#MythologyMonday #Celtic: `One day Pryderi and Manawyddan started a wild white boar, and chased him in vain until he led them up to a vast and lofty castle, all newly built in a place where they had never seen a building before. The boar ran into the castle, the dogs followed him, and Pryderi, against the counsel of Manawyddan, who knew there was magic afoot, went in to seek for the dogs.
He found in the centre of the court a marble fountain beside which stood a golden bowl on a marble slab, and being struck by the rich workmanship of the bowl, he laid hold of it to examine it, when he could neither withdraw his hand nor utter a single sound, but he remained there, transfixed and dumb, beside the fountain. …
Next day Rhiannon went herself to explore the castle. She found Pryderi still clinging to the bowl and unable to speak. She also, then, laid hold of the bowl, when the same fate befell her …`
Source: Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race by T. W. Rolleston, Gutenberg eBook

St George is sometimes associated with the colour green, vegetation and fertility. This links to the dragon, as these beasts were blamed for making land barren by obstructing or poisoning water sources. They often lived in or near rivers, lakes and wells. By slaying them, heroes allowed pure waters to flow and made the land fruitful again. #MythologyMonday #folklore #mythology #history

#MythologyMonday #Celtic: `Beara, the daughter of the King of Spain, was very shining and beautiful, and her father had a mind to know who would be her husband, and he sent for his Druid and asked the question of him. "I can tell you that," said the Druid, "for the man that is to be her husband will come to land in Spain this very night. And let your daughter go eastward to the river Eibhear," he said, "and she will find a crimson-spotted salmon in that river, having shining clothing on him from head to tail. And let her strip that clothing off him," he said, "and make with it a shining shirt for her husband."
So Beara went to the river Eibhear, and found the golden salmon as the Druid had said, and she stripped him of his crimson clothing and made a shining shirt of it.
Eoghan, an exile from Ireland, put the shirt on him over his armour, and its shining was seen in every place; and it was from wearing that shirt he got the name of Eoghan the Bright. And the king gave Beara to Eoghan that very night.`
Source: Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory - Project Gutenberg eBook

#MythologyMonday #Celtic: `One day, as the Dagda was in the trench, he saw his son, Angus Og, coming to him. "That is a good meeting," said Angus; "but what is on you, for you have no good appearance to-day?" "There is a reason for that," said the Dagda, "for every evening, Cridenbel, the blind man, makes a demand for the three best bits of my share of food, and takes them from me." "I will give you an advice," said Angus. He put his hand in his bag then, and took out three pieces of gold and gave them to him.
"Put these pieces of gold into the three bits you will give this evening to Cridenbel," he said, "and they will be the best bits in the dish, and the gold will turn within him the way he will die."
So in the evening the Dagda did that; and no sooner had Cridenbel swallowed down the gold than he died. Some of the people said then to the king: "The Dagda has killed Cridenbel, giving him some deadly herb." The king believed that, and there was anger on him against the Dagda, and he gave orders he should be put to death. But the Dagda said: "You are not giving the right judgment of a prince." And he told all that had happened, and how Cridenbel used to say, "Give me the three best bits before you, for my own share is not good to-night." "And on this night," he said, "the three pieces of gold were the best things before me, and I gave them to him, and he died."
The king gave orders then to have the body cut open. And they found the gold inside it, and they knew it was the truth the Dagda had told.`
Source: Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory - Project Gutenberg eBook