The Welsh Bardic Triads (‘Trioedd Ynys Prydein‘) provide an index to the oral storytelling tradition of medieval Wales. They were used by bards across the centuries not only to help them remember the vast network of traditional myth and lore, but also to present a distinct vision of the ancient past.
In this video I dive into why ’otherworld’ is probably a misleading term when thinking of the Irish sidh or Welsh Annwfn, and what the subtle difference between the Welsh and Irish concepts could be.
Outlining the similarities between the Welsh Tale of Taliesin and the Irish story of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, in particular the very ancient concept of a magical elixir.
A brief discussion on tracing the Celtic myth of water, divine birth and inspiration back to its Indo-European roots.
Connecting the different incarnations of Brigid, from Iron Age goddess to early Christian saint.
A short discussion on Taliesin’s potential to transform his patron through the bardic power of myth!
In this talk, I take a look at the role of awen in creating symbolic reality and give an outline of some of the symbolic meanings that can be found in the great mythic cauldron of the Celts.
This is an old issue when it comes to Celtic culture and our historical source texts. In this video I try to unpick the position we’re currently in from the perspective of Welsh culture, and explain why I’m not necessarily taking the usual route with this field of study.
An overview of the Mari Lwyd folk custom and the meaning of some of the folk verses sung during the festivities.
An interview I did in December 2019 with Sharon Blackie, author of If Women Rose Rooted, for her podcast This Mythic Life. We discuss the Welsh Bardic Tradition, how they used myth and how Taliesin is the embodiment of bardic myth making.