Y tri thlws ar ddeg o Prydein.
1. Dyrnwyn – The White Sword of Rhydderch Hael (the generous) Alt Clut - Dumbarton
2. Mwys Gwyddno Garanir - The Hamper of Gwyddno (Long-Shanks)
3. Corn Bran Galed o'r Gogledd - The Horn of Bran (the niggardly from the North)
4. Carbad Morgan Mwynfawr – The War Chariot of Morgan (the wealthy)
5. Cebystur Cludno Eiddyn – The Halter of Cludno (of Edinburgh)
6. Bidog Llawfrodedd Farchog – The Dagger of Llawfrodedd (the Knight)
7. Mantell Tegau Eurfron – The Mantle of Tegau (Gold-Breast)
8. Pair Dyrnwch Gawr – The Cauldron of Dyrnwch (the giant)
9. Agalen Tudwal Tudglyd – The Whetstone of Tudwal (from Alt Clut - DunAlclwyd)
10. Pais Padarn Beisrudd ap Tegid – The Red Jacket of Padarn (son of Tegid)
11. Gren a Desgyl Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig - The Clay Pot and Lid of Rhygenydd (the Cleric)
12. Gwyddbwyll Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio – The Chessboard of Gwenddoleu (son of Ceidio)
13. Mantell Arthwr yng Nghernyw - The Mantle of Arthur (in Cornwall)
The various treasures (tlws/trysori) in this mythical list, include pots for food, drink and items from everyday life; the hamper and the cauldron, the crock and dish, the horn and the chessboard. Also included are objects obviously associated with weaponry; the dagger, sword and the whetstone. Transport too is represented, by the halter, Morgan’s chariot and the clothing mentioned; Padarn’s coat and Arthur’s battle cloak (mantle). Most of these items and the venerable warriors associated with them are historically situated in the Hen Ogledd or the ‘Old North’, which is where the Brythonic-speaking people of what is now southern Scotland and Northern England lived. The names and items in this list were known historically to refer to this part of northern Britain, and some of the earliest manuscripts refer to them specifically as; ‘treasures that were in the North’.
These mythical objects were thought to be imbued with powerful magic, and some have their origins in truly ancient Welsh narratives and traditions, especially Items 1, 2 and 7, which are described in the old Welsh tale of Culhwch ac Olwen (cautiously dated to around 1100 AD, and which is a part of a collection of ancient songs and stories entitled the Mabinogion. In Culhwch and Olwen, Yspaddaden Pencawr the Giant gives King Arthur's cousin Culhwch a list of seemingly impossible tasks; ‘anoetheu’ in Welsh, and which he has to complete in order to win the hand of Olwen, the giant's daughter.
The earliest renditions usually list thirteen treasures, but later lists differ, with additional items such as Eluned’s Ring and others included. These later versions also supplement the original lists with descriptive comments about each treasure, and these I have included. Here follows one of the earlier known lists and contains only thirteen entries.
1. Dyrnwyn - The White Sword of Rhydderch Hael.
Dyrnwyn - White-Hilt, Gleddyf Rhydderch Hael: "If a well-born man drew it himself, it would burst into flame from its hilt to its tip. Everyone who asked King Rhydderch for alms would receive alms; but because of a peculiarity in his character, everyone would reject it, but he became known as Rhydderch the Generous nonetheless.
Rhydderch the Generous, C: 580 to 614. King Rhydderch was the ruler of Alt Clut, a Brythonic kingdom in the Hen Ogledd or ‘Old North’ of Britain. He was one of the most famous kings of his time and appears frequently in later medieval works in both Welsh and Latin.
Rhydderch's father is thought to be Tutagual, also of Alt Clut, and so would be a descendant of one Dumnagual Hen. ‘Clochoderick Rocking Stone’ in Renfrewshire, Scotland is thought to mark the burial place of Rhydderch. One Triad mentions Rhydderch's horse Rudlwyt, meaning ‘Dun-Grey’, while another fragment names his sword Dyrnwyn, ‘White Hilt’ as one of the legendary Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain.
2. The bounteous hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir.
Mwys Gwyddno Garanir: A most magical food hamper. ‘Food for one man would be put in it, and when it was later opened, food for a hundred men would be found inside.’
A Roman era wicker basket/hamper.
