OWAIN OR THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.
(Translation
by Lady Charlotte Guest)
King Arthur was at Caerlleon upon Usk; and one day he sat
in his chamber; and with him were Owain the son of Urien,
and Kynon the son of Clydno, and Kai the son of Kyner; and
Gwenhwyvar and her hand-maidens at needlework by the
window. And if it should be said that there was a porter at
Arthur's palace, there was none. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was
there, acting as porter, to welcome guests and strangers,
and to receive them with honour, and to inform them of the
manners and customs of the Court; and to direct those who
came to the Hall or to the presence-chamber, and those who
came to take up their lodging.
In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a seat of
green rushes, over which was spread a covering of
flame-coloured satin, and a cushion of red satin was under
his elbow.
Then Arthur spoke, "If I thought you would not disparage
me," said he, "I would sleep while I wait for my repast;
and you can entertain one another with relating tales, and
can obtain a flagon of mead and some meat from Kai." And
the King went to sleep. And Kynon the son of Clydno asked
Kai for that which Arthur had promised them. "I, too, will
have the good tale which he promised to me," said Kai.
"Nay," answered Kynon, "fairer will it be for thee to
fulfil Arthur's behest, in the first place, and then we
will tell thee the best tale that we know." So Kai went to
the kitchen and to the mead-cellar, and returned bearing a
flagon of mead and a golden goblet, and a handful of
skewers, upon which were broiled collops of meat. Then they
ate the collops and began to drink the mead. "Now," said
Kai, "it is time for you to give me my story." "Kynon,"
said Owain, "do thou pay to Kai the tale that is his due."
"Truly," said Kynon, "thou art older, and art a better
teller of tales, and hast seen more marvellous things than
I; do thou therefore pay Kai his tale." "Begin thyself,"
quoth Owain, "with the best that thou knowest." "I will do
so," answered Kynon.
"I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was
exceedingly aspiring, and my daring was very great. I
thought there was no enterprise in the world too mighty for
me, and after I had achieved all the adventures that were
in my own country, I equipped myself, and set forth to
journey through deserts and distant regions. And at length
it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world,
wherein were trees of equal growth; and a river ran through
the valley, and a path was by the side of the river. And I
followed the path until mid-day, and continued my journey
along the remainder of the valley until the evening; and at
the extremity of a plain I came to a large and lustrous
Castle, at the foot of which was a torrent. And I
approached the Castle, and there I beheld two youths with
yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of gold upon his
head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin, and they had
gold clasps upon their insteps. In the hand of each of them
was an ivory bow, strung with the sinews of the stag; and
their arrows had shafts of the bone of the whale, and were
winged with peacock's feathers; the shafts also had golden
heads. And they had daggers with blades of gold, and with
hilts of the bone of the whale. And they were shooting
their daggers.
"And a little way from them I saw a man in the prime of
life, with his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a
mantle of yellow satin; and round the top of his mantle was
a band of gold lace. On his feet were shoes of variegated
leather, fastened by two bosses of gold. When I saw him, I
went towards him and saluted him, and such was his courtesy
that he no sooner received my greeting than he returned it.
And he went with me towards the castle. Now there were no
dwellers in the castle except those who were in one hall.
And there I saw four-and-twenty damsels, embroidering satin
at a window. And this I tell thee, Kai, that the least fair
of them was fairer than the fairest maid thou hast ever
beheld in the island of Britain, and the least lovely of
them was more lovely than Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur,
when she has appeared loveliest at the Offering, on the day
of the Nativity, or at the feast of Easter. They rose up at
my coming, and six of them took my horse, and divested me
of my armour; and six others took my arms, and washed them
in a vessel until they were perfectly bright. And the third
six spread cloths upon the tables and prepared meat. And
the fourth six took off my soiled garments, and placed
others upon me; namely, an under vest and a doublet of fine
linen, and a robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow
satin with a broad gold band upon the mantle. And they
placed cushions both beneath and around me, with coverings
of red linen; and I sat down. Now the six maidens who had
taken my horse, unharnessed him, as well as if they had
been the best squires in the island of Britain. Then,
behold, they brought bowls of silver wherein was water to
wash, and towels of linen, some green and some white; and I
washed. And in a little while the man sat down to the
table. And I sat next to him, and below me sat all the
maidens, except those who waited on us. And the table was
of silver, and the cloths upon the table were of linen; and
no vessel was served upon the table that was not either of
gold or of silver, or of buffalo-horn. And our meat was
brought to us. And verily, Kai, I saw there every sort of
meat and every sort of liquor that I have ever seen
elsewhere; but the meat and the liquor were better served
there than I have ever seen them in any other place.
"Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor any
one of the damsels spoke a single word to me; but when the
man perceived that it would be more agreeable to me to
converse than to eat any more, he began to inquire of me
who I was. I said I was glad to find that there was some
one who would discourse with me, and that it was not
considered so great a crime at that Court for people to
hold converse together. 'Chieftain,' said the man, 'we
would have talked to thee sooner, but we feared to disturb
thee during thy repast; now, however, we will discourse.'
Then I told the man who I was, and what was the cause of my
journey; and said that I was seeking whether any one was
superior to me, or whether I could gain the mastery over
all. The man looked upon me, and he smiled and said, 'If I
did not fear to distress thee too much, I would show thee
that which thou seekest.' Upon this I became anxious and
sorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, 'If thou
wouldest rather that I should show thee thy disadvantage
than thine advantage, I will do so. Sleep here to-night,
and in the morning arise early, and take the road upwards
through the valley until thou reachest the wood through
which thou camest hither. A little way within the wood thou
wilt meet with a road branching off to the right, by which
thou must proceed, until thou comest to a large sheltered
glade with a mound in the centre. And thou wilt see a black
man of great stature on the top of the mound. He is not
smaller in size than two of the men of this world. He has
but one foot; and one eye in the middle of his forehead.
