Fountain Ritual

One man takes on a challenge where many others fail, and that’s how it goes.

The Fountain Ritual

Day 2 of Folktale Week is all about rituals.

Weirdly, I found it tough to identify a satisfying ritualistic process to recreate from the Mabinogion. Here’s a depiction of the Fountain Ritual where Owain (one of King Arthur’s knights) takes on a challenge to prove his awesomeness [knights rarely have anything better to do, I’ve discovered].

The challenge went as follows (with words to the effect of…)

“Under a tree is a fountain, and by the side of the fountain is a marble slab, and on the slab is a bowl, attached by a chain of silver so it can’t be carried away. Take the bowl and throw a bowlful of water on the slab. There’ll be a mighty peal of thunder, the heaven and earth trembling with fury. The shower will be hailstones. Then the weather will be fair but every leaf will be gone. Then a flight of birds will come and alight on the tree, and they’ll sing sweetly.”

So basically a storm will come and try to blow Owain away if he throws water from the bowl on the marble slab. Only the most awesome will be able to withstand the storm. Owain’s self-confidence is markedly bolstered after succeeding at the ritual challenge.

My mountains may or not be modelled after Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon).