The Pagan Heart
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December 2004 Issue
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Inspiration Speaks The Holly and Oak Kings
The Winter Solstice is the birthday of the Oak King - he who rules throughout the summer. The Holly King is still in power, so it is also a time to venerate him and honour his role within our lives. It is important to remember that the Holly and Oak Kings are symbols - as are Llew and Goronwy. The Kings are two sides to the same coin - each is both the father of and the son of the other. Llew fathers Goronwy on Blodeuwedd, is killed by Goronwy who then father Llew upon Blodeuwedd. Summer gives way to winter which gives way in turn. Each affects the earth and her cycles. Depending upon which tradition you follow, Yule is either the time when Oak battles and defeats Holly and assumes the throne, or when Oak is born while Holly still rules the land. There aren't any extant legends of the Oak and Holly, only remnants within other myths and one of my favourites of these is the Mabinogion - the Welsh mythic cycles and the source of Llew, Blodeuwedd and Goronwy. This section deals with the coming together of the three and Llew's death at the hands of Goronwy - the Oak defeats the Holly. The translation is fairly close to the original, although I have taken a few licenses and extended some of the dialogue and description. The Mabinogion are very simple and lacking in detail, as are many of the old tales. Llew has been born and grown to manhood, and his patron, Math, and Uncle, Gwydion, are seeking to find him a wife -- not an easy task as Arhianrrod cursed Llew. She decreed that no mortal woman would wed him: Math spoke to Gwydion, "We must seek through magic and illusion to craft a wife for Llew from flowers. For now he has reached the stature of a man, and he is handsome indeed - beyond any man born." The two men gathered blossoms from the oak, the broom and the meadowsweet and wove them together to create a maiden so fair and graceful that any man upon spying her would wish her to be his wife. Her hair, gossamer fine yet strong as silk, fell straight as a golden waterfall. Her creamy skin gleamed like the inner heart of a cowrie shell, marred only by the perfection of her pink lips. As she opened eyes the blue of cornflowers, Math named her Blodeuwedd. When Llew saw her, his blood roared and he loved her greatly, and she him. With great joy they wed. At the wonderous feast afterwards, Gwydion spoke with Math again. "It cannot be easy for Llew - he has nothing but the clothes upon his back and the woman at his side - great riches, but still they will not enable him to maintain himself." "True," answered Math. "I shall gift him with the best of my Cantrevs and he shall be a wealthy man." "Which one is that?" "The Cantrev of Dinodig," replied Math. "It has a beautiful castle, Mur y Castell, and they will be happy." And this he did. Llew and Blodeuwedd moved into the castle and they were loved by all the people. One day Llew went to visit Math, and after he left, Blodeuwedd took a walk outside in the Great Court. As she rested upon a bench by the outer wall, the deep call of a horn sounded from the forest outside. Curious, she climbed the stairs to the top of the wall and watched as a hunt passed by. First she saw the tired stag, and then a pack of dogs, tongues lolling as they coursed behind. Huntsmen mounted on fine horses pursued the dogs and lastly a great crowd of men. "Davydd," she called to one of the pages, "Go out and ask whose party that is." When Davydd returned from his task, he spoke, "Lady, it is Goronwy Pebyr, Lord of Penllynn." Goronwy chased the stag until he brought it to bay by the river Cynvael. There he killed it and stayed awhile to slaughter the carcass and feed his hounds. By the time he set forth to return home, night had spread her soft arms across the country. He was passing by Mur Y Castle when Blodeuwedd saw his troupe once more. Concerned at the lateness of the hour, she sent Davydd forth once more. "Surely," she said, "If I don't ask him in and offer the hospitality of the court, he will talk about our rudeness." "Truely, Lady, it would be appropriate to ask him in." "Very well, Davydd. Go out and ask him in." Goronwy accepted Blodeuwedd's offer most gladly as the night grew cold and he had far to travel. When she came down into the Hall to bid him welcome, he took her hand and bowed most graciously. "Lady, your kindness blesses this dwelling, and myself. May the gods repay your kindness." Blodeuwedd smiled and offered him the freedom of her castle. After directing her servants to ensure he and his people were well cared for, she returned to Goronwy to escort him herself to the quarters set aside for his use. As she met his gaze, her heart stumbled and she felt fire run across her skin. Shocked, Blodeuwedd looked away, shamed at the feelings rushing through her body. "Lady? Have I offended you?" he asked, his deep voice gentle with concern, and he took her hand and drew her towards a nearby bench. As they sat, she felt her composure returning and smiled at him, determined to show nothing of her inner turmoil. "I am fine, thank you, Sir. Just a momentary dizziness. It has passed. Tell me, your hunt...was it successful?" Goronwy did not answer, his face somber as he stared at her. "Lady, I must leave." Puzzled, Blodeuwedd sank back as he stood and strode abruptly towards the door. "Sir, why do you leave so abruptly? Have I offended you in some way." "Offended me? Far from it, gentle Lady. Your grace and beauty leave me embarressed at my own state of disarray. I leave because I should not stay, lest I offend you with my behaviour." As she stared at him, he turned back to look at her. A wild passion twisted his face and he stepped towards her again. Hesitantly, Blodeuwedd rose, excitment filling her. "I cannot lie to you, Lady," he murmured as he took her hands. "Since meeting you I am consumed with fire. I know that you are married, and so I must leave...unless..." "Stay with me awhile. I too feel a strong desire for you, and I would spend the evening with you." She directed her servants to prepare a