Nine maidens (mythology)

Many cultures around the world have stories about groups of nine women. In Great Britain they occur in a variety of situations. In Scotland there are references to Nine Maidens, purportedly a group of,[clarification needed][1] and there were a number of wells dedicated to them,[2] but like all similar groupings would appear to have had their origin in pre-Christian times. In Arthurian material, the best known of these groups are the Nine sorceresses, Morgan and her sisters who live on the Isle of Avalon and are both seeresses and healers.[3] Another group occur in the Welsh tale of Peredur son of Efrawg, and these are the armed witches of Caer Lyow.[4] Also in Welsh mythology, we have nine maidens who tend the fire below the Cauldron of the "Chief of Annwn"; this cauldron is the target of Arthur’s raid on the Underworld in Taliesin’s famous poem Preiddeu Annwfn.

  1. ^ Forbes, AP. Kalendars of Scottish Saints 1872, Edinburgh, p420
  2. ^ Mackinlay, J F. Traces of the Cultus of the Nine Maidens Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1910 pp255-65
  3. ^ Parry, JJ. The Vita Merlini 1925, University of Illinois Press, p27
  4. ^ Jones,G & Jones T. 1993, The Mabinogion Everyman p164