His grave is alluded to by Hywel the son of Owain Gwynedd, about A.D. 1160, in these lines;—
“Tonn wenn orewyn a orwlych bet
Gwytua ruuawn bebyr ben teyrnet.” (Myv. Arch v. i. p. 277.)The white wave, mantled with foam, bedews the grave,
The resting place of Rhuvawn Pebyr, chief of kings.
[132b] There may be some slight allusion here to the circumstance mentioned in the last Triad.
[132c] Coelvain; the stones of omen, an honorary reward. In this stanza Rhuvawn is celebrated as pious, valiant, and hospitable.
[132d] The hall (neuadd) might have been the camp itself, or it might have been the general’s tent, answering to the Roman prætorium. Along the extent of the Catrail there are several forts of the British people, which were built either on the contiguous hills, or on the neighbouring heights. A field in the neighbourhood of Dolgelley, which exhibits clear vestiges of an ancient encampment, goes by the name of “Neuadd Goch.”
“Neuadd pob diddos.”
Every shelter is a hall. (Adage.)
[133a] Or, “so great, so immense was the slaughter.” Another reading; “So great, a sea of radiance was the slaughter,” “mor o wawr,” in reference to the brightness of the weapons.
[133b] Morien Manawc is mentioned in the “Dream of Rhonabwy”, as one of the counsellors of Arthur, (p. 416.) His grave is pointed out in the following lines;—(Myv. Arch. vol. i. page 79.)
“E Beteu ae cut gwitwal
Ny llesseint heb ymtial
Gwrien Morien a Morial.The graves that have their mounds together,
Are theirs, who fell not unavenged,
Gwrien, Morien, and Morial.
His memory was much cherished by the mediæval Bards, who not unfrequently compare their patrons to him. Thus Risserdyn (1290, 1340) says that Hywel ap Gruffydd had “vreich Moryen,” the arm of Morien; and his contemporary Madawg Dwygraig eulogises Gruffydd ap Madawg as being “ail Morien,” a second Morien.