Welsh Folklore and Fairytales
In one of the many "Co-eds," or places with this name, in ancient and
forest-covered Wales, there was a man who had one of the most
beautiful mares in all the world. Yet great misfortunes befell both
this Co-ed mare and her owner.
Every night, on the first of May, the mare gave birth to a pretty
little colt. Yet no one ever saw, or could ever tell what became of
any one, or all of the colts. Each and all, and one by one, they
disappeared. Nobody knew where they were, or went, or what had become
of them.
At last, the owner, who had no children, and loved little horses,
determined not to lose another. He girded on his sword, and with his
trusty spear, stood guard all night in the stable to catch the mortal
robber, as he supposed he must be.
When on this same night of May first, the mare foaled again, and the
colt stood up on its long legs, the man greatly admired the young
creature. It looked already, as if it could, with its own legs, run
away and escape from any wolf that should chase it, hoping to eat it
up.
But at this moment, a great noise was heard outside the stable. The
next moment a long arm, with a claw at the end of it, was poked
through the window-hole, to seize the colt.
Instantly the man drew his sword and with one blow, the claw part of
the arm was cut off, and it dropped inside, with the colt.
Hearing a great cry and tumult outside, the owner of the mare rushed
forth into the darkness. But though he heard howls of pain, he could
see nothing, so he returned.
There, at the door, he found a baby, with hair as yellow as gold,
smiling at him. Besides its swaddling clothes, it was wrapped up in
flame-colored satin.
As it was still night, the man took the infant to his bed and laid it
alongside of his wife, who was asleep.
Now this good woman loved children, though she had none of her own,
and so when she woke up in the morning, and saw what was beside her,
she was very happy. Then she resolved to pretend that it was her own.
So she told her women, that she had borne the child, and they called
him Gwri of the Golden Hair.
The boy baby grew up fast, and when only two years old, was as strong
as most children are at six.
Soon he was able to ride the colt that had been born on the May night,
and the two were as playmates together.
Now it chanced, the man had heard the tale of Queen Rhiannon, wife of
Powell, Prince of Dyfed. She had become the mother of a baby boy, but
it was stolen from her at night.
The six serving women, whose duty it was to attend to the Queen, and
guard her child, were lazy and had neglected their duty. They were
asleep when the baby was stolen away. To excuse themselves and be
saved from punishment, they invented a lying story. They declared that
Rhiannon had devoured the child, her own baby.
The wise men of the Court believed the story which the six wicked
women had told, and Rhiannon, the Queen, though innocent, was
condemned to do penance. She was to serve as a porter to carry
visitors and their baggage from out doors into the castle.
Every day, for many months, through the hours of daylight, she stood
in public disgrace in front of the castle of Narberth, at the stone
block, on which riders on horses dismounted from the saddle. When
anyone got off at the gate, she had to carry him or her on her back
into the hall.
As the boy grew up, his foster father scanned his features closely,
and it was not long before he made up his mind that Powell was his
father and Rhiannon was his mother.
One day, with the boy riding on his colt, and with two knights keeping
him company, the owner of the Co-ed mare came near the castle of
Narberth.
There they saw the beautiful Rhiannon sitting on the horse block at
the gate.
When they were about to dismount from their horses, the lovely woman
spoke to them thus:
"Chieftains, go no further thus. I will carry everyone of you on my
back, into the palace."
Seeing their looks of astonishment, she explained:
"This is my penance for the charge brought against me of slaying my
son and devouring him."
One and all the four refused to be carried and went into the castle on
their own feet. There Powell, the prince, welcomed them and made a
feast in their honor. It being night, Rhiannon sat beside him.
After dinner when the time for story telling had come, the chief guest
told the tale of his mare and the colt, and how he cut the clawed
hand, and then found the boy on the doorstep.
Then to the joy and surprise of all, the owner of the Co-ed mare,
putting the golden-haired boy before Rhiannon, cried out:
"Behold lady, here is thy son, and whoever they were who told the
story and lied about your devouring your own child, have done you a
grievous wrong."
Everyone at the table looked at the boy, and all recognized the lad at
once as the child of Powell and Rhiannon.
"Here ends my trouble (pryderi)," cried out Rhiannon.
Thereupon one of the chiefs said:
"Well hast thou named thy child 'Trouble,'" and henceforth Pryderi was
his name.
Soon it was made known, by the vision and word of the bards and seers,
that all the mischief had been wrought by wicked fairies, and that the
six serving women had been under their spell, when they lied about the
Queen. Powell, the castle-lord, was so happy that he offered the man
of Co-ed rich gifts of horses, jewels and dogs.
But this good man felt repaid in delivering a pure woman and loving
mother from undeserved shame and disgrace, by wisdom and honesty
according to common duty.
As for Pryderi, he was educated as a king's son ought to be, in all
gentle arts and was trained in all manly exercises.
After his father died, Pryderi became ruler of the realm. He married
Kieva the daughter of a powerful chieftain, who had a pedigree as long
as the bridle used to drive a ten-horse chariot. It reached back to
Prince Casnar of Britain.
Pryderi had many adventures, which are told in the Mabinogian, which
is the great storehouse of Welsh hero, wonder, and fairy tales.