And he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are
no two men in the world who would not find their burden in
that club. And he is not a comely man, but on the contrary
he is exceedingly ill-favoured; and he is the woodward of
that wood. And thou wilt see a thousand wild animals
grazing around him. Inquire of him the way out of the
glade, and he will reply to thee briefly, and will point
out the road by which thou shalt find that which thou art
in quest of.'
"And long seemed that night to me. And the next morning I
arose and equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and
proceeded straight through the valley to the wood; and I
followed the cross-road which the man had pointed out to
me, till at length I arrived at the glade. And there was I
three times more astonished at the number of wild animals
that I beheld, than the man had said I should be. And the
black man was there, sitting upon the top of the mound.
Huge of stature as the man had told me that he was, I found
him to exceed by far the description he had given me of
him. As for the iron club which the man had told me was a
burden for two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would be a
heavy weight for four warriors to lift; and this was in the
black man's hand. And he only spoke to me in answer to my
questions. Then I asked him what power he held over those
animals. 'I will show thee, little man,' said he. And he
took his club in his hand, and with it he struck a stag a
great blow so that he brayed vehemently, and at his braying
the animals came together, as numerous as the stars in the
sky, so that it was difficult for me to find room in the
glade to stand among them. There were serpents, and
dragons, and divers sorts of animals. And he looked at
them, and bade them go and feed; and they bowed their
heads, and did him homage as vassals to their lord.
"Then the black man said to me, 'Seest thou now, little
man, what power I hold over these animals?' Then I inquired
of him the way, and he became very rough in his manner to
me; however, he asked me whither I would go? And when I
told him who I was and what I sought, he directed me.
'Take,' said he, 'that path that leads towards the head of
the glade, and ascend the wooded steep until thou comest to
its summit; and there thou wilt find an open space like to
a large valley, and in the midst of it a tall tree, whose
branches are greener than the greenest pine-trees. Under
this tree is a fountain, and by the side of the fountain a
marble slab, and on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached
by a chain of silver, so that it may not be carried away.
Take the bowl and throw a bowlful of water upon the slab,
and thou wilt hear a mighty peal of thunder, so that thou
wilt think that heaven and earth are trembling with its
fury. With the thunder there will come a shower so severe
that it will be scarce possible for thee to endure it and
live. And the shower will be of hailstones; and after the
shower, the weather will become fair, but every leaf that
was upon the tree will have been carried away by the
shower. Then a flight of birds will come and alight upon
the tree; and in thine own country thou didst never hear a
strain so sweet as that which they will sing. And at the
moment thou art most delighted with the song of the birds,
thou wilt hear a murmuring and complaining coming towards
thee along the valley. And thou wilt see a knight upon a
coal-black horse, clothed in black velvet, and with a
pennon of black linen upon his lance; and he will ride unto
thee to encounter thee with the utmost speed. If thou
fleest from him he will overtake thee, and if thou abidest
there, as sure as thou art a mounted knight, he will leave
thee on foot. And if thou dost not find trouble in that
adventure, thou needest not seek it during the rest of thy
life.'
"So I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the
steep, and there I found everything as the black man had
described it to me. And I went up to the tree, and beneath
it I saw the fountain, and by its side the marble slab, and
the silver bowl fastened by the chain. Then I took the
bowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab; and
thereupon, behold, the thunder came, much more violent than
the black man had led me to expect; and after the thunder
came the shower; and of a truth I tell thee, Kai, that
there is neither man nor beast that could endure that
shower and live. For not one of those hailstones would be
stopped, either by the flesh or by the skin, until it had
reached the bone. I turned my horse's flank towards the
shower, and placed the beak of my shield over his head and
neck, while I held the upper part of it over my own head.
And thus I withstood the shower. When I looked on the tree
there was not a single leaf upon it, and then the sky
became clear, and with that, behold the birds lighted upon
the tree, and sang. And truly, Kai, I never heard any
melody equal to that, either before or since. And when I
was most charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a
murmuring voice was heard through the valley, approaching
me and saying, 'Oh, Knight, what has brought thee hither?
What evil have I done to thee, that thou shouldst act
towards me and my possessions as thou hast this day? Dost
thou not know that the shower to-day has left in my
dominions neither man nor beast alive that was exposed to
it?' And thereupon, behold, a Knight on a black horse
appeared, clothed in jet-black velvet, and with a tabard of
black linen about him. And we charged each other, and, as
the onset was furious, it was not long before I was
overthrown. Then the Knight passed the shaft of his lance
through the bridle rein of my horse, and rode off with the
two horses, leaving me where I was. And he did not even
bestow so much notice upon me as to imprison me, nor did he
despoil me of my arms. So I returned along the road by
which I had come. And when I reached the glade where the
black man was, I confess to thee, Kai, it is a marvel that
I did not melt down into a liquid pool, through the shame
that I felt at the black man's derision. And that night I
came to the same castle where I had spent the night
preceding. And I was more agreeably entertained that night
than I had been the night before; and I was better feasted,
and I conversed freely with the inmates of the castle, and
none of them alluded to my expedition to the fountain,
neither did I mention it to any; and I remained there that
night. When I arose on the morrow, I found, ready saddled,
a dark bay palfrey, with nostrils as red as scarlet; and
after putting on my armour, and leaving there my blessing,
I returned to my own Court. And that horse I still possess,
and he is in the stable yonder. And I declare that I would
not part with him for the best palfrey in the island of
Britain.
