medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Francine
The seventeenth-century text identifies Llywellyn as captain of the bodyguard of his grandfather, Rhodri Mawr, who was king of North Wales and became king also of Powys (eastern Wales for those List-members who aren't familiar with the country) through marriage. (It was Rhodri who was killed in battle, not Llywellyn.) While it's difficult to be sure how much of this text is romance, it's likely to be an antiquarian copy of a medieval MS. The same text describes Llywellyn's lineage as 'of Gegidfa' (modern Guilsfield), a place not far from Welshpool, clustered round a church with Powysian royal and monastic traditions whose huge parish is part of a group of interlinked parochia which encompass also the royal vill of Mathrafal and a royal mausoleum at Meifod, as well as Welshpool, a market town at the ancient head of navigation of the River Severn and thus effectively Powys's access-point to overseas (as well as insular) trade and cultural influence.
So, putting *Lugus-belinos and Llewellyn's sunrise devotions on one side, there's no reason to reject a reading of Llywellyn as a king's grandson and soldier who retires to the life of a religious (in this case on the family's home estates). Fellow List-members will be able to furnish ninth-century parallels, I'm sure. From the previous century one might mention Guthlac of Mercia.
Best wishes
Graham
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Dr Graham Jones
Lecturer in English Topography
University of Leicester
Centre for English Local History
Marc Fitch Historical Institute
5 Salisbury Road
Leicester LE1 7QR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)116 252 2764
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-----Original Message-----
From: francine nicholson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 15 December 2002 00:57
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] St Llywelyn?
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>From: "Jones, Dr G.R." <[log in to unmask]>
Dear Francine
>A cause for veneration? Difficult.
You mentioned that at least one of the two was killed while accompanying a
king in battle, so I wondered what it was that made him "saintly." I assumed
that he was a warrior. Was he a priest, then, or was he hermit-ing as
penance for all his sins of the sword? If so, how did he end up in battle?
>A fourteenth-century poem describes the two saints as penitential hermits
>meeting for meditation during the final three hours of the night and the
>first three of the day and to say Matins. Both gave their names to the
>herbal plant known in English as speedwell (veronica). So
there's both piety and popular remedy.
Busy fellows. Hmm, end of one day and beginning of another? I'll have to
gnaw on that one.
>I thought you might be expecting me to comment on the likely derivation
>from *Lugus-belinos ;-)
Actually, I'd completely overlooked that. Thank you for mentioning it! And
if you'd like to comment further, please do! :)
>On the morrow of St Lucy, waiting for the solstice, late medieval
>Lugh-alikes ought to leave the stage to the Lady of Light herself...
<tee-hee> I like that--but since when do Celtic heroes know enough to wait
in the wings, especially for an Anglo-Norse lady?
>However, association with the morning is indicated. (That the feast day
>falls between the equinox and May Day (Beltain - Belinos) may be
>coincidence, I suppose.)
Hmm, the question is: does Beltaine come from Belenos or simply mean "bright
fire"? Intriguing, though. Why would somebody be named after Lugh and
Belenos if his feast were in midwinter? On the other hand, it's halfway
between Lughnasa (Lugh) and Imbolc (Bri/g). Seems like there should be
*something* but I'm not sure what.
>How Gwrnerth ('man of strength') would fit such an interpretation, I'm not
>sure.
If I were better at spotting Welsh-Irish cognates, I'd probably have someone
to suggest.
Best,
Francine
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