By Lydia Lewis, The Croft Wellbeing Editor
Whenever I’m in Bristol, I often find it hard to remember the weird and wonderful folk traditions of Wales. However, coming home for Christmas this year, I was reminded of the rich, ancient customs that Wales has to offer. The reemergence of these festive traditions, though archaic and often overlooked, reveals the vital role Welsh-speaking communities play in their revival and preservation.
A tradition which I have often struggled to explain to anyone who isn’t Welsh is the Mari Lwyd, one of Wales’ most eccentric and Gothic winter traditions. The Mari Lwyd is a horse's skull carried by wassail-singing groups during Christmas and New Year. The skull, decorated with ribbons and glass bottles for eyes, sits ominously above a long white cloak which is draped over the carrier of the horse’s skull.
As if this tradition couldn’t be any spookier, the lower jaw of the skull is attached to a spring that snaps the mouth shut. The preparation of the Mari Lwyd is often a communal event with many locals playing a vital part in the decoration of this eerie figure.
During the ceremony, a group of singers, led by a person ‘controlling’ the Mari Lwyd, sing and dance from door-to-door in their village. Once they visit a house, they perform a pwnco, an improvised singing contest between the group and the villagers, typically with the villager’s door closed.
This old Welsh Pitch Perfect Riff Off lasts until one group yields... which apparently can take hours. If the procession loses, they have to leave and find a different house to torment; if they win, they enter the house. The procession is then rewarded with food, drink, and sometimes money!
The tradition gained popularity in South Wales during the 19th century, particularly in Carmarthenshire and Glamorganshire. Despite the rise in popularity, the number of people taking part in the Mari Lwyd tradition started to dwindle in the 20th century.
One reason for this is the level of drunkenness associated with the practice which went directly against the rise in the core values of the Methodist Church. Another reason for this decline is the drastic fall in the number of Welsh speakers in Wales as the pwnco was always performed in Welsh.
However, there has been a growing fascination with the Mari Lwyd recently which has resulted in a reemergence of this weird Welsh festive ritual. It is likely that this resurgence is a byproduct of the reaffirmation of cultural identity and practices in South Wales following the cessation of their industries and practices.
Another Welsh folk tradition, one that is close to home for me, is Hen Galan. This Welsh New Year tradition happens every year in The Gwaun Valley, in West Wales. With no horse skulls involved, Hen Galan is The Gwaun Valley’s version of New Year, celebrated on the 13th of January.
Until 1752, the UK used the Julian calendar, but this was replaced by the Gregorian calendar as it was more in sync with the rest of Europe. The people of Cwm Gwaun eventually fell into step with elsewhere, but they were determined to continue the Hen Galan tradition and celebrate New Year on the 13th of January.
Hen Galan, meaning ‘Old New Year’ in Welsh, is said to bring people together and is a day full of celebration. One tradition of Hen Galan is Calennig, or ‘New Year gift’, where the children of the village go from door-to-door singing traditional Welsh folk songs (minus the horse-skull).
Instead, they frequently carry an apple which is decorated with evergreen leaves, twigs and cloves. From each house, they will hopefully receive sweets or money. To end the festivities, the villagers will gather to cook a large meal and celebrate the New Year together.
The rich tapestry of Welsh winter traditions, from the eerie Mari Lwyd to the unique celebration of Hen Galan, may be overlooked or misunderstood but they continue to thrive thanks to the efforts of Welsh-speaking communities dedicated to preserving them. As interest in these practices grows, it’s clear that Wales’ folkloric traditions are not only surviving but experiencing a vibrant revival, ensuring that future generations will continue to celebrate the weird and wonderful customs that make Wales truly unique.
Photos courtesy of Lydia Lewis.
