Blodeuwedd
(The Maginogion ~ Welsh Mythology)
Gwynedd in North Wales is ruled by Math, son of Mathonwy. Aranrhod gives birth to two sons. One, Dylan, immediately takes to the sea. The other becomes named Lleu Llaw Gyffes(Bright, with a Skilful Hand).When Lleu’s mother Aranrhod refuses him permission to marry any mortal woman, Lleu’s uncles Math and Gwydion fashioned a bride for him out of nine types of flowers (broom, meadowsweet, oak blossom, primrose, cockle, bean, nettle, chestnut and hawthorn), and produced the loveliest woman ever seen, the maiden Blodeuwedd. The two married and lived contentedly, until one day when Lleu left his wife alone while he went to visit Math.It chanced that a stag hunt passed by the castle and Blodeuwedd sent a messenger offering the party hospitality for the night. But as soon as she beheld its leader Gronw Pebyr, from Caer Gai by Bala, she fell in love with him. It wasn't long before they declared their desire to be together and decided that the only way was to murder Lleu. This was not to be straightforward - Lleu explained that he could be killed neither by day nor by night, neither indoors or out of doors, neither clothed or naked, neither riding or walking, neither in water nor out of water, and only by a weapon which has taken a year to make and not lawfully. Blodeuwedd got Lleu to reveal that he could only be killed at twilight, when on the bank of a river, with one foot on the back of a he-goat and the other on the rim of a bath, wearing a fishing net, under a canopy. The spear needed to kill him would have to take a year to make, working only on Sundays. Gronw set to work, and working only on Sundays spent a whole year making a spear. A year later when the spear was made, Blodeuwedd tricked Lleu into demonstrating to her how his death could be possible. When he showed her Gronw emerged from nearby trees and hurled the spear at him, hitting him in the thigh. Lleu immediately turned into an eagle and flew away, but later was magically transformed back into human shape and nursed back to health.A year later Blodeuwedd the Flower Maiden was caught by Gwydion and as punishment he changed her into an owl, proclaiming:"You will not dare to show your face in the light of day ever again, and that will be because of enmity between you and all other birds. It will be in their nature to harass you and despise you wherever they find you. And you will not lose your name - that will always be Bloddeuwedd." Meanwhile, Gronw escapes to Penllyn and sends emissaries to Lleu to beg of his forgiveness. Lleu refuses, demanding that Gronw must stand on the bank of the River Cynfael and receive a blow from his spear. Gronw desperately asks if anyone will take the spear in his place, but his men refuse his plea. Eventually, Gronw agrees to receive the blow, but since this was due to the wiles of a woman,on the condition that Lleu should allow him the boon of placing a stone between himself and the blow. Lleu allows him to do so before throwing the spear with such strength that it pierces the stone, killing his rival. Lleu re-established himself in his castle, and the stone, pierced with the hole, was left standing by the River Cynfael as a reminder to his enemies of the fates of his rival and the Bride of Flowers.It is said that, in the form of an owl, Blodeuwedd still mourns for her one true lost love, and can be heard calling for him at night around Castell Gronw.
Rhiannon
(The Mabinogion ~ Welsh Mythology)
One day, while at his main court at Arberth, Pwyll assembled a great number of men for a feast. After the first sitting Pwyll took a walk to the hill above the court known as Gorsedd Arberth. Once of his companions told Pwyll that it was the property of the hill that whenever a man of royal blood sits on it, one of two things happens: either he receives a blow and is wounded or else he sees a wonder. Pwyll replied "I do not expect to receive a blow while in the company of such a host and I would be pleased to see a wonder, I will go and sit on the hill".
As Pwyll was sitting on the hill he saw a woman dressed in the finest gold brocade and riding a magnificent pale horse. The horse was approaching on the highway that ran past the hill and anyone who saw it would have said that it was moving at a slow and steady pace. "Who is that horsewoman" asked Pwyll but none of his company had ever laid eyes upon her before this time. Pwyll ordered a man to go and find out who the woman was but by the time the man had reached the highway, the woman had already past and the faster he ran after her, the further ahead she drew. The man returned and addressed Pwyll, "Lord, it is no use following her on foot". Pwyll instructed the man to return to the court, take the fastest horse and go after the mysterious rider. The man did as Pwyll commanded and soon caught sight of the woman but no matter how fast he rode his quarry still drew farther ahead until, at last, he gave in and returned to Pwyll. "Lord it is useless" he said , I know of no horse in the land faster than this and yet I could not overtake her". "Very well" said Pwyll "let us return to court but there is some hidden meaning in this vision". Pwyll and his companions returned to court.
