Page:Origin and Growth of Religion (Rhys).djvu/363

Rh already been compared (p. 248), but Corrbacc is unmistakably to be identified with Welsh Kyrvach, the sous of Gwawrᵭur Kyrvach from the confines of Hell being among the strange personages enumerated in the story of Kulhwch and Olwen.

All the visits of Cúchulainn to Hades were not of the same description as the one just mentioned. In the one previously detailed he proceeded more like Gwydion than Pwyỻ, and obtained the king's cauldron from the hand of the king's daughter. The same poem (p. 261) from which that was taken also relates how he invaded and conquered Lochlann, laying it under a heavy tribute of gold and silver. But all these tales agree in making the visitor to Hades obtain, whether by force or friendship, somewhat of the property of the powers of that country. There are, however, other tales which differ in their treatment of this matter, especially a Welsh one which makes the invader of Hades kill its king and marry his widow. I allude to the story of Owein son of Urien. This I must now introduce, in order partly to be able to refer to it later, and partly to compare it with the story of Diarmait's expedition to Tir fa Tonn, or the Land beneath the Billow, and also to show how it agrees in some respects with the story of Cúchulainn's quest of Dóel Dermait's three Sons. The following is an abstract of it:

Kei son of Kynyr, Owein son of Urien, Kynon son of Klydno, and others of the knights of Arthur's court, were sitting together at Carlcon, when it became Kynon's turn to entertain his comrades with a story. So he related