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In Welsh mythology, Arianrhod ("silver wheel") was a daughter of Beli and Don.
She was in the court of Math ap Mathonwy, a king who needed to rest his feet in the lap of a virgin unless he was at war, or wanted to be. When one of his virgins, Goewin, was raped by Gilfaethwy, she was replaced with Gilfaethwy's sister, Arianrhod - who immediately gave birth to a young boy (Dylan) and a blob.
Dylan was a sea-creature who immediately moved into the ocean. The blob, however, was placed in a chest by Gwydion, Arianrhod's brother. Arianrhod created three geases: only she could give him a name; only she could give him weapons; he would have no human wife. Arianrhod denied him the three aspects of masculinity. Gwydion raised him anyway, even without a name. Later Arianrhod saw him killing a wren with a single stone. She said that he was a bright lion with a sure hand and he took the name Llew Llaw Gyffes ("bright lion with a sure hand"). Gwydion then tricked her into arming him. Llew created his own woman out of flowers, Blodeuwedd.
External links
- Arianrhod (http://www.shadowdrake.com/celtic/arianrhod.html)
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