Three Great Queens of Arthurs Court:

Gwenhwyfar daughter of Cywyrd Gwent.

and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gwythyr son of Greidawl

and Gwenhwyfar daughter of Gogfran Gawr.

( Triad 56 )

 

 Gwenhwyfar, White Phantom,

Daughter of a Giant,

Gogyvran Gawr.

 

Gwenevere,

Battle queen,

Queen Woman of the Old Ways.

Chariot Queen,

Queen of turtledoves and laurels.

 

Here in the Summer Country

the Goddess holds sway.

Guinevere was born to rule,

born to be a Pagan Queen.

 

In the Summer Country

the Great Queen has ruled

from Time out of Mind.

 

Guenevere is the latest in an

unbroken line stretching back

into the Mists of Time

to the Great Mother of All.

 

Throughout the ages,

the Queen held her People

in her Hand.

 

 The Princess Guinievre

upholds the Mother-right.

Queen Woman of the Chariot,

Battle Raven

of the Hidden Realm.

Queen Woman of the Generous Thighs

the Great Goddess Incarnate.

 

Guinever

Flower Bride of Spring.

Mother of Midsummer.

Crone of Autumns Harvest.

Maiden, Mother and Matron.

 

Gwinifred, Spring Maiden.

For whom, at Midsummer

Lancelot, the Queens Champion,

Knight of Oak,

must do Battle with

Gawain, Champion of the Goddess,

Knight of Holly.

 

Gwenhyfar;

Bad when Little,

Worse when Big!

 

Only Three Things does Guinevere fear:

that the Sky will Fall on her,

that Thunder will Strike her,

that Twins will be her Womb Burden.

 

Guinevere, Celtic Queen,

Her curves the shapes of the land,

Her breasts the soft slopes of the hillsides,

Her belly the womb, the holt.

Her thicket the sacred grove and nemeton.

 

Queen of the Court of Love,

The Court of Joy,

The Court of Marvels and Wonders,

the Table of the Wandering Knights.

 

the Table Round of Wide Renown,

the Circular Temples of Stone,

the Zodiac of the Heroes,

the Stones of the Sons of Arthur.

 

 Arthur of the Golden Mane,

Bold in action

Strong in strife

Protector of the Host

Defender of the Realm

 

Arthur of the Far Flung Hosts

Slow to Anger

Furious in Flame

Held his Queen like a Kingdom,

his Kingdom like a Queen.

 

Mighty his hand to hold this Island within,

Boar of Battle, a Lion in the Breach,

He glutted the Ravens in the Uplands of Hell

Struck the Black Hag of Hell in twain

With his dagger Carwennan,

Though others had tried and failed.

 

With the Lightning Sword he slew

the Black Worm of the Dolorous Mound.

the Affanc of the Bearded Lake.

Lured the Monster from the Water,

with a Virgin for a Bait.

Like a Lamb it came to her,

huge head Cradled in her Lap,

Snored as it Dribbled and Slept.

 

Then Arthur came with Chains,

and bound the Ghastly Worm,

and dragged it with a Team of Bulls

unto the Dolorous Mound,

where he struck its Head from its Body

and put an End to its Oppression.

 

He battled with Ryons the Giant.

On Snowdons Mount,

Mount of Eagles, calling eagles

mourning Calamity.

Strove all Day and Night

to Overthrow the Giants Might.

To take from him his cloak of beards,

a Cloak of Beards of Kings.

eleven he had, and twelve he wanted,

promised it the Pride of Place

upon the collar of his Dusky Cloak.

 

and Arthur, Generous Arthur,

 said he might have it

if he could take it.

Then broke his knees

with his Iron Hammer,

to bring him down to size.

and drawing the Flaming Sword,

struck his Head from his Shoulders.

 

`and Arthur, the Golden One,

the Chosen One,

the King of Summer,

Stands Supreme upon the Summit.

as the Rays of the Dying Sun 

of the Ancient World

bleed into the Sky and

Illuminate him from below.

  

the Green Man in Spring,

Lord of the Beasts in high Summer.

the Sacred King in Autumn

who must Die for his People

and be Reborn.

 

the Once and Future King,

He who was, is not and yet is.

the Golden One, the Shining One,

the Chosen One.

the Consort and Battle Duke

of the Great Goddess.

her Companion of the Couch,

Father to his People.