By w:Sidney Paget (Uploading for w:User:68.39.174.238) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
In Scottish and Irish legend the Cu Sìth, which means ‘fairy dog,’ was said to have a dark-green, shaggy coat and to be about the size of a large calf. Green was a traditional color worn or attributed to denizens of the fairy realm. Read more
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Taliesin was one of the most famous and celebrated bards in Wales and holds an important place in Welsh history, mythology and culture to this day. Although evidence is patchy he was thought to have been born around 534 AD and died around 599 AD and was believed to have performed at the courts of three Brythonic kings. Many legends and myths grew up around him and some of his poems are still available today. The legend of Taliesin’s birth begins before he was born. This seems a strange thing to say but this is how the story went.
Ceridwen’s gift
By Llyn Tegid, (Lake Bala) in Penllyn, lived Tegid Foel who had a wife named Ceridwen. The couple had three children named Ceirwy, Morfran and Afagddu. Now Afagddu was unnaturally ugly and unbelievably stupid. Nevertheless, Ceridwen his mother, who was also a sorceress, loved him greatly and decided that to compensate for these disadvantages she would give to him the gift of knowledge. Read more Continue reading
The legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach is also known as the Lady of the Lake, though not the one associated with King Arthur. This is completely different and is associated with Myddfai in Carmarthenshire, Wales a small community situated on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons which encompasses six mountains. It is popular with tourists and the area around is steeped in the myths, legends and traditions of Wales.
Llyn y Fan Fach – by – SNappa2006 – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Myddfai is associated with two related legends of which there are many different versions. The first is the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach, or the Lady of the Lake and the second is the Physicians of Myddfai, which sprang from the first. This article will deal discuss the legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach that has been pieced together from a number of sources and presented here. Read more Continue reading
The legend of the Glastonbury Thorn belongs to the group of legends that surrounds Joseph of Arimathea and his legendary part in bringing Christianity to Britain. As with all legendary people there are many versions of his different exploits and achievements that cannot be verified. Such is the stuff of legends and the following has been pieced together from different sources.
Glastonbury Thorn at Glastonbury Abbey – By Tom Ordelman – CC BY-SA 3.0
The Holy Thorn is very much revered by many people for many reasons. Some see it as an ancient symbol of Christian beliefs and a tangible presence from the distant past carrying a message for the present and the future. Read more Continue reading
In Scottish mythology the each-uisge is a supernatural water horse that haunts the Highlands. The name each-uisge means water horse in Scottish Gaelic. In Ireland the equivalent is the each-uisace, or Ech-Ushkya and on the Isle of Man they have the cabyll-ushtey.
Each Uisge by Liza Phoenix – CC BY-SA 3.0 – From Wikimedia Commons
It has a reputation of being the most dangerous water monster in Britain. The each-uisge reputedly lives in the sea and also freshwater lochs. It is often erroneously taken for Kelpie, which are also supernatural water creatures, but live in rivers and streams. These are not regarded as being as dangerous as the each-uisge. Continue reading
Animal totems represent the virtues and special characteristics of an animal. They are not pets and people use them as an aid to get in touch with nature, help create inner harmony and wisdom and to help the evolution of their spiritual being. By getting touch with the qualities of an animal a deeper affinity and understanding of the animal is created both with the animal and with nature, leading to greater harmony with the universe.
Right whales – Public Domain
A totem is a symbol, picture, sculpture or other object that reminds us of the animal spirit it represents. Animal totems do appear in other traditions around the world as well as in North America. People experience animal totems differently because there are many stages of personal and spiritual development and everyone has different needs and tasks to accomplish in this world.
Whales are sea creatures that have been on the planet for millions of years. They are perfectly adapted to their marine environment living in harmony with the sea and the natural order. They move through their environment with grace and power. Some species of whales are known to communicate with each other over great distance.
The Whale Totem symbolizes harmony and ‘Oneness’ with nature, the power and mystique of the sea, ancient wisdom, communication and communion.
Whales have been the inspiration for many stories, paintings, songs, legends, works of literature and film. They are present in all the oceans of the world and are known by many people and societies many of which have created traditions and rituals around them. In the past many human societies hunted them and depended on them for their survival. Some species of whale were hunted to the brink of extinction.
The Whale Totem reminds us that the gifts of nature are precious and not to be taken for granted. The Whale Totem also symbolizes inspiration and creativity. It reminds us that humans also have natural gifts that can actually enhance the natural world if only we choose to use them wisely. The keyword being ‘choose’ for we do have choice on this which also means we have responsibility for the consequences.
