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When the seven men of whom we spoke above had buried the
head of Bendigeid Vran, in the White Mount in London, with its face towards
France; Manawyddan gazed upon the town of London, and upon his companions,
and heaved a great sigh; and much grief and heaviness came upon him. "Alas
Almighty Heaven, woe is me" he exclaimed, "there is none save myself without
a resting place this night."
"Lord" said Pryderi, "be not so sorrowful. Thy cousin is king of the
Island of the Mighty, and though he should do thee wrong, thou hast never
been a claimant of land or possessions. Thou art the third disinherited
prince."
"Yea" answered he, "but although this man is my cousin,
it grieveth me to see any one in the place of my brother Bendigeid Vran,
neither can I be happy in the same dwelling with him."
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"Wilt thou follow the counsel of another?" said Pryderi.
"I stand in need of counsel" he answered, "and what way that counsel
be?"
"Seven Cantrevs remain unto me" said Pryderi, "wherein
Rhiannon my mother dwells. I will bestow her upon thee and the seven Cantrevs
with her, and though thou hadst no possessions but those Cantrevs only
thou couldst not have seven Cantrevs fairer than they. Kicva, the daughter
of Gwynn Gloyw, is my wife, and since the inheritance of the Cantrevs
belongs to me, do thou and Rhiannon enjoy them, and if thou ever desire
any possessions thou wilt take these."
"I do not Chieftain" said he; "Heaven reward thee for thy
friendship."
"I would show thee the best friendship in the world if thou wouldst let
me."
"I will my friend" said he, " and Heaven reward thee. I
will go with thee to seek Rhiannon and to look at thy possessions."
"Thou wilt do well" he answered, "and I believe that thou
didst never hear a lady discourse better than she, and when she was in
her prime none was ever fairer. Even now her aspect is not uncomely."
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And before the feast was over she became his bride. Said Pryderi, "Tarry
ye here the rest of the feast, and I will go into Lloegyr to tender my
homage unto Caswallawn the son of Beli."
"Lord" said Rhiannon, "Caswallawn is in Kent, thou mayest
therefore tarry at the feast, and wait until he shall be nearer."
"We will wait" he answered.
So they finished the feast. And they began to make the circuit of Dyved,
and to hunt, and to take their pleasure. And as they went through the
country, they had never seen lands more pleasant to live in, nor better
hunting grounds, nor greater plenty of honey and fish. Such was the friendship
between those four, that they would not be parted from each other by night
nor by day.
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In the midst of all this he went to Caswallawn at Oxford,
and tendered his homage; and honourable was his reception there, and highly
was he praised for offering his homage.
After his return, Pryderi and Manawyddan feasted and took
their ease and pleasure. They began a feast at Narberth, for it was the
chief palace; and there originated all honour. And when they had ended
the first meal that night, while those who served them ate, they arose
and went forth, and proceeded all four to the Gorsedd of Narberth, and
their retinue with them. And as they sat thus, behold a peal of thunder,
and with the violence of the thunderstorm, lo there came a fall of mist,
so thick that not one of them could see the other.
After the mist it became light all around. And when they looked towards
the place where they were wont to see cattle, and herds, and dwellings,
they saw nothing now, neither house, nor beast, nor smoke, nor fire, nor
man, nor dwelling; but the houses of the Court empty, and desert, and
uninhabited, without either man, or beast within them. And truly all their
companions were lost to them, without their knowing aught of what had
befallen them, save those four only.
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"In the name of Heaven" cried Manawyddan, "where are they
of the Court, and all my host beside these? Let us go, and see."
So they came into the hall, and there was no man; and they
went on to the castle, and to the sleeping place, and they saw none; and
in the mead cellar and in the kitchen there was nought but desolation.
So they four feasted, and hunted, and took their pleasure. Then they began
to go through the land and all the possessions that they had, and they
visited the houses and dwellings, and found nothing but wild beasts. And
when they had consumed their feast and all their provisions, they fed
upon the prey they killed in hunting, and the honey of the wild swarms.