"Now of a truth, Kai, no man ever before confessed to an
adventure so much to his own discredit, and verily it seems
strange to me, that neither before nor since have I heard
of any person besides myself who knew of this adventure,
and that the subject of it should exist within King
Arthur's dominions, without any other person lighting upon
it."
"Now," quoth Owain, "would it not be well to go and
endeavour to discover that place?"
"By the hand of my friend," said Kai, "often dost thou
utter that with thy tongue which thou wouldst not make good
with thy deeds."
"In very truth," said Gwenhwyvar, "it were better thou wert
hanged, Kai, than to use such uncourteous speech towards a
man like Owain."
"By the hand of my friend, good Lady," said Kai, "thy
praise of Owain is not greater than mine."
With that Arthur awoke, and asked if he had not been
sleeping a little.
"Yes, Lord," answered Owain, "thou hast slept awhile."
"Is it time for us to go to meat?"
"It is, Lord," said Owain.
Then the horn for washing was sounded, and the King and all
his household sat down to eat. And when the meal was ended,
Owain withdrew to his lodging, and made ready his horse and
his arms.
On the morrow, with the dawn of day, he put on his armour
and mounted his charger, and travelled through distant
lands and over desert mountains. And at length he arrived
at the valley which Kynon had described to him; and he was
certain that it was the same that he sought. And journeying
along the valley by the side of the river, he followed its
course till he came to the plain and within sight of the
Castle. When he approached the Castle, he saw the youths
shooting their daggers in the place where Kynon had seen
them, and the yellow man, to whom the Castle belonged,
standing hard by. And no sooner had Owain saluted the
yellow man than he was saluted by him in return.
And he went forward towards the Castle, and there he saw
the chamber, and when he had entered the chamber he beheld
the maidens working at satin embroidery, in chairs of gold.
And their beauty and their comeliness seemed to Owain far
greater than Kynon had represented to him. And they arose
to wait upon Owain, as they had done to Kynon, and the meal
which they set before him gave more satisfaction to Owain
than it had done to Kynon.
About the middle of the repast, the yellow man asked Owain
the object of his journey. And Owain made it known to him,
and said, "I am in quest of the Knight who guards the
fountain." Upon this the yellow man smiled, and said that
he was as loth to point out that adventure to Owain as he
had been to Kynon. However, he described the whole to
Owain, and they retired to rest.
The next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him
by the damsels, and he set forward and came to the glade
where the black man was. And the stature of the black man
seemed more wonderful to Owain than it had done to Kynon,
and Owain asked of him his road, and he showed it to him.
And Owain followed the road, as Kynon had done, till he
came to the green tree; and he beheld the fountain, and the
slab beside the fountain, with the bowl upon it. And Owain
took the bowl, and threw a bowlful of water upon the slab.
And, lo, the thunder was heard, and after the thunder came
the shower, much more violent than Kynon had described, and
after the shower the sky became bright. And when Owain
looked at the tree, there was not one leaf upon it. And
immediately the birds came, and settled upon the tree, and
sang. And when their song was most pleasing to Owain, he
beheld a Knight coming towards him through the valley, and
he prepared to receive him; and encountered him violently.
Having broken both their lances, they drew their swords,
and fought blade to blade. Then Owain struck the Knight a
blow through his helmet, head-piece and visor, and through
the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the
very brain. Then the black Knight felt that he had received
a mortal wound upon which he turned his horse's head, and
fled. And Owain pursued him, and followed close upon him,
although he was not near enough to strike him with his
sword. Thereupon Owain descried a vast and resplendent
Castle. And they came to the Castle gate. And the black
Knight was allowed to enter, and the portcullis was let
fall upon Owain; and it struck his horse behind the saddle,
and cut him in two, and carried away the rowels of the
spurs that were upon Owain's heels. And the portcullis
descended to the floor. And the rowels of the spurs and
part of the horse were without, and Owain, with the other
part of the horse remained between the two gates, and the
inner gate was closed, so that Owain could not go thence;
and Owain was in a perplexing situation. And while he was
in this state, he could see through an aperture in the
gate, a street facing him, with a row of houses on each
side. And he beheld a maiden, with yellow curling hair, and
a frontlet of gold upon her head; and she was clad in a
dress of yellow satin, and on her feet were shoes of
variegated leather. And she approached the gate, and
desired that it should be opened. "Heaven knows, Lady,"
said Owain, "it is no more possible for me to open to thee
from hence, than it is for thee to set me free." "Truly,"
said the damsel, 'it is very sad that thou canst not be
released, and every woman ought to succour thee, for I
never saw one more faithful in the service of ladies than
thou. As a friend thou art the most sincere, and as a lover
the most devoted. Therefore," quoth she, "whatever is in my
power to do for thy release, I will do it. Take this ring
and put it on thy finger, with the stone inside thy hand;
and close thy hand upon the stone. And as long as thou
concealest it, it will conceal thee. When they have
consulted together, they will come forth to fetch thee, in
order to put thee to death; and they will be much grieved
that they cannot find thee. And I will await thee on the
horseblock yonder; and thou wilt be able to see me, though
I cannot see thee; therefore come and place thy hand upon
my shoulder, that I may know that thou art near me. And by
the way that I go hence, do thou accompany me."
Then she went away from Owain, and he did all that the
maiden had told him. And the people of the Castle came to
seek Owain, to put him to death, and when they found
nothing but the half of his horse, they were sorely
grieved.
And Owain vanished from among them, and went to the maiden,
and placed his hand upon her shoulder; whereupon she set
off, and Owain followed her, until they came to the door of
a large and beautiful chamber, and the maiden opened it,
and they went in, and closed the door. And Owain looked
around the chamber, and behold there was not even a single
nail in it that was not painted with gorgeous colours; and
there was not a single panel that had not sundry images in
gold portrayed upon it.
The maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver bowl,
and put a towel of white linen on her shoulder, and gave
Owain water to wash. Then she placed before him a silver
table, inlaid with gold; upon which was a cloth of yellow
linen; and she brought him food. And of a truth, Owain had
never seen any kind of meat that was not there in
abundance, but it was better cooked there than he had ever
found it in any other place. Nor did he ever see so
excellent a display of meat and drink, as there. And there
was not one vessel from which he was served, that was not
of gold or of silver. And Owain ate and drank, until late
in the afternoon, when lo, they heard a mighty clamour in
the Castle; and Owain asked the maiden what that outcry
was. "They are administering extreme unction," said she,
"to the Nobleman who owns the Castle." And Owain went to
sleep.
The couch which the maiden had prepared for him was meet
for Arthur himself; it was of scarlet, and fur, and satin,
and sendall, and fine linen. In the middle of the night
they heard a woful outcry; "What outcry again is this?"
said Owain. "The Nobleman who owned the Castle is now
dead," said the maiden. And a little after daybreak, they
heard an exceeding loud clamour and wailing. And Owain
asked the maiden what was the cause of it. "They are
bearing to the church the body of the Nobleman who owned
the Castle."
And Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened a window
of the chamber, and looked towards the Castle; and he could
see neither the bounds, nor the extent of the hosts that
filled the streets. And they were fully armed; and a vast
number of women were with them, both on horseback and on
foot; and all the ecclesiastics in the city, singing. And
it seemed to Owain that the sky resounded with the
vehemence of their cries, and with the noise of the
trumpets, and with the singing of the ecclesiastics. In the
midst of the throng, he beheld the bier, over which was a
veil of white linen; and wax tapers were burning beside and
around it, and none that supported the bier was lower in
rank than a powerful Baron.
Never did Owain see an assemblage so gorgeous with satin,
and silk, and sendall. And following the train, he beheld a
lady with yellow hair falling over her shoulders, and
stained with blood; and about her a dress of yellow satin,
which was torn. Upon her feet were shoes of variegated
leather. And it was a marvel that the ends of her fingers
were not bruised, from the violence with which she smote
her hands together. Truly she would have been the fairest
lady Owain ever saw, had she been in her usual guise. And
her cry was louder than the shout of the men, or the
clamour of the trumpets. No sooner had he beheld the lady,
than he became inflamed with her love, so that it took
entire possession of him.
Then he inquired of the maiden who the lady was. "Heaven
knows," replied the maiden, "she may be said to be the
fairest, and the most chaste, and the most liberal, and the
wisest, and the most noble of women. And she is my
mistress; and she is called the Countess of the Fountain,
the wife of him whom thou didst slay yesterday." "Verily,"
said Owain, "she is the woman that I love best." "Verily,"
said the maiden, "she shall also love thee not a little."
And with that the maid arose, and kindled a fire, and
filled a pot with water, and placed it to warm; and she
brought a towel of white linen, and placed it around
Owain's neck; and she took a goblet of ivory, and a silver
basin, and filled them with warm water, wherewith she
washed Owain's head. Then she opened a wooden casket, and
drew forth a razor, whose haft was of ivory, and upon which
were two rivets of gold. And she shaved his beard, and she
dried his head, and his throat, with the towel. Then she
rose up from before Owain, and brought him to eat. And
truly Owain had never so good a meal, nor was he ever so
well served.
When he had finished his repast, the maiden arranged his
couch. "Come here," said she, "and sleep, and I will go and
woo for thee." And Owain went to sleep, and the maiden shut
the door of the chamber after her, and went towards the
Castle. When she came there, she found nothing but
mourning, and sorrow; and the Countess in her chamber could
not bear the sight of any one through grief. Luned came and
saluted her, but the Countess answered her not. And the
maiden bent down towards her, and said, "What aileth thee,
that thou answerest no one to-day?" "Luned," said the
Countess, "what change hath befallen thee, that thou hast
not come to visit me in my grief? It was wrong in thee, and
I having made thee rich; it was wrong in thee that thou
didst not come to see me in my distress. That was wrong in
thee." "Truly," said Luned, "I thought thy good sense was
greater than I find it to be. Is it well for thee to mourn
after that good man, or for anything else, that thou canst
not have?" "I declare to heaven," said the Countess, "that
in the whole world there is not a man to equal him." "Not
so," said Luned, "for an ugly man would be as good as, or
better than he." "I declare to heaven," said the Countess,
"that were it not repugnant to me to cause to be put to
death one whom I have brought up, I would have thee
executed, for making such a comparison to me. As it is, I
will banish thee." "I am glad," said Luned, "that thou hast
no other cause to do so, than that I would have been of
service to thee where thou didst not know what was to thine
advantage. And henceforth evil betide whichever of us shall
make the first advance towards reconciliation to the other;
whether I should seek an invitation from thee, or thou of
thine own accord shouldst send to invite me."
With that Luned went forth: and the Countess arose and
followed her to the door of the chamber, and began coughing
loudly. And when Luned looked back, the Countess beckoned
to her; and she returned to the Countess. "In truth," said
the Countess, "evil is thy disposition; but if thou knowest
what is to my advantage, declare it to me." "I will do so,"
quoth she.
"Thou knowest that except by warfare and arms it is
impossible for thee to preserve thy possessions; delay not,
therefore, to seek someone who can defend them." "And how
can I do that?" said the Countess. "I will tell thee," said
Luned, "unless thou canst defend the fountain, thou canst
not maintain thy dominions; and no one can defend the
fountain, except it be a knight of Arthur's household; and
I will go to Arthur's Court, and ill betide me, if I return
thence without a warrior who can guard the fountain, as
well as, or even better than, he who defended it formerly."