The next day, after the first lunch sitting Pwyll rose, "let all those who went to Gorsedd Arberth yesterday accompany once more and bring the fastest horse we have". The group returned to the hill and once again the lady appeared and as she drew past the hill a horseman mounted and gave chase. To all that viewed her she seemed to be going at the same slow and steady pace as before but still the horseman could not catch her. "I have seen it is useless for anyone to pursue this lady" said Pwyll "but I know she is on an errand of some sort and with a message fro someone on this hill, let us return to court."
After lunch the next day, the party once again returned to the hill but his time they brought Pwyll's own horse with them. As soon as the lady appeared, Pwyll mounted his horse and gave chase and yet despite her apparent slow pace, he could not overtake her. Frustrated, Pwyll called out "Lady, for the sake of the man you love best, stop for me". "I will" came the reply "and it would have been better for you and your horse had you asked me that earlier". The lady stopped, drew back the veil from her face and gazed upon Pwyll. "Lady, where are you from and where are you going?". "I am doing my errands and I am glad to see you" was the reply. Pwyll was enchanted by the lady's appearance and it seemed to him that he had never before set eyes on such a beautiful woman. He asked what the nature of her errand was to which the lady replied "my errand was to see you". "I am Rhiannon, daughter of Heveydd the Old. I am being given to a man against my will: I have not sought any husband because of my love for you and will not accept this man unless you reject me now". Pwyll replied "between me and my god, had I the choice of any woman in the land I would choose you".
Rhiannon told Pwyll to meet her a year from tonight in Heveydd's court where a feast would be prepared for his arrival.
Pwyll and Rhiannon parted company and he returned to his companions but every time they enquired after the mysterious rider, Pwyll would turn to other topics.
The year passed and when the time came Pwyll gathered ninety nine companions and they rode to the court of Heveydd the Old. There was great joy at the company's arrival and a great feast was laid on, as Rhiannon had promised, and they ate and caroused and made merry. After the first sitting, an auburn haired youth appeared before Pwyll and Rhiannon. "Greetings to you friend, sit down" said Pwyll but the stranger replied "I will not for I am a suppliant and I have come to ask you a favour". Pwyll told the youth, "whatever you ask, so far as it lies within my power, you shall have it". "Alas" cried Rhiannon "why did you answer him so?". The youth told Pwyll "Lord, the woman I love best you are to sleep with tonight and it his to ask for her and for the preparations and the feast that I have come".
Pwyll fell silent for he had given the youth his word and there was only one answer hi could give to his request. "Stay silent" said Rhiannon "for I have never witnessed such a feeble witted performance". "Lady, I did not know who he was" exclaimed Pwyll. "This is Gwawl son of Clud, the man to whom I was to be betrothed against my will and now as you have given your word you must give me to him or else you will dishonour yourself". Heartbroken, Pwyll replied "I could never do that my Lady" but Rhiannon had a plan. "Give me to him now and I will see to it that he never has me. I will give you a bag which you must keep with you. He has asked you for the preparations and the feast but those are not within your power, I will give the feast to your host and your company and this will be your answer to him. I will set a date, a year and a day from now, for him to bed me and at that time you, with your bag and your company must enter dressed in rags and ask for nothing more than the filling of the bag with food. I will ensure that even if all the food and drink in this entire land were to be placed in that bag it would still not be filled. After a great deal of food has been placed I the bag Gwawl will ask you if it will ever be filled to which you must respond that it will not unless a very powerful noble were to press down the food with both feet and says "enough has been put inside". I will then persuade Gwawl to step into the bag, when he does turn the bag upside down and tie the strings so that he is trapped inside. Once trapped sound your horn as a signal to your company to descend upon the court".
Rhiannon turned to Gwawl, "You shall have as much of your request as I am able to give but as for the preparations and the feast, I have already given them to the troops of Dyved and so a year from tonight another feast shall be prepared for you and you shall sleep with me".
Pwyll returned to Dyved and Gwawl to his own kingdom and each spent the year waiting for the feast. When the time came Gwawl went to the court of Heveydd the Old and was welcomed warmly by all while Pwyll and his ninety nine men waited in the orchard as arranged. Hearing that the carousing after the first course had begun Pwyll, dressed in rags, descended to the court and greeted Gwawl thus "Lord, I am a suppliant and I have come to ask favour of you". Gwawl replied "your request is welcome and, if it is reasonable, shall be granted." "It is reasonable Lord, for all I ask is that my bag be filled with food and drink". "A modest request and one that I will gladly grant" said Gwawl and he ordered that Pwyll's bag be filled. As Rhiannon had foretold, no matter how much food or drink was placed in the bag, it was no fuller than before. "Will your bag ever be full" asked Gwawl. "No sir" replied Pwyll "not until a nobleman of land and possessions steps inside and presses the food down with his feet and says "enough has been put inside". "Rise at once my Champion" said Rhiannon to Gwawl and he did as he was asked. As soon as Gwawl stepped inside the bag, Pwyll turned it upside down, tied the strings and blew his horn. As his company descended from the orchard Pwyll threw off his rags.
