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GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN.

maiden; and he hastens to Arthur, to make him acquainted with so flagrant a breach of etiquette, who instantly rectifies it by commanding Gildas and the scholars of the Court to attend her.

Goreu the Son of Custennin.Page 143.

He is recorded as the deliverer of Arthur from the three imprisonments assigned to him in the Triads.

"The three supreme prisoners of the Island of Britain, Llyr Liediaith, in the prison of Euroswydd Wledig,[1] and Madoc, or Mabon,[2]

son of Modron, and Qeyr the son of Qeyiybed, or Geiryoed;[2] and one more exalted than the three, and that was Arthur, who was for three nights in the Castle of Oeth and Anoeth, and three nights in the prison of Wen Pendragon, and three nights in the dark prison under the stone ——— And one youth released him from these three prisons; that youth was Goreu the son of Custennin, his cousin."—Tr. L.

The Castle of Oeth and Anoeth is spoken of in the Mabinogion and in another series of the Triads it is named as the prison of the above-mentioned Geyr. In this version, Arthur is not alluded to, but all the members of the &milies of the other prisoners are said to have shared their captivity, which is designated as the most complete ever known to have taken place.—Tr. 61.

Heaven prosper thee, Geraint.Page 144.

The name of Geraint ab Erbin is familiar to all lovers of ancient Welsh literature, through the beautiful Elegy composed on him by his fellow warrior, the venerable bard Lly warch Hên. He was a Prince of Dyvnaint (Devon), and fell fighting valiantly against the Saxons, under Arthur's banner, in the battle of Llongborth.

"Before Geraint) the terror of the foe,
I saw steeds fatigued with the toil of battle.
And after the shout was given, how dreadful was the onset.


At Llongborth I saw the tumult.
And the slain drenched in gore.
And red-stained warriors from the assault of the foe.

  1. Probably Ostorias, the Roman commander.
  2. 2.0 2.1 In the Triads contained in the Llyfr Cooh, these names are written Mabon, and Geiiyoed (My v. Arch. 11. 6); and in the Mabinogion it is Mabon Vab Modron.