Many of the characters in Welsh and Irish myths are believed to be medieval versions of earlier Celtic gods. But did medieval audiences and readers see them in the same way? What was the medieval relationship to Celtic myth? Here’s one attempt to answer the question. You can listen to this episode as a podcastContinue reading “Celtic Gods in Medieval Wales”
Author Archives: Gwilym Morus-Baird
The Life of Stories (Part 6)
In this addendum to our long rangeing conversation about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, poet and storyteller Tom Hirons talks about what brings some poems and stories to life. You can listen to this episode as a podcast here.
Sir Gawain and Men’s Mysteries (Part 5)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight isn’t just an old poem about chivalry and codes of honour, it also appears to be a meditation upon different types of masculinity. Which story about the sacred masculine is being told here? In this fifth part of a long rangeing discussion between myself and the poet and storyteller,Continue reading “Sir Gawain and Men’s Mysteries (Part 5)”
Sir Gawain and the Pagan Goddess (Part 4)
In this fourth part of the series we venture into the pagan wilds of the English classic. Many scholars have commented on the mixture of Christian and Pagan beliefs in the poem, but why did the anonymous author contrast the two types of belief so explicitly? You can listen to this episode as a podcastContinue reading “Sir Gawain and the Pagan Goddess (Part 4)”
Why study Celtic myths?
Sir Gawain, Woman and Wild God (Part 3)
In this third part of the series, Tom Hirons and myself talk through his poem ‘Sometimes a Wild God’ and some of it’s connections to the Green Knight. The following discussion explores Sir Gawain’s relationship with Lady Bertilak and what this can tell us about medieval and modern ideas of sexuality. You can also listenContinue reading “Sir Gawain, Woman and Wild God (Part 3)”
Sir Gawain, Desire and Death (Part 2)
In this second part of the conversation between the poet Tom Hirons and myself we explore the different tensions in Sir Gawain, initially between desire and death, and then between the different types of morality that can be read in the poem. Listen to the podcast episode here.
Sir Gawain and the Mabinogi (Part 1)
I have been intending to explore Sir Gawain for some time now, and I thought it best to do it in conversation with a good friend of mine, the poet, storyteller and guide Tom Hirons. We recorded a lengthy conversation that I’ve edited into several chapters. Here is the first, Sir Gawain and the Mabinogi.Continue reading “Sir Gawain and the Mabinogi (Part 1)”
The Story of the Story
The Mabinogi contain many influences and draw on many sources. In this last talk on Rhiannon’s Mabinogi, we look at W.J. Gruffydd’s conclusions about how the Mabinogi evolved, and take a brief look at later scholars who disagree with his basic premise. You can also listen to this talk as a podcast here.
The Goddess’ Stolen Child
There are several stories in the Welsh tradition and beyond about stolen children and their mothers, but what do they mean? Part 6 of Rhiannon’s Mabinogi. Listen as a podcast here: https://anchor.fm/celtic-source/episodes/45–The-Goddess-Stolen-Child-e1umrqv