- [HORSE/OWNER:]
- Gvineu Godwfhir (Peniarth 16) [W.] Chestnut Long-Neck (Bromwich tr.)[E.], ;
~ gvdvf hir (W=White Book of Rhydderch),
~ gwdwc hir (R=Red Book of Hergest),
Gwiney Gwdhwhir (C 36),
Guyneu goduff hir (BBC=Black Book of Carmarthen),
gwine gyddvir (Peniarth 27),
gwinau gwddwg hir (Peniarth 51),
~ gwddw hir (DC, NLW),
~ gwddwfhir (Cwrt.), (Rachel Bromwich ed., Trioedd Ynis Prydein, #42)
- Gwineu Gwddwf Hir [W.] "the long-necked bay" [E.](Lady Guest's notes to Lady of the Fountain) [E.];
Guẏnev godvff. hir (Skene ed., Black Book of Carmarthen VIII)[W.], "Gwineu Goddwf Hir"(Skene tr.) (Skene, Four Ancient Books of Wales)
[W.];
[gwineu "bay, brown, auburn" + gwddwg / gwddf "neck" + hir "long"]
- According to the Welsh triads, the horse of Cei (Sir Kay the Seneschal of Arthur)
- Phyllis Ann Karr (author of The Arthurian Companion) notes that in the Middle-English Sir Gawaine and the Carl of Carlisle, the Carl gives Kay a blood-red horse. Karr's own invented name of this horse is Feuillemorte, which means "autmumn leaf" (or "dead leaf", i.e. "fallen leaf") in French*1.
*1
Phyllis Ann Karr, The Arthurian Companion (Second Edition),
(Green Knight Publishing 2001) [ISBN: 1928999131 ]
[Amazon]
§ 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. That is to say, Cei's horse have been placed under several Triad titles ("lively/spirited" or "pack horses" or "gift/bestowed horses"), and in the company of different horses.
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. Bromwich
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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 Sumpter Steeds of the Island of Britain:
- Long-Necked Bay, horse of Kei (the Seneschal),
- and Stud(?)*3, horse of Edwin,
- and Gray, horse of Alfer son of Maelgwn
— tr. mine
- Three Lively Steeds of the Island of Britain:
- Gwineu Gwdwc Hir horse of Cei,
- and Grei horse of Edwin,
- and Llwyd horse of Alfer son of Maelgwn
— Eng. tr. by Rhys & Evans,
of the "Red Book of Hergest triads",
appendixed in R. B. 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) *4, which has been quoted in full on the ⇒Gringolet (Ceincaled). Thus only the relevant triad will be repeated here:
- :
- 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.
- :
— Eng. tr. by Skene
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*1
Rachel Bromwich ed., Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1961).
The Triad of the Horses (nos. 38~46) Bromwich says occurs at the closing of "The Early Version", i.e. Peniarth 16 (Intro., xcviii).
The English translated text only of the 96 Triads (plus several variants) given by Bromwich has been made available at e.g. (mythiccrossroads) page, originally taken from Celtic Encyclopedia which is now offline.
*2
Rhys, John, 1840-1915 and Evans, J. G. (John Gwenogvryn), 1852-1930, ed.,
The Text of the Mabinogion : and Other Welsh Tales from the Red Book of Hergest
(Oxford, Eng. : J.G. Evans, 1887.) [xxiv, 355, [1] p., [5] leaves of plates : ill., facsims. ; 27 cm.] [Series of Welsh texts 1].
I have relied on info given on the "Hergest Triads" page by Mary Jones on her Celtic Collective site (or the mirror site);
and I don't have immediate access to this title [worldcat].
*3
A girl with the same name appears in the Canu y Meirch "Song of the Horses" in the Book of Taliesin, as "Grei march Cunin" which Bromwich translates as "Grey", horse of Cunin (Trioedd Ynys Prydein, c-ci). But applying that translation here would result in repetition.
*4
The Black Book of Carmarthen [Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin],  VIII.Trioedd y Meirch, Eng. tr. are available at www.ancienttexts.org.
Alternately, the Welsh text in Skene's Volume II is  digitized by Books.Google and
the E. tr. of Volume I is transcribed here at www.sacred-texts.com.
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[bestiary:horse] [Arthurian]
fol. 146r, col. 597