Page:The Mabinogion.djvu/91

64 Graffjdd Uwyd ab Davydd ab Einion, one of his Bards, about the year 1400.

Of this, the following translation is given in Jones's Welsh Bards, L41:—.

On sea, on land, thou still didst brave The dangerous cliff, and rapid wave;

Like Owain, who subdued the knight.

And the fell dragon put to flight,

Yon moss-grown fount beside;

The grim, black warrior of the flood.

The dragon, gorged with human blood.

The water's scaly pride."

—Page 25.

This part of the Tale is by no means clearly expressed, but it is evidently intended to be understood that Luned was incarcerated in a stone cell, near which Owain chanced to halt for the night. We subsequently find that he shut up the Lion in the same place, during his contest with Luned's persecutors.

—Page 27.

This monster is in the English called "Harpyns of Mowntain," and he is, moreover, said to have been *' a devil of mekil pryde." According to this and the French version, the good knight (who, it appears, had married a sister of Sir Gawain) was, originally, the father of "sex knyghts," two of whom Harpyns had already slain, while he threatened to put the remaining four to death, unless their sister was given "hym to wy ve." The costume of the Harpyns and the four young, men is very characteristic.

With wreched ragges war thai kled

And fast bunden thus er thai led:

The geant was both large and lang.

And bar a lever of yren ful Strang,

Tharwith he bet them bitterly,

Grete rewth it was to her tham cry.

Thai had no thing tham for to hyde.

A dwergh yode on the tother syde;

He bar a scowrge with cordes ten,

Thar-with he bet tha gentil men."