Lecture IV.
THE CULTURE HERO.
(continued.)
The whole ground, so far as concerns the Culture Hero of the Celts, has now been in a sense rapidly traversed, in order that you may see at a glance the view advocated; but in so doing, a great many data had, for fear of overloading the discourse, to be passed over in silence. Thus, for example, the story of the birth of Llew has been omitted; but it will be convenient, for the sake of comparison, to give it before proceeding any further.
Gwydion and Cairbre.
The Laws of Wales speak of an officer of the court, who was called the troediog, or the foot-holder, one of whose duties, according to the Venedotian version, was to hold the king's feet in his lap from the time he took his seat at table to the moment when he retired to rest.[1] He had also to discharge the more delicate function of scratching his majesty's person whenever the royal skin happened to itch. Now Mâth ab Mathonwy used to have
- ↑ Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales (London, 1841), Vol. i. bk. i. chap, xxxiv. Conaire Mór (p. 135), monarch of Erinn, had also a foot-holder: see O'Curry, iij. 143.
