The Lady of the Well

The Lady of the Well is also known as The Lady of the Fountain, though Sioned Davies states that 'well' is a more accurate translation than 'fountain' and more in tune with the Celtic traditions. It is one of the stories collected in The Mabinogion. The namesake of the story is The Lady of the Well (Character), a noble lady that rules territory under threat of invasion and requires a husband capable of military matters to protect the supernatural well within her lands. The story's primary protagonist is Owain, son of Urien, but several sections follow different knights as the central figure. The story opens in Caerllion ar Wysg where Emperor Arthur is seated with several knights - Owain, son of Urien, Cynon, son of Clydno, and Cai, son of Cunyr - as well as Gwenhwyfar. The early scenes are then given as a telling of a story by Cynon, who recounts one of his experiences to the others, while Arthur sleeps. This makes this section a story-within-the-story. Cynon tells that he was once an arrogant youth who had bested all challenges in his native land and went in search of greater things. He happened upon a mysterious castle where the host was extremely hospitable and pleasant, but told him to venture into the forest where he would meet his match. After performing the rituals to summon the Black Knight in the forest, which included a terrible and deadly hailstorm, he fought the Black Knight but was defeated and shamed. He was welcomed back by the hospitable host, who did was gracious enough not to enquire before Cynon left those lands for good. However, it was strange to him that none other ever reported going there. Thus inspired, Owain intended to go, despite being chastised by Cai as one who talks of doing but never does. Owain set out, found the hospitable host and proceeded through the rituals to summon the Black Knight. The Black Knight spoke of dire consequences of Owain's actions, but they fought nevertheless and Owain dealt the Black Knight a mortal blow to the skull. Thus wounded, the Black Knight fled but Owain gave chase until they passed through the gate of a castle. The portcullis was lowered on Owain, killing his horse and trapping him within. There he was saved by Luned, a maid to The Lady of the Well, by giving him a ring of invisibility and taking him to a chamber within the castle. Owain learnt that he has slain the husband of the lady, yet he fell in love with The Lady of the Well and Luned acted as a voice on his behalf, beseeching the lady to wed him to protect her realm. She does marry him and there Owain served as The Black Knight for three years. Emperor Arthur, supported by Cai and Gwalchmai, went in search of Owain and eventually found the land of The Lady of the Well where Arthur's retinue were overthrown by the mysterious Black Knight, save for Gwalchmai who, at the last moment, was recognised by The Black Knight and he revealed himself as Owain. Owain was given permission by his wife to return to the Island of Britain for three months, but instead he remained for three years. Only when a maiden from the lady arrived to take away his ring and dub him a traitor did Owain remember his obligation and he fell into such depression that he wandered the mountains as a wild man until he collapsed by a lake where he was found by a countess. She used an expensive ointment to restore him, but he learnt that her lands had been taken by force by a rival earl. When that earl arrived to further press his claims, Owain rode out, captured the earl and, thus, repaid his debt to the countess before he resumed his wanderings. He came upon a white lion, which he saved from a save, and the lion became his pet-like companion. They discovered Luned, imprisoned within a stone vault, and she explained she was put by chamberlains of her lady after she claimed Owain, whom she did not recognise, would return and that he was superior to those men. Owain went to a nearby court, where the lord was miserable as his sons had been captured by a giant, who would kill them if he did not hand over his daughter to be raped and killed instead of them. Owain fought the giant, but couldn't win until his lion came to the rescue and killed the giant, freeing the boys. Owain returned to Luned, but found the chamberlains preparing to burn her alive. He fought them and, again with the help of his lion, killed them. He went with Luned to the court of The Lady of the Well and he took his estranged wife with him to Arthur's court. The chapter ends with a scene where Owain arrives at the court of The Black Oppressor, who was a robber that had killed twenty-four earls and robbed their wives, who were trapped at the castle. Owain defeated him, but granted mercy when the man repented and vowed to become a hospitaller instead. Owain took the ladies to Arthur's court, where they were welcomed to remain and Owain became captain of Arthur's retinue.
