December 29th- Meadowsweet

"With  bewitching words Gwydion conjured flowers from thin air and soon floral perfumes of broom and gorse, cherry blossoms and bluebells, oak and meadowsweet swirled around and their petals scattered the landscape. As the spell settled, a woman made of flowers appeared. Her hair drifted like a field of wildflowers in a gentle breeze. Her eyes sparkled the green of new shoots in spring and the heady scents of a thousand blooms kissed the air around her."
The Mab, Meadowsweet and Magic by Eloise Williams

This the story of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion. This video is a modern retelling, with a  beautiful painting being created along with the story. 

If you'd rather read a summary of this story, you can find one here. If you enjoy exploring Welsh landscapes then this is a delightful look at the places where this complex tale is set. 
​This video is a more traditional retelling

One of the intriguing things about old Welsh law is that it granted far greater rights to women. Under the Laws of Hywel, before the final conquest by England a Welsh woman had much different legal standing than an Anglo-Norman woman. If a woman husband cheated on her she was entitled to compensation, the first occasion it was set at six score pence (half a pound), the second occasion a full pound, and on the third occasion she was entitled to divorce him. Women could still be beaten by their husbands, but only for three specific acts, giving away property that she was not entitled to give away, infidelity, or for wishing a blemish on her husbands bears. Again, if she was hit for any other reason the man would have to pay her a fine. 
Alas poor Blodeuwedd wasn't really counted as a person as she was created by magic, so many of these laws wouldn't have applied to her, but I do find it interesting how many of these old stories feature women as more than just side characters.

There's lots of this fibre available in the shop, if like me you would enjoy a promise of spring flowers.