Llwyd ap Cil Coed: a Cymric Mabinogi Hero (Mage, son of Cil Coed)

Synonyms:
Cym: Mage, son of Cil Coed

Llwyd ap Cil Coed features in the Mabinogi of Manawyddan mab Llŷr. The tale follows on directly from the Mabinogi of Branwen ferch Llŷr where Pryderi and Manawyddan leave London and as Manawyddan has no realm of his own Pryderi offers his own land of Dyfed along with the hand of his mother, Rhiannon in marriage. They come to Dyfed and Rhainnon agrees to marry Manawyddan and the wedding feast is prepared. Then Pryderi and Manawyddan depart for Oxford to pay homage to Caswallon fab Beli who, after Brân's death is now king of Britain. They return to Narberth and a feast is prepared for them and when they had feasted they made their way to the Gorsedd of Narberth and as they sat there they heard a peal of thunder and a thick fog sprang up about them and after the mist came a bright light and when they looked all the animals and all the people about them were gone.

They hunt and feast, but after two years they grow weary and go to Lloegr (England) to ply a craft whereby they can sustain themselves. They go to Hereford and make saddles until all the local saddlers turn against them and plot to kill them then they make shields and then shoes, but in each cases they make better goods than the locals and are driven away. Eventually they return home to Dyfed where they set about hunting until two of Pryderi's hounds are lost and he goes to seek them. He finds a deserted castle and though Manawyddan counsels him against entering he does so anyway and sees a spring with a golden bowl on a marble slab. Moving to the bowl he takes hold of it and as soon as he touches it he becomes frozen. Manawyddan waits for him until the close of day and he returns to Rhiannon and tells her what had happened. She berates him for not following Pryderi and makes to find her son. She also enters the castle and takes hold of the golden bowl and is frozen in her turn. When night came there was a peal of thunder and a mist rose and the castle and all its contents vanished.

When Cigfa, Pryderi's wife saw that there was none but Manawyddan and herself left she became fearful until Manawyddan reassured her that he would not molest her. They set forth to Lloegr where Manawyddan once more begins making shoes. But once again they are driven out and return to Dyfed. On his way Manawyddan brought with him a burden of wheat which was planted. When the wheat was ripe Manawyddan went to inspect it and decided to reap on the morrown. But when he came out the following morning, though the wheat still stood each and every ripened ear had been cut and carried away. But there was another ripened field and Manawyddan decided to guard this through the night. And at midnight there arose a mighty tumult around him and when he looked he saw a great host of mice which came into the field and cut off the ears of wheat to carry them away. Angrily he rushed at the mice, but they were too quick and he could catch none of them. All save one mouse which was more sluggish than the others. He caught this one and placed it in his glove before tying it securely with string. He presents Cigfa with the mouse, saying it is a thief fit only to be hanged on the morrow.

The following day he takes the mouse to the Gorsedd of Narberth and there he erects a miniature gallows. As he is working on this he saw a scholar approaching him and he marvelled at his for it was a full seven years since he had seen any other person in Dyfed save his companions. The stranger asks Manawyddan what he is doing and he responds that he is hanging a thief. The scholar offers a pound for the mouse, but Manawyddan will not set it free and the scholar goes away. Next Manawyddan sets the crossbeam on the gallows and as he does this he sees a priest approaching him. The priest enquires as to what he is doing. This time the priest offers three pounds in exchange for the mouse's life but Manawyddan is adamant and the priest goes away. Then, just as Manawyddan is placing a noose around the Mouse's neck he sees a bishop's retinue approaching. This time the bishop offers twenty-four pounds in exchange for the mouse's life but Manawyddan declines. The bisiop now asks of Manawyddan what he desires in return for the mouse's life. Manawyddan says that he desires the freedom of Rhiannon and Pryderi, but he also desires that the charm and illusion be lifted from the seven cantrefs of Dyfed. Even then he will not let the mouse go until he knows who and what has befallen them.

The stranger tells him that the mouse is his wife and that he is Llwyd mab Cil Coed and it was he who set the charm on Dyfed to avenge Gwawl fab Clud because of the game of Badger-in-the-Bag played upon him by Pryderi's father, Pwyll and because of his rejection by Rhiannon. Thus did was the illusion affecting Dyfed lifted.

It is interesting to note that the Cymric name Llwyd (meaning 'grey' or 'of the grey') is often used in the context of magicians or mages and may originally have applied to the Druid-Mage. It should also be noted that in Anglicized form the proper name Llwyd gives the surname Lloyd which is why the Cymric initial for Lloyd is the Cymric letter 'Ll' and not the Latin 'L'.

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