THE STORY OF LLUDD LLEVELYS
By Lady Charlotte Guest
Beli the Great, the son of Manogan, had three sons, Lludd and
Caswallawn and Nynyaw; and according to the story he had a fourth son
called Llevelys. And after the death of Beli, the kingdom of the
island of Britain fell into the hands of Lludd his eldest son; and
Lludd ruled prosperously, and rebuilt the city of London, and
encompassed it about with numberless towers. And after that he bade
the citizens build houses therein, such as no houses in the kingdom
could equal. And moreover he was a mighty warrior, and generous and
liberal in giving meat and drink to all that sought them. And though
he had many castles and cities, this one loved he more than any. And
he dwelt therein most part of the year, and therefore was it called
Caer Lludd, and at last Caer London.
And after the stranger race came there, it was called London, or
Lwndrys.
Lludd loved Llevelys best of all his brothers, because he was a wise
and a discreet man. Having heard that the King of France had died,
leaving no heir except a daughter, and that he had left all his
possessions in her hands, he came to Lludd his brother, to beseech his
counsel and aid. And that not so much for his own welfare, as to seek
to add to the glory and honour and dignity of his kindred, if he might
go to France to woo the maiden for his wife. And forthwith his brother
conferred with him, and this counsel was pleasing unto him.
So he prepared ships and filled them with armed knights, and set forth
towards France. And as soon as they had landed, they sent messengers
to show the nobles of France the cause of the embassy. And by the
joint counsel of the nobles of France and of the princes, the maiden
was given to Llevelys, and the crown of the kingdom with her. And
thenceforth he ruled the land discreetly and wisely and happily, as
long as his life lasted.
After a space of time had passed, three plagues fell upon the island
of Britain, such as none in the islands had ever seen the like. The
first was a certain race that came, and was called the Coranians; and
so great was their knowledge that there was no discourse upon the face
of the island however low it might be spoken, but what, if the wind
met it, it was known to them. And through this they could not be
injured.
The second plague was a shriek which came on every May eve, over every
hearth in the island of Britain. And this went through people's
hearts, and so scared them that men lost their hue and their strength,
and the women their children, and the young men and the maidens lost
their senses, and all the animals and the waters were left barren.
The third plague was, that however much of provisions and food might
be prepared in the king's courts, were there even so much as a year's
provisions of meats and drink, none of it could ever be found, except
what was consumed in the first night. And two of these plagues, no
one ever knew their cause; therefore was there better hope of being
freed from the first than from the second and third.
And thereupon King Lludd felt great sorrow and care, because that he
knew not how he might be freed from these plagues. And he called to
him all the nobles of his kingdom, and asked counsel of them what they
should do against these afflictions. And by the common counsel of the
nobles, Lludd the son of Beli went to Llevelys his brother, King of
France, for he was a 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 know the cause of their errand, or any besides the
king and his counsellors. And when they were made ready they went into
their ships, Lludd and those whom he chose with him. And they began to
cleave the seas towards France.
And when these tidings came to Llevelys, seeing that he knew not the
cause of his brother's ships, he came on the other side to meet him,
and with him was a fleet vast of size. And when Lludd saw this, he
left all the ships out upon the sea except one only; and in that one
he came to meet his brother, and he likewise with a single ship came
to meet him. And when they were come together, each put his arms
about the other's neck, and they welcomed each other with brotherly
love.
After that Lludd had shown his brother the cause of his errand,
Llevelys said that he himself knew the cause of the coming to those
lands. And they took counsel together to discourse on the matter
otherwise than thus, in order that the wind might not catch their
words, nor the Coranians know what they might say. Then Llevelys
caused a long horn to be made of brass, and through this horn they
discoursed. But whatsoever words they spoke through this horn, one to
the other, neither of them could hear any other but harsh and hostile
words. And when Llevelys saw this and that there was a demon
thwarting them and disturbing through this horn, he caused wine to be
put therein to wash it. And through the virtue of the wine the demon
was driven out of the horn. And when their discourse was unobstructed,
Llevelys told his brother that he would give him some insects whereof
he should keep some to breed, lest by chance the like affliction might
come a second time. And other of these insects he should take and
bruise in water. And he assured him that he would have power to
destroy the race of Coranians. That is to say, that when he came home
to his kingdom he should call together all the people both of his own
race and of the race of the Coranians for a conference, as though with
the intent of making peace between them; and that when they were all
together, he should take this charmed water, and cast it over all
alike. And he assured him that the water would poison the race of the
Coranians, but that it would not slay or harm those of his own race.
