Myths & Legends
KING ARTHUR
The Origins of KING ARTHUR are much older than many of us are taught.
Most think of ARTHUR and CAMELOT in the medieval setting of the 11th and 12th century. When truly, many of the original tale’s date back much further than that, within the prose of the Welsh songs and poems of Bards.
This changes the landscape many envision of Arthurian Legend.
A 5th century KING ARHTUR, along with his knights, would have appeared as Welsh warriors, painted in blue woad and tattooed, with their hair slicked back in white clay. They would have been more like Celtic style barbarians, with a mix of Roman culture intermingled in their leather armor and weaponry.
Instead of Medieval castles, there would have been circular-stone edifices, and Viking-like Great Halls. History would tell, there was a KING ARTHUR that once lived; though as a chieftain, and not as a king. Who led the Celtic people of Briton against the Saxon’s and won – creating a time of peace
EXCALIBUR
The Legend of EXCALUBUR would have been told differently in the older telling’s, than the ones we are told now. In some of the original Welsh poems, the sword Arthur pulls from the stone was not EXCALIBUR, but actually, Uther or Aurelius’s sword – depending on the poem.
MERLIN placed the sword into the stone, enchanting it to allow only the true heir to pull it free. ARTHUR pulls the sword from the stone, which should have named him king. But that sword shatters either in the midst of battle, or by the BLACK KNIGHT.
Either way…this left ARTHUR disillusioned; wondering whether or not he still had a right to be king. But then, THE LADY OF THE LAKE gives him EXCALIBUR (actually called CALEDFWLCH in the Welsh stories).
This sword belonged to him, not to the father he had never known; reigniting his calling to be KING.
LANCELOT
Did you know that LANCELOT was not an original hero of Arthurian Legend?
The Original Welsh songs and poems were told as far back as the 5th Century, with no mention of the knight. LANCELOT did not make his appearance until the medieval 12th century, in the more romantic French writings of Chretien de Troyes poem, ‘Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart.’
Though, some of the older tales write of a hero named LLENLLAEWG, who followed GUINEVERE from Ireland, and stood beside her as a faithful hero. Never wavering from her side; serving KING ARTHUR until he died in battle.
The fatal affair of LANCELOT & GUINEVERE never appears in the earlier telling’s, making me a much bigger fan of the older hero of the 5th century.
WELSH MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES
ENAID
In Welsh the word ENAID means Soul, Spirit and Angelic or Demonic Presence.
These could also correlate with the supernatural creatures, fey (Fairies), or beings of the OTHERWORLD. The Otherworld, also called Annwn in Welsh Mythology, is a realm of deities and possibly also the dead. It is a supernatural realm that is a parallel world that exists alongside our own. Or could even be believed to be a heavenly land beyond the sea, like AVALON.
One of the many Enaid to appear in the ONCE & FUTURE CHRONICLES, is a UNICORN name GRWYRTHRODD
GWYLLGI
This frightful and terrifying demon is also known as a mythical twilight dog that appears as an apparition of a black wolf with baleful breath and blazing red eyes.
This hound haunts the lonely roads of the night, and if seen is known as an omen of terrible death.
This terrifying beast Makes his appearance in Book One, ELANOR & THE SONG OF THE BARD
CYHYRAETH
The is a ghostly spirit in Welsh Mythology, and appears as a disembodied moaning voice that sounds before a person’s death. Legends associate the CYHYRAETH with the Irish BANSHEE. The noise made by the creature is doleful, like the groans and sighs of someone deathly ill – making the CYHYRAETH one the most haunting and frightening creatures of Welsh legend.
This Haunting demon makes its appearance in Book Two, MERLIN & THE MAGIC OF TIME
Y DDRAIG
The emblem of Wales is still represented by the RED DRAGON of Welsh Arthurian Legend.
Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae, written in 1120 and 1129 AD, links the dragon to Wales and Arthurian Legend with the Tale of the Red and White Dragon. The name PENDRAGON (which means DRAGON HEAD) comes from this tale naming both Uther a PENDRAGON, and later, ARTHUR as the GREAT PENDRAGON.
This tale was told in a prophecy, given by a young MERLIN, to KING VORTIGERN about the fight between the Red and White dragon. Symbolizing the historical struggle between the Welsh and the Saxon’s. Wales being the Red Dragon that conquers the Saxon’s.
Y DDRAIG or DRAGON, appears in THE ONCE & FUTURE CHRONICLES as a Golden-Green Dragon named GWYLIWR AURES