== The Mabinogion ==
=== Caerllion ar Wysg ===
Emperor Arthur held court at Caerllion ar Wysg (older traditions usually placed Arthur's court at Celli Wig in CornwallPage 253, Explanatory Notes, ) and was seated with several of his knights; Owain, son of Urien, Cynon, son of Clydno, and Cai, son of Cunyr. With them was Gwenhwyfar and her handmaidens. Although there was no official gatekeeper for Arthur's court, Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr (meaning "Brave Grey Mighty Grasp", a character that often acts as gatekeeper in various tales) was acting at the gatekeeper, welcoming guests and teaching them the ways and manners of this court. He had the duty of giving permission to enter the court and offer lodgings to those of correct status. Arthur was sat at the centre of the chamber, upon a pile of fresh rushes and a mantle of yellow-red silk beneath him, with a red silk cushion to lean on. He announced that he wanted to have a nap before dinner arrived, hoping his friends wouldn't make fun of him while he slept. He expected them to tell stories to each other while he slept, and that Cai would bring mead and chops. So, while Arthur went to sleep, the knights began to discuss, with Cai declaring he wanted a good story (using the word "ymddiddan", which may have meant a dramatic performancePage 254, Explanatory Notes, ). Cai went to the mead cellar to fetch the food and drink (holding the high office of steward, which granted him control of food and drink at court) and asked Cynon to begin. Cynon initially wanted Owain to go first, stating that he was older than Cynon and with stranger stories to tell, but Owain wanted Cynon to do his bestPage 116, The Lady of the Well, .
=== Cynon's Story ===
Cynon began his tale with his background. An only son who grew arrogant and believed none could match his brave deeds. Once he had outperformed everyone in his own country, he began to travel the world to seek out better adventures. He came to a river valley where all the trees were of exactly the same height and he followed the path along the river. By the afternoon, he reached a great plain where he saw a shining castle beside an ocean. Two blonde youths approached him, both wearing yellow silk and boots of Cordovan leather (Cordovan leather was high quality leather from Cordova) and had gold belt buckles. To further demonstrate their splendour, the boys had bows of elephant ivory, with string of deer sinew and the arrows were made from walrus ivory, with peacock fathers and the arrowheads were tipped with gold. They were aiming their arrows at their own knives, which were made of walrus ivory too, as target practice. Nearby was a third figure, a man in the prime of his life, with a neatly trimmed beard and he, like the boys, wore brocaded, yellow silk, as well as a mantle with a gold ribbon. He wore buskins, which were also made with cordovan leather. The man welcomed Cynon to the castle, which was empty except for the main hall. There, there were twenty-four maidens who were embroidering silk by the windows. He swore to Cai that the ugliest of the women there was more beautiful than even the most beautiful woman in all of Britain; more so than Gwenhwyfar herself, even when at her best on Christmas Day or Easter Day Mass. The women instantly tended to him, cleaning his horse and weapons, removing his clothes, cleaning him and they brought him new clothes, of similar brocaded silkPage 117, The Lady of the Well, . They provided him with many red, silk cushions to sit upon. He was brought silver bowls of water to wash himself before being taken to dinner, accompanied by the other man. Even the table was made of silver, with fine linen as the tablecloth and the vessels were all made of silver, gold or buffalo horn. Cynon assured Cai that he has never tasted anything so wondrous as the food and drink on that table. For most of the meal, they ate in silence, until the man decided Cynon may wish to talk rather than eat. The man complained that the one fault of this court was that the women were such poor conversationalists. Cynon told his tale, and explained that he was seeking one that might prove a challenge to Cynon's might. The man seemed to have the answer and despite warning Cynon against the challenge, he gave directions through a forest to a clearing where Cynon would find a dark-haired man that was as tall as two men. He explained that this man had just one foot and a single eye in the centre of his foreheadPage 118, The Lady of the Well, . He wielded an iron club that would take many normal men to wield. The man is not violent, but he is rude and ugly. He serves as protector of the forest and if Cynon asks the man, he would lead Cynon to that which he seeksPage 119, The Lady of the Well, .
