or move on to Goddess Aunelanuhi, next chronologically,
or use Her Cyclopedia Index
Branwen, `White-Bosomed-One'.
Br*NU]N
Alternate meaning: `White-Crow'.
[to Whom the nineteenth day of April, day 109, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Welsh. [See Brynwyn for Lat x Long].
Linguistic notes: "perhaps a corruption of bronwen `fair, or white breast', perhaps bran plus the feminine adjective gwen `white, holy'". (If the bran- syllable is the same as Bran, the god, then Her name might refer to either meaning of that name, `crow', or `alder'. Perhaps a reference to the alder in blossom with its sweet smelling white flowers.)
Description: Goddess of the sea, trees, [taming and training of birds], beauty and love; One of the three chief Ancestresses of Her people; the Lady; She of the fair bosom; Venus of the Northern sea; Child of the sea; [Matron of women reduced to household enslavement].
To whom are sacred: [alder]; crow (especially albino crow); starling; cauldron of regeneration.
Male associates: son, Gwern, `Alder', by consort: Matholwch. Her brother is Bran, `Crow'.
Titles, Variants, etc.
Source: Ford MOMWT 57; CML.CS/388; Graves GMv1 100; Graves WG 51, 170.
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Christianized Welsh: especially Llandwywyn, Anglesey (53.35n x 4.28w), where She has a shrine.
Description: Christianized form of the Goddess Branwen as: Saint Brynwyn of love and affection; Matroness of lovers; She Who grants success or forgetfulness; perhaps Eponym of Llandwywyn.
To Whom are sacred: draughts of water from Her sacred well.
Titles, Variants, etc.
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Welsh.
Description: White Muse Goddess of the moon and inspiration; Mistress of the sea and its jewel-like islands; Queen of May and the spring flowers; Majestic Maiden. She is incarnate in Her moon-priestesses who bear Her name as a title, and marriage to whom confers kingship.
To whom are sacred: oak; holly; the colour scarlet.
Festival: Mayday (when the Oak Knight and the Holly Knight fight for Her hand as summer succeeds winter).
Male associates: Her lovers who fight for Her every Mayday till doomsday: Gwyn(n)-ap-Nudd, `White-Son-ofÄÄÄ', and Gwythr-ap-Greidawl, `Victor-Son-of-Scorcher'. Or some say
Titles, Variants, etc.
Sources: Ford MOMWT 22, 131, 151; Graves GMv1/243; Graves WG 180, 321, 388; Mac Cana CM 112; Squire CML 258-9, 333 (& more).
Male associate: consort, Lludd.
Titles, Variants, etc.: Mother of Creiddylad.
Source: Squire CML 323.
Male associates: son, Bran, `Crow', by consort Llyr-Lladiath, `Llyr-of-the-foreign-dialect.'
Titles, Variants, etc.
Linguistic note: See Penelope, linguistic notes.
Male associate: consort, Llyr `The-Sea'. Sons: Manawyddan, Nissyen, and Efnissyen.
Titles, Variants, etc.
Sources: Ford MOMWT 59; Squire CML 269-70, 289-90.