Andare, Partire, Tornare

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A few Welsh Triads

Three Generous Men of the Island of Britain:
Nudd the Generous, son of Senyllt,
Mordaf the Generous, son of Serwan,
Rhydderch the Generous, son of Tudwal Tudglyd.
And Arthur himself was more generous than the three.

Three Brave Men of the Island of Britain,
three sons of Gleissiar Gogled and Haernwedd Vradawc (the Wily):
Grudduei,
and Henbrien (Henben),
and Aedenawg (Edenawg)
who returned from battle on their biers.

Three Battle-Diademed Men of the Island of Britain:
Drystan son of Tallwch,
and Hueil son of Caw,
and Cai son of Cenyr of the Fine Beard.
And one was diademed above the three of them:
that was Bedwyr son of Bedrawc.

Three Concealments and Three Disclosures of the Island of Britain:
The Head of Bran the Blessed, son of Llyr, which was buried in the White Hill in London. and as long as the Head was there in that position, no Oppression would ever come to this Island;
The second: the Bones of Gwerhefyr the Blessed which were buried in the Chief Ports of this Island;
The third: the Dragons which Lludd son of Beli buried in Dinas Emrys in Eryri.
(the text of the Early Version Triad is incomplete. The Red Book's version includes the disclosures: the Bones (for the love of a woman) and the Dragons by Gwrtheyrn the Thin (Vortigen); the Head by Arthur because it did not seem right to him that this Island should be defended by the strength of anyone other than him).

An Alternate Variation
Three Closures and Disclosures of the Island;
First the head of Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr, which Owain the son of Maxen Wledig buried under the White Tower in London, and while it was so placed no invasion could be made upon this Island;
the second was the bones of Gwrthevyr the Blessed [Vortimer], which were buried in the chief harbour of the Island, and while they remained there hidden all invasions were ineffectual.
The third was the dragons buried by Lludd ab Beli, in the city of Pharaon, in the rocks of Snowdon. And the three closures were made under the blessing of God and his attributes, and evil befel from the time of their disclosure.
Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu [Vortigern], disclosed the dragons to revenge the displeasure of the Cymry against him, and he invited the Saxons in the guise of men of defence to fight against the Gwyddyl Ffychti;
and after this he disclosed the bones of Gwrthevyr the Blessed, through love of Ronwen [Rowena], the daughter of the Saxon Hengist.
And Arthur disclosed the head of Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr, because he chose not to hold the Island except by his own strength. And after the three disclosures came the chief invasions upon the race of the Cymry.

9:42 a.m. - 2002-01-03

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