Early the next morning, Cynon told his audience that he travelled out to meet the one-eyed man. When he arrived in the clearing, there were many animals all around the giant man with his iron club. Cynon asked the giant what power he held over the animals, and he demonstrated by smashing one of the deer with his club. With the scream of the deer, many more animals came into the clearing, so many that Cynon could hardly move because of all the lions and snakes, and the animals then bowed to the giant man, as though paying homage to him. Cynon asked for directions and, though rude, the man proceeded to tell Cynon where to go for his challenge. He told Cynon the way to a wide valley, where he would find a great tree with the brightest green foliage. Under the tree would be a well, along with a marble slab and upon the slab would be a silver bowl fastened via a silver chain so that it cannot be removed. The giant instructed Cynon to scoop a bowlful of water from the well and toss it onto the slab, whereupon he would hear a tremendous sound. After the noise, there would be a shower of deadly hailstones. When the weather became fine again, the tree would be barren of its leaves. This should draw a flock of birds with magical singing voices. During the song, a black-clad knight would be drawn, who rides a black steed and holds black banner. If Cynon would run from the knight, he will give chase, and if he tried to remain on horseback, he would be thrown to the ground. The giant assured Cynon that this would be his greatest challengePage 120, The Lady of the Well, .
Cynon reported to Cai that he did as bid and travelled to the valley and saw the well. After he threw the water, the hailstone fell and he believed nothing could survive it. He closed his visor on his helmet and used his shield to protect his horse's head so it would survive. Just as he thought he might die from the torrent, the weather cleared and the tree was barren. The birds arrived and Cynon had never heard such incredible birdsong in his life. Soon, he heard a voice groan down the valley, speaking words to Cynon. The voice demanded to know why Cynon had done this, stating that the hailstone has now killed every living creature, including the people, in the man's kingdom. This was followed by the arrival of the Black Knight. Cynon charged at the knight from horseback and the knight used his spear to snatch the reins of Cynon's horse from him and rode away with it; leaving Cynon behind, not even worthy of imprisonment. Cynon travelled back the way he came and suffered under a barrage of insults from the dark-haired giant for his loss against the black knight. Cynon felt he might melt from shame. He returned to the shining castle by the ocean and was welcomed by the lord and the ladies. None of them spoke of what happened to Cynon and he didn't wish to report his loss to themPage 121, The Lady of the Well, .
The next morning, he found a brown palfrey with a red mane that was already prepared and harnessed. Cynon admitted he then departed for his own court and never returned, valuing this horse more so than any other horse in the kingdom. He still used the same horse to the day, as he told his audience. He explained to Cai and Owain that this mysterious well was within the borders of Emperor Arthur's lands, and found it strange that no one else had ever told of meeting these characters except for him. Owain remarked that it would be a thrill to find this place in Cynon's tale, but Cai rebuked him by suggesting that Owain would often make claims that he would never, in body, perform. Gwenhwyfar scolded Cai for his manner, but Cai points out that Gwenhwyfar had not given Owain any more praise than Cai has done. It was then that Arthur awoke and it was time to eat.
=== Owain and the Black Knight ===
The next morning, despite Cai's claims, Owain went forth to uncover the mysteries of Cynon's tale. In time he reached the castle that Cynon had spoke of, where he found the boys with their knives and the yellow-haired host of the institution. Within, he found the chamber with the many beautiful maidens and thought that they all appeared even more attractive than Cynon had said. The women waited on him and the host and Owain believed that the food was even more delicious than Cynon had said. When the host asked of Owain's intentions, he explained his friendship with Cynon and that he had come to defeat the knight of the well and the host gave the necessary directions, though with reluctance. The next day, he travelled to the forest where he found the dark-haired giant of a man and believed him even taller than Cynon had said. With the giant's directions, he went on and found the bowl on the chain and tossed the water onto the slab at the green-leafed tree. After the sound, the hailstone thus fell and he felt that the stones were even more dangerous than Cynon had said. When the last leaf fell from the tree, the magical birds sangPage 122, The Lady of the Well, and the black knight arrived. They fought together until both of them broke their lances and had to draw swords. Owain managed a dangerous blow when his sword struck the knight's helmet, through the Burgundian cloth (referring to the cloth made in Burgundy, long popular in England leading to Burgundy joining England during the Hundred-years war), skin, bone and into the brain. The knight knew he had received a mortal wound and instantly fled the battle. Owain gave chase. They came to a shining castle and the black knight passed through the gate, but as Owain continued to pursue, the portcullis was dropped on him. It severed the horse in twain and took the rowels (the disk at the end of the spurs) of Owain with it. Owain was trapped inside and his horse mangledPage 123, The Lady of the Well, .
