Mead 209 



rich, ever pressing forward, and there too was the gigantic 

 Gwrnehng. In the early dawn bright was the horn in the 

 hall of Eiddin, pompous the feast of mead at the meeting 

 of reapers. Men drank transparent wine with battle-daring 

 purpose. The reapers sang of war, war with the shining 

 wing ; the minstrels sang of war, of harnessed war, of winged 

 war. 



" The heroes who marched to Cattraeth were renowned, 

 Wine and mead out of golden goblets was their beverage, 

 That year was to them one of high solemnity, Three hundred 

 and sixty-three chieftains, wearing the golden torques ; Of 

 those who hurried forth after the excess of revelling, But 

 three escaped by valour from the funeral fosse. The two 

 war-dogs of Aeron, and Cynon the dauntless, And myself 

 from the spilling of blood, the reward of my pure song. 



"When Caradawg rushed into battle, It was like the 

 tearing onset of the woodland boar ; Bull of the army in 

 the mangling fight. He allured the wild dogs by the action 

 of his hand ; my witnesses are Owain the son of Eulat, 

 And Gwrien, and Gwynn, and Gwriad ; But from Cattraeth, 

 and its work of carnage, From the hill of Hydwn, ere it 

 was gained, After the clear mead was put into his hand, 

 He saw no more the hill of his father. The warriors 

 marched with speed, together they bounded onward ; 

 Short-lived were they, — they had become drunk over the 

 distilled mead. The retinue of Mynyddawg, renowned 

 in the hour of need ; Their Hfe was the price of their 

 banquet of mead." 



" My hmbs are racked, And I am loaded, In the subter- 

 ranean house ; An iron chain Passes over my two knees ; 

 Yet of the mead and of the horn, And of the host of 

 Cattraeth, I Aneurin will sing What is known to Taliesin, 

 Who communicates to me his thoughts. Or a strain of 

 Gododin, Before the dawn of the bright day." 



14 



