Llefelys

Last updated

Llefelys (Middle Welsh orthography Llevelys, Lleuelys, Llefelis) is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the medieval Welsh tale Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys . In the tale, Llefelys is king of Gaul while his brother Lludd is king of Britain. The tale appears in the Red Book of Hergest and the White Book of Rhydderch, the source texts for the Mabinogion , and embedded into various versions of the Brut y Brenhinedd , the Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae .

Contents

Etymology

The name Llefelys seems to have been derived from Cligueillus [1] (also spelled Digueillus and Eligueillus in various manuscripts [2] ), a character found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's famous pseudo-history Historia Regum Britanniae , which was early on translated into Welsh as the Brut y Brenhinedd . Geoffrey makes Cligueillus/Digueillus/Eligueillus the father of Heli and grandfather of Lud, (the prototype of Lludd), Cassibellaunus, and Nennius. In the Welsh Brut y Brenhinedd, Geoffrey's Heli son of Cligueillus becomes Beli son Manogan, a figure already known to Welsh audiences due to the influence of the 9th-century Historia Brittonum . Beli is the father of Lludd, Caswallawn, and Nennwy, and Llefelys is added as a fourth son. As such Cligueillus/Llefelys may have been displaced from his position as Beli's father once the well-known figure of Beli was chosen to replace the otherwise unknown Heli. [3] [4]

Geoffrey's Cligueillus / Digueillus may be a corruption of the Old Welsh name Higuel (specifically, the 10th century AD king Higuel (Howel/Houuel) Bonus – i.e. Hywel Dda – mentioned in one of Geoffrey's sources, the Annales Cambriae , now Modern Welsh Hywel. [5] [6] [7]

An alternate theory is that the name Llefelys is a compound, with the first element deriving from Lleu (the name is usually written as Lleuelis in the Red Book and White Book texts). [8] Lleu is a major figure in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, and is counterpart to the Irish mythological figure Lugh and the Gaulish god Lugus. Lludd is also probably related to an earlier pan-Celtic figure, represented by the Irish Nuada and the British Nodens, via the earlier form Nudd. [9] Elements of Lludd and Llefelys bear some similarity with the Irish story of Nuada and Lugh, particularly the narrative Cath Maige Tuired . Like Llefelys, Lugh is dispossessed while the kingdom (in this case Ireland) is ruled by his kinsman Nuada. Eventually the kingdom is beset by oppressors and both fertility and the food supply are affected, but Lugh returns to overcome the oppression with his vast skill and knowledge. [8]

Role

In the Lludd and Llefelys narrative, Lludd inherits the kingship of Britain from his father, Beli, and shortly thereafter helps his brother Llefelys marry the king's daughter of France. Llefelys becomes King of France, but Lludd must soon request his aid when Britain is beset by three menaces: the Coraniaid, a mysterious people who can hear everything; a terrible scream that is heard every May Eve, terrifying the people and causing pregnant women to miscarry; and the continual disappearance of the provisions of the king's court. Llefelys provides his brother with solutions to each problem. He advises Lludd to mix a potion of crushed insects that will destroy the Coraniaid. The scream, he reveals, comes from two dragons fighting, so Lludd must set a trap for them and bury them beneath Dinas Emrys. The final problem is caused by an enchanter who puts Lludd's court to sleep; Lludd must defeat him in combat. Lludd makes good use of his brother's advice and overcomes each obstacle.

Mention is made of the "short discussion of Lludd and Llefelys" (ymarwar Llud a Llefelis) in a poem called Ymarwar Llud Bychan from the Book of Taliesin and the same phrase is repeated in a poem by Llywelyn Fardd. [10]

Related Research Articles

Lud or LUD may refer to:

Geoffrey of Monmouth was a British cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle The History of the Kings of Britain which was widely popular in its day, being translated into other languages from its original Latin. It was given historical credence well into the 16th century, but is now considered historically unreliable.