It is told that Gwyddno Garanhir (‘Long-shanks’) possessed a magical hamper (a mwys). Gwyddno’s hamper was indeed a magical one, as it would multiply food. ‘If Gwyddno put food for one man in his basket and opened it again later, the food was found to have increased a hundredfold’.
3. The Horn of Brân the niggardly from the North.
Corn Brân Galed o'r Gogledd: The Horn of Bran. ‘Whatever drink might be wished for was always found in it.’
The Horn of Brân Galed (the Stingy or the Niggardly) from the North is said to have possessed the magical property of being never empty. Brân’s legendary drinking horn ensured that ‘Whatever drink might be wished for was found in it’.
Marginal notes to the text in the Penarth MS 147 (C: 1566 AD) elaborate on this brief entry, and by stating that Myrddin (Merlin) had approached the kings and lords of all Britain to request their treasures. They consented, but only on the condition that Myrddin obtain the horn of Brân Galed first, supposing that the task would be impossible to complete, (owing to Brân's reputation for belligerence and being notoriously tight-fisted, or perhaps for some other unknown reason). History tells us that Myrddin did somehow acquire Brân's legendary drinking horn, making his part of the bargain and so received the other treasures from the kings and lords of Britain. This he took to the Tŷ Gwydr (Glass House), where it joined the other treasures of Britain and would remain there forever.
Irish Drinking Horn.
4. The Chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr.
Carbad Morgan Mwynfawr: The War Chariot of Morgan the Wealthy. ‘If a man went to battle in it, wherever he might wish to be, he would arrive there quickly.
A Celtic/Brythonic War Chariot.
The chariot belonging to Morgan Mwynfawr ‘the wealthy’, is described as a magical vehicle and one which would quickly arrive at whatever destination the driver chose to visit.
Morgan Mwynfawr 'Morgan the Generous' was also known as Morgan ap Arthwr (Son of Arthur). Ruling C: 730 AD, Morgan was King of Gwent and Glywyssing; Morgannwg, (modern day Glamorgan in southeast Wales, and Morgan Mwynfawr was likely that region’s namesake, although there is an older claimant by the same name). Through his grandmother; Onbraus ferch Gwrgant Mawr, Morgan was thought to have been heir to the kingdom of Ergyng as well.
According to the Brut y Brenhinoedd a Tywysogion, (The Royal lists of Kings and Princes) Morgan was the grandson of Meurig ap Tewdrig and the son of Athrwys ap Meurig. He was succeeded by his son and heir; Ithel ap Moran. Ithel on his ascension and in-line with Cymru’s ancient patrimony laws, went on to divide Morgan’s kingdom among himself and his brothers.
The knave of a typical Celtic/Brythonic war chariot.
5. The Halter of Clydno Eiddyn.
Cebystr Clydno Eiddin. The magic imbued halter and bridle of King Clydno, and which was so precious to him, he hung it from a staple at the foot of his bed. ‘Whatever horse he might wish for on awakening, he would find in the halter awaiting him.’
A fabulously decorated horse halter (cebystr), which belonged to Clydno Eiddyn and was said to have been fixed to a staple at the foot of his bed. Whatever size, colour or sex of horse he might wish for on any given morning, he would find waiting for him in this magical halter. It was also called the ‘Handy Halter’, for it only summoned the very finest of horses for the fortunate Clydno.
King Clydno Eidyn was the ruler of Eidyn in the early part of the 6th century; a district around modern Edinburgh. He was said to be the son of one Cinbelym or Cynfelyn, the son of Dumnagual Hên. Dumnagual Hên was a known, early ruler of Alt Clut – The Rock of the Brythons, (later becoming Dumbarton in Strathclyde).
In Gwynedd’s version of the old Welsh laws preserved in the Book of Chirk, an attack on this coastal region in North Wales by Clydno and several other northern rulers is recounted. According to this ancient manuscript, Elidir Mwynfawr; a notable Prince of the North had been slain in Gwynedd. So, Clydno joined with Rhydderch Hael and two other kings called Nudd Hael and Mordaf Hael in response to this murder, and together these warriors and their men set out to avenge him. They came down from the north and proceeded to raid and burn Arfon and large parts of Gwynedd, until Rhun ap Maelgwn rallied the armies of Gwynedd and eventually forced them out.
Clydno's son Cynon was also a notable figure in early Welsh history and tradition. The poem Y Gododdin names him as one of the Brythons who fought against the Angles at the catastrophic Battle of Catraeth, and Cynon was identified as the only survivor in one part of that englyn or poem.
