#canhwyllau

[darthtalon89]

#Imbolc #Imbolg #SaintBrigidsDay #LáFhéileBríde #LàFhèillBrìghde #Laa'lBreeshey #Celticneopagans #Wiccans #Pagan #Celticpolytheism #Celticneopaganism #Wicca #divination #springclean #GŵylFair #Canhwyllau #Candlemas #groundhogday #paganfestival #StBrigidsDay #Brigid https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1OVPMHngc/?igshid=1r2ci3l6hzs1h

[glynmostyn]

Oh fuck the 1st just fucking snuck up on me! I'm only just now hearing about gwyl y canhwyllau/gwyl ffraid/Gwyl fair y canhwyllau!

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

I'm from south wales, and I've always felt desperately out of touch with my own heritage the more I learnt about it, and past using duolingo I don't really know where to start, do you know any good resources for starting out?

HOO BOY I RECOGNISE THIS ONE

So I have a very similar background, and it was a LOT of work fighting my way to where I am now to reclaim my own heritage - Anglo-Welsh culture just Does Not Teach this stuff, something that still, to this day, makes me fucking furious. I remember after I went to uni to learn Welsh finding out about the practice of Cerdd Dant, and I don’t think I calmed down for a week. I had never heard of it. Ever. And Welsh-speaking friends of mine scoffed, and said that Cerdd Dant is horseshit so I was hardly missing out, and I had to explain to them that, yes, if you have the privilege of being connected to your own cultural history and traditions, I imagine you can easily pick and choose which bits to sneer at; but from my perspective?

Here’s what Cerdd Dant is, with the frills stripped away: you are given a poem. A tune - sometimes an existing one, sometimes not - is played as a backing. You have to invent a brand new melody to sing that poem to that tune. If there’s more than one of you, you also need to invent harmonies.

That’s the tightest fucking shit. If I’d learned that in Music lessons in school, I’d have been delighted. That is a formula that is ripe for reinvention, and modernisation. I do not care that the version people do in Eisteddfodau is nauseating and makes me want to punch school children in their weirdly moving mouths (side note: why do Eisteddfodau make people Do That with their mouths?) I care that this is a beautiful, creative medium that is my cultural heritage and I, and every other fucker in Anglo-Wales, was not allowed it.

In any case... what did the trick for me was doing a degree in Welsh and Celtic Studies, which obviously was very successful but also is an expensive and difficult solution. So, in the interests of assuming you don’t have £27000 and three years to spare, what can you do?

It’s difficult, because there’s not exactly an institution or website you can go to that keeps a handy list. But I guess making a list of categories isn’t a bad place to start? Music, poetry, food, dance, festivals, history, customs, folklore, industry, that sort of thing. It gives you a framework for the research.

Check the competitions and categories in the Eisteddfod for things like music, poetry and dance. I’ve mentioned Cerdd Dant, but there’s other musical forms as well - poetry we have even more, and it’s baffling but fun to learn about cynghanedd and the various poetic forms like the cywydd, the englyn, etc (again, these absolutely should have been taught when I was in school. Fucking unforgiveable.) Dawnsio Clogsan is like Irish and Scottish folk dancing with the kicky legs and the tap shoes, but with Added Props - plus group folk dancing and that.

While you’re at it, look up the history of the twmpath chwarae in the villages. In fact, that’s a good segue into customs and festivals - you’ve heard of Beltain, Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh, but those are the Gaelic ones. Wales is Brythonic, and our equivalents are Calan Mai, Calan Gaeaf,  Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau, and Calan Awst (heads up: it’s VERY difficult to find decent info on those last two online.) Look up the Mari Lwyd and Calennig and lovespoons. Look up the Eisteddfod (I know you’ll already know at least some stuff about it, but it’s worth getting the full story.) Uh... the Wikipedia page here is a good little index for some Welsh folkloric stuff, but get yourself a copy of the Mabinogion (the 2008 Sioned Davies translation is v good) for the best of Welsh mythology. The main Four Branches are available online here, complete with footnotes to explain what the fuck is going on with the cultural references/symbolism. And the best best BEST resource for Welsh faerie mythology, in English, is British Goblins by Wirt Sykes, which is available here. That one is fantastic, because it was written by an English guy who was fascinated by Welsh faerie mythology, and spent some time in the 1800s wandering around Wales, asking people for stories and beliefs and just writing them down - and very respectfully too, which is a refreshing change from other writers of the era (George Borrow can deep throat a cactus in whichever afterlife he came to).

Uh, that’s probably a good segue into history - I’d recommend, in roughly chronological order, looking up the Celtic tribes of Wales (Silures and Ordovices in particular), Princess Gwenllian, Hywel Dda and his incredible laws, the Welsh royal line in Gwynedd (Llywelyn Fawr in particular, but obviously Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf needs a depressing look, along with what became of his children. Especially his son.), the Bardic Age, Owain Glyndwr and his grand plans for the country, the Rebecca Riots, the Merthyr Uprising, the Treachery of the Blue Books, Dic Penderyn, the Tonypandy Riots, the Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, Tryweryn, Aberfan. I mean there’s a shit-ton of others and I’m probably forgetting some really obvious ones, but we don’t teach Welsh history, so... that’s a very quick overview I guess. (Also, the stuff I was taught in school was HEAVILY colonialist. Like, HEAVILY.)

Anyway; this may or may not have been helpful, I don’t know! The handy thing is that you’ll probably find more elements to explore with each one you research, though, and there’s always something new. Good luck, enjoy, and don’t hesitate to get back in touch with any other questions! 

