Edward Hunt's Forest of Dean Miscellany

It was Arthur’s custom to hold court at Caer Llion (Caerleon - EH) on Usk, and he held it continually for seven Easters and five Christmasses…

 

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…and Whit Tuesday as the emperor was sitting at his carousal, lo, a tall auburn-haired youth coming in, with a tunic and surcoat of ribbed brocaded silk upon him, and a gold-hilted sword about his neck, and two low boots of cordwain upon his feet; and he came before Arthur.

 

‘All hail, lord,’ said he.

 

‘God prosper thee,’ he replied, ‘and God’s welcome to thee. And hast thou fresh tidings?’

 

‘I have, lord,’ he replied.

 

‘I know thee not,’ said Arthur.

 

‘Now I marvel thou dost not know me. And a forester of thine am I, lord, in the Forest of Dean. And Madawg is my name, son of Twrgadarn.’

 

‘Tell thy tidings,’ said Arthur.

 

‘I will, lord,’ said he. ‘A stag have I seen in the Forest, and I never saw the like of it.’

 

‘What is there about it,’ asked Arthur, ‘that thou shouldst never have seen its like?’

 

‘It is pure white, lord, and it goes not with any animal for presumption and pride, so exceeding majestical it is. And it is to ask counsel of thee, lord, that I am come. What is thy counsel concerning it?’

 

‘I shall do what is most fitting,’ said Arthur; ‘go to hunt it tomorrow in the young of the day, and have that made known tonight to each one from the lodgings, and to Rhyferys (who was the head huntsman to Arthur) and to Elifri (who was Arthur’s head groom), and to every one besides those.’

 

And on that they determined; and he sent the groom on ahead.

 

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And then Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere – EH) said to Arthur, ‘Lord,’ said she, ‘wilt thou give me leave to go tomorrow and see and listen to the hunting of the stag that the youth spoke of?’

 

‘I will, gladly,’ said Arthur.

 

‘Then I shall go,' said she.

 

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This text was written taken from ‘The Mabinogion’ Translated by Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones (publisher: Everyman 1949)

 

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Key words:  King Arthur, Caerleon, Caer Llion, Guinevere, Gwenhwyfar, Madawg, Twrgadarn, Usk

 

 

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