Afallach is a man's name found in several medieval Welsh genealogies, where he is made the son of Beli Mawr. According to a medieval Welsh triad, Afallach was the father of the goddess Modron. The Welsh redactions of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, Brut y Brenhinedd, associate him with Ynys Afallach, which is substituted as the Welsh name for Geoffrey's Insula Avalonsis, but this is fanciful medieval etymology and it is more likely his name derives from the Welsh word afall "apple tree" ; from which, granted, the name of Avalon is also often thought to derive, so that the meaning of "Afallach" is associated but not necessarily directly. In the tale of Urien and Modron he is referred to by his daughter as the King of Annwn, therefore he may originally been cognate with Arawn or Gwyn or perhaps all three were once regional variants of the same Deity.

Ned Ludd Supposed eponym of the Luddites

Ned Ludd, possibly born Edward Ludlam, is the person from whom, it is popularly claimed, the Luddites took their name.

King Lud Pseudohistorical king of Britain who was said to have founded London

Lud, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's legendary History of the Kings of Britain and related medieval texts, was a king of Britain in pre-Roman times who founded London and was buried at Ludgate. He was the eldest son of Geoffrey's King Heli, and succeeded his father to the throne. He was succeeded, in turn, by his brother Caswallon. Lud may be connected with the Welsh mythological figure Lludd Llaw Eraint, earlier Nudd Llaw Eraint, cognate with the Irish Nuada Airgetlám, a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the Brittonic god Nodens. However, he was a separate figure in Welsh tradition and is usually treated as such.

Beli Mawr was an ancestor figure in Middle Welsh literature and genealogies. He is the father of Cassivellaunus, Arianrhod, Lludd Llaw Eraint, Llefelys, and Afallach. In certain medieval genealogies he is listed as the son or husband of Anna, cousin of Mary, mother of Jesus. According to the Welsh Triads, Beli and Dôn were the parents of Arianrhod, but the mother of Beli's other children—and the father of Dôn's other children—is not mentioned in the medieval Welsh literature. Several royal lines in medieval Wales traced their ancestry to Beli. The Mabinogi names Penarddun as a daughter of Beli Mawr, but the genealogy is confused; it is possible she was meant to be his sister rather than daughter.

Cunobeline 1st-century pre-Roman British king

Cunobeline was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about AD 9 until about AD 40. He is mentioned in passing by the classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and many coins bearing his inscription have been found. He controlled a substantial portion of south-eastern Britain, including the territories of the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes, and is called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. He appears to have been recognized by Roman emperor Augustus as a client king, as testified by the use of the Latin title Rex on his coins. Cunobeline appears in British legend as Cynfelyn (Welsh), Kymbelinus or Cymbeline, as in the play by William Shakespeare.

King Lot Legendary Arthurian king

Lot, also spelled Loth or Lothus, is the king of Lothian, the realm of the Picts in the Arthurian legend. Such a ruler first appeared late in the 1st millennium's hagiographical material concerning Saint Kentigern, which feature a Leudonus, king of Leudonia, a Latin name for Lothian. In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth adapted this to Lot, king of Lothian, in his influential chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, portraying him as King Arthur's brother-in-law and ally. In the wake of Geoffrey's writings, Lot appeared regularly in later works of chivalric romance.

Battle of Camlann Legendary conflict

The Battle of Camlann is a legendary final battle of King Arthur, in which Arthur either died or was fatally wounded while fighting either with or against Mordred, who also perished. The original legend of Camlann, inspired by a purportedly historical event said to have taken place in Britain in 537, appears only in vague mentions found in several medieval Welsh texts dating since around the 10th century. The battle's much more detailed depictions have emerged since the 12th century, generally based on that of a catastrophic conflict described in the pseudo-chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae. Their further greatly embellished variants from the later French chivalric romance tradition in which it is known as the Battle of Salisbury include the telling in Le Morte d'Arthur that remains popular today.

Tasciovanus Late 1st century BC king of the Catuvellauni tribe

Tasciovanus was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe before the Roman conquest of Britain.

Cassivellaunus was a historical British military leader who led the defence against Julius Caesar's second expedition to Britain in 54 BC. He led an alliance of tribes against Roman forces, but eventually surrendered after his location was revealed to Julius Caesar by defeated Britons.