[ofbloodandfaith]

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau (English, "Mary's Festival of the Candles") is a Welsh name of Candlemas, celebrated on 2 February. It was derived from the pre-Reformation ceremony of blessing the candles and distributing them to be carried in a procession. However, just as this Christian ceremony drew on pagan festivals connected with the coming of the Spring, some of the old practices that carried on in parts of Wales until the 20th Century suggest older rituals.

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau - Wikipedia

The period of time when working by candlelight was allowed, due to it being the dark part of the year, was amser gwylad, the time of keeping vigil. The candle was then handed back on 2 February when the light had increased enough for candles to be dispensed with and the farm animals to be fed before dark.

As with most of the festivals of the year, rites of divination were carried out at Candlemas. In one recorded instance, it was customary for people to light two candles, and place them on a table or high bench. Then each member of the family in turn would sit down on a chair between the candles and take a drink out of a horn goblet or beaker. Afterwards they would throw the vessel over their head and if it fell in an upright position, the person who threw it would live to reach a very old age; if it fell bottom up, the person would die early. That ‘drink’, usually beer, was associated with Candlemas.

The custom of wassailing involved wishing for fertile crops and an increase of livestock in the coming year for those who provided the wassailers with ale. Like the ceremonies in Ireland for St Brigit’s day, the early Spring was the time to ensure protection and fertility for the crops and animals. If the sun shone on the altar on Candlemas Day, it was thought that there would be an abundant harvest the following year. However, if a single crow was seen hovering or circling over a house on the eve or day of Candlemas, it was considered unlucky.

[phynxrizng]

WHAT IS IMBOLC

All about Imbolc SOURCE, CLADDAGH DESIGN.COM by Claddagh Design on Jan 19, 2017 @ 9:26 pm in Special Days Imbolc, or Imbolg, is one of the lesser known festivals of the ancient Celts, but it was one of the four most important festivals in the Celtic calendar. For this ancient society, the year revolved around two main points; on the one hand, since the Celts were an agricultural society, everything was based around the harvest. On the other hand, they also had an in-depth knowledge about the alignment of the sun and stars, which history suggests had great significance for them. So their calendar was neatly divided up into four quarters, with a festival to celebrate reaching each one. The year started with Samhain at the end of October, when the harvest was in full swing, to prepare for the onset of winter. In Celtic philosophy, light must always follow dark, so this is why their year began on such a sombre note. Bealtaine at the beginning of May marked the coming of summer, the beginning of sowing crops, and the light half of the year, and was the biggest and happiest celebration. In between were Lughnasa in August, marking the beginning of the harvest, and Imbolc in February, to celebrate the beginning of spring. What was Imbolc about? Simply put, Imbolc was a celebration of the end of winter, and the impending light half of the year. The hardest part of the year was over; adverse weather, cold temperatures, food rationing, and of course, no warfare (an integral part of Celtic society) would soon be a thing of the past. Farmers were getting ready to go back to work, preparing animals for breeding, warriors were picking up their weapons again, and the political and social aspects of life that had been put on hold for winter were also beginning again. The name Imbolc originates from ‘i mbolg’, which translates as ‘in the belly’. This refers to livestock breeding season, particularly the pregnancy of ewes, which was one of the focal points of the celebration. Because the festival was so associated with this, its timing often varied – it could be anywhere from mid-January to mid- February depending on the weather and the animals’ behaviour. It also appeared to have a more spiritual significance for the Celts too, as it’s no coincidence that more than a few megalithic monuments around Ireland are perfectly aligned with the rising sun around the dates of Imbolc and Samhain. Imbolc was celebrated all across Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, with each region having slightly different variations in name and customs. Wales also had a remarkably similar version of the festival known as Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau. After the onset of Christianity in Ireland, the festival was tied in with a celebration of Saint Bridget, and transformed from a pagan one into a Christian one. Christians used Brigid as the focal point of their celebrations to smooth the transition, as Imbolc had previously been associated with a goddess of a very similar name, Brighid. Essentially, Bridget and Brighid were the same woman! As with all Celtic festivals, Imbolc involved a host of unique customs and rituals to welcome the spring, say farewell to the winter, ward against evil and promote health and wellbeing. What happened during Imbolc? Imbolc was similar to Samhain and Bealtaine in that fire played an integral part of the celebrations, although not on the same scale. While at Samhain bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and at Bealtaine they served to offer protection and growth, at Imbolc they were symbolic of the sun’s return. Rather than a huge central bonfire at the centre of the festivities, Imbolc was more about the home and each home’s hearth. Every home in the community would have their own fire burning right through the night, and during medieval times when homes consisted of actual wood and stone buildings rather than the wattle and daub huts of the Celts, all of the fires in the house were lit for the night. If for some reason that was not possible, it was sufficient to have candles lit in every room instead. The Celts were always concerned about the weather (something that has lasted up until the present day with modern Irish people!), so Imbolc was an important time to read omens and attempt to predict the weather for the summer. An unusual but widely popular omen was if the weather was especially bad on the day of Imbolc, which meant a great summer was on the way. This is because one of the more malicious creatures in Irish folklore, the Cailleach, would spend the day of Imbolc collecting firewood for herself if winter was to last a while longer. To do this, she would obviously need a bright and dry day to collect her wood, so if Imbolc was wet and windy, that meant the Cailleach had gone to sleep and winter would soon be over. Visiting wells was another important custom for Imbolc, particularly holy wells. Visitors would walk around the well in the same direction as the sun traversed the sky at that point on the land, praying for health and wealth for the year. Offerings were left at the well once this was done; usually coins or ‘clooties’ (pieces of cloth). Special foods were also part of the festivities, usually consisiting of bannock – a flat bread cut into wedges – as well as dairy products and meat. Saint Bridget and Imbolc The early Celtic version of Imbolc was not all that different from the festival in early medieval times, when Christianity was taking hold in Ireland. One of the goddesses the Celts worshipped at this festival was Bhrigid, the daughter of Dagda (the chief Celtic deity) and one of the Tuatha De Dannan, the first inhabitants of Ireland. She is associated with many things, most significantly poetry and fertility, but such activities as healing, smithing, arts and crafts, tending to livestock and serpents also make the cut. She is credited with creating a whistle for people to call to one another through the night. Some legends claim that while one half of her face was beautiful, the other was horribly ugly. She is thought by many to be the Celtic equivalent of the Roman goddess Minerva and the Greek goddess Athena. Saint Bridget, on the other hand, was not a mythical goddess but a real woman, born in Dundalk, county Louth, around the 5th century AD. During her lifetime she became a nun, founded numerous monasteries and performed her fair share of miracles, becoming one of the foremost advocates of Christianity in Ireland. After her death, she was made one of Ireland’s patron saints (and the only female patron saint), along with Patrick and Columba. So it was a natural progression for Imbolc, the pagan festival worshipping the goddess Bhrigid, to become the Christian festival in honour of Saint Bridget. February 2nd was chosen as the permanent day of celebration. For the Celts, Bhrigid represented the all important light half of the year, so her presence was much revered during the festival. On Imbolc eve, it was claimed that she would visit the most virtuous homes and bless everyone who slept in them, so people would leave pieces of clothing, food, or other tokens outside the entrance for her to bless, or to entice her into the home, It was Bhrigid’s role as a fertility goddess that was most important here, but for the medieval people of Ireland, her healing powers and general protective sense were as important as well as her fertility. The majority of Imbolc traditions regarding Bhrigid or Bridget come from this time. While the tradition of leaving small tributes to Bridget on the doorstep continued for several centuries, several others sprang up too. Ashes from the fire that was left to burn all night long would be smoothed out and left to see if a mark from Bridget appeared, ro confirm that she had visited the house. Sometimes a makeshift bed would even be made up next to the fire, in case the saint wanted to rest a while. This tradition was particularly popular in the Isle of Man and Scotland, where there were several short rhymes to go along with the tradition, acting as a call to the Saint to come and visit – generally, they were some variation on the phrase ‘Bridget, come in to our home, your bed is ready’. In some areas across Ireland and Scotland, women played a very important part in the festivities. They would make a doll figure from rushes known as a ‘Brideog’, dress it in white and with flowers, and carry it in a procession while singing hymns and poems in honour of Bridget. At every home they passed, they would receive more pieces of cloth or small bits of food for the Brideog. Once the procession was finished, they would place the Brideog in a seat of honour and have a feast with all of the food, before placing it in a bed for the night while they began celebrations. The most well known tradition however, and one that is still practiced today, is making a Saint Bridget’s cross and hanging it in the home. These crosses were a unique symbol of the transition from Paganism to Christianity. Before, bunches of rushes were tied together and hung at the entrance to homes to welcome Bhrigid. One of the stories of Bridget’s lifetime however recounts how she wove a cross from rushes and placed it above a dying man’s bed. He roused from his delirium to ask what she was doing, and on hearing what it meant, he asked to be baptised before his death. Since then, the cross has been a symbol for Bridget, and was also a familiar symbol for the Celts, making it the perfect transition symbol for Imbolc. The cross is distinctive, with a square in the middle and each point of the cross placed at a corner of the square. Somewhere between then and now, placing a cross in your kitchen came to mean that your house would be protected from fire, Imbolc today Unlike Samhain, which transformed into the much loved night of Halloween, Imbolc is one Celtic festival that hasn’t quite survived through history. Although Christians still celebrate St. Bridget’s Day in Ireland and children still learn how to make crosses at the start of February, little else remains of the ancient Celtic spring festival. However, Saint Bridget’s cross, made from rushes and hung around the home just as the Celts would have done, is as good a reminder as any to the festival’s ancient and mythological origins. REPOSTED BY, PHYNXRIZNG