Thus they passed the first year pleasantly, and the second; but at the
last they began to be weary.
"Verily" said Manawyddan, "we must not bide thus. Let us go into Lloegyr,
and seek some craft whereby we may gain our support."
So they went into Lloegyr, and came as far as Hereford,
and they betook themselves to making saddles. Manawyddan began to make
housings, and he gilded and coloured them with blue enamel, in the manner
that he had seen it done by Llasar Llaesgywydd. He made the blue enamel
as it was made by the other man. And therefore is it still called Calch
Llasar [blue enamel], because Llasar Llaesgywydd had wrought it.
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As long as that workmanship could be had of Manawyddan,
neither saddle nor housing was bought of a saddler throughout all Hereford;
till at length every one of the saddlers perceived that they were losing
much of their gain, and that no man bought of them, but him who could
not get what he sought from Manawyddan. Then they assembled together,
and agreed to slay him and his companions.
Now they received warning of this, and took counsel whether they should
leave the city. "By Heaven" said Pryderi, "it is not my counsel that we
should quit the town, but that we should slay these boors."
"Not so" said Manawyddan, "for if we fight with them, we
shall have evil fame, and shall be put in prison. It were better for us
to go to another town to maintain ourselves." So they four went to another
city.
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"What craft shall we take?" said Pryderi.
"We will make shields" said Manawyddan.
"Do we know anything about that craft?" said Pryderi.
"We will try" answered he.
There they began to make shields, and fashioned them after the shape
of the good shields they had seen; and they enamelled them, as they had
done the saddles. And they prospered in that place, so that not a shield
was asked for in the whole town, but such as was had of them. Rapid therefore
was their work, and numberless were the shields they made. But at last
they were marked by the craftsmen, who came together in haste, and their
fellow townsmen with them, and agreed that they should seek to slay them.
But they received warning, and heard how the men had resolved on their
destruction.
"Pryderi" said Manawyddan, "these men desire to slay us."
"Let us not endure this from these boors, but let us rather
fall upon them and slay them."
"Not so" he answered; "Caswallawn and his men will hear of it, and we
shall be undone. Let us go to another town."
So to another town they went.
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"What craft shall we take?" said Manawyddan.
"Whatsoever thou wilt that we know" said Pryderi.
"Not so" he replied, "but let us take to making shoes,
for there is not courage enough among cordwainers either to fight with
us or to molest us."
"I know nothing thereof" said Pryderi.
"But I know" answered Manawyddan; "and I will teach thee to stitch. We
will not attempt to dress the leather, but we will buy it ready dressed
and will make the shoes from it."
So he began by buying the best cordwal that could be had
in the town, and none other would he buy except the leather for the soles;
and he associated himself with the best goldsmith in the town, and caused
him to make clasps for the shoes, and to gild the clasps, and he marked
how it was done until he learnt the method.
Therefore, was he called one of the three makers of Gold
Shoes; and, when they could be had from him, not a shoe nor hose was bought
of any of the cordwainers in the town.
When the cordwainers perceived that their gains were failing (for as
Manawyddan shaped the work, so Pryderi stitched it), they came together
and took counsel, and agreed that they would slay them.
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"Pryderi" said Manawyddan, "these men are minded to slay
us."
"Wherefore should we bear this from the boorish thieves?"
said Pryderi. "Rather let us slay them all."
"Not so" said Manawyddan, "we will not slay them., neither will we remain
in Lloegyr any longer. Let us set forth to Dyved and go to see it."
They journeyed along until they came to Dyved, and they
went forward to Narberth. There they kindled fire and supported themselves
by hunting. Thus they spent a month, and they gathered their dogs around
them, and tarried there one year.