"That will be hard to perform," said the Countess. "Go,
however, and make proof of that which thou hast promised."
Luned set out, under the pretence of going to Arthur's
Court; but she went back to the chamber where she had left
Owain; and she tarried there with him as long as it might
have taken her to have travelled to the Court of King
Arthur. And at the end of that time, she apparelled herself
and went to visit the Countess. And the Countess was much
rejoiced when she saw her, and enquired what news she
brought from the Court. "I bring thee the best of news,"
said Luned, "for I have compassed the object of my mission.
When wilt thou, that I should present to thee the chieftain
who has come with me hither?" "Bring him here to visit me
to-morrow, at mid-day," said the Countess, "and I will
cause the town to be assembled by that time."
And Luned returned home. And the next day, at noon, Owain
arrayed himself in a coat, and a surcoat, and a mantle of
yellow satin, upon which was a broad band of gold lace; and
on his feet were high shoes of variegated leather, which
were fastened by golden clasps, in the form of lions. And
they proceeded to the chamber of the Countess.
Right glad was the Countess of their coming, and she gazed
steadfastly upon Owain, and said, "Luned, this knight has
not the look of a traveller." "What harm is there in that,
lady?" said Luned. "I am certain," said the Countess, "that
no other man than this chased the soul from the body of my
lord." "So much the better for thee, lady," said Luned,
"for had he not been stronger than thy lord he could not
have deprived him of life. There is no remedy for that
which is past, be it as it may." "Go back to thine abode,"
said the Countess, "and I will take counsel."
The next day the Countess caused all her subjects to
assemble, and showed them that her earldom was left
defenceless, and that it could not be protected but with
horse and arms, and military skill. "Therefore," said she,
"this is what I offer for your choice: either let one of
you take me, or give your consent for me to take a husband
from elsewhere to defend my dominions."
So they came to the determination that it was better that
she should have permission to marry some one from
elsewhere; and, thereupon, she sent for the bishops and
archbishops to celebrate her nuptials with Owain. And the
men of the earldom did Owain homage.
And Owain defended the Fountain with lance and sword. And
this is the manner in which he defended it: Whensoever a
knight came there he overthrew him, and sold him for his
full worth, and what he thus gained he divided among his
barons and his knights; and no man in the whole world could
be more beloved than he was by his subjects. And it was
thus for the space of three years.
It befell that as Gwalchmai went forth one day with King
Arthur, he perceived him to be very sad and sorrowful. And
Gwalchmai was much grieved to see Arthur in this state; and
he questioned him, saying, "Oh, my lord! what has befallen
thee?" "In sooth, Gwalchmai," said Arthur, "I am grieved
concerning Owain, whom I have lost these three years, and I
shall certainly die if the fourth year passes without my
seeing him. Now I am sure, that it is through the tale
which Kynon the son of Clydno related, that I have lost
Owain." "There is no need for thee," said Gwalchmai, "to
summon to arms thy whole dominions on this account, for
thou thyself and then men of thy household will be able to
avenge Owain, if he be slain; or to set him free, if he be
in prison; and, if alive, to bring him back with thee." And
it was settled according to what Gwalchmai had said.
Then Arthur and the men of his household prepared to go and
seek Owain, and their number was three thousand, besides
their attendants. And Kynon the son of Clydno acted as
their guide. And Arthur came to the Castle where Kynon had
been before, and when he came there the youths were
shooting in the same place, and the yellow man was standing
hard by. When the yellow man saw Arthur he greeted him, and
invited him to the Castle; and Arthur accepted his
invitation, and they entered the Castle together. And great
as was the number of his retinue, their presence was
scarcely observed in the Castle, so vast was its extent.
And the maidens rose up to wait on them, and the service of
the maidens appeared to them all to excel any attendance
they had ever met with; and even the pages who had charge
of the horses were no worse served, that night, than Arthur
himself would have been in his own palace.
The next morning Arthur set out thence, with Kynon for his
guide, and came to the place where the black man was. And
the stature of the black man was more surprising to Arthur
than it had been represented to him. And they came to the
top of the wooded steep, and traversed the valley till they
reached the green tree, where they saw the fountain, and
the bowl, and the slab. And upon that, Kai came to Arthur
and spoke to him. "My lord," said he, "I know the meaning
of all this, and my request is, that thou wilt permit me to
throw the water on the slab, and to receive the first
adventure that may befall." And Arthur gave him leave.
Then Kai threw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and
immediately there came the thunder, and after the thunder
the shower. And such a thunderstorm they had never known
before, and many of the attendants who were in Arthur's
train were killed by the shower. After the shower had
ceased the sky became clear; and on looking at the tree
they beheld it completely leafless. Then the birds
descended upon the tree, and the song of the birds was far
sweeter than any strain they had ever heard before. Then
they beheld a knight on a coal-black horse, clothed in
black satin, coming rapidly towards them. And Kai met him
and encountered him, and it was not long before Kai was
overthrown. And the Knight withdrew, and Arthur and his
host encamped for the night.
And when they arose in the morning, they perceived the
signal of combat upon the lance of the Knight. And Kai came
to Arthur, and spoke to him: "My lord," said he, "though I
was overthrown yesterday, if it seem good to thee, I would
gladly meet the Knight again to-day." "Thou mayst do so,"
said Arthur. And Kai went towards the Knight. And on the
spot he overthrew Kai, and struck him with the head of his
lance in the forehead, so that it broke his helmet and the
headpiece, and pierced the skin and the flesh, the breadth
of the spear-head, even to the bone. And Kai returned to
his companions.
