Philip de Laszlo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
HYWEL AP EINION
Above the Welsh town of Llangollen, the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran or Crow City Castle, stand broken and forlorn against the wild sky. Today it is a place of fractured walls and stones but in the past, it was the setting for a tragic story of unrequited love. There are different versions varying in detail and several poems and songs exist extolling the virtues of Myfanwy Fychan. The Welsh poet, Hywel ap Einion, wrote the original work and appears to be addressing Myfanwy as the focus of his own love. Presented here is a retelling of the tale.
THE TALE OF MYFANWY
There was once an impoverished young bard by the name of Hywel ap Einion, and a young woman of rare beauty named Myfanwy, the daughter of the Earl of Arundel, the lord of Dinas Bran. Word spread of her beauty throughout the land and handsome, rich, and powerful men flocked to try to win her heart, but none could.
You see, Myfanwy was incredibly vain and precocious and she got a great thrill from repeatedly being told by her suitors how beautiful and desirable she was to them. In her mind, nothing was better than to have several handsome and rich suitors competing for her attention. For all her vanity, Myfanwy had a great love for poetry and music. What she really wanted was a lover who would feed this vanity by writing beautiful poetry and songs dedicated to her and her alone and sing it to her.
Hundreds of rich and handsome suitors came from near and distant lands to try and woo and win the heart of Myfanwy of Castell Dinas Bran. All failed because they could not express her beauty in poetry and song that matched her assessment of herself.
Hywel ap Einion was a talented, but penniless young bard, who lived in the valley overlooked by Castell Dinas Bran. Although he had only seen Myfanwy from afar as she walked upon the ramparts of Dinas Bran or rode past on a white pony he had fallen in love with her.
He liked to think that one day, as she walked upon the ramparts and looked over the valley, she had turned her face and their eyes had met from afar. The light from her eyes had met with his, and she had smiled upon him. He remembered the day she had rode past on her pony. As she passed him by, he swore she had inclined her head his way and smiled.
On these flimsy treads of evidence Hywel decided to take a chance and he climbed the hill to Castell Dinas Bran and begged the doorkeepers to allow him appear before Myfanwy. Because he was a bard and a true bard, he had placed his feelings towards her in words and set it to music. Now he wanted to sing it to her as much in the hope that she would like it as in the need to unburden himself. The doorkeepers laughed, and made jest of him, but went to Myfanwy and told her that the penniless bard Hywel ap Einion was outside seeking permission to sing to her a song he had written exalting her beauty.
Proud Myfanwy thought of a penniless bard singing of her beauty was below her dignity, but her vanity required that she listen to the song, so she gave permission. Hywel sang, and Myfanwy was delighted by his song, and so he wrote more songs and sang them to her. She became so pleased by his refrains that she would allow no other suitor to court her because they could not express her beauty in words in the way that he did. Hywel believed she has fallen in love with him and wrote increasingly to please her.
Unfortunately, for Hywel, a handsome, rich young man visited the court of Dinas Bran, and he too sang and wrote poetry, but far more eloquent and with a far better voice than he. The newcomer wrote and sang to Mythanwy of her beauty, and she enjoying the flattery fell in love with him casting off Hywel. Rejected and devasted Hywel wandered alone through the forests and wilds composing a last love poem dedicated to Mythanwy,
This article was first published on #FolkoreThursday.com under the title, Exploring the Otherworld of the Celts, on 18 March, 20211, written by zteve t evans. This work has been revised and edited and different images added 3rd February 2024.
Entry to the Otherworld
The concept of an enchanted and mysterious “Otherworld” has been a typical feature in numerous myths and legends across a wide range of human cultures throughout history. The ancient Celtic people also had their version of this enigmatic and ethereal region. Their territories included Ireland, the British Isles, and a swathe of continental Europe to Anatolia, West Asia, now part of Turkey and included parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Across this vast area, there were variations in beliefs and ideas about the Otherworld. This work briefly explores their concept of the Otherworld and how it varied in different parts of the Celtic world.
Celtic Mythology
The Celtic Otherworld is frequently depicted as the realm where their deities reside, the abode of their deceased, or a harmonious combination of both. In alternate narratives, it is described as a magical paradise where inhabitants revel in perpetual youth, good health, and beauty, leading lives filled with joy and abundance, all their needs automatically met. This Otherworld is often associated with mystical entities such as fairies, Twylyth Teg, the aos sí, and other magical beings.
Entry to the Otherworld
Access to the Otherworld is typically concealed and challenging to discover, but specific individuals of merit manage to reach it through personal endeavours. Others might receive invitations, be guided by their residents, or follow given signs. Entrance may be facilitated through ancient burial mounds or by traversing over or under bodies of water, like rivers, pools, or seas. Certain locations, including specific lakes, bogs, caves, burial mounds, or hills, were believed to serve as portals to and from the Otherworld.
Another theory posits that the Otherworld exists in a parallel dimension, akin to a mirror world alongside the earthly realm. During specific periods, such as Samhain and Beltane, the barrier separating the two realms weakens, making the transition between them possible.
Annwyn: The Welsh Otherworld
Otherworld Hunt
In Welsh mythology, the Otherworld is commonly referred to as Annwn or Annwfn, with indications in Welsh tradition suggesting the existence of diverse realms or regions within its confines.
It is common in Celtic tales for a stag or deer to lead hunters into otherworldly encounters, entwining them in its affairs. An example of this is found in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, recounting the story of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed.
While hunting in Glyn Cuch, Pwyll, having become separated from his companions, stumbles across a pack of strange white hounds with red ears mauling on a slain stag they had brought down. This event is the catalyst for an encounter with the Otherworld. The red-eared hounds belong to Arawn, the magical king of the Otherworld of Annwn, who arrives on a dappled grey horse and is outraged to find Pwyll has for driving off his dogs and claiming the stag as his own.
To assuage Arawn’s anger over the stag, Pwyll agrees to spend one year and one day in an exchange of bodies, with the mission of defeating Hafgan, another king of Annwn. This exchange means Pwyll will inhabit Arawn’s body and Arawn his for that time. The story suggests the possibility of multiple kingdoms within the Otherworld: Arawn’s kingdom of Annwn, another unnamed ruled by Hafgan, and a third where Rhiannon came from, which also is unnamed.
Arawn invites Pwyll to his hall and escorts him safely through Annwn to reach it to accomplish the task, ultimately uniting the two otherworldly realms under one monarch. During this exchange of bodies, Pwyll is presented with the opportunity to be intimate with Arawn’s beautiful wife, a queen and a representative of a goddess of sovereignty. Demonstrating his integrity as the ruler of Dyfed, Pwyll refrains from taking advantage of the situation, respecting both the queen and the sacred connection between rulership and the land.
Subsequently, a mysterious lady named Rhiannon arrives from the Otherworld, possibly from a different realm within. Her appearance is enigmatic, clad in white and gold, riding serenely upon a shining white horse. Despite being pursued by Pwyll’s fastest horses, some magical force prevents them from catching up. Only when Pwyll personally gives chase and requests her to stop does she finally halt, revealing her purpose—to ask Pwyll for marriage, an offer he accepts.
Irish Mythology – Oisin in Tír na nÓg
Niamh of the Golden Hair
Within Irish mythology, the Otherworld goes by various names, with Tír na nÓg, or the Land of Youth, being one of the most renowned. The tale of Oisín and Niamh of the Golden Hair vividly portrays life in Tír na nÓg, presenting multiple versions of this captivating narrative.
Similar to the arrival of Rhiannon in the Welsh tale, Niamh emerges as another otherworldly woman, riding a magical white horse and proposing marriage to an earthly man. Oisín, engrossed in hunting deer, accepts her proposal and is transported to Tír na nÓg, seated behind Niamh on the enchanted horse that gallops effortlessly across the sea. Upon arrival, he discovers a paradise where his thoughts materialize into reality.
Despite the luxurious and indulgent life, Oisín, a man of action, yearns for the thrill of the hunt. His wishes are granted, and he enjoys exhilarating hunts that always culminate in a perfect ending. The stag provides an exciting chase, followed by a noble death just before supper, with a magical hunting lodge and sumptuous banquet appearing effortlessly. Yet, the experience lacks the rawness and uncertainty of a genuine chase.
Bored with the predictable life, Oisín desires danger and combat. His wish is fulfilled, but the battles are orchestrated magically. He faces an ogre holding a princess captive, sustains wounds, but is healed by Niamh and never truly endangered. He triumphs over his foe, liberating the princess.
After living happily with Niamh in her land, he yearns to return to Ireland. Niamh reluctantly grants Oisín’s wish, lending him her magical white horse. However, she warns him not to touch the soil of Ireland. Upon his return, Oisín realizes that what seemed like a short stay in Tír na nÓg was, in reality, hundreds of years. His family and friends are long gone, and Christianity has replaced the older religious ways he knew. Unfortunately, Oisín falls from his horse while assisting a group of workmen. On touching the Irish soil, time catches up with him, and he instantly transforms into an dying aged man and, before he dies, shares his adventures in Tír na nÓg with Saint Patrick before passing away.
Continental Celtic Mythology
On the European continent, the Gauls divided the Otherworld into three parts: Albios, Bitu, and Dubnos. Albios represented the upper world or heaven, also known as the white world. Bitu was the world of living beings or the earthly realm, while Dubnos signified the underworld, lower world, dark world, or hell.
The Celts left scant written records of their beliefs, and much of the available information comes from non-Celtic sources that might have imposed their interpretations. Lucan, a Roman poet, asserted that Gaulish druids believed in an Otherworld he called Orbis aloha, where souls went before reincarnation.Procopius of Caesarea, a Byzantine scholar, believed the land of the dead for ancient Gauls lay west of Britain. According to him, the souls of the departed travelled to the northwestern coast of Gaul, took a boat to Britain, and then visited the homes of local fishermen. These fishermen ferried the souls of the dead across the sea to their final destination.
