By Charlotte Hussey I ride on the back of a salmon, listening to the swish of the overhanging branches. They rush by rustling overhead, to the slap of his tail against water. He slides, rippling between boulders and plunges us upriver. Choppy waves lap the limestone banks, their echoes filled with the susurrations of…
By Charlotte Hussey At dawn I drop armfuls of leafy plants, buds on slender stalks, frail, scented blossoms, hundreds upon hundreds— into a vat of river water. I stir from edge to center, chaos to order, watch sunlight reflect off the pin-wheeling liquids, ridged with tiny waves, like crimped, opening petals. Slowly the…
by Jhenah Telyndru Beltane, known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf to the Welsh, is a threshold time between the worlds, revered by the ancient Celts as a sacred time which bridged the hardship of winter and the abundance of summer. Thought to exist outside of time, it is said that the veils between the…
By Jhenah Telyndru Although occurring in the same season as the Mari Lwyd traditions, the Hunting of the Wren -Hela’r Dryw – is a separate custom which appears to be more straightforward when it comes to revealing its ancient roots. There are two distinct phases of the practice: the hunt itself and the subsequent parading…
By Jhenah Telyndru Two popular Welsh folk customs, the Mari Lwyd and the Hunting of the Wren, are part of winter calendar traditions which were celebrated on varying dates, depending on the time period and region, but encompassing the period of time stretching from Christmas through to Twelfth Night, and occasionally extending through to Candlemas…