After this, all the household of Arthur went forth, one
after the other, to combat the Knight, until there was not
one that was not overthrown by him, except Arthur and
Gwalchmai. And Arthur armed himself to encounter the
Knight. "Oh, my lord," said Gwalchmai, "permit me to fight
with him first." And Arthur permitted him. And he went
forth to meet the Knight, having over himself and his horse
a satin robe of honour which had been sent him by the
daughter of the Earl of Rhangyw, and in this dress he was
not known by any of the host. And they charged each other,
and fought all that day until the evening, and neither of
them was able to unhorse the other.
The next day they fought with strong lances, and neither of
them could obtain the mastery.
And the third day they fought with exceeding strong lances.
And they were incensed with rage, and fought furiously,
even until noon. And they gave each other such a shock that
the girths of their horses were broken, so that they fell
over their horses' cruppers to the ground. And they rose up
speedily, and drew their swords, and resumed the combat;
and the multitude that witnessed their encounter felt
assured that they had never before seen two men so valiant
or so powerful. And had it been midnight, it would have
been light from the fire that flashed from their weapons.
And the Knight gave Gwalchmai a blow that turned his helmet
from off his face, so that the Knight knew that it was
Gwalchmai. Then Owain said, "My lord Gwalchmai, I did not
know thee for my cousin, owing to the robe of honour that
enveloped thee; take my sword and my arms." Said Gwalchmai,
"Thou, Owain, art the victor; take thou my sword." And with
that Arthur saw that they were conversing, and advanced
towards them. "My lord Arthur," said Gwalchmai, "here is
Owain, who has vanquished me, and will not take my arms."
"My lord," said Owain, "it is he that has vanquished me,
and he will not take my sword." "Give me your swords,"said
Arthur, "and then neither of you has vanquished the other."
Then Owain put his arms around Arthur's neck, and they
embraced. And all the host hurried forward to see Owain,
and to embrace him; and there was nigh being a loss of
life, so great was the press.
And they retired that night, and the next day Arthur
prepared to depart. "My lord," said Owain, "this is not
well of thee; for I have been absent from thee these three
years, and during all that time, up to this very day, I
have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing that thou
wouldst come to seek me. Tarry with me, therefore, until
thou and thy attendants have recovered the fatigues of the
journey, and have been anointed."
And they all proceeded to the Castle of the Countess of the
Fountain, and the banquet which had been three years
preparing was consumed in three months. Never had they a
more delicious or agreeable banquet. And Arthur prepared to
depart. Then he sent an embassy to the Countess, to beseech
her to permit Owain to go with him for the space of three
months, that he might show him to the nobles and the fair
dames of the island of Britain. And the Countess gave her
consent, although it was very painful to her. So Owain came
with Arthur to the island of Britain. And when he was once
more amongst his kindred and friends, he remained three
years, instead of three months, with them.
And as Owain one day sat at meat, in the city of Caerlleon
upon Usk, behold a damsel entered upon a bay horse, with a
curling mane and covered with foam, and the bridle and so
much as was seen of the saddle were of gold. And the damsel
was arrayed in a dress of yellow satin. And she came up to
Owain, and took the ring from off his hand. "Thus," said
she, "shall be treated the deceiver, the traitor, the
faithless, the disgraced, and the beardless." And she
turned her horse's head and departed.
Then his adventure came to Owain's remembrance, and he was
sorrowful; and having finished eating he went to his own
abode and made preparations that night. And the next day he
arose but did not go to the court, but wandered to the
distant parts of the earth and to uncultivated mountains.
And he remained there until all his apparel was worn out,
and his body was wasted away, and his hair was grown long.
And he went about with the wild beasts and fed with them,
until they became familiar with him; but at length he grew
so weak that he could no longer bear them company. Then he
descended from the mountains to the valley, and came to a
park that was the fairest in the world, and belonged to a
widowed Countess.
One day the Countess and her maidens went forth to walk by
a lake, that was in the middle of the park. And they saw
the form of a man. And they were terrified. Nevertheless
they went near him, and touched him, and looked at him. And
they saw that there was life in him, though he was
exhausted by the heat of the sun. And the Countess returned
to the Castle, and took a flask full of precious ointment,
and gave it to one of her maidens. "Go with this," said
she, "and take with thee yonder horse and clothing, and
place them near the man we saw just now. And anoint him
with this balsam, near his heart; and if there is life in
him, he will arise through the efficacy of this balsam.
Then watch what he will do."
And the maiden departed from her, and poured the whole of
the balsam upon Owain, and left the horse and the garments
hard by, and went a little way off, and hid herself to
watch him. In a short time she saw him begin to move his
arms; and he rose up, and looked at his person, and became
ashamed of the unseemliness of his appearance. Then he
perceived the horse and the garments that were near him.
And he crept forward till he was able to draw the garments
to him from off the saddle. And he clothed himself, and
with difficulty mounted the horse. Then the damsel
discovered herself to him, and saluted him. And he was
rejoiced when he saw her, and enquired of her, what land
and what territory that was. "Truly," said the maiden, "a
widowed Countess owns yonder Castle; at the death of her
husband, he left her two Earldoms, but at this day she has
but this one dwelling that has not been wrested from her by
a young Earl, who is her neighbour, because she refused to
become his wife." "That is a pity," said Owain. And he and
the maiden proceeded to the Castle; and he alighted there,
and the maiden conducted him to a pleasant chamber, and
kindled a fire and left him.
And the maiden came to the Countess, and gave the flask
into her hand. "Ha! maiden," said the Countess, "where is
all the balsam?" "Have I not used it all?" said she. "Oh,
maiden," said the Countess, "I cannot easily forgive thee
this; it is sad for me to have wasted seven-score pounds'
worth of precious ointment, upon a stranger whom I know
not. However, maiden, wait thou upon him, until he is quite
recovered."