Breton and Galician folklore still retain remnants of these beliefs. In Breton tradition, the ships that transported the dead to the Otherworld were known as Bag an Noz. In his book “La légende de la mort chez les Bretons Armoricains,” Anatole Le Braz describes processions of souls traversing the land to reach the coast, where they began their voyage to the Otherworld.
In examining these few instances, it becomes apparent that the concept of the Celtic Otherworld exhibited diversity across regions, with variations even within individual areas. The depictions of the Otherworld range from magical and enchanting to dark and disturbing, mirroring the nuanced nature of the earthly world experienced by humans in contemporary times.
The concept of an enchanted and mysterious “Otherworld” has been a typical feature in numerous myths and legends across a wide range of human cultures throughout history. The ancient Celtic people also had their version of this enigmatic and ethereal region. Their territories included Ireland, the British Isles, and a swathe of continental Europe to Anatolia, West Asia, now part of Turkey and included parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Across this vast area, there were variations in beliefs and ideas about the Otherworld. This work briefly explores their concept of the Otherworld and how it varied in different parts of the Celtic world.
The Mabinogion and the Four Branches of the Mabinogi – The Mabinogi of Pwyll
Welsh Mythology: Pwyll’s Sojourn in Annwfn – Under the influence!
Tír na nÓg – Wikipedia
Oisín – Wikipedia
Otherworld – Wikipedia
Religion of the Ancient Celts by J. A. MacCulloch
Image by conjured and modified by zteve t evans using Bing Image Creator from Designer using the commands, “A misty strange world with a stag, a wolf, a raven, a waterfall, a young man and woman in a forest, in the distance a road leading to a mountain in the style of Gustav Klimt.” – ” 23 January 2024
Image Otherworld Hunt conjured and modified by zteve t evans using Bing Image Creator from Designer using the commands, “an otherwordly forest featuring a stag being chased a pack of white hounds with red ears by a darkking riding a grey horse in the style of Edvard Munch,22 January 2023.
Image Niamh of the Golden Hair” conjured by zteve t evans usinf Bing Image Creator from Designer using the commands A princess with long golden hair, dressed in white riding a white horse over the sea waves while sun is setting in the style of the pre-raphaelites – 22 January 2024
This article was first published 11 March 2021 on #FolkloreThursday.com titled, Shapeshifters from the Celtic World by zteve t evans. It has been revised and edited and give different images 3st Feb 2024.
Shapeshifters From The Celtic World
Shapeshifters are found in most mythologies and folk traditions worldwide from ancient to modern times. In such traditions, humans change into vampires, werewolves, frogs, insects, and any other creature imaginable and back again. Sometimes, the transformer controls the transformation and shifts shape at will. Other times, it is an unwelcome event such as a punishment, and sometimes, a magical spell forces it, but there are many varied reasons besides. Shapeshifters can be good or bad, often moving the story forward in a novel way or having some symbolism that the teller wants to convey to their audience. There are many kinds of shapeshifting. Here, we look at examples from Ireland, Wales and Scotland that provide differing glimpses of shapeshifters in action in these three Celtic nations’ myths, folklore, and traditions.
Irish Shapeshifters
In Irish mythology, the Morrigan was a shapeshifting war goddess who could transform into a woman of any age, animal, or bird form. She had the power of prophecy and, as a war goddess, would sing her people to victory in battle. Sometimes, she could be seen swooping over the battlefield as a raven or crow and devouring the bodies of the slain.
In the story of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or “The Cattle Raid of Cooley,” the Morrigan appears as a crow to warn the bull named Donn Cuailnge that Queen Medb is plotting to abduct him. Queen Medb attacks Ulster to obtain the bull to be resisted single-handedly by the hero Cú Chulainn, fighting a series of duels with her champions at a Ford. In battle, Cú Chulainn undergoes a spectacular change in his form described as “ríastrad” or “warp-spasm” that sees his body twist and contort into the most grotesque and fearsome appearance, terrifying his opponents.
In between the duels, the Morrigan appears before Cú Chulainn as an attractive young woman seeking his love and offering her help. He rejects her, and feeling offended, she seeks revenge by aiding his opponents. First, she turns into an eel and trips him. Next, she turns into a wolf and causes a herd of cattle to stampede towards the Ford. Lastly, she transforms herself into a heifer and leads the stampede, but despite her magical shapeshifting, she fails, and Cú Chulainn manages to wound her on each transformation. Later, she transforms into an elderly woman milking a cow bearing the three wounds. She offers him milk to drink, and he blesses her, healing her wounds, which he later regrets.
Welsh Shapeshifters
There are many examples of shapeshifting in Welsh mythology where a human takes the form of an animal or bird, and even flowers are transformed into maidens. In the story of Math fab Mathonwy, the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Math and Gwydion created the maiden Blodeuwedd out of broom, meadowsweet, and oak flowers and later transformed into an owl. Earlier, Gwydion had undergone a series of transformations, changing into a stag, sow, and wolf, even producing offspring as a punishment inflicted by Math.
An exciting and extraordinary example of shapeshifting appears in the story of the birth of Taliesin. The sorceress, Ceridwen, brewed a potion to give to her son Morvran ab Tegid that would endow him with great wisdom and knowledge. She gave a boy named Gwion Bach the task of stirring the brew and tasked a blind man with feeding the fire. As Gwion was stirring, three boiling drops spat from the cauldron onto his hand. Putting his hand to his mouth to relieve the pain, he accidentally ingested the drops, becoming endowed with awen instead of Morvran. With knowledge and wisdom provided by the awen, he foresaw Ceridwen’s wrath at the accidental ruining of her scheme.
Knowing he must escape, he transformed into a hare, but she became a greyhound hot on his tail. Therefore, he transformed into a fish and leapt into a river, but she became an otter and closed in on him. Just in time, he transformed into a bird and flew away. She changed into a hawk and again began to close in on him. Seeing a pile of winnowed wheat lying in a barn, he dived into that, transforming himself into a kernel of corn. Transforming herself into a black hen, Ceridwen pecked it all up, including him. With him inside her, she was now pregnant and, nine months later, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Realising the baby was Gwion Bach reborn, she wanted to kill him, but because of the fairness of his brow, she could not. Giving him a slim chance of survival, she placed him in a leather bag and cast him into water. He would later be rescued and became the greatest Welsh bard in history.
Scottish Shapeshifters
In Scottish folklore, selkies and kelpies are vastly different shapeshifting entities from the Irish and Welsh examples we have looked at. Moreover, they are entirely separate entities, having distinctive characteristics, making them intriguing subjects in legends and folktales. First, we will look at the selkie, and then discuss the kelpie.
Transforming Selkie
A selkie changes form from seal to human by removing its seal skin and must put its seal skin back on to revert to its seal form. The female selkie often becomes trapped in a relationship when a man steals her seal skin while she is in human form. With the theft of her seal skin, her power has been stolen, and she cannot transform back into her original form and must live on land as a woman. Sometimes, she will marry but spends considerable time pining for the sea. She may have children, but if she ever recovers her seal skin, she quickly forsakes them and her husband to return to the sea. According to tradition, male selkies are very handsome in human form, and women find them very seductive. The male selkie tends to seek out those women who are unhappy in their marriage, such as fishermen’s wives who wait patiently alone at home for their husband’s return.
Kelpies are a different kind of entity in Scottish folklore. They are dangerous, supernatural horse-like entities with shapeshifting abilities dwelling in rivers, pools, and lochs. According to tradition, lone travelers sometimes encountered them lingering near watery places. They often take the form of a beautiful woman or horse but can also adopt other guises, such as an old man’s. One sign of their real identity can be revealed when water weed is noticed entangled in their hair.
A folktale from the island of Barra tells how an amorous male kelpie transformed into a handsome young man hoping to seduce and marry a local girl. While the young man was sleeping, she noticed he wore a silver necklace, which was, in fact, his bridle. She removed it, and he transformed into a horse. The girl takes it to her father, who is a farmer, and he puts it to work for a year. At the end of that year, she takes it to a wise man, seeking his advice. He advises her she must return the silver necklace to him, which she does, and the horse transforms into the handsome young man. The wise man asks the young man if he would prefer to live as a kelpie or a mortal man. The young man asks the girl if she would marry him if he kept his human form. She confirmed that she would, and the kelpie chose to be a mortal man and married the girl.
Shapeshifters in Abundance
From gods and goddesses to witches and sorcerers to strange, dangerous supernatural entities that haunt the wilds, Celtic mythology and folklore have an abundance of shapeshifters. Examples of transforming humans into animals or vice versa can be seen in the rock art of ancient cultures around the world, predating the Celts. Similarly, in the modern age, shapeshifters are found in traditional and contemporary media, reflecting how this strange and intriguing phenomenon still piques curiosity and strikes the right chord with many people today.
Transforming Selkie image conjured by zteve t evans using Bing Image Creator by Designer using the commands “A seal transforming into a girl by the sea, in the style of edvard munch” – 1 February 2024.
Many, many years ago, in the time of King Arthur, when our ruler’s beards were greater than their commonsense, there were two other kings named Nynio and Peibo. Each ruled over a fine and rich kingdom and their subjects enjoyed peace and prosperity. The two kings were friends and liked to go walking in the countryside in the evenings. They would often indulge in friendly banter trying to out do each other bragging about their accomplishments or possessions to one another. Most of the time this was just good-natured teasing but on one occasion things got wildly out of hand. One evening as they were out strolling, as the stars were appearing, Nynio looked about and making an extensive gesture to the sky with his hands said,
“Look above and all around, Peibo, my friend, see what a wonderful and extensive field I possess!”
