Welsh Myth and Legend and Magic

St. David preaching in an historiated D in Cambridge University Library MS Ff.1.27, p. 618

St. Patrick preaching in an historiated P in Cambridge University Library MS Ff.1.27, p. 453

In honor of St. David's Day, the story of St. Patrick being kicked out of Wales by an angel in order to make way for the Welsh saint:

#DyddGŵylDewi 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (1/9)

Too far for you to see
The fluke and the foot-rot and the fat maggot
Gnawing the skin from the small bones,
The sheep are grazing at Bwlch-y-Fedwen,
Arranged romantically in the usual manner
On a bleak background of bald stone.
(RS Thomas)

If it wasn't for the name I would have thought it was the silhouette of a frog.

With the legendary Dinas Bran in the background.

St David's Day cyclists coming down St Mary's Street to an accompaniment of a disco version of Calon Lan.

Café in Cardiff named after Brân from the second branch of the Mabinogi. Not just a crow because he has a crown.

Each constituency now elects six members so I'm not sure people really need to vote tactically.

St David's Day parade ending at Cardiff Castle.

Two ancient copper spoons with decoration on the handles

In honour of #StDavidsDay here are the wonderful Penbryn Spoons, which were found in 1829 beneath a heap of stones inside the Castell Nadolig hillfort, near Penbryn in Ceredigion, Wales. The pair of cast bronze ‘spoons’ date to the Late Iron Age (c. 50 BCE–100 CE).

Screenshot from the "Welsh Outlook", 1921: "But London, with its opportunities and its prosperity, could not pluck from his heart the memory of the valley of contemplation. As he became one of London's rich citizens, he remembered that he was still a Welsh-man. One of the most charming glimpses we get of him is at performance of "Henry V." The braggart Pistol is eating the leek, and Myfyr, greatly excited is clapping his hands and proclaiming loudly, "That's right! That's right!"

Nineteenth century cartoon showing the scene from Henry V in which the rejected Englishman Pistol is forced to eat a Welsh leek by Fluellen

Ar gyfer Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, un o fy hoff straeon (heb fawr o dystiolaeth, am wn i...) am Gymry Llundain y ddeunawfed ganrif

Yes, but he didn't write in English.

Well I was actually just correcting the headline because it was ignoring Welsh-language poetry. I also love RS Thomas but Dylan has had worldwide recognition.

O waycher here is nunderful

There is no weed for nerds

For silling on my window flutter

Biny little turds.

By Terry Jones

Port Shoem by the Speverend Rooner

I've a gouse and harden in the country

An ace to call my plown

A treat I can replace to

When I beed to knee alone.

Catterfly and butterpiller

Perch on beefy Lao

Listen to the dats and cogs

As they mark and they beow.

Wales' greatest English-language poet, surely?

A riddle from Bledri, a 12th-century Welsh storyteller, as relayed by Gerald of Wales:

"There are among us men who, when they go a-hunting, carry their horse on their shoulders until they come near to their quarry. Then, to catch their prey, they mount their steeds. ...

Syr John Rhŷs yn dathlu Gŵyl Ddewi yn yr heulwen.

Congratulations to Maia Williams of @jesusoxford.bsky.social, who has won the 2025 Sir John Rhŷs Essay Prize for her piece on mythological elements in an alternative ending to the Middle Welsh tale Math uab Mathonwy. Da iawn, Maia! www.english.ox.ac.uk/article/sir-...

Welsh Grammar

This manuscript was written in the early 17th century. It was probably owned by Iolo Morgannwg as it contains notes in his hand. It is a copy of the grammar used by the poets in the 16th century, although not an exact copy.

Date: 17th century BMSS/2

www.jstor.org/stable/commu...

Not sideburns, sideboards!

Modern druid calls for the mythologies of The Mabinogi to enter the digital age A Welsh druid has said The Mabinogi should be reimagined in virtual reality to survive the digital age and to reclaim Cymru’s stellar tradition of oral storytelling. One of the earliest and most influ...

A Welsh druid has said The Mabinogi should be reimagined in virtual reality to survive the digital age and to reclaim Cymru’s stellar tradition of oral storytelling

Rare Roman treasure found by metal detectorists Two rare Roman lead ingots discovered in Ceredigion have been officially declared treasure, shedding new light on Wales’ industrial past under Roman rule. The objects — known as lead “pigs” — were unc...

Two rare Roman lead ingots discovered in Ceredigion have been officially declared treasure, shedding new light on Wales’ industrial past under Roman rule

A person dressed in a horse skull and sheet as the mari lwyd. Unknown photographer.

'2026 is the year of the horse.'
The horse:

I'm out here asking the most important questions such as "when will the national theatre of Wales bring 'Siwan' back into production?"

The nineteenth century brought many developments which effected Welsh-language literary culture. Perhaps the single most important one was the growth of the periodical press✍️ Jerry Hunter buff.ly/utb9y03

Cant y cant i fi.

How a Welsh village saved its forest … and its future In an edited extract from her latest book, Hazel Sheffield sets out a new blueprint for community stewardship

Stori i godi calon!
Coedwig pobl Treherbert

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

When fish and chips shops used to look like butchers or cake shops and we had tiny red phone boxes.

Rhys Mwyn - Sut mae'r Mabinogi wedi ysbrydoli'r Cymry? - BBC Sounds Manon Prysor sy'n esbonio pam fod y Mabinogi yn ysbrydoli caneuon fel Ysbryd Efnisien.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I went to Wales v Scotland u20s. The guys behind me were singing beautifully. They turned out to be Georgians. I told them they sing better than us, play rugby better than us and drink better than us. They disagreed and gave me a Georgian scarf and wouldn't take my Welsh scarf in return.