The female whale if very protective towards its young and often they will join together with other females to form groups that encircle the young. This allows the mother to hunt for food while the calf is protected by other females.
The Whale Totem symbolizes nurturing and protection of young and reminds us of our responsibilities to children.
There are many different species of whales and many of these are very different from each other. Some are hard to tell apart even by experts. The color, size and characteristics of whales vary greatly and for the most part they all seem to get along tolerably well.
The Whale Totem symbolizes living in harmony with each other. It reminds us that there are also different races of humans, with different characteristics, and we come in different shapes and colors and that each of us have a right to be here and our need to live in harmony with each other.
Many whales are great travelers who move with grace, strength and endurance through the ocean relying solely on their own powers and resources taking only what they need along the way to survive. Some species of whale such as the Baleen have to migrate to find food for their survival in different seasons. No one understands how they know it is time to move on or how they find their way to their new feeding grounds which can be thousands of miles apart.
The Whale Totem symbolizes grace, strength and endurance in moving through their environment and reminds us to tread lightly on the planet taking only what we need to get by. It also symbolizes trust in intuition and knowing when to move on, telling us that for everything there is a season and a time for every purpose. It teaches us to trust the natural order.
There are many wonderful virtues and qualities that whales possess that would help a person evolve spiritually and in wisdom. A person who can see these virtues and qualities and tries to emulate them, even if only partially successful, will experience greater harmony and ‘Oneness’ with nature and the universe. They will grow in wisdom and intuition and in doing so learn how to take only what they need from the world. They will become someone who nurtures and accepts and fulfils their responsibilities to the young, offering them protection to grow spiritually and in doing so will experience the flowering of their own soul.
The Dragon Boat Festival, or more correctly the Duanwu Festival, as well as being identified with dragon boat racing, is also strongly associated with other traditional Chinese customs and practices. Probably the most widespread and participated in is preparing and eating a customary rice dish called zongzi. It should be noted there are various ways to spell this and may vary with region.
Qu Yuan – Painting by Chen Hongshou – Public Domain
The tradition of making and eating zongzi is strongly associated with the death of the great and much loved poet and patriot Qu Yuan. His suicide by drowning in a river was seen as a selfless act of patriotism by the people who loved him and who paid tribute to him by throwing rice balls into the river for his soul to eat. According to legend, his soul materialized before fishermen and began wailing that he was starving because the dragon in the river was eating the rice they threw to him. He told them to wrap the rice balls with lily leaves and asked them to seal it by tying it with silk thread. Eventually zongzi became wrapped in bamboo, or other kinds of leaves depending on region and availability.
Zongzi is a glutinous, or sticky, rice dumpling, with a filling. It is traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves, though other leaves may be used depending on availability and region of China. The rice is usually formed around the filling into pyramid shapes, though cylinder and cone shapes can be used. The leaves are then wrapped around the shape and tied with string with a unique knot used to identify the type of filling. There are many different fillings such as pickled egg, peanuts beans, yam, melon seeds, dates, fruits, walnuts, or yam. The leaves can be palm, banana, wild rice, or bamboo.
Yellow Zongzi by Benjwong – Public Domain
Different regions have their own speciality zongzi. In Beijing the filling is sweet and made from a bean paste. In Guangdong there are two favourites. One has a sweet filling of date, walnut, or bean filling and the other is salty with meats such as chicken, ham duck and eggs, mushrooms, or chestnuts. An increasing number of shops and stalls sell zongzi on festival days and its popularity grows. Mostly in China the of making zongzi for eating and the giving as a gift is still practiced widely and often regarded as a family activity.
Along with the Dragon Boat Festival, the popularity of eating zongzi is now growing around the world with Dragon Boat Festivals being held regularly in South East Asia and many western countries including the UK, USA, Canada, and Europe. Undoubtedly, each country will add something to the tradition and bring new flavours to the dish to be enjoyed.
Copyright July 31, 2009 zteve t evans
Around the world animal totems have been used by many different societies throughout history. In the present day some people still use them to help with their spiritual development and growth. Many societies believed that by reproducing an animal’s qualities in their own lives, spiritual growth, greater awareness and harmony with the universe can be achieved.
Animal totems are not the animal and they are not the animal spirit. Instead they are representations that serve to remind of both. These can be in the form of sculptures, or pictorial representations such as pictures or symbols, or something as simple as a feather from a bird that can be kept on the person, or somewhere convenient.
