Bran

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Lundy, Isle of Avalon

Contents

Lundy Island

Arthur, the rightful king

The Knights Templar

The Holy Grail

Gods, Saints and Heroes

Stonehenge

Celestial Stuff

Mythological Stuff

Historical Stuff

Mystical Places

St. Michael Lines

The Romans

Picture Galleries

References & Texts

One of the more-than-coincidences that I came across while researching Lundy, Isle of Avalon was the reoccurrence of names.

Legends from different sources seemed to have similar(ish) themes and the same cast of characters. These 'usual suspects' include Bran, Nectan, Elen and Luned.

These are some of the manifestations of Bran I came across and as you read thru you'll see that many of them have been recognised, by one expert or another, as equating to another.

The various manifestations of Bran

King Bran of the Silures

Bran as Celtic deity

Bron - The Fisher King

Bran of the Irish

Brennus /Brennius

St. Brendan

St. Brannoc(k)

St. Brycha(i)n

St. Brynach

Uther Ben

Leodegrance

St. Barnabas

The various manifestations of Bran in the Grail Legends

Brangemuer

Brandus des Illes

Brandigan

Ban

Brennus /Brennius

In 390 BC the historical leader of the Gauls in the sacking of Rome was Brennus. Brennus is generally accepted as the prototype of Geoffrey of Monmouth's King Brennius. Brennius is a wanderer with a retinue of twelve knights. Brennius was noted for great generosity in his hospitality. The legend tells how Belinus and Brennius fought for mastery of Britain in the 4th.c. BC. Brennius was defeated and fled N. of the Humber. Brennius and Belinus are generally acknowledged to be manifestations of the gods Bran and Beli.

Bran of the Silures

Bran, father of Caractacus ( Caradoc or Caradawg ) Ruler of the Silures, Arch Druid, captive in Rome and his role in the introduction of Christianity to Britain.

The Rebellion of the Silures

Bran - Celtic Deity

( aka 'Welsh Bran' )

'Bran the Blessed' - 'Bran Vendigeit,' we are told in the introduction to the story of 'Branwen verch Llyr,' - 'Branwen the daughter of Llyr' - in the welsh 'Mabinogion.' was the grandson of Beli Mawr. He was the brother of Manannan Mac(ap) Lir(Llyr). No ordinary house can hold him because of his size.

"He transports his army on his back across the River Llinon."

Transplanted from his pagan Irish origin, Bran " has become King of the island of Britain, crowned in London and has acquired the Christian epithet bendigeid, 'Blessed'....He led an expedition to a foreign land and was victorious. Nevertheless, he was wounded in the foot with a poisoned javelin, and, though no causal nexus is mentioned, the islands of Ireland and Britain were rendered desolate. Nissyen and Evnissyen. Bran commanded his followers to cut off his head and to travel with it, first to Harlech and then to the island of Grassholm. Obeying his commands, they spent seven years at Harlech, regaling themselves with meat and drink. Then, setting out for Grassholm, they found there a fair royal place, a great hall, overlooking the sea. That night they spent there without stint, and we may infer that they continued to feast, as they had at Harlech, for eighty years, in the company of the uncorrupted head of Bran. This was called the Hospitality of the Wondrous Head." - Roger Sherman Loomis, The Grail, From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol

If the hospitality of the Noble head took place on Grassholm, as claimed, then when Heilyn opened the door and looked towards Cornwall a look at a map demonstrates that he would be looking at Lundy.

According to Robert Graves in the 'White Goddess' the cult of Bran originated in the Aegean.

* The legends of Bron, 'The Rich Fisher,' and Bran, 'The Blessed,' corespond in more ways than can be allowed for by coincidence. A long list of the most eminent Arthurian scholars including Heinrich, Martin, Nutt, Rhys, Brown, Nitze and Loomis all agree in regarding 'Bran Fendigaid' as the Celtic prototype of 'Bron' - the Rich Fisher or Fisher king

Bron - The Fisher King

- a companion of Joseph of Arimathea - Nicodemus Nasciens

'Bron' - the Rich Fisher or Fisher king, who appears first in the late twelfth-century 'Roman de l'Estoire du Graal' of Robert de Boron.

..'Joseph's sister and her husband Bron (or Hebron) are among the followers who accompany Joseph into exile....

a Heavenly voice told Joseph to command Bron to go into the water and catch a fish....

(a table like the Last Supper)-

Joseph to sit where Christ sat at the Last Supper, with Bron at his right.

Bron was to remove one seat to signify Judas' place, and this seat was to be reserved for a child yet to be born to Bron and his wife.

Bron and his wife had twelve sons. Eleven married, but the twelfth (later called ALAIN) refused to take a wife, and in accordance with advice from heaven was instructed by Joseph in the history of the vessel (Grail), which he was to impart to others.

Alain's heir was to be guardian of the vessel, and Alain himself was to lead his brothers and sisters westward, preaching Christ.

Through heavenly agency Petrus received a letter, with which he was to set forth for the vales of Avaron and there wait the coming of Alain's son and of the one who would read his letter.

An angel then announced that the vessel should pass into Bron's possession after Joseph imparted to him the secrets of the Grail, the words of Christ to Joseph in prison.

Bron thenceforth would be called the Rich Fisher because of the fish he had caught, and he too, was to go westward to await Alain's son, to whom the vessel and the grace must be given.

The three custodians would signify the Trinity.

After Joseph told the secrets to Bron, the Good Fisher departed to the land where he was born.

