Concluding this short series on Welsh Arthurian poems we take a look at the broader use of the ‘enchanted fortress’ motif and see how it’s used to evoke several different themes, both sociological and mythological. I’ll be taking this week off from the Facebook live videos but will be returning the week after (2.11.21) withContinue reading “The Mythic Fortress”
Category Archives: What is Celtic Mythology?
Who Is The Gatekeeper?
Pa Gur is perhaps the oldest Welsh Arthurian poem preserved in manuscript. In it, the Welsh Arthur seeks entry for himself and his men into the fortress of Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr. But some allusions in the poem suggest that not all is as it seems, and there may be something else going on, something that evokesContinue reading “Who Is The Gatekeeper?”
The Spoils of Annwfn
Continuing with this short series on Welsh Arthurian poems, this talk takes a look at Preideu Annwfyn (The Spoils of Annwfn), one of the better known poems from the medieval Book of Taliesin. Like many other Taliesin poems from this period, it is a strange, ambiguous and multilayered text, and although many commentators have attemptedContinue reading “The Spoils of Annwfn”
King Arthur and the Eagle
‘The Discourse of Arthur and the Eagle’ is a 12th century Welsh poem that was very popular in the Welsh oral and written tradition. Even though it’s a poem about Christian learning, it also draws on a far more pagan mythology.
Are you using myths? Or are myths using you?
Following on from a question about patriarchy and The Three Romances of the Mabinogi, here’s an outline of an old problem that most of us will fall into at some point or another.
The Bleeding Lance in Celtic myth
In this last talk on Peredur and the Three Romances of The Mabinogion, we take a look at one of the more overlooked elements in the famous Grail procession scene, and find that the Bleeding Lance is best understood in the context of Celtic myth, where its meaning becomes clear.
The Fisher King’s Question
The Mabinogion tale of Peredur contains a version of the famous grail scene that so fascinated medieval audiences across Europe. But in a Welsh context, this scene has several other meanings, just as profound and just as pertinent to the study of Celtic storytelling.
Contemplating the Goddess in Welsh story
In this first video on the Mabinogion romance of Peredur we see how symbolic colours and martial arts witches give the hero a brief respite from his constant fighting.
The Enchanted Mist in Welsh Myth
In this third video on the Mabinogion story of Geraint, we delve into the many enchanted mists contained in this old Welsh story, and trying to discern what the mists mean . . .
Patterns in Welsh Storytelling
In this second video on the story of Geraint from the Mabinogion, we look at how medieval Welsh storytellers wove repeating patterns and symmetry into their stories. In Geraint, this technique is used to deepen the theme of the hero’s journey.