A girl then approached the gate. She had curly, blonde hair, a dress of yellow brocaded-silk, a golden band in her hair and speckled, leather boots. She asked for the gate to be opened, but Owain explained that he could not open the gate for her to enter, nor for him to depart. Looking upon him, she deems him the finest of men and said that he would be a good friend to any lady, and that he would be a good lover to any mistress. For this reason, she wanted to help him. She passed a ring through the portcullis bars and explained that if he held the stone in the palm of his hand, hidden by his hand, he would also be hidden. When the guards arrive, they would not see him. She told him she would wait on the mounting-block, but she would not see him arrive so he must put his hand on her shoulder so she would know he was there. She would then lead him away. Owain did as bid and when the guards came, finding only half a horse, they did grow angry and could not see Owain. He went to find the girl at the designation point and placed his hand on her shoulder without a word. She turned and he followed her until she passed through a door and into an upstairs chamber of the castle. The chamber was extravagantly decorated, even each individual nail was painted gold, and the girl provided him with a silver bowl of water from which to wash. She placed a silver table inlaid with gold before him, covered by fine yellow silk, and provided him with dinner. He was given an abundance of varied foods and all of the platter was silver or gold. After the meal, there was a sudden wail in the castle and the girl explained it was the funeral rites for the death of the lord, the black knight. He went to bed that night in a bed with ermine quilts, brocaded silk sheets and sendal (a very thin silk, usually for garments) sheets and fine linen sheets that might have been fit for Arthur himself. That night, however, he heard crying. She explains again that the nobleman of the castle had died and they cry for him. That morning, those of the castle were crying and wailing and when Owain asked again what it for for, she told him that they were taking the bodyPage 124, The Lady of the Well, of their lord to the church. When he looked out of the window, he saw the streets were flooded with people lamenting and clerics chanting. He saw the pallbearers were all a minimum rank of baron as they carried the coffin to the church. He saw a woman covered in blood from wounds on her shoulders and she was violently wringing her hands. Her desperate wails might have downed out all others. Owain thought she might be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen had she been under less stress. The girl explained that this beautiful lady was her mistress and wife to the man that Owain had slain. She was The Lady of the Well (some translators use the word 'fountain' but 'well' is more accurate and holds religious connotationsPage 255, Explanatory Notes, ). He declared that he loved this woman best of all women, but the girl asserted that this woman certainly does not love him. She then positioned Owain so that she could wash his hair in a silver bowl and took out an ivory razor with two grooves of gold and she shaved his beard. She dried him off with a towel and set him out a dinnerPage 125, The Lady of the Well, . She then made the bed and bade Owain to lay down and sleep, while she would address the ladyPage 126, The Lady of the Well, .
=== The Lady of the Well ===
The maiden, whose name is revealed to be Luned, found only sorrow when she approached The Lady of the Well. She would not speak to anyone, which caused Luned to lose her patience and reprimand the lady, demanding an explanation for this behaviour. The lady criticised Luned for her boldness and further tells that she is upset that Luned did not come to her when she was grieving, despite their friendship and that the lady made Luned wealthy. Luned continued, however, telling her lady that she would be better to find a new husband than pine for one she cannot have back. The lady, however, declared that she would love no other but Luned persisted and told her she could find another of equal merit or better. The lady, greatly angered, declared that she should have Luned put to death for such disloyalty, except that she had raised the girl. Instead, she banished Luned. Luned remarked that she should be glad of it, as she merely spoke truth to aid the lady and that shame should befall either of them that should summon the other first. Luned thus stormed out, but the lady quickly rushed to the door and coughed, then beckoned Luned over. The lady remarked on Luned's foul temper, but relented that she was endeavouring to help the lady so she asked for Luned's words. Luned told her lady that she required a powerful husband to protect the precarious kingdom, who would bring weapons and military might to the land. She knew that if the lady could not defend the well, she could not defend the kingdom and there were no