Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Most people know about King Arthur and Merlin, but there are many lesser-known British characters who also had amazing adventures in strange lands.
One of these is a medieval knight who met a clever giant determined to trick him with magic. When the knight entered the valley of deceit, where nothing was as it seemed, he faced supernatural challenges he did not understand at first. He admitted he was a bit arrogant, but his time in the valley changed him deeply.
Who was this mysterious giant with powers beyond those of ordinary men? Who was the other dangerous knight who showed up without warning, and what caused the strange events the hero had to face? Was everything he experienced a supernatural trial?
The adventures of the medieval Knight Cynon ap Clydno, sometimes called Kynon, are found in the Mabinogion. This set of early Welsh stories was written in Middle Welsh in the 12th and 13th centuries, based on older oral tales.
If you are curious about the ancient gods, heroes, and magic of Wales, the Mabinogion is a great place to start. It includes eleven stories written in Middle Welsh by unknown authors. These tales cover drama, philosophy, romance, tragedy, fantasy, and humor, making them both interesting and fun to read.
We now focus on the unusual adventures of Kynon, son of Clydno Eidyn, a 6th-century ruler of Eidyn, the area surrounding modern Edinburgh.
One day, while King Arthur was at Caer Llion ar Wysg in his chamber with Owein, son of Uryen, and Kynon, he became tired and said he needed to rest.
“Men, if you would not be offended, I would like to sleep until it is time to eat. You can tell stories to each other, and Kei will fetch you a pitcher of mead and some chops,” King Arthur said.
And so, while King Arthur rested, Kynon described the unusual places and people he had encountered.
The Shining Castle Of Maidens
Kynon recounts his bold quest across mysterious lands, driven by the hope of meeting a rival worthy of his skill. His path leads him through a shadowed valley that suddenly unfolds into a sweeping plain, where a radiant castle gleams beside the restless sea.
“I was the only son of my mother and father.
I was very high-spirited and very arrogant, and I did not suppose that anyone in the world could surpass me at any feat. After I had learned every feat known to my country I equipped myself and travelled to the outer reaches and deserts of the world, until I happened upon the loveliest valley possible: the trees were all the same height and a river ran through the valley and a path alongside the river. I followed this path until noon and then crossed and rode on until evening, when I reached a great plain, at the end of which stood a great shining fortress with an ocean close by,” Kynon said.
The shining castle was home to a lord with yellow hair who shared his home with twenty-four maidens, described by Cynon as each being more beautiful than Queen Guinevere.
Kynon received a warm welcome and feasted on a splendid meal. Once satisfied, he revealed to the Lord his quest to find a challenger worthy of his skills.
“Then I told the man who I was and what my errand was, and said I was looking for someone to overcome me, or whom I might overcome; the man looked at me and smiled and said, “Did I not believe that too much harm would follow, I would guide you to your goal.” At that I felt grief and disappointment, and perceiving this the man then said, ‘Since you wish me to tell you of evil rather than good I will do so.”
Kynon was asked to spend the night in the shining castle, and in the morning he should take the road that leads to the valley. There he will encounter a giant black man with an eye in the middle who is the keeper of the forest.
“… you will see a great black man, no smaller than two men of this world. He has one foot, and one eye in the middle of his forehead, and he carries an iron spear which you can be certain would be a burden for any two men. Though ugly, he is not an unpleasant man. He is keeper of the forest, and you will see a thousand wild animals grazing about him. Ask him where to go from the clearing; he will be cross with you, but nevertheless he will show you how to find what you seek,” the lord of the shining castle said.
The Meeting With The Giant In The Valley Of Deceit
Kynon followed his instructions and, after traveling for some time, arrived at the valley. There, he caught sight of the giant black man and was taken aback, for the man towered far above what he had imagined. The giant sat calmly, gripping an iron spear so massive that even two ordinary men would have struggled to lift it.
Curious, he asked the great keeper of the forest why and how he had power over the animals.
“Little man, I will show you,” he said, and he took his cudgel and struck a stag a great blow so that it roared; with that wild animals came until they were like stars in the sky, so that there was scarcely room for me to stand among the serpents and vipers and lions and animals of all sorts.
He looked at them and ordered them to graze, and they bowed their heads and worshipped him as obedient men do their lord. Then he said, “Well, little man, you see the power I hold over these animals.”
Supernatural Hailstorm And The Black Knight
Next, Kynon asked if the giant man could reveal where he should go to find his opponent.
The keeper of the forest pointed Kynon toward a winding path that led out of the woods and up a steep hill. Beyond its crest, he promised, a wide valley would open before him, and in its heart stood a towering tree.
“Take the path at the head of the clearing,” he said, “and climb the slope until you reach the summit; there you will see a vale like a great valley, and in the middle a great tree with branches greener than the greenest fir. Beneath that tree is a fountain, and beside the fountain a great stone, and on the stone a silver bowl, and a silver chain so that bowl and stone cannot be separated. Take the bowl and fill it and throw the water on the stone, and you will hear a tremendous thundering, such that you will expect heaven and earth to shake with the noise, and after that a cold shower which you will barely survive.
