Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Arawn

He is the Celtic god of the otherworld, the gray cloaked lord of Annwn. It is said that he likes to take his Hounds of Hell for a run to track down lost souls. In one tale, Pwyll set his hounds on the same deer that Arawn was after. To pay for the mistake, Arawn asked Pwyll to trade places with him for a year and a day and to defeat Hafgan, Arawn's rival, at the end of that time, something Arawn had been trying to do, but had never been able to. Arawn, meanwhile, takes Pwyll's place as lord of Dyfed. Arawn and Pwyll become good friends after that. The friendship between the two realms remained long after Pwyll's death. In athoner part of the tale, Pryderi, Pwyll's son and lord of Dyfed has received a gift of otherworldly pigs from Arawn. These pigs were eventually stolen by a Venedotian magician and a trickster, Gwydion fab Don, leading to Pryderi's invasion of Gwynedd. In the ar following this, Gwydion kills Pryderi in single combat.
In Welsh folklore, the Cwn Annwn or Hounds of Annwn run across the skies in Autumn, winter and early spring.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Brigit

She is the daughter of Dagda. She is believed to be a woman of poetry, healing, smithcraft, and Martial Arts. And seems to be the equivalent to the Greek Athena. She also seems to be linked with Saint Brigid. In Irish mythology Brigit is the wife of Bres of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son, Ruadan. There is a possibility that Brigid is one of the classic Celtic Triple Goddess.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Bran Part 2

The Irish try to make peace and build a house to entertain Bran but hanged a hundred bags inside, supposedly containing flour but were really housing armed warriors. Efnysien, suspecting a trick, scouted the hall and killed all the warriors by smashing their skulls. Later, at the feast, Efnysien murders Gwern by burning him alive and, as a result, a battle insued. Seeing that the Irish were using the cauldron to revive their dead, he hides among the corpses and is put into the cauldron by the unwitting enemy. He then destroys it from within, and kills himself at the same time. It is said that only seven men survived the battle, including Manawydon and Taliesin, Branwen having died of a broken heart. They were told by a dying Bran to cut off his head and take it back to Britain. It is said that Bran's head is buried with his head facing France where the Tower of London now stands.
It is possible that Bran is the origin of the headless horse man myth.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Bran Part 1

He is a giant and the king of britain in Welsh mythology. His most important role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogion. In this tale, the Irish king, Matholwch, goes to Harlech to talk with Bran, high king of the Island of the Mighty and ask for Branwen's hand in marriage, thus forming an alliance between the two lands. Bran agrees to the Irish king's request, the celabrations were cut short when Efnisien, a half brother of Bran, mutilated Matholwch's horses because he was upset that his permission was not asked for in regards to the marriage. Matholwch was offended by this until Bran offers a magic cauldron that can bring back the dead for compensation. Appeased by the gift, Matholwch and Branwen sail back to Irland.

Later, in Ireland, Branwen gave birth to a son, Gwern. Efnysien's insult still upsets the Irish and Branwen is eventually mistreated, banished and beaten daily. She manages to train a starling and sends it across to Ireland with a message to her brother, Bran, who sailed from Wales to rescue her with their brother, Manawydan and many warriors.


To be Continued...

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Bodb-Dearg

In some stories he is the son of Eochaid Garb, in others he is the son of Dagda. And he is Dagda's successor as king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
One tale says that Aonghus asks for his brother, Bodb-Dearg's help in finding the woman of his dreams. At the time Bodb was the king of the Munster síde. Bodb identifies her as Caer Ibormeith.

In one Fenian tale, Bodb takes the Tuatha Dé Danann to aid the Fianna at the Battle of Ventry.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Bean-Nighe

The Bean-Nighe is a scottish fairy. She is seen as a death omen and a messenger from the Otherworld. she is a type of beansith, or in Irish: bean-sidhe or banshee.
As the Washer at the Ford, she wanders around deserted streams where she washes blood from the grave clothes of those who are about to die. It is said that mnathan nighe, the plural form of bean-nighe, are the spirits of women who died giving birth and are doomed to do this work until their lives would have normally ended.
A bean sidhe is sometimes described as having one nostril, one protruding tooth, long hanging breasts, webbed feet, and to be dressed all in green. While she usually takes the form of a hag, she can also appear as a beautiful young woman when it suits her.
In the ancient Celtic epic, The Ulster Cycle, the Morrigan is seen playing the role of a bean nighe. When the hero, Cúchulainn, rides out to war, he comes across the Morrigan as a hag washing his bloody armour in a ford. Because of this, he realizes this will be his last battle.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Hard Servant: Part 2

