For today’s post, I have decided to take a look at objects and animals sacred to the Great Goddess Blodeuwedd.   Blodeuwedd is a Goddess who was made from flowers by the Welsh magicians Math and Gwydion in order to be the bride of the son of Arianhrod, Llew Llaw Gyffes.   

As a Goddess literally formed from flowers, she has several flowers and plants that are sacred to her.   She was formed of either three or nine flowers, depending on the telling of her myth.    Oak, Broom, and Meadowsweet are the three always given to be flowers she was made of.    The additional flowers given when we have her made of nine blooms are Cockle, Chestnut, Nettle, Bean, Hawthorn, and Primrose.   Therefore, all nine of these plants and flowers are sacred to her.   In her flower maiden form, we see things like sunlight also taking on a sacred nature, as all of these flowers need the sunlight in order to blossom.

Her sacred animal is quite obviously the Owl.   During her myth she is turned into an owl due to her and Gronw (her lover) attempting to kill her husband.   Gronw is put to death, while Blodeuwedd is cursed into Owl form as a punishment.   The sunlight-craving flower is now in the body of a night-stalking hunting bird of prey!   The Owl is also a symbol of Blodeuwedd’s own personal sovereignty, making the Owl one of empowerment and wisdom (as is the very common association for this bird).   It is through her finding true love that she decided that she must end her marriage, to be with the man she truly loved.    She found her own voice and her own power through love.   Although she is punished to be a night-dwelling creature, she also finds true personal sovereignty and empowerment, which is why the Owl is her sacred animal!    Each person who feels a connection to Blodeuwedd sees her as represented by a different breed of Owl.   I personally see Blodeuwedd as a Snowy Owl, largely because I personally associate Blodeuwedd with the color white (because of her flowers being largely white and the fact that white is a Faery color in Celtic lore).

Her sacred times of year are times of transition and liminality, as she is a Faery Goddess of Welsh Celtic mythology.    Transformation is such a huge plot point in her tale, making her a figure of liminality and a duality of nature.   The portals between the seasons of Winter and Summer (and vice versa) hold great sacred strength to Blodeuwedd.   Many associate her with Beltane in particular, given the nature of the festival being rooted in fertility and the blooming abundance of flowers as Spring is beginning to give way to Summer!   She is often seen as a Flower Bride who is being fought over by a Lord of Winter and a Lord of Summer, making her a Goddess of Seasonal Sovereignty!   That is why I say that she has Sacred Times of Year, as the Wheel turns from the light half to the dark half and back again.  

I hope you have enjoyed this short look at some of the things held sacred to the Great Goddess Blodeuwedd.    What is your favorite Blodeuwedd association?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the Blodeuwedd card from the Mists of Avalon Oracle deck.   I found the image on https://www.pinterest.com/pin/717198309422779509/

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Further Reading

• The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies
• Flower Face: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Blodeuwedd compiled by Jhenah Telyndru
• Blodeuwedd: Welsh Goddess of Seasonal Sovereignty by Jhenah Telyndru