[ashtore]

Kindling the Hearthfire, Episode 9, Imbolc 2018

The new episode is up!

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau (Goo ill fair uh can-wickk)(English, “Mary’s Festival of the Candles”) is the Welsh name of Candlemas, celebrated on 2 February in Wales. It’s the Welsh equivalent of the Irish holiday of Imbolc. Its connected with the coming of the Spring but is not connected with Saint Brigid of Kildare, as it is in Scotland and Ireland.

In the darker part of the…

[neaori]

Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced i-molg), also called (Saint) Brigid's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde, Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde, Manx: Laa'l Breeshey), is a Gaelic traditional festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on 1 February, or about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain—and corresponds to the Welsh Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau. Christians, especially in Ireland, observe the feast day of Saint Brigid at this time, and historical linkages between the holidays have been noted.

Imbolc is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally a pagan festival associated with the goddess Brigid and that it was Christianized as a festival of Saint Brigid, who is thought to be a Christianization of the goddess. At Imbolc, Brigid's crosses were made and a doll-like figure of Brigid, called a Brídeóg, would be paraded from house-to-house. Brigid was said to visit one's home at Imbolc. To receive her blessings, people would make a bed for Brigid and leave her food and drink, while items of clothing would be left outside for her to bless. Brigid was also invoked to protect homes and livestock. Special feasts were had, holy wells were visited and it was also a time for divination.

[wcva]

Anrhegion Nadolig sy’n dal i roi

Peidiwch â gwneud eich siopa Nadolig eleni heb fwrw golwg dros y rhestr yma o bethau ychydig yn wahanol gan Simon Dowling, Swyddog Marchnata a Chyfathrebu Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru.

Mae hwyl yr ŵyl ar fin dechrau, a gyda phob cartref yng ngwledydd Prydain yn gwario £800 yn fwy ar gyfartaledd yn ystod mis Rhagfyr (yn ôl Banc Lloegr), mae arferion gwario pob un ohonon ni yn ystod yr amser yma o’r flwyddyn yn cael effaith fawr.

Nid yn unig rydyn ni’n gwario mwy – gyda’r holl becynnu a’r milltiroedd cludo oherwydd siopa ar-lein, mae effaith fawr ar yr amgylchedd hefyd.

Os ydych chithau’n teimlo, fel finnau, y byddai’n braf gallu prynu anrhegion a nwyddau Nadolig heb wneud mwy o ddrwg nag o les, dyma restr arbennig i chi o anrhegion o Gymru sy’n dal i roi!

Cefnogwch bobl i wneud gwahaniaeth drwy brynu’n gymdeithasol gyfrifol y Nadolig yma

Mae’r awgrymiadau isod ar gyfer anrhegion a nwyddau Nadolig yn helpu’r economi leol, ond hefyd yn cefnogi elusennau a mentrau cymdeithasol ledled y wlad sy’n mynd i’r afael â gwahanol broblemau.

1.      Luxury toiletries and gifts from Myddfai Trading Co 

Menter gymdeithasol yw Myddfai Trading Company Limited sy’n darparu cyflogaeth a chyfleoedd gwirfoddoli yn y gymuned leol yn Sir Gâr. Mae eu cynhyrchion ‘arloesol, ecogyfeillgar a gwreiddiol’ yn cynnwys persawr cartref, sebon, jel cawod, siampŵ a sebon llyfnu, hylif golchi dwylo, hylif golchi’r corff, bomiau bath a chynhyrchion sba, sydd hefyd ar gael mewn setiau anrheg Nadoligaidd. 

Defnyddir yr incwm gwerthu o’r siop arlein a masnach i adfywio cefn gwlad yn lleol gan gynnwys gweithio’n agos gyda Phrosiect yr Arfordir a Choleg Elidyr yn Rhandirmwyn i roi profiad gwaith i oedolion ag anawsterau dysgu. 

2.      Anrhegion ac addurniadau Nadolig ar gyfer y cŵn yn eich bywyd

Elusen fach annibynnol yn y de-ddwyrain sy’n canolbwyntio ar les cŵn yw Hope Rescue, ac maen nhw’n mynd o nerth i nerth. Mae eu siop ar-lein yn cynnig pob math o anrhegion ac addurniadau wedi’u gwneud â llaw ar gyfer eich ci, gan gynnwys rhubanau tymhorol, conau Nadoligaidd blasus, a dewis hyfryd o ategolion i gŵn.

Gallwch hefyd brynu calendr Hope Rescue sy’n cynnwys lluniau o’r cŵn annwyl sydd wedi’u hachub gan yr elusen. Mae’r elw yn helpu Hope i achub cŵn mewn angen ar draws y de-ddwyrain ac yn cynnig cynllun seibiant ar gyfer cŵn i gefnogi perchnogion mewn argyfwng (e.e. perchnogion sy’n wynebu cam-drin domestig, digartrefedd neu gyfnod yn yr ysbyty) i allu cadw eu cŵn anwes.

3.      Canhwyllau o waith llaw gan Beacons Creative 

Mae Beacons Creative yn gwmni cymdeithasol unigryw sy’n cynhyrchu canhwyllau a chynhyrchion cysylltiedig wrth roi cyfleoedd gwaith i bobl ag anawsterau dysgu a’r rheini sydd bellaf o’r farchnad lafur. 

Mae’r fenter gymdeithasol ym Mannau Brycheiniog yn gwerthu llu o gynhyrchion cwyr megis canhwyllau hyfryd a thanwyr moch coed moethus, ac mae’n defnyddio deunyddiau sydd wedi’u hailgylchu pryd bynnag bosib. Ewch ar wefan Beacons Creative i brynu ar-lein, neu os byddwch chi yn Aberhonddu, beth am alw heibio’r Gegin Fach, sef caffi barista a deli cwmni Beacons sy’n gweini amrywiaeth o ddiodydd a phrydau blasus, neu prynwch yn uniongyrchol o siop Bwydydd Cyflawn Beacons.

4.      Pecynnau het a sgarff i atal digartrefedd rhag ‘gwau-thygu’

Ar ôl dau Nadolig llwyddiannus o gynnal ymgyrch ‘One Knit Wonder’, mae’r elusen digartrefedd a chysgu ar y stryd The Wallich have once more teamed up with John Lewis to ‘knit homelessness in the bud’.

Eleni, yn ogystal â het wlanog, mae’r One Knit Wonder ar gael fel sgarff am gyfnod penodol. Mae’r pecynnau gwau yn cynnwys popeth sydd ei angen arnoch i wau eich het wlân neu’ch sgarff eich hunan, ac maen nhw ar gael am £13.50 neu £15.50 o siop John Lewis a'i Bartneriaid Caerdydd.

Ar ôl gorffen eu het neu sgarff, bydd dewis gan y gwëwr – gwisgo’r dillad eu hunain, ei roi’n anrheg i rywun, neu fynd allan a’i roi i rywun mewn angen (ac mae’r pecyn yn anrheg gwych i rywun sy’n dechrau gwau am y tro cyntaf).

5.      Siopa di-wastraff yn y Barri

Awesome Wales yw siop ddi-wastraff gyntaf Bro Morgannwg, yng nghalon y Barri. Mae’r fenter gymdeithasol yn cynnal siop goffi a siop ddi-wastraff sydd â’r nod o helpu siopwyr i ddiogelu’r amgylchedd, arbed arian a bwyta’n fwy iachus, a hynny i gyd wrth wneud eu siopa wythnosol.

Mae Awesome yn brofiad siopa di-blastig, heb ddim pecynnu plastig diangen, gwellt plastig, caeadon plastig ar gwpanau coffi, ac yn sicr dim bagiau siopa plastig! Mae’r siop yn cynnig cynnyrch sy’n eco-gyfeillgar ac wedi’u creu mewn ffordd foesegol. Os ydych chi yn y cyffiniau, beth am alw yn y siop i brynu eich hanfodion Nadolig, neu gallwch brynu cwpanau amldro, teganau pren ac aelodaeth o Glwb Awesome o’u siop ar-lein.

Mae’r elw’n mynd yn ôl i mewn i’r cwmni er mwyn helpu i gyflawni ei nodau cymdeithasol, ac mae hefyd yn cael ei fuddsoddi mewn gweithgareddau a grwpiau cymunedol lleol, gan ganiatáu i fwy o bobl gymryd rhan a lleihau unigedd cymdeithasol.

6.      Anrhegion tymhorol gan Vision 21 

Menter gymdeithasol yw Vision 21 sy’n cynnig ‘cyfleoedd hyfforddiant realistig yn y gweithle i bobl ag anghenion dysgu’. Caiff holl gynhyrchion Vision 21 eu gwneud gyda chyfraniad llawn hyfforddeion ac mae’r elw i gyd yn mynd yn syth yn ôl i’r elusen. 

Yn ogystal ag anrhegion tymhorol mae Vision 21 hefyd yn gwerthu cynhyrchion pren, crochenwaith a chardiau, yn ogystal â phlanhigion, perlysiau a llysiau. Mae siop Vision Made ar Heol Albany yng Nghaerdydd, ac ewch ar wefan Vision 21 i gael gwybod mwy am eu cynhyrchion eraill. 

7.      Cynhyrchion ‘molchi moethus o Gymru  

Menter gymdeithasol o Gymru yw Good Wash sy’n rhoi ei helw i brosiectau lleol sy’n gwella bywydau anifeiliaid a phobl. Mae gan wefan Good Wash lawer o gynhyrchion ‘molchi moethus o’r radd flaenaf (gan gynnwys ‘Woof wash’ i’ch ci!) sydd wedi’u gwneud o’r cynhyrchion naturiol gorau posib sy’n rhydd rhag creulondeb. 

Mae elw Good Wash yn cynorthwyo elusennau, grwpiau neu unigolion i gynnal prosiectau sy’n gwneud pethau fel; cynorthwyo’r digartref i ddod o hyd i gartref, a gwella eu rhagolygon bywyd; cynorthwyo’r rheini sy’n wynebu tlodi neu allgáu cymdeithasol i ddod o hyd i waith, hyfforddiant neu gyfleoedd gwirfoddoli; gwella lles anifeiliaid; darparu atebion iechyd a llesiant arloesol, sydd ar gael i bawb; hyrwyddo hylendid, a rhoi mynediad at ddŵr glân a glanweithdra; a gwarchod a hybu bywyd ar y tir ac yn y môr. 

Mae cynhyrchion Good Wash ar gael mewn sawl siop ac arlein.

8.     Rhowch ymweliad â ‘Rhyfeddod Cymru’ yn anrheg i rywun 

Elusen yw Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru sydd wedi’i hymrwymo i ymchwil a chadwraeth bioamrywiaeth, cynaliadwyedd, dysgu gydol oes a mwynhad ymwelwyr. 

Dyma’r ardd sy’n denu’r nifer mwyaf o ymwelwyr yng Nghymru ac mae llwyth o bethau i’w gweld a’u gwneud y tu hwnt i’r gerddi bendigedig gan gynnwys gweithgareddau amrywiol a’r Ganolfan Adar Ysglyfaethus Prydeinig.

Chwilio am ragor o syniadau ar gyfer #PresantauGydaPhwrpas?

Mae’r criw gwych yn Social Enterprise UK wedi creu Canllaw Anrhegion #PresantauGydaPhwrpas, cylchgrawn cyfan yn llawn syniadau ar gyfer anrhegion Nadolig gan Fentrau Cymdeithasol ledled gwledydd Prydain. Ewch i gael cip ar y canllaw defnyddiol yma ar-lein yn socialenterprise.org.uk/campaigns/christmas.

Who did we miss? Know a socially conscious Welsh gift that didn’t make the list? Let us know! Please email sdowling@wcva.cymru. 

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[jayswing101]

In Merlin, it's all very vague. There's no clear "the old religion is this, and the 'new' religion is this." Likely Daemoninfluff is right, and the writers meant christianity as the new religion and paganism as the old religion.

If we're talking historical, than the Old Religion would refer more specifically to the beliefs of Brittonic Celtic cultures. Unfortunately, not many records survive outside of Welsh tales, so I would suggest looking up old Welsh gods, celebrations and traditions!

Here the Druids were priests, judges, lawyers, teachers, leaders, etc. They were the heart of the culture and religion. And for that reason, they were the biggest threat for colonisers/invaders like the Romans. As long as there were Druids there, the Britons wouldn't assimilate to Rome and there would be a risk of an uprising. That's why so many times in history the Druids are killed.

Like most pre-contact cultures, the Britons' beliefs were tied closely to nature, and they celebrated festivals in line with that. The "calendar" would follow the natural world. For example: the end of the year is the end of autumn (Halloween/Samhain in English/Irish, Calan Gaeaf in Welsh), when the natural world goes to sleep and winter begins. There are several more festivals, and they all align with different parts of the year - a celebration of spring (Imbolc/Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau), the coming of summer (Bealtaine/Calan Hâf) and the start of the harvest season (Lughnasadh/Calan Awst).