"And the second plague," said he, "that is in thy dominion, behold it
is a dragon. And another dragon of foreign race is fighting with it,
and striving to overcome it. And therefore does your dragon make a
fearful outcry. And on this wise mayest thou come to know this. After
thou hast returned home, cause the island to be measured in its length
and breadth, and in the place where thou dost find the exact central
point, there cause a pit to be dug, and cause a cauldron full of the
best mead that can be made to be put in the pit with a covering of
satin over the face of the cauldron. And then in thine own person do
thou remain there watching, and thou wilt see the dragons fighting in
the form of terrific animals. And at length they will take the form of
dragons in the air. And last of all, after wearying themselves with
fierce and furious 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 it down to the very bottom of the cauldron. And
they will drink up the whole of the mead; and after that they will
sleep. Thereupon do thou immediately fold the covering round them, and
bury them in a kistvaen, in the strongest place thou hast in thy
dominions, and hide them in the earth. And as long as they shall bide
in that strong place, no plague shall come to the island of Britain
from elsewhere.
"The cause of the third plague," said he, "is a mighty man of magic,
who takes thy meat and thy drink and thy stores. And he through
illusions and charms causes every one to sleep. Therefore it is
needful for thee in thy own person to watch thy food and thy
provisions. And lest he should overcome thee with sleep, be there a
cauldron of cold water by thy side, and when thou art oppressed with
sleep, plunge into the cauldron."
Then Lludd returned back into his land. And immediately he summoned to
him the whole of his own race and of the Coranians. And as Llevelys
had taught him, he bruised the insects in water, the which he cast
over them altogether, and forthwith it destroyed the whole tribe of
the Coranians, without hurt to any of the Britons.
And some time after this Lludd caused the island to be measured in its
length and breadth. And in Oxford he found the central point, and in
that place he caused the earth to be dug, and in that pit a cauldron
to be set, full of the best mead that could be made, and a covering of
satin over the face of it. And he himself watched that night. And
while he was there, he beheld the dragons fighting. And when they were
weary they fell, and came down upon the top of the satin, and drew it
with them to the bottom of the cauldron. And when they had drunk the
mead, they slept. And in their sleep, Lludd folded the covering around
them, and in the securest place he had in Snowdon, he hid them in a
kistvaen. Now after that this spot was called Dinas Emreis, but before
that, Dinas Ffaraon. And thus the fierce outcry ceased in his
dominions.
And when this was ended, King Lludd caused an exceeding great banquet
to be prepared. And when it was ready, he placed a vessel of cold
water by his side and he in his own proper person watched it. And as
he abode thus clad with arms, about the third watch of the night, lo!
he heard many surpassing fascinations and various songs. And
drowsiness urged him to sleep. Upon this, lest he should be hindered
from his purpose and be overcome by sleep, he went often into the
water. And at last, behold! a man of vast size, clad in strong, heavy
armour, came in, bearing a hamper. And, as he was wont, he put all the
food and provisions of meat and drink into the hamper and proceeded to
go with it forth. And nothing was ever more wonderful to Lludd than
that the hamper should hold so much.
And thereupon King Lludd went after him and spoke unto him thus:
"Stop, stop," said he; "though thou hast done many insults and much
spoil erewhile, thou shalt not do so any more unless thy skill in arms
and thy prowess be greater than mine."
Then he instantly put down the hamper on the floor, and awaited
him. And a fierce encounter was between them, so that the glittering
fire flew out from their arms. And at the last Lludd grappled with
him, and fate bestowed the victory on Lludd. And he threw the plague
to the earth. And after he had overcome him by strength and might, he
besought his mercy. "How can I grant thee mercy," said the king,
"after all the many injuries and wrongs thou hast done me?" "All the
losses that ever I have caused thee," said he, "I will make thee
atonement for, equal to what I have taken. And I will never do the
like from this time forth. But thy faithful vassal will I be." And the
king accepted this from him.
And thus Lludd freed the island of Britain from the three plagues. And
from thenceforth until the end of his life, in prosperous peace did
Lludd the son of Beli rule the island of Britain. And this tale is
called the Story of Lludd and Llevelys. And thus it ends. |