- [OWNER]
- Casswallawn,
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Caswallaun, son of Beli the Great (Beli mawr [W.])
(Brut y Brenhinedd, Parry tr. Cleopatra vers.)
chaswallaun (MS Cotton Cleopatra 31v)
Caswallaun (ib. 34v, 35v, 36, 37, 39)
gassallavn (ib. 35),
gaswallaun (ib. 35, 38v),
gaswallaun valch "the Proud" (ib. 37v).
Kaswallon (Brut y Brenhinedd, Book of Basingwerk), Casswallavn, Caswallavn, Kaswallawn, Kasswallon
[W.];
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Cassibellanus, Cassibellaunus [L.];
- [SHEET/VEIL/MANTLE]
- Veil of Illusion (3rd branch of Mabinogi, "Branwen," Guest tr.) *1, magic cloak (Gantz tr.)[E.];
llen hut ymdanaw [W.]
[llen [W.] "sheet, veil, curtain, blind";
"mantle" should prbably be reserved for Mantell[W.] (cf. ⇒mantle of Tegau Eurfron]
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The "Veil of Illusion" (Guest tr.) was a piece of drapery, cloth, etc., of invisibility (llen [W.]) worn by Caswallawn son of Beli, when he laid an invisible assault on Caradog (Caradawc, etc.) son of Bran, who had been assigned stewardsship of the kingdom (Wales) while Bran, who was king of Wales and his brothers were away on a military campaign to avenge the insult perpertrated on Branwen (Bran's sister), wedded to the king of Ireland. (In the Mabinogion tale of "Branwen Daughter of Llyr")
Caswallan attacked using the veil so that only the sword could be seen dealing the damage. Caswallan did not directly harm Caradaog, who was a kinsman. But when six men were slain around him, Caradog's heart failed from grief. This is remembered in the triad "Three People who broke their hearts from Bewilderment" (Triad 95 in Bromwich's edition).
It is worth nothing that scholars seem to distinguish Caradog son of Bran (about which little else is known) from Caradawg Freichfras "Strong-Arm", son of Llyr and husband of ⇒Tegau Eurfron. They may well be doubles of each other, for according to their genealogies, the former nephew of the latter.
Subsequently Caswallawn became king of Wales and most of the countrymen paid homage, although Manawydan son of Llyr (Bran's brother) takes up a life of exile and livelihood through hunting or artisan's craft (shoemaking), according to the tale "Manawydan son of Llyr".
As for Caswallawn is mentioned as "Cassibelaunus" by Geoffrey of Monmouth, but there he succeeded after his elder brother Lud in ruling Britain. Cassibelaunus' other brother Nennius obtained the sword ⇒Crocea Mors while fighting Caesar.
«Arthur's mantle (named Gwen), counted among the Thirteen Treasures of the Isle of Britain, was said to possess the same ability of rendering its user invisible.
- [HORSE]
Slender Gray (Bromwich, Triad 38, 59)[E.];
Meinlas (Peniarth 16; R[=RBH], W[=WBR]), melynlas (BBC 27)
menilas (NLW, DC)(Triad 38)
- Meinlas "Slender-Grey" is named as Caswallawn's horse in the triad of the "Three Bestowed Horses" (Bromwich, triad 38). The circumtance of how this gift horse became a Trojan horse is explained in the triad of the "Three Unfortunate Counsels of the Island of Britain:" (Bromwich, triad 59), this horse Meinlas was evidently offered as a gift from Julius Caesar in exchage for permission to set foot on land in Britain with their horses.
Consequently of course, the Romans invaded Britain. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cassibelanaus (Caswallawn)'s brother Nennius (Nynnyau) succumbed after battle, due to injury from the poison sword of Caesar named ⇒Crocea Mors.
*1
Guest, Charlotte 1812-1895 tr., The Mabinogion (1877).
See below for bibliography and links.
*2
Mackillop, James, ed. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford University Press 1998).
§ Branwen meirch Llyr (c. 12c.?)
Bran and his company (the seven survivors from the pyrrhic campaign in Ireland) are given the sad report as to the news back home in Wales that the throne has been usurped by Caswallwan.
Ac ar
hynny kerdet awnaeth y seithwyr parth a harlech
ar penn gantunt val y bydant yn kerdet.
llyma gyrweithyd yn kyuaruot ac wynt owyr
agwraged. Aoes gennwch chwi chwedleu heb y
manawydan. Nac oes heb wynt o nyt goresgyn
o gasswallawn uab beli ynys y kedyru. Ae vot
yn vrenhin coronawc yn llundein. Pa daruu heb
wynteu y garadawc vab bran. ar seithwyr aedewit
y gyt ac ef yn yr ynys honn. Dyuot kaswallawn
am eu penn allad y chwegwyr. Athorri o
honaw ynteu gradawe y gallon o annyuyget.