According to Chretien de Troyes, Joseph gave the Grail the 'Holiest af all Holy relics,' to his brother-in-law, Bron, whose mission was to carry it into the far west to the 'Vaus d'Avaron.'

Irish Bran

The Bran of Irish legends is the hero of the 'Immram Brain' or 'Voyage of Bran' an eighth- or ninth- century narrative identified ultimately by most authorities as another manifestation of the welsh Bran.

Lured by a beautiful spirit woman bearing a 'branch of the apple-tree.' Bran sets sail with 27 companions and eventually reaches the isle of women ( the paradisical Otherworld ).

As the ship approaches the shore the leader of the women calls 'Come hither on land O' Bran, son of Febal, welcome is thy coming.' When Bran doesn't respond the woman throws a ball of twine to him. Bran catches the ball, the twine sticks to his hand and Bran and his retinue are inevitably drawn to the shore. The company were led across the island to a great hall with a 'bed and wife for every man and unlimited food.' The only inhabitants of the isle are beautiful women. After what seems like twelve months pass, Bran and his companions depart and set sail for home. When the ship draws near the shore people on land enquire of Bran his name. When Bran replies, he is told 'One of our oldest stories is called 'The Voyage of Bran......'' One of the company, Nechtan the son of Collbran, leaps ashore. As soon as his foot touched the land he crumbls into ashes.

Without setting foot on his native soil, Bran related his adventures to the eager listeners ashore. When he had finished, he turned the ship to sea, and has never been seen again by mortal eyes to this day.

St Brendan

( The Christian Counterpart of Irish Bran )

A historical early Irish Christian, St. Brendan, was born in Tralee c. 484 or 486 AD.

He died c. 578 AD.

He is credited with founding monasteries at Clonfert 559 AD, at Annadown ( Galway), Inishadroum ( Clare ) and at Ardfert ( Kerry).

He had a reputation as a traveler or wanderer and he is reputed to have visited St. Columba at Hinda (Argyle) on which visit he may have founded a Scottish monastery.

Eventually he became the abbot of Llancarvan in Wales. He is also supposed to have accompanied St. Malo to Brittany.

One of the most proliferate of surviving mediaeval texts is the 'Navigation of St. Brendan.'

Ostensibly the tale of the historical abbot, St. Brendan, it tells of his adventures with a crew of monks exploring the isle of promise in that mysterious Celtic Otherworld reached over western seas.

St. Brychan

St. Brychan, or Brychain, was a legendary welsh king.

The ruler of the kingdom of 'Brycheiniog' which survived until the tenth century and was succeeded by the old welsh county of Brecknock and whose name still survives in the Brecon Beacons.

Brychan was the ancestor of a proliferate saintly family. He is said to have fathered between twelve and sixty -three children, most of whom are linked to churches / chapels / wells in North Devon.

The most prominent is St. Nectan at Hartland, N. Devon.

Brychan is mentioned in the twelfth-century "Life of St. Cadog.'

In the eleventh c. manuscript 'De Situ Brecheniauc' Brychan's father is named an Irishman 'Anlac filius Coronac', his mother 'Marchell' was the daughter of a British king called 'Teuderic'.

The sixteenth century manuscript 'Cognacio Brychan' and the 'Jesus College genealogies' give slightly varying accounts of the life of Brychan.

St. Brannoc

The remains of St. Brannoc are said to be buried at the church dedicated to him at Braunton, North Devon, where his name is also associated with a holy well. He has been identified with St. Brynach. There is also an old tradition that he was a 'Man of Italy.' St. Brannock is identified as the 5th C. brother in law of St. Nectan.

St. Brynach

Not much is known of St. Brynach the 6th. century Welsh missionary. He is usually identified with St. Brannoc (see above). In the 'Lives of Brit. Saints,' the author quotes a reference in a welsh text to St. Brynach being a 'Son of Israel.' He is said to have talked to animals and to birds. He is also credited with having often met and conversed with angels.

Brandigan.

One episode of the romance of 'Erec' by Chretien de Troyes describes how the central characters, Erec and Enid, journey to a 'fair and rich' castle called Brandigan.

The castle, sited on an isle, is the home of King Evrain of Brandigan.

Brangemuer.

Brangemuer makes an appearance in the 'Conte del Graal' . A Saxon king in the 'Vulgate Merlin' is called Brandemague.

Brandemagu or Braudemagu appears in 'Claris and Laris' .

In the story of 'Charrete' by Chretien de Troyes the name appears as Baudemaguz or Bondemaguz

Brandus des Illes

Although the name sometimes appears as Brandelis, the divided form Brandus de(s) (Il)les is justified by the names of his relatives, Morr de Lis and Melian de Lis)

As told in the 'Vulgate Lancelot' Brandus des Illes ( Brandus des Illes = Bran, Duke of the Isles) is lord of both a castle on an island 'La Dolorouse Chastre,' and of a castle by a river 'La Dolorous Garde'.

After Lancelot breaks the enchantments on 'La Dolorous Garde' the castle is renamed 'La Joyous Gard'.

The islands of all three, Baudemaguz, Brandus des Illes and the King of Brandigan, are the settings for imprisonment stories.

The captivity of Mabonagrain on the isle of Brandigan and his release by 'Erec' is related to the story in 'Kilhwch and Olwen' of Mabon's imprisonment in a stone fortress accessible only by water.

Uther Ben

The second manifestations of Bran identified by Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess,' is as 'Uther Ben' -'the wonderful head,' which is a reference to the singing head of Bran buried on the white mound, he is Arthur's father - Uther (Ben) PenDragon.