The Old Religion would be polytheistic, so with multiple gods, and they are also tied to nature and natural phenomena. Unfortunately, while a lot of the names remain, we don't know what those deities were the gods of. Like Llŷr. His name pops up in the Mabinogion, in a few Welsh Triads, but there's no indication of what god he is. The name is similar to the Irish god of the sea "Lir", so you could assume he was also a sea god? But it's not clear.

Anyways, Merlin also makes use of Irish names for their holidays (Samhain and Bealtaine) but then all the spells are in Old English - aka Anglo-Saxon (which. The Anglo-saxons are the invaders Arthur defends Camelot from, so it doesn't make sense for Merlin to be using spells in that language??? BBC why??). So. It's a bit of everything pre-Christian western European lol

Tl;dr: Religion in Merlin is a mess. The show is vague on what new vs old religion is, and while you'd expect the old religion to be the pre-christian belief system of Britain, in Merlin the old religion seems to be an amalgamation of several Western European cultures and beliefs.

Can someone please explain to me the religions in Merlin and how they work? Because I’ve tried to google things and I didn’t come up with anything useful and I don’t know if it’s because the writers made it purposefully vague or because I have no idea about the history of religions in Europe. I get that there’s the old religion, which is magic I suppose? And it’s what the druids follow? and then there’s the new religion which is what Uther forced with the great purge?

I guess my question is, is any of this based on actual historical facts? If so, what are they?

[cymdeithasceredigion]

SWPER NADOLIG CYMDEITHAS CEREDIGION

 Fel arfer, cynhaliwyd y digwyddiad hwn yng Nghaffi Emlyn, Tan-y-groes.  Cawsom bryd o fwyd traddodiadol o’r safon uchaf.  Ond nid llunio brawddeg na limrig oedd y dasg a osodwyd i’r ciniawyr eleni fel o’r blaen ond cynnig jôc neu bos oedd yn addas i gracyr Nadolig.  Enillwyd y gystadleuaeth fawreddog hon gan Philippa Gibson (Pontgarreg). (Cwestiwn: Beth ddywedodd Taid wrth roi’r llenni ar dân pan oedd yn ceisio cynnau canhwyllau Nadolig? Ateb: ‘Nain, Nain, Nain’.)

 Uchafbwynt y noson oedd y rhaglen o gerddoriaeth draddodiadol ar ffidil a thelyn a gyflwynwyd gan Ceri ac Elsa o Geinewydd.  Ffrwyth ymchwil i gasgliadau lleol o gerddoriaeth, i’w cael mewn llawysgrifau, oedd y darnau a ddewiswyd. A gwnaethom wrando ar eitemau nid yn unig ar y ffidil a’r  delyn arferol ond hefyd ar y crwth ac ar fath arall o delyn a sain y ddau’n wahanol i’r rhai cyffredin.  Byddwn ni’n clywed llawer mwy am y cerddorion dawnus hyn, bid siŵr.

Roedd y noson dan ofal trylwyr Carol Byrne Jones, llywydd y Gymdeithas, a sicrhaodd i’r ciniawyr gael hwyl o ddechrau i ddiwedd y noson.

Bydd y cyfarfod nesaf ar Nos Sul 6 Ionawr am 7:00 yn Eglwys y Drindod Sanctaidd, Castellnewydd Emlyn, pryd y cynhelir Gwasanaeth Plygain. Croeso cynnes i bawb.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Are there any major differences between welsh and irish mythology? Is Brythonic just in terms of language? You mentioned there were welsh versions of holidays like Beltane and Samhain, what are they? Sorry for so many questions, thank you

♥️

No apologies, friend, I am very much the dweeb you are looking for.

Okay, so, mythology: oh, yes. Very different myths, different “gods”, all sorts. We don’t have any version of the Tuatha De Danaan/Fomorians, the Ulster Cycle, any of that; they don’t have the Mabinogi, the actual real Arthur (as opposed to the stolen English propaganda), none of that. 

BUT, there are interesting crossovers sometimes, because there was shared migration between the two lands. We have a myth of a war between Wales and Ireland involving a magic zombie-making cauldron that Wales won; I believe they have a myth with similar facets, that Ireland won. We both have a tale of a spectral fortress in the Irish Sea, sometimes there and sometimes not (Caer Siddi in Welsh, which is translated in a whole bunch of ways but one of those would be something like “revolving fortress” and is the root of Howl’s Moving Castle; I’m not sure of its name in Irish though.) We both have a tale of Osian and Nia Ben Aur, as we’d call them (Oisín and Niamh Chinn Óir in Irish, I think?); the Welsh version is definitely Cymricised, but it does use the phrase Tir na nÓg to refer to the Otherworld, when we would normally call it Annwfn. And sometimes there’s interesting linguistic crossover for certain gods (or godlike figures, it’s all a bit unclear) - the big example that springs to mind is Manawydan fab Llŷr vs Manannán mac Lir. 

So, there’s some crossover myths. But by and large, they’re entirely different mythologies.

“Brythonic” is largely language - basically, the Insular Celts are the Celtic peoples that came and settled modern Britain and Ireland, but they spoke two distinct branches of Celtic language. These were Goidelic (eventually became Irish, Scots Gaelic, Manx) and Brythonic (eventually became Welsh, Cornish, Cumbrian, Breton). There were some cultural differences between the two groups, but by and large, the terms are linguistic. 

As a side note, I studied Irish for a bit in university, and I did so through the medium of Welsh rather than English. It meant that Irish rapidly became the fastest, easiest language I’ve ever tried to learn. Vocab-wise, the two are almost entirely different, with only a small handful of exceptions. But weirdly, the grammar was very nearly identical, to the point that I could translate just the words in a Welsh sentence directly and individually into Irish and it would work with no further adjustments like ninety nine times out of a hundred. It was great, I loved Irish. 

