Exploring Women's Role in Celtic Mythology and Legends
Celtic Mythology is packed with many legends and adventures of love, power and loss. With these legends and myths, one of the reoccurring elements that is found in Celtic mythology and is discussed in the essay - is the role of women. Women of these stories play a very important role that provide a way for us to understand how the women were perceived in medieval society and culture. Many of the women during this were perceived with stereotypical roles which was usually being considered dependent or being known as the mother figure. These norms for women were standards that were set by men during early times.
On the other hand, there are other female characters that are seen to be living beyond these roles and gender norms. In the Mabinogion, women such as Rhiannon and Branwen push these boundaries especially by using their power to influence their lovers and other men in political settings. Because of this, women in Celtic mythology prove themselves to be much more powerful than the men tend to realize and give them the credit that they deserve.
In the Mabinogion, the four branches show how medieval culture portrays the role of women norms that men of society have created for them. Some of these roles that women are perceived as include the motherly figure, though this includes more than just of being mothers to their children, but to their lovers and country as well. In the Second Branch, Branwen, who is the daughter of the King of Wales, shows these qualities, which will eventually lead her to her death. The objective that is seen in the women’s roles of The Mabinogion is to preserve the life and prevent the loss of what women loved the most. Through Celtic mythology we see that the themes of death and loss surround many the women from the many stories of The Mabinogion.
In the beginning of The Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen’s father gives her away to Matholwch, King of Ireland, to be married. “First thing the next day they took counsel. They decided to give Branwen to Matholwch”. Branwen’s role in this marriage is actually being used help unite the two nations to make them much stronger and be able to live in harmony together. “He has come to unite your two families”. This is an example of how the women were used in medieval culture. Many marriages during this time were arranged, showing that women did not have control over whom they married. Instead they were married to men of higher power so that they would aide in the connection of two nations for an alliance.
After Branwen and Matholwch were married, her brother Efnysien, realizes that Branwen was given away without his permission. Feeling insulted that Matholwch would marry his sister without consulting him first, he mutilates the horses that were given to Matholwch as wedding gifts. The behavior of Efnysien shows that Branwen is not only considered to be property of her father, but to any male in the family. Branwen appears to not have much power or freedom in her life and her future. This branch shows the culture of how women were used and the little agency that they were allowed over their own self. Women during medieval Celtic times were not given much freedom and had little freedom in what they did, unless given permission.
On the other hand, while women are showcasing these gender norms, some women began to push the boundaries beyond their stereotypical roles and norms. As character, such as Branwen, develop farther into the story, we can see how she break these molds become more powerful and independent than when the story started. In the first part of the Second Branch, Branwen does not voice her opinion on matters of marriage or the actions of Efnysien when he mutilated Matholwch’s horses. After this Branwen becomes a prisoner of Ireland, where she must suffer for the actions of Wale.
During this time, we start to really understand the role that Branwen play in the second branch. She is now becoming an actual character in the plot of the story and not just a figure of peace between Wales and Ireland. After her marriage, the town of Ireland hears of the acts that Efnysien has committed against the king. They use Branwen and make her pay for his sins, “They took revenge by sending Branwen from her husband’s chamber, and forcing her to cook for the court, and they had the butcher come to her everyday… and give her a box on the ear”. This section of the story shows the struggle of Branwen wrongly being pushed for acts that she did not commit. Her abuse is related to the mutilation of the horses, which gives another example of how women are seen and treated. She suffers through the pain of her stepbrothers’ actions, which she attempts to stay strong through, but calls for the aid of her father and of Wales to rescue her. This torture that Branwen has to endure is the beginning of the war between Ireland and Wales.
Throughout the story Branwen has obeyed and followed the standards of roles in the time. She remains voiceless during the first half of the story. This until the country of Ireland betrays her. She only begins to voice her struggle when after her crisis with the mistreatment, “And she brought a letter telling of her punishment and dishonour”. The Mabinogion shows that how someone who is perceived as powerless has the strength and power to use their voice as a way of persuasion. She uses her strength to call for help and have Wales come save her. Not only does Branwen use her strength to save herself but attempts to save the bond of the two countries. “Eventually she becomes the proximate cause their conflict, a relationship she attempts to rectify by forging peace between them”.
Toward the end of the story, we now see the real strength of Branwen. She takes all the loss and the pain and suffering and attempts to harbor off all these things into herself, even though she has not done anything to wield these rising conflicts of the men of the two countries. All of these emotions end up being too much for her, “she gives a mighty sigh, and with that her heart breaks”. In the end, the death of Branwen was in vain, since the she did not intend to cause the destruction, “Oh son of God, woe that I was ever born. Two good islands have been laid waste because of me”. These passages may seem to end in tragedy but her death begins a new chapter of Ireland, with the birth of five children created the five providences of Ireland. The end of the Second Branch is last example of how important women are in society. With her leaving five pregnant women, Branwen is seen as the life of Ireland. Without her Ireland would not have been reborn.
All in all, Branwen struggles with her role in society and gaining control of her freedom. With her family and the king of Ireland limiting her freedom and having control in her future, she has to accept her fate. Not until her mistreatment she has to endear does begin to move past the standards of women and proves her real strength. Unfortunately, Branwen fails in attempt to keep the two countries in peace. Though this is not just her responsibility, but the weight of this war was put on her shoulders. People like her stepbrother, Efnysien, blamed her for the troubles and the conflict of Wales and Ireland, which resulted in her motherly intuition taking over. She used all of her strength to try and restore peace. Sadly the hatred coming from both countries was too much for Branwen to handle on her own, causing her to eventually die.
The Mabinogion proves that women who are seen as weak and frail can still hold great power to be able to persuade and take control. These gender roles of women in The Mabinogion, must abide by the rules and norms that medieval culture has set for them and this creates a more sexiest and incomplete idea about Celtic women and their roles in society. Though Branwen is not seen as someone who is powerful, she is able to prove herself against society and the men of Ireland and Wales. The women of Celtic mythology begin to push past these boundaries and create a new social norm for themselves, proving that their role in medieval culture is far more important than the men of these stores truly understand.
