Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

339and camp of Arthur—here the quasi-historical king, neither thelegendary deity of the former tale nor the Arthur of the Frenchchivalrous romances—as he moves towards Mount Badon for hisgreat battle with the heathen. A character named Iddawc is his [393]guide to the King, who smiles at Rhonabwy and his friends, andasks: “Where, Iddawc, didst thou find these little men?” “I foundthem, lord, up yonder on the road.” “It pitieth me,” said Arthur,“that men of such stature as these should have the island in theirkeeping, after the men that guarded it of yore.” Rhonabwy hashis attention directed to a stone in the King's ring. “It is one ofthe properties of that stone to enable thee to remember that whichthou seest here to-night, and hadst thou not seen the stone, thouwouldst never have been able to remember aught thereof.”The different heroes and companions that compose Arthur'sarmy are minutely described, with all the brilliant colour anddelicate detail so beloved by the Celtic fabulist. The chiefincident narrated is a game of chess that takes place betweenArthur and the knight Owain son of Urien. While the game goeson, first the knights of Arthur harry and disturb the Ravens ofOwain, but Arthur, when Owain complains, only says: “Playthy game.” Afterwards the Ravens have the better of it, and it isOwain's turn to bid Arthur attend to his game. Then Arthur tookthe golden chessmen and crushed them to dust in his hand, andbesought Owain to quiet his Ravens, which was done, and peacereigned again. Rhonabwy, it is said, slept three days and nightson the calf-skin before awaking from his wondrous dream. Anepilogue declares that no bard is expected to know this tale byheart and without a book, “because of the various colours thatwere upon the horses, and the many wondrous colours of thearms and of the panoply, and of the precious scarfs, and of thevirtue-bearing stones.” The “Dream of Rhonabwy” is rather agorgeous vision of the past than a story in the ordinary sense ofthe word. [394]The Lady of the Fountain