And the maiden did so, and furnished him with meat and
drink, and fire, and lodging, and medicaments, until he was
well again. And in three months he was restored to his
former guise, and became even more comely than he had ever
been before.
One day Owain heard a great tumult, and a sound of arms in
the Castle, and he enquired of the maiden the cause
thereof. "The Earl," said she, "whom I mentioned to thee,
has come before the Castle, with a numerous army, to subdue
the Countess." And Owain enquired of her whether the
Countess had a horse and arms in her possession. "She has
the best in the world," said the maiden. "Wilt thou go and
request the loan of a horse and arms for me," said Owain,
"that I may go and look at this army?" "I will," said the
maiden.
And she came to the Countess, and told her what Owain had
said. And the Countess laughed. "Truly," said she, "I will
even give him a horse and arms for ever; such a horse and
such arms had he never yet, and I am glad that they should
be taken by him to-day, lest my enemies should have them
against my will to-morrow. Yet I know not what he would do
with them."
The Countess bade them bring out a beautiful black steed,
upon which was a beechen saddle, and a suit of armour, for
man and horse. And Owain armed himself, and mounted the
horse, and went forth, attended by two pages completely
equipped, with horses and arms. And when they came near to
the Earl's army, they could see neither its extent, nor its
extremity. And Owain asked the pages in which troop the
Earl was. "In yonder troop," said they, "in which are four
yellow standards. Two of them are before, and two behind
him." "Now," said Owain, "do you return and await me near
the portal of the Castle." So they returned, and Owain
pressed forward until he met the Earl. And Owain drew him
completely out of his saddle, and turned his horse's head
towards the Castle, and, though it was with difficulty, he
brought the Earl to the portal, where the pages awaited
him. And in they came. And Owain presented the Earl as a
gift to the Countess. And said to her, "Behold a requital
to thee for thy blessed balsam."
The army encamped around the Castle. And the Earl restored
to the Countess the two Earldoms he had taken from her, as
a ransom for his life; and for his freedom he gave her the
half of his own dominions, and all his gold, and his
silver, and his jewels, besides hostages.
And Owain took his departure. And the Countess and all her
subjects besought him to remain, but Owain chose rather to
wander through distant lands and deserts.
And as he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a wood. And
it was repeated a second and a third time. And Owain went
towards the spot, and beheld a huge craggy mound, in the
middle of the wood; on the side of which was a grey rock.
And there was a cleft in the rock, and a serpent was within
the cleft. And near the rock stood a black lion, and every
time the lion sought to go thence, the serpent darted
towards him to attack him. And Owain unsheathed his sword,
and drew near to the rock; and as the serpent sprang out,
he struck him with his sword, and cut him in two. And he
dried his sword, and went on his way, as before. But behold
the lion followed him, and played about him, as though it
had been a greyhound that he had reared.
They proceeded thus throughout the day, until the evening.
And when it was time for Owain to take his rest, he
dismounted, and turned his horse loose in a flat and wooded
meadow. And he struck fire, and when the fire was kindled,
the lion brought him fuel enough to last for three nights.
And the lion disappeared. And presently the lion returned,
bearing a fine large roebuck. And he threw it down before
Owain, who went towards the fire with it.
And Owain took the roebuck, and skinned it, and placed
collops of its flesh upon skewers, around the fire. The
rest of the buck he gave to the lion to devour. While he
was doing this, he heard a deep sigh near him, and a
second, and a third. And Owain called out to know whether
the sigh he heard proceeded from a mortal; and he received
answer that it did. "Who art thou?" said Owain. "Truly,"
said the voice, "I am Luned, the hand-maiden of the
Countess of the Fountain." "And what dost thou here?" said
Owain. "I am imprisoned," said she, "on account of the
knight who came from Arthur's Court, and married the
Countess. And he stayed a short time with her, but he
afterwards departed for the Court of Arthur, and has not
returned since. And he was the friend I loved best in the
world. And two of the pages in the Countess's chamber
traduced him, and called him a deceiver. And I told them
that they two were not a match for him alone. So they
imprisoned me in the stone vault, and said that I should be
put to death, unless he came himself, to deliver me, by a
certain day; and that is no further off than the day after
to-morrow. And I have no one to send to seek him for me.
And his name is Owain the son of Urien." "And art thou
certain that if that knight knew all this, he would come to
thy rescue?" "I am most certain of it," said she.
When the collops were cooked, Owain divided them into two
parts, between himself and the maiden; and after they had
eaten, they talked together, until the day dawned. And the
next morning Owain enquired of the damsel, if there was any
place where he could get food and entertainment for that
night. "There is, lord," said she; "cross over yonder, and
go along the side of the river, and in a short time thou
wilt see a great Castle, in which are many towers, and the
Earl who owns that Castle is the most hospitable man in the
world. There thou mayst spend the night."
Never did sentinel keep stricter watch over his lord, than
the lion that night over Owain.
And Owain accoutred his horse, and passed across by the
ford, and came in sight of the Castle. And he entered it,
and was honourably received. And his horse was well cared
for, and plenty of fodder was placed before him. Then the
lion went and lay down in the horse's manger; so that none
of the people of the Castle dared to approach him. The
treatment which Owain met with there, was such as he had
never known elsewhere, for every one was as sorrowful, as
though death had been upon him. And they went to meat; and
the Earl sat upon one side of Owain, and on the other side
his only daughter. And Owain had never seen any more lovely
than she. Then the lion came and placed himself between
Owain's feet, and he fed him with every kind of food that
he took himself. And he never saw anything equal to the
sadness of the people.
