by Carrie Anderson The brown, tan, and russet hues of autumn are still present. It’s now past the solstice, and this part of the world is awash in swirling colors of mud and leaves. Traversing a trail, the fallen leaves are inches deep. In various stages of decomposition, the crunching under our feet makes our…
Darkness in a Time of Light By Susan Morgaine This is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year, is it not? We have the Winter Solstice, the longest night, celebrating the re-birth of the Sun; Christmas, the birth of the Christ child, bringing light into the world; Hanukkah, the Hebrew Festival…
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…