James Hutchins (0roborus) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2021-12-06 21:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | james hutchins |
A Little Backstory
Who: James
What: Private Notes on the Pair Dadeni
When: Present
In Welsh myth and lit, the pair dadeni (or “cauldron of rebirth”) played a key role in Branwen ferch Llyr… a tale about the children of Llyr, part 2 of a literary collection called the Mabinogi. Part 2 described a war between the Irish and the Island of the Mighty (apparently a Welsh name for Britain). The islands were set to become allies through an advantageous marriage between Matholwch of Ireland and Branwen of Britain. Unfortunately, a British anti-hero and warrior (by all accounts a hot-headed sadist) named Efnysien got angry that no one asked his permission for the marriage. In retaliation, Efnysien mutilated the Irish king’s horses.
Branwen’s brother, Bran, offered Matholwch (who was understandably pissed) a magic cauldron to keep the peace between the two territories so the marriage could continue. The cauldron, originally owned by giants, had the power to revive the dead… one hell of a wedding present. Matholwch accepted it. Unfortunately, the cauldron didn’t smooth things over with the Irish. They mistreated Branwen once she arrived, going so far as to treat her like a kitchen servant and beat her. Branwen sent a message to her brother, Bran… asked him to bring British warriors and rescue her.
When Bran arrived, the Irish offered to make peace with him and his men. They built a house for Bran, which contained 100 large bags of flour (?). Efnysien suspected this was a trick (who wouldn’t?). He opened a bag and discovered that they actually contained Irish soldiers. He killed them by crushing their heads in the bags. Efnysien then murdered the son of Matholwch and Bran, at which point all hell broke loose between the groups.
The Irish started using the pair dadeni to revive their dead soldiers, which gave them an inexhaustible supply of men. Efnysien knew they couldn’t win. He hid among the Irish corpses and got himself thrown into the cauldron, which he destroyed from the inside, sacrificing himself in the process. Only seven men survived the war.
Earliest manuscripts with the story were published in the 14th century, but stories are believed to be centuries older, part of a Welsh oral tradition. According to mythology, the cauldron was real. The broken pieces were scattered, lost over time. No one knows the ritual used to forge it.
Some accounts say the cauldron could heal any wound. Others say the revived soldiers lacked speech and didn't have souls (easy to see the crossover with literature and other folklore).
Rhys Howell (Welsh name) was buried with a piece of the cauldron outside Moapa, NV, sometime in the last century, based on the condition of the bones. Was someone supposed to use its magic on him?
-Need to hide it
-Need a second opinion
-Who can I trust to keep a lid on this?
J