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The Mythology of the British Islands
The Mythology of the British Islands

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.
He was homeless and landless.
But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.
The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.
Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Mythology of the British Islands

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.
Line 2
He was homeless and landless.
/hiː wɑːz ˈhoʊmləs ənd ˈlændləs/
Line 3
But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.
Line 4
The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.
Line 5
Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

attractive adjective US /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading “Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.”

explained verb US /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.”

homeless noun US /ˈhoʊmləs/

someone unfortunate without housing

From this reading “He was homeless and landless.”

landless adjective US /ˈlændləs/

owning no land

From this reading “He was homeless and landless.”

pleasing adjective US /ˈpliːzɪŋ/

giving pleasure and satisfaction

From this reading “The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.”

realm noun US /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading “But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.”

sole noun US /soʊl/

the underside of footwear or a golf club

From this reading “THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.”

survivor noun US /sərˈvaɪvər/

one who lives through affliction

From this reading “THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

sole survivor noun + noun

In this reading “THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.”

All words in this reading · 48

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

345

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He was homeless and landless.

attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

Dyfed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

ENCHANTMENTS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was homeless and landless.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

homelessnounUS /ˈhoʊmləs/

someone unfortunate without housing

From this reading He was homeless and landless.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

landlessadjectiveUS /ˈlændləs/

owning no land

From this reading He was homeless and landless.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

Llyrnoun

Celtic deity who was the father of Manawydan; corresponds to Irish Lir

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

Manawyddannoun

Celtic sea god; son of Llyr

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

offeredverbUS /ˈɔːfərd/

past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

pleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/

giving pleasure and satisfaction

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

Pryderi

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

realmnounUS /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

Rhiannon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

solenounUS /soʊl/

the underside of footwear or a golf club

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

survivornounUS /sərˈvaɪvər/

one who lives through affliction

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

uncomelyadjective

not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society

From this reading The lady, her son explained, was still not uncomely, and her conversation was pleasing.

WARnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE WAR OF ENCHANTMENTS[345] Manawyddan was now the sole survivor of the family of Llyr.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading But Pryderi offered to give him a realm in Dyfed, and his mother, Rhiannon, for a wife.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Manawyddan seems to have found her attractive, while Rhiannon was not less taken with the son of Llyr.

Chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands by Charles Squire holds 124 sentences, grouped into 25 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands contain?

Chapter 20 holds 124 sentences of The Mythology of the British Islands, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands by Charles Squire exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 124 sentences, grouped into 25 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 20 of The Mythology of the British Islands?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Mythology of the British Islands

Common questions about reading The Mythology of the British Islands by Charles Squire on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mythology of the British Islands?

Yes. All 4777 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54616 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mythology of the British Islands is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54616, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mythology of the British Islands take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 956 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mythology of the British Islands section by section

How to work through The Mythology of the British Islands section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Mythology of the British Islands to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Mythology of the British Islands

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mythology of the British Islands, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mythology of the British Islands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Believes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mythology of the British Islands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Attempt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mythology of the British Islands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mythology of the British Islands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.