White Rose of Avalon

Britain

  • Was Katherine of Aragon’s Marriage to Prince Arthur Consummated?

    The question over whether or not Katherine of Aragon was a virgin when she married Henry VIII is one that has been debated for about 500 years!    Katherine maintained that her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated.    Henry VII likely had some doubts about this, given that he desired her to marry…

  • Who Really Wrote the Plays and Poems of Shakespeare?

    Have you ever heard the terms “Anti-Stratfordian” or “Oxfordian”?   Both of these terms refer to the belief held by a group of people that contend that there is evidence that the man from Stratford did not write the plays and poems attributed to him!   There are many people that could possibly be the…

  • My Top Five Elizabeth I Portrayals

    Today I am counting down my top five actresses to portray Elizabeth I! Number 5: Cate Blanchett Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age ~Cate Blanchett is a great actress to portray Elizabeth I.   She is one of the most aesthetically realistic to give life to this role!    Both films are enjoyable and visually…

  • My Top Five Mary Queen of Scots Portrayals

    Today I would like to count down my top five Mary Queen of Scots portrayals!  Number 5: Clemence Posey Gunpowder, Treason, Plot ~This mini-series had the first part focused on Mary and the second on her son.   I love that French actress Clemence Posey played Mary.   She does a good job, and the…

  • Morgause: Mother of Mordred

    Morgause is one of the sisters of King Arthur in the Arthurian Legends.   It is her, instead of Morgan Le Fay, who is given to be the mother of Mordred in the earliest tellings.    I have discussed Morgan as Mordred’s mother previously.   Morgan and Morgause tended to get conflated as time went…

  • Morgan Le Fay as Morrigan

    Morgan Le Fay can be seen as an Arthurian take on the Irish Celtic goddess the Morrigan.   The Morrigan is a death goddess and a war goddess.    She was often associated with battlefields and warriors.    The Morrigan was a crow goddess who was deeply connected to this bird, which makes sense given…

  • Beltane

    Beltane is also known as Calan Mai in ancient Welsh Celtic societies.   It is the celebration of the beginning of May, and of the fertility of the land, and people.   Many goddesses and faerie queens are associated with Beltane.    They include Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, and Maeve.   Guinevere is often associated with the…

  • Celtic Knots

    Triquetras and other Celtic knots are symbols that have many meanings and associations.  Celtic knots are intricate woven patterns utilized in many ways for centuries.    They were used in motifs in architecture, and on tombstones and other religious artifacts.   In ancient illuminated manuscripts they were painted in beautiful details by Celtic monks, and…

  • Ogam Tree Oracle

    For today’s post I want to give a brief introduction to the Ogam (also spelled Ogham).   The Ogam Tree Oracle is similar to Norse Runes.    The Ogam utilizes a series of lines and dashes, usually etched onto wood.   They are then drawn in a similar manner to Runes.   The Ogam signs…

  • The Uses of 3 and 9 in Celtic Belief

    The Celtic beliefs placed a large amount of significance on the numbers three and nine.    Both numbers appear in many different myths and symbols within Celtic culture!    The number three is the triple goddess, maiden mother and crone, that is utilized in some variation by most ancient cultures.    The number nine is…