Branwen, Goddess of Grief by Kelle ban Dea

This midwinter has been a time of sadness so far. Two major deaths in the family, and two baby losses, the grief has come thick and fast for me and my kin this season. At a time when we are usually all gathering to celebrate the rebirth of the light in the dark, my spiritual practice is all at sea, leaving me wondering how I can call on Goddess, on Mother of God, at this time.

Then I remember Branwen.

The British Queen named in the Mabinogi as ‘one of the Three Matriarchs in this island, Fairest Maiden in the world was She,’ and the sister of the giant Bran the Blessed and daughter of the sea god Llyr, we meet Branwen in the second branch of the Mabinogi, a collection of myths written down in the medieval period. She marries the King of Ireland, uniting the two countries in peace, but thanks to the evil deeds of her half-brother Efnisien, things quickly become tragic. She is humiliated by her husband and forced to work in the kitchens, so she trains a starling to take a message to her brother, Bran, who comes with his warriors to rescue her. Peace is being made, until Efnisien murders her beloved infant son Gwern who is set to inherit both kingdoms, and a bloody and terrible battle ensues. On the way home, Bran dies (although his talking head is preserved) and Branwen dies of grief. Today, Bedd Branwen on the island of Anglesey, once the home of the Druids, is believed to be the site of her grave and is still honored.

Branwen has often been overlooked by thealogians because she is seen to be a passive figure with a tragic ending. A queen, wife and mother, defined by her relationship with men, she then loses everything. Some have interpreted the ending of her story as one of suicide, even though the text clearly states that she dies of a broken heart. But I find that there is more to her than this.

Firstly, she is not passive. She is a peacemaker, an active one, and she also saves herself from her abusive husband by training the bird to do her bidding. This is survival; resilience under great pressure, and one that gives a voice to all survivors of domestic violence and/or family abuse. Branwen refuses to remain hidden or cover up for her oppressors; the bird becomes her voice, singing of her mistreatment across the land.

I always hated the part in the story where Gwern, an innocent child, is killed. The Mabinogi in great part is about mothers and sons, but this tale is a bitter one. No wonder we do not call on Branwen; who wants to linger on such hurt?

But some of us have been hurt, and have no choice but to linger. Death, tragedy and violence happen all too often and all too often, there is no happy ending. There is no way to respond but to wail with grief, to shatter at the breaking of our hearts. Rebirth will come, but not yet, and we cannot simply pretend otherwise.

To me, Branwen is also a goddess of resistance. Rather than her death of a broken heart being passive and melancholic, it is an authentic reaction to the weight of grief that she has been forced to bear. In the medieval times in which the story of Branwen was first written down (although its roots are far older) women were expected to marry again after widowhood or divorce, and to bear more children as soon as possible after losing others. To suffer in silence and fulfill their role. Branwen refuses to do any of this. Refuses to pretend that everything is okay, and hide her devastation under a polite smile. Branwen’s grief is loud, messy and lamenting. And because of this, she can hold us when we need to process and express ours. When we are capable of doing nothing but sitting in the dark night to wail.

There is more to Branwen than this very human tale, of course. She is one of the faces of the Celtic Sovereignty Goddess, who charges the male leaders of the tribes with the care of the land (and its women). Branwen’s tale shows exactly what happens when this care is not taken; war, heartbreak and the death of the innocent. Her name is Old Welsh for ‘Blessed Raven,’ and ravens were important to the Celts, seen as symbols of the cycles of life and death, and wisdom. Branwen is the Great Queen, whose mistreatment brings utter ruin.

And for me, this midwinter, she is also the goddess of grief.

Bio: Kelle ban Dea is an interfaith scholar and celebrant living in the UK. She has a DMin in Thealogy/Goddess Studies and is passionate about bringing knowledge of the Goddess back to the world to heal our fractured relationship with it.