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The first issue to be dealt with is Lleu's name. In the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch he is known as both Lleu and Llew. However, the oldest fragment of the Mabinogi of Math mab Mathonwy, as found in the Peniarth 16 MSS gives Lleu only as the name. Also, the rhyme in the three ancient englynion contained in the tale of Math shows that the true form of the name should be Lleu not Llew:

The confusion, even for the mediaeval copyist, ocurred because of the early use of U/V to stand for the vowel U, the consonant V (F in modern Cymric orthography) and also the Cymric vowel W. Later, a modified open form of 6 became used for W and later still the letter W itself came into use. Each copyist attempted to update the orghography of the manuscript and as the name Lleu had fallen out of use the copyist may have assumed that the name was Llew (lion). The earliest translators into English made a similar error and so the incorrect form of the name entered common parlance.

In Cymric mythos Lleu is one of the main figures in the Mabinogi of Math mab Mathonwy (for a full translation of the tale see here) where the story of his birth, marriage and betrayal forms the second half of the tale.

Due to the machinations of Gwydion, Math mab Mathonwy loses the services of his virgin foot-holder, Goewin. As a replacement, Gwydion's sister, Arianrhod is fetched. To ensure that she is a virgin, Math sets a test for her and taking his wand he bends it in the middle, sets it on the floor and commands Arianrhod to step over. Ariahrhod took a step over the wand and on that first step there emerged a fine long-limbed, chubby yellow-haired boy. The boy gave a hearty wail and on hearing this she [Arianrhod] quickly made for the door. As she reached the threshold and a small from emerged from her; but before anyone could catch a second glimpse Gwydion took him and covered him with a sheet of velvet before hiding him away. Whereupon he hid the form in the low chest at the foot of his own bed. The first child is baptized Dylan and escapes to the sea. Then, one day, Gwydion hears a cry at the foot of his bed and opening the chest he sees an infant boy. The boy is housed with a wet nurse and by the time he was two he came to Math's llys all by himself where Gwydion greets him and takes him to Caer Arianrhod to meet his mother, Arianrhod. Gwydion introduces the boy to her and Arianrhod responds with: 'Oh, sir,' [she replied,] 'what came over you to shame me thus, to pursue my shame and retain it all this time?' Gwydion answers that fostering such a child as this would be no dishomour at which point Arianrhod enquires: 'What is the name of your son?' This being the first concrete evidence we have for Lleu being the child of the incestuous relationship between Gwydion and Arianrhod. Thus Gwydion is not Lleu's uncle but rather his father. Gwydion answers Arianrhod by saying that Lleu does not yet bear a name. At which point Arianrhod palces a dihanedd upon Lleu that he shall never gain a name save he gains it from her.

Undeterred, on the following day Gwydion charms leather from sea-weed and sets out in a boat of his own fashioning towards Caer Arianrhod. Disguising himself and Lleu as cobblers they set to their trade and Arianrhod sends out for a pair of shoes. Gwydion creates a pair that are too big, and a further pair too small. Eventually Arianrhod is enticed out so that the true measure of her feet can be taken. She comes to their boat and with this a wren alighted on the deck and the boy threw his needle and pierced it between the sinew and the bone of its leg. At this she laughed, saying: 'truly, with a skilful hand did the fair one strike it.' 'Yea,' he replied, 'God's curse upon you, for he has gained a name; and a good enough name it is. Henceforth he shall be Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately Gwydion's glamour dissipates and seeing the she has been tricked Arianrhod places another dihenydd upon Lleu — that he will never bear arms unless they be given from her own hand.

Again Gwydion disguises them as bards from Morgannwg and they gain entry into Arianrhod's fortress. That night, long before dawn Gwydion arose and he drew unto him his magics and his abilities. By the time day was breaking there resounded uproar and trumpets and cries all sounding together across the land. Arianrhod implores the 'bards' to aid her in defence of her fortress and with her maids she fetches arms and armour for them men. Gwydion bids her dress the youth and thus did Lleu gain arms and armour. Immediately he dispels his glamour and once agiain Arianrhod places a dihenydd upon Lleu — that he shall never gain a wife 'of the race that now dwells upon the earth'.

Gwydion and Lleu go to Math's court where Gwydion complains bitterly of Arianrhod's obstacles. Math aids Gwydion in creating a wife for Lleu. They took the flowers of oak, the flowers of broom and the flowers of meadowsweet and from these they charmed the fairest and most graceful maiden that was ever beheld. And they baptized her according to how she was birthed and called her Blodeuwedd. After the marriage had been consummated and they had all feasted Math bestows the gift of the cantref of Dinodig on Lleu and there he and Blodeuwedd set-up court.

