Epona, Macha, and Rhiannon. What's the difference?

[@KrisHughes]

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[@trystensilver6434]

The dream I had of Epona she was not meek at all. She didn’t ride side-saddle at all and was very serious - almost strict. She also interestingly did not speak, but knew how to get her message across. She road on one horse while leading another. The horses were very dark almost black red-brown and huge. They were identical.

[@KrisHughes]

Wow! Interesting dream. A horse goddess not speaking is normal. Their communication is often really subtle. I love the image of Her riding and leading. That really resonates for some reason. Thank you for sharing that.

[@jacquifisher4361]

@@KrisHughes WOW!! I have just started to delve into the world of spirituality (hard core) and in a meditation/prayer my Soul asked The Divine what should they call me as a newborn. "Macha" was their response. I am thrilled! I am a horsewoman who has taken on a wealthy farmer and his three children 😀 I wasn't feeling worthy about the wealth but now I know, it's my Divine duty. Love this stuff. 🥰

[@KrisHughes]

@@jacquifisher4361 Brilliant! And thanks for signing up for the class.

[@maggierestivo5256]

Love this! Thank you. I had thought that Macha was related somehow to The Morrigan (my Matron Goddess), and I also have a relationship with Rhiannon. I was guided to this for a reason! (Welsh and Irish ancestry, though American by birth.) My Goddesses help me with personal sovereignty. Much needed for this Neurodivergent Wiccan. Thank you, and Blessed Be!

[@KrisHughes]

I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for your comment.

[@Davlavi]

Nice discussion.

[@samanthamorris5340]

I have watched this video like three times, thanks so much!

[@KrisHughes]

I'm glad you found it useful.

[@roniemacaroni864]

Why are all these stories caused by stupid husbands

[@KrisHughes]

Well - it's a message for somebody, for sure.

[@bevdavis4148]

Epona gave us the word pony for small horses. And I told an expert on China who believed that the Celts introduced the horse to China that the Chinese word for horse Ma could come from Macha. Macha was the owner of Liath, a grey stallion who survives at the Brugh until the arrival of Cuchulainn. My favorite story about the reincarnated Macha is Second Battle of Moytura where she stays with her lover Nuada when Bailor unleashes his evil eye. I really liked this.,Thank you....oh, I always thought Pwyll was pronounced like Powell....now I know the truth. ty again.

[@KrisHughes]

It's probably safer to say that Epona and pony have the same root. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I try my best to offer solid, well-researched information.

[@sisterhoney61]

Thank you for this video! I definitely see Them as separate Goddesses, each with Her own personalities, legends, etc. Most of the time I read that the three of Them are basically one and the same, and I don't believe that at all. Rhiannon is the main Goddess who I work with.

[@KrisHughes]

You're welcome. People seem very quick to put deities into categories, and to conflate them with other deities. We all have to find our way with this, and I admit that over the past couple of years the hard edges between some deities seem to have "softened" for me a bit.

[@pablotharpalo5685]

This video just randomly popped up on my suggested! I work with Rhiannon (more like she tolerates me 🤣) and i just love her! Thanks for making a nice and digestible video about her. This cleared up some ambiguity that I had about her and Epona.

[@KrisHughes]

I'm glad it was useful.

[@glennstewart5397]

I have walked up to strange horses and was never left wondering. I would always speak quietly and ask the horse if they mind I followed Epona, or ask if they would refuse Epons a ride. I shooked one Rancher by climbing into small paddick with an ungentle stallion, he nor his leadhand had been able to get near. I use the name Epona with him too!

[@lisameenan2589]

I’ve found this video very interesting - until this evening and watching the Repair Shop on UK tv, I’d never heard of any of these goddesses - I was particularly curious about Macha from Northern Ireland (the team were repairing a canework mask / hat / puppet used to educate children from different backgrounds within NI where education has been divided for years. The enactments have been a tool to bring the different communities together 🙏🙏 Thank you for your insights. 😊

[@nickymarchant5397]

Fantastic video thank you so much 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@GorillaGrip300]

One thing that I never really understood in Celtic/Irish Gaelic Etc, mythology, is that a bunch of humans have married gods/goddess, and essentially have treated their divine spouse like a human??? Idk if I make any sense but like if I married Rhiannon I sure wouldn’t have her carry visitors on HER back in fear of her unleashing her divine wrath on my poor mortal soul. Unless the people that these gods/goddesses are marrying are also just as divine??? AND WITH MACHA, why are humans so disrespectful to a literal GODDESS like I have so many questions 0-0

[@KrisHughes]

These are great questions, and really normal questions to have. It's complicated. I do believe that the gods are real, and I believe that our myths are important, but I don't think it's as simple as saying, "everything that happens in the myths really happened." Myths are there to teach us things. Like you have seen that people are not treating women/goddesses as they should. So it's working! I don't know if you're interested, but I'm going to be teaching an online class called "Women and Goddess in the Mabinogi" next month. You might like to check it out. www.godeeper.info/womenmabinogi.html

[@arianbyw3819]

It's likely that the story of rhiannon, for ibstance, was shaped by the teller and that Christianity excluded the bits that didnt fit. As an alien in a human world, Rhiannon might have been bound by a tynged, or fate, not to be as she was in annwn. Just a thought.

