Comparative mythology corpus

batch.motif.celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg-l3608-l3676

batch.motif.celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg-l3608-l3676

---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg-l3608-l3676
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
passage_locator:
  label: C. E. G. / THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN / PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC / GERAINT
    THE SON OF ERBIN; lines 3608-3676
  start: '3608'
  end: '3676'
  translation: The Mabinogion
  notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
    human review required.
canonical_text:
  quote: ''
  summary: Geraint and Enid travel along a high road toward a fair valley with a river,
    bridge, and fortified town. A knight warns that the Little King, Gwiffert Petit,
    customarily combats every knight entering his lands. Geraint proceeds, is overtaken
    by Gwiffert Petit, fights him on horseback and on foot, defeats him, grants mercy
    on condition of alliance, refuses rest at the Little King's court, and continues
    wounded toward a wood with Enid going first.
  language: English
  quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
  text: Geraint travels along a high road while the maiden goes first.
  category: action
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: obs:2
  text: The travelers see a valley with a large river, a bridge, and a fortified town
    beyond the river.
  category: setting
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: obs:3
  text: An approaching mounted knight identifies the valley and walled town as belonging
    to Gwiffert Petit, called the Little King by the Cymry.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
- id: obs:4
  text: The mounted knight says that a traveler cannot pass the Little King's tower
    unless intending combat, because the Little King customarily encounters every
    knight on his lands.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:3
- id: obs:5
  text: Geraint declares that he will continue by that way despite the warning.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:3
- id: obs:6
  text: Gwiffert Petit overtakes Geraint fully armed on a strong warhorse and challenges
    him for infringing his rules.
  category: action
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:4
- id: obs:7
  text: Geraint and Gwiffert Petit charge one another and fight with lances, then
    continue fighting on foot after their horses are brought down.
  category: sequence
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:5
- id: obs:8
  text: Geraint wounds Gwiffert Petit on the head, causing the Little King's sword
    to fly from his hand.
  category: action
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:6
- id: obs:9
  text: Gwiffert Petit asks for mercy, and Geraint grants it on condition that he
    become Geraint's ally and aid him in future trouble.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:7
- id: obs:10
  text: Gwiffert Petit pledges his faith and invites Geraint to his court to recover
    from weariness and fatigue.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:7
- id: obs:11
  text: Gwiffert Petit sees Enid afflicted and urges Geraint to rest, but Geraint
    continues his journey wounded and blood-covered toward a wood, with the maiden
    going first.
  category: sequence
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
  name_or_label: Geraint
  description: A traveling knight who proceeds by the bridge road, fights Gwiffert
    Petit, grants him mercy, and continues wounded.
  role_refs:
  - role:1
  - role:5
  - role:6
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:3
  - ev:5
  - ev:6
  - ev:7
  - ev:8
- id: fig:2
  name_or_label: Enid / the maiden
  description: The maiden traveling with Geraint, going before him; Gwiffert Petit
    sees her noble mien and deep affliction.
  role_refs:
  - role:2
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:8
- id: fig:3
  name_or_label: Mounted informing knight
  description: A man on a large, lofty, tractable steed who tells Geraint about the
    valley, town, and Little King's custom.
  role_refs:
  - role:3
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
- id: fig:4
  name_or_label: Gwiffert Petit / the Little King
  description: Owner of the valley and walled town; a very small armed knight on a
    strong warhorse who customarily encounters knights on his lands and is defeated
    by Geraint.
  role_refs:
  - role:4
  - role:6
  - role:7
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
  - ev:4
  - ev:5
  - ev:6
  - ev:7
  - ev:8
- id: fig:5
  name_or_label: Squire of Gwiffert Petit
  description: A squire who serves Gwiffert Petit with lances as they break during
    combat.
  role_refs:
  - role:8
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:5
- id: fig:6
  name_or_label: Arthur
  description: Named in speech by Geraint and Gwiffert Petit as a lord or authority,
    but not present in the scene.
  role_refs:
  - role:9
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
  label: journeying knight
  assigned_to:
  - fig:1
  basis: Geraint proceeds along the high road and continues his journey after the
    combat.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:8
- id: role:2
  label: traveling maiden companion
  assigned_to:
  - fig:2
  basis: The maiden goes first with Geraint and is later identified as Enid standing
    nearby.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:8
- id: role:3
  label: local informant
  assigned_to:
  - fig:3
  basis: The mounted knight answers Geraint's questions about the valley, town, and
    Little King's custom.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
- id: role:4
  label: local ruler and landholder
  assigned_to:
  - fig:4
  basis: Gwiffert Petit is identified as owner of the valley and walled town and is
    called the Little King.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
- id: role:5
  label: challenged trespasser
  assigned_to:
  - fig:1
  basis: Gwiffert Petit challenges Geraint for infringing his rules after Geraint
    takes the road.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:4
- id: role:6
  label: combatant knight
  assigned_to:
  - fig:1
  - fig:4
  basis: Geraint and Gwiffert Petit charge one another and fight on horseback and
    on foot.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:5
- id: role:7
  label: defeated opponent turned ally
  assigned_to:
  - fig:4
  basis: After being wounded and asking mercy, Gwiffert Petit accepts Geraint's condition
    to become his ally and aid him.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:6
  - ev:7
- id: role:8
  label: weapon-serving squire
  assigned_to:
  - fig:5
  basis: The squire supplies Gwiffert Petit with lances during the combat.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:5
- id: role:9
  label: invoked authority
  assigned_to:
  - fig:6
  basis: Arthur is invoked in the disputing speech before the combat.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
  label: river crossing
  literal_form: A large river running through the valley, with a bridge over it and
    the high road leading to the bridge.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  - fig:3
  - fig:4
  taxonomy_refs:
  - water
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:3
- id: sym:2
  label: fortified town and tower
  literal_form: A fair fortified or walled town beyond the bridge, with the Little
    King's tower on the other side of the bridge.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:3
  - fig:4