Peibo looked all around the sky and asked, “Well now, where is it?”
“It is there, above and around as far as eyes can see, the entire sky is my field and mine alone,” boasted Nynio with pride.
“Oh, is that so? answered Peibo.
“It is,” said Nynio.
“Well, now,” said Peibo, not wanting to be out done, “Can you see all of the great herds of cattle and flocks of sheep that are in that field and grazing. Each and every animal is mine and mine alone.”
“I see no herds of cattle, I see no flocks of sheep,” replied Nynio.
“Look harder,” replied Peibo “they are the great swathe of stars that stretch across the sky with smaller herds and flocks scattered here and there.See how each one shines with gold or silvery brightness. See how the moon, their beautiful shepherdess guards and takes care of them for me and me alone!”
“It is my field and they shall not graze in my field,” replied Nynio indignantly.
‘Yes they shall,” replied Peibo firmly.
“They most certainly shall not!” replied Nynio angrily.
Both kings were now becoming very heated and angry with each other and became possessed by a madness.
“Shall!” snapped Peibo.
“Shan’t!” Shouted Nynio.
“‘Tis war!” They both cried together.
In their madness they returned to their kingdoms, mustered their armies and wrought bloody and merciless war on each other. Both kingdoms were laid waste as both armies fought each other in a cruel and merciless war of attrition. The fighting only stopped because of the sheer exhaustion of the two sides. There was no victor save foolishness and what were once two fine and prosperous kingdoms lay in smoking ruins with the people left traumatized and starving.
The King of Wales, a giant named Rhitta Gawr, heard about the madness of the two kings and how they had destroyed their own fair and prosperous kingdoms through their foolishness. He consulted with his wise men and his barons and it was agreed that they should take advantage of the present weakness of these once strong and prosperous kingdoms. Therefore, he mobilized his army and invaded and conquered the two broken kingdoms, capturing the two monarchs and cutting their beards off to teach them a lesson.
News that Rhitta Gawr had invaded and conquered the two warring kingdoms spread throughout the island of Britain and reached the ears of twenty-eight kings. They were appalled at the foolishness of Nynio and Peibo and the wanton destruction of the two kingdoms and outraged by the invasion of Rhitta Gawr. However, what really made them angry was the shaving of the royal whiskers of the two mad kings by the giant. They deemed inflicting this humiliation on two monarchs, despite their foolishness, had gone too far. Therefore, to avenge what they saw as a degrading and humiliating act on two of their own status they united their armies and declared war on Rhitta Gawr. The battle was long and bloody and Rhitta Gawr eventually defeated the coalition of kings and had them brought before him.
“Look around, look upon the Earth and look around the skies. All you see is my vast field. All the herds and flocks, all the pastures are mine!” he told them in jubilation. With no further ado or ceremony he ordered the royal whiskers of the defeated kings to be shaved off completely.
News spread beyond Britain of the victory of Rhitta Gawr and how he had shaved the beards of his enemies. The kings of twenty-eight neighboring realms were outraged. Not so much at the initial mad foolishness of Nynio and Peibo, or the defeat of the twenty-eight kings. No, it was the shaving of the royal whiskers that outraged them and they merged their armies and attacked Rhitta Gawr. The battle was ferocious and bloody but once again Rhitta Gawr defeated and captured his enemies and once again jubilantly declared,
“Look around, look upon the Earth and look around the skies. All you see is my vast field. All the herds and flocks, all the pastures are mine!”
With no further ceremony he ordered that the beards of the defeated be cut off. When they had all been shaved clean he stood before them and addressing his own troops pointed at the beardless, defeated, kings and declared,
“See, these animals that once grazed here! These are now my pastures and I now drive them out and they shall graze here no more!”
Rhitta Gawr now possessed the beards of a sizeable number of kings which made a sizeable pile of whiskers and somehow, for some reason a very strange idea came into his head. Somehow, the notion grew on him that he would use the pile of royal whiskers to make a fancy mantle to wear around his shoulders. He believed he would look very elegant and magnificent and the cloak being made from the whiskers of kings he had defeated would emphasize his own power and glory.
The more he thought about it the more obsessed he became with the idea while the sheer grossness of it completely escaped him. Therefore he had a mantle made from the king’s whiskers to wear around his broad shoulders that reached down to his heels. Rhitta Gawr was at least twice as large as the largest man so the size of the garment and volume of whiskers he had collected was considerable.
When the mantle was made he tried it on. In his own mad mind he thought he looked very elegant and the height of fashion but realized there was something missing. After considerable contemplation he decided he needed an exceptionally splendid beard to make a collar to finish off the entire magnificent piece. There was only one royal beard that would be magnificent enough to do his mantle justice and that was on the chin of King Arthur, the greatest king of Britain.
He sent a messenger bearing a demand to King Arthur commanding him to shave off his beard without delay and give it to the messenger to bring back to him. He promised out of respect to Arthur his royal whiskers would adorn the most prominent place on his wonderfully elegant new mantle which would be the height of fashion. If he refused to comply he warned he would fight him in a duel to decide the matter.
Unsurprisingly, Arthur was not impressed by the command. He was, however, angry with the mad foolishness of Nynio and Peibo and the defeat and humiliation all the other kings by Rhitta Gawr. Surprisingly, he did not seem the least perturbed at the giant’s taste in mantles but the forced shaving of the beards of all of the vanquished really annoyed him. Furthermore, the very idea that he would willingly offer up his own royal whiskers to the arrogant giant really inflamed him.
Angrily, he informed the messenger that but for the laws of his Court, which even he must obey; he would have slain him there and then for bringing such an offensive suggestion before him. He told him to tell his master this was the most arrogant and insulting demand he had ever heard and for his impudence he would take his head, beard and all. Wasting no time he mobilized his army and marched to Gwynedd in Wales to meet Rhitta Gawr in battle.
The two met face to face, beard to beard and the giant towered above glowering down. Arthur stood his ground and glared back fiercely.
“Give me your whiskers!” demanded Rhitta Gawr.
“Shan’t” replied Arthur angrily.
“Shall!” roared Rhitta Gawr.
“Shan’t! replied Arthur.
“T’is war!” they both cried together and immediately began fighting, trading blow for blow with great ferocity and strength.
Although both received many wounds and were greatly bloodied they fought long and hard neither yielding to the other, each giving as they received. At last Arthur was taken by a fury. He drove forward catching the giant a mighty blow slicing through his helmet and splitting his forehead and quickly followed through with a strike to his heart. Rhitta Gawr died and Arthur kept his royal whiskers.
The giant was placed on top of the highest mountain of that region which was known as Eryi in those days. Arthur ordered the soldiers of both armies to each place a stone over his body raising a cairn to cover him. That place became known as Gwyddfa Rhitta or Rhitta’s Barrow. Today the Welsh call it “Yr Wyddfa” which means “tumulus” and the English call it “Snowdon”, meaning “snow hill,” One consolation for Rhitta Gawr was that at least he did come to adorn a truly magnificent work of nature though judging by his taste in mantles it is doubtful he would have appreciated it.
To think that all this came about through the madness of two kings and the fact that the rulers of Britain had greater beards than their commonsense. Looking around today it is worth noting that few of our rulers wear whiskers and perhaps that speaks for the greatness of their commonsense!
This article was first published on #FolkloreThursday on 11th February 2021, titled , “Ancient Celtic Cauldrons: The Magical, the Mythical, the Real,” by zteve t evans, who has revised, edited and provide new images and republished here 5th February 2024
Cauldrons
Cauldrons held symbolic significance in the folklore of the ancient Welsh and Irish Celts, appearing as enchanted objects in their most revered tales, while in everyday life, they served many practical purposes, including boiling water, preparing meals, making beverages, and fulfilling other needs. They were also used in sacred rites and public ceremonies, becoming featured in some of their most significant religious myths, where they were given magical, healing, and rebirth qualities and associated with individual gods and goddesses.
For example, in Irish mythology, there was the Cauldron of the Dagda, the god of plenty, while the mythos of Wales spoke of the Cauldron of Cerridwen, the goddess of change. In Celtic society, cauldrons were also possibly status symbols, being finally engraved and wrought to exhibit the wealth and status of a person and were often placed in their tombs when they died. First, we will briefly examine the everyday usage of cauldrons, then look at five mythical cauldrons. Finally, we will discuss one genuine, ancient, and unique cauldron found in a bog in Denmark.
Transformation and Inspiration
As a container for water, cauldrons symbolised the ocean and lakes. But it was not just the water or contents but the vessel itself that was important, which changed whatever item was placed into it, into something else. Ancient cauldrons have been found in springs, rivers, lakes, bogs, and other wet and watery places believed to have been purposely left as votive offerings to deities of such places. Cauldrons were also symbolic of the womb, where human life was created and reborn. When water is boiled in a cauldron over a fire, its magical properties become visible as it bubbles, and whatever is added to it is transformed. To the Celts, a person’s poetic and artistic inspiration was determined by their way of life, and the amount they received depended on the intensity of the bubbles in the cauldron.
The Cauldron of Ceridwen
In the mythos of the Welsh Celts, the goddess and sorceress Ceridwen owned a famous cauldron of inspiration, knowledge, and rebirth. It was featured in the tale of the birth of Taliesin, where she used it to brew a potion that would imbue inspiration and wisdom to whoever drank it. She had intended it solely for her son, Afagddu, to compensate him in life for the unfortunate ugliness he had been born with. The mixture had to be boiled and stirred for one year and one day. She assigned feeding the fire to a blind man named Morda, while a boy named Gwion Bach was responsible for mixing the potion as it heated.