better warriors to be found other than the court of Arthur. Thus Luned promised she would attend Arthur's court and bring back a valiant knight to be the lady's husband. Thankful, the lady bade Luned go. Luned, however, went to the chambers with Owain and remained there with him until the expected return date from Arthur's court. She went down the stairs of the castle to the lady and announced her great success in the matter and that the knight would arrive on the morrow, giving the lady time to prepare. Luned attended to Owain and gave him a tunic and surcoat of brocaded, yellow silk and a cloak with gold trim. She gave him speckled leather boots that bore gold clasps in the image of a lion (this may be referring to Owain's later association with a lion, and in Chrétien de Troye's work he is known as 'Knight with the Lion'). Luned brought forth Owain to her lady, but the lady instantly saw through this ruse as Owain did not appear as though he had been on any long journey and quickly realised this was the man who had killed her own husband. Luned, as before, remarked that the matter was done with and could not be helped. The man that defeated her husband was clearly a worthy match as he was certainly strong enough for the kingdom. The lady bade them go and she would take counsel from the nobles of the kingdom. That next day, she told her court that she required a husband and that either one of them marry her, or they would have to permit that she marry the outsiderPage 127, The Lady of the Well, . The lords agreed that she should marry outside the kingdom and she wed Owain. He overthrew any and all knights that approached the well, as he had once done, and took many ransoms for those knights, which he shared amongst the lords of the land, making him very popular there. He remained there for three yearsPage 128, The Lady of the Well, .
=== Gwalchmai Duals the Black Knight ===
Those three years later, King Arthur was walking with Gwalchmai and he admitted to his knight that he was distressed and missed Owain dearly, fearing that Owain is lost on account of Cynon's tale of the Black Knight. Gwalchmai assured Arthur that the matter could be resolved. They would seek out Owain and, if dead, they would avenge him, or if taken prisoner they would free him. Thus, a host of three thousand marched out and Cynon was their guide. When they came to the first castle, they found the boys with their knives and the pleasant host, who invited Arthur to stay. Despite being such a large retinue, the castle managed just fine and they all remarked how the service was no less than at Arthur's own court. The next day Arthur went with Cynon as the guide to the forest where they found the one-eyed man. From there they resumed on to the green tree and there Cai volunteered to throw the water and take the challenge, knowing he must help save his friend Owain. He threw the water onto the slab and after the sound came the hailstones. Some of Arthur's own men were killed by the deadly shower, but when the last leaf fell, the shower ceased and the singing birds arrived. At last a knight arrived. He was clad in brocaded black silk and rode a black horse. He fought Cai, but the match was over soon and Cai was overthrown. The black knight set up his camp for the night, and Arthur did the same. The next day, Cai asked for permission to try again, thinking he had been unfairly thrown by the knight. However, the match ended the same and Cai was knocked down. However, the knight used the butt of his weapon to strike Cai's forehead, causing such a deep wound, down to the bone. Each of Arthur's knights thence went to fight the knight and each was defeated until only Arthur and Gwalchmai remained. Arthur readied himself for the battle, but Gwalchmai asked to make the attempt first and Arthur relented. Gwalchmai wore a thick, black cloak that concealed his identity even from his own companions as he went to the fight. It had been a gift sent to him by his daughter, the earl of Anjou. The two black-clad warriors fought to a stand-still as night fell. The next day they went at it again, wielding their spears, but came to an impassePage 129, The Lady of the Well, . The third day, the two men came to battle with deep rage and at noon they clashed heavily. Their spears struck their saddles and both were thrown to the ground and drew their swords. Gwalchmai gave such a strong swing of his sword that his own visor flew open and exposed his face to the knight. The knight, upon seeing Gwalchmai's face, suddenly stopped and revealed that he was Gwalchmai's first cousin, Owain himself. Owain immediately offered his weapons in surrender, but Gwalchmai insisted that Owain was the better of them and he should accept his surrender instead. Arthur approached and took both weapons so that neither were defeated by the other and he embraced Owain dearly. Many of the retinue came to see Owain before they all retired to their pavilions for the nightPage 130, The Lady of the Well, .
