attle of
Gwenystrad, where the men of Cattraeth fought under Urien, speaks of a
"govwr" or an intrenchment, that was "assailed by the laborious toil of
warriors."

Having thus satisfied ourselves as to the nature and locality of
Cattraeth; the general subject of the Poem becomes apparent. It was a
battle fought at the barrier in question between the Cymry and the
Saxons, the most extended in its design and operations on the part of the
former, as it proved to them the most disastrous in its results, of all
that had hitherto taken place between the two people in that part of the
island.

The details of this bloody encounter, as we gather them from the Poem,
were as follow: At the call of Mynyddawg, lord of Eiddin, whose dominions
lay peculiarly exposed, both by sea and land, to the attack of the enemy,
the native chieftains of Prydyn, aided by many of their relatives and
friends from Gwynedd and Cernyw, entered into a mutual alliance in behalf
of their common country. {6a} In one place the daughter of Eudav {6b} is
joined with Mynyddawg, as one upon whose errand the expedition was
undertaken, but whether she was his wife, or ruled over a territory
adjacent to, or equally threatened with his own, does not appear. The
troops under their respective leaders arrived at Eiddin, where they were
sumptuously entertained by Mynyddawg, {6c} and where they established
their head quarters. The generals named in the Poem amount in number to
about ninety, but this was not the third part of the whole, which
consisted of "three hundred and sixty three chieftains wearing the golden
torques." {6d} The aggregate number of men that followed these
illustrious leaders is not told, but if an average may be formed from
what we know respecting a few cases, it will appear to have been immense.
Mynyddawg's retinue consisted of "three hundred;" {6e} there were "five
battalions of five hundred men each," "three levies of three hundred
each;" "three bold knights" had each "three hundred of equal quality;"
{6f} thus averaging about four hundred for each commander, which,
multiplied by three hundred and sixty three, would exhibit an
overwhelming army of a hundred and forty five thousand, and two hundred
men! Yet the Poet describes the numerical advantages possessed by the
enemy as greatly superior.

These forces, being all placed on the western side of the dyke, would
approach the land of their enemies as they marched to the field of
battle, h