The Description of Wales
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Book I
Chapter XVII
Their love of high birth and ancient
genealogy
The Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent above
all things, and are, therefore, more desirous of marrying
into noble than rich families. Even the common people retain
their genealogy, and can not only readily recount the names
of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, but even refer
back to the sixth or seventh generation, or beyond them, in
this manner: Rhys, son of Gruffydd, son of Rhys, son of
Tewdwr, son of Eineon, son of Owen, son of Howel, son of
Cadell, son of Roderic Mawr, and so on.
Being particularly attached to family descent, they
revenge with vehemence the injuries which may tend to the
disgrace of their blood; and being naturally of a vindictive
and passionate disposition, they are ever ready to avenge
not only recent but ancient affronts; they neither inhabit
towns, villages, nor castles, but lead a solitary life in
the woods, on the borders of which they do not erect
sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone buildings, but content
themselves with small huts made of the boughs of trees
twisted together, constructed with little labour and
expense, and sufficient to endure throughout the year. They
have neither orchards nor gardens, but gladly eat the fruit
of both when given to them. The greater part of their land
is laid down to pasturage; little is cultivated, a very
small quantity is ornamented with flowers, and a still
smaller is sown. They seldom yoke less than four oxen to
their ploughs; the driver walks before, but backwards, and
when he falls down, is frequently exposed to danger from the
refractory oxen. Instead of small sickles in mowing, they
make use of a moderate-sized piece of iron formed like a
knife, with two pieces of wood fixed loosely and flexibly to
the head, which they think a more expeditious instrument;
but since
"Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures,
Quam quae sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus,"
their mode of using it will be better known by inspection
than by any description. The boats which they employ in
fishing or in crossing the rivers are made of twigs, not
oblong nor pointed, but almost round, or rather triangular,
covered both within and without with raw hides. When a
salmon thrown into one of these boats strikes it hard with
his tail, he often oversets it, and endangers both the
vessel and its navigator. The fishermen, according to the
custom of the country, in going to and from the rivers,
carry these boats on their shoulders; on which occasion that
famous dealer in fables, Bleddercus, who lived a little
before our time, thus mysteriously said: "There is amongst
us a people who, when they go out in search of prey, carry
their horses on their backs to the place of plunder; in
order to catch their prey, they leap upon their horses, and
when it is taken, carry their horses home again upon their
shoulders."
The Description of Wales
Book I
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Chapter XVI
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