The Raven has a reputation of being a harbinger of death, destruction and ill omen, in the eyes of many human societies throughout history. This is often because they are associated with battle and often seen scavenging among the dead. The blackness of its coloring enhances this dark view point but in spiritual terms this is a misconception. The Raven is actually a bird of warning and its arrival signals the ending of the old and the beginning of the new. The arrival of the Raven flying from the ‘otherworld’ into the human world is a sign to prepare for great change.
The Raven totem is a reminder that in life we face situations that we perceive as good or bad, light or dark, right or wrong. The arrival of forced changes can indeed be like a battle causing real inner turmoil and anguish. As part of the universe humans are governed by universal laws. Humans cannot see the cosmic perspective but think and react through their own personal perception. The Raven totem is a reminder that humans are subject to universal laws that work even though the end result cannot be seen. For example a divorce from a spouse or redundancy from a long held job brings the end, or death of a situation. However with that death, or ending, a new situation, or life, is born from the depths of despair.
The Raven totem is a reminder that all things on earth must one day end but that in that ending there is a new beginning. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, ‘what the caterpillar calls the end, the world calls a butterfly.”
The Raven is not the bringer of destruction or the weapon of destruction. The function of the Raven is to prepare the person for the ending of a situation that has served its purpose, and point them to a new situation that will lead to greater spiritual evolution for the person.
There are times when the universe is a vast and impersonal place and we cannot see our place in it. Things happen to us and situations arise which seem unfair and cruel. The Raven totem is a reminder that it is necessary to die to be reborn, that it is necessary to be destroyed before being renewed. The message is trust the universe.
Gaia the Earth Mother
Gaia – Public Domain
In Greek mythology Gaia appeared out of Chaos and was the primal Mother Goddess who gave birth to the Earth and the universe. According to some sources she was seen as the personification of the Earth and the mother of all.
Ouranos the god of the skies
Ouranos was the personification of the sky or the heavens in Greek mythology and is also known by his Latinized name of Uranus. He was also known as Father Sky. Sources differ but Hesiod in his work Theogony says that Gaia was his mother while other sources say his father was Aether.
Gaia gave birth to Ouranos who became the sky crowned with stars and of equal splendor to her and made so as to fully cover her. She then created the mountains and the sea. After the universe had been formed the next task was to populate it.
The birth of the Titans
Ouranos was not only her son but her husband too. Gaia united with Ouranos to give birth to the twelve Titans, six male and six female and the first race upon the earth. Their sons names were Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus and Cronus, and their daughters names were Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys.
The birth of the Cyclops
Ouranos and Gaia then produced the Cyclops, who were named Brontes, Steropes and Arges. These were giants with one eye in their foreheads and who possessed incredible strength.
The birth of Briareus, Cottus and Gyes
Their next offspring were three monsters who each had one hundred powerful arms and fifty heads. They were known as the Hecatonchires, or the Centimanes, and their names were Briareus, Cottus and Gyes.
Ouranos regarded his children with horror and revulsion and was also thought to be fearful of their strength, and possibly usurping him. As soon as they were born he imprisoned them in the earth, which was inside Gaia who was the Earth goddess.
Gaia’s revenge
Victory, Janus, Chronos, and Gaea – by Giulio Romano – Public Domain
Gaia was distraught at this, and feeling great sorrow for her children and great pain for herself planned vengeance against Ouranos. From her bosom she manifested a sharp sickle and asked her children to join in with a plan she had made to set them free and wreak vengeance. The plan was to castrate Ouranos when he visited her at night. Only Cronus agreed to help her and she gave him the sickle.
When evening fell Ouranos returned to rejoin Gaia. While Ouranos was asleep, Cronus and Gaia mutilated him, cutting off his genitals and throwing them in the sea. From the blood that seeped from the terrible wound onto the earth sprang the Furies, the Giants and the ash-tree nymphs. From what was thrown into the sea the goddess of love and desire, known as Aphrodite, was born.
Cronus becomes king of the gods
With Ouranos now impotent and the sky separated from the earth, Cronus liberated his fellow Titans, but not the Cyclops and Hecatonchires, and became king of the gods. Later he too was to be deposed by his son Zeus, who became the chief god of the Greek Pantheon.
References and attributions
Copyright 25/03/2015 zteve t evans
In Welsh mythology the Afanc was a monster that lived in rivers, lakes and pools. They were powerful supernatural beasts that would cause the waters they lived in to rise and flood the surrounding land when they became angry. They would also kill humans and animals when given the opportunity and were very dangerous.
Public Domain
In some versions of the legends the Afanc is a crocodile-like creature; in others it resembles a dwarf or demon. In this legend set around Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed and the River Conwy it appears as a giant beaver-like creature. Read more …
Under the influence! 