private supper and they dined in her rooms, alone. What manner of conversation they had or how they comported themselves was unknown to any other soul. When morning came, Goronwy sought to leave but Blodeuwedd convinced him to stay another day. This he did and by that evening the two lovers were almost insensate at the thought of parting. They sat together in her bower and Blodeuwedd laid her head upon his strong shoulder. "Goronwy, how might we stay together? For now, I cannot bear to live without you, and the thought of my husband here beside me where you once rested fills me with pain." Goronwy tightened his arms about her, rested his chin upon her shining hair and said, "There is but one way." "No. I cannot." "Then we must part -- forever." Blodeuwedd wept and nodded. "Then how do we do this? For I cannot say farewell." "You must try and learn from Llew how he can be killed. For he is no ordinary man." Blodeuwedd agreed, and the next morning Goronwy departed. As he left she called forth all the peoples of the castle into the hall. Should any man or woman here tell my husband of the visit of Lord Goronwy, I shall open the earth beneath your feet and you shall be swallowed alive." Her people swore to keep their silence and, satisfied, she let them go about their business while she prepared for Llew's return. That night he came home and rejoiced to find her waiting for him. Attentive and loving, she served him his meal and engaged him in lively discourse. The next day they celebrated with festivities and hunting, music and feasting. As they left the hall for their room, Blodeuwedd fell silent, clinging tight to Llew's hand. "What's wrong?" he asked, but she remained quiet. Llew glanced at her, but waited until they were within their chamber. Then he pulled her close and held her a moment. "Sweetheart, what troubles you? Your face is pale and your hands cold, and you tremble. Are you afraid of something?" Blodeuwedd clung to him and buried her face into his shirt so he could not see her eyes. She held her tongue and waited and he asked again what was wrong. This time she answered. "It is nothing." "Llew tightened his hold upon her and stroked her hair. "Something ails you, Blodeuwedd. Tell me." "I feel foolish for it truely is nothing. I fear for your death." He chuckled, and loosened his hold. "Sweetheart, fear not such a thing for it is well nigh impossible for anyone to kill me." "I know this is so, yet still I fear. Once I thought you could not be killed -- that like myself you were eternal. But I heard you talking with Math one day and I realised this is not so. There is a way and I fear someone will discover it. Tell me how you might be slain that I might devise a way to guard against it." "Very well," he said. "It is no easy task to slay me. Only if a spear should slice my flesh asunder should I die. And such a spear must have taken a year to craft -- working only upon Sundays while the sacrifices to the sun are being made." "This is certain? Only by such action could your assailant win?" "Truely it is. And it is why I cannot be slain. Nor can I be killed within a house, nor without. And I cannot be killed on horseback or on foot." "This is madness, my love. None could conceive of such a thing." Llew grinned. "Indeed, and now you can rest, for I am safe." "No," she retorted. "I cannot for my mind is all atwist with how this might be brought to pass. And it concerns me that I cannot, for then I cannot guard against it." "Listen carefully and I shall tell you how it might be done. If a bath is made for me at the riverside, and a roof laid atop it, and a male goat brought to stand beside the bath, then should I stand one foot upon the buck's back and one upon the edge of the bath, then might I be slain -- if my attacker used a spear made as I described." Blodeuwedd relaxed against him. "This is easy enough to guard against." And she kissed him and led him towards the bed. The next morning she sent Davydd to Goronwy's land, instructing him to tell her lover about the making of the spear. And thus Goronwy set himself to make it. As instructed he worked upon it only on Sundays during the sacrifices, and it took him the full twelvemonth to do so. When he finished, he sent a message back to Blodeuwedd. She at once sought out Llew, her face solemn and fearful. "Beloved husband, my mind is uneasy. Once you told me how you might be killed, and although it seemed nonsensical at the time, my fears have grown. I cannot rest until I know how you could stand as described. For if it is a true prophecy, then you must indeed be able to balance upon the stag and the bath. And that I can guard against. But if you are not able to stand thus, then it is a false vision, and it offers no solace to me for then I know not how you might be killed. And what I do not know, I cannot guard against." "Tomorrow, I will show you," he answered. "And then you shall worry no more. We will cause a bath to be prepared upon the banks of the river Cynvael." Blodeuwedd agreed and secretly sent for Goronwy. Meanwhile she had the herdsmen gather some bucks in preparation. The next day she and Llew rode down to the river where the bath awaited them. Placed within a small clearing, surrounded by trees and bushes, it steamed with hot water - ready for Llew. A sturdy thatched roof topped it and nearby ranged a number of goats. "Will you get in, Llew, and show me how you would balance upon the buck and the bath?" "Certainly," he answered and entered the bath. After washing himself, he stepped lithely up onto the edge of the bath and waited until Blodeuwedd brought over one of the bucks. Then he placed a foot upon the animal's back and balanced between the two. As he did so, Goronwy rose from behind the bushes and flung the spear at Llew. It sliced into his side and broke, leaving the dart within his ribs while the shaft fell away. Llew screamed and tumbled to the ground where he changed into an eagle and leapt skyward. As for Blodeuwedd and Goronwy, they returned to her castle and soon married. Goronwy took ownership of Llew's lands and all his possessions and became ruler over his people. |
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