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Post by wolfgrin on Nov 5, 2017 1:27:29 GMT -1
Hi there! I'm Jenny. I live in Texas, though my wife and I hope to be moving to Oregon within the next few months. I had originally found the Dun Brython website several months ago, but wasn't yet at a place in my studies/journey to spend much time here. Ironically, as this seems to be a common event in my spiritual journey, I find myself here again, with eyes much more widely open... (Thanks Selgowiros for the suggestion, if you happen to read this!)
I've been dabbling in some form of paganism off and on (quite literally as I've never managed to seriously become a student or practioner of anything, much to my frustration) for roughly 20 years. My largest reason for a lack of commitment was a wariness of all of the misinformation and fluff in the community in addition to no connection to a community and path that (for the lack of a better phrase) "felt like home". I've since found a bit of direction thanks to Celtic Reconstructionism, though I consider myself to be a light reconstructionist. The CR FAQ led me to find sites such as Tairis, Gail Noafa, etc. After trying to connect with the Gaelic side of the Celtic cultures (specifically Irish and Scottish) I was drawn in by the Gaulish pantheon, specifically Taranis and Lugus. I'm interested in learning more about Vindos (Vindonnus) and Gwynn ap Nudd at the moment, though I'm sure these interests will broaden. I'm also quickly becoming really interested in the role that dogs and wolves play in Celtic culture, especially as psychopomps, as I've always had a strong bond to our canine and lupine friends.
Thanks for having me here! I look forward to learning a lot and hopefully contributing in some way.
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Post by Dennis on Nov 5, 2017 5:07:42 GMT -1
Hello, Jenny.
I'm just starting to explore the Brythonic literature and lore. There's a good deal about dogs / hounds in what I'm reading closely now - "Culwch and Olwen", where a hunt of the great boar king Twrch Trwyth plays a central role.
I've seen it mentioned that one possible reason Gwynn ap Nudd is associated with both dogs and ravens is that these animals would eat corpse carrion.
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Post by lorna on Nov 5, 2017 8:13:21 GMT -1
Hello Jenny and welcome to Brython It took me a while to find my path too - stumbling through attempts to connect with the Greek and Roman gods and stumbling through attempts to do Seidr work in the Heathen tradition before I realised the deities who had already called me were Brythonic. Until I reached my late twenties I didn't know Britain had its own gods! There is just so little info on them and such a lack on knowledge of them in the Pagan communities. In my experience there is a lot of crossover between the Gaulish and Brythonic deities with Taranis, Lugus, Maponos, Vindos/Vindonnus etc. being venerated in both Gaul and Britain. Caesar mentions that the Gauls got their religion from the British druids. I have never had any experiences with Taranis and Lugus although others on this site have. I'd love to hear more about your relationship with them. If you fancied writing anything about them for Brython that would be very much appreciated. Gwyn's my patron. It's my belief he's a very very old god of hunting and death who may perhaps have had some role in wolves becoming domesticated as dogs for hunting. It's my personal belief he was venerated by the first peoples who returned north to Britain after the Ice Age following the reindeer with the wolf packs. As Dennis mentions, Gwyn's also associated with ravens - he speaks of being accompanied by ravens who 'croak over gore' in 'The Conversation of Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwyddno Garanhir'. I read an article a while back on interactions between wolves and ravens. Ravens would tell the wolves where animals were then the wolves would share the carrion with ravens. Way back in the past corpses were often left out for excarnation - for their flesh to be stripped away by carrion-eaters before their bones were buried. So wolves and ravens would be seen as accompanying Gwyn, god of death, to eat the flesh whilst Gwyn gathered the soul of the deceased to take back to Annwn. This is a worldview that has presented itself to me through a combination of research and journeying back into that time and writing stories about it.
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Post by Heron on Nov 5, 2017 15:30:51 GMT -1
Hello Jenny and welcome!
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Post by potia on Nov 5, 2017 20:10:39 GMT -1
Welcome Jenny
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Post by gruffudd on Nov 6, 2017 20:25:06 GMT -1
Hi Jenny. Welcome.
