Ffion
| Ffion | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Heulian Gods | |
 Ffion as he often appears in classical-era art. | |
| Abode | Heul Holl |
| Symbol | Creeping avens, grains (esp. wheat and rye), whinchat |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Lwfan and Breddyn |
| Siblings | Jar, Górwddach, Bwffur, Brwyddach, Celyn, Pyrarth |
| Consort | Lowyrn, Lwfan |
Ffion (/fjon/) is the Mósdrist god of beauty and youth, grains (most important of which wheat and rye) and beer, and patron of myllur. He’s the son of supreme god Lwfan and the love goddess Breddyn, and one of the more popular deities in the Mósdrist pantheon.
Name
Ffion finds a reflex in the Proto-Namuno-Ethian *Kʷʰyonos, god of wheat and grain. His name is composed of the root *kʷʰyon- "wheat, grain" and the common gender declension.
Appearance
His appearance has changed quite noticeably throughout the ages. Before the pre-modern age, he’s often depicted as a short-statured, soft young man with mostly brown fur and a long mane, wearing a nuptial outfit (a long tunic with floral motifs), usually holding or wearing creeping avens (Geum reptans, named Hanffion after him in Phyrean). Afterwards, his fur becomes much more tendentially cream-coloured, he wears the creeping avens on his mane, and starting from the 1500s onwards, he’s normally depicted wearing a somewhat more informal and youthful outfit, usually consisting of a white or light blue linen shirt and black trousers.
Mythology
Birth and ascent
The Cwyffyr Hydont describes Ffion's birth, the firstborn of Breddyn and Lwfan's divine union, having been sprung forth fully formed from her thumb, amidst a bed of blooming creeping avens. His first action was to weave the flowers into a crown and proclaim himself king, defying his father's authority. Lwfan, annoyed, but admiring his son's tenacity, cast the rays of the sun onto him, intending to destroy his youthful beauty. The avens on his crown rapidly matured and sprung forth their characteristic cotton-like spiralling threads, Ffion, however, remained unchanged. This struck Lwfan as tremendously beautiful, and he promised him the world. Ffion went on to have a seat at the grand table of Heul Holl, right next to the supreme god, having become his favourite.
Relationship to other gods
Lowyrn
Ffion is frequently paired with Lowyrn, god of wines and alcohol, and patron of riadarths. As he was off to pick apples in his sacred grove, Lórn caught a glimpse of the young god bathing at sundown, and decided to intrude and try to seduce him. Lwfan, witnessing this, challenged Lowyrn to make him a drink that could instantly give him joy. He's ultimately successful when he makes a mead mixed with sloes from his grove, and is given Ffion's hand.
Lwfan
According to the Cwyffyr Hydont, Lwfan, stricken by the sheer beauty of Ffion, decides to betrothe him to himself as a method of keeping it private. He believed that if the young god were to stray, he could cause great turmoil. By marrying him, he would be able to prevent any wrongdoing.
Hul Hur
One of the most frequent pairings, the Hul Hur is often seen courting and/or being courted by Ffion as a sort of taboo union between civilised public romance and wild carnal desire. This relationship was often subject of contention between various artists, and its representation varied greatly with the passing of time. It is said that once Lwfan came to know of his son-husband's secret escapades with the monster, he caused the forests to become twice as dense, so as to make it harder for the lovers to find each other. They manage to do this every new moon, and some believe that their cries of pleasure can be heard deep in the night amidst the trees.