The Mabinogion, Pwyll Prince of Dyfed

Luckily for the Prince though the dogs were of the normal breed, not the fiery sort with coats of blinding white and ears like glowing red coals – he would not have welcomed them at all!

From then on, deep friendship existed between the Prince of Dyfed and the King of the Other World, with many presents of horses, hawks and hounds passing back and forth.

As his own pack returned and grouped around the deer, a huntsman rode out from the trees and hailed him: "Lord, I will not greet you because you have driven off my hounds from their prey".

Pwyll rode towards a grassy clearing and came apon a dead stag surrounded by small but fiery hounds: their coats were a blinding white, and their ears like glowing red coals. Bravely, the Prince urged his horse into the glade, charged wildly at the dogs and scattered them away.

As his own pack returned and grouped around the deer, a huntsman rode out from the trees and hailed him: "Lord, I will not greet you because you have driven off my hounds from their prey".

At these words the Prince promised to make up for his discourtesy. "Well" said the stranger "This is how to win my friendship. I am Arawn, King of Annwn (the Other World), and I have a neighbour called King Hafgan who is forever causing trouble. Yet whenever I hit him more than one stroke, the next day he is as well as he was before."

Then the King related a plan to defeat his enemy, to which Pwyll agreed to help. So Arawn used his other-worldly powers to endow each man with the other's features, stature and clothing, such that there was no man, woman or child who could have known of the changes.

For twelve months, in the guise of the Prince of Dyfed, the King of Annwn lived in the court at Arberth, and no–one saw through the disguise.

Immediately, he made for the Valley of Glyn Cuch, and one year and one day after their first encounter the two deer-hunters met again. With thanks, Arawn turned himself and the Prince back into their true selves. Then each man returned to his own court, and there was no man, woman or child who knew of the changes.

Then one appointed day at the year's end Pwyll faced King Hafgan across a shallow river dividing their two lands. From each side of the ford the two horsemen charged, levelling their spears.The Prince struck Hafgan so hard in the centre of his shield that it split in half, his armour splintered into a thousand pieces, and their regal owner went flying backwards over the horse's tail.

Mortally wounded, he pleaded: "For pity's sake, make a quick end of me". But Pwyll remembered Arawn's warning (hit Hafgan more than once and next day he will arise as well as before), and therefore he would not cast another blow.

With Hafgan dead, Pwyll was able to subdue his land and take it in the name of the King of the Other World.

Before The Lord of the Rings there was THE MABINOGION. Widely recognized as the finest arc of Celtic mythology, the eleven stories were preserved in two Welsh collections, The White Book of Rhydderch (1300-1325) and The Red Book of Hergest (1375-1425), though the stories themselves hail from an oral tradition dating back a thousand years. At its core are tales of heroes and men, birth and death, gods and beasts, penance and vindication, kinship and kingship, battles and quests. THE MABINOGION embraces much of ancient and early British culture, combining the numinous world of Celtic mythology, Arthurian legend and feudal Europe’s Age of Chivalry. Indeed, scholars have identified that it was out of THE MABINOGION that the Arthurian legends were born.

From his court in Arberth, Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and Lord over the Seven Regions, set out to hunt deer. There was an early sun over the Valley of Glyn Cuch but it was dark in the woodland, and soon Pwyll lost contact with his riding companions.

The Prince steered his horse through the tangled trees, following his crashing dogs. Suddenly, their high cries ceased, and all the birds stopped singing. The woods became silent except for a deep harsh baying.

Meanwhile, the Prince lived in the realm of the Other World, and it was the most richly blessed with meat, drink and jewels that he had ever seen. As the King, the Prince dressed in gold brocaded silk, and spent his time (as all kings do) singing, dancing and hunting.