Knightly Legends of Wales; or, The Boy's Mabinogion / Being the Earliest Welsh Tales of King Arthur in the Famous Red Book of Hergest

by Sidney Lanier

"Three hundred men there are in her household, and unto every stranger that comes to the court the achievements of her household are related. And this is the manner of it,—the three hundred men of the household sit next unto the lady, and that not through disrespect unto the guests, but that they may relate the achievements of the household. And the day that thou goest thence, thou wilt reach the Mound of Mourning; and round about the mound there are the owners of three hundred tents guarding the serpent."

"Since thou hast, indeed, been an oppressor so long," said Peredur, "I will cause that thou continue so no longer." So he slew him.

Then the maiden spoke, and began to converse with him. "If thou wast poor when thou camest here, henceforth thou wilt be rich through the treasure of the black man whom thou hast slain. Thou seest the many lovely maidens that there are in this court: thou shalt have her whom thou best likest for the lady of thy love."

"Lady, I came not hither from my country to woo; but match yourselves as it liketh you with the comely youths I see here. And none of your goods do I desire; for I need them not." Then Peredur rode forward, and he came to the palace of the Sons of the King of the Tortures. And when he entered the palace he saw none but women; and they rose up, and were joyful at his coming; and, as they began to discourse with him, he beheld a charger arrive, with a saddle upon it and a corpse in the saddle. And one of the women arose, and took the corpse from the saddle, and anointed it in a vessel of warm water which was below the door, and placed precious balsam upon it. And the man rose up alive, and came to the place where Peredur was, and greeted him, and was joyful to see him. And two other men came in upon their saddles; and the maiden treated these two in the same manner as she had done the first. Then Peredur asked the chieftain wherefore it was thus. And they told him that there was an Addanc in a cave, which slew them once every day. And thus they remained that night.

And next morning the youths arose to sally forth, and Peredur besought them, for the sake of the ladies of their love, to permit him to go with them; but they refused him, saying, "If thou shouldst be slain there, thou hast none to bring thee back to life again."

And they rode forward, and Peredur followed after them; and, after they had disappeared out of his sight, he came to a mound, whereon sat the fairest lady he had ever beheld.

"I know thy quest," said she. "Thou art going to encounter the Addanc, and he will slay thee, and that not by courage, but by craft. He has a cave, and at the entrance of the cave there is a stone pillar, and he sees every one that enters, and none see him; and from behind the pillar he slays every one with a poisonous dart. And, if thou wouldst pledge me thy faith to love me above all women, I would give thee a stone by which thou shouldst see him when thou goest in, and he should not see thee."

"I will, by my troth," said Peredur; "for, when first I beheld thee, I loved thee. And where shall I seek thee?"

"When thou seekest me, seek towards India." And the maiden vanished, after placing the stone in Peredur's hand.

And he came towards a valley, through which ran a river; and the borders of the valley were wooded, and on each side of the river were level meadows. And on one side of the river he saw a flock of white sheep, and on the other a flock of black sheep. And whenever one of the white sheep bleated, one of the black sheep would cross over and become white; and, when one of the black sheep bleated, one of the white sheep would cross over and become black. And he saw a tall tree by the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other half was green and in full leaf. And nigh thereto he saw a youth sitting upon a mound, and two greyhounds, white-breasted and spotted, in leashes, lying by his side. And certain was he that he had never seen a youth of so royal a bearing as he. And in the wood opposite he heard hounds raising a herd of deer. And Peredur saluted the youth, and the youth greeted him in return. And there were three roads leading from the mound: two of them were wide roads, and the third was more narrow. And Peredur inquired where the three roads went.