Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

320 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[371]looks,” he saw the bags which hung from the pillars. “What is inthis bag?” said he to one of the Irish. “Meal, good soul,” said theIrishman. Evnissyen laid his hand on the bag, and felt about withhis fingers till he came to the head of the man within it. Then“he squeezed the head till he felt his fingers meet together in thebrain through the bone.” He went to the next bag, and asked thesame question. “Meal,” said the Irish attendant, but Evnissyencrushed this warrior's head also, and thus he did with all the twohundred bags, even in the case of one warrior whose head wascovered with an iron helm.Then the feasting began, and peace and concord reigned,and Matholwch laid down the sovranty of Ireland, which wasconferred on the boy Gwern. And they all fondled and caressedthe fair child till he came to Evnissyen, who suddenly seized himand flung him into the blazing fire on the hearth. Branwen wouldhave leaped after him, but Bran held her back. Then there wasarming apace, and tumult and shouting, and the Irish and Britishhosts closed in battle and fought until the fall of night.Death of EvnissyenBut at night the Irish heated the magic cauldron and threw intoit the bodies of their dead, who came out next day as good asever, but dumb. When Evnissyen saw this he was smitten withremorse for having brought the men of Britain into such a strait:“Evil betide me if I find not a deliverance therefrom.” So he hidhimself among the Irish dead, and was flung into the cauldronwith the rest at the end of the second day, when he stretchedhimself out so that he rent the cauldron into four pieces, and hisown heart burst with the effort, and he died.The Wonderful HeadIn the end, all the Irishmen were slain, and all but sevenof the British besides Bran, who was wounded in the footwith a poisoned arrow. Among the seven were Pryderi andManawyddan. Bran then commanded them to cut off his head.“And take it with you,” he said, “to London, and there bury it