Lud son of Heli

Lud, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's legendary History of the Kings of Britain and related medieval texts, was a king of Britain in pre-Roman times. He was the eldest son of Geoffrey's King Heli, and succeeded his father to the throne.

Lud's reign is notable for the building of cities and the refortification of Trinovantum (London), which he especially loved. Geoffrey explained the name "London" as deriving from "Caer Lud", or Lud's Fortress. When he died, he was buried at Ludgate. His two sons, Androgeus and Tenvantius, were not yet of age, so he was succeeded by his brother Cassibelanus.

In the Welsh versions of Geoffrey's Historia, usually called Brut y Brenhinedd, he is called Lludd fab Beli. An independent Welsh tale, Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys ("The Tale of Lludd and Llefelys"), one of the tales now known as the Mabinogion, is included in one Welsh version of the Historia. While Lludd was king of the Island of Britain, his brother Llefelys (not found in Geoffrey's work) became king of France, and helped Lludd to rid Britain of three supernatural menaces. He may be connected with the Welsh mythological figure Lludd Llaw Eraint, earlier Nudd Llaw Eraint, cognate with the Irish Nuada Airgetlám, a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. However, he was a separate figure in Welsh tradition and is usually treated as such.

Numerous toponyms in England and one in Ireland (Ludden, Limerick) are based on Lud-, Ludden-, Luddes-, or Ludger-. The toponyms range as far north as County Durham, and as far west as Ludgvan, Somerset, but only two are to be found in Wales, Luford, Herefordshire, and Ludchurch, Permbrokeshire.

King Lud in the City of London

Lud's name is one of the possible etymologies for Ludgate, a major gateway into the City of London. Crumbling statues of King Lud and his two sons, which formerly stood on the gate, now stand in the porch of the church of St Dunstan-in-the-West on Fleet Street in London. There was a pub at Ludgate Circus called "King Lud", now renamed "Leon", and medallions of King Lud may be seen up on its roofline and over the doors.

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