I was researching Welsh mythology for a novel I wanted to write, but I just fell right into a fascinating rabbit hole! I love these videos! Wales has always been a close neighbour so it was cool to see my hometown has Celtic links as well!
Oh my gosh your podcasts [celtic source] mean the world to me. I have to travel for hours every week and listen to all of them, I love that you talk so much about the bardic traditions and poetry. You have this relaxed, wonderful clear voice that is just better than any podcaster I know. I would very happily do any university course you taught. You make the whole learning experience enjoyable and clear. I too am a creative thinker, and I just really appreciate learning from someone with this approach rather than constant cold, dry, painfully objective, distant scholars. You are still scholarly, but never in a boring way. Celtic studies is my passion and I really just am so grateful. Please continue to make podcasts!
I agree that is interesting that last triad says that consistency for the bard comes from story telling. As you say, engaging with story is seen as critical. And as a writer myself that's one of my key sources of inspiration. When I read or discuss others stories. Sometimes I am reading another story and suddenly I think of something that I need to weave into a story that I am working on. And the new idea for my story may not even relate much to the story I was reading when I became inspired.
I’m onto my second reading of Guest’s translation of the Mabinogion, and although I lived and studied in Wales for over ten years, I still have a bit of a job getting my head round the names. This has been quite handy for untwisting my tongue again! As an aside, I now live in Dorset. From my own research I am certain that the county town of Dorchester and the county name itself is derived from ‘dwr’ or water, Dorchester prior to Romanisation was known as Caer Dwr. I believe the earliest settlers (who may have migrated from Sumer (Sumer set/Somerset?)), May have been experts in irrigation and water management, hugely important to early agriculture before pumps and electricity). There is a lot of evidence to support this in the landscape and the chalk when viewed from Google Earth.
That may be one way of understanding the Dor in Dorchester and Dorset, yes, although it's not certain, just a reconstruction. I suppose it's down to how we understand the name of the regional tribe the Durotriges. It certainly looks like Duro as in 'dubro' waters, but these matters are never fully settled. Some bright spark will probably find a new etymology at some point, but it seems to hold for now!
@@CelticSource the Durotiges were the tribe that lived there, they had coins, and the one I saw online had what appeared to be an ear of wheat and some irrigation channels, although that could be me and wishful thinking. Another school of thought is that it relates to duro meaning hard, referring to the chalky ground. I certainly regret not learning more about the old stories and language during my years spent in Wales.
Another fantastic video, I have been deeply fascinated by welsh/Celtic mythology for some time and have since been avidly researching sources such as the mabinogion and the book of Taliesin alongside your videos. Now I have been lead along to The Triads of Britain since I found an interest in Modron and her fairy origins, linking to Owain and Urien and this leads me directly to the Triads. I absolutely love what you said relating to the number 3, especially the connection to the element of water. Generally the well maidens or any goddess associated with water could be considered of fae origin so this further highlights my points in connecting ancient tales to the otherworld of the fae and otherworldly beings that we have in modern times been so intensely disconnected from. My next plan is to purchase The Triads of Britain and start deep diving into that. Thanks for yet another informative video taking in lots of interesting points, referenced alongside the sources and for keeping it a little but otherworldy too with the references to the triple goddess and water etc. Your account is one of a kind.
I was impressed by your relaxed and succinct introduction to this massive subject. I also appreciated and admired the logic behind your selection of triads. A refreshing view into the wider context of the Welsh intellectual tradition. Thank you.
However, I would argue that there is strong evidence in the Welsh literature for knowledge of the Classical notion of Hades in one of the final episodes in Culhwch and Olwen, namely Arthurs confrontation with the Very Black Witch, Daughter of the Very White Witch. The precise address of the Black Witch given by the author is 'Pennant Gouut yg gwrthtir Uffern', 'the Valley of Grief in the uplands of Hell' The term 'Uffern' in Culhwch has always been translated as 'hell' or 'Hell' as if it were the Christian Hell but this is misleading. In later times this term did come to signify the Christian concept of Hell, as it does in modern Welsh, but patently this cannot be the case here. Neither could it be claimed that this is a description of the entrance to that Happy Otherworld or Annwfn, which we encounter elsewhere in the stories of the Mabinogion. It is well known that 'uffern' is derived from the Latin word inferno, and 'the infernal region' would therefore be the less loaded, more literal, English translation of this word in this context. Because what is being described here is strikingly similar to the entrance to the classical Hades, where the cave of the Very Black Witch in the Valley of Grief seems to be identical to the cave entrance to the 'infernal regions of Dis' in the valley of Grief and Anxiety which is guarded by the 'coal black' or 'pitch black' crone, the Erinye or Fury, Tisiphone.@@CelticSource
Bran is buried at the white mound at the joining of the 3 rivers of Llundain,(London) . Now the Tower of London sits on the White Mound. Its why there are Crows are living there.
