View source for Llŷr

{{Short description|Welsh mythology figure}}
{{for|people named Llŷr|Llŷr (given name)}}
{{Infobox deity
| type         = Welsh
| name         = Llŷr
| deity_of     = A god of the sea, healing, and magic<ref name="IoMGLlyr">{{cite book |last=d'Este |first=Sorita |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Isles_of_the_Many_Gods/4GhrBAAACAAJ?hl=cy |title=The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Britain worshipped during the First Millennium through to the Middle Ages |last2=Rankine |first2=David |date=2007 |publisher=Avalonia |page=177 |language=English}}</ref>
| other_names  = Llŷr Llediaith
| cult_center  = Wales
| consort      = [[Penarddun]]<ref name="IoMGLlyr" />
| offspring    = [[Manawydan]], [[Bendigeidfran]], and [[Branwen]]<ref name="IoMGLlyr" />
| gender       = Male
| equivalent1_type = Irish
| equivalent1 = [[Lir]]
}}
'''Llŷr''' ({{langx|cy|Llŷr Llediaith}} ({{IPA|cy|ˈɬɨːr ˈɬɛðjaiθ}}); {{lang|cy|Lleddiaith}} meaning 'half-speech'<ref>{{Harvnb|Bromwich|1961}}, triads #8 and #52</ref> or 'half-language'<ref>{{Harvnb|Mackillop|1998}}</ref>) is a figure in [[Welsh mythology]], probably originally a deity, probably derived from Irish [[Lir|Ler]] ('the Sea'), father of ''[[Manannán mac Lir]]''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mackillop|1998}}, "Llŷr is often assumed to be borrowed from the Irish Lir, the patronym of the sea-god Manannán</ref> Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identity remains obscure.

Llŷr appears as the father of [[Brân the Blessed|Brân]], [[Branwen|Brânwen]] and [[Manawydan]] by [[Penarddun]] in the [[Four Branches of the Mabinogi#Branwen, Daughter of Llyr|''Branwen, Daughter of Llyr'']], the Second Branch of the ''[[Mabinogion|Mabinogi]]''.<ref name=jones>{{Harvnb|Jones|Jones|1993|p=21}}: "Bendigeidfran son of Llŷr was crowned king. His two brothers on the mother's side (Nisien and Efnisien) were sons of Euroswydd by his mother Penarddun."</ref>

The [[Welsh Triads]] states that Llŷr was imprisoned by [[Euroswydd]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Bromwich|1961}}, triad #52</ref> and presumably, Penarddun subsequently married Euroswydd,<ref>{{Harvnb|Mountain|1998}} Celt. Enc. vol. 4, p. 930, "Penarddun then married Euroswydd and bore his children Nissyen and Evnissyen"</ref> giving birth by Euroswydd to her two younger sons, [[Nisien]] and [[Efnisien]], as stated in the [[Four Branches of the Mabinogi#Branwen, Daughter of Llyr|Second Branch]].<ref name=jones/>

[[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[King Lear]]'' is based on material taken secondhand (through [[Raphael Holinshed]]) from [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s mythical king [[Leir of Britain|King Leir]], who has often been connected, but is likely unrelated, to Llŷr.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mackillop|1998}}, "Many trace Shakespear's.. Lear to Llŷr, but the route is tortuous; Shakespeare drew from Holinshed's Chronicles (1577)", etc.</ref>

==The House of Llŷr==
{{Tree chart/start}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |BM |BM=[[Beli Mawr|Beli mab Mynogan]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | |Lr|~|~|y|~|~|Pd|~|~|~|~|y|Eu|Lr='''Llŷr'''|Pd=[[Penarddun]]|Eu=[[Euroswydd]]
|boxstyle_Lr=background-color: #111;color:#fff
|boxstyle_Eu=background-color: #eee;border:none
}}
{{Tree chart |,|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|.| | | | | | |,|^|-|-|-|.|}}
{{Tree chart |BB| |Mn|~|Rh|~|Pw| |Br|~|Mt| |Ni| | |Ef|BB=[[Brân the Blessed]](♂)|Mn=[[Manawydan]](♂)|Rh=[[Rhiannon]]|Pw=[[Pwyll]]|Br=[[Branwen|Brânwen]](♀)|Mt=[[Matholwch]]|Ni=[[Nisien]](♂)|Ef=[[Efnisien]](♂)
|boxstyle_BB  =background-color: #ddf;
|boxstyle_Mn  =background-color: #ddf;
|boxstyle_Br  =background-color: #fdd;
|boxstyle_Pw=background-color: #eee;border:none
|boxstyle_Ni=background-color: #eee;border:none
|boxstyle_Ef=background-color: #eee;border:none
}}
{{Tree chart/end}}<br>
<br>
(*) Unbordered names are figures not in Llŷr's line of descent, though perhaps members of the extended family.<br> 
(*) This stemma is subject to further elaboration. If the Beli above is to be equated with [[Beli Mawr]] then [[Caswallawn]] stands as Penarddun's sibling. But Bromwich observes that Penarddun should be emended to being the sister of Beli, which would bring consistency with statement elsewhere that Caswallawn and Brân are cousins.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bromwich|1961}}, endnotes, p.284- on "Bran Vendigeit m. Llyr".</ref>

Collectively, Llŷr's children are ''Children of Darkness,'' as opposed to Dôn's ''Children of Light.''<ref name="IoMGLlyr" />

== See also ==
*The House of [[Dôn]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
;(Dictionaries)
*{{Citation|last = Mackillop|first = James|year = 1998| title = Dictionary of Celtic Mythology|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0192801201}}, p.&nbsp;301, under "Llŷr".
*{{citation|last=Mountain|first=Harry|title=Celtic Encyclopedia|volume=4|pages=929–|publisher=Universal-Publishers|year=1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeCTYUagBcUC&pg=PA929|format=preview|isbn=978-1-58112-893-2}}
*The New Companion to the Literature of Wales, Meic Stevens.
;(Texts)
*{{Citation|last=Bromwich|first=Rachel|year=1961|title=Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads|place=Cardiff|publisher=University of Wales Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wgYIAQAAIAAJ|format=snippet}}
*{{Citation|last=Bromwich|first=Rachel|year=2006|title=Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain|place=Cardiff|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=0-7083-1386-8 |ref=none}}
*{{Citation |last=d'Este |first=Sorita |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Isles_of_the_Many_Gods/4GhrBAAACAAJ?hl=cy |title=The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses of Ancient Britain worshipped during the First Millennium through to the Middle Ages |last2=Rankine |first2=David |date=2007 |publisher=Avalonia |language=English}}
*Gantz, Jeffrey (translator) (1987). ''The Mabinogion''. New York: Penguin. {{ISBN|0-14-044322-3}}.
*{{citation |last1=Jones |first1=Gwyn |last2=Jones |first2=Thomas |date=1993 |orig-date=1949 |edition=Revised |title=The Mabinogion |location=London |publisher=Everyman |isbn=9780460872973}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}
{{King Lear}}
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Llyr}}
[[Category:Mabinogion]]
[[Category:Sea and river gods]]
[[Category:Welsh gods]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological characters]]