Guardian of the Beasts
Within the Mabinogion we are given a clear picture of this guardian,
in both Culhwch and in the later romance of The Lady of the Fountain. We
have already met Custennin, the monstrous herdsman who sits outside Yspaddaden's
fort, and who warns all comers of their imminent danger. His role is not
very clearly defined within the context of the story, and we need to look
at the romance to understand just what he represents.
In The Lady of the Fountain, Owain and Cynan each make an Otherworld journey
in search of adventures beyond the ordinary. Each man is directed to a crossroad
within a wood.
"Thou wilt see a black man of great stature on the top of the mound.
He is not smaller in size than two of the men of this world. He has but
one foot; and one eye in the middle of his forehead. And he has a club of
iron . . . he is the woodward of that wood."
Each man finds this Wild Herdsman in turn and is dumbfounded at his stature
and strength. He will only speak in answer to questions, and so Cynan enquires
what power he has over the thousands of animals grazing near him. He replies:
'I will show thee, little man.' . . . And he took his club in his hand,
and with it he struck a stag a great blow so that he brayed vehemently,
and at his braying the animals came together, as numerous as the stars in
the sky.... There were serpents, and dragons, and divers sorts of animals.
And he looked at them, and bade them go and feed; and they bowed their heads,
and they did homage as vassals to their lord. Then the black man said to
me, 'Seest thou now, little man, what power I hold over these animals?'