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Post by wolfgrin on Nov 8, 2017 3:26:09 GMT -1
Thanks everyone!! I've seen it mentioned that one possible reason Gwynn ap Nudd is associated with both dogs and ravens is that these animals would eat corpse carrion. I've seen the same thing. I'm actually trying to get my hands on a copy of a book entitled "Apollo the Wolf-God" by Daniel Gershenson. He apparently breaks down Apollo and several connected gods (Aplu, Odin, Wodan, etc), and I very much think that Gwyn ap Nudd could be a Brythonic Wind-Wolf god (at least based around what I've read thus far). If not Gwyn, then perhaps Vindos. But, I really wanna get my hands on that book to examine it more closely. In my experience there is a lot of crossover between the Gaulish and Brythonic deities with Taranis, Lugus, Maponos, Vindos/Vindonnus etc. being venerated in both Gaul and Britain. Caesar mentions that the Gauls got their religion from the British druids. I have never had any experiences with Taranis and Lugus although others on this site have. I'd love to hear more about your relationship with them. If you fancied writing anything about them for Brython that would be very much appreciated. It definitely seems like some deities we're common across multiple Celtic cultures compared to others being so highly localized. I'm really interested in the reasons why, but I suppose that we can't ever truly know for sure. I don't have many experiences to share yet, as I only stumbled onto Gaulish polytheism this April. But! I have a pretty cool story about Taranis and Hurricane Harvey. (I'll share it later when I'm writing from a computer and not my phone). Gwyn's my patron. It's my belief he's a very very old god of hunting and death who may perhaps have had some role in wolves becoming domesticated as dogs for hunting. It's my personal belief he was venerated by the first peoples who returned north to Britain after the Ice Age following the reindeer with the wolf packs. As Dennis mentions, Gwyn's also associated with ravens - he speaks of being accompanied by ravens who 'croak over gore' in 'The Conversation of Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwyddno Garanhir'. I read an article a while back on interactions between wolves and ravens. Ravens would tell the wolves where animals were then the wolves would share the carrion with ravens. Way back in the past corpses were often left out for excarnation - for their flesh to be stripped away by carrion-eaters before their bones were buried. So wolves and ravens would be seen as accompanying Gwyn, god of death, to eat the flesh whilst Gwyn gathered the soul of the deceased to take back to Annwn. This is a worldview that has presented itself to me through a combination of research and journeying back into that time and writing stories about it. Pardon me while I squeal in excitement! Every word you wrote above struck a cord in me. I did read a blog post of yours about Gwyn and his possible existence back into the Ice Age. I'd believe it. There is a primalness there that feels like it comes from "less civilized" times. I'd love to learn more about your research, relationship with Gwyn, or whatever else you're willing to share!
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Post by lorna on Nov 10, 2017 19:26:22 GMT -1
I did read a blog post of yours about Gwyn and his possible existence back into the Ice Age. I'd believe it. There is a primalness there that feels like it comes from "less civilized" times. I'd love to learn more about your research, relationship with Gwyn, or whatever else you're willing to share! Additionally scholars such as Yuri Leitch and Nicholas R. Mann have connected Gwyn with Orion and Dormach, Gwyn's hunting dog, with Canis Major. Sirius, the Dog Star, is Dormach's red nose Gwyn is our native British Hunter in the Skies and perhaps old as the stars... I'm currently wondering if he's connected with Thornborough Henge in Yorkshire which is arranged to reflect Orion's belt. Additionally it is 'aligned so its western end pointed towards the mid-winter setting of Orion... The southern entrances framed the rising of the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, and was also aligned on the midwinter solstice.' www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/sacred-prehistoric-neolithic-complex-thornborough-henges-003652 Which maps with Gwyn being a winter god. Plus 'the banks of the henges were coated in a brilliant white layer of gypsum or gypsum crystal which would have made the site visible for miles.' If you've not seen it already I keep a page on my website about both my research and my relationship with Gwyn lornasmithers.wordpress.com/gwyn-ap-nudd/ During the process of writing the first section of my next book, Gatherer of Souls, which attempts to recover Gwyn's lost mythology I did a lot of research on and journeywork back to that period which has resulted in a section of new stories and poems titled 'After the Ice Age'. If you e-mail me at lornasmithers81@gmail.com I'll send you a couple of pieces that may be of interest.
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Post by wolfgrin on Nov 11, 2017 15:36:24 GMT -1
Email sent. Thank you again!!
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