The Celtic Literature Collective

The Death of Drudwas


Mostyn MS 146 (early 17th century)

Drvdwas ap treffin mab bre[nh]in denmark a gafas gan i wraig dri edeyrn llwch gwin a hwynt awnaent beth bynag ar a archai i meistr. ag a bwvntied maes Rwng arthvr a drudwas a neb ddyfod ir maes ond nhw ill dav A gyrv i adar or blaen a wnaeth drvdwas a dovdyd y kynta addel ir maes ag fel iroedd arthur yn mynd fo ddoeth chwar drvdwas oedd ordderch i arthvr ag ai Arthur ir maes o wwlys da ibob vn o honvnt ag or di[wedd] fo ddoeth drvdwas ir maes gan dybio ladd or adar arthur yn i arch Ag ai kipiodd yr adar ef ag ai lladdasant ag yn entyrch awyr i adnabod a naethant a disgin ir llawr drwy nethvr oernad dostvra yn y byd Am ladd drvdwas i meistr ag y mae kaniad adar llwch gwyn ar danav a wnaed yn yr amser hwnw i goffav yny ag o hyny ykafodd llowarch hen y destyn i ganv r englyn hwn:

drvdwas ap treffin trin diwrnawd
gan drallawd ag erddin
adwy awnaeth ef gysefin
adar ai lladdodd llwch gwin

fo gafas drvdwas i drin nod angall
ai dynged yn erwin
vrddol o freiniol frenin
laddodd adar gwar llwch gwin



Translation:

Drudwas son of Treffin son of the King of Denmark obtained from his wife three griffins, and they would perform whatever their master demanded of them. A field (of battle) was appointed between Arthur and Drudwas, and nobody was to come to the field but the two of them. Drudwas sent his griffins before him and said "Slay the first who may come to the field." And as Arthur was going, there came the sister of Drudwas who was Arthur's mistress, and out of good will to both of them she hindered Arthur from going to the field; an in the end Drudwas came to the field, supposing hat the griffins had slain Arthur according to his request. And the grinffins snatched him up and slew him, and in the firmament of the sky htey recognized him and descended to the earth making the most pitiful wailing, because they had slain their master Drudwas. And there is the song of the griffins over him which was made at that time to commemorate the event, and from it Llywarch Hen obtained the subject to compose this englyn:

Drudwas son of Tryffin, heavy his day
through mischance and oppression
--it was a misfortune to all--
the griffins slew him.

Llywarch the Old sang it.



SOURCES
Bromwich, Rachel. Trioedd Ynys Prydein. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1961. p 328.

Evans, J.G. Reports on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, vol. I.