Today (January 13th) is Hen Galan, the Welsh Old New Year, based on the archaic Gregorian rather than the modern Julian calendar. And there’s a long tradition in Wales of welcoming in the Old New Year with fun, festivities, feasting and a dead horse. As you do. She’s called the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare) and is a modern incarnation of the ancient Celtic horse goddess Epona, also called Rhiannon in Wales.
Grey and white animals were prized in pre-Christian times for their ability to flit between this world and Annwn, the Otherworld, which isn’t like the Christian Heaven and Hell. That’s why Christianity almost wiped out the tradition, by the mid 20th century there were only a handful of Mari Lwyds left in Wales, where there had once been hundreds. But now she’s coming back and Husb and I went Wassailing on Saturday and there were six Mari Lwyds prancing around and making mischief. The one at the top is Mari Cas-Gwent (the Chepstow Mari Lwyd) and the bottom one is Mari Benfro (the Pembrokeshire Mari Lwyd). They’re all different.
Fascinating to read about the old traditions . . . something I’d never heard of. Thanks.
Thanks Carol 🙂
Happy Old New Year Rosie. I always enjoy your Mari Lwyd posts.
Diolch yn fawr, Thank you Leonie 🙂
A dead horse! This is a very interesting post indeed and I love the scribblings!
Thanks Helen. I think the Mari Lwyd links through to the Hobby Horse in some of the ancient festivals in England, particularly may Day 🙂