You can imagine my excitement when I read the following lines in Lady Charlotte Guest’s translation of the Mabinogion (1848):
“I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean, and my name is Madawc, the son of Twrgadarn.”
If have now tracked down the original medieval Welsh for this translation in the Llyfr Coch Hergest (The Red Book of Hergest) one of the source-books for the Mabinogion.
“afforestwr itti arglwyd wyfi ynforest ydena. amadawc yw vy enw i uab twrgadarn.”
Here is some more of the text covering the entry and the description of the forester, Madawc:
“ . . .
And on Whit-Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet, lo! there entered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat and a surcoat of diapered satin, and a golden-hilted sword about his neck, and low shoes of leather upon his feet. And he came, and stood before Arthur.
‘Hail to thee, Lord!’ said he.
‘Heaven prosper thee,’ he answered, ‘and be thou welcome. Dost thou bring any new tidings?’
‘I do, Lord,’ he said.
‘I know thee not,’ said Arthur.
‘It is a marvel to me that thou dost not know me. I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean, and my name is Madawc, the son of Twrgadarn.’
. . . ”
This is the introduction to another White Stag in the Forest of Dean story – more later.
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English extracts taken from:
The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest
Boz's Gaff 