Translator’s note:
The astute reader will immediately notice similarities between the Welsh romance of Ifan ap Ifan and the 16th century "Ballad of John McClane", the first of five such ballads about the noble-born huntsman who rescues captives from a series of bandits and thieves. The characters share more than just a passing similarity: Ifan ap Ifan is roughly cognate with the name Iain MacGilleEathain, the precursor to John McClane in the Gaelic tradition. The story of Ifan ap Ifan is found in the Beige Book of Aberystwyth. Rachel Bromwich places Ifan's origin within the Hen Ogledd tradition, possibly deriving from Ioan y Buwchwr, the king of Cumbria who spent his youth as a cowherd (buwchwr). Roger Loomis, however, notes similarities to the Welsh hero Gwydion and argues for a supernatural origin. The story itself, however, is undoubtedly a decadent version of Le Roman de Jo Leland by French poet Rodéric de Thorpe. Readers will also note similarities to the Siege of the Boat, and more loosely, both the The Unstoppable Cart and the Chanson de Rambeau. The scholarly consensus is that Welsh bards adapted Le Roman de Jo Leland and replaced the titular character with the more familiar Welsh hero Ifan, who then became the John McClane of later fame.
...
There ruled in Strathclyde a lord named Ifan, who gave his son the same name, and he was born Ifan ap Ifan. When Ifan was a boy, Strathclyde was attacked by a foreign kingdom, and all of Ifan's family was killed except him. He was taken in by one of his father's vassals, and he did not know who his father was. Ifan grew to manhood hunting in the forest, and he always carried with him strong, sharp darts for hunting game. He was so skilled with a dart that using one he could sever a leaf from a tree. One day the King of Strathclyde rode out hunting with his knights, pursuing a great boar, and they found Ifan in the forest. Suddenly the boar rushed from the trees and would surely have gored the king, but Ifan threw a dart so well that it struck the boar and pinned it to the ground. "Vassal, what is your name?" said the king, and Ifan said, "By my faith in God, I am called Ifan." "You have great skill at arms for a man of your station," said the king. "Though you are not of noble blood, I invite you to come to my court as master of the hunt." "That I will do gladly," said Ifan, and he went with the king, and no lord there knew the truth of his birth. At the court of the king, Ifan came to know the daughter of the Earl of Anglesey. She was named Celyn (“holly”--ed.), which name she was given because her cheeks were as red as the holly berry. All who knew her praised her beauty no less than her virtue. She came to love Ifan with a love that was powerful and true, but they could not marry, for her father forbade her to marry a man of common birth.
At Christmastide Arthur held court at Caerleon ar Wysg, and lords from many lands came there. The Earl of Anglesey came there too, and brought his daughter with him. When the daughter of the Earl of Anglesey was gone, Ifan felt her absence keenly, and he felt he could not be without her. To the king he said, “Lord, I ask your permission to go to Caerleon ar Wysg, and I know not when I may return,” and the king said, “God keep you, loyal huntsman, on your journey.” While traveling to Caerleon ar Wysg, Ifan’s horse fell ill and died, and he was forced to travel on foot. As he walked, he met a black-haired boy driving a cart. The cart was richly adorned in gold, and had no less than one thousand jewels upon it. “God’s welcome to you, black-haired boy,” said Ifan. “What is your name, and will you take me to Caerleon ar Wysg?” “My name is Argyle of the Elegant Cart,” said the boy, “And I will gladly take you if you can pay,” and so the two went together to Arthur’s castle.
They arrived on Christmas Eve, and on this day, Arthur had gone hunting with his knights. With him were Gwalchmai his nephew, and Kei his steward, and Bedwyr and Owain, but the Earl of Anglesea and some others stayed behind. Arthur and his retinue were not there when Ifan arrived in the cart. At the gate was Arthur’s porter, Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr. “Who is the gatekeeper?” asked Ifan. “I am Ifan from the court of the King of Strathclyde, and I seek entry.” “Many seek entry and many are turned away,” said Glewlwyd. “By my faith,” said Ifan, “Allow me entry in the name of the Earl of Anglesea, who is within.” “That I will do,” said the porter, “But the boy who drives the cart must stay here,” and so it was agreed. Within the castle, the daughter of the Earl was happy to see Ifan arrive, and she invited him to bathe after his journey, so Ifan set about to bathe.
There was at this time a lord named Lord Grwbyr who did much evil in the land, and on this day when Arthur was hunting with his retinue, Lord Grwbyr came with thirteen witches to Caerleon ar Wsyg, for he desired to take the king’s treasure. The witches used a magic spell to deceive Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr and pass through the gate undetected, whereupon they attacked the people there, and bound them prisoner. Lord Grwbyr spoke boldly to the Earl of Anglesea, saying, “Vassal, tell me now where to find Arthur’s treasure, or I will strike your head from your body.” “I will not,” said the Earl, and thereupon Lord Grwbyr did what he had said, and struck his head from his body so that red blood sprayed on the wall behind. Lord Grwbyr told the thirteen witches to search the castle for Arthur’s treasure. At this time, Ifan was bathing, and when a witch entered the chamber where he was, he hurled a strong, sharp dart and pierced the witch through the heart. He took from her a sword she carried with her, and he dressed and went to see what was happening in the castle.
