Brythonic Festival Questions

[kevinseguin]

I had a few questions about the Brythonic festivals as per the Brython website within the context of the Welsh language.

So I'm clear...
Gwyl means festival
Gwanwyn means spring
Haf means summer
Hydref means autumn
Gaeaf means winter

For the solstices and the equinoxes, would it be
Canol/Ganol y/yr gwanwyn, haf, hydref, and gaeaf respectively?

If not, what would they be in Welsh?

Now onto the cross-quarter festivals

What I say here are merely suggestions:

For Gwyl Ffraed, why not Gwyl Brigantia instead?

For Beltaine, why not Belenos?

Lugus I love

For Nos Calan Gaeaf or Gwyl y Meirw, is Calan/Calan y Meirw okay?

In keeping with the theme:
Brigantia
Belenus/Grannus
Lugus
Who might be an appropriate for Nos Calan Gaeaf?
Cernunnos perhaps?

[Lee]

Generally we dont do much on the equinoxes.. they just dont really stand out for most of us i think. the solstices, well, we tend to refer to the midwinter one and the days leading up to it as Eponalia and mark it with a couple of celebrations over a few days. The name being drawn from the Romano-Gaulish festival. At present we tend to refer to midsummer as just that, though it is becoming a time when we mark it with stuff for Maponos.

the others; well, it kind of depends, we have probably fallen inot the habit of using welsh names for now as a default ore than anything. we are probably still working on 'proper brython; names though might well be going towards Brigantica for feb 1st. the others we are naming as is appropriate at that time until we come to something else whihc fits for us all. mainly we are on some kind of shared default setting.

[kevinseguin]

Midsummer works well for the Summer Solstice.
I like using Midwinter for the Winter Solstice for the same reason.

If Eponalia is sacred to Rigatona, then who would Midwinter be sacred to?

I read further into Calan Mai, and it looks like you do also call it Belenus, which I think fits wonderfully - especially considering you have Lugus as an early harvest festival later in the year.

I love using Brigantica, and as I've seen looking at older posts, it looks like it's had a lot of discussion.

That being said, I'm liking the six-fold wheel of the year concept, with Eponalia being a pre-midwinter observation. It has a very nice feel to it, and I can see why the equinoxes are generally not observed.

Considering that "Mabon" is rather artificial, and doesn't work as a Maponos festival as well as Midsummer, and the fact that Ostara is contracted from Eostre... A germanic deity, I completely understand why they are a hassle. Thank you very much for clearing things up for me, Lee

[Lee]

Anyone who uses Mabon for Autumn Equinox on here gets tarred, feathered and shown the door

What was quite nifty is that these 6 festivals nicely fit in with the 6 spoked wheel we chose as a symbol for brython/ i dont think it was deliberate in any way. there will be other small, more personal festivals but those 6 are the ones we tend to share.

Eponalia is a several day festival: Epona/Rigantona on the 18th, solstice on the 21st as Sol Invictus etc and then a family/tribe based celebration on the 25th... a natural evolution really as the 25th is almost universally in the Uk and elsewhere all about family.

[redraven]

I do use the equinoxes and don't associate with some of the cultural festivals as such, just for the record.

RR

[Heron]

Aug 14, 2011 8:35:02 GMT -1 @kevinseguin said:

For the solstices and the equinoxes, would it be
Canol/Ganol y/yr gwanwyn, haf, hydref, and gaeaf respectively?

If not, what would they be in Welsh?

Heuldro (lit. 'Sun-turn') for Solstice.

But I agree that Midsummer in particular is best thought of as an extended season rather than an astronomical event.

[Chad]

I would assume, there is going to be a level of difference on what gods correspond to what day. Personally, I like using Cymraeg terms in the sense that it is a Brythonic language. Cornish would work too, in that regard. I would assume, as far as naming the days off, it would be a matter of preference.

My terms will be am Cymraeg, personally. I even call the gods by their Welsh version names. Belyn, Taran, etc. My belief on Belenos is that he and Beli Mawr are two seperate gods, based on Belenos yielding the name Belyn, in lieu of Beli. Leaving Beli Mawr as a death god, which, in my opinion makes him an EXCELLENT god to give special honor to at Calan Gaeaf. Of course, some, in fact, many tie Belenos to Beli Mawr, and I will not say they are wrong, I just see it differently.

I am still learning and developing my studies and relationship building with goddesses, so I'll have to come back to you all on that. Modron seems to be a recurring one in my thoughts. She would do well for my Spring Equinox observances to pay her special homage at that time. Rhiannon definitely figures in for Midwinter for my focus at that time. I feel that, at least, the seasonal quarters should be celebrated more than one day, the solstices having more bearing than the equinoxes, for the aforementioned reason that the changes aren't as strong and apparent as the solstices. I'm not writing off the changes that do take place, of course.

I echo the sentiment that Mabon is a great choice for special honors during the summer solstice. I don't see where anyone got the idea for his name to be used for the Autumn Equinox. Llew is a great god to focus our honors in August. I totally agree with that.

