Llŷr ( (); meaning 'half-speech' or 'half-language') is a figure in
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") 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 t ...
, probably originally a deity, probably derived from Irish
Ler ('the Sea'), father of ''
Manannán mac Lir
or , also known as ('son of the Sea'), is a Water deity, sea god, warrior, and king of the Tír na nÓg, otherworld in Irish mythology, Gaelic (Irish, Manx, and Scottish) mythology who is one of the .
He is seen as a ruler and guardian of t ...
''. Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identity remains obscure.
Llŷr appears as the father of
Brân,
Brânwen and
Manawydan by
Penarddun in the
''Branwen, Daughter of Llyr'', the Second Branch of the ''
Mabinogi''.
[: "Bendigeidfran son of Llŷr was crowned king. His two brothers on the mother's side (Nisien and Efnisien) were sons of Euroswydd by his mother Penarddun."]
The
Welsh Triads states that Llŷr was imprisoned by
Euroswydd, and presumably, Penarddun subsequently married Euroswydd, giving birth by Euroswydd to her two younger sons,
Nisien and
Efnisien, as stated in the
Second Branch.
[
]William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play ''King Lear
''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
'' is based on material taken secondhand (through Raphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed (; before 24 April 1582) was an English chronicler, who was most famous for his work on ''The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande'', commonly known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles''. It was the "first complete printed h ...
) from Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth (; ; ) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, 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 ...
's mythical king King Leir, who has often been connected, but is likely unrelated, to Llŷr.
The House of Llŷr
(*) Unbordered names are figures not in Llŷr's line of descent, though perhaps members of the extended family.
(*) This stemma is subject to further elaboration. If the Beli above is to be equated with 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, cousi ...
then Caswallawn stands as Penarddun's sibling. But Bromwich observes that Penarddun should be emended to being the sister of Beli, which would bring consistency with statement elsewhere that Caswallawn and Brân are cousins.[, endnotes, p.284- on "Bran Vendigeit m. Llyr".]
Collectively, Llŷr's children are ''Children of Darkness,'' as opposed to Dôn's ''Children of Light.''
See also
*The House of Dôn
Notes
References
;(Dictionaries)
*, p. 301, under "Llŷr".
*
*The New Companion to the Literature of Wales, Meic Stevens.
;(Texts)
*
*
*
*Gantz, Jeffrey (translator) (1987). ''The Mabinogion''. New York: Penguin. .
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llyr
Mabinogion
Sea and river gods
Welsh gods
Welsh mythology
Mythological characters