Many people see the continuous stirring of the cauldron as the motion that creates the perfect blend of divine wisdom, inspiration, and the perpetual cycle of life, death, and rebirth. By chance, three drops of the potion spilt on Gwion’s hand. To soothe the pain, he put his hand to his mouth and immediately gained great wisdom and the gift of Awen. Blessed with this gift, he knew Ceridwen would be angry and fled. During the chase, the two underwent multiple shapeshifting transformations, eventually resulting in Gwion’s rebirth as Taliesin.
The Dagda’s Cauldron of Plenty
In Irish mythology, a famous cauldron belonged to the Dagda, a giant deity with a long black beard. This cauldron is called the Cauldron of Plenty and is one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Dagda was a god associated with fertility, agriculture, strength, and masculinity. Although often presented humorously as a huge man, he was a god of enormous status and importance, controlling the weather, crops, time, seasons, and life and death. Everyone of good character could eat their fill from this cauldron, which never ran out of good, cooked food. The spoon was said to be so large two men could easily fit into it.
The Pair Dadeni
In Welsh mythology, the Pair Dadeni was also known as the Cauldron of Rebirth and features in the second branch of the Mabinogi story called Branwen ferch Llŷ, as having the power to return the dead to life but bereft of the power of speech. Originally, it belonged to Llaes Gyfnewid and his wife Cymydei Cymeinfoll, two giants who had lived under an Irish lake known as the Lake of the Cauldron. Cymydei Cymeinfoll was the larger of the two and was said to give birth to a fully armed adult warrior every six weeks. The Irish king, King Matholwch, gave them a place at his court, but the two giants fell out with their host, who attempted to burn them to death. They fled to Wales and were received well by King Bendigeidfran, another giant, and in return for his hospitality, they gave their cauldron to him.
When King Matholwch sailed to Wales asking for the hand of King Bendigeidfran’s sister, Branwen, in marriage, Bendigeidfran and his Branwen agreed on the wedding. However, when their half-brother, Efnisien, found out, he objected and, out of spite, mutilated the Irish king’s horses. To make amends with Matholwch, Bendigeidfran gave him the cauldron as a peace offering. Matholwch returned to Ireland with Branwen, who later gave birth to a son named Gwern. Unfortunately, along with Branwen and the cauldron, he also brought back to Ireland a grudge against the Welsh and systematically mistreated Branwen, making her life unbearably miserable. The unhappy Branwen raised and tamed a starling and taught it to carry a message across the Irish Sea to her brother in Wales, telling him of her plight. Upon receiving a message from his sister, Bendigeidfran and his army set sail to rescue her, but was too gigantic to fit in a boat. Therefore, striding before them across the Irish Sea, he led the fleet to Ireland to free his sister. Upon their arrival, fearing such a powerful army, the Irish made peace with the Welsh. They built a massive house, big enough to hold Bendigeidfran and his army, and held a feast in his honour.
Once again, Efnysien caused trouble by killing Gwern, Branwen’s son, which triggered a violent battle between the Welsh and the Irish. Efnysien, realising the Irish were using the cauldron to revive their slain warriors, placed himself in a pile of their dead and was thrown into the magical vessel. After entering, he successfully destroys the cauldron from the inside, resulting in his death. Although the Welsh emerged victorious, King Bendigeidfran was fatally wounded. He commands his followers to cut off his head and carry it back to Wales, advising him he would still be able to talk to them on the way despite the decapitation. The Irish army was destroyed, but only seven Welsh warriors survived the conflict, along with Branwen, who died of a broken heart soon after her return to Wales.
The Cauldron of Dyrnwch, the Giant
The Pair Dyrnwch Gawr, or the cauldron of Dyrnwch, the Giant, is one of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain (1) and is valued for having the ability to distinguish between a brave man and a coward. Water boiled quickly, and meat cooked fast for a brave man. In contrast, water would not boil, and meat would not cook for a coward. The Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain (1), also known as Tri Thlws ar Ddeg Ynys Prydain in Welsh, are a collection of legendary objects that hold significant value in late-medieval Welsh folklore. Various texts have mentioned these items dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The Cauldron of Dyrnwch could have been associated with a similar vessel, the Cauldron of Diwrnach, mentioned in the Middle Welsh tale Culhwch ac Olwen.
The Cauldron of Diwrnach
Magic Cauldron 2
In the tale of Culhwch ac Olwen, a cauldron belonging to Diwrnach Wyddel, the Irishman, steward to Odgar, the son of Aedd, King of Ireland, is one of the anoetheu, which means wonders or marvels, that Ysbaddaden, the giant and father of bride-to-be Olwen, demands the groom-to-be Culhwch, complete by accomplishing a set of impossible tasks.
“Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, the steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, king of Ireland, to boil the meat for thy marriage feast.” (2)
Culhwch seeks assistance from his cousin, King Arthur, to ask King Odgar for the cauldron, but Diwrnach refuses to give it up.
Accompanied by a small group, Arthur visits Diwrnach in Ireland and is welcomed into his home. Despite being rebuffed once again by Diwrnach, Arthur’s companion, Bedwyr takes matters into his own hands and seizes the cauldron, entrusting it to one of Arthur’s servants, who carries it on their back. With one swift swing of his legendary sword, known as Caledfwlch, Llenlleawg defeats Diwrnach. A battle breaks out between the Irish forces and Arthur and his followers, but they fight their way back to their ship, Prydwen, taking with them the cauldron loaded with the spoils of war, return to Britain. In this tale, the cauldron is not believed to possess any supernatural abilities.
Preiddeu Annwfn – The Spoils of Annwfn
However, in an earlier Welsh poem called Preiddeu Annwfn, or The Spoils of Annwfn, Arthur and his companions embark on a quest to acquire a cauldron with mystical properties like the one listed in The of Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain. The poem differs in that the desired cauldron is the property of the king of Annwn instead of an Irish monarch, maybe implying that Culhwch and Olwen’s story is a later endeavour to euhemerise an earlier mythical saga.
It’s possible that Diwrnach, a name deriving from the Irish, Diugurach, and with no known literary origins, was intentionally chosen by the author of Culhwch ac Olwen to highlight the Irish setting of the tale. While Dyrnwch is not explicitly referred to as being Irish, many scholars deem it likely this name has roots in Diwrnach. The existing manuscripts of Tri Thlws ar Ddeg also feature alternate spellings like Dyrnog and Tyrnog, which lack Irish influence, and it is speculated these are Welsh attempts at pronouncing a foreign name.
The Gundestrup cauldron, dated to about 1 BC, is the most impressive historic Celtic cauldron ever found, though its origins are disputed. It is made from silver and features intricate and beautiful designs. The silversmiths who crafted the piece are unknown, but such exquisite silverwork was rare in those days. There is speculation that a Celtic smith might not have created the object, but rather by the best craftsman available, who may have been outside the Celtic domain, for a customer of eminence within. The Celtic iconography etched upon it suggests it was commissioned by an unknown, high-ranking Celt, probably for purely ceremonial purposes. The imagery is believed to express one or more Celtic myths and possibly display several deities mixed with other images of a different style.
The Importance of Cauldrons to the Celts
Many scholars believe ancient Celts gathered around a cauldron to enjoy eating together, perhaps as a family or at a social event. The Gundestrup cauldron, made of silver, was likely used for holding pre-cooked food or drink, or as a purely ceremonial object, rather than for cooking over a fire. After the meal, the bards might entertain by telling stories of their ancestors and gods. The stories were typically transmitted from one generation to another through oral tradition to reach the ordinary people. The images on the Gundestrup cauldron could have been used as a prompt for a storyteller, indicating a simple form of literature for the educated few. Alternatively, the images could have been purely for decoration.
The original purpose and history of this artefact remains a mystery, but its existence highlights the significance of cauldrons to the Celtic people as portrayed in their mythologies. Some scholars interpret the cauldron’s images in terms of Celtic gods and mythology from the British Isles, but other experts are highly skeptical of these interpretations. Nevertheless, there are apparent similarities between the details of the figures and Iron Age Celtic artifacts found by archaeologists.
Various iconographic details can be traced back to ancient Near East art. Additionally, there are interesting similarities between Hindu deities and stories from earlier Indian civilisations and later epochs. However, some scholars only view the images as purely decorative with no deeper meaning. Meanwhile, other scholars have tried to associate the style, motifs and art with broader traditions remaining from Proto-Indo-European religion despite the distance.
Many motifs are not European and present an unfamiliar world, distinct from those of the people who left it in the wetland bog in north Jutland. The iconography of the cauldron features various creatures such as lions, elephants, mythical beasts, and several unknown gods. The style of the figures suggests that the cauldron was crafted in a foreign land, most likely in the far southern or southeastern region. However, the exact origin of the cauldron remains uncertain and subject to further investigation.
While there are those who doubt its Celtic origin, many others see the ancient stories and myths etched upon its silver plates and in this way regard this ancient item as carrying the magical stories of the ancient Celts to the modern world.
Image Magic Cauldron 1, conjured by zteve t evans using Bing Image Creator from Designer using the commands “Magic cauldron, hung over fire, its contents bubbling, it is night with a full moon, in the style of Gustav Klimt.” – Generated with AI ∙ 29 January 2024 at 6:28 pm.
Image Magic Cauldron 2, conjured by zteve t evans using Bing Image Creator from Designer using the commands “Magic cauldron, hung over fire, its contents bubbling, it is night with a full moon, inin the style of Gustav Klimt.” – Generated with AI ∙ 29 January 2024 at 6:28 pm.
This article was first published on 21st January 2021 on #FolkloreThursday.com under the title Top 5 Trees in Celtic Mythology, Legend and Folklore by zteve t evans. This has been revised and edited 26 February 2024, and some of the images may have differ from the original.
Animism
The ancient Celtic people, as animists, believed that all objects, including trees, had consciousness to some degree. Furthermore, they considered each tree species to possess different properties, which might be medicinal, spiritual or symbolic. Wood was used for everyday needs, including fuel, shelter, tools, and weapons like spears, arrows, and many other items, and provided nuts and berries for food for themselves and their animals. Some species of tree are featured in stories from their myths, legends and folklore, and here we present five trees that played an essential role in these tales and lore.
