Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
The Britons explained
This chapter introduces the earliest inhabitants of Britain, the Celts, and discusses the origins of the names Wales and Welsh.
What happens
This chapter introduces the earliest inhabitants of Britain, the Celts, and discusses the origins of the names Wales and Welsh. It covers the Roman occupation of Britain, the resistance of the native Britons, and the preservation of the original British stock in Wales and Cornwall. The chapter then delves into Welsh language and literature, highlighting the Myvyrian Archaeology of Wales and the Mabinogeon. It concludes with a discussion of the Welsh bards, including Aneurin, Taliesin, Llywarch Hen, and Merlin, and provides examples of Triads, a unique form of Welsh poetry.
Themes in this chapter
Cultural Transmission and Education
The chapter emphasizes the preservation and transmission of Welsh culture through language, literature, and the works of bards like Aneurin and Taliesin, as well as the collection of Triads.
Heroism and the Quest
The battle of Cattraeth and the lament for fallen warriors, as well as the triads listing heroes and knights, reflect themes of heroism and martial valor.
Characters to notice
- Merlin
Mentioned as one of the three principal bards of the island of Britain, also called Merlin Ambrose Merlin the Wild.
- King Arthur
Referenced in a personal triad composed by him, listing three heroes in battle, and in a triad about the three honorable feasts of the island of Britain.
- Sir Gawain
Listed as one of the three golden-tongued knights of the court of Arthur.
- Queen Guenever
Mentioned in a triad as the daughter of Laodegan the giant, with the line 'Bad when little, worse when great.'
Key passages
“To Cattraeth’s vale, in glittering row, Twice two hundred warriors go; Every warrior’s manly neck Chains of regal honor deck, Wreathed in many a golden link; From the golden cup they drink Nectar that the bees produce, Or the grape’s exalted juice. Flushed with mirth and hope they burn, But none to Cattraeth’s vale return, Save Aëron brave, and Conan strong, Bursting through the bloody throng, And I, the meanest of them all, That live to weep, and sing their fall.”
Four hundred warriors march to Cattraeth's valley, adorned with golden chains of honor, drinking mead and wine. They are filled with joy and hope, but only Aëron, Conan, and the bard survive the battle, leaving the poet to mourn and sing of their deaths.
This extract from Aneurin's 'Gododin' poem laments the defeat of the Britons at the battle of Cattraeth due to excessive drinking before combat.
“Hast thou heard what Dremhidydd sung, An ancient watchman on the castle walls? A refusal is better than a promise unperformed.”
An old watchman on the castle walls sang that it is better to refuse a request than to make a promise that is not kept.
This moral triad from Welsh poetry emphasizes the virtue of honesty and reliability over empty promises.