Many centuries ago, during the Middle Ages, the Welsh King Vortigern and his men were fighting the Anglo-Saxon invaders. He found a lofty hill in Wales, which looked like a good place to build a defensive tower. But a mysterious force seemed not to want the royal castle to be constructed.
At the end of every working day, King Vortigern’s royal stonemasons would lay down their tools, only to return the next day to discover that they had disappeared. Moreover, their carefully crafted stone walls had fallen down.
Desperate for help, Vortigern asked sorcerers and magicians what to do.
They advised that the problem could only be solved by a child who was born to a human mother but fathered by someone from the “other world.”
The King sent his soldiers out across the land to find such a lad. The boy they brought back was called Myrddin Emrys, aka Merlin the wizard.
Merlin told Vortigern that the stone walls of his castle were being destroyed because two dragons were doing battle underground, beneath the mountain. So Vortigern commanded his labourers to start digging. Just as Merlin predicted, they uncovered the two dragons. One was red and the other was white.
The white dragon flew away, never to be seen again. The red dragon quietly returned to his lair. Finally, Vortigern’s castle could be constructed. Ever since then, the red dragon has been celebrated on the national flag of Wales.
If you enjoy hearing myths and legends about sacred sites and spiritual destinations, then you will want to know about our 2024 tours of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Because they feature special guests who are renowned storytellers.
Register for our May 14 – 23 Mysterious Wales pilgrimage and you will get to meet Kristoffer Hughes and Halo Quinn. Kristoffer is the author of four books and the creator of the Celtic Tarot. His book, From the Cauldron Born: Exploring the Magic of Welsh Legend and Lore looks in depth at the Welsh-Celtic myth of the prophet/poet Taliesin and the witch/goddess Cerridwen.
Halo Quin is a storyteller, singer-songwriter, author, and bard who facilitates pagan rituals and storytelling circles and events in West Wales. Halo has been fascinated by myth, magic, folk and fairytales since childhood, teaching magic and witchcraft through her online school, The Enchanted Academy and at festivals, conferences, and events.
On our Sacred Scotland tour July 23 through August 1, Helen and Mark Woodsford Dean tell us stories associated with the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stennes on the isles of Orkney. Particularly entertaining is one associated with the Odin stone, the place where lovers went to make a promise of marriage. This ceremony was so binding that it could not be broken, unless by further solemn rituals.
On our April 29 to May 8 Enchanted Ireland small group tour, we welcome Eimear Burke, the current Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, who relates the story of how Lough Gur in County Limerick was formed by the goddess Aine who appears in different forms – as mermaid, young woman and and hag. As mermaid, she arises from her traditional home beneath the sacred waters of the lake, as maiden she empowers the land’s human custodians, and as hag she defends her realm.
Photo credits:
Bryn Ceilli Ddu: Jensketch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vortigern-Dragons: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons