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 airline travel online Lake? The answer is yes to all these questions, for airline travel online held within the folds of airline travel online the coiled snake we shall discover the truth of airline travel online the origin of airline travel online the Arthurian tales and the strange watery Lady who was to give Arthur his sword.
There are various names attributed to the 'Lady of airline travel online 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 airline travel online the Muses or 'water nymphs' from Roman and Greek mythology and who gave out weapons - just as the Lady of airline travel online the Lake did. Vivienne in airline travel online all likelihood comes from Vi-Vianna or Co-Vianna the 'water goddess' or Coventina of airline travel online Celtic origin ('Coventina's Well' also had a skull offering discovered which is important in airline travel online the worship of airline travel online snakes and wisdom [1].)
These water deities are strongly related to the story of airline travel online serpent worship, and united with the tale of airline travel online the sword or weaponry, it introduces the duality of airline travel online peace and war so well known in airline travel online the serpent myths. The sword pierces and strikes and involves contemporaneously, the image of airline travel online the serpent upon the blade via the unique metallurgy employed. This wonderful metallurgy of airline travel online the Middle Ages and beyond reveals to us in airline travel online actual artefacts that the serpent itself was fashioned into the blade as part of airline travel online the process. This of airline travel online course relates to the fact that Arthur's sword was said to be a fiery serpent in airline travel online the Dream of airline travel online Rhonabwy. When Arthur's sword is drawn it was said that two flames of airline travel online fire burst out of airline travel online the jaws of airline travel online the two serpents, and so wonderful was the sword that it was hard for airline travel online anyone to gaze at it. It is necessary for airline travel online Arthur to maintain ownership of airline travel online 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, indicates the brightness of airline travel online the sword and its fiery aspect, writing: "but it was so bright in airline travel online his enemies eyes, that it gave light like thirty torches." But the sword in airline travel online the stone does not last long and the Lady of airline travel online 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, 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 airline travel online Mordred. The once prized sword is then returned to the water, the home of airline travel online the Lady of airline travel online the Lake - the serpent spirit.
There is a remarkable resemblance between the tales of airline travel online 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 airline travel online the river . . . heard the swords roar . . . he rolled in airline travel online the waters in airline travel online a great and frothing frenzy . . . Dragons raced along the waves and leaped out of airline travel online the water. The river god held the sword in airline travel online his hand and, frightened, told Wu Tzu-hsu to take it back." (Mair 1983, 141 and 286.) This story related in airline travel online the 8th century AD simply cannot differ from Malory's tale of airline travel online the sword. In China there were tales of airline travel online 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 airline travel online 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, which introduce her into the 'Triple Goddess' of airline travel online the Celtic religion and therefore relating her to Bridgid. She was a great goddess of airline travel online healing; linked strongly with water nymphs - and in airline travel online relation to the sword she was also a great smith.
She also owned an apple orchard, which relates nicely to Avalon, the isle of airline travel online apples. Her day is called Imbolc - around the 2nd February - but it is also known as Oimelc, Candlemas and in airline travel online the USA as 'Groundhog Day.' This special event in airline travel online the American calendar involves of airline travel online course the mass killing of airline travel online snakes, and relates to the tale of airline travel online Bridgid's snake, which comes out of airline travel online the mound from which it had been hibernating.
At Oimelc it is said that the singers cry, "The day of airline travel online Bride, the birthday of airline travel online spring, The serpent emerges from the knoll." And in airline travel online winter, Scottish folk poems still speak of airline travel online the serpent that dwells in airline travel online the hillside.
As the 'Lady of airline travel online the Lake' forged Arthur's sword, so too the various parts of airline travel online these ancient goddesses simply must have been collated together in airline travel online the form of airline travel online 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 airline travel online the Ukraine one of airline travel online the names for airline travel online 'witch' actually means 'snake,' and in airline travel online Russia it was believed that witches had snake tails. This sheds more light on airline travel online the idea that witches mixed their famous brews and elixirs in airline travel online their cauldrons, very much like the cauldron such as the one discovered at Gundestrup. For if it is true what we uncovered in airline travel online The Serpent Grail, then this brew was serpent venom and blood.