[@helenhunter4540]

Interesting that you say you wouldn't have treated Rhiannon as her husband did because you'd be afraid of her punishing you with her divine wrath. I believe that attitude comes from the thousands of years of patriarchy we and our ancestors have lived under, where patriarchal gods or God, do punish people with floods and enemies. That's one of the challenges we current humans face in try to understand Celtic and other ancient deities. It strikes me hearing Macha's story again that she didn't punish her husband's foolishness, but the rulers' lack of mercy on a pregnant woman.

[@Stallion-EC]

Blessings on this video

[@rhiannonjenkind4276]

beautiful video

[@KrisHughes]

thanks!

[@melissahill4208]

I just watched the video that said the whole Rhiannon story but in the one I watched it was maca that had baby stolen and was accused

[@KrisHughes]

Well, I don't know what you watched. I can assure that Macha didn't have any children stolen in any early Celtic texts or in folklore.

[@artsyhomegirl]

I study a little bit about ancient Roman art and sometimes when people commissioned artwork to be made they would sometimes make the figure out to look like a person they knew or the person they commissioned the piece for. So maybe Epona was depicted very chill and not warrior like a lot of the time because maybe the patron was depicting someone who wasn’t a warrior, like maybe depicting someone’s mother as Epona. Just a thought. Thanks for the video!!

[@KrisHughes]

That's an interesting observation. However, since Roman women didn't go to war, and at least some Celtic women did, I think we can safely say that the depictions of Epona fall within the Roman worldview, which still leaves the question of whether Epona was seen as having a war-like aspect among the Celts unanswered. Thanks for commenting!

[@KuchniaCzarownika]

A very interesting material, very meaningful and wise. Thank you.

[@KrisHughes]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@KuchniaCzarownika]

@@KrisHughes Very. You have a very wise approach to old gods. And that's rare these days.

[@KrisHughes]

@@KuchniaCzarownika Gosh! I don't know whether I really do, but that means a lot, because that's what I strive for. Thank you!

[@samcarranza8544]

Thank you for this video article, very informative!

[@KrisHughes]

That's what I like to hear! Glad it was helpful.

[@gothnerd887]

Are there any Zelda fans here?

[@celtichound9889]

I just got hilarious mental images of link worshipping his own horse like a godess.

[@mushroom.mustang]

wow, i truly love everything about this video ! i’m glad someone sent it to me. i host the Epona chat on the pagans and witches amino app, and i’ll be sure to link this in there. i have opened the chat to discussions on Macha and Rhiannon as well, so this is really quite fitting. on the note of ‘great queen’ in Their names, Epona was sometimes given the title of Epona Augusta or Epona Regina i believe (Regina and Augusta both having to do with great queen) i’ll have to pull up some specific quotes on that but wow so interesting and well done. i have a similar viewpoint being a hard polytheist as well, but i think comparing/contrasting Them like you’ve done is really great

[@KrisHughes]

Thanks for your comment. Yes, you're right about the Augusta and Regina epithets. Augusta probably has the more emphatic meaning - like "great and royal and almighty" sort of thing. Regina just means "royal or queenly". I have a tendency to distrust the details of inscriptions a bit, because there is so much Roman influence in them. I have written and KZbind a tonne of stuff about horse goddesses over the years. I hope you'll keep in touch.

[@mushroom.mustang]

Kris Hughes thank you !

[@lizhadley3803]

The World Literature class I took in college included The Mabinogion and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. This class inspired in me a love of Celtic literature. Now, many years later, I am drawn to these goddesses for personal and spiritual reasons. My spirit animal is the Horse, and I am rediscovering my path as a witch. Thank you for creating and sharing this video.

[@KrisHughes]

I'm pleased that you have found it useful.

[@YvonneAburrow]

Great video! Very good summary of the Mabinogion material. I’m not as familiar with the Macha story. I’m also a polytheist (I reject the hard/soft distinction because imho “soft” polytheists are not actually polytheists at all; they ought to be known as polymorphists). I think that even if someone is an archetypalist, they should see these goddesses as distinct from each other because they came from different cultures and have different stories. My only experience with any of these goddesses has been with Epona and she’s definitely not meek and mild. I also think that, in the ancient world, people characterized deities as having seemingly contradictory roles and attributes, maybe to emphasize their complexity. Or maybe the roles and attributes were seen as complementary rather than contradictory.

[@KrisHughes]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply, Yvonne!

[@wynbock]

LIKE #259 2:18AM 10/02/22

[@jandunn169]

Thank you for this wonderful video. I would love to see one on Branwen as well

[@KrisHughes]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@ryankellypa]

Thank you.

[@KrisHughes]

You're welcome!

[@asusssssss]

loved the video! i just started learning celtic mythology and to be honest it's difficult to understand some things (especially if you don't know english well) but this video helped me a lot

[@KrisHughes]

Oh - I'm so glad to hear that! This is exactly why I make videos.