Just before Yule, the statue of Lleu Llaw Gyffes arrived at White Mountain Druid Sanctuary.  The plinth had already been put in place. Here is Kirk standing with the statue in place.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Kirk Thomas

It is about two thirds the size of a “real” person.  It is carved from limestone which doesn’t hold up entirely well in adverse weather so Kirk will be building a Shrine around it in the near future, either after building the Brigid Shrine or in conjunction with it.

It was particularly appropriate that Kirk got the statue in place just before Yule because we could make an offering in front of it during the High Day ritual.  Lleu Llaw Gyffes and his Uncle Gwydion were the Deities of the Occasion during the Yule ritual. Like many heroic myths, Lleu and his uncle endeavor on various challenges and adversities.  Their relationship is one of surprising endurance and loyalty for two men. In particular, we focused on the part of their story in which Lleu is betrayed by those closest to him. At his most vulnerable moment, he is stabbed, transforms himself into an eagle and flies to safety high in a tree.  Upon hearing this, his uncle goes in search of him, eventually finding him and coaxing him down out of the tree. Lleu is sorely wounded and his uncle nurses him back to life. The statue is an image of Lleu right as he transforms into the eagle before escaping his attacker.

Their story is fitting for Yule because Lleu nearly dies but is brought back to life.  The idea of death and rebirth at Yule has been prevalent across cultures throughout history.  The sun is furthest from the earth (depending on the hemisphere) and then it starts to get closer again.  Life dwindles, daylight shortens, and then life returns and the days get longer. The moment in time of the turning is the moment celebrated by Yule.  The moment of the injured Lleu falling into his uncle’s arms and starting the process of healing, is the moment of the sun’s “return” to the earth.

We lit tea lights at the end of the ritual to remind us that there is light during the dark months of winter to come.  The sun is returning.

High day ritual, Yule, 2018 in Sanctuary