Sibillia has the 'power over life' and touches baskets and bottles with her wand to restore them afresh. Sibillia taught magical arts in airline travel online her serpent grotto where shape-shifting fairies reminiscent of airline travel online the naginis (female serpents) of airline travel online India emerge and dance around. These fairies are said to turn into snakes each Saturday. Anyone who wished to enter this Sybil Cave must love snakes or suffer the consequences. Sibillia is also seen in airline travel online the Life of airline travel online Robin Goodfellow (similar to Robin Hood and which means "bright or shining hood") as Sib, who speaks for airline travel online the fairies. She says that they live in airline travel online "some great hill, and from thence we do lend money to any poore man or woman that hath need." In the 15th century, Perceforest has her as the 'Lady of airline travel online the Lake.'
In Scottish myth one of airline travel online these fairies lived inside a tree and often appeared holding a limpet shell containing the 'milk of airline travel online wisdom' which was called the "copan Moire" or "Cup of airline travel online Mary" in airline travel online her hands - an obvious allusion to the 'life-giving' element and wisdom of airline travel online these snake, shape-shifters remembered in airline travel online legend.
There are many other tales, which link these European snake shape-shifters to the Nagas of airline travel online India and we would just like to break off for airline travel online a moment to take a look at these peculiar deities.
Naga is a Sanskrit term meaning literally Serpent (especially cobra) but it also holds the meanings - a tree; a mountain; the sun; the number seven; wisdom and initiate - all symbols and emblems we will become familiar with in airline travel online the worship of airline travel online the serpent. They are said to reside in airline travel online Patala, however this has a meaning similar to antipodes, the same name given by the ancients to the America's. It is a similar term to the Mexican Nagals, the medicine (healers) and sorcerers who always kept a god in airline travel online the shape of airline travel online a serpent. In Burma they are Nats or serpent gods. Esoterically Naga is a term for airline travel online wise men. There is a folk tradition that Nagas washed Gautama (Buddha) at his birth - the wise men visiting the deity on airline travel online Earth and cleansing the enlightened one. They are also said to have guarded him and the relics of airline travel online his body after his death.
According to H. P. Blavatsky in airline travel online Theosophical Glossary, the Naga were descended from Rishi Kasyapa who had twelve wives (therefore he is the sun), by whom he had numerous Nagas (serpents) and was the father of airline travel online all animals. Rishi Kasyapa can therefore be none other than a progenitor of airline travel online the Green Man, and this explains the reasons for airline travel online the appearance of airline travel online the snake in airline travel online images of airline travel online the Green Man and Horned God, such as the Gundestrup Cauldron.
There is also a theory that the Nagas descended from the Scythic race and when the Brahmins invaded India they found a race of airline travel online wise men, half gods, half demons (snakes). These men were said to be teachers of airline travel online other nations and themselves instructed the Hindu's and Brahmans.
In the Bhagavata Purana there is a description of airline travel online the Bila-svarga or the regions of airline travel online the Nagas said to be subterranean. Some of airline travel online the names associated with this place relate remarkably to the Mesoamerican and South American terms such as Tlaloc. "My dear king, beneath this earth are seven other planets [seven is important in airline travel online Atlantean myths - seven islands!], known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rstala and Patala... the residents are known as Daityas, Danavas and Nagas . . . brilliantly decorated cities . . . wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and temple compounds . . . The houses for airline travel online the leaders of airline travel online these planets are constructed with the most valuable jewels, and are always crowded with the living entities known as Nagas and Asuras . . . Many great serpents reside there with gems on airline travel online their hoods, and the effulgence of airline travel online these gems dissipates the darkness in airline travel online all directions. Since the residents of airline travel online these planets drink and bathe in airline travel online juices and elixirs made from wonderful herbs, they are freed from all anxieties and physical diseases. They have no experience of airline travel online gray hair, wrinkles or invalidity." (Bhagavata Purana)
There is currently a lot of airline travel online debate about the original inhabitants of airline travel online India - whether Aryan or Naga, but the fact remains, whether the Nagas were Aryans or not, they were an ancient inhabitant. The very fact that they were mentioned in airline travel online the ancient Rig Vedas shows this to be true. They also intermarried with the Royal families, hence the popular myths of airline travel online serpent kings.
