t of Leon, in the tenth century. The coast was raided by the
Norsemen, and the Bretons, led by their chief, Even the Great, marched
against them and succeeded in repelling them. The Norsemen, however,
carried off several prisoners, among them a warrior called Bran.
Indeed, a village called Kervran, or 'the village of Bran,' still
exists near the seashore, and here it was, tradition relates, that the
warrior was wounded and taken by the Scandinavian pirates. In the
church of Goulven is to be seen an ancient tablet representing the
Norse vessels which raided the coast.

The ballad recounts how Bran, on finding himself on the enemy's ship,
wept bitterly. On arriving in the land of the Norsemen he was
imprisoned in a tower, where he begged his gaolers to allow him to
send a letter to his mother. Permission to do so was granted, and a
messenger was found. The prisoner advised this man, for his better
safety, to disguise himself in the habit of a beggar, and gave him his
gold ring in order that his mother might know that the message came
from her son in very truth. He added: "When you arrive in my country
proceed at once to my mother, and if she is willing to ransom me show
a white sail on your return, but if she refuses, hoist a black sail."

When the messenger arrived at the warrior's home in the country of
Leon the lady was at supper with her family and the bards were present
playing on their harps.

"Greeting, lady," said the messenger. "Behold the ring of your son,
Bran, and here is news from him contained in this letter, which I pray
you read quickly."

The lady took the missive, and, turning to the harpers, told them to
cease playing. Having perused the letter she became extremely
agitated, and, rising with tears in her eyes, gave orders that a
vessel should be equipped immediately so that she might sail to seek
her son on the morrow.

One morning Bran, the prisoner, called from his tower: "Sentinel,
Sentinel, tell me, do you see a sail on the sea?"

"No," replied the sentinel, "I see nothing but the sea and the sky."

At midday Bran repeated the question, but was told that nothing but
the birds and the billows were in sight. When the shadows of evening
gathered he asked once more, and the perfidious sentinel replied with
a lie:

"Yes, lord, there is a ship close at hand, beaten by wind and sea."

"And what colour of a sail does she show?" asked Bran. "Is it black or
white?"

"It is black, lord," replied t