The Story of Ceridwen
Copyright © 2001 jpparle@aol.com
Beneath Lake Bala lived the goddess
Ceridwen and her husband Tegid the Bald. They had a beautiful
daughter and three sons, one of whom was viewed as ill-favored and
repulsive. His name was Avagddu. Ceridwen very much wanted to find
some consolation for her son Avagddu, so she created a cauldron of
inspiration to give him superior knowledge and wisdom.
Cauldrons play an important role in Celtic mythology. They
pop up in any number of key stories. The Irish Dagda has a cauldron
that gives unending nourishment. Brân's cauldron can give life
back to the dead. Ceridwen's cauldron came with three muses, and helped
her to be associated with the field of language, poetry, and letters.
Through her cauldron, Ceridwen became the Welsh goddess of
inspiration.
According to the tale, Ceridwen was one day gathering herbs
of virtue to put into her cauldron. In her absence, she arranged for
a person named Gwion to stir the pot. Just a few drops from the
cauldron fell on Gwion's finger, and he discovered that when he put
that finger into this mouth, he became a master of knowledge. This
enraged Ceridwen, because she intended this inspirational gift to be
reserved for her son Avagddu.
What followed was a "transformation combat," in John Arnott
MacCulluch's words--a good example of the shapeshifting often found
in Celtic mythology. Ceridwen began to chase Gwion with vengeance,
and through his new power, he changed himself into a hare. Ceridwen
responded by changing into a greyhound. He then became a fish, and
she an otter. Gwion turned into a bird, then she a hawk. Finally, he
turned himself into a grain of wheat, and she into a hen. Ceridwen's
hen ate the wheat, from which in legend caused her to conceive and
later give birth to a beautiful son, afterwards renowned in Welsh
myth as Taliesin.
Suggested Pdf Resources
- THE MERLIN MYSTERY
- The Story of 'Taliesin' - Ceridwen's cauldron - is an example of this later development.
- www.innerlight.org.uk
- life lessons - Ceridwen Dovey
- This may sound dramatic, but it'll make more sense if you bear with me for a brief family history. written by. CERIDWEN DOVEY production by.
- www.ceridwendovey.com
- Ancient Secrets in the Seaweed
- lens.auckland.ac.nz
- OFVIOLENCE OR VALOR
- ruption, secrets, and deception that lie behind power.
- www.nyu.edu
- Adoption in Australia Symposium Program
- forthcoming in the journals Adoption and Culture, Journal of Australian Politics and History, and. Australian Feminist Studies.
- arts.monash.edu.au
Suggested News Resources
- Family First
- Ceridwen Morris is a writer, mother and childbirth educator. She is co-author of It's All Your Fault and From the Hips as well as several screenplays (for Miramax and HBO).
- The First Ever Postpartum Depression Clinic Opens In North Carolina
- Ceridwen Morris is a writer, mother and childbirth educator. She is co-author of It's All Your Fault and From the Hips as well as several screenplays (for Miramax and HBO).
- Twin Saves Sister's Life While In The Womb
- Ceridwen Morris is a writer, mother and childbirth educator. She is co-author of It's All Your Fault and From the Hips as well as several screenplays (for Miramax and HBO).
- Will Hurricane Irene Put Me Into Labor?
- Ceridwen Morris is a writer, mother and childbirth educator. She is co-author of It's All Your Fault and From the Hips as well as several screenplays (for Miramax and HBO).
Suggested Web Resources
- Ceridwen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- en.wikipedia.org
- The Story of Ceridwen | RM.com ®
- Beneath Lake Bala lived the goddess Ceridwen and her husband Tegid the Bald. They had a beautiful daughter and three sons, one of...
- www.realmagick.com
- Welsh Deities
- www.timelessmyths.com
- The story of Ceridwen - YouTube
- Jun 10, 2011 The tale of Ceridwen and Taliesin, sorry if I miss-pronounce and for any errors or stutters.
- www.youtube.com
- Concerning the name Ceridwen, Kerridwyn, and the like
- medievalscotland.org