Mead 207 



These cups were sometimes " golden goblets ; " again, 

 they were " horns " made from ox-horns or earlier from the 

 capacious horns of the orochs curiously carved, often of 

 enormous size, and frequently supplied with feet so that 

 they could be set down when full. 



In the Rune calendar two drinking horns crossed signify 

 January first, the time of the New Year's feast ; and another 

 of the signs of the Rune calendar, denoting the month of 

 September, is a bee-hive, " betokening the time for collect- 

 ing the honey of the bee, which was so necessary in the 

 preparation of the mead." 



At the New Year's feast and the continuing Yule festivi- 

 ties, drinking-horns filled with mead passed incessantly 

 around the board. 



In the sixth century, long before the " Eddas " were writ- 

 ten, the Cymric bard Aneurin opens the " Gododin " with 

 these glorious words in praise of Owain, — 



" He was a man in mind, in years a youth, And gallant in 

 the din of war ; Fleet, thick-maned chargers Were ridden 

 by the illustrious hero ; A shield, light and broad. Hung 

 on the flank of his swift and slender steed ; His sword was 

 blue and gleaming, His spurs were of gold, his raiment was 

 woollen. . . . Thou hast gone to a bloody bier, Sooner 

 than to a nuptial feast ! Thou hast become a meal for 

 ravens, Ere thou didst reach the front of conflict ! Alas, 

 Owain ! my beloved friend ; It is not meet that he should 

 be devoured by ravens ! There is swelling sorrow in the 

 plain. Where fell in death the only son of Marro. Adorned 

 with his wreath, leader of rustic warriors, whenever he came 

 Unattended by his troop, he would serve the mead before 

 maidens. But the front of his shield would be pierced, if 

 ever he heard the shout of war. No quarter would he give 

 to those whom he pursued ; Nor would he retreat from the 

 combat until blood flowed ; And he cut down like rushes 