One morning Pryderi and Manawyddan rose up to hunt, and
they ranged their dogs and went forth from the palace. Some of the dogs
ran before them and came to a small bush which was near at hand; but as
soon as they were come to the bush, they hastily drew back and returned
to the men, their hair bristling up greatly.
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"Let us go near to the bush" said Pryderi, "and see what is in it."
As they came near, behold, a wild boar of a pure white
colour rose up from the bush. Then the dogs being set on by the men, rushed
towards him; but he left the bush and fell back a little way from the
men, and made a stand against the dogs without retreating from them, until
the men had come near.
When the men came up, he fell back a second time, and betook
him to flight. Then they pursued the boar until they beheld a vast and
lofty castle, all newly built, in a place where they had never before
seen either stone or building. The boar ran swiftly into the castle and
the dogs after him.
Now when the boar and the dogs had gone into the castle, they began to
wonder at finding a castle in a place where they had never before then
seen any building whatsoever. From the top of the Gorsedd they looked
and listened for the dogs. But so long as they were there they heard not
one of the dogs nor aught concerning them.
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"Lord" said Pryderi, "I will go into the castle to get
tidings of the dogs."
"Truly" he replied, "thou wouldst be unwise to go into this
castle, which thou hast never seen 'till now. If thou wouldst follow my
counsel, thou wouldst not enter therein. Whosoever has cast a spell over
this land has caused this castle to be here."
"Of a truth" answered Pryderi, "I cannot thus give up my dogs."
For all the counsel that Manawyddan gave him, yet to the
castle he went.
When he came within the castle, neither man nor beast, nor
boar nor dogs, nor house nor dwelling saw he within it. But in the centre
of the castle floor he beheld a fountain with marble work around it, and
on the margin of the fountain a golden bowl upon a marble slab, and chains
hanging from the air, to which he saw no end.
He was greatly pleased with the beauty of the gold, and with the rich
workmanship of the bowl, and he went up to the bowl and laid hold of it.
And when he had taken hold of it his hands stuck to the bowl, and his
feet to the slab on which the bowl was placed, and all his joyousness
forsook him, so that he could not utter a word. And thus he stood.
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Manawyddan waited for him till near the close of the day,
and late in the evening, being certain that he should have no tidings
of Pryderi or of the dogs, he went back to the palace. And as he entered,
Rhiannon looked at him. "Where" said she, "are thy companion and thy dogs?"
"Behold" he answered, "the adventure that has befallen me."
And he related it all unto her.
"An evil companion hast thou been" said Rhiannon, "and a good companion
hast thou lost."
With that word she went out, and proceeded towards the
castle according to the direction which he gave her. The gate of the castle
she found open. She was nothing daunted, and she went in. And as she went
in, she perceived Pryderi laying hold of the bowl, and she went towards
him.
"Oh, my lord" said she, "what dost thou do here?"
She took hold of the bowl with him; and as she did so her hands became
fast to the bowl, and her feet to the slab, and she was not able to utter
a word. And with that, as it became night, lo, there came thunder upon
them, and a fall of mist, and thereupon the castle vanished, and they
with it.
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When Kicva the daughter of Gwynn Gloew saw that there was
no one in the palace but herself and Manawyddan, she sorrowed so that
she cared not whether she lived or died.
Manawyddan saw this. "Thou art in the wrong" said he, "if
through fear of me thou grievest thus. I call Heaven to witness that thou
hast never seen friendship more pure than that which I will bear thee,
as long as Heaven will that thou shouldst be thus. I declare to thee that
were I in the dawn of youth I would keep my faith unto Pryderi, and unto
thee also will I keep it. Be there no fear upon thee, therefore" said
he, "for Heaven is my witness that thou shalt meet with all the friendship
thou canst wish, and that it is in my power to show thee, as long as it
shall please Heaven to continue us in this grief and woe."
"Heaven reward thee" she said, "and that is what I deemed of thee." The
damsel thereupon took courage and was glad.