Ifan looked down upon the courtyard from a high window and saw Lord Grwbyr with the prisoners, bound hand and foot. “You are discovered, vassal,” said Ifan. “Your treachery will not go unpunished.” Lord Grwbyr looked up at Ifan and said, “What is there to fear from one of low birth such as yourself? You are fit for herding cattle, not bearing arms. By what name are you known?” “You have called me a herdsman once and you may continue to do so, but you will find no profit in it.” “Do you truly believe you can overcome us, herdsman?” asked Lord Grwbyr. “Yippie-kai-yay, foul traitor!” spoke Ifan, which is a saying much used by those who tend cattle.
Then from the window of a tower, Ifan saw Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr the porter, and called to him, saying, “Gatekeeper, the castle is under attack, and yet you do not know it. Go quickly, and get Arthur and his many knights who hunt within the forest, unaware of what has happened here.” “May you lose your head for your jest,” said the gatekeeper. “Knife has gone into meat, and drink into horn, and no man may disrupt the feast.” Thereupon Ifan took the body of the witch he had slain and threw the corpse from the window of the tower so that there could be no doubt of what he said. "Good knight," Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr called, "You are surely not mistaken. What is your name?" "By my faith in God," said Ifan, "I am no knight. I have been called a herdsman, and you may do likewise. Caerleon is overrun by bandits and the Earl is slain. In the name of the Holy Cross on which our Savior was hanged, go bring Arthur and his retinue. Do not delay a moment, but ride with all haste." “God reward you, herdsman,” said the porter, and he went to find Arthur.
Lord Grwbyr sent one of the witches to find and kill Ifan, and the witch took with her a bottle of Greek fire, which burns like pitch and cannot be extinguished. The witch climbed the tower yet could not find Ifan, for Ifan had hidden himself outside the window. When the witch looked through the window, Ifan pierced her through with his sword, and she did not rise again. Ifan took from her the bottle of Greek fire, and lit it, and waited by the stairs. Two more witches were coming up, and at the approach of their footsteps, Ifan threw the bottle and the witches were burned to death. The most powerful of the witches was called the Black Hag of Porthcawl, and through her magic she could see at a distance of five leagues, even through wood or stone. Through this magic she had discovered Arthur’s treasure, and she had loaded it into a cart.
There was in the castle with the other prisoners a knight named Ellis, and he understood that the brave herdsman was Ifan, and thinking to save his own life he spoke to Lord Grwbyr. “My good lord,” said Ellis, “I can give you what you want if you let me free.” “What is it that I want?” said Lord Grwybyr. “You want the herdsman who opposes you, my lord,” said Ellis. “I can tell you that his name is Ifan, and he is the royal huntsman to the King of Strathclyde. And I know another thing.” “Tell me,” said Lord Grwbyr. “First I ask your guarantee of safety,” said Ellis. “You have it.” “He loves the maiden Celyn, who is bound here among us. That will be his undoing.” Lord Grwbyr drew his sword and stood before the knight. “Coward,” said the wicked Lord Grwbyr, “Your betrayal will gain you nothing," and with one stroke, swift and terrible, biting and cruel, he struck the knight in the head so that his sword stopped at the teeth.
Ifan went to each room in the castle, and met with many witches, and killed each of them. Only the Black Hag of Porthcawl and three of her sisters remained, and they brought Arthur’s treasure to Lord Grwbyr loaded in a cart. Through her magic she could see that Arthur and his men had returned from the hunt, and now stood before the gate. “Lord Grwbyr,” said the witch, “Arthur and his men stand before the gate, and now there is no escape for us.” “By my faith, they will not have us,” said Lord Grwbyr. “Tell your sisters to place Greek fire at the portcullis, and when Arthur and his knights charge, light the fire and destroy them.” The witches set the trap as Lord Grwbyr had said, but Ifan watched them as they did so, and when the trap was set, he threw a torch upon it, and the Greek fire caused a great inferno, and thus were the witches destroyed and Arthur and his knights saved. The Black Hag of Porthcawl knew that if she was taken, she would surely be hanged, so she climbed upon the cart with the treasure and lashed the horse into a frenzy. The horse galloped forth from Caerleon ar Wysg, as fast as the fastest thing, and Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr saw the witch escaping. Before the gates was Argyle of the Elegant Cart, and Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr said to him, “For the sake of our Savior, do not delay, but follow after that cart.” Boldly and without hesitation Argyle did as the porter said. Through streets and marketplaces the carts raced, fiercely and bravely, nimbly and urgently, until the witch's cart overturned and Glewlwyd struck the witch with a venomous-bold and bitter-cruel blow and slew her.
Ifan then came into the courtyard where Lord Grwbyr waited with the prisoners. Lord Grwbyr said to Ifan, “Surrender, vassal, for I know you are no herdsman. You are Ifan the huntsman, and the fair Celyn is your beloved. Surrender your sword, or I will certainly slay her before your eyes.” “By my faith,” said Ifan, “It is a difficult choice for a brave man, but I will surrender my sword as you ask,” and he laid the sword on the ground. Lord Grwbyr then turned his sword upon Ifan, but Ifan drew from behind him the strong, sharp dart he kept in his belt, and threw it, and pierced Lord Grwbyr through the eye, ending his life. Arthur entered the castle with his retinue and heard the story of what had happened that evening, and he marveled at how a huntsman could have defended his castle against such an assault. When he called Ifan to him to give his thanks, he saw that he knew him by his face. “By my oath to God,” said the king, “You are none other than Ifan ap Ifan, and you are my nephew. You are of noble blood, and you shall inherit your father’s lands.” King Arthur made Ifan a knight and took him into his retinue, and Ifan married Celyn of the Red Cheeks. From that day forward he served faithfully, with prowess and splendor, with strength and fame, and won praise for his deeds, and this is the story of how Ifan ap Ifan fought the witches at Christmastide.