Been looking for information on my taid, David Griffith , bardic name ‘Clwydfardd’ so found this very interesting. Diolch Yn fawr. He was from Denbigh, but was connected to my childhood homeland, ancient Gwytherin.
I'm rewatching this video again with a different interest this time around and I am curious about the association of Glastonbury with Ynys Affalach in triad 90 the 3 harmonious choirs. I am trying to find out when that triad was recorded. As far as I know Glastonbury became associated with Avalon in around the early 1200's. It seems to me (perhaps I'm wrong) that Ynys Affalach came first and it was from that, that Avalon was formed. To my mind there are many different names for the otherworld and they do not have one physical location but rather many different locations. Avalon Afallach Agartha Annwfn All seem to refer to an inner world place, all names that are related to certain locations but describe the same type of thing. Anyway I've been going over this for weeks now trying to trace it back and make sense of it all lol. If anyone has any insights or resources I would be grateful 🙏
I would love to hear your thoughts on Iolo Morgannwg's forged triads. Aside from their influence on later neo-druidic cults they are interesting as examples of literary mythopoesis, like Tolkien's Silmarillion Legenda. I own a curious old antiquarian book on Hu Gadarn (Hu the Strong), one of Iolo's great invented prediluvian figures taken seriously by many contemporary Celtic scholars as an actual mythological figure. Some even identified him as Noah.
Iolo made Hu what he is today for certain, but a few mention of him in earlier bardic poetry point to some type of mythic character, so we can say there was something there before Iolo recast him in his triads, but it's unclear as to what that something actually is.
Iolo Morganwg has been slaughtered for so long, as being a forger, with no proof. And everyone now accepts this foul allegation. He is said to have forged the coelbren alphabet......yet it was known centuries ago, and even a 9th century coelbren document was held in the bodleian library. So something is seriously amiss, with simply blaming one man for forging historical documents. I see him as copier of old welsh manuscripts, the content of which the establishment didnt like need or want, certainly in the age of empire. Wilson and blackett explain so much on this.
When I explain triads to people, I add that, having three options, extremism, polarisation and simplistic duality can be avoided. Like the Buddhist Middle Way. Ah, that wonderful, nuanced 3rd path... 😌
Britannia -Roman called us. The Tribes of Brythonic Isle, the people that speak Brythonig (Welsh now) British is English name a construct of power over the Colonised countries of Ynys Prydain.
Didn't the templars worship heads baphomets heads preserved in cognac opium similar to the brazen heads had a similar purpose used as Oracles or protection maybe. The not sure if its actually a fact templars worshipped these heads but a few people have written about it. To this day there's a templar cult of baphomet who have links to the neo vril society who worship baphomet although it's a double head of a male and a female quiet strange. Also in early medieval churches in England and Wales there are carvings of three faced heads what's all that about people also link these face's to the templars maybe its a tradition that links back to celtic times.
Hi Matt, I know very little about the Templars, but the severed head is for sure a symbol found in lots of stories. A few Christian saints lost their heads and the Celts had alters featuring skulls and so on, never mind the head hunting.
I was researching Welsh mythology for a novel I wanted to write, but I just fell right into a fascinating rabbit hole! I love these videos! Wales has always been a close neighbour so it was cool to see my hometown has Celtic links as well!
Oh my gosh your podcasts [celtic source] mean the world to me. I have to travel for hours every week and listen to all of them, I love that you talk so much about the bardic traditions and poetry. You have this relaxed, wonderful clear voice that is just better than any podcaster I know. I would very happily do any university course you taught. You make the whole learning experience enjoyable and clear. I too am a creative thinker, and I just really appreciate learning from someone with this approach rather than constant cold, dry, painfully objective, distant scholars. You are still scholarly, but never in a boring way. Celtic studies is my passion and I really just am so grateful. Please continue to make podcasts!
thanks very much for your kind words
I agree that is interesting that last triad says that consistency for the bard comes from story telling. As you say, engaging with story is seen as critical. And as a writer myself that's one of my key sources of inspiration. When I read or discuss others stories. Sometimes I am reading another story and suddenly I think of something that I need to weave into a story that I am working on. And the new idea for my story may not even relate much to the story I was reading when I became inspired.
I’m onto my second reading of Guest’s translation of the Mabinogion, and although I lived and studied in Wales for over ten years, I still have a bit of a job getting my head round the names. This has been quite handy for untwisting my tongue again!
As an aside, I now live in Dorset. From my own research I am certain that the county town of Dorchester and the county name itself is derived from ‘dwr’ or water, Dorchester prior to Romanisation was known as Caer Dwr. I believe the earliest settlers (who may have migrated from Sumer (Sumer set/Somerset?)), May have been experts in irrigation and water management, hugely important to early agriculture before pumps and electricity). There is a lot of evidence to support this in the landscape and the chalk when viewed from Google Earth.
That may be one way of understanding the Dor in Dorchester and Dorset, yes, although it's not certain, just a reconstruction. I suppose it's down to how we understand the name of the regional tribe the Durotriges. It certainly looks like Duro as in 'dubro' waters, but these matters are never fully settled. Some bright spark will probably find a new etymology at some point, but it seems to hold for now!
@@CelticSource the Durotiges were the tribe that lived there, they had coins, and the one I saw online had what appeared to be an ear of wheat and some irrigation channels, although that could be me and wishful thinking. Another school of thought is that it relates to duro meaning hard, referring to the chalky ground.
I certainly regret not learning more about the old stories and language during my years spent in Wales.
Very interesting! Diolch yn fawr!
croeso
Another fantastic video, I have been deeply fascinated by welsh/Celtic mythology for some time and have since been avidly researching sources such as the mabinogion and the book of Taliesin alongside your videos. Now I have been lead along to The Triads of Britain since I found an interest in Modron and her fairy origins, linking to Owain and Urien and this leads me directly to the Triads.
I absolutely love what you said relating to the number 3, especially the connection to the element of water. Generally the well maidens or any goddess associated with water could be considered of fae origin so this further highlights my points in connecting ancient tales to the otherworld of the fae and otherworldly beings that we have in modern times been so intensely disconnected from. My next plan is to purchase The Triads of Britain and start deep diving into that. Thanks for yet another informative video taking in lots of interesting points, referenced alongside the sources and for keeping it a little but otherworldy too with the references to the triple goddess and water etc. Your account is one of a kind.
You're welcome. Glad you get something out of it. By the way, may I suggest you try and get as recent an edition of Bromwich's Trioedd as you can.
@@CelticSource thank you, I got the most recent edition. Not that I have had a proper chance to delve into it as much as I would have liked yet.
I was impressed by your relaxed and succinct introduction to this massive subject. I also appreciated and admired the logic behind your selection of triads. A refreshing view into the wider context of the Welsh intellectual tradition. Thank you.
Glad it was of interest to you.
However, I would argue that there is strong evidence in the Welsh literature for knowledge of the Classical notion of Hades in one of the final episodes in Culhwch and Olwen, namely Arthurs confrontation with the Very Black Witch, Daughter of the Very White Witch. The precise address of the Black Witch given by the author is 'Pennant Gouut yg gwrthtir Uffern', 'the Valley of Grief in the uplands of Hell'
The term 'Uffern' in Culhwch has always been translated as 'hell' or 'Hell' as if it were the Christian Hell but this is misleading. In later times this term did come to signify the Christian concept of Hell, as it does in modern Welsh, but patently this cannot be the case here. Neither could it be claimed that this is a description of the entrance to that Happy Otherworld or Annwfn, which we encounter elsewhere in the stories of the Mabinogion. It is well known that 'uffern' is derived from the Latin word inferno, and 'the infernal region' would therefore be the less loaded, more literal, English translation of this word in this context. Because what is being described here is strikingly similar to the entrance to the classical Hades, where the cave of the Very Black Witch in the Valley of Grief seems to be identical to the cave entrance to the 'infernal regions of Dis' in the valley of Grief and Anxiety which is guarded by the 'coal black' or 'pitch black' crone, the Erinye or Fury, Tisiphone.@@CelticSource
Thank you for this, I really enjoyed it. You many want to look up the works of Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett for the full histories of Britain.