One day, when Lleu sets out for the court of Math, Blodeuwedd spies a huntsman chasing a magnificent stag. The man is Goronwy Bebyr and on his return she invites him into her llys they fall instantly in love and plot to do away with Lleu. Upon his return to court Blodeuwedd enquires of Lleu as to what manner his death can be brought about 'that she might better protect him from such a fate'. 'I t is not easy to slay me from a blow.' Lleu said, 'The spear that injures me must be a year in its fashioning and it must not be worked upon save at the time of offering on a Sunday. I cannot be killed within a house,' he added, 'nor outside it; I cannot be killed on a steed nor whilst I am on foot. To slay me A bath must be prepared for me on the banks of a river and a domed roof formed above the tub which is thatched tightly and well. Then a buck-goat must be brought and placed beside the tub. Then if I place one foot on the goat's back and the other on the edge of the tub. Whomsoever strikes me under these conditions will cause my death.' Immediately Blodeuwedd sends news oof this to Goronwy and he begins working on the magic spear. A year later, Blodeuwedd asks Lleu to show her how he may be killed and having prepared the bath and the bower he goes with her and after bathing he stands with one leg on the tub and another on the back of a buck goat. At this Goronwy emerges and casts his spear at Lleu so that it struck him [Lleu] in his flank so that the shaft darted out and the spear's head stuck within him. Then he flew away in the form of an eagle even as he uttered a fearful scream. And henceforth he was seen no more.

The reports of these events reach Math and Gwydon and Gwydion goes searching for Lleu. He comes to the house of a villein and the next day he follows the household's sow until she came to halt beneath a giant oak and began consuming putrid flesh and maggots. Gazing up he he saw an eagle at the crown of the oak and using his magic he sings three englynion to entice Lleu down to him. Using his magics he transforms Lleu back to human form and returning him to Math's corut at Cear Dathyl he causes Lleu to be cured. Then Lleu and Gwydion set out to punish Blodeuwedd and Goronwy. Math transforms Blodeuwedd into an owl, to be shunned by all the other birds. Meanwhild Lleu catches-up with Goronwg and messengers are sent. Lleu, however, will only accept one thing from him: 'that he goes to the place where I stood when I was struck by the spear whilst I stand in the place where he was at the time. He must then allow me to strike him with the spear. And this is the smallest thing that I shall accept from him.' Goronwy asks one of his household to take his place but they refuse, and from that day unto this, the third Unfaithful Family [of the Island of Britain]. They reach the banks of Afon Cynfael and there Goronwy Bebyr stood where Lleu had been when he'd been struck and Lleu stood where the other had been. And then Goronwy said unto Lleu: 'Lord,' said he, 'since it was from the deceit of a woman that I did unto you as I did, I implore you, before god, to allow me to set that flat stone that I see on the riverbank between myself and the blow.' 'Truly,' said Lleu, 'I shall not refuse you this.' Thus Goronwy took the stone and placed between himself and the blow. Then Lleu cast his spear at Goronwy and it pierced the stone and went through, and it went through him [Goronwy] as well and broke his back. A second time did Lleu Llaw Gyffes take possession of his land, and he governed it prosperously. And as the story-tellers relate he became, after this, the lord of Gwynedd.

Thus we have the tale of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, as related in the Mabinogi of Math mab Mathonwy. Some of the events in this tale are also alluded to in the Trioedd Ynys Prydain. Triad 30 gives the war-band of Goronwy of Penllyn as one of the 'Three faithless War-bands of the Island of Briatain'. Triad 67 names Lleu as one of the 'Three Golden Shoemakers of the Island of Britain'. Triad 38 gives Lleu's steed (one of the three bestowed horses of the Island of Britain) as Pale Yellow of the Stud. Triad 20 (the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch version) gives Lleu as one of the 'three Red Ravagers of the Island of Britain' though the tale of Lleu's despoiling of Britain is lost to us.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes is undoubtedly the cognate of the Irish deity Lúgh and Gaulush Lugus who is known from toponymic evidence throughout Euorpe (see the page on Lugus for more information). According to the Irish folklore of Lúg his father was Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann and his mother was Ethniu, daughter of Balor, of the Fomorians. From augury Balor learns that he is to be killed by his grandson, so he locks his daughter Ethniu in a tower of crystal, usually located on Tory Island, to keep her from becoming pregnant. However Cian, with the help of the druidess Birog, managed to enter the tower and seduce her. She gave birth to triplets, but Balor threw them into the ocean. Two of the babies either drowned or turned into seals (compare this with the twin brith of Lleu and Dylan) but Birog saved one, Lug, and gave him to Manannan mac Lir, who became his foster father. He was nursed by Tailtiu (again, compare this with the fostering of Lleu by Gwydion). This tale may point to a lost myth regarding the fathering of Lleu by Gwydion on Arianrhod with Gwydion using his shape-shifting abilities to seduce his sister. There may be a further triplism associated with Lúg's birth in that His father, Cian, is usually mentioned together with his brothers Cú and Cethen (though none of the tales surrounding them survive). If Gwydion truly is Lleu's father the he also forms a sacred triad with his brothers Amaethon and Gofannon.

As a young man Lúg travelled to Tara to join the court of king Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The doorkeeper would not let him in unless he had a skill with which to serve the king. He offered his services as a wright, a smith, a champion, a swordsman, a harpist, a hero, a poet and historian, a sorcerer and a craftsman, but each time was rejected as the Tuatha Dé already had someone with that skill. But then crafty Lúg asked if they had anyone with all those skills simultaneously and the porter had to admit defeat, and Lug joined the court. He won a flagstone-throwing contest against Ogma, the champion, and entertained the court with his harp. The Irish story here makes plain that Lúg is 'all-skilled'. This feature of the deity is more hidden in the Mabinogi. However, Lleu's sikills as a craftsman are evident as are his skills with arms (gaining his name by striking the wren with a needle, his use of the spear, his magical gaining of arms). The possibility that he was considered multi-skilled is expressed in the englyn above, where the oak holding Lleu is described as supporting a score of crafts. According to the Ulster Cycle Lúg fathered Cúchulainn on the mortal maiden Deichtine. And when When CúChulainn lay wounded after a gruelling series of combats during the Táin BóCuailnge appeared and healed his wounds over a period of three days; which is reminiscent of Lleu's healing by Gwydion. In Irish folklore Lúg also appears in the guise of a trickster. Though this aspect of his persona has been lost in the Mabinogi tale with the function once again being transferred to his uncle/father, Gwydion.

Lug led the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh against the Fomorians. Nuada was killed in the battle by Balor. Lug faced Balor, who opened his terrible, poisonous eye that killed all it looked upon, but Lug shot a sling-stone that drove his eye out the back of his head, wreaking havoc on the Fomorian army behind. In some versions he uses a spear. This skill of Lúg with a spear has a parallel in the Cymric tale, both in the manner that Lleu's death can be attained and in the means by which he finally kills Goronwy Bebyr. In the context of the parallel of Lleu with his cognates it is interesting to note that the consort of Lugus (in his guise as the Gaulish Mercury is invariably the goddess Rosmerta and from the various images of her she is known to be a goddess of flowers, amongst other things. Lleu's wife, Blodeuwedd (literally her name means 'flower-aspect') is also a flower goddess and may be an echo of the ancient link between Lugus and the flower maiden. Lúg's epither in Iris is samildánach (skilled in many arts) which direct congnate of Llaw Gyffes though Lúg's other epithet lámfhada approaches llaw gyffes more exactly in form. Though after the Christain period the popularity of Lleu diminished until he became a dim and distant period, the Iris Lúg survided, though his status diminished as he became the leipreachán [leprechaun]) (little bent Lug). Interestingly though two of Lúg/Lugus' attributes remained (shoe-making and the Mercury money-purse in the guise of the crock of gold).

We have a few further references to Lleu one in the Llyfr Taliesin, in the poem known as Kat Godeu (The Battle of the Trees) we have the following fragment of verse: 'I was at Cad Goddeu with Lleu and Gwydion: they made by enchantment earth, trees and irises'. Lleu is also mentioned in the poem Prif Gyuarch Taliessin (Taliesin's First Address) where we have the following lines: 'Or Lleu and Gwydion/Will they perform magics?'. This is our only reference to Lleu being a mage on a par with Gwydion himself. The poem Caderi Cerridwen (Cerridwen's Chair) has the following verse:

This verse tells us that Lleu had a son called Mynawg, and that he might have died in a battle at Arllechwedd. The 'thrust' probably refers once again to Lleu's prowess with his trusty spear.

Lleu's name has been interpreted as 'The Bright One/The Little One' mostly based on the presence of the component 'lleu' in the Cymric light-associated words goleu (light) and lleuad (moon) and the middle Cymric llug (light). The Cymric word for moon (lleuad) gives us one clue, as this is probably derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic word *lug-rā. This word is, itself, related to the proto Indo-European root *leug- (blackness, dimness, darkness) thus the Cymric for moon (lleuad) can literally be interpreted as 'dim light' and the Cymric goleu literally means 'banisher of darkness'. Also Lleu may be related to the proto-Celtic root *lug- (oath) which is linked both to pledging and deception. The Irish Lúgh and the Cymric Lleu also bear connotations of smallness and he is in some senses a 'figure of small stature' who is in reality a king. Lleu's name may, like Lugus' mean something like 'The Shadowy One' a dweller in the in-betweens. Existing in the shadowy realm betweeen the light and the dark aspects which all have bearing upon his name.