Oak Trees
The oak was the king of the forest, having many associations throughout the Celtic world with religion, ritual, and myth, and had many practical uses. For the Druids – the Celtic priesthood – it was an integral part of their rituals and was also used as a meeting place. According to the 1st-century geographer Strabo, Druids in Galatia, Asia Minor, met in a sacred grove of oak trees they named Drunemeton to perform rituals and conduct other Druidic business. In 1 AD, Pliny the Elder, writing in Historia Naturalis, documented how a Druidic fertility rite on the sixth day of the moon involved a Druid cutting mistletoe from the branches of an oak and the ritual sacrifice of two white bulls.
Oaks also played essential parts in Welsh mythology. In the Math fab Mathonwy, the last of The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the sorcerers Gwydion and Math create a maiden they named Blodeuwedd or flower-faced from the blossoms of the oak, the broom and meadowsweet. She was made to be the bride of their nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who could not marry a human woman due to a curse placed on him by Arianrhod, his mother. He married Blodeuwedd, who had never learned the social conventions, never having experienced the learning process of growing up. She had an affair with Gronw Pebyrv, and together, they plotted to kill Lleu. Gronw badly wounded him but, turning into an eagle, flew into an oak tree to escape being murdered. The oak appeared to be a refuge between the living world and the world of death, and he remained there until Gwydion found and cured him.
The ash tree was the queen of the forest. Ash trees have significance in both Irish and Scottish mythology and folklore. It was believed to have been used in the rites of Beltane and formed part of the sacred trinity of trees with the oak and the thorn. Ashwood was thought to protect against fairies, and their seed pods were used for divination. The Gaels of Scotland used it for medicine and to protect against witchcraft. Its wood was considered especially good for making spears, staffs and wands and was believed to protect against evil. A Druid’s wand made from ash was found on the Welsh island of Anglesey and is thought to date from the early 1st century CE. In Celtic Ireland, five magical trees protected the land, three of which were ash. The remaining two were an oak and a yew. The Bile Tortan, or the Tree of Tortu, grew in County Meath at Ard Breccan near Navan. This tree reputedly sheltered all the men of Tortu and was thought to have come down in AD 600. The Caeb Daithi, or the Branching Tree of Daithe, grew in County Westmeath at Farbill. The third sacred ash tree was the Craeb Uisnig, which grew on the hill of Uisneach and is considered the centre point of the island of Ireland.
The apple tree and its fruit had numerous functions in Celtic myth, legend and folklore. Unsurprisingly, apples symbolised fruitfulness and a means to obtain immortality. In Welsh and Arthurian tradition, the Island of Avalon was King Arthur’s final resting place and the home of Morgan le Fay and her sisters. It was also known as the Insula Pomorum or Isle of Apples. In Irish tradition, the magical island of Emain Ablach was also known as the Isle of Apples. A story from the Ulster Cycle, Aided Chon Roí, or the Violent Death of Cú Roí, tells how the soul of Cú Roí was held in an apple that lay in the stomach of a salmon that only ever appeared once every seven years.
Hazel trees were significant in Celtic traditions, providing wood and edible nuts. Tara, the religious centre and royal seat in ancient Ireland, was once known as Fordruim and described as a hazel wood. In the Ogham alphabet of ancient Ireland, the letter “C” was represented by the hazel tree. According to Robert Graves, it represented the ninth month of the Old Irish calendar. The Fianna, an elite group of Irish warriors and poets, were expected to defend themselves using only a hazel stick and a shield. In many stories, the hazel without its leaves was considered evil and believed to ooze poison.
In Wales and Ireland, the hazel was considered a fairy tree. Its wood was sacred to poets and deemed inappropriate to use as fuel for fires. Hazel wands were used as badges of office by messengers and couriers. Witches also made their wands from hazel, which were and still are used as divining rods to find underground water sources. In Irish mythology, the poet Finn Eces, also known as Finegas, caught the Salmon of Knowledge. Later, the mythical Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill ate the salmon. The salmon had gained all the knowledge of the world after it had eaten hazelnuts that had dropped into the pool from nine hazel trees that surrounded it. This knowledge was passed on to Fionn after he ate the salmon.
Yew trees are renowned for their longevity. Scientists use a scientific method called dendrochronology, which examines growth rings to date trees. Dating Yew trees is problematic because their annual growth rings decay in the centre, making it difficult to accurately determine their age by counting tree rings. New techniques have been worked out which may give greater accuracy, though these are sometimes contested. Even so, some people believe there are yews alive today that were growing in Celtic times and maybe earlier.
According to the Woodland Trust, the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire is believed to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old. Possibly an older tree is the ancient yew in the churchyard of St Cynog’s church in Defynnog, which may be up to 5,000 years old. Another yew of similar age grows in the churchyard of St. Digain’s Church in Llangernyw village, known as the Llangernyw Yew. According to legend, every Halloween, a voice from the tree names every one of the local people who will die in the following year. One man named Siôn Ap Rhobert refused to believe this. One Halloween, he waited under the yew to hear whose names would be called out. His name was called, and he died within the year.
The Druids were believed to have regarded yews as sacred and would have been aware of their longevity and regenerative qualities. The drooping branches of old yews, when in prolonged contact with the ground, can take root and form trunks which support the main tree, whose core may be rotting. The needles of the yew were poisonous and could cause death, but its longevity and renewal caused it to become associated with resurrection, consequently becoming associated with death and renewal.
A Threefold Reminder
The trees mentioned here are just a few species the Celts knew and admired. Like many other human cultures, they developed the idea of a Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge or the World or Cosmic Tree. This unique tree connected the other, or underworld, to the heavens, passing through the earthly world. It was a powerful symbol of the existence of the three worlds and the connections between them. This threefold reminder emphasised the respect and reverence the Celts had for their trees, and many people in the modern world are inclined to believe that we could learn a thing or two from the ancients.
There are many cases in recent times where towns and villages have been deliberately flooded by humans where a change in the landscape was required for purposes such as to form a reservoir for fresh water. These are usually well-documented and their history known though folklore and legends may evolve from them.
Legends
All around the world there are also legends of towns, cities and lands that have been destroyed or lost, leaving only rumor and myths of their existence and demise. Many such places were rich and successful, well established and populous, making their loss all the more tragic and mystifying. These legends often tell of a catastrophic natural event such as a flood caused by high tides, storms or perhaps covered by sand or snow. Sometimes it is some geological phenomenon such as an earthquake and sometimes this is combined with a natural event or act of war. The loss of such well-established and prosperous places left a deep impression on following generations. Myths and legends evolved to explain the cataclysmic event and very often these were carefully crafted to provide a warning to following generations of the consequences of breaking God’s laws or their excessive pride or hubris.
Myth of Origin
These places were very often situated on a site that became transformed by a disastrous natural event in t a new feature of the landscape. An inland town situated in a valley may be covered by a watery lake. A town situated by the sea may be flooded and drowned by the waves or covered by sand becoming a massive dune. A town in the mountains may be covered by snow and ice becoming a glacier. The story created to explain the disaster may be mostly fictional but based on some historic cataclysm like a powerful storm, earthquake or other natural disaster that actually happened. Sometimes these myths and legends can help archaeologists and scientists investigate real disasters that happened long ago. In some cases such disasters are well documented from the time but the legends and myths evolve after.
Cautionary Tales
These events when combined with the mysterious origin of some well known feature in the landscape create a compelling story that can have a profound and lingering effect on those it is told to. Especially when the narrator is a local priest or who uses the story to impress upon their audience the consequences of offending the Almighty. Although such myths and legends are often designed to uphold Christianity, other religions and philosophies have also used such techniques for this purpose. In some case it is pagan deities or spirits that have been angered in some way by rulers or citizens. Although warnings may be given they are ignored invoking the wrath of the powerful divinity to wreak some form of divine retribution.
Divine Vengeance
Once divine retribution is invoked the fate of the town is sealed. Often it unfolds as a weather event such a rain, sand or snow storm. Once divine retribution manifests the end is inevitable. All that will remain will be the myths and legends of a once rich and prosperous society that was drowned, buried or destroyed along with most of its population. Perhaps a lake or some other feature of the landscape appears where the town once stood.
From this a talented storyteller can weave a tale that will work quietly among following generations for centuries that impresses and extols the danger of angering the all powerful deity. In this way a naturally occurring catastrophic event such as a storm or earthquake may be transformed into something altogether more sinister and in many ways more dangerous. Very often it becomes the judgement of God that is dispensing retribution for wrongdoing on an immoral and corrupt society. This and similar themes are quite common in these legends. Warnings of impending retribution and vengeance are offered in an attempt to change people’s behaviour but are ignored. Punishment is inflicted often destroying that society in its entirety not just the perpetrators. Sometimes a few are saved but often the innocent perish along with the guilty.
Collective Guilt
There is a concept of collective guilt that runs through generations until some chosen time when punishment is enacted. Sometimes vengeance is suspended for several generations and the deviant behaviour forgotten by people. Sometimes it becomes part of normal behaviour. Nevertheless, the Almighty works at his own pace and punishment eventually arrives when least expected with devastating consequences. This does seem harsh on those who were not born when the original sin was committed but it seems there is an expectation to strive to recognize and put right the wrongs of the past. The message is that the sins of one, even when committed in the past, must not be tolerated either at the time, or perpetuated in the future. What is sown will eventually be reaped in a time and in a way that suits the Almighty. This obligation to right and discontinue past wrongs does not mean that they be wiped from history or that they should be. It is important to keep records of such wrongs and our attempts to right them to monitor our own evolution and to make sure we do not make the same mistakes again.
