And though he did much harm,
He has not finished.

Sixth journey,

Sixth place of conflict

At Swansea,

A pleasant place.

Seventh, Kidwelly,

Burnt on this seventh excursion,

And Ystrad Towy

Saw hard fighting.

Eighth, cruel journey,
To Carnwyllion;
From Ceredigion

We came hence.

SECTION III.

MYTHOLOGICAL POEMS.

ALTHOUGH the easy rhymes last noticed, exhibit but little poetic merit, they contain many historical facts; and are extremely useful as showing in the persons of known bards, the existence of a mental tendency, which will explain the origin of other poems of doubtful parentage. The Mythological Poems, the "Awdl Vraith," and the "Acallenau," are the offsprings of the same state of mind, as that which gave

Er a wnel o ddrwg

Nis diwedda.

Chweched i dramwy
Chwechad yn Adwy
Yn Aber Tawy

Teg esgorva.
Seithved, Gedweli
Seithgad i'w llosgi
O Ystrad Tywi
Tew ei haerva.

Wythved, hynt greulawn
I Garnewilliawn

O Geredigiawn

Y dug yma.

rise to the flowing rhymes of Llywarch ab Llywelyn, and Davydd Benvras. Some of them may be earlier than this period; but most of the poems classed as Mythological, belong to the age of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and his successors; and a large number of the poems assigned to Taliesin in the Myvyrian Archaiology, will come under this designation.

Presently we will speak of the Romances, and the Mabinogion: These poems belong to the same era, and sprang from the same cause. The Romance treated of external actions, and the popular manners; in the Mythological Poems we see the same mental impulse, operating upon the theological belief of a lively and imaginative people. Of this we have satisfactory evidence, in the fact that the chief characters in both are the same. In the Romance, Arthur is the prime mover; in the Poems, there is a fervent admiration of the same personage. The Geography of the Romance is very confused, and sometimes there is no place mentioned; the same indefiniteness belongs to the Poems. The language of the Mabinogion is free and flowing; that of these Poems is much clearer and smoother than any the bardic remains of the same age. The Mythological Poems are also conversant about the same things, and treat of the same topics as the Mabinogion,—in a similar romantic strain; and in the Mabinogi of Taliesin, we see the characteristics of both, combined in one poem.

of

But

The matter, of course, was of older date, and of gradual growth. Every age had added new ideas to its mythology, clothed in statelier garb its ghastly forms, and added new features to the tales of tradition. There was nothing wanting to give them embodiment in the national literature, but the aid and countenance of the more skilful bards. this was possible at no time previous to the twelfth century, when there was a great movement, in art, science, and literature. Mental activity showed itself in a variety of ways; old traditions were revived, chastened, and adorned; superstition was called upon for liberal contributions to the national literature; and to supply the popular demand for in

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tellectual food, magic, and the remains of Druidic theology, were made the subjects of songs and tales. These appear to have been considered as light exercises by the bards, who were their undoubted composers, as appears from the perpetual jealousy of inferior artists, which finds expression in them. In nearly every one of these poems, this distinction is studiously drawn; and this feeling corresponding with the position of the priv-veirdd, and with the mention of Arthur as the hero of romance, compels us to refer their origin to the twelfth and succeeding centuries. The anachronisms in several are most glaring, and in one we find the following boast,

"I am a Bard, and I am a harper;

I am a Piper, and play the Crŵth."

It does not appear that there were Pipes here before the time of Gruffydd ab Kynan; and if so, this alone, to say nothing of smooth versification, allusions to the Arthur of Romance, and easily intelligible diction, settles the question of age. Simplicity is a quality that may be predicated of the diction of these poems; the meaning of the passages may not always be clear, and the allusions may be obscure, but the language is much plainer, than that of any bard earlier than the end of the fourteenth century. Some of them, I am satisfied, were composed as late as the time of Sion Kent, (1350,) and from his remarks, I should imagine them to have been those which celebrate the praises of Hu the Mighty. We hear nothing of Hu until after the fall of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd; but soon after "Hu" sprang into notice. The bards of this period frequently mention him; Iolo Goch is loud in his praise; and we may infer from the following lines by Sion Kent, that this admiration of "Hu" was at its height in his day:

Two active impulses truly

There are in the world, and their course is manifest;
An impulse from Christ-joyful is the theme,

Of a right tendency-an energetic principle.
Another impulse there is-indiscreetly sung,

Of falsehood, and base omens ;

This has been obtained by the men of Hu,
The usurping bards of Wales.