Arthur asked for Owain to return with him, but Owain stated it would not be right. He was married to The Lady of the Well, ruler of the land, and he ruled with her. He had known Arthur would eventually come in search of him, so he had been preparing for a huge feast for the past three years and the retinue was taken to the castle of the lady. The grand feast took three months to finish and, at the end, Arthur again asked for Owain to at least visit the Island of Britain again and he sought permission from The Lady of the Well. She reluctantly agreed to Owain's three-month trip and the knight went to Britain with Arthur. Once there, he enjoyed his time so much that he did not return to The Lady of the Well for three years instead of just three monthsPage 131, The Lady of the Well, .
=== Owain and the Countess ===
One day that Owain was eating at Caerllion ar Wysg, a maiden arrived. She wore brocaded yellow silk and the saddle and bridle of her horse were gold. She went straight to Owain and snatched the ring from his finger, declaring him a traitor and shame on his beard. She left immediately and Owain was filled with sadness as he remembered his journey and after the meal was over, he retired to bed and was troubled. The next morning, he did not go to Arthur's court, instead he went out into the desolate regions of the land and climbed the mountains. Over time his clothes wore away, and he wasted away. His hair grew long over his whole body and he ate with the wild animals. In time he came upon a beautiful park, which was under the domain of a widowed countess. The countess and her maidens happened to find the bedraggled man sleeping by the lake and found that his veins were throbbing will illness from exposure to the sun. She returned to her castle and gave one of her handmaidens an ointment to use upon the stranger. She explained that the girl must rub it on his body, around the heart. If he has any life in him, it should cure him quickly. She told the handmaiden to leave a horse and clothes nearby and to watch what the man does when he wakes. The handmaiden did as bid and watched the man from a distance. When he awoke, he was ashamed of his unhealthy appearance and dragged himself to the clothes to don them. He managed to clamber onto the horse when the maiden revealed herself to him. She explained the lands belong to a widowed countess and that she once held two earldoms in her possession, but they were taken by a rival young earl after she refused to marry him. The girl took him to the castle and gave him a room to rest in. The countess, however, chastised her for using the entire ointment on a man she does not even know, citing the cost as one-hundred and forty pounds. However, she wants the girl to continue restoring the man until he is healthy again. In time, the excess hair on Owain fell off and his skin became whiter after three months of restorationPage 132, The Lady of the Well, .
Upon a morning, a great commotion occurred in the castle and the maiden explained that the earl had finally come. Owain asked if he could borrow a horse and weapons and that he would ride out to see the invading host. When the maiden relayed this to the lady, she was pessimistically amused, commenting that the horse and weapons would be better than such a man had ever seen. She would rather he had them than they were claimed by the invaders anyway, though she could not imagine what such a man would want with them. He was given a black Gascon horse with a saddle of beechwood, as well as armour for both him and the horse itself. Owain thus set forth with two squires. When they found the enemy army, there seemed no end to it and Owain asked where the earl would be. A squire pointed to the troop with the four yellow standards. Owain ordered the squires to return to the castle gate and wait for him. He quickly rode out, passing the lines of soldiers, until he saw the earl. He grabbed him from his own horse and quickly rode away with his captive. Upon returning to the castle, he handed the earl to the countess as payment for the ointment. The earl returned the countess' domains and then further gave her half of his own land in payment for sparing his life. Afterwards, the countess invited Owain to stay, but he refused and he wanted nothing more than to wander the wildernessPage 133, The Lady of the Well, .
