Branwen, whose name means “white raven,” is featured in the eponymous tale “Branwen, Daughter of Ll
r,” the Second Branch of Y Mabinogi. It is tempting to read something into the fact that the Second Branch is the only one named for a woman, signifying the great importance of Branwen ferch Llr. However, this naming convention does not appear in the original manuscript; it was Lady Charlotte Guest who adopted the standard of naming the Four Branches after characters in the narrative when she translated the work into English.
Nevertheless, Branwen emerges from the narrative of the Second Branch bearing some of the hallmarks of a goddess of Sovereignty. She is the sister of Bendigeidfran (Bran the Blessed), the king of Britain, and she is called one of three Chief Maidens of the Isle of the Mighty. When Branwen consents to wed Matholwch, the king of Ireland who comes to Bran’s court seeking her hand, she enters into a sacred marriage with the Irish king while also taking on the role of the Peace Weaver, one who lays down her body to serve as a bridge that unites two nations. During the wedding feast, Branwen’s half-brother Efnysien mutilates the horses of the Irish contingent in anger because he hadn’t been consulted about the marriage. This was an enormous insult to Matholwch, as the horse is a symbol of Sovereignty in Celtic tradition. As part of the compensation for Efnysien’s actions, Bran gifts Matholwch with the Cauldron of Regeneration, a magical vessel that could bring back to life any dead warrior placed within it.
Of all the figures from Welsh myth that have been covered, Branwen most exemplifies the proper behavior of a woman within the medieval Welsh social order. She is depicted as the perfect wife and queen in every way—gracious, noble, compliant, and beautiful. At the beginning of the Second Branch, Branwen is only talked about; we do not see or hear from her until later in the narrative. Unlike Rhiannon’s direct involvement in her marriage and wedding feast, Branwen’s formulaic acceptance of her betrothal to Matholwch and subsequent marriage to him happen off-stage. It is not until she becomes an estranged wife that Branwen begins to emerge as a character in her own right.
Herself a paragon of right action, fulfilling her duty as wife and queen, and bearing Matholwch a son, Branwen is made to suffer unjustly after several years have passed in their marriage. Although she obeys her husband and follows his directive with characteristic grace, Branwen takes action to redress the wrong and dishonor being done to her. Here it is Matholwch who has failed in his duty to protect his wife, and so the responsibility reverts back to Bran, her brother. Branwen has regained her personal power because she has effectively become a single woman once more. Content to work within the social paradigm expected of her, Branwen expects the same of those around her; when wronged, we see her ingenuity come to the fore.
Branwen further illustrates her wisdom as she correctly interprets for Matholwch the vision of the scout who describes the coming of Bran and his armies to Ireland, and it is she who brokers the peace between Britain and Ireland by suggesting that Gwern, her young son, be made king—a proposal accepted by both sides of the conflict in the interest of peace. Perhaps hinting once more at her underlying importance beyond that of fulfilling the role of the tragic peace weaver motif, it is Branwen more than any other woman in the Four Branches who becomes most directly involved in creating political policy.
Branwen’s status as a goddess has been renewed in modern Pagan practice, where she is honored by those whose spiritual paths are inspired by Celtic British or Brythonic traditions. Since her legend was not written down by those who worshiped her as a goddess, we do not have a traditional depiction of Branwen as a fully realized deity. Instead, the rawness of her story makes Branwen an emotionally accessible goddess; because she has experienced suffering, she is an overflowing vessel of compassion for those who have been unjustly punished, have lived through domestic violence, and who have endured enormous loss. Branwen’s story teaches us that we have the power to remain sovereign within ourselves no matter what may be going on around us. By listening to our inner needs and using it to set change in motion outside of us, the universe will answer our call. Rather than a tale of a tragic woman abandoned to the cruelties of fate, Branwen’s myth teaches that the path to divinity can be found when we seek harmony between the shadow and sovereign aspects of the self. When we learn to bridge what is with what we desire—even if a part of us must die—we find the path that leads us back to Source.