It will not be necessary to advance further arguments to settle the date of these poems, and thereby in fact point out their true signification. One needs but to compare them with the Mabinogion to see at once their meaning. Mr. Turner was quite right when he supposed that the Mabinogion would throw light upon the poems falsely attributed to Taliesin; but he does not seem to have suspected that the bardic mythology was romanticized, and the vulgar belief in conjuration symbolized, in the surprising narratives of Taliesin's transmigrations, and transmutations.

Many of these poems seem to be nothing else than the narrated wonders of magic, which, among persons unacquainted with science, have always found believers. The story of Gwion the little, (the poet Taliesin,) who successively transformed himself into a hare, a fish, a bird, and a grain of wheat, has its counterpart in the tale of "the second royal calender,” in the Arabian Nights. Gwion, a male conjuror, was pursued by Kyrridwen, a female magician; and in the Indian tale, the male magician assumes the form of a lion, a scorpion, a cat, a fish, a worm, and a seed, to escape the vengeance of a female persecutor. The resemblance is very striking; and in both we see the play of rich and imaginative minds. Some persons may see more, but I cannot. Mr. Davies sees in everything an allusion to the ark. In many Welsh Triads there are evident references to Noah and the ark, and the allusions are not unfrequent; but they are by no means so numerous as that ingenious author imagined. A theorist may see concealed meanings in "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Jack the Giant Killer;" several of the poems called Mythological, are in no respect more mysterious than those favourites of childhood; and it is to be feared that they are not more worthy of notice, than the common stories of conjuration; but lest we should be too sceptical, let the reader judge for himself:

"Gwion perceiving her at a distance transformed himself into a hare, and doubled his speed; but Kerridwen instantly becoming a greyhound bitch, turned him, and chased him towards a river.

"Leaping into the stream, he assumed the form of a fish; but his resentful enemy, who was now become an otter bitch, traced him through the stream, so that he was obliged to take the form of a bird, and mount into the air.

"That element afforded him no refuge; for the lady in the form of a sparrow hawk was gaining upon him-she was just in the act of pouncing upon him, when shuddering with the dread of death, he perceived a heap of clean wheat upon the floor, dropped into the midst of it, and assumed the form of a single grain.

"Kerridwen took the form of a black high crested hen, descended into the wheat, scratched him out, distinguished and swallowed him. And as the history relates she was pregnant of him nine months, and when delivered of him she found him so lovely a babe, that she had not resolution to put him to death.

"She placed him, however, in a Coracle, covered with a skin, and by the instigation of her husband, cast him into the sea, on the twenty ninth of April."

This was he who afterwards became the great Taliesin. The Mabinogi of Taliesin is the most interesting of the Welsh metrical romances; and the story, taken up where we have now left him, will justify a little delay.—

Gwyddno Garanhir, a prince, part of whose dominions was an extensive tract of land, on the sea coast of Merioneth and Cardigan, had a profligate son named Elphin. On part of this property was a fishing weir, in which was usually taken on the night preceding every May-day, a draught of fish equal in value to one hundred pounds. Elphin being in want of funds, obtained from his father, by the advice of his council, the draught of this weir for one May-day Eve. The eventful hour having arrived, Elphin approached the weir, which was found to be empty,-on seeing which one of the weir-keepers remarked, "Elphin, thou hast never been thoroughly unfortunate till this night; for thou hast destroyed even the virtues of this weir, which has hitherto ever produced the worth of one hundred pounds every Mayday Eve." "What now?" said Elphin, pointing to a skin bag on one of the poles of the weir, "perhaps there is equi