In the middle of the repast the Earl began to bid Owain
welcome. "Then," said Owain, "behold, it is time for thee
to be cheerful." "Heaven knows," said the Earl, "that it is
not thy coming that makes us sorrowful, but we have cause
enough for sadness and care." "What is that?" said Owain.
"I have two sons," replied the Earl, "and yesterday they
went to the mountains to hunt. Now there is on the mountain
a monster who kills men and devours them, and he seized my
sons; and to-morrow is the time he has fixed to be here,
and he threatens that he will then slay my sons before my
eyes, unless I will deliver into his hands this my
daughter. He has the form of a man, but in stature he is no
less than a giant."
"Truly," said Owain, "that is lamentable. And which wilt
thou do?" "Heaven knows," said the Earl, "it will be better
that my sons should be slain against my will, than that I
should voluntarily give up my daughter to him to ill-treat
and destroy." Then they talked about other things, and
Owain stayed there that night.
The next morning they heard an exceeding great clamour,
which was caused by the coming of the giant with the two
youths. And the Earl was anxious both to protect his Castle
and to release his two sons. Then Owain put on his armour
and went forth to encounter the giant, and the lion
followed him. And when the giant saw that Owain was armed,
he rushed towards him and attacked him. And the lion fought
with the giant, much more fiercely than Owain did. "Truly,"
said the giant, "I should find no difficulty in fighting
with thee, were it not for the animal that is with thee."
Upon that Owain took the lion back to the Castle and shut
the gate upon him, and then he returned to fight the giant,
as before. And the lion roared very loud, for he heard that
it went hard with Owain. And he climbed up till he reached
the top of the Earl's hall, and thence he got to the top of
the Castle, and he sprang down from the walls and went and
joined Owain. And the lion gave the giant a stroke with his
paw, which tore him from his shoulder to his hip, and his
heart was laid bare, and the giant fell down dead. Then
Owain restored the two youths to their father.
The Earl besought Owain to remain with him, and he would
not, but set forward towards the meadow where Luned was.
And when he came there he saw a great fire kindled, and two
youths with beautiful curling auburn hair were leading the
maiden to cast her into the fire. And Owain asked them what
charge they had against her. And they told him of the
compact that was between them, as the maiden had done the
night before. "And," said they, "Owain has failed her,
therefore we are taking her to be burnt." "Truly," said
Owain, "he is a good knight, and if he knew that the maiden
was in such peril, I marvel that he came not to her rescue;
but if you will accept me in his stead, I will do battle
with you." "We will," said the youths, "by him who made
us."
And they attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by them. And
with that the lion came to Owain's assistance, and they two
got the better of the young men. And they said to him,
"Chieftain, it was not agreed that we should fight save
with thyself alone, and it is harder for us to contend with
yonder animal than with thee." And Owain put the lion in
the place where the maiden had been imprisoned, and blocked
up the door with stones, and he went to fight with the
young men, as before. But Owain had not his usual strength,
and the two youths pressed hard upon him. And the lion
roared incessantly at seeing Owain in trouble; and he burst
through the wall until he found a way out, and rushed upon
the young men, and instantly slew them. So Luned was saved
from being burned.
Then Owain returned with Luned to the dominions of the
Countess of the Fountain. And when he went thence he took
the Countess with him to Arthur's Court, and she was his
wife as long as she lived.
And then he took the road that led to the Court of the
savage black man, and Owain fought with him, and the lion
did not quit Owain until he had vanquished him. And when he
reached the Court of the savage black man he entered the
hall, and beheld four-and-twenty ladies, the fairest that
could be seen. And the garments which they had on were not
worth four-and-twenty pence, and they were as sorrowful as
death. And Owain asked them the cause of their sadness. And
they said, "We are the daughters of Earls, and we all came
here with our husbands, whom we dearly loved. And we were
received with honour and rejoicing. And we were thrown into
a state of stupor, and while we were thus, the demon who
owns this Castle slew all our husbands, and took from us
our horses, and our raiment, and our gold, and our silver;
and the corpses of our husbands are still in this house,
and many others with them. And this, Chieftain, is the
cause of our grief, and we are sorry that thou art come
hither, lest harm should befall thee.
And Owain was grieved when he heard this. And he went forth
from the Castle, and he beheld a knight approaching him,
who saluted him in a friendly and cheerful manner, as if he
had been a brother. And this was the savage black man. "In
very sooth," said Owain, "it is not to seek thy friendship
that I am here." "In sooth," said he, "thou shalt not find
it then." And with that they charged each other, and fought
furiously. And Owain overcame him, and bound his hands
behind his back. Then the black savage besought Owain to
spare his life, and spoke thus: "My lord Owain," said he,
"it was foretold that thou shouldst come hither and
vanquish me, and thou hast done so. I was a robber here,
and my house was a house of spoil; but grant me my life,
and I will become the keeper of an Hospice, and I will
maintain this house as an Hospice for weak and for strong,
as long as I live, for the good of thy soul." And Owain
accepted this proposal of him, and remained there that
night.
And the next day he took the four-and-twenty ladies, and
their horses, and their raiment, and what they possessed of
goods and jewels, and proceeded with them to Arthur's
Court. And if Arthur was rejoiced when he saw him, after he
had lost him the first time, his joy was now much greater.
And of those ladies, such as wished to remain in Arthur's
Court remained there, and such as wished to depart
departed.
And thenceforward Owain dwelt at Arthur's Court greatly
beloved, as the head of his household, until he went away
with his followers; and those were the army of three
hundred ravens which Kenverchyn had left him. And wherever
Owain went with these he was victorious.
And this is the tale of The Lady of the Fountain.