Chapter Three Ardent Lovers of Britain to Three Kings of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Three Ardent Lovers of Britain to Three Kings

Three Ardent Lovers of Britain (The): (1) Caswallawn son of Beli, the ardent lover of Flur daughter of Mugnach Gorr; (2) Tristan or Tristram son of Talluch, the ardent lover of Yseult wife of March Meirchawn his uncle, generally called king Mark of Cornwall; (3) Kynon son of Clydno Eiddin, the ardent lover of Morvyth daughter of Urien of Rheged.—Welsh Triads.

Three Battle Knights (The) in the court of king Arthur: (1) Cadwr earl of Cornwall; (2) Launcelot du Lac; (3) Owain son of Urien prince of Rheged, i.e. Cumberland and some of the adjacent lands. These three would never retreat from battle, neither for spear, nor sword, nor arrow; and Arthur knew no shame in fight when they were present.—Welsh Triads.

Three Beautiful Women (The) of the court of king Arthur: (1) Gwenhwyvar or Guenever wife of king Arthur; (2) Enid, who dressed in “azure robes,” wife of Geraint; (3) Tegau or Tegau Euron.—Welsh Triads.

Three Blessed Rulers (The) of the island of Britain: (1) Bran or Vran, son of Llyr, and father of Caradawc (Caractacus). He was called ‘The Blessed” because he introduced Christianity into the nation of the Cymry from Rome; he learnt it during his seven years’ detention in that city with his son. (2) Lleurig ab Coel ab Cyllyn Sant, surnamed “The Great Light.” He built the cathedral of Llandaff, the first sanctuary of Britain. (3) Cadwaladyr, who gave refuge to all believers driven out by the Saxons from England.—Welsh Triads, xxxv.

Three Calenders (The), three sons of three kings, who assumed the disguise of begging dervishes. They had each lost one eye. The three met in the house of Zobeidê, and told their respective tales in the presence of Haroun-al-Raschid also in disguise. (See Calenders, p. 168.)—Arabian Nights (“The Three Calenders”).

Three Chief Ladies (The) of the Island of Britain: (1) Branwen daughter of king Llyr, “the fairest damsel in the world;” (2) Gwenhwyvar or Guenever wife of king Arthur; (3) Æthelfled the wife of Æthelred.

Three Closures (The) of the island of Britain: (1) The head of Vran son of Llyr, surnamed “The Blessed,” which was buried under the White Tower of London, and so long as it remained there, no invader would enter the island. (2) The bones of Vortimer, surnamed “The Blessed,” buried in the chief harbour of the island: so long as they remained there, no hostile ship would approach the coast. (3) The dragons buried by Lludd son of Beli in the city of Pharaon, in the Snowdon rocks. (See Three Fatal Disclosures.)—Welsh Triads, 1iii.

Three Counselling Knights (The) of the court of king Arthur: (1) Kynon or Cynon son of Clydno Eiddin; (2) Aron son of Kynfarch ap Meirchion Gul; (3) Llywarch Hên son of Elidir Lydanwyn. So long as Arthur followed the advice of these three, his success was invariable, but when he neglected to follow their counsel, his defeat was sure.—Welsh Triads.

Three Diademed Chiefs (The) of the island of Britain: (1) Kai son of Kyner, the sewer of king Arthur. He could transform himself into any shape he pleased. Always ready to fight, and always worsted. Half knight and half buffoon. (2) Trystan mab Tallwch, one of Arthur’s three heralds, and one whom nothing could divert from his purpose; he is generally called sir Tristram. (3) Gwevyl mab Gwestad, the melancholy. “When sad, he would let one of his lips drop below his waist, while the other turned up like a cap upon his head.”—The Mabinogion, 227.

Three Disloyal Tribes (The) of the island of Britain: (1) The tribe of Goronwy Pebyr, which refused to stand substitute for their lord, Llew Llaw Gyffes, when a poisoned dart was shot at him by Llech Goronwy; (2) the tribe of Gwrgi, which deserted their lord in Caer Greu, when he met Eda Glinmawr in battle (both were slain); (3) the tribe of Alan Vyrgan, which slunk away from their lord on his journey to Camlan, where he was slain.—Welsh Triads, xxxv.

Three Estates of the Realm: the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the Commonalty.