King Bladud is a legendary king who supposedly ruled Britain in the ninth century BCE. Of course, there is no historical record documenting Britain during this period, and the closest thing to history are various medieval chronicles of the kings of Britain, although none before the 12th century mentions the pre-Roman era. Therefore, the only source for the story of this king is Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s credibility is questionable, and it is unclear how much of his “original” material, that is, what was not previously published, is based on real sources, folklore, or simply his invention, and it is unclear what his interest was. Perhaps his interest was simply part of propaganda, giving or appropriating various fragments of stories that form the foundation of other nations’ mythologies to the British. There is no way to know.
Bladud is mainly famous for two things: founding the city of Bath and attempting to fly. Stories claim that he contracted leprosy and was exiled. He found refuge as a pig herder, and by observing them, he noticed that they wallowed in hot mud and thereby what seemed to be sores on them disappeared. He decided to try it himself and indeed was cured. As a token of gratitude, he created a magical spring at that place. Later, he became king and turned the spring into a temple for the healing goddess Sulis. Bladud was a magician, and in this capacity, he attempted a flying spell. He did manage to fly until he had an accident. He crashed, was injured, and died.
Since then, the spring and the temple beside it became a pilgrimage site for the sick, who saw bathing in the spring and worshiping at the temple as a remedy for healing. This is according to the story, which, as mentioned, has no historical documentation. Historical documentation begins when the Romans, upon conquering Britain, attributed the worship at the site to the goddess Minerva. The place became a Roman bathhouse, and a Gorgon statue was installed there. Since then, any bathhouse has been called Bath, after the city established at the site.
Minerva is the counterpart of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. There is a known myth about the Gorgon who was seduced by Poseidon, the god of springs. The two had relations in Athena’s temple, and the enraged Athena cursed the Gorgon and turned her into a monster that turned anyone who looked at her into stone. Later, she helped kill her using a mirror-shield she gave to the hero Perseus, causing her to look at her own reflection, turn to stone, and thus he could cut off her head. Her blood became a poison, which in some uses could also bring back life.
A poison capable of reviving is known from myths as a substance used in initiation rites and mysteries where a rebirth experience occurred. Rebirth rites were considered revelations of hidden truths and the attainment of supreme wisdom.
It can be noted in passing that Haoma is called duraosha in Persian Gathas literature, which in Avestan means “death-repeller” or “death-averter”. On the other hand, a word-play can be interpreted as “waste of wisdom”, explaining the dual nature of Haoma, whatever it may be.
Various sun deities often symbolized healing and rebirth. Such deities include the Greek Apollo, the Egyptian Ra, and even the Indo-Persian Mithra. In those periods, these three gods were embodied in the Roman god Mithras, whose mystery religion, Mithraism, involved a similar rebirth cult. Sulis, the goddess originally worshiped at the Bath temple, is likely named after the sun, which is called “Sol” in Latin, “Sowilo” in Proto-Germanic, and “Suli” in Proto-Celtic. This leads some scholars to think that Bladud’s healing from leprosy, which in Egypt and the Bible symbolized rebirth, is actually a metaphor linking him to a sun deity, and perhaps he is a personification of a sun god in general.
In Welsh, Bladud’s name means “Lord of the Wolves.” Blaidd is wolf, and iudd is lord. As mentioned, at some point, Apollo the sun god became associated with the wolf and took on a chthonic nature. This explains Bladud’s association with the spring, one that springs from the ground. A change in consciousness was considered in ancient times as an experience related to chthonic phenomena such as incubation in caves. Wolves were considered guardians of the earth’s entrances. We all know Cerberus, the underworld guardian and servant of Hades. And perhaps Bladud is not a personification of a sun god but rather a personification of an underworld god.
To conclude the myth of the flying Bladud who crashed and died, it is necessary to refer again to rebirth experiences that are usually associated with flight. Birds were symbols of the soul’s journey during death or near-death experiences. Failed flight serves as a metaphor for the use of mind-altering substances that result in destructive outcomes, either death or madness. Meaning: the myth of Bladud, again, attempts to describe the treacherous nature of mind-altering substances that can lift you high but can also bring you down in sorrow to the depths.
Entheogens and sacred herbs 