batch.motif.celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg-l1179-l1240
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg-l1179-l1240
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
passage_locator:
label: CONTENTS / INTRODUCTION / C. E. G. / THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN; lines 1179-1240
start: '1179'
end: '1240'
translation: The Mabinogion
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Owain is aided by his lion against two young men and Luned is saved from
burning. Owain returns with Luned to the Countess of the Fountain, takes the Countess
to Arthur's court, and she remains his wife. Owain then defeats the savage black
man, discovers twenty-four bereaved noblewomen in his castle, spares the defeated
robber after he vows to make his house a hospice, and escorts the women and their
goods to Arthur's court. Owain thereafter dwells at Arthur's court and is victorious
with an army of three hundred ravens.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A lion comes to Owain's assistance while he is attacked by two young men.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Owain confines the lion in the place where Luned had been imprisoned and blocks
the door with stones before resuming single combat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The lion breaks through the wall, attacks the young men, and kills them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Luned is saved from being burned.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Owain returns with Luned to the dominions of the Countess of the Fountain
and later takes the Countess to Arthur's court as his wife.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Owain goes to the court of the savage black man and the lion remains with
him until he has vanquished him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Owain sees twenty-four ladies in the hall; they are poorly clothed and sorrowful.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The ladies state that they are daughters of earls whose husbands were slain
after the group had been thrown into stupor; their horses, clothing, gold, and
silver were taken.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: The savage black man greets Owain as if in friendship, but Owain rejects friendship
and fights him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Owain overcomes the savage black man and binds his hands behind his back.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The defeated black savage says Owain's victory had been foretold, admits he
was a robber, and offers to turn his house of spoil into a hospice in exchange
for his life.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: Owain accepts the proposal and remains there that night.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:13
text: The next day Owain escorts the twenty-four ladies, their horses, clothing,
goods, and jewels to Arthur's court.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:14
text: At Arthur's court the ladies either remain or depart according to their own
wishes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:15
text: Owain later dwells at Arthur's court, beloved as head of the household, and
travels with an army of three hundred ravens left by Kenverchyn.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:16
text: Wherever Owain goes with the three hundred ravens, he is victorious.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Owain
description: Heroic chieftain who fights the young men and the savage black man,
rescues Luned and the twenty-four ladies, and returns to Arthur's court.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Lion
description: Animal companion that assists Owain in combat, breaks out of confinement,
and kills the young men.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Two young men
description: Opponents who attack Owain and complain that fighting the lion is harder
than fighting Owain alone.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Luned
description: Maiden formerly imprisoned and saved from being burned.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Countess of the Fountain
description: Ruler whose dominions Owain returns to; Owain takes her to Arthur's
court and she is his wife.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Arthur
description: Ruler of the court to which Owain brings the Countess and the rescued
ladies; Arthur rejoices at Owain's return.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:11
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Savage black man / black savage
description: Opponent at the castle who is identified as a robber, is defeated by
Owain, and offers to keep his house as a hospice.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Twenty-four ladies
description: Daughters of earls found sorrowful and poorly clothed in the hall after
their husbands were slain and their possessions taken.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:11
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Husbands of the twenty-four ladies
description: Dead husbands whose corpses remain in the house according to the ladies'
account.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Demon who owns the Castle
description: Named in the ladies' account as the one who killed their husbands and
took their goods.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Kenverchyn
description: Named as the one who had left Owain the army of three hundred ravens.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Three hundred ravens
description: Army of ravens left to Owain by Kenverchyn; Owain is victorious wherever
he goes with them.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
roles:
- id: role:1
label: combatant
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Owain fights the young men and later the savage black man.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Luned is saved after the combat, and Owain escorts the twenty-four ladies
and their possessions to Arthur's court.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:11
- id: role:3
label: returning court figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Owain repeatedly returns to Arthur's court and later dwells there as head
of the household.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: role:4
label: animal ally
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:12
basis: The lion assists Owain in combat; the ravens accompany Owain and are linked
to his victories.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:12
- id: role:5
label: opponent or aggressor
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:7
- fig:10
basis: The young men attack Owain, the savage black man fights him and admits robbery,
and the demon is said to have killed the ladies' husbands and taken their goods.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: role:6
label: endangered or captive woman
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:8
basis: Luned had been imprisoned and faced burning; the twenty-four ladies are held
in grief after their husbands' deaths and losses.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: wife of Owain
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The passage says the Countess was Owain's wife as long as she lived.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:8
label: court ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Arthur's court is the destination of Owain and the rescued women, and Arthur
rejoices at Owain's return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:9
label: defeated penitent robber
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The black savage asks for his life, admits being a robber, and promises to
maintain the house as a hospice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:10
label: slain husbands
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The ladies report that their husbands were slain and that their corpses remain
in the house.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: lion companion
literal_form: lion
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: threatened burning
literal_form: being burned
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: blocked prison place
literal_form: place of imprisonment with door blocked by stones
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: castle or house of spoil
literal_form: castle / house containing corpses and stolen goods
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: hospice promise
literal_form: house to be maintained as a hospice for weak and strong
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: twenty-four ladies
literal_form: four-and-twenty ladies
associated_figures:
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:11
- id: sym:7
label: three hundred ravens
literal_form: army of three hundred ravens
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:12
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: sym:8
label: Arthur's court
literal_form: Arthur's Court
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:11
- ev:12
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Lion rescues Owain and Luned
summary: Owain fights two young men; after being confined, the lion breaks out,
kills the opponents, and Luned is saved from burning.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Return with Luned and marriage to the Countess
summary: Owain returns with Luned to the Countess of the Fountain, then takes the
Countess to Arthur's court, where she remains his wife.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Discovery of the bereaved ladies
summary: At the court of the savage black man, Owain enters the hall and hears twenty-four
noblewomen explain that their husbands were killed and their possessions taken.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Defeat and conversion of the savage black man
summary: Owain fights and binds the savage black man, who asks for his life and
promises to turn his house of spoil into a hospice.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:5
label: Escort to Arthur's court
summary: Owain escorts the twenty-four ladies with their goods to Arthur's court,
where they choose whether to stay or depart.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: scene:6
label: Owain with the raven army
summary: Owain dwells at Arthur's court and later goes with an army of three hundred
ravens; wherever he goes with them, he is victorious.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: animal helper in battle
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The lion aids Owain against the young men, breaks through a wall to reach
him, and later remains with him until he has vanquished the savage black man.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family directly names animal-helper combat.
