Nudd Hael: a Cymric Hero of the Old North (Spirit of Water, the Generous)

Synonyms:
Gaul: Spirit of Water, the Generous

Nudd Hael is a figure known from the ancient genealogies and from two triads in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein. He is unknown in the standard genealogies: Harleian MSS and Bonedd Gwŷr y Gogledd. However, he is named in Bonedd y Seint where this genealogy is given: Dingat mab Nud Hael mab Senyllt mab Kedic mab Dyuyniwal Hen mab Edneuet mab Maxen Wledic. However, Harleian Genealogy IV and Jesus Genealogy XIX gives Nudd's father, Senyllt a slightly different descent: Senyllt map Dinacat map Tutagual map Eidinet map Anthun map Maxim Guletic. These genealogies name Senyllt's son as Neidaon and Neithon, respectively. It is fair to assume that both these represent corrupted forms of 'Nudd'. The Jesus Genealogy also names Nudd's son as Rhun.

Both different sets of genealogies name Nudd Hael as a descendant of Magnus Maximus, though they differ as to the name of Maximus' son. In actuality of course, neither name represents Magnus Maximus' true son and as he never had a descendant in Britain it simply represents the practise of the early genealogists in assigning a famous mythological or historical personage to the unknown root of a given genealogy.

Taking the genealogies as a part of the whole, Triad 2 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein names Nudd Hael mab Senyllt as one of the 'Three Generous Men of the Island of Britain' along with Mordaf mab Serwan and Rhydderch mab Tudwal Tudglyd. If the first genealogy given above is correct, this would make the three figures named in this triad were contemporaries. If the second genealogy is correct then Senyllt, Nudd's father would be the one who was a contemporary of the other two notably generous men. Indeed, in Aneirin's poem Y Gododdin Senyllt's court is famed for its generosity and the genealogies name him as Senyllt Hael. It may be therefor that 'generous' was an epithet of the father which was later transferred to the son.

Triad 71 (Peniarth 267 version) names the bond of love between Caradog Freichfras son of Llyr Marini and Tegau Eurfron daughter of Nudd Llawhael as one of the 'Three Surpassing Bonds of Enduring Love'. Triad 31 also mentions a Dreon mab Nudd may also be a son of Nudd Hael. He was certainly a hero of the Old North and the name Nudd as a personal name is very rare. Like his sister, Tegau, Dreon was famous in his own right, with the Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch version of this triad naming Dreon Lew (Dreon the Lion) as one of the participants in the c 573 CE battle of Arfderydd; the battle between Gwenddoleu and Rhydderch Hael at which Myrddin (Merlin) lost his senses. (For a discussion on the etymology of the name Nudd see this entry.)

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