Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 3 (Celtic and Slavic).djvu/155

Rh "beauty-famed beyond summer's dawn," sang a poet.$10$ Her name means "silver wheel."

Much that Is said of Lieu Is Insignificant for mythology, though Rhŷs has built a large structure of sun, dawn, and darkness upon It. The greater part of It Is a well-known folktale formula attached to his name—that of the Unfaithful Wife. It Is doubtful whether Lieu really equals Lug merely because their uncles are respectively Govannon and Gavlda (Golbniu), both meaning "smith"; for while Gavlda nurtured Lug, and Lug slew Balor, Lieu was not brought up by Govannon, and the latter Incident has no equivalent In his story. Moreover, Lug Is prominent In connexion with the great Celtic festival, Lugnasad (celebrated on the first of August), but Lieu Is not. Thus his mythological significance is lost to us.

Math caused Dylan to be baptized, and then this precocious baby made for the sea, where he swam like a fish; no billow broke under him, and he was called "son of the wave." The blow which caused his death came from Govannon—one of the three nefarious blows of Britain—but is otherwise unexplained. The waves lamented his death, and ever, as they press toward the land, they seek to avenge it.$11$ Perhaps Dylan was once a sea-god, regarded as Identical with the waves, like Manannan. Tradition speaks of the noise of the waters pouring Into the Conway as his dying groans, and, again like Manannan, son of Ler (the sea), he is called Dylan EI) Ton or Mor ("Son of the Wave" or "Sea").$12$ "As soon as he entered the sea, he took its nature."

Govannon's functions as a smith-god are illustrated from a reference in Kulhwch and Olwen, where his help must be gained by Kulhwch to attend at the end of the furrows to cleanse the iron,$13$ though the meaning of this is obscure. In a Tallesin poem he and Math are associated as artificers.$14$ Amæthon's name suggests that his functions were connected with agrlcul ture (amaeth, "ploughman" or "labourer"), and this is