Celtic Mythology_Captivating Celtic Myths of Celtic Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Legendary Creatures by Matt Clayton

Author:Matt Clayton [Clayton, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-02T07:00:00+00:00

PART III

Cornwall and Brittany

The Drowned City of Ys

This story from Brittany places ancient Celtic elements, such as druidesses and Otherworldly creatures, within the struggle of the old Celtic faith against the spread of Christianity. We have already seen this conflict in the Irish tale of the Children of Lir, which casts the children first as tragic victims of Christianization and then later converts to that religion. In the present tale, however, the character of Dahut, who is the product of the union between a human king and an Otherworldly sea maiden, is drawn as wicked, murderous, and willfully opposed to Christianity. Whereas the Children of Lir ultimately are saved through the actions of Christians, Dahut brings about her own downfall and that of the City of Ys when she consorts with a stranger who likely represents the Christian Devil.

Once, long ago, there was a great city in Brittany called Ys. No one today knows exactly where it was, for it was lost beneath the sea. Some say that the ruins of Ys lie in the Baie de Trepasses. Some say that they lie in the Baie de Douarnenez. But wherever the city may lie, on some nights those who live on the coast of Brittany hear the bells of Ys ringing out ghostly across the waters of the sea. And when the people hear those bells, they shiver, and think of the tale of how the city was built, and how it was lost, all those many years ago.

The tale begins in the kingdom of Cornouaille, which was ruled by King Gradlon. Gradlon was a wise and generous king. He always tried to rule justly, and he worshiped the old gods, for Christianity had not yet come to that part of France. Gradlon had but one daughter, whose name was Dahut. She had skin as pale as ivory, eyes as dark as coals, and long black hair that flowed like a river. Dahut's mother had come from the sea, having fallen in love with the handsome, kingly Gradlon from afar. The sea-maiden enchanted the king one day, so that he took her to wife, but then he displeased her, and so she returned to the sea and was never seen again. But before she left, she bore Gradlon a daughter, and Gradlon loved Dahut more than anything else in the world, for she reminded him of her mother, his lost queen.

One day, Gradlon and some of his courtiers went hunting in the forest of Menez-Hom where the hounds flushed out a great wild boar. Gradlon and his courtiers spurred their mounts to the chase. They raced through stands of trees and across streams. They pushed through thickets and bounded over fallen logs. But no matter how hard the hunters rode, and no matter how swiftly the hounds coursed after the boar, they could not catch it.

Finally, Gradlon called a halt to the chase. The hounds and the horses were spent, and so were the hunters. As they paused to catch their breath, the men looked about them and realized they had no idea where they were.

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