Is there a mystery here to be unravelled? Is there a serpent code being held by the Grail myths? Can we uncover this code by taking a look at the Lady of Lake? The answer is yes to all these questions Enos Slaughter Cardinals Jersey , for held within the folds of the coiled snake we shall discover the truth of the origin of the Arthurian tales and the strange watery Lady who was to give Arthur his sword.
There are various names attributed to the 'Lady of the Lake;' Nimue and Vivienne are the two most used, but most pertinent to us here is 'White Serpent.' Nimue is probably Mneme or Mnemosyne, who is one of the Muses or 'water nymphs' from Roman and Greek mythology and who gave out weapons - just as the Lady of the Lake did. Vivienne in all likelihood comes from Vi-Vianna or Co-Vianna the 'water goddess' or Coventina of Celtic origin ('Coventina's Well' also had a skull offering discovered which is important in the worship of snakes and wisdom [1].)
These water deities are strongly related to the story of serpent worship, and united with the tale of the sword or weaponry, it introduces the duality of peace and war so well known in the serpent myths. The sword pierces and strikes and involves contemporaneously Roger Maris Cardinals Jersey , the image of the serpent upon the blade via the unique metallurgy employed. This wonderful metallurgy of the Middle Ages and beyond reveals to us in actual artefacts that the serpent itself was fashioned into the blade as part of the process. This of course relates to the fact that Arthur's sword was said to be a fiery serpent in the Dream of Rhonabwy. When Arthur's sword is drawn it was said that two flames of fire burst out of the jaws of the two serpents, and so wonderful was the sword that it was hard for anyone to gaze at it. It is necessary for Arthur to maintain ownership of the sword, whether it is the sword from the stone or Excalibur, as it ensures his victory and his life. The infamous Arthurian writer, Malory Albert Pujols Cardinals Jersey , indicates the brightness of the sword and its fiery aspect, writing: "but it was so bright in his enemies eyes, that it gave light like thirty torches." But the sword in the stone does not last long and the Lady of the Lake gives Arthur his Excalibur, and also a serpent scabbard, which ensures eternal life. Malory states quite clearly "for whiles ye have the scabbard upon you Red Schoendienst Cardinals Jersey , ye shall never lose no blood, be ye never so sore wounded; therefore keep well the scabbard always with you." It is only when Arthur's half sister Morgan le Fay steals the scabbard and replaces it that Arthur becomes susceptible to the deadly blows of Mordred. The once prized sword is then returned to the water, the home of the Lady of the Lake - the serpent spirit.
There is a remarkable resemblance between the tales of Arthur's sword and an unsuspecting Chinese legend. A hero from the 6th century BC named Wu Tzu-hsu threw his sword into a river "It shot forth like a spirit-glow, sparkling brightly as it thrice sank and thrice came to the surface with a great gush and then hovered above the water. The god of the river . . . heard the swords roar . . . he rolled in the waters in a great and frothing frenzy . . . Dragons raced along the waves and leaped out of the water. The river god held the sword in his hand and, frightened Harrison Bader Cardinals Jersey , told Wu Tzu-hsu to take it back." (Mair 1983, 141 and 286.) This story related in the 8th century AD simply cannot differ from Malory's tale of the sword. In China there were tales of great swords such as Dragon Spring and others still that leap into the waters surrounded by dragons, which churn up the water. Wu Tzu-hsu's sword is also called Dragon Spring. [2]
And this Dragon Spring carries us back again to the water nymphs who were seen universally as controlling the essential essence of life via their relationship with the healing waters, springs and lakes. Coventina was worshipped widely and it is highly likely that the Arthurian Morgan Le Fay is associated with her, as her name implies water nymph. There are also elements Paul Goldschmidt Cardinals Jersey , which introduce her into the 'Triple Goddess' of the Celtic religion and therefore relating her to Bridgid. She was a great goddess of healing; linked strongly with water nymphs - and in relation to the sword she was also a great smith.
She also owned an apple orchard, which relates nicely to Avalon, the isle of apples. Her day is called Imbolc - around the 2nd February - but it is also known as Oimelc, Candlemas and in the USA as 'Groundhog Day.' This special event in the American calendar involves of course the mass killing of snakes, and relates to the tale of Bridgid's snake Dexter Fowler Cardinals Jersey , which comes out of the mound from which it had been hibernating.
At Oimelc it is said that the singers cry, "The day of Bride, the birthday of spring, The serpent emerges from the knoll." And in winter, Scottish folk poems still speak of the serpent that dwells in the hillside.
As the 'Lady of the Lake' forged Arthur's sword Andrew Miller Cardinals Jersey , so too the various parts of these ancient goddesses simply must have been collated together in the form of this Arthurian water goddess - a new deity forged.
These goddesses, all basically the same, are also related to Sibyl or the Sibillia who presides over witches; and in the Ukraine one of the names for 'witch' actually means 'snake,' and in Russia it was believed that witches had snake tails. This sheds more light on the idea that witches mixed their famous brews and elixirs in their cauldrons, very much like the cauldron such as the one discovered at Gundestrup. For if it is true what we uncovered in The Serpent Grail Matt Carpenter Cardinals Jersey , then this brew was serpent venom and blood.