Stephen Lawhead - Taliesin

“As he was feeding the dogs, a horseman appeared before him on a large dapple-gray horse, a hunting horn about his neck, wearing a pale gray garment for hunting gear. The horseman approached him, saying, ‘Chieftain, I know who you are, but I greet you not at all.’

“ ‘Well,’ said Pwyll, ‘perhaps your rank does not require it.’

“ ‘Lieu knows,’ exclaimed the horseman, ‘it is not my dignity or the obligation of rank that prevents me.’

“ ‘What else then, lord? Tell me if you can,’ said Pwyil.

“ ‘Can and will,’ replied the horseman sternly. ‘I swear by the gods of heaven and earth, it is your own ignorance and discourtesy!’

“ ‘What lack of courtesy have you seen in me, lord?’ inquired Pwyll, for indeed he could not think of any.

“ ‘Greater discourtesy have I never seen in man,’ the strange horseman replied, ‘than to drive away the pack that killed the stag and set your own upon it. Shame! That shows a woeful lack of courtesy. Even so, I will not take revenge upon you-though well I might-but I will have a bard satirize you to the value of a hundred stags.’

“ ‘Lord,’ Pwyll pleaded, ‘if I have committed a wrong, I will sue directly for peace with you.’

“ ‘On what terms?’ asked the horseman.

“ ‘Such as your rank, whatever it is, may require.’

“ ‘Know me then. I am crowned king of the land from which I hail.’

“ ‘May you prosper with the day! Which land might that be, lord?’ wondered Pwyll, ‘For I myself am king of all lands hereabouts.’

“ ‘Annwfn,’ replied the horseman. ‘I am Arawn, King of Annwfn.’

“Pwyll thought about this, for it was ill-luck to converse with a being of the Otherworld, king or no. But as he had already pledged himself to redeem friendship with the horseman, he had no choice but to abide by his word if he would not bring greater dishonor and misfortune on his name. ‘Tell me then, O King, if you will, how I may redeem our friendship, and I will do it gladly.’

“ ‘Listen, chieftain, here is how you will redeem it,’ began the horseman. ‘A man whose realm borders on mine makes war on me continually. He is Grudlwyn Gorr, a lord of Annwfn, and by ridding me of his oppression-which you can do quite easily-you will \have peace with me, as will your descendants after you.’

“And the king spoke ancient and mysterious words and Pwyll’s likeness became that of the king’s so that no one could tell them apart. ‘See?’ said the king, ‘You now have my shape and manner; therefore, go into my realm and take my place and rule as you will until the end of a year from tomorrow, when we shall meet again in this place.’

“ ‘As you will, lord, but though I succeed in your place for a year, how will I find the man of whom you speak?’

“Grudlwyn Gorr and I are bound by oath to meet a year from this very night at the ford of the river that separates our lands. You, will be there in my place, and were you to give him a single blow he would not survive. But though he may beg you to strike again, do not-however he may plead with you. For I have fought him often and have struck him many a mortal blow; yet he is always whole and fresh the next day.’

“ ‘Very well,’ said Pwyll, “I will do as you say. But what will happen to my kingdom while I am away?’

“And the King of the Otherworld spoke additional ancient and mysterious words and his shape changed to that of Pwyll’s. ‘See? No man or woman in your realm shall know that I am not you,’ said Arawn. ‘I will go in your place as you go in mine.’

“And so they both set off. Pwyll rode deep into Arawn’s realm and came at last to Arawn’s court: dwellings, halls, chambers, and buildings-all the most beautiful he had ever seen. Attendants greeted him and helped him remove his hunting gear, whereupon they dressed him in the finest silk and conducted him to a great hall where he could see entering a great warband-the most splendid and best equipped of any he had ever seen. And the queen was with them, the fairest woman of any in her day, dressed in a robe of glittering gold, her hair shining like bright sunlight on wheat.

“The queen took her place at his right hand, and they began to converse. Pwyll found her to be the gentlest, most considerate, kindly and amiable of companions. His heart melted toward her, and he wished with all his heart that he had a queen even half so noble. They passed the time with pleasant discourse, good food and drink, songs, and entertainments of all kinds.

“When the time came to go to bed, to bed they went, Pwyll and the queen. As soon as they were in bed together, however, Pwyll turned his face to the wall and went to sleep with his back toward her. So it was each night from then on to the end of the year. The next day there was tenderness and affection between them. But no matter how affectionate and loving might be their words to one another by day, there was not a single night different from the first.

“Pwyll spent the year in festivity and hunting and ruling Arawn’s realm fairly, until the night of the foresworn encounter with Grudlwyn Gorr-a night remembered well by even the most remote inhabitant of the kingdom. He conducted himself to the appointed place accompanied by the nobles of his realm.

“The moment they arrived at the ford, a horseman arose and called in a loud voice: ‘Men, listen well! This encounter is between two kings and between their bodies alone. Each of them claims the lands of the other; therefore, let us all stand aside and leave the fight between them.’

“The two kings made for the middle of the ford to clash. Pwyll thrust his spear and struck Grudlwyn Gorr in the middle of the boss of his shield so that it split in half, and Grudlwyn Gorr tumbled the length of his arm and spear over the rump of his horse to the ground, a deep wound in his chest.

“ ‘Chieftain,’ cried Grudlwyn Gorr, ‘I know no reason why you should wish to slay me. But as you have started, please, for the love of Lieu, finish me off!’

“ ‘Lord,’ answered Pwyll, ‘I have come to regret doing what I did to you. Find someone else to kill you; I will not.’

“ ‘Trusted lords,’ cried Grudlwyn Gorr, ‘take me hence; my death is assured now, and I will no longer be able to support you.’

“The man who was in Arawn’s place turned to the noble assembly and said, ‘My men, take accounts among you and discover who owes allegiance to me.’

“ ‘King,’ replied the lords, ‘all owe it, for there is no king over all Annwfn except you.’

“And then he received homage of all present and took possession of the disputed lands. By noon the next day the two realms were in his power, and so he set out to keep his tryst with Arawn at the appointed place. When he came to Glyn Cuch again he found Arawn, King of Annwfn, waiting for him. And they rejoiced to see each other.

“ ‘May the gods repay your friendship to me,’ said Arawn. ‘I have heard all about your success.’

“ ‘Yes,” replied Pwyll, ‘when you reach your dominions you will see what I have done for you.’

“ ‘Hear me then,’ said Arawn. ‘By way of gratitude, anything you may have wished for in my kingdom will be yours.’

“Then Arawn uttered the ancient and mysterious words once more and each king was restored to his own shape and semblance, and each took himself once more to his own kingdom. When Arawn arrived at his own court, it gave him great pleasure to see his own retinue and warband and his fair queen since he had not seen them for a year. But for their part, they had not felt his loss, so there was nothing extraordinary about his presence.

“He passed that day in pleasure and joy, conversing with his wife and his lords. And after dining and the evening’s entertainment when it was time to go to bed, to bed they went. Arawn got into bed and his wife with him. First he talked to her, then caressed her affectionately and loved her. She had not been accustomed to that for a year and thought to herself, ‘Upon my word! What a different mind he has tonight from what he has had for the past year!’