The All-Seeing Eye
There is a sense that the individual and collective behaviour of people is being watched by some all-seeing eye. It sees and knows all our deeds and looks into our hearts and minds making judgements upon us. Legends such as these warn that we are always being watched and judged and even our innermost thoughts are known to the Almighty. They emphasize we must remember and obey the laws of God and will be held answerable for any transgressions at anytime in the present or future no matter how long ago the indiscretion. Furthermore, we have a collective responsibility that runs through the past, present and future to keep ourselves and others in society on the straight and narrow. The message is the all-seeing eye sees everything and in a manner and time that suits the Almighty we will reap what we sow and then –
This article was first published January 14, 2021 on FolkloreThursday.com as Animism and the Living World of the Ancient Celts written by zteve t evans and has been revised, edited, and republished 8th February 2024. Text and images may differ from original.
Animism
Rather than a religion, animism is more an expression of the energy connections that are believed to flow through all things, connecting each to the other and the greater consciousness. It is this greater consciousness that is the source of all energy, and that endows everything with life and sentience. Many early creeds embraced aspects of animism, and it is still found in many modern religions and philosophies.
Celtic Identity
The Celts were a varied collection of ethnic groups inhabiting a broad swathe of continental Europe from the west coast of Ireland to the Black Sea and other scattered areas. Rather than ethnicity, they were connected by aspects of language, culture and religion. They worshipped various gods and goddesses, which varied from region to region, as could the importance and attributes of those divinities. Animism is one of the significant threads connecting this vast and diverse group of people in their culture and philosophy.
Spirit and Consciousness
In animism, there is a belief that all things possess a spirit and a consciousness that connects everything. The sky, Earth and underworld, natural phenomena such as the weather, and everything were all part of a greater conscious universe. Furthermore, even certain words, objects and images had sentience and were alive and could be used in conjunction with the greater consciousness to benefit humanity. For the Celt, death was the transmigration of the souls while their ancestors were revered and regarded as alive.
The Environment
In ancient Celtic times, the land was still wild and forested, and human activity had less impact on the environment than today. The environment and landscape were very different, and the Celtic people were much closer to nature than most Europeans are today and more dependent on the local natural resources. To live and thrive, they needed to exploit the abundant natural resources around them. Hence, there was a need to develop an intimate relationship with nature. They believed the surface of the Earth, under the Earth and in the sky were inhabited by various spirit entities and divinities. For the Celts, it was possible to live in harmony with these entities and harness their power for the benefit of humankind.
For the Celts, springs, forests, and mountains had spirit guardians or keepers, and some animals were believed to be messengers or servants of their gods and goddesses. Caves, hills, springs, rivers, lakes, bogs and other features of the landscape were seen as significant places and perhaps the gateway to the “Other” or Underworld or possibly inhabited by a guardian spirit or divinity. They made shrines and sanctuaries in or near such places and also in sacred groves of trees called nemetons.
Springs and rivers were often named these after their divinities. For example, in Gaul, the River Marne is named after the goddess Dea Matrona, and in Ireland, the goddess Boann gives her name to the River Boyne, and the River Shannon is named after the goddess Sionnan. Healing cults often based themselves at or near natural springs. For example, the hot springs of Sulis became associated with Aquae Sulis, now Bath, Somerset, while the goddess Arnemetia was followed at Aquae Arnemetiae, now Buxton, in Derbyshire. Further evidence of the Celtic veneration of watery places is the number of votive objects in and around such areas. Such objects included:
Wooden carvings or objects.
Metalwork.
Models of animals and birds.
Occasional human sacrifice.
Sometimes, models of body parts were offered by those seeking cures for ailments.
Spirits of the Weather and Sky
The Celts saw the sun, weather and its associated phenomena, such as thunder, as living entities needing respecting, honouring and acknowledging. Taranis, the god of thunder, was exceptionally potent. His icon was a spoked wheel, and archaeologists have found inscriptions referring to him in various Celtic regions, including Britain, Germany, Gaul and the Balkans.
According to the Roman poet Lucan, the worship of Taranis included the use of human sacrifice. After the Romans gained ascendancy over the Celts, they merged their god, Jupiter, with the Celtic Taranis. Roman soldiers posted to Hadrian’s Wall, and Cologne set up altars decorated with wheels and similar designs dedicated to him.
In Irish, Manx, and Scottish mythology, a storm hag called the Cailleach was a different divinity associated with the weather. She was a personification of winter who caused the first snows by washing her plaid in the Gulf of Corryvreckan. Her plaid was so big it took three days to clean, and the storm roaring is heard twenty miles inland. After she finishes her task, her plaid is pure white and covers the land as snow.
Animal Omens
The Celts closely monitored the behaviour of birds and beasts, sometimes seeing omens in their behaviour. They also associated certain spirits or divinities with certain animals. The ursine goddess Artio was named after the Gaulish name for “bear”, and the horse goddess Epona was named after their name for a horse.
For the Celts, the physical attributes of an animal and its characteristics and behaviour were seen as worthy of great respect and admiration. Some animals, such as stags or horses, were admired for their speed, endurance, beauty and virility. Dogs were respected for being keen-scented and swift and for their hunting ability. They were also esteemed for being good guards and having the ability to self-heal. Snakes were respected for their ability to shed their skins, appearing to renew themselves and were seen as symbolic of renewal and eternal life. The Celts not only admired the essential qualities of animals, but they acknowledged and accepted they often possessed attributes that humans lacked or were in some way deficient.
There were also deities of the hunt, emphasising the economic importance and utility of the hunted. The hunted were respected and revered by the hunters, who realised the death of the hunted gave life to the hunter, and this cycle was seen in nature repeatedly. Thus, this gave the Celtic gods a paradoxical role between protector and benefactor of the hunters and the hunted.
According to the 2nd-century Greek writer Adrian, the Celts would not go hunting until they had sought the god’s blessing. Sometimes, they sacrificed domestic animals to the relevant divinities in payment for what they would take from the wild or performed appropriate rituals. There is an idea that hunting was more than just a practical activity to provide a game for the pot. The killing of the unfortunate beast and the shedding of its blood may symbolically have brought nourishment and renewal to the forest and nature. Therefore, in a living conscious world, it was necessary to respect and celebrate the life of the victim whose death helped to bring vitality and life back into the world while keeping the Celt alive.
The Celtic Belief System
The belief system of the ancient Celts was complicated and multilayered, but so was the world they lived in. This world was many things at once, both marvellous and dangerous, and a theatre where many different living beings continuously play out the enigma of life and death. Even in the calmest and most peaceful moments, a deadly battle for survival is always near. The winners live, and the losers die, becoming food for the victor. It may only be something as small as a spider trapping and killing a fly in its web, but these moments of high drama are played out continuously for the observant human attuned to nature. The struggle of life and death is omnipresent. Even without falling prey to some predator, living things die in time. Yet, they are replaced in a cycle of death and renewal that keeps the world populated with multitudes of living beings.
The ancient Celts could see this in the forests, mountains, and the world and developed their belief system to reflect what they saw and understood and explain the marvellous phenomena they observed all around them. Although scholars often disagree over these matters, it is your decision what, if anything, the Celtic form of animism means to you and your life.
Presented here is a retelling of the second branch of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi known as Branwen ferch Llŷr (“Branwen Daughter of Llŷr”). The name Branwen means “white, blessed raven.” (1)
The Second Branch of the Mabinogi
Brân the Blessed, son of Llŷr, was king of the island of Britain that was also known as the Island of the Mighty. He had a brother named Manawyddan who was also a son of Llŷr and a sister named Branwen who was Llŷr’s daughter. These three Brân, Manawyddan, and Branwen are sometimes known as the Children ofLlŷr. They are not the same as the Children of Lir, from Irish mythology although there may be distant associations or connections. In this story Brânwas a personage of such gigantic stature no building existed that could contain him.
One day at Harlech, one of his courts in Wales, he sat with his brother Manawyddan on high cliff looking out over the sea. They were accompanied by Nissien and Efnissyien, his two half brothers from his mother’s side that were of completely different character to one another. Nissien was a good man who always strove to achieve peace and harmony between two opposing forces. Efnissyien, was of a darker character instigating and causing conflict where there was none. These four were accompanied by various nobles ofBrân’s court. As they looked out over the sea they spied a fleet of ships approaching the Welsh coast. One of the ships had taken the lead and displayed upon its side a shield with its point positioned upwards as a token of peace
Matholwch, King of Ireland
Concerned about their intentions in Wales, Brân ordered his warriors to arm themselves and go down to meet them and discover their purpose.This was done and messengers brought back the reply that the ships belonged to King Matholwch of Ireland who came on an important mission in peace and friendship. He came seeking King Brân’s permission to marry his sister Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr, fairest maiden in the world and one of the Three High Matriarchs of Britain. Such a marriage would create a powerful and influential alliance between the two kingdoms bringing great benefit to both.
Brân invited the Irish king ashore with all his retinue, servants and all their horses. The next day he and Brân met to discuss the marriage of Branwen. Brân decided in favor of the marriage and with his sister’s agreement the wedding was held the next day at Aberffraw.
The following day the Welsh and Irish guests gathered for the wedding feast. There was no building in existence big enough to hold Brân therefore a massive marquee was used instead.At the feast, the two sons of Llŷr – Brân and his brother Manawyddan – sat on one side. Matholwch, king of Ireland sat next to Branwen, the daughter of Llŷr, on the other. It was a happy occasion and the guests ate and drank their fill in peace and friendship. At last they retired for the night and Branwen became the wife of King Matholwch.
