DISPENSING WITH THE 'ELEI' PROBLEM

Maponus from Ribchester

I no longer think the 'Elei' of the PA GUR is relevant to our search for Uther Pendragon.  Here is the revised section on Elei from my article on the locations mentioned in that poem:

Elei (= Elai) is the early spelling of the Ely River in southern Wales.  Mabon is doubtless placed here not only because he plays a role in southern Wales in CULHWCH AND OLWEN's hunt for the monstrous boar, but because there were actual Mabon place-names there.  From P.C. Bartram's A CLASSICAL WELSH DICTIONARY:

"MABON, ST.

The presumed saint of Llanfabon, a chapel subject to Eglwysilan, near Llandaf, Morgannwg (PW 65). Maenorfabon and Maenordeilo are two townships in the civil parish of Llandeilo Fawr (WATU p.106) although Fabon (=Maenorfabon) is also said to be a township in the parish of Llangadog (Fawr) (WATU pp.68, 125). Both parishes are in Ystrad Tywi."

The entity at Llanfabon may not be a saint at all, for Mabon in Welsh could be used for God, and most especially for Christ the "Divine Son." 

I once thought that Mabon's placement in the Ely Valley may mean that Uther was to be looked for there as well.  But there is no evidence for that.  Instead, Mabon doubtless served Uther wherever he happened to be, just as Arthur's men followed him all over Britain.  I've shown in my book THE BATTLE-LEADER OF RIBCHESTER that Sawyl of the North, my candidate for the Terrible/Horrible Chief-dragon, is more than once associated with the god Mabon/Maponus.  In particular, Apollo Maponus had a shrine at Sawyl's Ribchester. 

We know from Roman period sources that Maponus had his cult center in the North - not in the South.