Yr Elen
| Yr Elen | |||
| Caernarfonshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Yr Elen | |||
| Range: | Snowdonia | ||
| Summit: | 3,156 feet SH673651 53°9’59"N, 3°59’11"W | ||
Yr Elen is a mountain in the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, in Caernarfonshire. It is the ninth highest mountain in Snowdonia. It lies on a short ridge running west-north-west off the main north-east to south-west ridge of the Carneddau, about three quarters of a mile from Carnedd Llewelyn.
Yr Elen is usually climbed from the main ridge of the Carneddau, as it is only a short walk from Carnedd Llywelyn. It can also be climbed from Gerlan, near Bethesda, following the Llafar river then heading up the slopes of Yr Elen, but this involves walking through wet valleys and a number of rivers that are difficult to cross.[1]
Name of the mountain
The origin of the name is unclear, though Elen is the Welsh form of the personal name "Helen" or "Eleanor". One suggestion is that it is named after Eleanor de Montfort (d. 1282), princess of Wales and wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, though many a Helen might claim the right to name the mountain; Eleanor of Castile the wife of Edward I, St Helena, Elen the bride of Macsen Wledig in legend or many another.
Another interpretation though, more grounded in the landscape rather than romance, is "the leech" (yr elen), perhaps in reference to the way that Yr Elen appears to be attached to the side of the remaining Carneddau.[2]
References
- ↑ Gillham, John (2010). The Pictorial Guide to the Mountains of Snowdonia 1: The Northern Peaks. Frances Lincoln. pp. 111. ISBN 9780711229730. http://books.google.com/books?id=Z9cI8m0qz3sC&pg=PA111.
- ↑ Nuttall, John & Anne (1999). The Mountains of England & Wales - Volume 1: Wales (2nd edition ed.). Milnthorpe: Cicerone. ISBN 1-85284-304-7.