River Goddesses
swaddled in fine clothing. Tayrnon brought the infant to his wife, and the childless couple decided to raise the boy as their own.
The foundling grew fast and was extremely strong. When he was four, his foster father gave him the pony that had been born on the same night that he was found. The child quickly tamed the horse and rode it as if he were nobly born. As the golden-curled child grew, his parents began to recognize in his face the features of King Pwyll. Soon they could no longer deny the obvious: the boy was the missing son of Pwyll and Rhiannon. Although they loved the child, they realized that Rhiannon's cruel penance was undeserved. The foster parents decided to return the child to his rightful parents.
Upon their arrival at King Pwyll's court, the fair Rhiannon greeted them. She explained that she had killed her own newborn child; then she offered to carry them to court. Tayrnon broke the happy news to Rhiannon: they were returning the lost child and righting the terrible wrong that had been done to her.
Rhiannon replied, "I should be delivered of my care if that were true."
When Rhiannon arrived at the court with Tayrnon and his wife, Pwyll and all the people present could see the resemblance between the golden-curled boy and the king. Pwyll and Rhiannon pledged their friendship and many fine rewards to Tayrnon and his wife for returning their lost son. Rhiannon was immediately delivered from her punishment. Pwyll suggested that they name the child for the word uttered by his mother when she had first been reunited with him. Thereafter he was known as Pryderi, which means "care."
RIVER GODDESSES Female deities associated with rivers. The best known of these is Boand, an Irish goddess of water and of fertility. The river Boyne, where she drowned seeking mystical wisdom, is named for her. Another is the Irish river goddess Sinann, for whom the river Shannon is named. Like Boand, she drowned seeking wisdom from a magical well. Often river goddesses were thought to have healing powers. Sequana, the goddess of the river Seine in France, was a healing deity. Those seeking her help would throw bronze and silver offerings in the river. The Gaulish water goddess Nantosuelta may have been a river goddess. Other river goddesses include Banna, Brigantia, Belisama, and Yonne.
RIVERS Rivers were sacred to the Celts and were often personified as goddesses. River goddesses were seen as providers for the Celtic people. They were often sources of healing and fertility, for example. Many rivers still bear the name of the goddesses who reputedly lived near them or died in them. For example, the Irish river goddess Boand drowned in the river Boyne after seeking mystical wisdom from a sacred and protected well. A similar story is told of the Irish river goddess Sinann, for whom the river Shannon is named. The source of a river, similar to a spring, was an especially sacred and powerful place. Such a spot could be a source of healing or mystical wisdom. Rivers were usually associated with female deities. River gods are rare. More often, male deities ruled healing springs.
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