Buthal - Appendices

[jessamygriffith]

Not part of the narrative, just the complete text of Buthal's Lament, and the Malory style story of King Arthur.

-------------------

Buthal's Lament

From far Eire we Fomorians did come,
Wild our hearts and weirding
Cracking from chasm, the Causeway arose to convey
But woe - o woe! Whither hath my brethren wended?

Castles in Cymru we crafted
Fresh the feasting of fields and flesh
Strong strode we, our cloak of chaos covering
Woe, o woe - where hath my people wandered?

Ripe, the rich soil rewarded
'Till tragic the doom descended
The meat of man tasted by Buthal, ah! Terrible Buthal.
So, so served were we - sanguine the stain spread

Sweet the suckling babes we snapped and swallowed
Sweet the shrieks of men and maids sucked dry as eggshells,
Bold and blind we grew great and giant, bloated
Low, o low! Strength and pride to be struck down!

Mighty the magic born of the blood of man
Loathing, the land turned against us
Power must be paid, and so profaned we
Dire, dire the swords drank deep as dwindling we fell

Magics of men enmeshed our might
Blood burst from our broken breasts
Bones and breath to the land bound
Woe! Woe! My people forever entrapped!

The hunger unceasing, still the tainted blood we seek
To be hale and whole once more, with trust our hearts returned
Tainted our wyrd turned against us and tallied, monsters made
No, no, why am I pulled down?

Hollow our bellies hunger for man-flesh
Heavier the punishment as ceaselessly we search
Till we fail and go under, eyes open in earth, breath clotted
Know, o know the horror man sows.

Over and anon we arise and fall, cycle unending
Called from our keeping 'neath cairn and grass, 
Failing our fates, undying soil claims us, chests cavernous and cold
Oh, oh, how I wish it would end!

Of my own story I tell you, of my sisters and brothers
My name is Buthal - once I touched clouds and laughed
Vengeance vile wrought unremitting, and my people vanish
Woe, o woe! Will I ever walk free?

------------

Added verse from Sherlock and Molly:

Ended thy quest be, o Buthal the Red,
Twain of temperament have met, lives twined
Knowing, thy trust and truth be returned truly,
His heart for thine, thine for his, exchanged.

-----------

How King Artur and his wizards did capture and subdue the giant Buthal the Terrible In the time whence the giants first did come unto Britain they lived peaceably, raising their keeps by wild magic from earth and stone. Dwelt they in this new land much as man did, eating of the earth's providence in game, honey and fruit. Isolated, they preferred their solitary hermitages and the company of their own brethren, though a few took wives and husbands from amongst the humans whose land they shared.

But in lust for more power, a giant it was that first tasted the flesh of man. Buthal was his name, he who was known as Buthal the Red for his bright locks of hair. Lesser he thought humans, as fodder he saw them, and so he ate, capturing a fair lady alone as she gathered herbs and rending her most horribly. Upon finishing his dread repast, he did grow in size and power, and became known as Buthal the Terrible. Jealously seeing this, his brethren did follow suit and the humans fled before them. Grown monstrous, they became greedy and thoughtless, and the more they ate, the stronger they became. They then began to kill and consume whomsoever they found, men, women and children alike, outraging all in the land against their race. Prideful and strong were the giants, yet arrogance was to be their downfall, for the giants did underestimate the might of men and their magic. Thus was the war against giants begun.

Word was brought to King Artur of Buthal's great crime, and the king was much grieved for the lady and wroth against Buthal. He sent the call to arms, causing men to hunt out the giants and slay them with steel and fire. Many a man did lose his life, it is true, yet many giants and giantesses fell to man's swords, for they were many and the giants few. Against the greatest giant, Buthal, did Artur himself ride. His most skilled knights and also his trusted magicians and advisers girded themselves and mounted their fleetest horses, swearing vengeance dire against Buthal for his crimes. Buthal fled with heavy swift steps to his castle in his mountain fastness, yet the king and his men rode faster.
With pike and lance did they prick and wound Buthal. The giant fought with ferocious strength, catching up a few unfortunates, steeds and all, and dashing them down. With ropes and nets did they finally snare and trip the beast. Buthal fell with a mighty crash, crying out to his brethren, O my brothers, O my sisters, come you here, Buthal be taken! Yet none came to his call.

And Artur stepped forth, clad in his armour with a golden brooch at his throat. He said unto Buthal, There be none to help thee, giant, for thy brethren art slain, and what few remain fly before us. Buthal howled in grief and fury and struggled, but to no avail, for he was sore weakened from the litter of wounds covering his body that leaked sluggish dark gore. He did denounce Artur with many vile oaths for the slaughter of his kind, and the faces of the knights 'round him grew grim and full of anger.

Yet Artur held up his hand to stay his knights' vengeance. I must ask thee, Giant, said he, if thou wouldst treat with us. Thy kindred slaughter and feast upon us like cattle, and you set yourselves above mankind. By your actions, ye be monsters. Yet once we dwelt in harmony, so I grant thee this final chance to halt thy abhorrent acts and eat no more of the flesh of man. Willst thou not ally with us? I would not stand as thine enemy.

At Artur's words did Buthal strain against the ropes and nets that bound him until they began to part, and he only ceased when Artur pressed his sword 'gainst his throat. Buthal laughed until the trees trembled and the hills did echo with his mockery. Make alliance with man, with thee? said he. Ally with insects, belike. How be it possible, how dost one raise a worm to be an equal? The ropes did groan as Buthal's anger grew and his muscles swelled with it, and the blood ran freely from his many wounds until the earth 'neath him turned black. Said Buthal in reply, The power I hath, I did gain from blood of man, it be mine own now. Forever more will I hunger for it, for it be part of me. N'will I surrender my power nor my strength, despite thou torment or kill me. Never willst there be accord betwixt thy people and mine, never will I submit, never! Rather would I die a thousand deaths, said Buthal unto Artur, and the giant's smile was terrible to behold.

At Buthal's answer did Artur's face grow dark and cold and he said unto Buthal, So be it. A thousand deaths be thy wish, then willst we accommodate it, Giant. And he called forth Menw the shifter of shapes and Myrddin the wizard, and bade them lay their magics upon Buthal. And the two paced a circle about the enmeshed Buthal, tracing their sigils upon the air, earth and upon Buthal's very skin. And thus Myrddin the great spell spake:

By blood and by breath and bone we bind
A human's heart for thine
Hunt for thy true heart, o Buthal
No hand to help or guide thy steps
Buthal! Buthal! we name and curse thee.

Avarice insatiable in life, thou stole ours
So eternal aching for flesh is thine
Ever hollow and hungry, yet unappeasable
Giant grow thee, great willst thou fall
Buthal! Buthal! we knowest thee.

Blood be thy birthright and bane
Potent the provisions, power provides pain
Tainted will the provender weigh down and grow thee
Kills thee, slows thee and drags thou down
Buthal! Buthal we curse thee.

And as they spake, Buthal's breath grew short and his limbs heavy, his blue eyes open and staring. With horror saw he the silver dagger Menw held and felt the pain as his chest was opened and his great heart pulled free. Yet he did not die, for the magic held him firmly in its grasp. Before his face they held a tiny piece of flesh, the puny heart heart of a man. Menw thrust it within Buthal's chest and the flesh knit over it. As the heart began to beat as feeble and fluttering as the heart of a bird, Buthal cried out, O! O, it cannot sustain me, have mercy, give me back my heart!

Yet inexorably did the wizards chant their spell and the magic wrapped him more securely than ropes or chains. And as they spoke Buthal began to sink into the earth.

If in desirous greed thou growest too potent and gross
Straining, the prop of thy pledged human heart does perish
Starving, the search for thy heart can sustain thee, but sickly
In agony untold, strength and size dwindling
Buthal! Buthal! Anathema undying!

Failing thy fate, laid under loam livest thee
But not in death nor sleep rest thee
Breathless and awake as years pass
Till the host of thy heart comes again
Buthal, dread Buthal, we curse thee.

Interminable thy quest take thee, diseased and dwindling
Till the twain of oppos'd temperament meet and know
And betwixt two, trust and truth be returned
Heart for heart, man to monster, monster to man
Buthal, o Buthal! accursed be thy race and thou!

And as the last phrase was spoken, the earth rose and smothered Buthal's cry as he went under, eyes open and breath stoppered. And thus was Red Buthal, known as Buthal the Terrible bound and all his race with him, and Britain was troubled no more.

-------

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four  /  Appendices