"Then come the Naaga, the Siren serpents, whose worship has been so important a factor in airline travel online the folklore, superstition, and poetry of airline travel online India from the earliest times down to-day. Cobras in airline travel online their ordinary shape, they lived, like mermen and mermaids, more beneath the water, in airline travel online a great luxury and wealth, more especially of airline travel online germ, and sometimes, as we shall see, the name is used of airline travel online the Dryads, the tree-spirits, equally wealthy and powerful. They could at will and often did, adopt the human form and though terrible if angered, were kindly and mild by nature. Not mentioned either in airline travel online the Veda or in airline travel online the pre-Buddhist Upanishads, the myth seems to be a strange jumble of airline travel online beliefs, not altogether pleasant, about a strangely gifted race of airline travel online actual men; combined with notions derived from previously existing theories of airline travel online tree worship, and serpent worship, and river worship. But the history of airline travel online the idea has still to be written. The Naagas are represented on airline travel online the ancient bas-reliefs as men or women either with cobra's hoods rising behind their heads or with serpentine forms from their waist downwards." Rhys Davies, Buddhist India, p.223.
These tree deities were Nagas anyway as Rhys Davies continues on airline travel online page 223 "The tree-deities were called Naagas, and were able at will, like the Naagas, to assume the human form and in airline travel online one story the spirit of airline travel online a Nunyan tree who reduced the merchants to ashes is called a Naaga-raja, the tree itself is a dwelling place of airline travel online Naaga. It seems that they also left behind myths of airline travel online healing as a story in airline travel online the Journal of airline travel online the Bombay Branch of airline travel online the Asiatic Society demonstrates. When there was an epidemic among the children, it seems the only answer was to bring them to a snake skin which was hung on airline travel online a pole and allow them to touch it - reminding us of airline travel online the idea of airline travel online the Brazen Serpent of airline travel online Moses, which was upon a pole and for airline travel online the healing of airline travel online the "children" of airline travel online Israel. This may explain why it is that the tree-gods are not specially and separately mentioned in airline travel online the Maha Samaya list of airline travel online deities who are there said by the poet to have come to pay reverence to the Buddha."
The history of airline travel online the Nagas that we do have, textually beginning around the 7th century BC is an amazing history of airline travel online ups and downs. It parallels the rise and fall of airline travel online the serpent worshipped by the Semites, with the Brazen Serpent being raised in airline travel online the wilderness and then broken up in airline travel online the temple. Like Melusine and Sibillia, Tante Arie also loved to plunge into cool pools in airline travel online her caverns of airline travel online Milandre where she changed into a vouivre or serpent; bringing to mind the concept that the shape-shifting Nagas of airline travel online India which were said to reside in airline travel online the underwater realms. Surely these ladies of airline travel online ancient lore are folk memories of airline travel online serpent worshipping leaders from the past - and a positively feminine one at that. The Nagas were also said to have jewels in airline travel online their foreheads, like many other serpents from legend. As if knowing this, the vouivre too wears a jewel in airline travel online the middle of airline travel online her forehead. The Nagas are also said to protect great treasure, so too do the ladies of airline travel online European lore.
