Welsh Triads

Triad 1. Three Tribal Thrones of the Island of Britain:

  1. Arthur as Chief Prince in Mynyw, and Dewi as Chief Bishop, and Maelgwn Gwynedd as Chief Elder;
  2. Arthur as Chief Prince in Celliwig in Cornwall, and Bishop Bytwini as Chief Bishop, and Caradawg Strong-Arm as Chief Elder;
  3. Arthur as Chief Prince in Pen Rhionydd in the Morth, and Gerthmwl Wledig as Chief Elder, and Cyndeyrn Garthwys as Chief Bishop.

Triad 2. Three Generous Men of the Island of Britain:

  1. Nudd the Generous, son of Senyllt;
  2. Mordaf the Generous, son of Serwan;
  3. Rhydderch the Generous, son of Tudwal Tudglyd.

And Arthur himself was more generous than the three.

Triad 4.Three Learned Men of the Island of Britain:

  1. Gwalchmai son of Gwyar;
  2. and Llachau son of Arthur;
  3. and Rhiwallawn Broom-Hair.

Triad 20.Three Red Ravagers of the Island of Britain:

  1. Arthur,
  2. and Rhun son of Beli,
  3. and Morgant the Wealthy.

Triad 37.Three Concealments and Three Disclosures of the Island of Britain:

  1. The Head of Bran the Blessed, son of Llyr, which was buried in the White Hill in London. and as long as the Head was there in that position, no Oppression would ever come to this Island;
  2. The Bones of Gwerhefyr the Blessed which were buried in the Chief Ports of this Island;
  3. The Dragons which Lludd son of Beli buried in Dinas Emrys in Eryri.

Triad 38. Three Closures and Disclosures of the Island:

  1. The head of Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr, which Owain the son of Maxen Wledig buried under the White Tower in London, and while it was so placed no invasion could be made upon this Island;
  2. The bones of Gwrthevyr the Blessed [Vortimer], which were buried in the chief harbour of the Island, and while they remained there hidden all invasions were ineffectual.
  3. The dragons buried by Lludd ab Beli, in the city of Pharaon, in the rocks of Snowdon. And the three closures were made under the blessing of God and his attributes, and evil befel from the time of their disclosure. Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu [Vortigern], disclosed the dragons to revenge the displeasure of the Cymry against him, and he invited the Saxons in the guise of men of defence to fight against the Gwyddyl Ffychti; and after this he disclosed the bones of Gwrthevyr the Blessed, through love of Ronwen [Rowena], the daughter of the Saxon Hengist. And Arthur disclosed the head of Bendigeid Vran ab Llyr, because he chose not to hold the Island except by his own strength. And after the three disclosures came the chief invasions upon the race of the Cymry.

Triad 53.Three Exalted Prisoners of the Island of Britain:

  1. Llyr Llediaith, in the prison of Euroswydd Wledig,
  2. and Mabon (Madoc) the son of Modron,
  3. and Geyr (Geiryoed) the son of Geyrybed,

And one more exalted than the three, and that was Arthur, who was for three nights in the Castle of Oeth and Anoeth, and three nights in the prison of Wen Pendragon, and three nights in the dark prison under the stone—and one youth released him from these three prisons; that youth was Goreu the son of Custennin, his cousin.

Triad 57.Arthur's Three Great Queens:

  1. Gwenhwyfar daughter of (Cywryd) Gwent,
  2. and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son of Greidiawl,
  3. and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran the Giant.

Triad 58.And his Three Mistresses were these:

  1. Indeg daughter of Garwy the Tall,
  2. and Garwen ("Fair Leg") daughter of Henin the Old,
  3. and Gwyl ("Modest") daughter of Gendawd ("Big Chin").

Triad 60.Three Unfortunate Counsels of the Island of Britain:

  1. To give place for their horse's fore-feet on the land to Julius Caesar and the men ofRome, in requital for Meinlas [the horse bestowed on Caswallawn in triad 38];
  2. and the second: to allow Horse and Hengist and Rhonwen into this Island;
  3. and the third: the three-fold dividing by Arthur of his men with Medrawd at Camlann.

Triad 66.Three Unrestricted Guests of the Arthur's Court, and Three Wanderers:

  1. Llywarch Hen,
  2. and Llemenig,
  3. and Heledd.

Triad 113.Three Compeers of the Court of Arthur

  1. Dalldav The Son Of Kimin Cov;
  2. and Trystan mab March,
  3. and Rhyhawd mab Morgant ab Adras

Triad 115.Three Golden-Tongued Knights, Whom No One Could Refuse Whatsoever They Might Ask

  1. Drudwas mab Tryffin;
  2. and Gwalchmai ab Gwyar,
  3. and Eliwlod ab Madawc ab Uthur.

For there was neither King, nor Earl, nor Lord, to whom these came, but would listen to them before all others; and whatever request they made, it would be granted them, whether willingly or unwillingly; and thence were they called the Golden Tongued.

Triad 125.Three Baptismal Bards of the Isle of Britain:

  1. Merddin Emrys,
  2. And Taliesin, Chief of Bards,
  3. and Merddin, son of Madoc Morvryn.

Three Knights Of Battle Were In The Court Of Arthur;

  1. Cadwr, the Earl of Cornwall;
  2. and Lancelot du Lac;
  3. and Owain the son of Urien Rheged.

And this was their characteristic, that they would not retreat from battle, neither for Spear, nor for Arrow, nor for Sword, and Arthur never had shame in battle, the day he saw their faces there, and they were called the Knights of Battle.

Three Counselling Knights Were In The Court Of Arthur,

  1. Cynon the son of Clydno Eiddin,
  2. and Aron the son of Kynfarch ap Meirchion gul,
  3. and Llywarch hen the son of Elidir Lydanwyn.

And these three knights were the Counsellors of Arthur, and whatever dangers threatened him in any of his wars, they counselled him, so that none was able to overcome Arthur; and thus he conquered all the nations through three things which followed him; and these were, Good hope, and the consecrated arms which had been sent him, and the virtue of his warriors; and through these he came to wear twelve crowns upon his head, and he became Emperor of Rome.