The Insult
Efnissyen was greatly insulted that he had not been consulted about his half-sister’s marriage. In revenge he cruelly disfigured the horses of the Irish king slicing off their eyelids, lips and ears rendering them unfit for any purpose. When the stable hands discovered the malicious act they immediately informed King Matholwch.Initially, Matholwch was not convinced Brân had anything to do with it. Why would he have willingly given his permission for the wedding to go ahead and then performed such a senseless, cruel and insulting act to his guest and new brother-in-law?
After all, Branwen was the fairest and one of the highest maidens in the land, beloved of her family and people. He could rightfully have refused his marriage to her and offered someone else of lesser status instead. It made no sense at all. The more he thought about it the worse it seemed. His advisors persuaded him that it was intended as an insult and angrily Matholwch made ready to return home taking Branwen with him. On learning of the imminent departure of the Irish with his sister Brân sent a messenger asking why they were leaving without his permission and without even saying goodbye.
Compensation
Matholwch replied saying had he known of the great insult he would suffer he would never have asked for Branwen’s hand in the first place. He declared his bemusement at why Brân had given him his sister in marriage only to insult him after. Brân answered, insisting the insult was not inflicted by him or his court and as his host his own dishonor was greater. To which Matholwch replied that though this was true the insult and injury he had suffered could not be undone.
Brân, not wanting the Irish to leave with such bad feeling, sent further messages. At last it was agreed reparations should be made to compensate the Irish king for the horses and the insult to his standing that he perceived he had suffered. An agreement was made that Brân replace the mutilated steeds. In further compensation he would also give a staff of silver and a plate of gold equal to the width of his face.Furthermore, the culprit would be named, but he warned that because he was his own half-brother he would be unable to put him to death. He asked Matholwch to accept what was offered and come and meet with him and once again be friends.
The emissaries of Brân gave Matholwch this message and the Irish king consulted with his counselors. Finally it was decided to refuse the reparations, which they considered generous, would bring dishonor on King Brân as well as King Matholwch and also themselves, his loyal subjects. Therefore, they resolved to accept them and meet with Brân.
The two met and in his conversation with the Irish king, Brân realized he was still not fully content. Desiring peace and friendship above all else he generously made him the offer of a magical cauldron known as the Cauldron of Rebirth, which returned the dead to life. At last Matholwch seemed satisfied and they ate and drank for the rest of that day. In the morning he set sail for Ireland taking his bride with him.
Branwen’s Welcome
The Irish people were delighted at the return of their king accompanied by his bride. When at last he introduced her to his court and all of his nobles there was great joy. As was the custom, Branwen gave each one an expensive gift of royal jewellery which gave great honor to those who received and wore it. In the first year of her arrival in Ireland she was very popular and greatly loved. The Irish lords and ladies praised and lauded her and she enjoyed life very much. To crown it all she gave birth to a son named Gwern. In the second year of her marriage a dark cloud appeared from the past. The dreadful maiming of King Matholwch’s horses that had occurred on her wedding day was reawakened. Some of the Irish nobles seeking to make trouble for the king used this to make mischief for their own purposes.
The chief among them were Matholwch’s foster brothers who re-opened old wounds. They blamed and derided him for accepting an inferior settlement which they claimed was insulting. Stirring up hatred and resentment they turned upon Branwen demanding vengeance, taking out their malice upon her. They pressured and harried the king who eventually gave way to them. She was barred from his chamber and forced to work in the kitchens cooking and carrying out menial tasks for the court. For a woman of Branwen’s royal stature this was a terrible humiliation and indignity. To add insult to injury they ordered that she be given a blow upon her ear each day.
Knowing her King Brân would be wrath at such treatment of his sister they that advised Matholwch ban all travel between Ireland and Britain. This would prevent Brân hearing of the maltreatment of his sister. To further prevent news reaching Brân they imprisoned anyone in Ireland from Brân’s realm
For three years Branwen suffered this mistreatment. Her once happy life had been turned upside down to become one of humiliation, pain and misery. In desperation she raised and trained a starling. She taught it how to speak and understand human language enough for it to understand what kind of a man her brother was and how to find him.
Writing her troubles down in a letter she tied it to the bird in a way as not to impede its flight. Finally, she set it free bidding it find Brân and give him the message. Flying over the Irish Sea to the island of Britain it found Brân at Caer Seiont in Arvon. Settling on his shoulder the bird ruffled its feathers so as to display the message it bore. Seeing the bird had a degree of domestication and training Brân looked closely and saw the letter and read it. In this way he learnt of his sister’s troubles and grieved greatly for her.
Angrily he ordered a muster of the armed forces of the Island of Britain summoning his vassals and allies to him. He explained to their kings and leaders the mistreatment of Branwen his sister by the Irish and took counsel with them about what should be done.
Bran goes to War
The council agreed that the situation with Branwen was intolerable and decided on invading Ireland to set her free and punish the Irish. Therefore, Brân’s host took to the ships to sail to Ireland to the aid of Branwen. Being too large for any ship to carry Brân strode through the sea before them.
Strange news reached King Matholwch. Witnesses explained they had seen a moving wood approaching the shores of Ireland. Even stranger and more terrifying they had seen a moving mountain besides the wood with a tall ridge which had on each side of it a lake. The wood and the mountain moved together and were approaching Ireland fast. Puzzled by the news Matholwch sent messengers to Branwen to see if she could enlighten him. She told them it was the army of her brother Brân who had come to rescue her.
“What, then, is the great forest we see moving on the sea?” they asked.
“The masts of the ships of the Island of Britain,” she replied.
“What is the mountain that is seen moving before the forest?” they asked.
“That is Brân the Blessed, my brother. No ship can contain him and he needs none,” replied Branwen.
“What is the high ridge with the lake on either side,” they asked.
“Those two lakes are his eyes as he looks upon the island of Ireland. The ridge is his nose and he is angry at the mistreatment of his beloved sister!” replied Branwen.
The messengers returned to Matholwch bearing Branwen’s answer. Fearing to face such a huge army in battle he turned to his nobles for advice. They agreed it was too risky and decided their best option was to retreat over the River Linon, destroying the single bridge across after them. There was no other bridge and Brân would have to march miles out of his way to find another suitable crossing point.
Brân the Bridge
Brân and his army came ashore unimpeded but found the bridge over the river destroyed. Brân’s chieftains went to him saying, “Lord, the river cannot be crossed. The bridge is broken and there is no other crossing point for many miles. What would you have us do?”
Brân replied, “He who would be chief will be the bridge himself,” and laid himself down bridging the river with his body. In this way his host passed over to the other side.
Hearing how Brân had bridged the river worried King Matholwch who sent messengers expressing greetings, goodwill and proposals he hoped would placate him. He proposed that Gwern, his son, be given sovereignty of Ireland for the mistreatment of his sister, Branwen.
Brân replied, “Why should I not take the kingdom myself? I will take counsel. Until I have considered it no other answer will you get. Go tell your king.”
“Indeed, they said, “we shall bear your answer to him. Will you wait for his reply?”
“I will wait, but return quickly,” replied Brân. The messengers returned to their king with Brân’s answer and Matholwch took counsel with his nobles.
House of Betrayal
His counselors unanimously agreed it would be best to avoid direct conflict with the host of Brân fearing certain defeat at the hands of such a powerful army. Therefore a conciliatory approach was decided to appease Brân and put him at ease while quietly enacting a treacherous plot to defeat him. They decided to try to appease him by building a house big enough to hold his own gigantic self. It would also be big enough to hold his warriors and those of Matholwch. In this massive structure they would hold a great feast of friendship and make formal agreements and Matholwch would pay him homage. They hoped this would please and flatter him, making him more amenable to their other proposals. They also reasoned he would be more likely to relax and drop his guard which would leave him open to a deadly betrayal.
Matholwch was not sure Brân would accept the proposals. Therefore, he sent for Branwen for advice telling her nothing of the full scope of his treachery. After listening carefully at what he said she advised that she believed he would accept. Therefore, Matholwch sent messengers to Brân with his proposals. Brân listened and asked his own lords and also sent to his sister for advice. Knowing nothing of the betrayal and for the sake of peace and prevent the laying waste of the country she advised her brother to accept. Brân accepted and a peace was made with the Irish and a massive house was built as agreed. With the structure finished and the final preparations for the feast being made Matholwch pursued further his treacherous plot.
Brass hooks were fixed upon the pillars and a leather bag hung from each bracket. Each leather bag contained a fully armed Irish warrior. At the command of King Matholwch when Brân’s own warriors were in a drunken state they would cut themselves from the bag to assassinate the unsuspecting Britons
Efnissyen
The great house of betrayal was quickly built and its interior was prepared for the great feast. Efnissyen, who had mutilated Matholwch’s horses, entered the hall to inspect progress. Seeing the leather bags he asked what was inside. He was told the King of Ireland had made a gift of flour for Brân which was contained in the bags. Efnissyen felt one of the bags and felt a man’s head. He squeezed it until his fingers met in the middle. He did this to each of the leather bags and crushed a man’s head in each one killing two hundred hidden assassins.
The Killing of Gwern
The two kings eventually entered the house with their followers and the proceedings began. The negotiations and agreements were made in a spirit of peace and friendship. Sovereignty of Ireland was conferred upon the young boy Gwern, the son of Matholwch and Branwen and nephew of Brân. After all the talking was over Brân called the boy to him. Gwern went willingly and showed him great affection. From Brân, Gwern went happily to Manawyddan and from one to another showing great affection with each he went to.
Efnissyen looked on and he grew jealous of the boy’s attention to others saying, “Why does the boy not come to me, his uncle? He is the son of my sister and is my nephew but he ignores me when I would be glad to give the boy my love!”
“Let the boy go to you if he wants to,” said Brân.
Gwern happily went to Efnissyen who taken by some dark mood without warning seized the boy by his feet and swung him head first into the roaring fire. Branwen screamed and attempted to leap into the fire after her son. Brân grabbed her hand and with his other hand placed his shield between her and the fire keeping her safe between his body and his shield.
