Shwmae, ffrindiau!

I hope you’re all da iawn and enjoying y tywydd braf. This week I’ve been delving into the hen draddodiadau of Wales. My tad-yng-nghyfraith, Peter, is a very skilled carver of llwyau caru and I’m the proud owner four very special spoons which he gave to me and my husband on our dyweddïad and priodas and some other achlysuron arbennig. These are some examples from his workshop in Caerdydd.

In more normal times, I regularly take my teulu to the Amgueddfa Sain Ffagan Werin Cymru – the National Museum of History at Saint Fagans near Cardiff. If you head over to their website you can learn more about the different meanings encoded in lovespoons and see examples dating back to the 1600s.

I was also reminded in my reading this week of an encounter I had around 2002 in a working men’s club in Port Talbot one New Year’s Eve. The Mari Lwyd, a team of rowdy wassailers with a horse’s skull on a stick, came in demanding hospitality. The Mari and its retinue take turns with householders or folks in the pub in a poetic battle and eventually the horse is allowed to come in and share in the celebrations. Take a look at this video to see what it’s all about.

Oes llwy caru gyda chi? Dych chi wedi gweld y Fari erioed? Pa draddodiadau eraill o’ch ardal chi dych chi’n cofio?

Hwyl am y tro!