Blodeuwedd is the Welsh goddess of spring created from flowers, and the
wife of Lleu, son of Arianrhod.
In the late Christianized myth, She was created by the great magicians Math
and Gwydion to be Lleu's mate, in response to a curse pronounced by his mother
that he would never have a wife from any race then on the Earth. They fashioned
Blodeuwedd from nine types of blossom--oak, meadowsweet, broom, cockle, bean,
nettle, chestnut, primrose, and hawthorn--and breathed life into Her. She
proved treacherous to Lleu, and She and Her lover Gronw Pebyr plotted against
him, killing the invulnerable Lleu by tricking him into the only pose in which
he could be harmed. Blodeuwedd was punished for this by being transformed
into the night-bird, the owl, though She kept her name--in Welsh, blodeuwedd,
meaning "Flower-face", is a name for the owl.
She is the white Goddess of Death and Life in Her May-aspect, and part of
a triad consisting of Arianrhod
(virgin), Blodeuwedd (lover), and Cerridwen
(crone).
She represents temporary beauty and the bright blooming that must come full
circle through death: She is the promise of autumn visible in spring.
Pronunciation: bluh DIE weth ("th" as in "weather")
Alternate spellings: Blodeuedd, Blodewedd
To read Her tale, go here.