"Truly lady" said Manawyddan, "it is not fitting for us
to stay here, we have lost our dogs, and we cannot get food. Let us go
into Lloegyr; it is easiest for us to find support there."
"Gladly lord" said she, "we will do so." And they set forth
together to Lloegyr.
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"Lord" said she, "what craft wilt thou follow? Take up one that is seemly."
"None other will I take" answered he, "save that of making
shoes, as I did formerly."
"Lord" said she, "such a craft becomes not a man so nobly
born as thou."
"By that however will I abide," said he.
So he began his craft, and he made all his work of the
finest leather he could get in the town, and as he had done at the other
place, he caused gilded clasps to be made for the shoes. Except himself
all the cordwainers in the town were idle, and without work. For as long
as they could be had from him, neither shoes nor hose were bought elsewhere.
Thus they tarried there a year, until the cordwainers became
envious, and took counsel concerning him. He had warning thereof, and
it was told him how the cordwainers had agreed together to slay him.
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"Lord" said Kicva, "wherefore should this be borne from these boors?"
"Nay" said he, "we will go back unto Dyved." So towards
Dyved they set forth.
Now Manawyddan, when he set out to return to Dyved, took
with him a burden of wheat. And he proceeded towards Narberth, and there
he dwelt. And never was he better pleased than when he saw Narberth again,
and the lands where he had been wont to hunt with Pryderi and with Rhiannon.
He accustomed himself to fish, and to hunt the deer in their covert. And
then he began to prepare some ground and he sowed a croft, and a second,
and a third. No wheat in the world ever sprung up better. The three crofts
prospered with perfect growth, and no man ever saw fairer wheat than it.
Thus passed the seasons of the year until the harvest came, and he went
to look at one of his crofts, and behold it was ripe. "I will reap this
to-morrow" said he.
That night he went back to Narberth, and on the morrow
in the grey dawn he went to reap the croft, and when he came there he
found nothing but the bare straw. Every one of the ears of the wheat was
cut from off the stalk, and all the ears carried entirely away, and nothing
but the straw left. And at this he marvelled greatly.
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Then he went to look at another croft, and behold that also
was ripe. "Verily" said he, "this will I reap tomorrow."
On the morrow he came with the intent to reap it, and when he came there
he found nothing- but the bare straw. "Oh, gracious Heaven" he exclaimed,
"I know that whosoever has begun my ruin is completing it, and has also
destroyed the country with me."
Then he went to look at the third croft, and when he came
there, finer wheat had there never been seen, and this also was ripe.
"Evil betide me" said he, "if I watch not here tonight. Whoever carried
off the other corn will come in like manner to take this. And I will know
who it is."
So he took his arms, and began to watch the croft, and he
told Kicva all that had befallen. "Verily" said she, "what thinkest thou
to do?"
"I will watch the croft to-night" said he.
He went to watch the croft, and at midnight, lo there arose
the loudest tumult in the world. And he looked, and behold the mightiest
host of mice in the world, which could neither be numbered nor measured.
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He knew not what it was until the mice had made their way
into the croft, and each of them climbing up the straw and bending it
down with its weight, had cut off one of the ears of wheat and had carried
it away leaving there the stalk, and he saw not a single straw there that
had not a mouse to it. They all took their way, carrying the ears with
them.
In wrath and anger did he rush upon the mice, but he could no more come
up with them than if they had been gnats, or birds in the air, except
one only, which though it was but sluggish, went so fast that a man on
foot could scarce overtake it. After this one he went, and he caught it
and put it in his glove, and tied up the opening of the glove with a string,
and kept it with him, and returned to the palace.
Then he came to the hall where Kicva was, and he lighted
a fire, and hung the glove by the string upon a peg. "What hast thou there,
lord?" said Kicva.
"A thief" said he, "that I found robbing me."
"What kind of thief may it be, lord, that thou couldst put into thy glove?"
said she.