- id: motif:2
label: rescue from threatened burning
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The action of the lion and Owain results in Luned being saved from being
burned.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives the rescue outcome but not the full prior cause of the
threatened burning.
- id: motif:3
label: return to the ruler's court after exploits
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Owain brings the Countess and later the twenty-four ladies to Arthur's court,
where Arthur rejoices and Owain eventually dwells.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:11
- ev:12
confidence: high
cautions: The passage includes multiple returns but does not frame them as a formal
journey-cycle conclusion except at the tale ending.
- id: motif:4
label: defeat of robber and liberation of despoiled women
taxonomy_refs:
- culture_hero
basis: Owain discovers twenty-four noblewomen whose husbands were slain and goods
stolen, defeats the robber, and escorts the women and their restored possessions
to Arthur's court.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The culture-hero taxonomy fit is broad; the passage presents a chivalric
rescue rather than an explicit culture-founding act.
- id: motif:5
label: defeated enemy spared after vow of service
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The bound black savage asks Owain to spare his life and promises to maintain
the house as a hospice for the good of Owain's soul; Owain accepts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is explicit, but the 'sacred_exchange' taxonomy fit rests
on the religious phrase 'for the good of thy soul' and should be reviewed.
- id: motif:6
label: victorious bird army companion
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Owain is said to go with an army of three hundred ravens and to be victorious
wherever he goes with them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explain the origin or nature of the ravens beyond
Kenverchyn having left them to Owain.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1179-1182
quote_or_summary: Owain is attacked and hard pressed; the lion comes to his assistance
and together they overcome the young men, who complain about having to contend
with the animal.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1183-1187
quote_or_summary: Owain puts the lion in the place where the maiden had been imprisoned,
blocks the door with stones, and resumes fighting the young men without his usual
strength.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1187-1191
quote_or_summary: The lion roars at seeing Owain in trouble, breaks through the
wall, kills the young men, and Luned is saved from being burned.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1192-1195
quote_or_summary: Owain returns with Luned to the Countess of the Fountain's dominions,
takes the Countess to Arthur's court, and she remains his wife as long as she
lives.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1199-1202
quote_or_summary: Owain takes the road to the court of the savage black man, fights
him, and the lion does not leave Owain until he has vanquished him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1202-1205
quote_or_summary: In the hall Owain sees twenty-four very fair ladies whose garments
are poor and who are sorrowful as death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 1205-1213
quote_or_summary: The ladies say they are daughters of earls; after arriving with
beloved husbands, they were stupefied, their husbands were slain by the demon
owning the castle, and their horses, clothing, gold, and silver were taken.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1215-1220
quote_or_summary: Owain leaves the castle, meets a knight who greets him cheerfully
like a brother, and the passage identifies this figure as the savage black man;
Owain says he has not come seeking friendship.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 1220-1222
quote_or_summary: Owain and the savage black man charge each other, fight furiously,
and Owain overcomes him and binds his hands behind his back.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 1222-1230
quote_or_summary: The bound black savage asks Owain to spare his life, says Owain's
victory had been foretold, admits he was a robber in a house of spoil, and promises
to maintain the house as a hospice for weak and strong; Owain accepts and stays
the night.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: 1231-1236
quote_or_summary: Owain takes the twenty-four ladies, their horses, clothing, goods,
and jewels to Arthur's court; Arthur rejoices, and the ladies choose whether to
remain or depart.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: 1237-1240
quote_or_summary: Owain dwells at Arthur's court beloved as head of the household
until he leaves with the army of three hundred ravens left by Kenverchyn, and
he is victorious wherever he goes with them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward from the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy
mapping is cautious because several strong passage patterns, such as animal helper
and raven army, do not have exact supplied taxonomy refs. No comparison claims
were added because the passage itself does not make comparative claims.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage text and metadata. No external comparisons were inferred.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg__l1179-l1240
passage_sha256=889449d5a9f016fe98d202826859051ea7d215163b853791bbed2dc31917a116