Dylan ail Don () (in

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh ( cy, Cymraeg Canol, wlm, Kymraec) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh ( cy, Hen G ...

) is a character in the Welsh mythic

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () are the earliest Welsh prose stories, and belong to the Matter of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, creat ...

tales, particularly in the fourth tale, "'' Math fab Mathonwy''". The story of Dylan reflects ancient Celtic myths that were handed down orally for some generations before being written down during the early Christian period by clerics. The story as it has been preserved therefore exhibits elements and archetypes characteristic of both

Celtic pagan Ancient Celtic religion, commonly known as Celtic paganism, was the religion of the ancient Celtic peoples of Europe. Because the ancient Celts did not have writing, evidence about their religion is gleaned from archaeology, Greco-Roman accounts ...

and Christian mythologies. His name translates as ''"Dylan the Second Wave"'', referring to him as being the second born (''ail don'' meaning "second wave") of

Arianrhod Arianrhod () is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the ''Mabinogi''. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy; the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr.Triad 35. ...

. In some interpretations of legend, Dylan represents darkness while his twin brother Lleu Llaw Gyffes represents light. But the more common interpretation is that Dylan is a Welsh sea-god. Dylan was killed by his uncle, and it has been said that "The clamour of the waves dashing upon the beach is the expression of their longing to avenge their son." In

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, Dylan is one of the most popular traditional Welsh names for boys.

Biography

In ''Math fab Mathonwy'' it is told that Dylan's great uncle

Math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

would die if he did not keep his feet in the lap of a virgin when not at war. Math's original foot-holder, Goewin, is raped by Gilfaethwy who is punished severely when Math returns, turning Gilfaethwy and

Gwydion Gwydion fab Dôn () is a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the ''Mabinogi'', which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes. He also appea ...

into a series of mated pairs of animals. Math then marries Goewin to alleviate her shame, but must find a new virgin to hold his feet. Gwydion suggests his sister,

. Math magically tests Arianrhod to confirm that she is a virgin, at which point she gives birth to twin sons.

Dylan's baptism

One of the sons, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, is borne away by Gwydion as a "lump of flesh" and concealed in a chest until maturity, but the other, a sturdy blonde boy, was immediately forsaken by his mother yet was acknowledged by his great uncle Math and given the name Dylan. As soon as Dylan comes in contact with his baptismal waters, he plunges into the sea and takes on characteristics of a sea creature, moving through the seawater as perfectly as any fish:

'So they had the boy baptised, and as they baptised him he plunged into the sea. And immediately when he was in the sea, he took its nature, and swam as well as the best fish that was therein. And for that reason was he called Dylan, the son of the WaveGuest, 1877: Chapter 9'

Dylan's death

Dylan is accidentally killed by his uncle

Gofannon Gofannon () is a Middle Welsh reflex of Gobannus, one of the deities worshipped by the ancient Celts. He features in Middle Welsh literature as a great metal worker and as the son of Dôn. His name can be compared with the Old Irish ''gobae'' ( ...

in the end.

'And the blow whereby he came to his death, was struck by his uncle Gofannon. The third fatal blow was it called'.

Mythological elements

In literature on Celtic mythology, the character Dylan is sometimes taken to be the vestige of an ancient Celtic God. According to this line of thinking, representation of Dylan in Welsh literature and in folklore alludes to the attributes of his supposed divine ancient Celtic prototype. Squire (2000:158) prefers to see in Dylan the remnants of a god of darkness:

‘ o sons were born at one birth – Dylan and
Lleu Lleu Llaw Gyffes (, sometimes spelled Llew Llaw Gyffes) is a hero of Welsh mythology. He appears most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Math fab Mathonwy, which tells the tale of his birth, his marriage, his death, hi ...
, who are considered as representing the twin powers of darkness and light. The clamour of the waves dashing upon the beach is the expression of their longing to avenge their son. The sound of the sea rushing up the mouth of the
River Conwy , name_etymology = , image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at Conwy , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pus ...
is still known as "Dylan's death-groan". A small promontory on the
Carnarvonshire , HQ= County Hall, Caernarfon , Map= , Image= Flag , Motto= Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd) , year_start= , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Caerna ...
side of the
Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
, called Pwynt Maen Tylen, or Pwynt Maen Dulan, preserves his name.’