Will do, thank you.
Bran is buried at the white mound at the joining of the 3 rivers of Llundain,(London) . Now the Tower of London sits on the White Mound. Its why there are Crows are living there.
indeed
Gwych! How about a video on "Englynion y Beddau"?.
ok, it's on the list!
Been looking for information on my taid, David Griffith , bardic name ‘Clwydfardd’ so found this very interesting. Diolch Yn fawr.
He was from Denbigh, but was connected to my childhood homeland, ancient Gwytherin.
Definitely a keeper! I liked the discussion of "threes" - a nice contrast with "binary" thinking. Diolch
croeso, there's so much more that can be said!
I'm rewatching this video again with a different interest this time around and I am curious about the association of Glastonbury with Ynys Affalach in triad 90 the 3 harmonious choirs.
I am trying to find out when that triad was recorded.
As far as I know Glastonbury became associated with Avalon in around the early 1200's.
It seems to me (perhaps I'm wrong) that Ynys Affalach came first and it was from that, that Avalon was formed.
To my mind there are many different names for the otherworld and they do not have one physical location but rather many different locations.
Avalon
Afallach
Agartha
Annwfn
All seem to refer to an inner world place, all names that are related to certain locations but describe the same type of thing.
Anyway I've been going over this for weeks now trying to trace it back and make sense of it all lol. If anyone has any insights or resources I would be grateful 🙏
Cwm Bran where I live is known as the Valley of Bran the blessed.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Iolo Morgannwg's forged triads. Aside from their influence on later neo-druidic cults they are interesting as examples of literary mythopoesis, like Tolkien's Silmarillion Legenda. I own a curious old antiquarian book on Hu Gadarn (Hu the Strong), one of Iolo's great invented prediluvian figures taken seriously by many contemporary Celtic scholars as an actual mythological figure. Some even identified him as Noah.
Iolo made Hu what he is today for certain, but a few mention of him in earlier bardic poetry point to some type of mythic character, so we can say there was something there before Iolo recast him in his triads, but it's unclear as to what that something actually is.
Iolo Morganwg has been slaughtered for so long, as being a forger, with no proof. And everyone now accepts this foul allegation. He is said to have forged the coelbren alphabet......yet it was known centuries ago, and even a 9th century coelbren document was held in the bodleian library. So something is seriously amiss, with simply blaming one man for forging historical documents. I see him as copier of old welsh manuscripts, the content of which the establishment didnt like need or want, certainly in the age of empire. Wilson and blackett explain so much on this.
When I explain triads to people, I add that, having three options, extremism, polarisation and simplistic duality can be avoided. Like the Buddhist Middle Way. Ah, that wonderful, nuanced 3rd path... 😌
Do you ever do a talk to explain the meaning behind a dragon on the Welsh flag ?
I should, I will
Britannia -Roman called us. The Tribes of Brythonic Isle, the people that speak Brythonig (Welsh now) British is English name a construct of power over the Colonised countries of Ynys Prydain.
Didn't the templars worship heads baphomets heads preserved in cognac opium similar to the brazen heads had a similar purpose used as Oracles or protection maybe. The not sure if its actually a fact templars worshipped these heads but a few people have written about it. To this day there's a templar cult of baphomet who have links to the neo vril society who worship baphomet although it's a double head of a male and a female quiet strange. Also in early medieval churches in England and Wales there are carvings of three faced heads what's all that about people also link these face's to the templars maybe its a tradition that links back to celtic times.
Hi Matt, I know very little about the Templars, but the severed head is for sure a symbol found in lots of stories. A few Christian saints lost their heads and the Celts had alters featuring skulls and so on, never mind the head hunting.
KYMRY OF ISRAEL
MARANATHA...