Immediately the great hall was in uproar as the two sides rapidly armed themselves intent on killing one another. All the while Brân kept his sister safe between his shield and his body as the fighting ensued all around.
The Cauldron of Rebirth
The Irish immediately lit a fire under the Cauldron of Rebirth that had been part of the compensation Brân gave for the malicious disfigurement of their horses. They placed their dead in the cauldron and they were restored to fully fit fighting men save they had lost the power of speech and hearing.
Efnissyen, seeing the warriors of Brân were slaying the Irish noted they were also being slain. However, unlike the Irish, their dead did not return to the battle and the Irish were gaining the advantage. Feeling remorse and great guilt that he had been the cause of all this murder and mayhem he resolved to save Brân and his warriors. Therefore, he hid among the piles of the Irish dead waiting to be revived in the cauldron until he too was cast in. As soon as he was inside he stretched himself out to his full bodily dimensions causing the cauldron to burst asunder but bursting his own heart in the process. With this advantage removed from the Irish theBritons quickly gained the upper hand.
The Seven Survivors
Although the warriors of Brân eventually triumphed it was a pyrrhic victory costing them dear. Brân was mortally wounded from a wound in his foot from a poisoned spear. Of his army only seven lived and these were Manawyddan, Pryderi, Taliesin the Bard, Grudyen the son of Muryel, Ynawc and Heilyn the son of Gwynn Hen. Brân had shielded Branwen throughout the battle and she also lived.
Of the Irish people only five pregnant women survived who went and lived in caves. They gave birth to five sons and over time the Island of Ireland was repopulated incestuously.
The Assembly of the Wondrous Head
Bran the Blessed – by zteve t evans
Knowing he was dying and being too large to bury or take back on a ship Brân ordered the seven surviving warriors to sever his head from his body. He instructed they carry it to the White Hill in London where they were to bury it facing the sea to deter invasion from France. He advised them this task would take many years. In that time they would spend seven years feasting in Harlech while being regaled by the Birds of Rhiannon. They would then travel to Gwales where they would spend a further eighty years and become known as, “The Assembly of the Wondrous Head”. All this time the head would be able to converse with them and keep them company despite it being severed. They would be untouched by time but eventually, the time would come when they would leave Gwales to journey to London where their task would be completed as he had instructed. He then ordered them to “cross over to the other side.” The seven survivors accompanied by Branwen crossed over to the other side (2) of the sea to Wales bearing the head of Brân.
However, as she turned to look back across the sea to Ireland and gazed around her at the Island of Britain she was overwhelmed with grief and anguish. Her heart broke in two and she groaned and collapsed and died of a broken heart. Thus, ended the life of Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr, Fairest Maiden of Britain. The seven survivors made a four sided grave on the banks of the River Alaw for her internment.
The Seven Survivors discovered the crown of Britain had been usurped by Caswallawn and Brân’s son had died of a broken heart after his companions were killed in an ambush by the usurper. Nevertheless, as Brân had ordered and in the manner he had predicted, his head was finally buried in London to deter any invasion of Britain from France. Here ends the Second Branch of the Mabinogi and the story of two of the Seven Survivors, Pryderi and Manawyddan are continued in the Third Branch, known as Manawyddan.
The Adar Rhiannon – The Singing Birds of Rhiannon by zteve t evans – 18 January 2021
The Birds of Rhiannon
Welsh mythology and folklore is crammed with fantastical people and creatures and the Adar Rhiannon, or the Birds of Rhiannon, are a trio of magical birds mentioned in early Welsh literature and myth. They were associated with Rhiannon who many scholars see as goddess from the Welsh Celtic Otherworld. She was a significant figure in the First and Third Branches of the Mabinogi and her birds were mentioned in the Second Branch. Presented here is a short discussion involving some of what is known about the Adar Rhiannon looking briefly at the Mabinogi and the adventure story, Culhwch and Olwen. This will be followed by a look at the mysterious Rhiannon and the properties of the magical birds in these stories and conclude by referring back to The Second Branch of the Mabinogi.
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, are generally considered one work consisting of four parts that tell stories of the gods and heroes from Celtic Welsh mythology. The stories are thought to be older than medieval times but rewritten, probably by monks of that era. The Four Branches along with Culhwch and Olwen and other works are included in the compilation of medieval Welsh literature known as the The Mabinogion, first published in full by Lady Charlotte Guest in 1838–45. The Adar Rhiannon, briefly appear in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi and are mentioned and sought after in the story of Culhwch and Olwen. Although they only appear to play a small role in both stories they possess unique and important properties that lend magical qualities to the tales.
Time and Space
The singing of the birds can awaken the dead while inducing the living to sleep. Their singing also causes time and space to behave differently. They seem to be singing very near while in fact they are far away. Their singing also alters the passing of time making days seem like years when in fact only a short space of time has passed and preserve from the effects of time.
Rhiannon
These birds are named after and associated with Rhiannon one of the most enigmatic characters in Welsh myth. He first husband was Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and Chief of Annwn and their son was Pryderi. She was falsely accused of the murder of her son and eating him but later proved innocent after public humiliation. Her second husband was Manawyddan whom she married after Pwyll’s passing.
Rhiannon also displayed the power to warp time and space, but differently to her birds. This is shown, in the manner of her first appearance on horseback from the Otherworld seeking Pwyll to propose their marriage which he accepts. Secondly, she produces a magical bag that can be filled with any amount of without getting full with enough room for a fully grown human. This is used to trick and trap an unwelcome marriage suitor so that she can marry Pwyll.
From her first appearance it is clear she is no ordinary woman and is someone of special status and importance. She is considered to be a goddess or representative of sovereignty and being strongly associated with horses is usually thought of as a horse deity or derived from one. Therefore, like Rhiannon, her birds are not ordinary birds having the magical qualities mentioned previously.
Culhwch and Olwen
In the tale of Culhwch and Olwen the birds are given two more magical attributes. The story tells how Culwhch was given a host of impossible tasks by Ysbaddaden Bencawr, a giant and the father of Olwen, who demanded their achievement before he would give permission for his daughter to marry him. The severity of the tasks was possibly because he was doomed to die on her wedding night and he hoped Culwhch would fail that he might live. One of his demands was to be brought the Adar Rhiannon possibly because they would soothe his passing into death. Therefore he asked Culhwch to bring,
“The Birds of Rhiannon: the ones which can wake the dead and put the living to sleep I want to entertain me that night.” (1)
The night he is referring to is his daughter’s wedding night which is the night he is doomed to die if the marriage goes ahead. From this we see they have two other magical attributes. The first is their singing puts the living to sleep and the second is that it wakes the dead. They may have been a useful insurance against death from the giant’s point of view or at least eased his passing.
The Second Branch of the Mabinogi
The Adar Rhiannon also appears at the end of the Second Branch which is the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr. Branwen, the sister of the Welsh King Bendigeidfran, also known as Brân the Blessed, had been married to the Irish King Matholwch and lived with him in Ireland. However, it was not a happy marriage and she was subject to physical and psychological abuse. In her unhappiness she trains a starling to take a message back over the sea to her brother King Bendigeidfran telling him of her plight and seeking his aid. Enraged and offended by his sister’s treatment Bendigeidfran gathers his army and invades Ireland and a cataclysmic war follows. All the Irish are killed leaving only a five pregnant women in Ireland who took to living in a cave. Each gave birth to a son and eventually incestuously repopulated the island of Ireland.
On the Welsh side there were seven surviving warriors, as well as Branwen. These were Pryderi, the son of Rhiannon and Pwyll and Manawyddan, brother of King Bendigeidfran and Rhiannon’s future husband. These were accompanied by Taliesin the great bard, Gluneu Eil Taran, Ynawc, Grudyen the son of Muryel, and Heilyn the son of Gwynn Hen.
In the conflict King Bendigeidfran was mortally wounded by a poisoned spear and knew he would soon die. He ordered the survivors to decapitate him and take his head to the White Tower of London where it was to be buried to protect Britain from invaders. He prophesied they would encounter the singing birds of Rhiannon and remain in one place for seven years spellbound by them,
“And take you my head and bear it even unto the White Mount, in London, and bury it there, with the face towards France. And a long time will you be upon the road. In Harlech you will be feasting seven years, the birds of Rhiannon singing unto you the while. And all that time the head will be to you as pleasant company as it ever was when on my body.”
Bendigeidfran’s severed head retained the power of speech and continued talking to the survivors as he predicted. Sadley, Branwen died of a broken heart through grief for the dead.
The Adar Rhiannon
Before setting off with the head to London the survivors feasted in Harlech and as also predicted by Bendigeidfran they were visited by the singing birds of Rhiannon,
“As soon as they began to eat and drink, three birds came and sang them a song, and all the songs they had heard before were harsh compared to that one. They had to gaze far out over the sea to catch sight of the birds, yet their song was as clear as if the birds were there with them. And they feasted for seven years.” (2)
Translation of different texts may vary but it is thought these are the same birds mentioned in Culhwch and Olwen and at the end of the Second Branch where, “the singing of the birds of Rhiannon” is referred to which demonstrated time was altered,
“And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi, concerning the blow given to Branwen, which was the third unhappy blow of this island; and concerning the entertainment of Bran, when the hosts of sevenscore countries and ten went over to Ireland to revenge the blow given to Branwen; and concerning the seven years’ banquet in Harlech, and the singing of the birds of Rhiannon, and the sojourning of the head for the space of fourscore years. (3)
Rhiannon and her singing birds along with King Bendigeidfran, Culhwch and Olwen and the giant Ysbaddaden Bencawr are just a few of the strange and magical characters and creatures that dwell in the landscape of Welsh Celtic myth and medieval literature.
Under the influence! 
