Iarlles y Ffynnon: a Cymric Mystical Being (Countess of the Water-source)

Synonyms:
Cym: Countess of the Water-source

and may well refer to the same basic mythological realm. Beneath this tree a spring rises and to its side is a stone slab. On the slab lies a silver bowl, attached to it by a silver chain.

Water from the spring must be poured on the slab and there will be a mighty peal of thunder and hailstones will fall from the sky. Then the weather becomes fair, but the tree is denuded of its leaves. At this point a flock of birds fly in and they will alight within the bare branches of the tree and sing. Their melody will be the sweetest sound ever heard by any mortal ear. Some time within the course of the song the black knight — guardian of the fountain — will appear to challenge the usurper. For the shower of hailstones will have stripped the black knight's lands bare, denuding it of all life. Only by defeating the challenger can the balance be restored.

The birds described here are reminiscent of the birds of Rhiannon in her function as a psychoponmp, where they entertain the spirits of the dead on their journey to the nether realm. And, indeed, the black knight can be considered as serving as a surrogate for the psychopomp in challenging and defeating all comers, effectively ushering them to the next life. The spring is also the source of the knight's wealth and by discarding the water of the spring one diminishes the knight's holdings. Only by defeating his opponent can the regain his vitality. But it the opponent should defeat him then that opponent assumes the black knight's role — guardian of the spring. There is certainly an element of the 'sacral kingship' here. However, from the events detailed it might seem that this is invested in the personage of the black knight himself. It is only when Owein comes to proffer his callenge and defeats the black knight that we learn the truth.

After mortally wounding the black knight Owein chases him to his castle where the portcullis is dropped on Owein and it severs his horse in two, trapping Owein between the portcullis and the inner doorway. Outside he spies a woman who proffers to help by giving him a magical ring which makes him invisible and allows him to escape the castle's men. She took him to her large and ornately-decorated chamber. There she allowed him to wash and prepared meat for him. Owein ate and drank until late in the afternoon when a mighty outcry was heard in the castle. The maiden told him that the nobleman who owned the castle was receiving extreme unction. A couch was prepared for him and Owein went to sleep. In the middle of the night they heard a clamour announcing the black knight's death and in the morning came the funeral procession and hte host that filled the street was so large that Owewin could see neither its bounds nor its extent. Following the funeral train Owein beheld a lady with bloodstained yellow hair folowing over her shoulders and about he a dress of torn yellow satin. And she struck her hands so violently together that it was a marvel that her fingers were not bruised. She was the fairest woman Owen ever saw and her cry was louder that those of the funerary trumpets or any other person gathered there. He fell instantly in love with this beautiful woman and he enquired of the maiden as to who the lady was. The maiden responded that she was her own mistress, the Countess of the Spring, the wife of the knight that Owein had slain yesterday.

Owein proclaimed his love for her and the maiden promised th aid him in claiming her hand. After washing Owein's head and shaving him the maiden sets him to bed and makes her own way towards the castle where she will woo for him. In the castle itself there was nothing but mourning for the Countess would not bear the siight of anyone through grief. Yet Luned camt and greeted her respectfully though the countess did not respond. The maiden bent towards her mistress and asked her why she would answer no noe that day.

'Luned', the Countess said, 'what change has come over you that you would not visit me in my greif?' It was wrong of you, and I having made you rich. It was wrong of you that you did not come to me in my distress. That was wrong of you.'

'Truly,' Luned responded, 'I thought that your good sense was greater than this. Is it right for you to mourn after that good man, or for anything else that you cannot have?'

'I say unto god,' replied the countess, 'that were it not repugnant to me to put to death one whom I have succoured I would have you executed for making such a companion. As it is, you will be banished.'

'I am glad,' said Luned, 'that you have no other cause to do this other than that I would have been of service to you where did not recognize that which was to your advantage. Henceforth, evil betide the first of us to make reconciliation towards the other — whethere I seek reconciliation of you, or you of me.'

With that Luned made to leave and the countess beckoned her to return. 'In truth,' the countess said, 'your disposition is evil, but if you know that which is to my advantage, tell it to me.'

'I shall do so,' said she, 'for you know that except by warfare and the use of arms it will not be possible for you to retain your posessions. Do not delay in seeking someone who can defend them.'

'How can I do that?' enquired the countes.

'Unless you can defend the spring, you cannot defend your dominions,' replied Luned, 'and no one can defend the spring except a knight from Arthur's court.'

Luned avows that she shall go to Arthur's court and will not return without bringing a champion with her. She pretends to set out, butt returns to her chamber instead and tarries there the length of time it would take to journey to Arthur's court and back. At the end of this time she dresses and sets-off for the castle where she brings the Countess glad tidings — that she has found a champion. Luned returns home and the next day Owein arrays himself and sets out for the castle. The countess is glad to see them, but gazing upon Owein she sees that he does not look like a traveller and becomes more certain that he was the one who killed her lord.

Luned says that this is all the better for the countess, for Owein was obviously stronger than her lord and all the more suited to defend her realms. The countess sends them away and prepares to take counsel. Calling her subjects together she shows them that her earldom is undefended and can only be defended by forcee of arms. Then she gives them a choice — either one of them takes he to wife or she marries someone from elsewhere and thus did Owein become the Countess of the Spring's husband.

Thus the true guardian of he Spring is the Iarlles and this repressents the physical embodiment of her realm and it is she who conveys the sacral kingship upon her consort. In this respect she demonstrates some of the attributes of the goddes Rosmerta and, indeed, when Owein forgets her and rejoins Arthur's household for three years she removes her favours from him, an act that sends Owein on a quest for pennance. Eventually of course, he redeems humself and regains the countess' hand.

It is interesting to note that the Iarlles y Ffynnon is never named. Throughout the entire tale she is known only by her title as the Countess of the Spring. In this respect, and with her close association to a sacred spring she can be likened to other Ladies of the Lake, such as the one associated with Llyn y Fan Fach in Cymric folklore. But she represents more than one of these watery Faery women. For her power and her wealth is intimately tied to the fate of the spring. This has to be guarded for her position to remain secure. One can definitely see an older thread of mythos running through the tale. The Iarlles represents the shadowy remnants of a water deity — the embodiment of a watersource with its life-giving powers. The Iarlles' own fate and that of her lands being tied to the watersource. A watersource that is both sacred and otherworldly and which shares features in common with earlier descriptions of otherworldly realms in the Mabinogion.

What we see here is the marriage of an old legend with the later Norman chivalric tales, yielding an integrated whole. However, much of the native original pokes through from the substratum of the tale and the survival of the lake fairies in the modern folk-lore of today attests to both the popularity of such figures and the diminishment of the original water-deity to a subspecies of the Tylwyth Teg (the fair folk) who are generally attested to be dwellers in magical relams such as the one inhabited by Iarlles y Ffynon.

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