Catellus was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted in Geoffrey of Monmouth's work Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey, he was the son of King Gerennus and was succeeded by his son, Millus. In some versions of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a series of Welsh versions of Geoffrey's Historia, Catellus is succeeded by his son Coel, who is then succeeded by his own son Porrex II.

Nennius is a mythical prince of Britain at the time of Julius Caesar's invasions of Britain. His story appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (1136), a work whose contents are now considered largely fictional. In Middle Welsh versions of Geoffrey's Historia he was called Nynniaw.

<i>Historia Regum Britanniae</i> pseudohistorical account of British history (c.1136)

Historia regum Britanniae, originally called De gestis Britonum, is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons over the course of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation and continuing until the Anglo-Saxons assumed control of much of Britain around the 7th century. It is one of the central pieces of the Matter of Britain.

Welsh mythology Folk traditions developed in Wales and by the Celtic Britons elsewhere

Welsh mythology consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral societies Celtic mythology and history were recorded orally by specialists such as druids. This oral record has been lost or altered as a result of outside contact and invasion over the years. Much of this altered mythology and history is preserved in medieval Welsh manuscripts, which include the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. Other works connected to Welsh mythology include the ninth-century Latin historical compilation Historia Brittonum and Geoffrey of Monmouth's twelfth-century Latin chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, as well as later folklore, such as the materials collected in The Welsh Fairy Book by William Jenkyn Thomas (1908).

Lludd Llaw Ereint, "Lludd of the Silver Hand", son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. As Nudd Llaw Ereint he is the father of Gwyn ap Nudd. He is probably the source of king Lud from Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain.

The Coraniaid[kɔˈranjaid] are a race of beings from Welsh mythology. They appear in the Middle Welsh prose tale Lludd and Llefelys, which survives in the Mabinogion and inserted into several texts of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. The Coraniaid figure in the tale as one of three plagues that affect Britain during the reign of King Lludd. They are characterized by a sense of hearing so acute that they can hear any word the wind touches, making action against them impossible.

Brut y Brenhinedd is a collection of variant Middle Welsh versions of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin Historia Regum Britanniae. About 60 versions survive, with the earliest dating to the mid-13th century. Adaptations of Geoffrey's Historia were extremely popular throughout Western Europe during the Middle Ages, but the Brut proved especially influential in medieval Wales, where it was largely regarded as an accurate account of the early history of the Celtic Britons.

Lludd and Llefelys Welsh prose tale

Lludd and Llefelys is a Middle Welsh prose tale written down in the 12th or 13th century; it was included in the Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest in the 19th century. It tells of the Welsh hero Lludd Llaw Eraint, best known as King Lud son of Heli in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, and his brother Llefelys.

Walter of Oxford was a cleric and writer. He served as archdeacon of Oxford in the 12th century. Walter was a friend of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who claimed he got his chief source for the Historia Regum Britanniae from him.

References

  1. ↑ Sterckx, Claude, "Nûtons, Lûtons et dieux celtes", Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie , Vol.46, pp. 39–79
  2. ↑ Houck, Margaret Evah. Sources of the Roman de Brut of Wace, R. West, 1977, p. 16; p. 43.
  3. ↑ Bartrum, Peter. A Welsh Classical Dictionary, National Library of Wales, 1993, p. 131; pp. 416–418; p. 491-492.
  4. ↑ Roberts, Brynley F. "The Treatment of Personal Names in the Early Welsh Versions of the Historia Regum Britanniae." Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 25 (1973): 274–90.
  5. ↑ Hutson, Arthur Eugene. British personal names in the Historia regum Britanniae, Volume 5, University of California Press, 1940, p. 43.
  6. ↑ Houck, Margaret Evah. Sources of the Roman de Brut of Wace, R. West, 1977, p. 16.
  7. ↑ Curley, Michael J., Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cengage Gale, 1994, p. 24.
  8. 1 2 Koch, John T. (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 1164–1165. ISBN   1-85109-440-7.
  9. ↑ Koch, John T. (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 1359–1361. ISBN   1-85109-440-7.
  10. ↑ Bartrum, Peter. A Welsh Classical Dictionary, National Library of Wales, 1993, p. 417.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.