WHERE IS THE ELEI OF UTHER'S SERVANT MABON? (A REAPPRAISAL OF AN EARLIER ARGUMENT)

Roman Glevum (Gloucester) Under Excavation

I spent a great deal of time analyzing the Pa Gur poem and the locations of the various place-names it mentions.  The results of this research were made available years ago in my book THE ARTHUR OF HISTORY.  Here is the relevant section from my book:

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2016/08/arthurs-other-battles-mythological-or.html

Now, I had followed standard practice and identified 'Elei' with the River Ely in southern Wales.  And, indeed, this identification led me to attempt to equate Uther Pendragon (whose servant or 'gwas', Mabon, is one of the predatory birds of Elei) with St. Illtud.  To make matters worse, I suggested that Mabon was present in the Ely Valley because of St. Mabon at Llanfabon to the north near the Taf Vale.  While the headwaters of the Taf and the Ely are not too far distant from each other, this reasoning was more than a stretch.

Well, it my endless quest for an origin point for Uther, I've decided to take another look at this particular 'Elei.'  One thing is immediately obvious: all of the places mentioned in the Pa Gur poem are in the North, and none are situated further south than Derbyshire.  This strongly suggests that we are dealing with another Elei, and one possibly to be found in the North.  More specifically, one where we know the god Maponos/Mabon is present.  When searching for such a place, we need to bear in mind that several of the Pa Gur place-names are Gaelic.

A complicating factor is the presence of Gwyn Godyfrion amongst the wythaint/birds of prey of Elei.  Once we drop the intrusive prefix Go- ("under"), we have the place-name Waendofron (965-971), modern Wendover in Buckinghamshire.  According to Ekwall, this is a British name for the clear chalk stream at the place, corresponding to Welsh gwyn, 'white', and dwfr, 'river.' Wendover is near to Aylesbury, and it is likely Ayles- (from AS Aegeles/Aegles/Eiles-) has been fancifully linked to Elei. The problem is that there is absolutely no justification for placing Mabon servant of Uther Pendragon at Wendover or in the Vale of Aylesbury.  Dyfrion/dybrion, 'water(s)', is attested in Welsh according to Dr. Simon Rodway of The University of Wales.

Cysteint or 'Constantius' son of Banon is not much help, either.  This is yet another of the wythaint.  Banon (information courtesy Dr. Rodway) is a woman's name meaning 'queen' (probably originally 'goddess'), cf. Gaulish Banona.  This name can thus be linked to Modron, the Divine Mother of Mabon.  Both mothers, in other words, are goddesses.  However, see below for a couple of alternative derivations for Banon.

I find it curious that the Elei or Ely River is in the ancient kingdom of Glywysing.  This name derives from an eponym for Glevum, the Roman name for Gloucester.  In CULHWCH AND OLWEN, Mabon is said to be a prisoner at Caer Gloyw/Gloucester. Now, if gwas is being used in its most common sense, i.e. as "servant", then we must ask ourselves where in Welsh tradition Mabon might have found himself to be in this social position.  Surely, to be in a state of servitude can imply one is a captive or is otherwise being held against one's will. Slaves in Celtic society were usually war prisoners.  If, then, Mabon is not only a prisoner at Caer Gloyw, but a servant, then Caer Gloyw belongs to Uther Pendragon.  And I've also pointed out that in Geoffrey of Monmouth's HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN, Illtud (= Eldadus) is made the Bishop of Gloucester. 

As Glevum is (see the entry in Rivet and Smith's THE PLACE-NAMES OF ROMAN BRITAIN) 'the bright place/town' (Welsh gloyw = 'bright, shining'), we should not be surprised to find the sun god Mabon situated there.  

In the HISTORIA BRITTONUM, one of the sons of Gloiu (= "Gloyw", Glevum/Gloucester) is named Bonus. Could we possibly connect this personage with Banon father of Constantius? There was also a Roman usurper named Bonosus in the late 3rd century.  He had a British father.

Even better, Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine the Great, launched ships against Allectus, a usurper in Britain, from Bononia (Boulougne in Northern France).  It would not be unusual if Banon as the mother of a Constantius derived from this place-name.  

If I'm right about Mabon being a servant at Gloucester, then we might expect him to be transferred in legend to Elei in Glywysing.  This is especially true given the presence there of the Dinas Powis fort, where Illtud the terribilis miles served as captain of the troops for Paul Penychen. Illtud had been born in the "Llydaw" which was the Vale of Leadon, named for the river that empties into the Severn across from Gloucester.  I shown that his wrongful placement in the ancient kingdom of Brycheiniog has to do with his association with a personal name related to the tribal name of the Dobunni.  This tribe included within its territory the Leadon Vale.