6. The Dagger of Llawfrodedd the Horseman.
Bidog Llawfrodedd Farchog. A magical dagger which would serve twenty-four men at table.
Llawfrodedd Farchog (from Marchog; Horseman or Knight). Some historians have suggested it could have been Barfawc; the ‘Bearded’, but Marchog is far more likely. In this list of thirteen treasures, Llawfrodedd is said to have possessed a knife which would serve a company of twenty-four men at the dinner table. Bidog is a very old Welsh name for a dagger.
Llawfrodedd Farfog or Llawfrodedd Farchog is undoubtedly a hero of Welsh tradition, and although the meaning of his personal name Llawfrodedd is uncertain, it has been suggested that the name is associated with the word llawfrydedd, meaning sorrow.
Llawfrodedd is also mentioned in Trioedd Ynys Prydein as the owner of one of the ‘Three Prominent Cows of the Island of Britain’. The name of one of his beasts even survived; Cornillo, meaning little horn possibly. He is also a hero of Arthur's court, and mentioned in the tales of Culhwch and Olwen and Breuddwyd Rhonabwy respectively.
7. The Mantle of Tegau Gold-Breast.
Mantell Tegau Eurfron – (Gold-Breast). Her mantle/dress would not serve any woman who had violated her marriage or her virginity.
Tegau Eurfron (Golden Breast) was wife to Caradoc of legend and is a Welsh heroine in her own right.
Her mantle or hooded cloak would not serve any woman who had violated her marriage with adultery, or who had lost her virginity out of marriage and by choice. This marvellous garment would drape and fit beautifully, elegantly sweeping the ground when worn by a chaste woman but would shrivel up and only hang to the waist of an unfaithful wife. Golden-haired, and a lauded paragon of beauty and virtue in Welsh Arthurian tradition, beautiful Tegau was one of the ‘three splendid maidens’ of Arthur's court, along with Dyfr and Enid.
Loyal and trusted wife to Caradoc Fraichfras, Tegau rescued Caradoc from a poisonous snake it’s told, and in which heroic action she was bitten on the breast by the viper. Once the serpent was removed and she was treated, the horrific scar was covered with pure gold to save her life.
Her cloak or dress, was even then considered a treasure of Britain, proving the chastity of any woman, and so its legend became manifest.
8. The Cauldron of Dyrnwch the Giant.
Pair Dyrnwch Gawr: A huge and magical cauldron which could identify a coward. ‘If meat for a coward were put in it to boil, it would never boil; but if meat for a brave man were put in it, it would boil quickly, and thus the brave could be distinguished from the cowardly.
This mythical cauldron; the ‘pair’ of Dyrnwch the Giant is said to have been able to discriminate between cowards and brave men. It would not cook meat for a coward, the water in the cauldron never coming to the boil and condemning him utterly. However, it would boil quickly if that meat belonged to a brave man and cook in no time, confirming both that man’s courage and his honour.
Referenced perhaps in Culhwch ac Olwen (Mabinogion), in which the cauldron of ‘Diwrnach’ (very similar); the huge Irish warrior who was chief steward to Odgar son of Aedd; King of Ireland are featured. Gaining possession of the cauldron from the belligerent steward is among the trials which Culhwch is required to achieve for the success of his proposed wedding banquet.
King Arthur requests the cauldron himself from King Odgar, but Diwrnach refuses to give up his prized possession. So in Culhwch and Olwen, Arthur travels to Ireland accompanied by a small band of lords, and visits King Odgar at his hilltop Dun. Arthur and his Gŵyrd are received at his chief steward’s house respectfully enough, but when Diwrnach refuses to yield to Arthur's repeated request, an altercation ensues.
Bedwyr; (Arthur's Pencampwr/Champion) seizes the cauldron and tosses it to one of Arthur's servants, who is then forced to carry away the massive load on his back. In a single sweep with a legendary sword called Caledfwlch (Hard Lightning – later becoming Excalibur), Llenlleawg an Irishman kills off Diwrnach and all his guards. Arthur and his men then have to fight off the Irish forces before they can make their escape. In this Mabinogi, these Welsh heroes board their ship Prydwen, and taking with them the stolen cauldron loaded with the spoils of war, they return to Prydein (Britain) victorious. In Culhwch and Olwen, Diwrnach is not referred to as a giant, nor was his cauldron attributed with any special powers.