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
- id: sym:3
  label: forbidden road
  literal_form: The road by the bridge and beneath the town that the Little King treats
    as subject to his rules.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:3
  - fig:4
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:3
  - ev:4
- id: sym:4
  label: disarmed sword
  literal_form: The Little King's sword flies from his hand to the furthest end of
    the plain after Geraint strikes him.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:4
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:6
- id: sym:5
  label: blood-covered body
  literal_form: Geraint mounts in pain, covered with blood, and continues traveling.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:8
- id: sym:6
  label: wood ahead
  literal_form: The wood seen before Geraint and Enid as they proceed after the combat.
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:8
scenes:
- id: scene:1
  label: Approach to the valley crossing
  summary: Geraint and Enid travel along the high road and see a fair valley, river,
    bridge, and fortified town.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:1
  - sym:2
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: scene:2
  label: Warning about the Little King's custom
  summary: A mounted knight tells Geraint that Gwiffert Petit owns the valley and
    town and that passage by the tower entails combat with him.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:3
  - fig:4
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:1
  - sym:2
  - sym:3
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
- id: scene:3
  label: Challenge on the road
  summary: Geraint proceeds and is overtaken by the armed Little King, who accuses
    him of infringing his rules and demands satisfaction.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:4
  - fig:6
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:3
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:4
- id: scene:4
  label: Combat and defeat of Gwiffert Petit
  summary: Geraint and Gwiffert Petit fight with lances and then on foot until Geraint
    wounds the Little King and disarms him.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:4
  - fig:5
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:4
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:5
  - ev:6
- id: scene:5
  label: Mercy, alliance, and continued journey
  summary: Gwiffert Petit asks mercy; Geraint grants it in exchange for alliance and
    future aid, refuses rest, and continues toward the wood with Enid.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  - fig:4
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:5
  - sym:6
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:7
  - ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
  label: guarded passage requiring combat
  taxonomy_refs: []
  basis: A road by a bridge and tower is said to be impassable unless the traveler
    intends to fight the local ruler, who customarily encounters knights on his lands.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:3
  - ev:4
  - ev:5
  confidence: high
  cautions: The passage states a local custom of combat but does not frame it as supernatural
    or ritual.
- id: motif:2
  label: defeated adversary becomes sworn ally
  taxonomy_refs: []
  basis: After Geraint wounds and disarms the Little King, he grants mercy on condition
    that the defeated opponent become his ally and assist him in future trouble; the
    Little King pledges his faith.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:6
  - ev:7
  confidence: high
  cautions: The alliance is conditional and oath-like, but the passage does not elaborate
    later fulfillment here.
- id: motif:3
  label: wounded hero refuses rest and continues journey
  taxonomy_refs: []
  basis: Although Gwiffert Petit urges Geraint to rest and recover, Geraint refuses
    and rides on in pain and covered with blood.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:8
  confidence: high
  cautions: This is a narrative pattern within the passage; broader significance requires
    context outside the supplied lines.
- id: motif:4
  label: threshold encounter during journey
  taxonomy_refs:
  - initiation
  basis: Geraint's journey brings him to a river bridge, a town boundary, a warning,
    and a combat challenge before he can continue.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:3
  - ev:4
  - ev:5
  confidence: medium
  cautions: The taxonomy reference is tentative; the passage presents a martial travel
    obstacle, not an explicitly named initiation rite.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
  type: summary
  locator: 3608-3614
  quote_or_summary: Geraint travels on a high road with the maiden going first; they
    see a fair valley with a large river, bridge, and fortified town beyond it.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
  type: summary
  locator: 3615-3622
  quote_or_summary: A mounted man from the valley tells Geraint that Gwiffert Petit,
    called the Little King by the Cymry, owns the valley and walled town.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
  type: summary
  locator: 3622-3629
  quote_or_summary: The mounted knight says one cannot pass the Little King's tower
    unless intending combat, because the Little King encounters every knight on his
    lands; Geraint says he will continue that way.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
  type: summary
  locator: 3630-3643
  quote_or_summary: Geraint takes the road, is followed by a very small fully armed
    knight on a strong warhorse, and is accused of insulting the knight's dignity
    and infringing his rules; Arthur is invoked in their exchange.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
  type: summary
  locator: 3644-3655
  quote_or_summary: The two knights charge, break lances supplied by a squire, damage
    their shields, bring their horses to their knees, and then fight on foot with
    severe blows.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
  type: summary
  locator: 3656-3664
  quote_or_summary: Geraint gathers his strength, strikes Gwiffert Petit on the head
    through his armour, and the Little King's sword flies from his hand.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
  type: summary
  locator: 3664-3671
  quote_or_summary: Gwiffert Petit asks mercy; Geraint grants it if he becomes Geraint's
    ally and future helper, and Gwiffert Petit pledges his faith and invites Geraint
    to his court to recover.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
  type: summary
  locator: 3672-3676
  quote_or_summary: Gwiffert Petit sees Enid afflicted and urges rest; Geraint refuses,
    mounts in pain covered with blood, and proceeds toward the wood with the maiden
    going first.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-welsh/project-gutenberg/mabinogion-guest.md
  rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
  extraction: high
  motif_candidates: medium
  comparison_claims: high
  notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied public-domain passage. Motif labels
    are descriptive; only the tentative initiation taxonomy link needs review.
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: |-
  No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly support cross-tradition comparison.
  batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
  custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-welsh-mabinogion-guest-gutenberg__l3608-l3676
  passage_sha256=528e4a0b743f41f7f9b6c1edb70ee2df968b72b7520a5110fd1230fd19e4c260