The kingdom of Britain once faced three extraordinary afflictions that threatened the peace and prosperity of its people. Strange invaders possessed knowledge that made them almost impossible to defeat, a terrifying cry disturbed the entire island every May Eve, and the king’s provisions mysteriously disappeared each night. King Lludd struggled to discover the causes of these troubles until he sought the counsel of his younger brother, Llevelys, the wise king of France. Through careful advice, courage and determination, the brothers uncovered the secrets behind the three plagues and found a way to restore peace to the kingdom.
The Story of Lludd and Llevelys
Long ago, there lived a great king named Beli, the son of Manogan. He had four sons, Lludd, Caswallawn, Nynyaw and Llevelys.
When Beli died, his eldest son, Lludd, inherited the kingdom of Britain. He was a powerful warrior, a generous ruler and a man who cared deeply about the prosperity of his people.
Lludd was particularly fond of the city of London. He rebuilt its walls and surrounded it with numerous towers to strengthen its defences. He also ordered the citizens to construct fine houses, ensuring that the city would become more magnificent than others in the surrounding kingdoms.
Although Lludd possessed many castles and cities, he loved London above them all. He spent much of the year there, and the city became closely associated with his name. It was first called Caer Lludd and later became known as Caer London.
Lludd was not only concerned with buildings and military strength. He was also generous to those who came to his court. He provided food and drink for people who needed them and welcomed those who sought his hospitality. Under his leadership, the kingdom enjoyed a period of prosperity.
Of all his brothers, Lludd loved Llevelys most. Llevelys was known for his wisdom, good judgement and ability to offer sound advice. Although the brothers lived in different kingdoms, their affection for each other remained strong.
Llevelys Becomes King of France
One day, news reached Llevelys that the king of France had died. The king had left no male heir, and his only daughter inherited his possessions and authority.
Llevelys saw an opportunity to strengthen the honour and standing of his family. He wished to travel to France, marry the princess and become king of the country. Rather than undertaking the journey without consultation, he went to his elder brother, Lludd, to seek his advice and assistance.
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Lludd listened to his brother’s proposal and approved of it.
He immediately arranged for ships to be prepared and filled them with armed knights. Llevelys then set sail for France with his companions.
When they arrived, messengers were sent to the nobles of the country to explain the purpose of the visit. The French nobles and princes considered the proposal together and agreed that the princess should marry Llevelys.
She was given to him in marriage, together with the crown of the kingdom. Llevelys accepted his new responsibilities and ruled France with wisdom and fairness for the remainder of his life.
The two brothers were now kings of separate kingdoms, but their family bond remained important. In time, Lludd would need the wisdom of his younger brother more than ever.
Three Terrible Plagues Fall Upon Britain
After some time had passed, three terrible plagues descended upon the Island of Britain. They were unlike anything the people had previously experienced, and their effects brought fear and confusion throughout the kingdom.
The first plague came in the form of a strange race known as the Coranians.
These people possessed extraordinary powers of hearing. According to the tale, they could discover any conversation spoken anywhere on the island, even when people whispered quietly. If the wind carried their words, the Coranians would hear them and know what was being said.
This ability made it almost impossible for the people of Britain to plan against them. Any attempt to discuss their weaknesses or organise resistance could be discovered before action was taken.
The second plague was a terrifying shriek that sounded across the island every May Eve.
The cry was so dreadful that it affected every household. When it passed over the homes of the people, fear entered their hearts. Men lost their colour and strength, women lost their children, and young men and maidens were overcome by terror.
The affliction did not stop with human beings. Animals, trees, the earth and the waters were also left barren. The island suffered as though the life within it had been drained away.
The third plague affected the king’s household and its provisions.
No matter how much food and drink were prepared in the royal courts, everything disappeared during the first night, except what had already been consumed. Even if the palace stored enough provisions to last an entire year, nothing remained by morning.
The three afflictions placed an enormous burden upon Lludd. His people were frightened, the kingdom’s resources were threatened, and he could not understand how to overcome the troubles.
Two of the plagues had unknown causes, while the first appeared to offer some possibility of resistance. Nevertheless, the king knew that he needed help.
He summoned the nobles of his kingdom and asked them for advice. After discussing the situation, they agreed that Lludd should seek the counsel of his brother Llevelys, whose wisdom was widely respected.
The Brothers Meet Across the Sea
Lludd decided to travel to France, but he wanted to keep the purpose of his journey secret. The Coranians could hear conversations carried by the wind, so an ordinary discussion about the plagues might reveal his plans.
A fleet was therefore prepared quietly. Only the king and his trusted counsellors knew the true reason for the voyage.
Lludd selected the people who would accompany him, and they sailed towards France.
When Llevelys heard that ships from Britain were approaching, he did not know why his brother was coming. Concerned about the unexpected arrival, he prepared a large fleet and went out to meet him.
When Lludd saw the size of the French fleet, he ordered the other ships in his company to remain at sea. He continued towards his brother in only one vessel.
Llevelys also approached in a single ship.
When the two kings finally met, they embraced warmly and welcomed each other with great affection. Their reunion was filled with brotherly love, but Lludd soon explained the serious reason for his visit.
He told Llevelys about the three plagues that had troubled Britain and described how helpless he felt in the face of them.
Llevelys listened carefully. He then explained that he already knew something about the afflictions and believed he could help his brother overcome them.
However, they needed a way to speak without the Coranians discovering their plans.
The Secret of the Brass Horn
The brothers considered how they might communicate without allowing the wind to carry their words to the Coranians.
Llevelys arranged for a long horn made of brass to be prepared. He believed that they could speak through it without their conversation being overheard.
When they began talking through the horn, however, another strange problem arose.
Neither brother could understand the other. Every word that passed through the instrument sounded harsh and hostile, as though they were exchanging insults rather than discussing the troubles of Britain.
Llevelys quickly realised that something was interfering with their communication. He suspected that a demon had entered the horn and was distorting their words.
To remove the obstruction, he instructed that wine should be poured into the horn to wash it.
The wine drove the demon away, and the brothers were finally able to speak clearly.
With their communication restored, Llevelys began explaining how each of the three plagues could be overcome.
How to Defeat the Coranians
Llevelys first addressed the Coranians.
He gave Lludd a supply of special insects and instructed him to keep some of them for breeding. This was important because the same kind of affliction might return in the future, and the king would need to preserve the means of defending his kingdom.
The remaining insects were to be crushed and mixed with water.
Llevelys explained that the resulting mixture would destroy the Coranians without harming the people of Britain.
He instructed Lludd to return home and arrange a meeting between the people of his own race and the Coranians. The gathering should appear to be a peaceful conference intended to settle their differences.
When everyone had assembled, Lludd was to sprinkle the prepared water over them all.
The substance would poison the Coranians but leave the Britons unharmed.
Llevelys therefore provided his brother with a way to overcome the first plague, while also reminding him to preserve some of the insects in case the danger returned.
The Secret of the Two Dragons
Llevelys next explained the cause of the terrible shriek that disturbed Britain every May Eve.
He revealed that the sound came from two dragons fighting against each other.
One dragon belonged to Britain, while the other came from a foreign land. The two creatures were locked in a fierce struggle, and the British dragon’s cries produced the frightening sound heard across the island.
Llevelys explained how Lludd could discover and contain them.
First, the king would need to measure the length and breadth of Britain to determine the exact centre of the island. At that central point, he should order a deep pit to be dug.
A cauldron containing the finest mead should then be placed inside the pit. Its opening was to be covered with a piece of satin.
Lludd himself had to remain there and watch.
Llevelys explained that the dragons would appear in the forms of terrifying animals and continue fighting in the air. Their struggle would eventually exhaust them.
When they became too tired to continue, they would fall from the air in the form of two pigs. They would land upon the satin covering and sink with it into the cauldron.
Once inside, the creatures would drink all the mead and fall asleep.
Lludd would then have to act quickly. He should fold the satin around the sleeping dragons, place them in a stone coffin known as a kistvaen and hide it securely in the strongest place within his dominions.
As long as the dragons remained imprisoned there, the island would be protected from that particular plague.
The Mysterious Thief of the King’s Provisions
Llevelys then turned to the third affliction, which caused the disappearance of food and drink from the royal court.
He explained that the culprit was a powerful magician.
This man used illusions and enchantments to make everyone fall asleep. While the people were unconscious, he entered the king’s stores and carried away the provisions.
Llevelys advised Lludd that he must personally guard the food and drink.
However, the magician’s powers were dangerous because he could make the king sleepy as well. To prevent himself from falling asleep, Lludd should place a vessel of cold water beside him.
Whenever sleep began to overcome him, he would need to plunge into the water to remain awake.
With these instructions, Llevelys had provided a solution to each of the three plagues.
Lludd thanked his brother and prepared to return to Britain.
Lludd Restores Peace to Britain
When Lludd arrived home, he immediately began carrying out Llevelys’s instructions.
He first gathered the people of his own race and the Coranians for what appeared to be a peaceful conference. Following his brother’s advice, he crushed the special insects, mixed them with water and sprinkled the mixture over the assembled crowd.
The Coranians were destroyed, while the people of Britain remained unharmed.
Lludd kept some of the insects for breeding, as Llevelys had instructed, ensuring that he would have them if the same danger returned.
With the first plague removed, the king turned his attention to the second.
He ordered the entire island to be measured in length and breadth. After the measurements were completed, Oxford was identified as the exact central point.
A pit was dug there, and a cauldron filled with the finest mead was placed inside it. A satin covering was spread over the opening.
