The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The Two Dragons of Lludd’s Tale
Llevelys explains that the second plague arises from a dragon fighting another of foreign origin. Their combat produces the cry that troubles the island each May-eve. Lludd captures them after their changing forms descend into a mead-filled cauldron. Sleeping beneath its covering, they can be carried to a secure place and buried.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryLlevelys explains that the second plague arises from a dragon fighting another of foreign origin. Their combat produces the cry that troubles the island each May-eve.
Further detail
LiteraryLludd captures them after their changing forms descend into a mead-filled cauldron. Sleeping beneath its covering, they can be carried to a secure place and buried.
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
a dragon. And another dragon of a foreign race is fighting with it, and striving to overcome it. And therefore does your dragon make a fearful outcry.Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 487
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0487
- Original scan leaf
- 488
- Recorded leaf number
- 488
- Current Reader position
- 479
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Mabinogion
fighting, they will fall in the form of two pigs upon the covering, and they will sink in, and the covering with them, and they will draw itOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition; active reader leaf 488
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0240-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0240-E001-P0488
- Original scan leaf
- 489
- Recorded leaf number
- 489
- Current Reader position
- 480
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Dinas Emreis in Lludd’s Tale
The strong place in Snowdon where the captured dragons are hidden.
Shared source pageLlevelys
Lludd’s wise brother, whose counsel distinguishes the causes of Britain’s three plagues.
Same subject and traditionBendigeid Vran
The giant king who becomes a bridge for his army and leaves a protective head behind.
Same subject and traditionThe Salmon of Llyn Llyw
The ancient fish that carries Arthur’s searchers to Mabon’s prison.