Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/61

 The European Sky -God. 51

whom we read ^ that his capital ' was afterwards called Kaerlud' and that 'his body was buried by the gate which to this time is called in the British tongue after his name, Parthltcd, and in the Saxon, Ludesgata,' i.e. Ludgate. King Nudd, it will be remembered, was 'Generous' and 'Liberal' {Hael, Liber alls). Similarly the Story of Ludd and Llevelys makes Lludd ' generous and liberal in giving meat and drink to all that sought them,'^ and tells how he guarded a great banquet all night against the depredations of a gigantic warrior.^ According to Geoffrey of Monmouth too, king Lud was 'very magnificent in his feasts and public entertain- ments ' * : he was succeeded by his brother Cassibellaun, who, as soon as he was crowned, 'began to display his generosity and magnificence to such a degree, that his fame reached to distant kingdoms ; which was the reason that the monarchy of the whole kingdom came to be invested in him.'^

' Lot of Londonesia ' is treated by Geoffrey as quite a different personage. He was a valiant man of royal blood, who married Anna, the sister of Arthur, and was by Arthur established as king of Norway.^ 'Londonesia' is a corruption'^ of Loiidonesia or Lodoneis, better known as Lothian ; for Loth or Lot is the eponym of that district.^ In the Morte Darthtir Lot figures as king of Lothian and of Orkney, who has married Arthur's sister, dame Morgawse, but, because of the wrong done to him by Arthur, fights against him and is slain by Sir

1 Geoffrey of Monmouth British History 3. 20 in Giles Old English Chronicles p. 136 f.

^Lady Guest Mabinogion p. 92. '^ Ead. ib. p. 97.

'' Geoffrey of Monmouth British History 3. 20 in Giles Old English Chronicles p. 137.

^ Id. ib. ^ Id. ib. 8. 21, 9. 9, 9. 11.

''Cp. Geoffrey's derivation of Caer-london from Kaer-lud (id. ib. 3. 20).

^ Rhys Arthurian Legend p. 11.