Lludd remained there to watch, determined to carry out his brother’s instructions himself.
As night passed, he witnessed the extraordinary battle that Llevelys had described. The two dragons appeared and fought fiercely, taking the forms of terrifying animals as their struggle continued.
Their movements and attacks filled the night with violence. Neither creature seemed willing to surrender, and their battle continued until both became exhausted.
At last, they fell in the form of two pigs and landed upon the satin covering. The material gave way beneath their weight, and both creatures sank into the cauldron.
They drank the mead and soon fell asleep.
Lludd acted immediately. He folded the satin around them and secured the sleeping creatures.
He then carried them to Snowdon, where he placed them in a stone coffin and hid them in the strongest place within his dominions.
Afterwards, the location became known as Dinas Emreis. Before this, it had been called Dinas Ffaraon.
With the dragons imprisoned, the terrifying outcry ceased throughout Britain.
The King’s Final Trial
Only the third plague remained.
Lludd knew that the mysterious magician would continue stealing provisions unless he discovered the man and stopped him.
He therefore arranged for an enormous banquet to be prepared. When the food and drink were ready, he placed a vessel of cold water beside him and armed himself for the night’s watch.
He remained alert as the evening passed.
During the third watch of the night, he began to hear extraordinary music and enchanting songs. The sounds were so captivating that drowsiness gradually overcame him.
Remembering Llevelys’s warning, Lludd repeatedly plunged himself into the cold water whenever he felt sleep approaching. He was determined not to allow the magician to overcome him.
Eventually, a man of enormous size appeared.
He was dressed in strong, heavy armour and carried a large hamper. Without hesitation, he began placing the provisions of the royal banquet into it.
The hamper seemed capable of holding an impossible amount of food and drink. The man continued gathering everything, intending to carry it away as he had done on previous nights.
Lludd watched until the stranger was ready to leave.
Then the king confronted him.
He ordered the man to stop, declaring that although he had committed many offences and caused great losses, he would not be allowed to continue unless his strength and skill were greater than the king’s.
The stranger immediately put down the hamper and prepared to fight.
A fierce battle followed. The weapons of the two opponents struck against one another with such force that sparks flew from their arms.
Neither was willing to surrender, and the struggle continued until Lludd finally gained the advantage.
The king grappled with the mysterious man and threw him to the ground. At last, the third plague had been defeated.
The Final Agreement
After his defeat, the magician begged Lludd for mercy.
The king was angry because the man had repeatedly stolen the provisions of his court and caused so much trouble for the kingdom.
He questioned how he could possibly forgive someone who had inflicted such losses and injuries upon him.
The defeated man promised to make amends. He offered to repay everything he had taken and swore that he would never repeat his wrongdoing.
He also promised to become the king’s faithful servant.
Lludd accepted the agreement.
With the magician defeated, the third plague came to an end.
The king had now freed Britain from all three afflictions. The Coranians had been destroyed, the two dragons were imprisoned, and the mysterious thief had been overcome.
From that time until the end of his life, Lludd ruled the Island of Britain in peace and prosperity.
The tale is remembered as The Story of Lludd and Llevelys, the account of two brothers whose wisdom, courage and cooperation brought an end to three terrible plagues.
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Moral Lesson
The story teaches the importance of wisdom, cooperation and seeking good counsel when facing difficult challenges. Lludd was a powerful king, but he recognised that strength alone could not solve every problem. By seeking Llevelys’s advice and carefully following his instructions, he overcame dangers that had threatened his entire kingdom. The tale also shows the value of remaining alert, thinking carefully and taking responsibility for the welfare of others.
Knowledge Check
1. Who were Lludd and Llevelys?
They were sons of Beli the Great. Lludd became king of Britain, while Llevelys became king of France.
2. What were the three plagues that troubled Britain?
They were the Coranians, the terrifying shriek heard every May Eve, and the mysterious disappearance of food and drink from the royal courts.
3. How did Llevelys help Lludd communicate without being overheard by the Coranians?
He arranged for a long brass horn to be made so the brothers could speak through it. After discovering that a demon was distorting their words, he used wine to drive it away.
4. What caused the terrible shriek heard every May Eve?
It was caused by two dragons, one belonging to Britain and the other from a foreign land, fighting against each other.
5. How did Lludd capture the two dragons?
He prepared a cauldron of mead beneath a satin covering at the centre of Britain. When the exhausted dragons fell into it and fell asleep, he wrapped them in the covering and imprisoned them in a stone coffin in Snowdon.
6. How did Lludd overcome the third plague?
He stayed awake during a royal banquet, using cold water to resist sleep. When the mysterious magician appeared to steal the provisions, Lludd confronted and defeated him in combat.
Source
Source: Adapted from “The Story of Lludd and Llevelys” in The Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest.
