Serendipity derives from Welsh. In Welsh seren, describes astro phenomena – such as a star, but it can also mean a comet. Dim problem efo hwn, ond sut am “dipity”? This derives from the Welsh variation “tipit” – turned into dipit by soft mutation, as seren has such a strong influence on everything that follows it. Tipit is:

Gêm a chwaraeir gan ddau dîm o ddau neu dri aelod; cuddir botwm; yn llaw aelod o un tîm, a rhaid i aelod o’r tîm arall ddyfalu ym mha law, gan ei chyffwrdd a dweud “tipit”.

Also, ein Spiel, das von zwei Teams gespielt wird, die je zwei oder drei Mitglieder haben. A game played by two teams of two or three members. Man versteckt einen Knopf, ein Geldstück oder wie auch immer sich button übersetzen ließe. Ein Teammitglied versteckt also etwas in ihrer Hand und das andere Team muss erraten, in welcher Hand sich etwas verbirgt, oder: a button is hidden; in the hand of a member of one team, and a member of the other team has to guess in which hand, touching it and saying "tipit". Man berührt die Hand also, indem auf die Hand, die nach eigener Einschätzung einen Knopf, ein Geldstück oder wie auch immer sich "button" oder "botwm" übersetzen ließe, in sich birgt, tippt und dabei sagt "tipit".

In Welsh mythology, Serendipitu – aus dem u wurde erst mit der Anglizierung ein y – was a game played by the goddess – Branwen, Ceridwen, Hapwen, Agora, and Blodeuwedd under the lead of Arianrhod, and it was the game that kept the world turning and turning, the planets moving and the stars changing, as the Welsh goddess did not use botwms but the stars - ser or because it was one star only per hand seren. They played with the different stars, comets, planets or suns in the universe, of whichever they got hold.

However, how come that Hap and Serendipity as the phenomena as we know them today, became endangered phenomena, hardly ever to appear or to be seen in today`s world?

The Mabinogi offers and explanation, and some scholars read this explanation as an anticipation of the era of Enlightment slowly but firmly approaching from England.

In the Mabinogi Arianrhod’s uncle – called Math ap Mathonwy and who was the King of Gwynedd by the way – felt his niece’s and her friends‘ game as a waste of time and resources. Instead of playing games he wanted them to keep the house of their fathers, and take care of their beauty. He thus,  ... why don´t you read it yourself. It's in the Mabinogi – but some of you might have already drwan the correct conclusion: Math ap Mathonwy’s name does not recall the discipline of Mathematics by accident.