The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
Lludd, Son of Beli
Lludd is introduced as a prosperous king who rebuilds London’s walls and towers. His affection for the city becomes the tale’s explanation for its name. When three extraordinary plagues afflict the island, he travels secretly to Llevelys to seek advice. The strategy depends on recognising that the causes cannot be solved by ordinary court deliberation.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryLludd is introduced as a prosperous king who rebuilds London’s walls and towers. His affection for the city becomes the tale’s explanation for its name.
Further detail
LiteraryWhen three extraordinary plagues afflict the island, he travels secretly to Llevelys to seek advice. The strategy depends on recognising that the causes cannot be solved by ordinary court deliberation.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the narrative in Charlotte Guest’s 1877 collection, including its particular spellings and arrangement of tales. Characters, enchantments and explanations of place names are presented as features of these stories; the translation alone does not establish their historical reality or a single original religious meaning.
Original passages
Source 1
The Mabinogion
son; and Lludd raled prosperously, and rebuilt the walls of London, and encompassed it about with numberless towers. And after that he bade the citizens build houses therein, suchOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 484
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0484
- Original scan leaf
- 485
- Recorded leaf number
- 485
- Current Reader position
- 476
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
man great of counsel and wisdom, to seek his advice. And they made ready a fleet, and that in secret and in silence, lest that race should knowOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 486
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0486
- Original scan leaf
- 487
- Recorded leaf number
- 487
- Current Reader position
- 478
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
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