ingular number. The favourite steed of our
hero, supposing him to be the son of Urien Rheged, is, in the Triads,
called "Carnavlawg" (cloven-hoofed) and is said to have been "one of the
three horses of depredation of the Isle of Britain," (Myv. Arch. vol. ii.
page 20.) Taliesin in his Elegy on Owain son of Urien, describes him as

"Gwr gwiw uch ei amliw seirch
A roddei feirch
I eirchiaid."

A worthy hero seated on variegated trappings,
Who would give steeds to those that asked him.--Myv. Arch. vol. i. p.
59.

_Thick mane_ was regarded as one of the good points of a horse; thus
Taliesin,--

"Atuyn march myngvras mangre."

Beautiful in a tangle is a thick-maned horse.--Ib. p, 28.

{79c} Lit. "Were under the thigh of;" an expression frequently employed
by the early bards to denote the act of riding. See "Elegy upon Geraint
ab Erbin," by Llywarch Hen.

{80a} One of the sons of Llywarch Hen is similarly represented as a
youth,--

"That wore the golden spurs,"--Owen's Ll. Hen, p. 131.

In the days of chivalry, of which the era of the Gododin may fairly be
considered as the commencement, the privilege of decorating arms, and the
accoutrements of horses with gold, was exclusively confined to knights,
and their families; squires being only permitted the use of silver for
the purpose. (St. Palaye, 1. 247, 284.)

{80b} "Pan," pannus--down, fur, ermine, or fulled cloth.

{80c} This is not literally true of Owain ab Urien, for he was married
to a daughter of Culvynawyd Prydain.

{80d} "Argyvrein," might perhaps come from _argyvrau_, paraphernalia; a
portion or dowry.
"Ymogel ddwyn gwraig atat yn enw ei _hargyvrau_."

Beware of taking to thyself a wife for the sake of her portion.
(Cato Gymraeg.)

In that case, the passage should be rendered,--

Ere thou didst obtain thy nuptial dowry;

which reading would be supported by the allusion to the nuptial feast in
the preceding passage. Nevertheless the term "argynrein," occurring in
three other copies, would certainly point to the signification given in
the text; "argyvrein" being capable of the same meaning, whilst
"argynrein" has no reference whatever to the nuptial dowry.

{81a} The manner in which the person here commemorated is associated
with the ravens, leads us to suspect that he was none other than Owain ab
Urien, who is traditionally reported to have had an army of ravens in his
service, by whi