Llefelys: a Cymric Mabinogion god (Honeyed Voice)

Synonyms:
Cym: Honeyed Voice

Llefelys is known from the Mabinogion of Cyfranc Llydd a Llefelys (The Adventure of Lludd and Llefelys) where he is named as one of the sons of Beli Mawr. The salient elements of the tale being as follows:

Of Beli Mawr fab Manogan's sons — Lludd, Caswallon, Nyniaw and Llefelys — Lludd was the oldest and after his father's death the kingdom of the Island of Britain came into his hands. A prosperous ruler, he re-built the wallso of Llundein (London) and he loved this walled city so much that it became known as Caer Lludd (LLydd's Fortress) and then Llundein. Of all his brothers Lludd loved Llefelys the best, and when the king of France died, leaving his posessions to his only child, a daughter, came to his brother's court that he might go to France to woo the maiden. They amassed ships and knights and went to France where an entreaty was sent and Llefelys gained the maiden and the crown of France and he ruled wsely and well.

After some time had passed three plagues befell the Island of Britain. The first of these were the Coranieid who could hear any conversation upon the wind, no matter how low it was spoken. The second was a shriek heard every Calan Mai (May eve) over every hearth in Brtain. This shriek went through every person's heart so that the men lost their hue and their strength and the women lost their children and the maidens and young men lost their senses and the animals and even the land itself was left barren. The third plague befell the king's court — no matter how many provisions of food were prepared for the king's tables, even if it were a full year's supply, none of it could ever be found, except that which was consumed on the first night. And of the latter two plagues no one could work out how they were caused. By the common counsel of the nobles Lludd set sail to meet with his brother, Llefelys, who was a man of great wisdom and good counsel.

The great fleet of Britain set out and hearing of this Llefelys also set sail in his own great fleet to meet them, for he knew not the cause of his borther's arrival. When Lludd saw this he took a single ship and set forth and his brother, seeing this, did the same. Heaving to they greeted and embraced one another and Lludd related his tale of woe. They took counsel together and so that the Coranieid could not hear them Llefelys had a speaking horn of brasss made. But all the words spoken through this emerged harsh and hostile and so Lludd had the horn washed with wine to drive out the devil residing there, which was done. Llefelys then told Lludd that he would give him some insects, of which he could keep some to breed in case the afliction came to his land again. The remainder should be braised in water and when he came to his own lands Lludd was to bring his own people and the race of the Coraniaid together as if he was to make peace between them. He should then cast the infused water over the assembled hosts and the water would slay the Coranieid but leave his own people unharmed. The second affliction, so Llefelys said was caused by a dragon and a dragon from a foreign race is fighting with it and trying to overcome it and the native dragon makes a fearful outcry. Lludd was to measure his entire island to find its centre and there a pit should be dug and a cauldron brimful of the best mead was to be put in the pit and covered with a layer of satin. The next time the dragons fought they would rise into the air and then, exhausted, they would fall to the earth in the form of pigs and landing on the satin covering they would sink into the cauldron. Drinking the mad, they would fall asleep and be captured. They should then be taken and buried in a stone chest in the strongest place Lludd had in his island and be buried in the earth. The third plague was caused by a magician who stole Lludd's provisions, causing the entire household to sleep as he sprited the food and mead away. To catch him Lludd had to stay awake and he should prepare a cauldron of cold water and if sleep should threaten to overcome him he should plunge in. Only by this means would he catch the thief. Lludd returned to Britain and did what his brother had told him to do. All the Coranieid were slain with the insect-infused water, the dragons were caught at Oxford and imprisoned in Dinas Emrys and he caught a man of vast size who was taking his food to put it into a hamper he carried. They fight by magic and by strength but eventually Lludd is victorious and makes the man swear fealty to him. Thus were the three plagues of Britain defeated.

The tale of Lludd and Llefelys is also referred to in a poem contained within the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin known as Ymarwar Bychan Lludd (The Short Discussion of Lludd) which reads Kyn ymarwar llud a llefelis (before the discussion of Lludd and Llefelys) and indicates that the original title of the Mabinogion tale might have been Ymarwar Lludd a Llefelys rather than the current Ymddiddan Lludd a Llefelys the former title makes some sense in that the major part of the tale's action is a discussion or at least a conversation between Llefelys and his brother, Lludd.

Beyond these references nothing is known of Llefelys and in the few references to him made by the earlier poets it is always to the Mabinogion tale rather than to the person himself. In Patrick Ford's translation of The Mabinogi and Other Welsh Tales, he renders the name of Llefelys Lleuelys basing this on the relationship between Lludd and the Irish Nuadu and suggesting that on the basis of the similarity between the Cyfranc and the Irish tale 'The Second Battle of Magh Tured' (The Plain of Frost) where Nuadu and Lugh are the main protagonists. Whether of not this is the case the name of Llefelys cha be interpreted as coming from llef (cry, voice) and melys (sweet, honeyed) thus Llefelys is the 'Honeyed Voice' which fits in both with the tale itself and Llefelys' reputation for wisdom and wise counsel.

If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.

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