Coraniaid
Encyclopedia
The Coraniaid kɔˈranjaid are a race of beings from Welsh mythology
. They appear in the Middle Welsh prose tale Lludd and Llefelys
, which survives in the Mabinogion
and inserted into several texts of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Historia Regum Britanniae
. The Coraniaid figure in the tale as one of three plagues that affect Britain
during the reign of King Lludd. They are characterized by a sense of hearing
so acute that they can hear any word the wind touches, making action against them impossible.
corachod), translated as "dwarf", and its adjective
form corachaidd, translated as "stunted" or "dwarfish". Middle Welsh orthographical variants include Coranyeit and Coranneit.
In the tale, the Coraniaid cannot be injured because their hearing is so sharp that they can hear any sound that the wind carries, and can thus avoid danger. With the help of a long horn that muffles their conversation, Lludd asks his brother Llefelys
, king of France
, for advice on the problem. Llefelys tells him that a certain insect crushed up and mixed with water is deadly to the Coraniaid, but harmless to the Britons
. Lludd crushes up the insects and calls a meeting of all his people and all the Coraniaid, then throws the concoction over the whole crowd, thereby killing the Coraniaid without harming his people. He saves some of the insects for breeding in case the plague ever returns to Britain.
. Triad 36, which clearly refers to back to Lludd and Llefelys, refers to them as one of the "Three Oppressions" that came to Britain and stayed there, and adds that they "came from Asia".
In a triad found in the infamous third series of Welsh Triads printed in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
(1801–07), purportedly from a medieval manuscript but now known to be a forgery by Iolo Morganwg
, the Coraniad are said to have settled near the Humber
where they joined the Romans
and Saxons
against the Britons. Manley Pope, author of an 1862 translation of the Brut y Brenhinedd containing Lludd and Llefelys, follows the information given in Morganwg's triads and adds that they came from the country of Pwyll
(i.e., Annwn
). He further associates the Coraniaid with the Corieltauvi tribe of the East Midlands
, and attributes to them the various placenames including the element pool (from Pwyll) around Britain, including Welshpool
. Linguistically, this is improbable: the native Welsh name for Welshpool is Y Trallwng, for instance, and the English name Welshpool is comparatively late.
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
. They appear in the Middle Welsh prose tale Lludd and Llefelys
Lludd and Llefelys
Lludd and Llefelys is a Middle Welsh prose tale written down in the 12th or 13th century. It has been associated with the Mabinogion since it was collected by Charlotte Guest in the mid-19th century...
, which survives in the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
and inserted into several texts of the Brut y Brenhinedd, a Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
. The Coraniaid figure in the tale as one of three plagues that affect Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
during the reign of King Lludd. They are characterized by a sense of hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
so acute that they can hear any word the wind touches, making action against them impossible.
Name and description
The name Coraniaid appears to be related to the Welsh word corrach (pluralPlural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
corachod), translated as "dwarf", and its adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
form corachaidd, translated as "stunted" or "dwarfish". Middle Welsh orthographical variants include Coranyeit and Coranneit.
In the tale, the Coraniaid cannot be injured because their hearing is so sharp that they can hear any sound that the wind carries, and can thus avoid danger. With the help of a long horn that muffles their conversation, Lludd asks his brother Llefelys
Llefelys
Llefelys is a character in Welsh mythology appearing in the medieval Welsh tale Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys. In the tale, Llefelys is king of France while his brother Lludd is king of Britain...
, king of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, for advice on the problem. Llefelys tells him that a certain insect crushed up and mixed with water is deadly to the Coraniaid, but harmless to the Britons
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
. Lludd crushes up the insects and calls a meeting of all his people and all the Coraniaid, then throws the concoction over the whole crowd, thereby killing the Coraniaid without harming his people. He saves some of the insects for breeding in case the plague ever returns to Britain.
Other appearances
The Coraniaid also appear in the Welsh TriadsWelsh 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...
. Triad 36, which clearly refers to back to Lludd and Llefelys, refers to them as one of the "Three Oppressions" that came to Britain and stayed there, and adds that they "came from Asia".
In a triad found in the infamous third series of Welsh Triads printed in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales
The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales is a printed collection of medieval Welsh literature, published in three volumes between 1801 and 1807. Until John Gwenogvryn Evans produced diplomatic editions of the important medieval Welsh manuscripts, the Myvyrian Archaiology provided the source text for many...
(1801–07), purportedly from a medieval manuscript but now known to be a forgery by Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
, the Coraniad are said to have settled near the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
where they joined the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
against the Britons. Manley Pope, author of an 1862 translation of the Brut y Brenhinedd containing Lludd and Llefelys, follows the information given in Morganwg's triads and adds that they came from the country of Pwyll
Pwyll
Pwyll Pen Annwn is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and literature, the lord of Dyfed, husband of Rhiannon and father of the hero Pryderi...
(i.e., Annwn
Annwn
Annwn or Annwfn was the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, or much later by Gwyn ap Nudd, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease is absent and food is ever-abundant. It later became Christianised and identified with the land of souls that had departed...
). He further associates the Coraniaid with the Corieltauvi tribe of the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
, and attributes to them the various placenames including the element pool (from Pwyll) around Britain, including Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
. Linguistically, this is improbable: the native Welsh name for Welshpool is Y Trallwng, for instance, and the English name Welshpool is comparatively late.