Celtic Gods: The Cymric Hero, Senyllt

Senyllt
A Cymric Hero of the Old North

Senyllt is a Cymric (Welsh) folk hero of the Old North who is known from the ancient Welsh Genealogies and the Welsh Triads. He is named as the father as the father of Nudd Hael. He is named as one of the most generous men of Britain, famed for his feasts.



Synonyms:
Cym:

Senyllt is known both from the ancient Cymric genealogies and from the Trioedd Ynys Prydein. He is mentioned in both the standard Harleian MSS Genealogies and the Bonedd Gwŷr y Gogledd as well as the Bonedd y Seint where this descent is given: Dingat mab Nud Hael mab Senyllt mab Kedic mab Dyuyniwal Hen mab Edneuet mab Maxen Wledic. Thus it seems that Senyllt was the father of Nudd Hael. However, Harleian Genealogy IV and Jesus Genealogy XIX give Senyllt a slightly different descent: Senyllt map Dinacat map Tutagual map Eidinet map Anthun map Maxim Guletic. What is not in doubt is that Senyllt is credited as being Nudd Hael's father.

All the different genealogies also name Senyllt as a descendant of Magnus Maximus. In actuality, of course, Magnus Maximus never had a descendant in Britain and these genealogies simply represent the practise of the early genealogists in assigning a famous mythological or historical personage to the unknown root of a given genealogy.

Senyllt is mentioned in one triad, Triad 2 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein where he is named as the father of Nudd Hael, one of the 'Three Generous Men of the Island of Britain'. However, a single reference in Aneirin's poem Y Gododdin sheds some more light on this triad:

Nid ef borthi gwarth gorsed
senyllt ae lestri llawn med.


No shame would it suffer
Senyllt's court with its vesself full of mead

These stanzas and an allusion in Jesus Genealogy XIX suggests that it was Senyllt rather than his father who was famous for his generosity. Thus it might well be Senyllt's name who was originally intended as the subject of Triad 2. The chronology of both men is also consistent with the Senyllt of the Gododdin being Nudd Hael's father.



Couldn't find what you were looking for? Search the web:



stefan and zogo small One Million People Campaign
If you can spare $1 then help support this site and change someone's life forever? Learn how and why on the One Million People campaign page. Or donate $10 and get my Guide to Spices or The Recipes of Africa eBooks as a gift for your donation!