(Breton by contrast was much harder - similar vocab, but the grammar was very different from the heavy French influence. So even though it was a more closely related language, it was more difficult.)

Aaaand... ah, holidays! Okay. So the equivalents are:

Beltaine - Calan Mai

Lughnasadh - Calan Awst

Samhain - Calan Gaeaf

Imbolc -  Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau

All of those are later names given to the festivals by the Christian church, which the possible exception of Calan Gaeaf (”the eve of winter”, literally). One of my Celtic Studies lecturers had a theory that the earlier names were likely to be Calan Haf (”the eve of summer”), Calan Medi (”the eve of the gathering/harvesting”) and maybe something like Calan Gwanwyn (”the eve of spring”). Alternatively, if they followed the Gaelic naming conventions, it’s possible Lughnasadh would have been Gŵyl Lleu (the festival of Lleu, our equivalent of the god Lugh) and Imbolc would be Gŵyl Fraid (the festival of Fraid, our equivalent of Brigid), but that requires quite a bit more back-and-forth than we have time to go into here.

Anyway, I hope that helps!

[wcva]

Siopa Nadolig cydwybodol

Yn y blog yma, mae Simon Dowling o WCVA yn rhoi syniadau moesegol i chi wrth siopa i’ch anwyliaid dros gyfnod yr Ŵyl. 

Mae’r Nadolig ar ddod ac efallai fod y rheini sydd, fel fi, yn gadael pethau tan y munud olaf yn dal i chwilio am yr anrheg berffaith i’w hanwyliaid. Wrth i ni ddod yn fwy ymwybodol o effaith plastig ar yr amgylchedd, ac yn wir ein diwylliant ‘taflu i ffwrdd’, gall siopa Nadolig deimlo weithiau fel pe bai’n gwneud mwy o niwed na daioni. 

Y llynedd fe es i ati’n fwriadol i geisio prynu o leiaf rhai anrhegion o lefydd sy’n rhoi’n ôl i gymdeithas. Os hoffech chithau gefnogi pobl sy’n gwneud pethau gwerth chweil dros ein cymunedau yna dyma restr o anrhegion Nadolig o Gymru â chydwybod gymdeithasol i’ch cynorthwyo! 

Dydw i ddim yn dweud na fydd yna ddim deunydd pacio nac y byddwn yn datrys problemau’r byd dros nos, ond os ydych am brynu pentwr mawr o anrhegion eleni beth am gefnogi’r rheini sy’n ceisio gwneud gwahaniaeth tra ydych wrthi? Os nad dim arall, gallaf eich sicrhau y bydd yn gwneud i chi deimlo’n gynnes tu mewn wrth herio’r tywydd mawr y gaeaf hwn... 

Anrhegion Nadolig o Gymru â chydwybod gymdeithasol 

Anrhegion tymhorol gan Vision 21 

Menter gymdeithasol yw Vision 21 sy’n cynnig ‘cyfleoedd hyfforddiant realistig yn y gweithle i bobl ag anghenion dysgu’. Caiff holl gynhyrchion Vision 21 eu gwneud gyda chyfraniad llawn hyfforddeion ac mae’r elw i gyd yn mynd yn syth yn ôl i’r elusen. 

Yn ogystal ag anrhegion tymhorol mae Vision 21 hefyd yn gwerthu cynhyrchion pren, crochenwaith a chardiau, yn ogystal â phlanhigion, perlysiau a llysiau. Mae siop Vision Made ar Heol Albany yng Nghaerdydd, ac ewch ar wefan Vision 21 i gael gwybod mwy am eu cynhyrchion eraill. 

Pecyn gwau’ch het eich hun 

Ar ôl llwyddiant ysgubol yr ymgyrch ‘One Knit Wonder’ yn 2017, mae’r elusen o Gymru The Wallich yn cydweithio unwaith eto â John Lewis i fynd i’r afael â digartrefedd i’w atal rhag ‘gwau-thygu’! 

Mae’r pecyn hwn yn cynnwys popeth sydd ei angen arnoch i wau het ac mae’n cynnwys lliwiau newydd megis mwstard a gwyrddlas. Mae’r pecyn ar gael am £13.50, yn John Lewis & Partners yng Nghaerdydd am gyfnod penodol yn unig, a bydd yr holl elw o One Knit Wonder yn mynd i The Wallich i helpu pobl sy’n cysgu allan ledled Cymru. 

Ar ôl gorffen eich het, cewch ddewis ei gwisgo eich hun, ei rhoi’n anrheg neu fynd allan a’i rhoi i rywun mewn angen. Ewch i siop John Lewis yng Nghaerdydd i gael gwybod mwy neu ewch i https://thewallich.com/oneknitwonder/. 

Cynhyrchion ‘molchi moethus o Gymru 

Menter gymdeithasol o Gymru yw Good Wash sy’n rhoi ei helw i brosiectau lleol sy’n gwella bywydau anifeiliaid a phobl. Mae gan wefan Good Wash lawer o gynhyrchion ‘molchi moethus o’r radd flaenaf (gan gynnwys ‘Woof wash’ i’ch ci!) sydd wedi’u gwneud o’r cynhyrchion naturiol gorau posib sy’n rhydd rhag creulondeb. 

