click image above to see candle set

~ GWYN-A-FAIRE ~

She was more than just
a Welsh Queen
and the counterpart to King Arthur,
but rather,
she embodied the sovereignty of
Britain.

The Mother Land

No king could rule without Her.

Thus. . .
those who wished to be ruler
were always abducting her.
Besides Arthur,
there was Melwas, Meleagant, Lancelot, and Mordred,
who all took Gwyn-A-Faire away from the incumbent
when they sought the throne.

It was said
that when a king lost Gwyn-A-Faire,
he lost the crown.

Some myths even suggest
that She might have been a sacred statue,
similar in Her powers as
the Fortuna Regia of Roman Caesars.

Gwyn-A-Faire has been described as
"one of the three, gentle, gold-torqued ladies of Britain".

Her integrity
and honor
upheld the court of Arthur
and Her beauty represented
the fertile lands of Britain.

Accusations of infidelity
made against Gwyn-A-Faire
were without foundation in the early traditions.

It was not until
Chretian de Troyes
wrote
"Chevalier de la Charrette"
in the late 12th Century,
that Lancelot
was cast in the role of rescuer,
even though he was not yet Her physical lover.

And it was even later
that we find Her documented as
an adulteress
and treated as a heretic
and witch,
almost burning at the stake!

It seems
that Gwyn-A-Faire represents an archetype
identified as the "Flower Bride",
thus her title,
Queen of the May.

The Flower Bride is an otherworldly woman
who becomes the consort to the king.
Her power is in manifesting harmony
between the King
(mankind)
and the lands he rules
(Mother Nature).

If She is not well matched
by a reciprocal love from Her mate,
then She must find a champion
to challenge the king
and remind him of his duties
toward both his wife
and the territory
which She represents.

Thus we have Lancelot,
and others,
including Perceval
and Gereint,
champions to Gwyn-A-Faire
on numerous occasions.

The origins of Her role
are found in the form of
the Triple Goddess of Celtic tradition,
which perceives Her as three women,
all supposed to be the spouse of Arthur:
Gwyn-A-Faire as the Flower Bride
(the maiden),
Morgan Le Faye as the Lady of the Lake and foster-mother
(the mother),
and the washer at the Ford as the Cailleach
(the crone).

For us,
Gwyn-A-Faire,
represents the positive conditions
that lead to growth
and establishing peace
and contentment,
as well as
imparting sensitivity
and harmony
to our awareness of nature
and the life force.

May She long reign!