Wild Wales; its people, language, and scenery . t Collen,though some, especially the neighbouring peasantry,suppose that Llangollen is a compound of Llan, a church,and Collen, a hazel-wood, and that the church wascalled the church of the hazel-wood from the numberof hazels in the neighbourhood. Collen, according toa legendary life, which exists of him in Welsh, was aBriton by birth, and of illustrious ancestry. He servedfor some time abroad as a soldier against Julian theApostate, and slew a Pagan champion who challengedthe best man amongst the Christians. Returning to hisown country he devote
Wild Wales; its people, language, and scenery . t Collen,though some, especially the neighbouring peasantry,suppose that Llangollen is a compound of Llan, a church,and Collen, a hazel-wood, and that the church wascalled the church of the hazel-wood from the numberof hazels in the neighbourhood. Collen, according toa legendary life, which exists of him in Welsh, was aBriton by birth, and of illustrious ancestry. He servedfor some time abroad as a soldier against Julian theApostate, and slew a Pagan champion who challengedthe best man amongst the Christians. Returning to hisown country he devoted himself to religion, and becameAbbot of Glastonbury, but subsequently retired to acave on the side of a mountain, where he lived a life ofgreat austerity. Once as he was lying in his cell heheard two men out abroad discoursing about Wyn AbNudd, and saying that he was king of the Tylw)th Tegor Fairies, and lord of Unknown, whereupon Collenthrusting his head out of his cave told them to holdtheir tongues, for that Wyn Ab Nudd and his host were. ?s ^ ?^ ^ VI.] THE LEGEND OF COLLEN 33 merely devils. At dead of night he heard a knockingat the door, and on his asking vv^ho was there, a voicesaid : I am a messenger from Wyn Ab Nudd, king ofUnknown, and I am come to summon thee to appearbefore my master to-morrow, at mid-day, on the top ofthe hill. Collcn did not go—the next night there was the sameknocking and the same message. Still Collen did notgo. The third night the messenger came again andrepeated his summons, adding that if he did not go itwould be the worse for him. The next day Collenmade some holy water, put it into a pitcher and re-paired to the top of the hill, where he saw a wonderfullyfine castle, attendants in magnificent liveries, youths anddamsels dancing with nimble feet, and a man of honour-able presence before the gate, who told him that theking was expecting him to dinner. Collen followed theman into the castle, and beheld the king on a throne ofgold, and a ta
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