When he had finished telling his story, they turned and saw the big man coming towards them; but as close as he was to them, it took him a long time to reach them, because of how bad his walk was and how far he had traveled. And when he finally reached Finn, he saluted him, bowed his head and got down on one knee, making signs of humility.
Finn raised his hand over his head then, and asked about him, and if he was of noble or mean blood of the great world.
The Man answered that he did not know where he came from, only that he was a man of the Fomor, travelling in search of work to the kings of the earth "And I heard," he said, "that Finn never refuses work to any man."
"I never have indeed," said Finn, "and I will not refuse you. But why is it you are without a boy to mind your horse?"
"Because it takes a hundred men's share of food," the big man said "to feed me for one day, and I would begrudge a boy sharing it with me."
"What is your name?" asked Finn.
"Gilla Decair(the Hard Servant)," the man answered.
"Why where you given this name?"
"Because there is nothing in the world harder for me than to do anything at all for my master, or whatever person I am with. And tell me this, Conan, son of Morna," Gilla Decair said, "who gets the best wages, a horseman or a man afoot?"
"A horseman gets twice as much as a man afoot," Answered Conan.
"Then I call you to witness," Gilla Decair said, "that I am a horseman, and that it was as a horseman I came to the Fianna. And give me your guarantee now, Finn, son of Cumhal, and the guarantee of the Fianna, and I will turn out my horse with yours."
"Let him loose then," said Finn.
Gilla Decair pulled off the iron halter from his horse and it took off, running as fast as it could until it reached the horses of the Fianna, where it then began to tear, kick and bite them, killing and maiming many.
"Stop your horse, big man," said Conan, "and by the earth and the sky if it wasn't for Finn's guarantee, I would let out his brains throught the windows I would put into his head."
"And I swear by the earth and the sky," Gilla Decair declaired, "to never bring him out. For it is not work for me to do and I have no serving-boy to do it for me."
Conan, son of Morna, took the halter, put it on the horse, and led it back to where Finn was.
"You would never have done a horse-boy's service, Conan," said Finn, "to anyone of the Fianna, however far he might be beyond this Fomor. And if you will do as I advise," he continued, "you will get up on the horse and ride out throught all the hills, hallows, and flowery plains of Ireland, until his heart is broken as payment for the way he destroyed the horses of the Fianna."

To Be Continuted...

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Borvo

He seems to be a healing god linked with bubbling spring water.
He was worshipped in Gaul, the Netherlands, and Portugal. In Roman mythology he is Apollo. He also seems to be linked with a divine consort, some inscriptions mention the goddess Damana.

Monday, August 1, 2011

The Hard Servant: Part 1

The Fianna went hunting in the two proud provinces of Munster. They left Almhuin and traveled to the Brosna river in Slieve Bladhma by the fastest paths. From there they went on to the twelve mountains of Eiblinne, and then to Aine Cliach, the harp of Aine.
They then spread themselves out and hunted throught the borders of the forest called Magh Breogain, blind, trackless places, broken lands, over beautiful level plains and the high hills of Desmumum, under pleasant Slieve Crot and smooth Slieve na Muc, along the level banks of the blue Siuir, over the green plain of Feman, the rough plain of Eithne, and the dark woods of Belach Gabrain.
Finn was on the side of a hill with the chief men of the Fianna, watching the hunt; for they liked to listen to the baying of the hounds, the hurried cries of the boys, and the noise and whistling and shouts of the men.
Finn asked which of the men that were with him would stay and keep watch on the side of the hill where they were. And Finn-bane, son of Bresel, said he would stay. Finn-bane went to the top of the hill, where he could see all about him. He was not there long when he saw, coming from the east, a very big man, ugly, gloomy, and deformed: he had a dark colored shield on his back, a wide sword on his crooked left hip, two spears on his shoulder and a turn loose cloak over his limbs that were as black as quenched coal. A sulky horse was with him and had did not look good, it was thin and bony, and waek in the legs. The man was leading it with a rough iron halter, it was a wonder the horse's head was not pulled from its body, or the arms of the man, with all the jerks and stops the horse made. The big man was striking blows on the horse with an iron cudgel, trying to get the horse to move faster, and the sound of the blows was like the breaking of strong waves on the shores, or cliffs.
When Finnbane saw all that, he thought to himself it would not be right to let the stranger go up unknown to Finn and the Fianna, so he ran back in haste to where they were and told them all he had seen.

To Be Continued...
Stay tuned for more of this legend.