Dylan's rock is located north of the Church of St Beuno's Church at Clynnog Fawr on the seashore, which must be on or near the location of his grave as told in Englynion y Beddau (Stanzas of the Grave) of the

Black Book of Carmarthen The Black Book of Carmarthen ( cy, Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin) is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written solely in Welsh. The book dates from the mid-13th century; its name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the E ...

xxxii:

'ynydvna ton tolo.' (Where the wave makes a sullen sound)

'Bet dilan llan bevno.' (The grave of Dylan in Llan Beuno.)

On the other hand, MacCulloch (1911, Ch. VI) has preferred to see Dylan simply as the remnants of a local sea-god of

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, an ...

(North Wales):

‘Dylan, however, has no dark traits and is described as a blonde. The waves lament his death, and, as they dash against the shore, seek to avenge it. His grave is "where the wave makes a sullen sound," but popular belief identifies him with the waves, and their noise as they press into the Conwy is his dying groan. Not only is he Eil Ton, "son of the wave," but also Eil Mor, "son of the sea." He is thus a local sea-god, and like Manannan identified with the waves, and yet separate from them, since they mourn his death. The Mabinogi gives us the débris of myths explaining how an anthropomorphic sea-god was connected with the goddess Arianrhod and slain by a god Govannon.’

Genealogy

In the Mabinogion, Dylan's mother, Arianrhod, is the daughter of

Dôn Dôn () is an ancestor figure in Welsh legend and literature. She is typically given as the mother of a group known as the "Children of Dôn", including Gwydion, Arianrhod, and Gilfaethwy, among many others. However, antiquarians of the early mod ...

and the sister of

and Gilfaethwy. Her Uncle, Math ap Mathonwy, is the King of Gwynedd, and during the course of the story, Arianrhod gives birth to her two sons; Dylan ail Don and Lleu Llaw Gyffes through magical means. In the

Welsh Triads The Welsh Triads ( cy, Trioedd Ynys Prydein, "Triads of the Island of Britain") are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a ...

, we are given a context for an actual Arianrhod who appears as the daughter of Beli MawrTriad 35. Bromwich, ''Trioedd Ynys Prydein'', pp. 284–285. and the sister of

Caswallawn Cassivellaunus was a historical British military leader who led the defence against Julius Caesar's second expedition to Britain in 54 BC. He led an alliance of tribes against Roman forces, but eventually surrendered after his location was revea ...

(the historical Cassivellaunus). Whether this reference is the result of the merging of a myth and history is unclear. It is possible that a later historic Arianrhod has become identified and merged with an earlier legendary/mythological Arianrhod.

Literary reference

Dylan is the subject of a eulogy entitled Marwnad Dylan Ail Don attributed to the

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise ...

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the ''Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the court ...

One God Supreme, divine, the wisest, the greatest his habitation,
when he came to the field, who charmed him in the hand of the extremely liberal.
Or sooner than he, who was on peace on the nature of a turn.
An opposing groom, poison made, a wrathful deed,
Piercing Dylan a mischievous shore, violence freely flowing
Wave of Iwerdon, and wave of Manau, and wave of the North,
And wave of Prydain, hosts comely in fours.
I will adore the Father God, the regulator of the country, without refusing.
Creator in Heaven, may he admit us into merry.

Etymology

The etymology of the name ''Dylan'' is somewhat complex. In

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

, there is a bound item ''dylanw''- which appears in ''dylanwad'' ‘influence,’ ''dylanwadol'' ‘influential’ and ''dylanwadu'' ‘to influence’. This element ''dylanw''- appears itself to be a compound of the prefix ''dy''- and the noun ''llanw'' ‘tidal flow’. The prefix ''dy''- appears in numerous words in

and is reconstructed in

Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-Celt ...

as *''dī''- with the meaning of ‘off, away’.http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/PCl-MoE.pdf The item ''llanw'' is reconstructed in

as *''φlanwo''- ‘flood, filling.’ This *''φlanwo''- may plausibly have had a reduced form *''φlanu''- ‘flood.’ This etymology is echoed in the following Gaelic (Irish) words: * 'tuinne''nf. in : gob na tuinne, the water edge * 'tòn''nf. g. tòine; d. tòin; pl.+an, the fundament * 'tonn''nm. g.v. tuinn; pl.+an and tuinn, wave, surge, billow

References

External links

Celtic Gods and their Associates

Proto-Celtic — English lexicon

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dylan Ail Don Welsh mythology Welsh gods