As each of Pwyll's company entered the court he struck the bag and called out "what is this" to which the rest of the company would respond "A badger" and this was the first playing of the game "badger in the bag".
Gwawl cried out from inside the bag, "Lord, this is no proper end for me". To which Rhiannon advised Pwyll that he ought to spare him on condition that Gwawl satisfy the requests of all suppliants and that he should swear to take no revenge and make no claim against the couple. Gwawl agreed to these terms.
For the rest of the day the company caroused and made merry until Pwyll and Rhiannon retired to bed and spent the night in pleasure and delight and the next morning the couple made their way back to Dyved.
As Pwyll was sitting on the hill he saw a woman dressed in the finest gold brocade and riding a magnificent pale horse. The horse was approaching on the highway that ran past the hill and anyone who saw it would have said that it was moving at a slow and steady pace. "Who is that horsewoman" asked Pwyll but none of his company had ever laid eyes upon her before this time. Pwyll ordered a man to go and find out who the woman was but by the time the man had reached the highway, the woman had already past and the faster he ran after her, the further ahead she drew. The man returned and addressed Pwyll, "Lord, it is no use following her on foot". Pwyll instructed the man to return to the court, take the fastest horse and go after the mysterious rider. The man did as Pwyll commanded and soon caught sight of the woman but no matter how fast he rode his quarry still drew farther ahead until, at last, he gave in and returned to Pwyll. "Lord it is useless" he said , I know of no horse in the land faster than this and yet I could not overtake her". "Very well" said Pwyll "let us return to court but there is some hidden meaning in this vision". Pwyll and his companions returned to court.
The next day, after the first lunch sitting Pwyll rose, "let all those who went to Gorsedd Arberth yesterday accompany once more and bring the fastest horse we have". The group returned to the hill and once again the lady appeared and as she drew past the hill a horseman mounted and gave chase. To all that viewed her she seemed to be going at the same slow and steady pace as before but still the horseman could not catch her. "I have seen it is useless for anyone to pursue this lady" said Pwyll "but I know she is on an errand of some sort and with a message fro someone on this hill, let us return to court."
After lunch the next day, the party once again returned to the hill but his time they brought Pwyll's own horse with them. As soon as the lady appeared, Pwyll mounted his horse and gave chase and yet despite her apparent slow pace, he could not overtake her. Frustrated, Pwyll called out "Lady, for the sake of the man you love best, stop for me". "I will" came the reply "and it would have been better for you and your horse had you asked me that earlier". The lady stopped, drew back the veil from her face and gazed upon Pwyll. "Lady, where are you from and where are you going?". "I am doing my errands and I am glad to see you" was the reply. Pwyll was enchanted by the lady's appearance and it seemed to him that he had never before set eyes on such a beautiful woman. He asked what the nature of her errand was to which the lady replied "my errand was to see you". "I am Rhiannon, daughter of Heveydd the Old. I am being given to a man against my will: I have not sought any husband because of my love for you and will not accept this man unless you reject me now". Pwyll replied "between me and my god, had I the choice of any woman in the land I would choose you".
Rhiannon told Pwyll to meet her a year from tonight in Heveydd's court where a feast would be prepared for his arrival.
Pwyll and Rhiannon parted company and he returned to his companions but every time they enquired after the mysterious rider, Pwyll would turn to other topics.
The year passed and when the time came Pwyll gathered ninety nine companions and they rode to the court of Heveydd the Old. There was great joy at the company's arrival and a great feast was laid on, as Rhiannon had promised, and they ate and caroused and made merry. After the first sitting, an auburn haired youth appeared before Pwyll and Rhiannon. "Greetings to you friend, sit down" said Pwyll but the stranger replied "I will not for I am a suppliant and I have come to ask you a favour". Pwyll told the youth, "whatever you ask, so far as it lies within my power, you shall have it". "Alas" cried Rhiannon "why did you answer him so?". The youth told Pwyll "Lord, the woman I love best you are to sleep with tonight and it his to ask for her and for the preparations and the feast that I have come".
