|
In the story of 'Branwen verch Llyr,' - 'Branwen the daughter of Llyr' - in the welsh 'Mabinogion', Bran " has become King of the island of Britain, crowned in London ( 3 out of 5) 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. ( The Wasteland.) 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." - Loomis, 'The Grail, From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol'
|
If the hospitality of the Noble head took place on Grassholm, then when Heilyn opened the door and looked towards Cornwall, Lundy is the nearest land.
|
Triad 37 'Three Fortunate Concealments of the Island of Britain' |
|
|
37. Tn Chud a Thni Datcud Enys Prydein:
|
37. Three Concealments and Three Disclosures of the Island of Britain: The Head of Bran the Blessed, son of L1yr, which was buried in the White hill in London. And as long as the Head was there in that position, no Oppression would ever come to this Island; The second: the Bones of Gwerthefyr the Blessed, which were buried in the Chief Ports of this Island; The third: the Dragons which Llndd son of Beli buried in Dinas Emrys in Eryni. |
|
37 R. Tn Matkud Ynys Prydein: Penn Bendigeituran uah Liyr, a guduwyt yn y Gvynuryn yn Llundein, a’e wyneb ar Ffreinc. A hyt tra uu yn yr ansavd v dodet yno, ny doci Ormes Sacsson byth y’r Ynys honn; Yr cii (M)atkud: y Drcigeu yn Ninas Emrcis, a gudyavd Liud uab Beii; A’r try dyd: Esgyrn (h’erthcuyr Uendigeit, ym prif pyrth yr Ynys honn. A hyt tra vydynt yn y kud hvnnv, ny doci ()rmes o Saesson byth y’r Ynys honn. A Ilyna y Tn Anvat(dat)kud pan datgudwyt: A Gvrtheyrn Gvrthcneu a datkudyawd Esgyrn Gvcrtheuyr Uendigeit yr scrch gvrcic. Sef ned honno, Ronnwen bagancs; Ac ef a datkudyavd y Drcigcu; Ac Arthur a datkudyavd Penn Bcndigcituran o’r Gvynnvrynn. Kan nyt ned dcc gantav kadv yr Ynys honn o gedernit nub, namVn o’r cidav chiin.
|
37 R. Three Fortunate Conccalmcnts of the Island of Britain The Head of Bran the Blessed, son of L1yr, which was concealed in the White Hill in London, with its face towards France. And as long as it was in the position in which it was put there, no Saxon Oppression would ever come to this Island; The second Fortunate Concealment: the Dragons in Dinas Emrys, which Lludd son of Belii concealed; And the third: the Bones of Gwerthefyr the Blessed, in the Chief Ports of this Island. And as long as they remained in that concealment, no Saxon Oppression would ever come to this Island. And they were the Three Unfortunate Disclosures when these were disclosed And Gwrtheyrn the Thin disclosed the bones of Gwerthefyr the Blessed for the love of a woman: that was Ronnwen the pagan woman; And it was he who disclosed the Dragons; And Arthur disclosed the Head of Bran the Blessed from the White Hill, because it did not seem right to him that this Island should be defended by the strength of anyone, but by his own. |
|
*********Arthurian scholars for the most part agree in regarding 'Bran Fendigaid' as the Celtic prototype of '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. . -----Bromwich. |
|
William the Conqueror Very soon after the Norman conquest in 1078 Bishop Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, built the White Tower in London. ( 3 out of 5 ) Triad 37 tells of the three concealments of the island of Britain; the head of Bran is buried under the white hill in London, facing France, and while it was there no Saxon could invade. ( 3 out of 5 ) The same Triad tells that Arthur disturbed the head of Bran ostensibly because he didn't want Britain to be protected by any power but his own. When William approved the building of the tower he was also symbolising his possession of Arthur's kingdom. The Tower of London was built 50 years before Geoffrey of Monmouth popularised Arthur. |
|
( Thirteen Royal Treasures of the Isle of Britain ) |
|
Corn
bran galed
oedd vn or tn thiws ar ddeg o vrenin-dlysse ynys
brydain / ag yno dayth myrddin
y erchi y tlysse hyny at bawb lie ydd oyddynt.
ag y Cytynoedd pawb os efe gaffe gorn bran galed
y Cae gantyn hwyntey / dan dybied nachae ef ddim
or Corn / ag er hyny fo gafas myrddin y Corn ag
wedy hyny vo gafas y Cwbwl ag aeth ag hwy yr ty
gwydyr ag yn hwy byth mwy [sic]. Corn
bran galed a gafas erculys ar ben saint tawrys
gwedy y ladd / ag yno y gwlychoedd gwraic saint
tawrys grys erculys yngwaed saint tawrys a fT an
gwisgoedd erculys y Cris fly aliwyd byth y dyny
o am dano nes yr Cris y vwytta y Cic ar Croen
hyd yr esgyrn a lladd erculys yn varw. The
Horn of Bran
the Niggard was one of the Thirteen Royal
Treasures of the Island of Britain. And Myrddin
came there to ask for those treasures of
everyone who had them; and everyone agreed that
if he should obtain the Horn of Bran
the Niggard he should obtain theirs from them,
supposing that he would never get the Horn. And
nevertheless Myrddin
obtained the Horn, and after that he obtained
them all, and went wit!, them to the
Glass House, and they (i.e. the Treasures)
remain there for ever.’ ‘Hercules obtained the Horn of Bran the Niggard from the head of the centaur after he was ‘slain. And then the wife of the Centaur wetted Hercules’ shirt in the blood of the centaur, and when Hercules had put on the shirt it was not possible ever to take it from off him until the shirt had eaten his flesh and skin to the bone, and Hercules was slain.’ |
|
- a companion of Joseph of Arimathea - Nicodemus Nasciens . ..'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.' |
|
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, leapt ashore. As soon as his foot touched the land he crumbled 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. . . . . . |
|
Bran, Caractacus in Rome and their role in the introduction of Christianity to Britain. |
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 as 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.
The remains of St. Brannoc are claimed 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.
Not much is known of St. Brynach the 6th. century Welsh missionary. He is 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.
|
One of the most proliferate of surviving mediaeval texts is the 'Navigation of St. Brendan.' A historical early Irish Christian, St. Brendan, was born in Tralee c. 484 or 486 AD. 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. |
|
bran ( welsh) |
|
nissyen & evnissyen |
|
bran ( irish ) |
|
nechtan |
|
bron |
|
nicodemus |
|
brendan |
|
|
|
brannock |
|
nectan |
|
brychan |
|
nectan |
|
brynach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||
 |
|
|
||||
 |
||||||