Arianrhod

Arianrhod is a Welsh Goddess. She plays her massive role in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi. She is the daughter of Don and Beli Mawr and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. Her uncle is Math ap Mathonwy, and she has two sons Dylan ail Don and Lleu Llew Gyffes.

Arianrhod seems like a terrible mother. She curses her son. She's embarrassed by him. he puts him through trials he has to overcome to become strong, and she's mostly absent from his life, almost like the boy named Sue by Johnny Cash.

In the fourth branch, her uncle Math ap Mathonwy has to keep his feet in the lap of a virgin when he's not at war or hell die. *insert eye roll here* Gilfaethwy falls in lust with Math's original foot holder, Goewin, and he and Gwydion start a war with King Pryderi of the kingdom of Dyfed, causing Math to go to war and leave his court. When he's at war, Gilfaethwy has his way with Goewin. When Math returns, he turns Gwydion and Gilfaethwy into a pair of mated animals and marries off Goewin.

Then he began his search for a new virgin's lap for his feet. Gwydion suggests his sister Arianrhod. Mth tests her virginity by having her step over a magician rod. When she steps over it, she immediately gives birth to Dylan ail Don and a Lleu Llew Gyffes, tho at the time, he was a blob. Dylan is a sea spirit and fled to the sea immediately. Gwydion grabs the blob, Lleu, before anyone notices him and leaves. Lleu grows twice the average growth rate, and before long, Gwydion takes him to Caer Arianrhod to see his mother.

Arianrhod isn't excited to see him. Shes, not a warm, loving mother. She placed a tynged (curse) on him to never have a name unless she gives it to him. Gwydion wasn't going to give up . he disguised Lleu as a shoemaker and brought him to Caer Arianrhod to tend to Ariandrhods shoes. She sees Lleu kill a wren with a single stone and says Lleu, "the fair-haired one" Llew Gyffes "has a skillful hand" Gwydion shows her the truth and exclaims she has named her son Lleu Llew Gwyffes. Arianrhod places another tynged on him that he will never take arms unless she arms him. The ever tricky Gwydion wasn't going to give up to get Lleu all he needs, so a few years later, they return to Caer Arianrhod disguised as bards. As everyone sleeps, Gwydion conjures a fleet of battleships. Arianrhod arms her guests to aid her fight, also arming her son. Gwydion dispels his battleships and shows her that she has armed her son. She has one more tynged for Lleu. He will never have a wife from any race on the earth now. Gwydion and Math break the tynged by creating a woman out of oak blossom broom and meadow stick and name her Blodeuwedd "blossom face." Lleu now has a name, arms, and a wife despite his mother's curses.

Arianrhod's name means silver wheel. She is associated with the moon and with fate. She's also known as the silver lady. Her areas of influence are fertility, destiny, rebirth, and the dead. She is linked to the moon and the north star. She is a free-spirited goddess who bows to no one. Her animals are the owl and the spider, and Her plants are Ivy and Birch.

She seems like a terrible mother. She cursed her son never to have the three things essential to masculinity, yet he overcame them with his uncle's help. Lleu Llew Gyffes becomes a hero in Welsh mythology. He is viewed as a sun god. Maybe the trials she put him through helped him become the hero and sun-god he becomes.

Celtic mythology is always fun to learn about. It has a lot of battles and trickery in it. It's like reading a drama series. The women are strong, independent, and sexual. Like Vikings, the Celtic world had women warriors. More is known about the Irish aspect of the Celtic religion than there is about the Briton part. But Branches of the Mabinogi tells the gods' stories and gives us an idea of the Celtics in Briton.