Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Dragons don’t Bite!

Just back from a pleasant holiday in Wales.

There needs to be a few posts to catch up with the news!

The symbol for Wales, of course, is the red dragon.

In the Mabinogion the struggle between the red dragon and the white dragon symbolises the battles between the ancient Britons and the Saxons.

furthermore...

Interestingly, in the story of Lludd and Llefelys, the fight of the dragons takes place in Oxford. Here is an extract:And some time after this, Lludd caused the Island to be measured in its length and in its breadth. And in Oxford he found the central point, and in that place he caused the earth to be dug, and in that pit a cauldron to be set, full of the best mead that could be made, and a covering of satin over the face of it. And he himself watched that night. And while he was there, he beheld the dragons fighting. And when they were weary they fell, and came down upon the top of the satin, and drew it with them to the bottom of the cauldron. And when they had drunk the mead they slept. And in their sleep, Lludd folded the covering around them, and in the securest place he had in Snowdon, he hid them in a kistraen. Now after that this spot was called Dinas Emreis, but before that, Dinas Ffaraon. And thus the fierce outcry ceased in his dominions.The complete text of the Mabinogion can be found here.