell. And the hermit welcomed him and he stayed there that night.

Early the next morning he got up, and when he came outside a fall of snow had come down the night before. And a wild hawk had killed a duck near the cell. And what with the noise of the horse, the hawk rose and a raven descended on the bird’s flesh. Peredur stood and compared the blackness of the raven and the whiteness of the snow and the redness of the blood to the hair of the woman he loved best, which was as black as jet, and her skin to the whiteness of the snow, and the redness of the blood in the white snow to the two red spots in the cheeks of the woman he loved best.
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Meanwhile, Arthur and his retinue were searching for Peredur. ‘Do you know,’ said Arthur, ‘who is the knight with the long spear, standing in the valley above?’

‘Lord,’ said one, ‘I shall go and find out who he is.’ Then the squire approached Peredur, and asked him what he was doing there and who he was. But Peredur was thinking so hard about the woman he loved best that he gave no answer. The squire attacked Peredur with a spear, but Peredur turned on him and threw him over his horse’s crupper to the ground. Twenty-four knights came in succession, and he would not answer one more than another, but treated each one the same—he threw each one with a single thrust over his horse’s crupper to the ground. Then Cai came up to him, and spoke harshly and rudely to Peredur. And Peredur struck him with a spear
under his jaw and threw him a long distance away, so that his arm and collar-bone were broken. And while he was in a dead faint—such was the pain he had received—his horse returned, galloping wildly. And when all the retinue saw the horse coming without its rider, they rushed to where the encounter had taken place. And when they got there, they thought Cai had been killed. They realized, however, that if he had a physician who could set his bone and bandage his joints well, he would be none the worse. Peredur was not distracted from his thoughts any more than before, despite seeing the crowd around Cai. And Cai was brought to Arthur’s pavilion, and Arthur had skilful physicians brought to him. Arthur was sorry for the pain that Cai had received, for he loved him greatly. And then Gwalchmai said, ‘No one should distract an ordained knight from his thoughts in a discourteous way, for perhaps he has either suffered a loss or he is thinking about the woman he loves best. Such discourtesy, perhaps, was shown by the man who saw him last. If you wish, lord, I shall go and see whether the knight has stirred from those thoughts, and if he has, I shall ask him kindly to come and see you.’

And then Cai sulked, and spoke angry, jealous words. ‘Gwalchmai,’ he said, ‘I am certain you will lead him back by his reins. However, little praise and honour will you get from overcoming the tired knight, exhausted from fighting. Yet that is how you have overcome many of them, and while you have your tongue and fine words, a mantle of thin, fine linen will be armour enough for you. And you will not need to break a spear or a sword fighting the knight you find in that state.’

And then Gwalchmai said to Cai, ‘You could have said something more pleasant had you wished. And it is not proper for you to vent your rage and anger on me. I expect, however, that I shall bring the knight back with me, without breaking either my arm or my shoulder.’

Then Arthur said to Gwalchmai, ‘You speak like a wise and reasonable man. Go hence and put on plenty of armour, and choose your horse.’

Gwalchmai armed himself, and went forward leisurely at his horse’s pace to where Peredur was. And he was resting on his spear-shaft, thinking the same thoughts. Gwalchmai approached him with no sign of hostility about him, and said to him, ‘If I knew it would
please you, as it pleases me, I would talk to you. Still, I am a messenger from Arthur, begging you to come and see him. And two men have come before me on that same errand.’

‘That is true,’ said Peredur, ‘and they were discourteous. They fought with me, and that did not please me because I disliked being distracted from my thoughts. I was thinking about the woman I loved best. This is why I was reminded of her: I was looking at the snow and at the raven, and at the drops of blood from the duck which the hawk had killed in the snow. And I was thinking that the whiteness of her skin was like the snow, and the blackness of her hair and eyebrows was like the raven, and that the two red spots in her cheeks were like the two drops of blood.’

Gwalchmai said, ‘Those thoughts were not dishonourable, and it is not surprising that you disliked being distracted from them.’

Peredur said, ‘Tell me, is Cai in Arthur’s court?’

‘He is,’ he replied. ‘He was the last knight to fight you. And no good came to him from the confrontation: he broke his right arm and his collar-bone in the fall he took from the thrust of your spear.’

‘Good,’ said Peredur, ‘I am happy that I have begun to avenge the insult to the dwarf and she-dwarf in that way.’ Gwalchmai was surprised to hear him mention the dwarf and the she-dwarf. And he approached him and embraced him, and asked what was his name.

‘I am called Peredur son of Efrog,’ he said. ‘And who are you?’

‘I am called Gwalchmai,’ he replied.

‘I am pleased to see you,’ said Peredur. ‘I have heard of your reputation for military prowess and integrity in every land I have been, and I beg for your friendship.’

‘You shall have it, by my faith, and give me yours.’

‘You shall have it gladly,’ said Peredur.

They set off together, in joyful agreement, to where Arthur was. And when Cai heard they were coming, he said, ‘I knew that Gwalchmai would not need to fight the knight. Nor is it surprising that he has received praise. He does more with his fair words than we by force of arms.’

And Peredur and Gwalchmai went to Gwalchmai’s pavilion to take off their armour. And Peredur put on the same kind of garment that Gwalchmai wore. And they went hand in hand to where Arthur was, and greeted him.

‘Lord,’ said Gwalchmai, ‘here is the man you have been seeking for a long time.’

‘Welcome to you, chieftain,’ said Arthur; ‘you shall stay with me. And had I known that your progress would be as it has been, you would not have left me when you did. Yet that was foretold by the dwarf and the she-dwarf, whom Cai harmed, and whom you have now avenged.’

Then the queen and her handmaidens approached, and Peredur greeted them. And they were happy to see him and made him welcome. Arthur showed Peredur great respect and honour. And they returned to Caerllion.

The first night Peredur came to Caerllion to Arthur’s court, he happened to be strolling in the castle after dinner. Behold, Angharad Law Eurog met him.
*

‘By my faith, sister,’ said Peredur, ‘you are a dear, lovely girl. And I could love you best of all women if you wished.’

‘I give my word,’ she said, ‘I do not love you and I will never want you, ever.’

‘And I give my word’, said Peredur, ‘that I will never utter a word to any Christian until you confess that you love me best of men.’

The next day Peredur set off, and he followed the highroad along the ridge of a great mountain. At the far end of the mountain he could see a round valley, and the edges of the valley were wooded and stony, and on the floor of the valley were meadows, and ploughed land between the meadows and the forest. In the heart of the forest he could see large, black houses, roughly built. He dismounted and led his horse towards the forest. And at some distance in the forest he could see a steep rock, and the road leading to the side of the rock, and a lion tied to a chain, sleeping by the rock. He could see a deep pit, of huge proportions, below the lion, filled with the bones of men and animals. Peredur drew his sword and struck the lion, so that it fell, hanging by its chain above the pit. And with the second blow he struck the chain so that it broke and the lion fell into the pit.

Peredur led his horse along the side of the rock until he got to the valley. He could see in the middle of the valley a fair castle, and he went towards the castle. In a meadow near the castle was seated a large, grey-haired man—he was larger than any man he had ever
seen—and two young lads were shooting at the whalebone handles of their knives, one an auburn-haired lad and the other a yello-haired lad. Peredur went up to the grey-haired man and greeted him. The grey-haired man said, ‘Shame on my gatekeeper’s beard.’
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Then Peredur realized that the lion was the gatekeeper. And then the grey-haired man, together with the lads, went into the castle, and Peredur went with them. A fair, noble place could he see there. They made for the hall, and the tables had been set out, with plenty of food and drink on them. Then he saw coming from the chamber an old woman and a young woman, and they were the largest women he had ever seen. They washed and went to eat. The grey-haired man went to the most important place at the top of the table, and the old woman next to him; Peredur and the maiden were placed next to each other; and the two young lads waited on them. The maiden looked at Peredur and became sad. Peredur asked the maiden why she was sad.

‘Friend, since I first saw you, it is you I have loved best of men. And I am heartbroken to see the fate that will befall such a noble young man as you tomorrow. Did you see the many black houses in the heart of the forest? All those are vassals of my father, the grey-haired man over there, and they are all giants. And tomorrow they will set upon you and kill you. And this valley is called the Round Valley.’

‘Fair maiden, will you arrange that my horse and armour are in the same lodging as me tonight?’

‘I will, between me and God, if I can, gladly.’

When the time came to sleep rather than carouse, they went to sleep. And the maiden arranged that Peredur’s horse and armour were in the same lodging as him.

The next day Peredur could hear the clamour of men and horses around the castle. Peredur got up and armed himself and his horse, and came to the meadow. The old woman and the maiden went to the grey-haired man.

‘Lord,’ they said, ‘accept the squire’s word that he will not say anything about what he has seen here, and we will ensure that he keeps it.’

‘I will not, by my faith,’ said the grey-haired man. Peredur fought against the host, and by midday he had killed a third of them without anyone harming him. Then the old woman said, ‘The squire has killed many of your men. Show him mercy.’

‘I will not, by my faith,’ he replied. The old woman and the beautiful maiden were watching from the battlement of the castle.

Then Peredur attacked the yellow-haired lad and killed him.

‘Lord,’ said the maiden, ‘show mercy to the squire.’

‘I will not, between me and God.’ Then Peredur attacked the auburn-haired lad and killed him.

‘It would have been better for you had you shown mercy to the squire before your two sons were killed. And it will not be easy for you to escape, if indeed you do.’

‘Go, maiden, and beg the squire to show us mercy, though we have not shown it to him.’ The maiden went to Peredur and asked for mercy for her father and all his men who had escaped alive.

‘Yes, on condition that your father and all those under him go to pay homage to the emperor Arthur, and tell him that it was Peredur, a vassal of his, who did this service.’

‘We will gladly, between me and God.’

‘And you will be baptized. I shall send word to Arthur and ask him to give this valley to you and your heirs after you forever.’

Then they came inside, and the grey-haired man and the large woman greeted Peredur. Then the grey-haired man said, ‘Since I have owned this valley, I have never seen a Christian leave here alive, apart from you. And we shall go and pay homage to Arthur, and receive faith and baptism.’