Welsh Journals

1220, and Thomas Parry says that it could hardly have been written before 1250.8 The recent careful studies of the story and the appearance of an excellent English version from the hands of Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones encourage further investigation. I wish to suggest as one sort of exploration the comparison of the elaborate descrip- tions with objects of art, other literary works, and historical documents which picture knights and their horses in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in the belief that we have in the descriptions of the story, under all the decoration of a writer who delights in elaboration, an account of knights and horses with a firm basis in reality. If we place them beside the roll of horse drawn up for Edward I at the battle of Falkirk, for example, some striking resemblances appear. This roll was made for the practical purpose of identifying each horse. It sets down colours and markings with great care. Among more than a score of descriptive phrases are the following words clarus badius (bright bay), bauzin (dappled), doyn (dun-coloured), morellus (mulberry-coloured), Piole (pied), pomele (spotted), roughe (red), and fauve (yellow).10 At Falkirk Henry Cantoke rode a yellow horse with a black stripe;" Richard Hakelutel a spotted bay horse ;12 John de Bavent a red rouncy with iron-grey spots ;13 and Humphrey de Gardin a black horse with four white feet and a star in front.14 About one-third of the horses enrolled are Powys horses, the only breed identified by name. Frequently the phrase, a spotted Powys horse, identifies the animal but sometimes colours are specified, as in the case of John de Wynton's mount: a red Powys horse with iron-grey spots.15 In the "Dream of Rhonabwy" Iddawg the Embroiler of Britain rides a yellow horse, as Henry Cantoke did at Falkirk. The troop of Rhwawn Bebyr, son of Deorthach Wledig, ride upon red horses, as John de Bavent did at Falkirk. The horses of the "Dream" are doubtless chargers, since the armour and trappings suggest heavy horses, while John de Bavent's horse was a rouncy, or hackney. Addaon, son of Taliesin, and his troop ride on white horses with black feet, for which I find no parallel in the Falkirk roll, though there are many black horses with white feet-Humphrey de Gardin's, for example. 9 Henry Gough, Scotland in 1298: Documents relating to the Campaign of Edward I (London, 1887). 7 Breudwyt Ronabwy (Caerdydd, 1948), p. xxxix. 8 Hanes Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg (Caerdydd, 1953), pp. 66-7. 10 Ibid., pp. 160-1. 11 Ibid., p. 161. 12 Ibid., p. 162. 13 Ibid., p. 167. 14 Ibid., p. 227. 16 Ibid., p. 177.