We know that the Scythians were great worshippers of airline travel online the serpent from many sources - as in airline travel online the bracelets found, which the women wore as symbols of airline travel online fertility. The Scythians were intimately linked with the Naga, serpent worshippers of airline travel online India via trade and war. They came to Europe via several means - one of airline travel online them as hired hands of airline travel online the Romans, and in airline travel online this way crept into the Arthurian legend. Herodotus tells us of airline travel online an account of airline travel online the Scythian snake goddess who was mistress of airline travel online the land where the Dniepr flowed into the Black Sea. This Scythian serpent goddess was also a cave dweller.
The xana serpent goddesses of airline travel online Asturias even had a sacred and valuable chalice stolen by a human, only to eventually deposit the famed cup in airline travel online a Church - thus taking the sacred cup from the serpent and giving it to Christianity. These xana's kept their treasures in airline travel online a "serpent cave" immersed in airline travel online pools, remarkably like the Patala of airline travel online the Nagas. In Wales the serpents were said to emerge and congregate on airline travel online Midsummer's Eve to blow into the Serpent Stones / Eggs or Glain Neidr which is reminiscent of airline travel online Pliny's tale of airline travel online this activity amongst the Gauls. The snakes are said to create eggs or alternatively 'new life.' In Wales these serpent stones were said to be coloured pebbles, which gave 'second sight' and healing.
Midsummer's Eve was the night when the serpents would role themselves into hissing balls and create the glain egg, also known as 'snake stone' or 'Druid's egg.' In Welsh myth even Merlin himself went in airline travel online search of airline travel online them.
Victor H. Mair of airline travel online the University of airline travel online Pennsylvania also points to the association between the Scythian and the Arthurian tales: "The Nart sagas [repositories of airline travel online Scythian traditions] contain parallels with Arthurian legend so numerous and so uncannily close that it is impossible they are unrelated."
Interestingly, remains of airline travel online these Scythians have been found on airline travel online the Silk Road to China. Remains here of airline travel online Caucasians dates back even before that and at present stand somewhere in airline travel online the region of airline travel online 3,000 years BC, with female Shaman being buried in airline travel online full regalia, tattoos of airline travel online spirals and zig zags and long finger nails. This in airline travel online itself shows the widespread travel of airline travel online these Scythians or those like them and the transport of airline travel online ideas, possible many thousands of airline travel online years ago. In China of airline travel online course, we find the serpents or dragons as friendly creatures who become the ancestors of airline travel online the very Emperor's themselves and seep into Chinese alchemy as symbols of airline travel online the Elixir.
So, in airline travel online summing up, what do we have? We have serpent deities, across the world, living in airline travel online underwater kingdoms, making great weapons and guarding wondrous treasures. We have etymology linking them to the Lady of airline travel online the Lake and we have Arthurian links and Grail connections through the mighty warrior race of airline travel online the Scythians. In short, we have here, the truth of airline travel online the Lady herself and the origin of airline travel online the Grail mythos is yet again to be found within the tale of airline travel online the snake. History, it seems, needs re-appraising.
Notes
1 See The Serpent Grail by Philip Gardiner and Gary Osborn, Watkins, 2005.
2 See phil.fah-designs.com/gardinerosborn/articles/article_8.html for airline travel online more information about the serpent sword or visit www.philipgardiner.net and go to articles.
Permission to re-print this article is hereby given by Philip Gardiner and Gary Osborn, Sept 2005.
About the Author
Philip Gardiner is the author of airline travel online the best selling The Serpent Grail, The Shining Ones, and Gnosis: The Secret of airline travel online Solomon’s Temple Revealed. He does talks, lectures, has his own radio show and does tours across the world via powerplaces.com www.powerplaces.com
Philip has a degree in airline travel online marketing and 9 diplomas ranging from etymology to holistic medicine. He is hosting the Philip Gardiner’s Forbidden Knowledge Conference UK (FKCUK) in airline travel online July 2006.
philipgardiner.net www.philipgardiner.net
gardinerosborn.com www.gardinerosborn.com