Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 18, 1907.djvu/182

150 tells him that he is a crowned king in the land from which he had come, namely, Annwuyn, where another king of the same country is engaged in war with him. By mutual agreement they arrange to exchange kingdoms and personalities for a year, and Pwyll is conducted by Arawn to the entrance of his palace and its surrounding buildings, and invited to enter the Court as king. The story continues: "So he went forward into the Court, and, when he came there, he beheld sleeping-rooms and halls and chambers, and the most beautiful buildings ever seen. And he went into the hall to disrobe, and there came youths and pages and disrobed him, and all as they entered saluted him. And two knights came and drew his hunting-dress from about him, and clothed him in a vesture of silk and gold. And the hall was prepared, and behold he saw the household and the host enter in, and the host was the most comely and the best equipped that he had ever seen. And with them came in likewise the Queen, who was the fairest woman that he had ever yet beheld. She had on a yellow robe of shining satin; and they washed and went to table and sat, the Queen on one side of him, and one who seemed to be an Earl on the other side.

"And he began to speak with the Queen, and he thought from her speech that she was the seemliest and most noble lady of converse and of cheer that ever was. And they partook of meat and drink, with songs and feasting; and of all the Courts upon earth, behold this was the best supplied with food and drink, and vessels of gold and royal jewels."

Now, except that we find a king—or, rather, kings—reigning in Annwuyn (or Annwfn), instead of, as is usual in the Irish stories, a Queen, this description exactly agrees with the accounts of the beauty and