Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! Today’s post is another post about one of my most beloved Welsh Celtic Goddesses, Blodeuwedd. However, this post is going to be a bit different than my other posts about her, as I will be focusing on the attempt on the life of her husband, Lleu Llaw Gyffes! Lleu was of Divine Origin, born the son of Arianrhod.
Arianrhod refused to acknowledge her son, even going so far as to place three destines upon her son. These destinies were ‘he shall never have a name save for one Arianrhod gave him herself,’ ‘he shall never bear arms save for those Arianrhod herself gives him,’ and ‘he shall never have a wife from the race of the women of Earth.’ Now, Lleu’s uncle, Gwydion, was able to trick his sister Arianrhod into fulfilling the first two destinies. It is the third destiny that had the most impact on the life of Lleu, and on the Divine Feminine of Welsh Celtic mythology. The only way for Gwydion to circumvent his sister’s final destiny was with the help of his own uncle Math. The two were both great magicians, and together they were able to create a wife for Lleu. Her name was Blodeuwedd, a Goddess born from flowers.
The creation of Blodeuwedd from flowers, either three or nine blooms, made her not of the race of women of the Earth. However, it made her literally of the land itself made manifest, a Great Goddess of Sovereignty! Lleu’s marriage to Blodeuwedd not only fully cemented his right to rule because he needed to be married, but also cemented his right to rule his lands because he was now married to the land itself through the union with Blodeuwedd.
Blodeuwedd was relatively content with her marriage in the beginning, as she knew nothing other than the fact that she was born to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. As time went on, Blodeuwedd began to become discontent within her marriage. It was the arrival of a nobleman who was hunting on the lands of Lleu and Blodeuwedd when Lleu was traveling that changed everything for Blodeuwedd. That nobleman was Gronw Pebyr, and Blodeuwedd invited him to a feast in her court, as was the tradition of hospitality.
At the feast that evening, Blodeuwedd and Gronw began to fall in love with one another. Later that night, and for two more nights thereafter, Blodeuwedd and Gronw spent the night in sexual bliss. This bedding of a couple three nights in a row, was as good as marriage in medieval Welsh culture, which would be understood by the audience reading the first printed version of this tale in the Fourth Branch of The Mabinogion. The next part of the story had Blodeuwedd and Gronw needing to find a solution to how they could be together. The decision is made between the lovers to plot to kill Lleu in order for Blodeuwedd and Gronw to rule over his lands together!
The first thing that Blodeuwedd must do is to figure out how exactly her husband can be killed in the first place, as it is known that Lleu Llaw Gyffes is almost unkillable. Blodeuwedd asked Lleu when he arrived home how he could be killed, relying on his belief that Blodeuwedd was fearful for his safety. Lleu quickly assured his wife that he would likely not die, as there are very special circumstances that must be met in order for his life to be in jeopardy.
The circumstances that would actually kill Lleu are that he cannot be killed indoors nor outdoors, he cannot be killed on horseback nor or foot, and he can only be killed with a spear crafted over the course of the year during Mass on Sunday! This information is quickly given by Blodeuwedd to Gronw, and he sets about crafting the spear during those forbidden holy times. At the end of the year, the spear is ready, and the couple takes their chance to make an attempt on the life of Lleu.
Blodeuwedd prepared a bath for Lleu on the banks of the River Cynfael in a large cauldron. Above the cauldron, she constructed a thatched roof with no walls. She brought a buck beside the bath after Lleu had finished bathing and asked him to show her how he would have to stand in order for the requirements for his death to be fulfilled. Lleu does so, in order to prevent his wife from worrying about his safety. It is at this moment that Gronw launched the spear, which pierced Lleu in his side. In some tellings, Lleu does die, but in the most common version, he does not die but is instead transformed into a gravely wounded eagle. After he flew away, Blodeuwedd and Gronw began to rule over his lands together.
However, their bliss does not last long, as Lleu is found as a wounded (or even dead) eagle by Gwydion and Math. The magicians were able to save Lleu’s life and went on to exact their revenge on Blodeuwedd. First, they killed Gronw, and then they punished Blodeuwedd for her betrayal by turning the Flower Goddess into an Owl. Celtic scholars have interpreted this turning of Blodeuwedd into an Owl as being a punishment because Flowers need the sun to survive and being an Owl would make her a nightbird, with a nocturnal nature that would have her not seeing the sun! That is a very deep observation, yet I think that her becoming an Owl has a deeper meaning.
The Owl is a bird of knowledge and symbolizes Blodeuwedd going from being the innocent Flower Maiden Goddess who knew nothing but being the wife of the man she was created to marry to become a Sovereign Goddess in her own power! Blodeuwedd falling truly in love for the first time ignited her passion for life and her desire to live in a way that felt authentic for her. Hers is a story of embracing inner truth and seeking personal autonomy through the healing power of real love. Although she would lose the man that she loved and be punished for her actions, she was gifted with the agility, knowledge, strength, and wisdom of the Owl! She reminds us to walk our authentic path, no matter what others tell us we should do.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my thoughts on Blodeuwedd and her plot to kill Lleu Llaw Gyffes. What do you think of the story of the Flower Maiden turned Owl? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a gorgeous piece of art depicting Blodeuwedd’s transformation. I found the image on https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https://www.deviantart.com/dreoilin/art/Blodeuwedd-293630048&psig=AOvVaw2Mq6urrkwmEaPuj5ezIIn_&ust=1693325760846000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBEQjhxqFwoTCLCuvZXg_4ADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies
- Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru
- The Avalonian Oracle by Jhenah Telyndru
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