Page:The Mabinogion.djvu/495



LUUDD AND LLEVELYS.

is the celebrated King Lud, brother to Cæsar's opponent Cassibelaunus. The Brut and Geoffrey of Monmouth record his fortifying and decorating the City of London nearly in the same terms as the Mabinogi, stating that it was from him called Caerlud, afterwards corrupted into Caer London, then into London, and lastly by the foreigners into Londres. They also state that King Lud was buried near the gate, still called from his name, in the British language, Porthlud, and in the Saxon, Ludesgate.

Amongst the poems attributed to Taliesin, is one called "Ymarwar Lludd," "The Conciliation of Lludd," in which the meeting with Llevelys is mentioned; but the poem is very obscure in consequence of the allusions not being understood. Llewelyn the Bard also, in an ode to Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, refers to this occurrence, but in so cursory a manner, as not to throw any further light upon the subject.

The Coranians who occupy so conspicuous a place in the present Tale, form the subject of a Triad (Tr. vii). They are by some supposed to be the Coritani.