Mae elw Good Wash yn cynorthwyo elusennau, grwpiau neu unigolion i gynnal prosiectau sy’n gwneud pethau fel; cynorthwyo’r digartref i ddod o hyd i gartref, a gwella eu rhagolygon bywyd; cynorthwyo’r rheini sy’n wynebu tlodi neu allgáu cymdeithasol i ddod o hyd i waith, hyfforddiant neu gyfleoedd gwirfoddoli; gwella lles anifeiliaid; darparu atebion iechyd a llesiant arloesol, sydd ar gael i bawb; hyrwyddo hylendid, a rhoi mynediad at ddŵr glân a glanweithdra; a gwarchod a hybu bywyd ar y tir ac yn y môr. 

Mae cynhyrchion Good Wash ar gael mewn sawl siop ac arlein.

 Canhwyllau o waith llaw gan Beacons Creative 

Mae Beacons Creative yn gwmni cymdeithasol unigryw sy’n cynhyrchu canhwyllau a chynhyrchion cysylltiedig wrth roi cyfleoedd gwaith i bobl ag anawsterau dysgu a’r rheini sydd bellaf o’r farchnad lafur. 

Mae’r fenter gymdeithasol ym Mannau Brycheiniog yn gwerthu llu o gynhyrchion cwyr megis canhwyllau hyfryd a thanwyr moch coed moethus, ac mae’n defnyddio deunyddiau sydd wedi’u hailgylchu pryd bynnag bosib. Ewch ar wefan Beacons Creative i gael gwybod mwy.

 Crysau-t a hwdis wedi’u dylunio a’u cynhyrchu’n lleol 

Menter gymdeithasol ddielw yw Antur 'Stiniog a sefydlwyd yn 2007 i ‘ddatblygu potensial y Sector Awyr Agored yn ardal Ffestiniog’ mewn ffordd gynaliadwy ac arloesol er budd y trigolion a’r economi leol. Mae’r crysau-t a’r hwdis a wneir yn lleol yn arbennig o dda i feicwyr brwd ac mae’r elw yn cefnogi’r llwybrau beicio mynydd a’r cynllun llogi beic yn Eryri. 

Gallwch brynu cynhyrchion Antur ‘Stiniog yn y siop, y ganolfan wybodaeth, y tŷ coffi a’r oriel gelf yng nghanol Blaenau Ffestiniog, neu arlein ar: https://antur-stiniog.myshopify.com/

 Rhowch ymweliad â ‘Rhyfeddod Cymru’ yn anrheg i rywun 

Elusen yw Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru sydd wedi’i hymrwymo i ymchwil a chadwraeth bioamrywiaeth, cynaliadwyedd, dysgu gydol oes a mwynhad ymwelwyr. 

Dyma’r ardd sy’n denu’r nifer mwyaf o ymwelwyr yng Nghymru ac mae llwyth o bethau i’w gweld a’u gwneud y tu hwnt i’r gerddi bendigedig gan gynnwys gweithgareddau amrywiol a’r Ganolfan Adar Ysglyfaethus Prydeinig.

 Cynhyrchion ‘molchi ac anrhegion moethus gan Myddfai Trading Co 

Menter gymdeithasol yw Myddfai Trading Company Limited sy’n darparu cyflogaeth a chyfleoedd gwirfoddoli yn y gymuned leol yn Sir Gâr. Mae eu cynhyrchion ‘arloesol, ecogyfeillgar a gwreiddiol’ yn cynnwys persawr cartref, sebon, jel cawod, siampŵ a sebon llyfnu, hylif golchi dwylo, hylif golchi’r corff, bomiau bath a chynhyrchion sba, sydd hefyd ar gael mewn setiau anrheg. 

Defnyddir yr elw o’r siop arlein a masnach i adfywio cefn gwlad yn lleol gan gynnwys gweithio’n agos gyda Phrosiect yr Arfordir a Choleg Elidyr yn Rhandirmwyn i roi profiad gwaith i oedolion ag anawsterau dysgu. 

Pwy ydym wedi’i anghofio? Yn gwybod am anrhegion â chydwybod gymdeithasol o Gymru sydd ddim ar y rhestr? Rhowch wybod i ni drwy ebostio sdowling@wcva.org.uk. 

Ydych chi’n rhan o fenter gymdeithasol? Mae WCVA yn ariannu Mentrau Cymdeithasol drwy dîm Buddsoddiad Cymdeithasol Cymru, cysylltwch i gael gwybod mwy.

[glynmostyn]

When I say I’m only just now hearing about it I mean I read the post one of the people I’m learning from wrote about it and then immediately made this post, so unfortunately I don’t really have a lot I can tell you about it beyond surface level reading.

 Gŵyl ffair y canhwyllau(the virgin’s feast of candles), a Christian observance, is essentially the Welsh name for Candlemas, where candles are blessed for procession. As with a lot of observances rites of divination are performed. On this day it’s done by setting two lit candles on a table or high bench and each person will sit in between them, drink from a horned goblet or beaker, and throw it over their head behind them. If it landed right side up it meant you’d reach a very old age, upside down meant you’d die early.

For Welsh pagans and witches this is essentially a Welsh version of the Irish Imbolg and called Gŵyl Ffraid or gŵyl y canhwyllau the more recognized Brigid’s Day. Gŵyl means festival/holiday, canhwyllau candles.  Ffraid is the Christian saint equivalent to Braint, a Welsh goddess of healing and spring tide that’s cognate with Brigid, and Gŵyl Ffraid is her feast day. There’s a river in Ynys Môn(Anglesey) named Afon Braint that floods in spring and rejuvenates the landscape that lends to her associations. There’s still a reverence for light and fires but this is the extent of my knowledge, I don’t know what practices involving them exist on the pagan side or where they fit in with Braint, because I still know little about her as well.

Oh fuck the 1st just fucking snuck up on me! I'm only just now hearing about gwyl y canhwyllau/gwyl ffraid/Gwyl fair y canhwyllau!