"Behold I will tell thee" he answered. Then he showed her
how his fields had been wasted and destroyed, and how the mice came to
the last of the fields in his sight. "One of them was less nimble than
the rest, and is now in my glove; tomorrow I will hang it, and before
Heaven, if I had them, I would hang them all."
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"My lord" said she, "this is marvellous; but yet it would
be unseemly for a man of dignity like thee to be hanging such a reptile
as this. And if thou doest right, thou wilt not meddle with the creature,
but wilt let it go."
"Woe betide me" said he, "if I would not hang them all could I catch
them, and such as I have I will hang."
"Verily lord" said she, "there is no reason that I should
succour this reptile, except to prevent discredit unto thee. Do therefore,
lord, as thou wilt."
"If I knew of any cause in the world wherefore thou shouldst
succour it, I would take thy counsel concerning it" said Manawyddan, "but
as I know of none, lady, I am minded to destroy it."
"Do. so willingly then" said she.
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Then he went to the Gorsedd of Narberth, taking the mouse
with him. And he set up two forks on the highest part of the Gorsedd.
While he was doing this, behold he saw a scholar coming towards him, in
old and poor and tattered garments. It was now seven years since he had
seen in that place either man or beast, except those four persons who
had remained together until two of them were lost.
"My lord" said the scholar, "good day to thee."
"Heaven prosper thee, and my greeting be unto thee. And whence dost thou
come, scholar?" asked he.
"I come, lord, from singing in Lloegyr; and wherefore dost
thou inquire?"
"Because for the last seven years" answered he, "I have
seen no man here save four secluded persons, and thyself this moment."
"Truly lord" said he, "I go through this land unto mine own, and what
work art thou upon, lord?"
"I am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me" said he.
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"What manner of thief is that?" asked
the scholar. "I see a creature in thy hand like unto a mouse, and ill does
it become a man of rank equal to thine to touch a reptile such as this.
Let it go forth free."
"I will not let it go free, by Heaven" said he, "I caught it robbing
me, and the doom of a thief will I inflict upon it, and I will hang it."
"Lord" said he, "rather than see a man of rank equal to
thine at such work as this, I would give thee a pound which I have received
as alms, to let the reptile go forth free."
"I will not let it go free" said he, "by Heaven, neither
will I sell it."
"As thou wilt lord" he answered, "except that I would not see a man of
rank equal to thine touching such a reptile, I care nought." And the scholar
went his way.
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As he was placing the crossbeam
upon the two forks, behold a priest came towards him upon a horse covered
with trappings. "Good day to thee lord" said he.
"Heaven prosper thee" said Manawyddan; "thy blessing."
"The blessing of Heaven be upon thee. And what lord art thou doing?"
"I am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me" said he.
"What manner of thief, lord?" asked he.
"A creature" he answered, "in form of a mouse. It has been robbing me,
and I am inflicting upon it the doom of a thief."
"Lord" said he, "rather than see thee touch this reptile,
I would purchase its freedom."
"By my confession to Heaven, neither will I sell it nor
set it free."
"It is true, lord, that it is worth nothing to buy; but rather than see
thee defile thyself by touching such a reptile as this, I will give thee
three pounds to let it go."
"I will not, by Heaven" said he, "take any price for it.
As it ought, so shall it be hanged."
"Willingly, lord, do thy good pleasure." And the priest
went his way.
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Then he noosed the string around the mouse's neck, and as he was about
to draw it up behold, he saw a bishop's retinue with his sumpter horses,
and his attendants. And the bishop himself came towards him. And he stayed
his work. "Lord bishop" said he, "thy blessing."
"Heaven's blessing be unto thee" said he, "what work art
thou upon?"
"Hanging a thief that I caught robbing me" said he.
"Is not that a mouse that I see in thy hand?"
"Yes" answered he. "And she has robbed me."
