Seithenyn
Encyclopedia
Seithenyn is a figure from Welsh
legend, apparently contemporary with King Gwyddno Garanhir
. He is the protagonist of a poem in the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (Black Book of Carmarthen)
. According to legend, he was responsible for the sea-defences of Cantre'r Gwaelod (the 'Lowland Hundred') or Maes Gwyddno ('Plain of Gwyddno'), in the kingdom of the legendary Gwyddno Garanhir, but neglected them one night because of his drunkenness. Because of this neglect, the sea overran it.
Cantre'r Gwaelod is said to lie beneath the waters of Cardigan Bay
off the coast of Ceredigion
near Aberdyfi
, Wales
. Seithenyn (in some later sources the son of Seithyn Saidi), was in charge of the embankment there, and as such, it was his failure to discharge his duties which led to its drowning. Seithenyn is also listed in the Triads of the Island of Britain
as one of the Three Immortal Drunkards of the Isle of Britain.
He appears as a character in Thomas Love Peacock's 1829 Arthurian novel The Misfortunes of Elphin
.
Sir John Rhys
posited a connection between Seithenyn and the Setantii
, a Celt
ic tribe living in what is now the north west of England
..
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
legend, apparently contemporary with King Gwyddno Garanhir
Gwyddno Garanhir
Gwyddno Garanhir was the supposed ruler of a sunken land off the coast of Wales, known as Cantre'r Gwaelod. He was the father of Elffin ap Gwyddno, the foster-father of the famous Welsh poet, Taliesin, in the legendary account given in the late medieval Chwedl Taliesin .-Legend:The basket of...
. He is the protagonist of a poem in the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (Black Book of Carmarthen)
Black Book of Carmarthen
The Black Book of Carmarthen is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written entirely or substantially in Welsh. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen, and is referred to as black due to...
. According to legend, he was responsible for the sea-defences of Cantre'r Gwaelod (the 'Lowland Hundred') or Maes Gwyddno ('Plain of Gwyddno'), in the kingdom of the legendary Gwyddno Garanhir, but neglected them one night because of his drunkenness. Because of this neglect, the sea overran it.
Cantre'r Gwaelod is said to lie beneath the waters of Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
off the coast of Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
near Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi , or Aberdovey is a village on the north side of the estuary of the River Dyfi in Gwynedd, on the west coast of Wales....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Seithenyn (in some later sources the son of Seithyn Saidi), was in charge of the embankment there, and as such, it was his failure to discharge his duties which led to its drowning. Seithenyn is also listed in the Triads of the Island of Britain
Welsh Triads
The Welsh Triads 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 rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
as one of the Three Immortal Drunkards of the Isle of Britain.
He appears as a character in Thomas Love Peacock's 1829 Arthurian novel The Misfortunes of Elphin
The Misfortunes of Elphin
The Misfortunes of Elphin is the fifth novel by Thomas Love Peacock, published in 1829. It is set in a somewhat historically-fanciful Arthurian Britain which incorporates many Welsh legends, but avoids all supernatural and mystical elements. Seithenyn appears as a major character.-External links:*...
.
Sir John Rhys
John Rhys
Sir John Rhys was a Welsh scholar, fellow of the British Academy, celticist and the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford University.-Early years and education:...
posited a connection between Seithenyn and the Setantii
Setantii
The Setantii were a pre-Roman British tribe who apparently lived in the western and southern littoral of Lancashire in England...
, a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic tribe living in what is now the north west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
..