Hailstones will fall, and when the weather clears, the tree will not have one leaf that the shower has not carried away,” the giant said.
Cynon or Owain shelter from the supernatural hailstorm before the coming of the Black Knight, taken from the 1902 edition of the Mabinogion. Illustration – S. Williams. Public Domain
Once again Kynon did as he was told. When he reached the tree, he saw the fountain beneath it, the marble stone beside it, and the silver bowl and chain. He took the bowl and threw the water on the stone, and at once there was thunder, much louder than the black man had said, and then a shower. The shower was horrible and nearly killed Kynon and his horse.
Once the weather cleared again, the bird landed on the tree and started to sing. It was the most beautiful bird song Kynon had ever heard.
Then he heard groaning from the valley and a voice speaking to him.
“Horseman, what do you want of me? What evil did I ever inflict on you that you should do to me and my realm what you have done today – do you not know that today’s shower has left alive in my kingdom neither man nor beast that it found out of doors?”
Suddenly, a rider emerged astride a jet-black horse, cloaked in shimmering black brocade, his spear adorned with a flawless black linen emblem.
Kynon had called forth the black knight, yet he stood no chance against this formidable foe.
The black knight charged and swiftly defeated him, seizing his horse and forcing him from the well. Humiliated, Kynon wandered back into the forest, where the giant awaited, taunting and ridiculing his loss. At last, Kynon made his way to the castle, where the fair-haired lord graciously provided a fresh steed, the ‘best palfrey in the Island of Britain’ for his journey home.
No one but Kynon had ever heard anything about the shining castle, so Owein set out the very next day, determined to relive Kynon’s adventure and meet the same mysterious figures. After a long and tough journey, Owein finally reached the castle and retraced Kynon’s steps, right up to the fateful encounter with the black knight. Unlike Kynon, Owein struck a powerful blow to the knight’s head during their fierce battle. Wounded, the black knight fled to a vast castle, with Owein close behind.
Kynon’s tomb, in the Englynion y Beddau. Credit: Tipcake – CC0
When Owein did not return from his quest, Arthur rallied three thousand men and, guided by Kynon, set out to find him. When Arthur called forth the black knight, the knight defeated all of Arthur’s champions one after another, until it was revealed that Owein himself had become the new black knight, having vanquished the former one on his quest.
It is easy to picture Kynon, once so sure of himself before facing the black knight, feeling his confidence waver upon hearing that Owein had managed to defeat the very foe he could not.
Was The Giant A Fomorian Or A Bigfoot Like Creature?
No one really knows who the black knight was. Some people think the giant Kynon fought was actually a Fomorian, a supernatural giant from old legends.
The Old Irish “Annals of Clonmacnois,” which cover history from prehistoric times to the early 1400s, say the Fomorians (also called Fomorach) were giants who came to Ireland from across the sea. They were known as a warlike people and were said to be direct descendants of Noah.
Credit: Adobe Stock – Digital Storm
According to legend, the Fomorians came from Noah’s son Ham, who was cursed by his father. Because of this curse, they became monstrous beings, and some had just one leg and one arm. Other folklore scholars have suggested the giant may have resembled Bigfoot.
The giant forest keeper Kynon had magical powers over animals, which is a common theme in stories about forest guardians. In Slavic mythology, for example, Leshy guards the forest and wild animals. Leshy was often unfriendly toward people, scaring them with his laughter, sending wild animals after them, or causing travelers to lose their way. Herne the Hunter is a similar character in British mythology. In many traditions, forest keepers are shown as having magical control over animals. In Greek myths, nymphs were given the job of watching over the woods and trees.
As Kynon tried to escape on his horse, a strong hailstorm broke out. It swept through the forest, knocking every leaf off the trees.
People used to think that tree leaves held many secrets and would share their wisdom with anyone who listened. Ancient magicians sometimes wore crowns made of leaves, hoping to learn more. Some stories said that leaves could sing and their voices made the music of the universe, like the leaves of the Celestial Tree. In a Swedish ballad, when a young nymph played music, the trees joined in, and their leaves made a beautiful chorus.
Kynon’s journey through the Valley of Deceit surely left a mark on him forever. After all, who could ever forget such extraordinary experiences?
Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com
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References:
Sioned Davies – The Mabinogion
Charlotte Guest, Delphi Classics – The Delphi Edition of The Mabinogion
Arthur Cotterell, Rachel Storm – The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
Alexander Porteous – The Forest in Folklore and Mythology
Daithi O Hogain – Myth, Legend, and Romance: An Encyclopedia of Irish Folk Tradition
Jeffrey Gantz – Early Irish Myths and Sagas
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