"Aye" said he, "since I have come at the doom of this reptile,
I will ransom it of thee. I will give thee seven pounds for it, and that
rather than see a man of rank equal to thine destroying so vile a reptile
as this. Let it loose and thou shalt have the money."
"I declare to Heaven that I will not set it loose."
"If thou wilt not loose it for this, I will give thee four
and twenty pounds of ready money to set it free."
"I will not set it free by Heaven, for as much again" said
he.
"If thou wilt not set it free for this, I will give thee all the horses
that thou seest in this plain, and the seven loads of baggage, and the
seven horses that they are upon."
"By Heaven I will not" he replied.
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"Since for this thou wilt not, do
so at what price soever thou wilt."
"I will do so" said he.
"I will that Rhiannon and Pryderi be free" said he.
"That thou shalt have" he answered.
"Not yet will I loose the mouse, by Heaven."
"What then wouldst thou?"
"That the charm and the illusion be removed from the seven
Cantrevs of Dyved."
"This shalt thou have also, set therefore the mouse free."
"I will not set it free, by Heaven" said he. "I will know
who the mouse may be."
"She is my wife."
"Even though she be, I will not set her free. Wherefore came she to me?"
"To despoil thee" he answered.
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"I am Llwyd the son of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm over the seven Cantrevs
of Dyved. And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of Clud, from the friendship
I had towards him, that I cast the charm. And upon Pryderi did I revenge
Gwawl the son of Clud, for the game of Badger in the Bag, that Pwyll Pen
Annwn played upon him, which he did unadvisedly in the Court of Heveydd
Hen. And when it was known that thou wast come to dwell in the land, my
household came and besought me to transform them into mice, that they
might destroy thy corn. And it was my own household that went the first
night. And the second night also they went, and they destroyed thy two
crofts. And the third night came unto me my wife and the ladies of the
Court, and besought me to transform them. And I transformed them. Now
she is pregnant. And had she not been pregnant thou wouldst not have been.
able to overtake her; but since this has taken place, and she has been
caught, I will restore thee Pryderi and Rhiannon; and I will take the
charm and illusion from off Dyved. I have now told thee who she is. Set
her therefore free."
"I will not set her free, by Heaven" said he.
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"What wilt thou more?" he asked.
"I will that there be no more charm upon the seven Cantrevs of Dyved,
and that none shall be put upon it henceforth."
"This thou shalt have" said he. "Now set her free."
"I will not, by my faith" he answered.
"What wilt thou furthermore?" asked he.
"Behold" said he, "this will I have; that vengeance be
never taken for this, either upon Pryderi or Rhiannon, or upon me."
"All this shalt thou have. And truly thou hast done wisely
in asking this. Upon thy head would have lighted all this trouble."
"Yea" said he, "for fear thereof was it, that I required this."
"Set now my wife at liberty."
"I will not, by Heaven" said he, "Behold, until I see Pryderi
and Rhiannon with me free."
"Behold, here they come" he answered.
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Thereupon behold Pryderi and Rhiannon.
He rose up to meet them, and greeted them, and sat down beside them.
"Ah Chieftain set now my wife at liberty," said the bishop.
"Hast thou not received all thou didst ask?"
"I will release her gladly" said he. And thereupon he set her free.
Then Llwyd struck her with a magic wand, and she was changed
back into a young woman, the fairest ever seen.
"Look around upon thy land" said he, "and then thou wilt
see it all tilled and peopled, as it was in its best state." And he rose
up and looked forth. And when he looked he saw all the lands tilled, and
full of herds and dwellings.
"What bondage" he inquired, "has there been upon Pryderi and Rhiannon?"
"Pryderi has had the knockers of the gate of my palace
about his neck, and Rhiannon has had the collars of the asses, after they
have been carrying hay about her neck. And such had been their bondage."
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And by reason of this bondage is this story called the
Mabinogi of Mynnweir and Mynord.
And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.
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