There is however an earlier poem; Preiddeu Annwn (the Spoils of Annwn) and in which this adventure by Arthur and his men was recorded. As part of the ‘spoils’, they set out to acquire this cauldron with magical properties, equivalent perhaps to the one in this list of thirteen treasures. In this ancient poem, the owner of the cauldron is not an Irish lord but the king of Annwn, the old Welsh Otherworld or Underworld. This version, found in the story of Culhwch and Olwen could be interpreted as a later attempt to update a much older tale, but this has never been proved.
9. The Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd.
Hogalen Tudwal Tudclyd: The magical blade stone of Tudwal; ‘If a brave man sharpened his sword on this magical whetstone, then that sword would certainly kill any man it drew blood from. If a cowardly man used the whetstone however, his sword would refuse to draw blood at all.
Tudwal’s whetstone sharpened the blade of any fine and honourable, courageous warrior, giving it an edge that was incomparable. It would draw blood from any enemy in a fight and cause certain death if its user was brave. However, should its user prove cowardly in any way, then the blade would not hold its edge properly, and so would draw no blood whatsoever in a subsequent fight.
King Tutagual (Welsh: Tudwal) was the ruler of Alt Clut – (Dun Alclwyd) Rock of the Brythons, and he probably ruled sometime in the mid-6th century. Tudwal was the son of Clinoch, son of Dumnagual Hên, and he was the father of the much better known Rhydderch Hael.
King Tudwal of Alt Clut may also be identified with a tyrannical ruler mentioned in an 8th century poem; Miracula Nyniae Episcopi. Also mentioned in Ailred of Rievaulx's 12th-century Vita Sancti Niniani; The Miracula names this King Tuduael and Thuuahel respectively. Ailred actually gives the names Tudwaldus and Tuduvallus to this King, but historian Alan MacQuarrie suggests that this would conflict with other suggested dates for Ninian's life.
Alt Clut – DunAlclwyd. The Rock of the Brythons – Dumbarton, Scotland.
10. The Coat of Padarn Beisrudd.
Pais Badarn Beisrydd: A magical garment, and if a well-born man put it on, it would be the right size for him and look well; if donned by a churl, it would not go upon him at all.
Padarn's coat perfectly fit any brave man, but it would not fit a coward.
Padarn Beisrudd ap Tegid literally translates as Paternus of the Scarlet Robe, and son of Tegid. His father; Tegid ap Iago may have had the Roman name of Tacitus. Padarn is believed to have been born around AD 400 in the Old North (Hên Ogledd) of Roman Britain.
According to old Welsh tradition, his grandson; King Cunedda Fawr (Gŵyr y Gogledd) certainly came from Manaw Gododdin, the modern-day Clackmannanshire region of Scotland. Cunedda and his Gŵyr are said to have settled in Gwynedd, and they have become a cornerstone of Welsh history in the intervening centuries.
One tradition identifies Padarn as a Roman, or a ‘Romano-British’ official due to the red tunic, and he was clearly a warrior of reasonably high rank. History records Padarn being put in command of a brigade of Fotadina/Votadini troops stationed in Clackmannanshire in the 380s or earlier by the Emperor Magnus Maximus (Maxen Wledig). He may have begun life as a frontier chieftain in that wild northern region but was later granted a Roman military rank due to his lineage and growing experience perhaps, a practice demonstrated elsewhere and all along Rome's borders at that time.
Padarn’s command of that part of what is now Scotland probably lasted till his death and was then assumed by his son and heir Edeyrn as expected. Edeyrn/Edern - Eternus was the father of Cunedda, who was the founder of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and became high-king of all Britain in 394 AD.
The mythical coat of Padarn Beisrudd is one of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, where it is said to fit perfectly any well-born noble man, but not a churl.
11. The Crock and Dish of Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig.
Gren a Desgyl Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig: A magical cooking pot and a lid for the same; ‘Whatever food might be wished for in it, it would be found’.
Gren a Desgyl Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig belonged to Rhygenydd the Cleric. Whatever food or ale might be wished for in it, it would be found inside.
Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig ‘the Cleric’ does not appear by that name in any other sources. However, Rachel Bromwich notes a resemblance to the name Renchidus episocpus, who with Elbobdus/Elfoddw episcoporum sanctissmus (Saint Elfoddw) told Nennius the story about the baptism of Edwin of Deira by Rhun ap Urien, and which subsequently appears in his ‘History of the Britons’. Nennius noted that Edwin seized the kingdom of Elmet from Ceretic ap Gwallog, and a year later (627 AD) in York, he received a baptism by Bishop Rhun along with twelve thousand of his subjects. By this time Breged/Rheged had been integrated into Northumbria, and Rhun is thought to have held a position of power as a bishop there. As this similar sounding Rendichus was the bearer of such important information to Nennius about Rhun baptising Edwin, it is likely he was associated with the court of old Breged/Rheged in this time. Edwin would have been well supported in the taking of Elmet from Ceretic, whose father Gwallog had turned against Urien and his sons, sealing his fate.
When the Roman Empire collapsed and its troops withdrew from Britain, it was only the monasteries and the remaining aristocracy who retained the knowledge of brewing and winemaking, and so this fits perhaps with the tale of Rhygenydd the Cleric owning a magical brewing pot.
A Celtic/Brythonic Beer Pot.
12. The magical Chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio.
Gwyddbwyll Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio. A magical, animated chessboard: ‘If the pieces were set, they would play by themselves. The board was of gold and silver, the men being made of crystal and decorated with the same noble metals.
It was thought to be a rather large and priceless chessboard, with playing pieces made of crystal and decorated with silver and gold. This magical game board was constructed of gold and silver squares, and upon this dazzling board, Gwenddoleu’s pieces would play by themselves if all the pieces were set up correctly.
Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio (died c. 573). Gwenddoleu was a Brythonic king who ruled in Arfderydd (now known as Arthuret). Arthuret lies in what is now south-west Scotland and north-west England, and in the hotly contested area around Hadrian's Wall. Situated close to the major citadel of CaerLiwelyd (Carlisle) during this sub-Roman period, Gwenddoleu would have been a powerful regional King. Carwinley near Longtown, lying just north of Carlisle is thought to represent Caer Wenddoleu or Gwenddoleu’s Fort.
The ‘Lists’ make him a descendant of Coel Hen, (Old King Cole) and who was believed to have ruled most of what is now southern Scotland and the Border regions following the Roman withdrawal.
Little is known of Gwenddoleu or his reign, but it ended when as described in the 'Annales Cambriae', the sons of Eliffer, Peredur and Gwrgi, the joint kings of Effwrog, killed him at the Battle of Arfderydd in 573 AD. This was one of the many battles fought between northern Brythonic Kings in this fractious period, and who went on to lead the various successive states that took over the Roman province of Brittania following the Romans' departure.
Although there is no mention of Gwenddoleu in Arthurian legend, his court adviser was the legendary Druid, Wizard and Necromancer; Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the Wild). This infamous priest formed a large and enduringly popular part of the later Arthurian legends, and the name Merlin has survived an amazing test of time.
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini, Myrddin Wyllt (Merlinus) is said to have been driven mad with grief following the death of Gwenddoleu, and then fled into the vast Caledonian forest to grieve. The memory of both Gwenddoleu and Myrddin have been preserved in Welsh literature and remain popular characters in contemporary literature to this day.
13. The Mantle of Arthur in Cornwall.
Llen Arthwr yng Nghernyw: The battle cloak of High-King Arthur in Cornwall. ‘Whoever was under it could not be seen, and yet he could see everyone.
King Arthur's llen or magical mantle/cloak is said to make anyone underneath it invisible, though still able to see out.
Arthur’s amazing cloak is mentioned in two sources; Culhwch and Olwen (C: 1100 AD) and The Dream of Rhonabwy (C: 1200 AD). In Culhwch and Olwen, Arthur's mantle is noted as the only thing Arthur will not give to his Gŵyr Culhwch, but it is not named specifically or otherwise described in this story, apart from giving the impression it was very precious to Arthur. In the Dream of Rhonabwy, Arthur’s mantle is specifically named Gwenn, and has properties analogous to those given in this list of the Thirteen Treasures, although in this story it is those sitting on top of the cloak who are made invisible.
A very similar mantle also appears in the second branch of the Mabinogi, in which it is used by Caswallawn Fawr to assassinate the seven stewards left behind by Bran the Blessed and to usurp the throne.
You will note that several of the items in this list contain the element Gwyn, Gwynn or Gwenn, meaning white, sacred or blessed, and which suggest truly ancient and otherworldly, spiritual connections to the whole list of treasures.
Eifion Wyn Williams.
Author's Amazon Page; https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B077CVBL2F
Comments