Am welet y cledyf ynllad y wyr. ac nawydyat
pwy ae lladei. Kasswallawn ar daroed idaw wiscaw
llen hut ymdanaw. Ac nywelei neb ef ynllad
y gwyr. namyn y cledyf. Ny mynnei
gasswallawn ylad ynteu ynei uab y geuynderw
oed. Ahwnnw uu y trydyd dyn atores y gallon
o anniuyget. Penndarandyuet aoed ynwas ieuanc {p.100}
gyt ar seithwyr adihengis yr coet heb wynt.
Charlotte Guest, ed., Mabinogion (1849) "Branwen verch Llyr" p.99,
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Then the seven men journeyed forward towards Harlech, bearing the head with them; and as they went, behold there met them a multitude of men and of women. "Have you any tidings?" asked Manawyddan. "We have none," said they, "save that Caswallawn the son of Beli has conquered the Island of the Mighty, and is crowned king in London." "What has become," said they, "of Caradawc the son of Bran, and the seven men who were left with him in this island?" "Caswallawn came upon them, and slew six of the men, and Caradawc's heart broke for grief thereof; for he could see the sword that slew the men, but knew not who it was that wielded it. Caswallawn had flung upon him the Veil of Illusion, so that no one could see him slay the men, but the sword only could they see. And it liked him not to slay Caradawc, because he was his nephew, the son of his cousin. And now he was the third whose heart had broke through grief. Pendaran Dyved, who had remained as a young page with these men, escaped into the wood," said they.
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In Gantz's translation, " Caswallawn had clothed himself in a magic cloak so that no one could see him killing the men, only the sword;"
§ Welsh triads
The horse-name occurs in the Triads of the Horses ( Trioedd y Meirch [W.]), but the different manuscripts texts are at considerable variance.
Bromwich's critical edition uses as her base text the Peniarth 16 ms., which she calls "The Early Version":
42. Tri Gohoew Edystyr Enys Prydein:
- Llwyt, march Alser mab Maelgwn,
- a Gvineu Godwfhir, march Kei,
- a Chethin Carnavlaw, march Idon mab Enyr Gvent.
— Rachel Bromwich ed.,
Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads, p. 105
[Peniarth 16, fo. 53r]
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42. Three Lively Steeds of the Island of Britain:
Grey, horse of Alser son of Maelgwn,
and Chestnut Long-Neck, horse of Cai,
and Roan Cloven-Hoof, horse of Iddon son of Ynyr Gwent.
— tr.
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According to Bromwich, the triad occurs under a different title, Tri thom edystyr or the three "Pack Horses" in "R" or the Red Book of Hergest ( Jesus College ms. 11) and "W" or the White Book of Rhydderch (Peniarth 5).
Except Rhys and Evans, in giving their translation, apparently kept the same title as above.
- Tri thom edystyr enys prydein.
- gvineu gvdvf hir, march kei
- a grei march edvin,
- a lluyd march alfer mab maelgvn.
53. TRI thom edystyr ynys Prydein.
Gwineu Guduc hir, march Kei. a Grei
march Edwin, a Llwyd march Alser mab Maelgwn.
— Myrvyrian Archailogy II, p.398
(triad ii.53)
- Three Lively Steeds of the Island of Britain:
- Gwineu Gwdwc Hir horse of Cei,
- and Grei hourse of Edwin,
- and Llwyd horse of Alfer son of Maelgwn
— Eng. tr. by Rhys & Evans,
of the "Red Book of Hergest triads",
appendixed in The Text of the Mabinogion
*2.
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The horse also occurs in another version of the triads of the horses in the Black Book ( Black Book of Carmarthen VIII), which has been quoted in full on the ⇒Gringolet (Ceincaled). Thus only the relevant triad will be repeated here:
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- TRI gohoev etẏstir inis pridein.
- Guẏnev godvff. hir. march kei.
- Ruthir ehon tuth bleit. m. Gilberd mab kadgẏffro.
- a. keincaled. m. gualchmei.
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The three spirited horses of the Isle of Prydain
Gwineu Goddwf Hir, the horse of Cai;
Rhuthr Eon Tuth Blaidd, the horse of Gilbert the son of Cadgyffro;
And Ceincaled, the horse of Gwalchmai.
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— Eng. tr. by Skene
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Sources:
Links:
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fol. 146r, col. 597