Blodeuwedd (pronounced bluh-die-eth) (Middle Welsh name from blodeu ‘flowers, blossoms’ and gwedd ‘face meaning “flower face”), is the Welsh Goddess of Spring created from flowers and is the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, the son of Arianrhod, in Welsh mythology and is also a central figure in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi. Blodeuwedd was a very unique Goddess because she was created, by magic, for the specific purpose of being Llew Llaw Gyffes wife.
Arianrhod, Llew Llaw Gyffes mother, was tricked by her brother, Gwydion, and Uncle Math by placing a curse upon her son. He was condemned to never have a name, bear a sword or marry a woman of this Earth. Gwydion and Math, however, managed to get Arianrhod to name her son and give him the ability to bear a sword. It was, however, difficult to find a wife for him. The two of them, by means of magic, created a bride Llew using nine different flowers. The flowers included meadowsweet, cockle, primrose, broom and oak. They piled the flowers up high until their work was complete. There, stood before them, was a beautiful woman they named Blodeuwedd. Llew and Blodeuwedd were married and they seemed to have lived a happy life together.
After Llew became a man, his great-uncle Math gave him the Catrev of Dinodig to rule. He was a fair and wise ruler.
Llew, then, grew lonely for the company of Gwydion and Math and told his bride that he was going to Caer Dathyl to visit them. Then, while Llew Llaw Gyffes was away, something happened that would change both of their lives forever. Blodeuwedd was walking the grounds of her castle when a group of hounds ran past her. They were chasing a stag. Blodeuwedd watched the hunt. The man leading the hunt was Gronw Pebyr, Lord of Penllyn. Gronw Pebyr realized that Blodeuwedd had been watching the hunt and so he sent a messenger to convey his greeting to her. Blodeuwedd returned his greeting and went back to her castle. That evening, Gronw Pebyr appeared at the castle gate. It was unusual for Blodeuwedd to answer the door herself, instead of a servant.
Blodeuwedd invited Gronw to sit with her and talk. He accepted her invitation. Gronw found Blodeuwedd innocense appealing and told her how charming he found her to be. Blodeuwedd explained to Gronw the circumstances that made her different and how she was created by magic for the purpose of being Llew’s wife. Blodeuwedd suddenly realized that she did not want to be married to Llew anymore. She wanted to spend her life with Gronw Pebyr who treated her like an equal. Gronw explained to her that he knew she was married to another man, but wished he could spend the rest of his life with her.
Dawn was approaching and Gronw prepared to leave, but Blodeuwedd reached out to stop him. She asked if he could stay. Later that evening they devised a plan that would allow them to spend the rest of their lives together. Blodeuwedd became worried because she knew that Llew was a powerful God. She cautioned Gronw. He listened to her fears, but remained undaunted. He told her covet fashion hack cheats they needed to find a way to kill Llew. Gronw told Blodeuwedd that she had to question Llew until he told her exactly what needs to happen to kill him. Once Llew was killed, she would become a wife again. To Gronw Pebyr.
The two realized that Gronw had to leave. Llew would be home shortly. After returning to the castle, Llew felt something was wrong and questioned Blodeuwedd. She told him how she had been terrified that he might have been robbed or even killed on his journey. Llew assured her it would be very difficult for anyone to kill him. Blodeuwedd kept questioning Llew on exactly what it took for someone to kill him. Llew finally told her what she needed to know. Llew told Blodeuwedd that a wound might kill him, but only by a spear that was created seven days a week for one year. He told her he could not be slain in a house, upon a horse, or by foot, but only by a bath that was made for him by a river’s edge, with a thatched roof over a cauldron with one foot on the back of a buck goat and the other foot on the cauldron, then could he be killed.
The next day, Blodeuwedd sent word to Gronw explaining, in detail, what needed to be done. Gronw immedietely began to create the spear. At the end of the year, Gronw told Blodeuwedd that he was finished making the spear.
Blodeuwedd asked Llew, again, how someone might kill him, telling him she couldn’t imagine a man balancing himself with one foot on a goat and the other on a cauldron. Llew indulged his wife and set the mood for his own demise. They took a cauldron to the river Cynvael, and they built a roof over it. Gronw waited in Bryn Kyvergyr for word from Blodeuwedd, telling him when to make his move. Gronw finally heard from her, but waited as Llew, wet from his bath, balanced himself on the cauldron and the goat. Gronw rose up and sent the flying spear at Llew, striking him in his side. Llew Llaw Gyffes was turned into an eagle and he flew away, screaming in pain. Blodeuwedd and Gronw returned to the castle and he ruled Dinodig as well as Penllyn.
When new of Blodeuwedd’s betrayal reached Math, he was overcome with grief. Gwydion was just as furious. So, he set out for Maenawr Penardd, in Arvon. Gwydion made his way to a place beside a brook, which was known as Nant y Llew and watched a sow eat the putrid flesh that kept falling to the ground. He looked up into the trees, wondering where the flesh had fallen from. His eyes, then, fell upon an eagle. Gwydion sang a magical song to the bird and the eagle looked down at Gwydion and moved a little bit closer. Gwydion sang the song again and the bird came down and rested on a low branch. Gwydion sang the song a third, and final, time and the eagle came down and rested on Gwydion’s knee.Llew returned to his original form as a man when Gwydion touched him with a wand. Gwydion brought Llew back to Caer Dathyl, calling in physicians in Gwynedd to care for Llew.
Llew visited Math when he was well enough to do so. He wanted retribution for all the wrongs that had been done to him.
Upon learning of her husband’s transformation back to his normal self, Blodeuwedd fled to the mountains with her ladies in waiting. While crossing the river Cynval, Blodeuwedd’s ladies in waiting all drowned, leaving her stranded.
Gwydion caught up visit more information with her and placed a curse upon her. She would no longer be able to show herself in light because she was transformed into an owl: a creature of the night.
Gronw Pebyr went back to his home in Penllyn. He tried to make amends with Llew by offering him both Gronw’s land and fortune, but Llew refused everything. Llew told Gronw that there was only one way to appease him. Gronw had to stand in the exact same spot where Llew stood when Gronw wounded him, thus allowing Llew to strike Gronw with a blow. Gronw realized all was lost and there was nothing he could do to protect Blodeuwedd. He agreed to Llew’s terms. Llew Llaw Gyffes killed Gronw Pebyr upon the banks of the river Cynvael.
Gronw Pebyr was dead and Blodeuwedd was banished as a creature share this site of the night. Llew took is proper place, ruling his own land and , as time passed, ruling Gwynedd as well.
Some people view Blodeuwedd as the May Queen, who was symbolically wed to the king who was then sacrificed to her. Others see her as a young rebel trying to break free from the restraints of the patriarchal world.
Many believe she was as deadly as she was beautiful. She was known as the “The Ninefold Goddess of the Western Isles,” and her totem was the owl, a bird of wisdom and mysteries.
Chart for Blodeuwedd
Colors
white
yellow
Animals
owls
Offerings
lilies
meadowsweet
oak
broom
My opinion about Blodeuwedd is that she doesn’t seem to be a faithful person. She killed her husband to be with another man. She is also a bit of a trickster. She tricked her husband into revealing how he can be killed. I love owls and think they are beautiful creatures, but every time I see an owl I will think of Blodeuwedd!