Rhiannon: The Ghostly Queen of Welsh Mythology
Travel, dear reader, seven miles northwards from the village of Amroth on the Pembrokeshire coast, and you will find yourself in the small, pleasing town of Narberth, an ancient settlement that dwells beneath the shadow of a ruined castle.
Legend has it that this castle and the surrounding lands were the scene of a famous tale, enshrined forever within the pages of the Mabinogion, a collection of early Welsh legends compiled during the Middle Ages. The story centres upon Rhiannon and her love for Pwyll, the ruler of Dyfed.
One day, in an age when the sun rose and set much as it does today, Pwyll was riding beside the ancient and magical mound of Gorsedd Arberth with his retinue of men when he spied a beautiful maiden riding towards him upon a pure white horse.
Intrigued, he sent members of his retinue ahead to greet her and discover who she was. However, although the riders appeared to be travelling at a normal pace, they were never able to close the distance between themselves and the mounted woman.
Eventually, Pwyll called back his men and decided to ride forth and meet her himself. Yet, despite approaching her at a gallop, he still could not overtake her. Finally, he called out to her, asking her to stop. Which she duly did.
She told him that her name was Rhiannon and revealed that she had been riding out to meet him, for she had chosen him to be her husband. In this sense, Rhiannon is a remarkably modern female protagonist. She is not a passive princess sitting patiently and awaiting rescue. She is active.
She chooses Pwyll.
And Pwyll, moved by her grace and beauty, finds himself entirely smitten.
But, good reader, as has been the case in this kind of tale so many times before, the course of true love never runs smooth.
You see, Rhiannon was already promised to another, a man named Gwawl ap Clud, and he would not willingly release her from his claim. Still, Rhiannon had a quick mind and devised a plan.
She gave Pwyll a magical bag that could never be filled and instructed him to invite Gwawl to a feast at his hall. At her direction, Pwyll persuaded Gwawl to enter the bag, and Gwawl, who was clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, agreed.
Once inside, Pwyll trapped him and stamped upon the bag until his rival finally agreed to relinquish his claim upon Rhiannon.
And so, Rhiannon and Pwyll were wed.
Rhiannon has many other adventures in the Mabinogion, but it is this first encounter that interests us today, for the story is associated with the area around the charming little town of Narberth and is still celebrated there in local tourism and folklore.
It is also claimed that residents of the town have witnessed the ghost of Pwyll’s queen riding over the hills and fields surrounding Narberth. She is usually seen at dusk, always at a distance, mounted upon her magnificent white horse.
Folklorists have suggested that Rhiannon may be connected to an ancient Celtic horse goddess and that her name could be related to the reconstructed Celtic name Rigantona, generally interpreted as “Great Queen”.
Whatever the truth, I would urge any bold, folklore-loving reader to visit Narberth and walk its fields at dusk. Perhaps then you might truly absorb the spirit of the ancient tale.
And who knows? Perhaps you might even catch sight of the beautiful queen as she gallops silently into the twilight.
Thank you for taking the time to read my spooky blog, dear friend. If you enjoy it, I would urge you to visit M. Lee Goodson’s wonderful Facebook page, which is chock-full of spooky legends. This week, she talks about the urban legend surrounding 13 Bends Road.
Here is a link: www.facebook.com/mleegoodson
Finally why not consider picking up a copy of Pocket Horror, an anthology of classic tales of terror by some of the finest horror writers history has ever produced? All are bound together in a handy, pocket-sized book.
Links to the book on Amazon can be found in the shop section of this website.
Until next week,
Stay Spooky.
Available on Amazon.
Sources
Wikipedia
The Mabinogion
Britannica.com