Pwyll fell silent for he had given the youth his word and there was only one answer hi could give to his request. "Stay silent" said Rhiannon "for I have never witnessed such a feeble witted performance". "Lady, I did not know who he was" exclaimed Pwyll. "This is Gwawl son of Clud, the man to whom I was to be betrothed against my will and now as you have given your word you must give me to him or else you will dishonour yourself". Heartbroken, Pwyll replied "I could never do that my Lady" but Rhiannon had a plan. "Give me to him now and I will see to it that he never has me. I will give you a bag which you must keep with you. He has asked you for the preparations and the feast but those are not within your power, I will give the feast to your host and your company and this will be your answer to him. I will set a date, a year and a day from now, for him to bed me and at that time you, with your bag and your company must enter dressed in rags and ask for nothing more than the filling of the bag with food. I will ensure that even if all the food and drink in this entire land were to be placed in that bag it would still not be filled. After a great deal of food has been placed I the bag Gwawl will ask you if it will ever be filled to which you must respond that it will not unless a very powerful noble were to press down the food with both feet and says "enough has been put inside". I will then persuade Gwawl to step into the bag, when he does turn the bag upside down and tie the strings so that he is trapped inside. Once trapped sound your horn as a signal to your company to descend upon the court".
Rhiannon turned to Gwawl, "You shall have as much of your request as I am able to give but as for the preparations and the feast, I have already given them to the troops of Dyved and so a year from tonight another feast shall be prepared for you and you shall sleep with me".
Pwyll returned to Dyved and Gwawl to his own kingdom and each spent the year waiting for the feast. When the time came Gwawl went to the court of Heveydd the Old and was welcomed warmly by all while Pwyll and his ninety nine men waited in the orchard as arranged. Hearing that the carousing after the first course had begun Pwyll, dressed in rags, descended to the court and greeted Gwawl thus "Lord, I am a suppliant and I have come to ask favour of you". Gwawl replied "your request is welcome and, if it is reasonable, shall be granted." "It is reasonable Lord, for all I ask is that my bag be filled with food and drink". "A modest request and one that I will gladly grant" said Gwawl and he ordered that Pwyll's bag be filled. As Rhiannon had foretold, no matter how much food or drink was placed in the bag, it was no fuller than before. "Will your bag ever be full" asked Gwawl. "No sir" replied Pwyll "not until a nobleman of land and possessions steps inside and presses the food down with his feet and says "enough has been put inside". "Rise at once my Champion" said Rhiannon to Gwawl and he did as he was asked. As soon as Gwawl stepped inside the bag, Pwyll turned it upside down, tied the strings and blew his horn. As his company descended from the orchard Pwyll threw off his rags.
As each of Pwyll's company entered the court he struck the bag and called out "what is this" to which the rest of the company would respond "A badger" and this was the first playing of the game "badger in the bag".
Gwawl cried out from inside the bag, "Lord, this is no proper end for me". To which Rhiannon advised Pwyll that he ought to spare him on condition that Gwawl satisfy the requests of all suppliants and that he should swear to take no revenge and make no claim against the couple. Gwawl agreed to these terms.
For the rest of the day the company caroused and made merry until Pwyll and Rhiannon retired to bed and spent the night in pleasure and delight and the next morning the couple made their way back to Dyved.
Mannaman mac Lir
(Irish Mythology ~ Traditional Ballad)
If you would listen to my story,
I will pronounce my chant
As best I can; I will, with my mouth,
Give you notice of the enchanted Island.
Who he was that had it first,
And then what happened to him;
And how St. Patrick brought in Christianity,
And how it came to Stanley.
Little Mannanan was son of Leirr,
He was the first that ever had it;
But as I can best conceive,
He himself was a heathen.
It was not with his sword he kept it,
Neither with arrows or bow,
But when he would see ships saving,
He would cover it round with a fog.
He would set a man, standing on a hill,
Appear as if he were a hundred ;
And thus did wild Mannanan protect
That Island with all its booty.
The rent each landholder paid to him was,
A bung e of coarse meadow grass yearly,
And that, as their yearly tax,
They paid to him each midsummer eve.
Some would carry the grass up,
To the great mountain up at Barrool;
Others would leave the grass below,
With Mannanan's self, above Keamool.
Thus then did they live;
O l think their tribute very small,
Without care and without anxiety,
Or hard labour to cause weariness.
I will pronounce my chant
As best I can; I will, with my mouth,
Give you notice of the enchanted Island.
Who he was that had it first,
And then what happened to him;
And how St. Patrick brought in Christianity,
And how it came to Stanley.
Little Mannanan was son of Leirr,
He was the first that ever had it;
But as I can best conceive,
He himself was a heathen.
It was not with his sword he kept it,
Neither with arrows or bow,
But when he would see ships saving,
He would cover it round with a fog.
He would set a man, standing on a hill,
Appear as if he were a hundred ;
And thus did wild Mannanan protect
That Island with all its booty.
The rent each landholder paid to him was,
A bung e of coarse meadow grass yearly,
And that, as their yearly tax,
They paid to him each midsummer eve.
Some would carry the grass up,
To the great mountain up at Barrool;
Others would leave the grass below,
With Mannanan's self, above Keamool.
Thus then did they live;
O l think their tribute very small,
Without care and without anxiety,
Or hard labour to cause weariness.