During the reign of the great, Brenin Arthur, upon the coast near the Mount of Cornovii, lived a poor farmer, who had only one son, that he named Kali-Kornath.
Kali-Kornath…known to be a well-mannered boy, and one of quick intellect, took great delight in hearing stories of giants and fairies. Kali-Kornath would listen eagerly while the bards sang of the great deeds performed by the brave Warriors of Brenin Arthur's Round Table.
When Kali-Kornath was sent to watch over the sheep in the fields, he pretended that he was a Warrior of Brenin Arthur who fought great battles and sought out the Brenin’s enemies.
Kali-Kornath did not often take part in childish antics. The boy’s strength and skill often made him the victor if ever an unfortunate bully had challenged Kali-Kornath.
During Kali-Kornath’s youth upon the island called the Mount of Cornovii. A huge and monstrous giant, called Nudd lived. The giant often took great pleasure in stealing from and killing his human neighbors, who lived upon the mainland coast.
Nudd dwelled in a cave, in the middle of the island close to the mainland. Nudd was such a terrible creature that no living thing wished to live near him.
The giant often fed on the cattle of his human neighbors. Whenever he wanted food, Nudd waded over to the mainland, where he would take whatever, he desired…including humans.
The villagers would scream in terror at his approach, they quickly fled their homes and hid from the giant in the nearby forest. Nudd would find their cattle and took no shame in stealing a dozen or more, he would also take their sheep and hogs.
This blight, Nudd forced upon the nearby villages for many years. Soon all the villages were in a terrible state and teetered on the verge of starvation.
Kali-Kornath…now a young man, resolved to kill this monster. So, one dark winter’s night, Kali-Kornath gathered a horn, a shovel, some rope, and a pickaxe.
He then took a small rowboat over to the island where Nudd dwelled.
There in the dark, under the moon’s light, Kali-Kornath set to work. When the next morning had arrived, he had dug a great and deep pit. One so large that Kali-Kornath needed a rope to climb out of it. Kali-Kornath then covered it with many long branches, and straw. He then scattered dirt upon it, to make it appear in likeness to the ground around it.
Then Kali-Kornath raised his horn, brought it to his lips, and blew upon it with all his might. A loud toot echoed in the cold morning air. It did not take long for Nudd to come storming out of his cave, his face shadowed in anger. He then saw Kali-Kornath and grew even fouler of mood.
“How dare you disturb my sleep…you vermin. I will kill you, take your corpse home and boil it for my breakfast.”
Nudd then charged at Kali-Kornath and failed to notice the well disguised pit. The giant screamed in dismay and the ground shook as his great body hit the pit’s bottom.
The giant was trapped as the pit only allowed his head to remain free. His great arms were held fast by the walls of the pit itself.
“Well great and fearsome…Nudd,” said Kali-Kornath, “It does appear to me that you shall not have me as your breakfast.”
Nudd grunted and strained as he tried to free himself from his newfound earthly prison. But it was to no avail and soon he gave up his escape attempts. The giant glared at Kali-Kornath with such hatred that it should have killed the young man.
“I will get free of your trap…little rat and I will destroy your village.” Nudd growled.
Kali-Kornath laughed at Nudd’s threat and walked right up to the giant’s twisted face.
“You will not get out without my help…Nudd. I certainly see no reason to let you free.”
Nudd scowled and then his face grew brighter as the giant faked a generous smile.
“Free me human and I will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.”
“You will make me wealthy. How will you do this?”
“In my cave there is a great chest of treasure, gold and gems. Free me and you may take all that you can carry.”
“What about your oath to destroy the nearby villages?”
The giant suddenly frowned. “I will not destroy them.”
“I will accept your offer of wealth, but I fear, you cannot be trusted to spare the villages.”
Before Nudd could utter another word Kali-Kornath raised his pickaxe and struck the giant in his skull. Then Kali-Kornath began a series of vicious blows to the giant. The deadly strikes were silenced by Nudd’s own screams of agony, until death took him.
Kali-Kornath covered in the blood of his enemy, breathed heavily, and released his pickaxe. He dropped to his knees in exhaustion. He then fell back upon the earth and gazed the sky above. How long Kali-Kornath lain there, he could not say when he recounted the tale later in the hall of Brenin Arthur.
Kali-Kornath eventually rose to his feet once more. He then sought out the cave of Nudd and the treasure it held within. He found Nudd’s cave filled with the bones of his victims, both human and animal. He also found the giant’s great straw bed and finally the chest. It was not a giant-sized chest, but one more suited for a man. Inside of it he found a small collection of gold and gems. Kali-Kornath then returned to the giant’s corpse and cutoff Nudd’s decorative metal nose ring as proof of his death. Kali-Kornath took his spoils to his boat and went back home.
When the villages had learned of Nudd’s demise and the young man named…Kali-Kornath, his slayer. A messenger was sent to Elysium with words for the Brenin’s ear.
It was not long before Kali-Kornath was summoned to Brenin Arthur’s court, where he was asked for proof of his deeds and Kali-Kornath produced Nudd’s nose ring. None seated at the round table could deny that Kali-Kornath was indeed a giant-slayer.
Brenin Arthur then summoned his blacksmith. He commanded that the giant’s nose ring be reforged into a sword suitable for a hero.
Days later before the throne of Brenin Arthur, Kali-Kornath knelt as the Brenin himself presented Kali-Kornath with a beautiful sword and a sheath to match. Brenin Arthur proclaimed that thus forth Kali-Kornath should be known as…Kali-Kornath the Giant-Killer.
END