I'm still working out February. Gŵyl Braidd? I hope to get to know her better before that time. Cernwn is a great choice for Calan Gaeaf as well. Also Arawn. Who, I kind of see as possibly tied to Cernunnos. Possibly. Due to his forest hunts and Underworld ties. I just thought I'd throw in my thoughts on the matter!

[Chad]

After all of that, this is where I've come to personally. Should I receive the privilege of joining Brython, I would hope my conclusions do not bear any sort of issues, as the current setup is fine. This is what I have:

Calan Gaeaf (Beli Mawr, Cernwn, Arawn)
Midwinter (Rhiannon)
Gŵyl Braidd
Gŵyl Gwanwyn
Gŵyl Belyn, or Calan Haf
Gŵyl Mabon
Gŵyl Llew Law Gyffes
Calan Hydref

That's what I have right now.

[lorna]

Hi Craig, if it makes you feel any better I'm still in the process of creating my ritual year, which admittedly changes each year with the feel of the season and the deities I'm connecting with.

This will make more sense if I tell you in advance that I follow the Bardic Tradition of Druidry and live in Lancashire, in the North of England. All the deities I work with are connected with this area except Gwyn ap Nudd with whom I have a more personal / spiritual connection.

It goes something like this:

Winter Solstice / Alban Arthan- I connect this festival with the rebirth of the sun and the birth / release of Mabon as sun child. I honour Gwyn as Winter King. I also connect the story of Gawain and the Green Knight to the coming of the new year.

Imbolc / Gwyl Ffraid - First signs of spring- ie. snowdrops. I honour Brigantia as patron of the Brigantes tribes and spirit of the North of England.

Spring Equinox / Alban Eilir- Yellow flowers- celandines, daffodils. The March Wind. (More of a presence than the flowers this year). No deity for this one yet although next year might attempt connecting with Bloduewedd.

Beltane / Calan Mai - I see this festival as sacred to Belinus, and to Belisama who is the goddess of the river Ribble, it's valley and to me it's nearby towns and cities as they wouldn't existed if it wasn't for the Ribble's waters. I honour her at this time of year. May Day is also the date of Gwyn and Gwythyr's ritual battle for Creiddylad, a time when the energies of Faery are hectic and the veil is thin. It's a hectic one!

Midsummer / Alban Hefin - Here Maponus / Mabon is honoured at the height of his power along with all green things alive with the sunshine of long days. Faery energies are high. Gwyn as Faery King on midsummer's eve.

Lughnasadh / Gwyl Awst - Time of the first harvest, but also associated with competition and heroism. I tend to read some of the battle poems from 'The Four Books of Ancient Wales'. I'd like to connect with Lugos / Lugh but haven't met him yet. Perhaps a visit to Carlisle is in order.

Autumn Equinox / Alban Elfed- Second harvest. Whilst some people devote this festival to Mabon I connect it more with Modron / Matrona, as a festival of the late fruits of an (aging) mother? I also connect it with heavy rain, thus with Belisama as a river goddess and Nodens / Nudd in connection with clouds and the putti on his relief at Lydney.

Samhain / Calan Gaeaf - For me the period between the 31st October - 11th November is associated with ancestors. I honour Gwyn as leader of the wild hunt, which (in my UPG) plays a part both in bringing an end to the old year returning souls to the Otherworld and in the birth of the new year and rebirth of persons.

If in doubt, maybe try asking your gods and the spirits of your land when they'd like to be honoured and what they'd like you to do?

[potia]

Hi both,

I think it's important to remember that there's no reason that a particular seasonal festival has to be tied to a particular deity. The Solstices and Equinoxes for example are celestial markers that can bring to mind some deities more than others but don't have to be linked to them.

Imbolc and Lughnasadh are festivals which in my opinion are as much about honouring praticular deities as they are about seasonal changes. Beltane for me is purely seasonal and the marker is the blooming of the hawthorn which this year where I am has only just happened (so happy Beltane). Samhain for me very much about the ancestors.

I tend to use the gaelic names simply because they are more common in Scotland and the wider pagan community here than the Welsh names. So while Brython as a group used a lot of Welsh terminology for some of us those terms are not the most natural ones

[Chad]

I apologise that I missed your post! I completely understand why some folks would not wish to use Welsh names. It's just easier for me. That post was made when my ideas were slightly less developed, anyway. I've shut off most things to focus on these matters. Some of those titles do not stand with me so much anymore. The ideas are similar, but some of the names have changed. I don't know why Welsh names ring true with me. I'm not Welsh (that I know of). If someone uses any other language names, I wouldn't think any less of it. Even English titles for the festivals would be fine in my book. For me, it's Welsh. But I don't write anyone else's rules, nor do I wish to. I just wish to present what is palatable to me.

Gŵyl Rhiannon
Gŵyl Ffraed
Calan Haf
Canol Haf
Gŵyl Lleu
Calan Gaeaf

Adding Gŵyl Taran July 7th

That's just me, though! I apologise if I came across as pushy.