=== Luned in the Stone Vault ===
During his wanderings, while in the mountains he heard a shriek and upon investigating he discovered a huge cliff with a grey rock protruding from the cliff. The rock had a cleft in it and within the cleft was a snake, but near to that cleft was a pure, white lion. Whenever that lion tried to move away from the cleft, the snake would move to strike the lion. Owain sliced the snake in twain and marched on before he noticed that the lion was following him and had playful mannerisms akin to any greyhound. The lion travelled with Owain and, in time, Owain lit a fire in a meadow after the lion fetched bundles of wood. Soon after, the lion returned again with a deer to eat. Owain took enough for himself to cook and gave the rest to his new lion companion. But even as they ate, Owain heard a groaning from an unknown source. He called out, asking if the voice were human, to which the voice responded affirmatively. The voice was none other than his old friend, Lunded. She claimed that she was imprisoned within the stone vault. She told the tale, not recognising Owain after the years and his time in the wilderness, that a man came from the emperor Arthur's court to wed her lady and was the finest of people. She said that he was the friend that she loved best, but he left the court and never returned. Chamberlains at the court claimed the man to be a cheat and a traitor and she denounced them, asserting the man could easily have beaten them both. For that, she was imprisoned within the stone and could only be released if the knight returned by a certain date to free her - and that date the day after next. She then gave the name of the knight as Owain, son of Urien. Owain asked if she was so certain that the man could come to save her, even if he knew of her plight and she was sure of it. Owain shared his food with Luned and they slept that nightPage 134, The Lady of the Well, . Owain asked her the next morning, if there was anywhere he might find a bed for the night and Luned directed that he should cross the ford where he would find a great castle with many towers and that the earl would provide wonderful hospitality. Owain reached the castle, where the lion slept in the stable with the horses. However, Owain noted that everyone in the castle seemed to be depressed and miserable, despite the great hospitality they afforded him. At dinner, he sat with the lord and his daughter, while Owain's lion came to sit between his feet. The lord explained to Owain that a giant has captured his two sons, who had been hunting, and on the next day would kill both young men, unless the lord gave the giant his daughter. The lord did not want to see his sons die, but thought it would be more honourable than willingly handing over his daughter to to be raped and killed insteadPage 135, The Lady of the Well, .
The next day, the giant arrived with the two boys. Owain rode out to fight the giant, alongside the lion. During the fight, the giant declared that he could defeat Owain if it were not for him using the animal. Thus, Owain return the lion to the castle, behind the locked gate, and resumed fighting the giant. However, he fared poorly and when the lion heard Owain's cries of pain, it climbed the earl's hall, scaled the wall and jumped outside to attack the giant. His mighty swipe sliced the giant from head to toe, spilling his entrails upon the ground, and rendering the giant dead. Owain was able to return the boys to the earl, who asked Owain to stay but Owain refused and he returned to Luned's prisonPage 136, The Lady of the Well, .
There he found a roaring fire and two boys were dragging Luned to the fire to burn her. They explained the same tale she had, revealing they were the chamberlains that accused Owain as traitor and as he had not arrived in time, they would burn Luned. Owain vouched that if Owain had known, surely he would have arrived, yet he might fight in the place of the knight, to which the young men readily agreed. As they fought, the lion attacked, prompting the boys to affirm that they had agreed to fight Owain alone. Owain placed the lion into the vault that Luned had been imprisoned in, and walled it up with stones. But Owain had not recovered from his previous battle and when the lion heard him cry with pain, the lion tore at the stones until he found a way out and he charged the boys - slaying them both. Thus Luned was saved and together they went with Luned to the court of The Lady of the Well. When he found his wife, he then took her with him to the court of Emperor Arthur where they remained for as long as she livedPage 137, The Lady of the Well, .
=== The Black Oppressor ===
Sometime after he had returned to Arthur's court, Owain travelled to the court of the Black Oppressor, along with his lion. There he found a room with twenty-four beautiful women, who told him that they were all wives of earls that had been invited to the court. They had been received generously, but the host would get their husbands drunk and then murder them. He then stripped the women of their possessions and clothes and left their husbands laying around the castle, with many more outside. Filled with animosity for this Black Oppressor, Owain sought him out and upon finding him, he dismissed any formal greeting and quickly met him in battle. Owain was able to overcome the Black Oppressor who pleaded for mercy. He claimed that it had been prophetised that Owain would come to defeat him and that, to this day, he had been a robber, and this his robber's den, but he would repent and become a hospitaller, offering aid to any and all. Owain accepted this, and allowed the man to restore himself. He rode with the twenty-four widowed ladies to Arthur's court.
Arthur was greatly pleased to see Owain return and the ladies were permitted to remain at Arthur's court if they wished to. Owain became captain of Arthur's retinue and remained there until he went to his own people. His troops were the Three Hundred Swords of Cenferchyn and the Flight of the Ravens and wherever they went, they were victoriousPage 138, The Lady of the Well, ("Cenferchyn" means "descendents of Cynfarch, Owain's grandfather. Though Flight of the Ravens could refer to his retinue, in Rhonabwy's Dream they are literal ravens).
== References ==
=== Literature ===
==== Academic Sources ====
Category:The Mabinogion Tales