Mabinogi Riddles with Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird

[@franklinlavoie1890]

Brilliant, insightful, entertaining, and some compelling questions.

[@mbgdemon]

This is absolutely brilliant. Why in the world does it have only 700 views

[@CelticSource]

thanks, yurikahn, I like to think the quality of the viewer is as important as the quantity of views :)

[@bronwenjones2435]

Fascinating! Diolch yn fawr iawn! And what beautiful readings in Cymraeg. A real pleasure.

[@henryjohnfacey8213]

Thank you for posting this is so good to a person who didn't speak his grandmothers tongue.

[@melissaamyx2196]

I've been binge watching all of your videos, your knowledge is amazing! You have the perfect voice for doing an audiobook!!! The Mabinogion would be absolute perfection read by you 💕💞

[@kathdavis8059]

Brilliant, bought my Grandson his first book of The Mabinogi, about time Peter Jackson made another film, The Mabinogi could do with his magic touch, a good project for after this pandemic, would give a lot of excellent deserving Welsh Actors work. :)

[@CelticSource]

I want to see that film!

[@davepowell7168]

Yes, why New Zealand when there are hobbits like me in Wales 👍

[@georginabradshaw4371]

Diolch yn fawr iawn am helpu y gyd ohonnyn dealt y hen cerddi. Nath I dysgu rhai o hein mewn Ysgol uwchradd ond dwi di byth yn dealt be oedd yn digwydd ac teimlais bod na mwy then meets the eye de. Ond roedd neb or athrowen wedi esbonio hyn i ni. Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at bob video. Keep the good work up!

[@CelticSource]

Iawn, wil dw! Diolch am y neges a hapus gallu helpu ychydig.

[@chadhill455]

Have you considered making an audiobook on the Mabinogi? I think it would be great if, at the end of telling a tale, you explained it's historical relevance, aswell as the potential hidden meanings and backstory to each tale. I find listening/reading the Mabinogion can sometimes be difficult, as the old tales are written pretty differently to how they are now of days, but an explanation from someone like you would be fascinating.

[@TheSithari7]

When I read the stories of the mabinogi I feel quite ordinary but after I have finished reading I get flashbacks of sections of the stories and I feel I have been transported to the world of the mabinogi. To me the stories act as portals to the otherworld. As much as I can see the idea that the stories relate to astronomical objects and it's certainly fascinating to consider this point, to me personally I see the stories as relating to the Annwfn, from my interpretation the stories depict the relationship between the seen and the unseen worlds. As above so below, with the above being our physical human world and the below being the annwfn or other world. I believe that once humans and other beings walked along side each other and not in separation as we do today. I believe the stories of the mabinogi act as a gateway to exploring beings from other worlds and the unseen worlds of magic and so called super powers. Ps: edited to add that I absolutely love your channel, your subject matter is highly captivating. You have a great voice for telling the stories and I find that hearing you say the names really helps me with pronunciation, even as a welsh person I still struggle so thank you🙏

[@giosuetacconiartist-thepro4960]

I love this poem. I grew up with this book. The figure I love the most is Pryderi the young king of Dyfed.

[@KrisHughes]

Really enjoyed this video! (And new tricks with the text overlay!) Will be sharing this.

[@CelticSource]

diolch, Kris

[@CaptainMera]

Great video! :D

[@CelticSource]

Thanks! 😁

[@andrewwhelan7311]

Moving seemingly slowly but impossible to catch. There is much to suggest the characters in the tales are celestial objects / planets comet's and their path through the heavens. This also relates to the landscape. As above so below. These astronomical movements and catastrophic collisions and battles were incorporated into tales that were easy to remember and relate to. 12 comes up often and relates to the signs of the zodiac. If you look for the astronomical significance of the mabinogi there are some very interesting aspects of this document ed.

[@CelticSource]

Yes, and Rhiannon's later charge of madness at childbirth may be sign of a mistrust of a lunar connection. That and the episode of Lleu's reincarnation are perhaps the clearest examples of astrological symbolism.

[@johntoffee2566]

You are so right. Though I would argue against 'astrological' symbolism. It is enough to point to known traditional 'astronomical' connections, particularly those in the Fourth Branch... Gwydion with the Milky Way (perhaps specifically Cygnus), Don with Cassiopea and Aranrhod with Corona Borealis, (or Andromeda). Further, there are many reasons to strongly suspect that Lleu is to be equated with the constellation Perseus the Hero, and also Math with Cepheus the King. These constellational characters comprise The Royal Family of the northern circumpolar sky as well as the royal family of Gwynedd in the Fourth Branch. There are hints in the text of 'Math' that several other characters were, in the mind of the author, connected to other constellations... Gronw Pebyr with Hercules as The Strongman 'rising on one knee above the hill of Cyfergyr', Lleu in Eagle form as the constellation Aquila, and so on. Map- making, i.e., accurate cartography, requires an accurate knowledge of the sun, the moon and the stars......

[@davidclyant8376]

Nice one Bard !

[@deanmorgan7011]

The stories are all about the cosmos and the stars

[@deanmorgan7011]

And also the the 12 signs of the Zodiac,

[@deanmorgan7011]

Correct

[@davepowell7168]

Diolch yn fawr foneddigion. Having read the comments after liking the upload, l'm getting more curious.

[@CelticSource]

Well, hope you do something with that curiosity!

[@davepowell7168]

@@CelticSource Do you regard Alan Wilsons research as valid, there were obviously 2 King Arthur's however l'm still skeptical regarding the Holy family. Being English has left me ignorant of much. If this is outside of your expertise that's OK. I'm just curious. Heddwch

[@rheannalake6974]

🌹

[@RhysapGrug]

Wasnt the name pryderi' also the name given to us Brit'- pryd'? Also king Brutus-British? Diolch yn fawr iawn am helpu.

[@CelticSource]

Prydain (we;sh for Britain) comes from the earlier Brythonic Pritani. Pryder I think is of a different origin.

[@scottmarsh2991]

KZbin is shit. Four advert interruptions in this great video? That never happens when I watch less scholarly tripe!

[@CelticSource]

It is, but I probably got paid 0.002p for you inconvenience so thanks!

[@AmandaJuneHagarty]

I think the main reason why there might be a sense of ambiguity here is the lack of context of the culture. When a writer writes and uses layered meaning, metaphor etc. they're relying on the fact of their culture and previous stories and myths, or even current "memes" and jokes going around that might be here today and gone tomorrow, in that culture to convey what they mean. When I was a teenager I was a writer, and I still am, But as a teenager with less experience and knowledge I thought the point of writing and poetry was to be vague so that the reader could ascribe their own meaning. And I realized that a lot of people who aren't writers still think that. But the truth is that that's the worst way to be a writer. What's the point? Why are you even writing if you don't have something specific to say? That doesn't mean that there aren't multiple interpretations of one thing, but that's layered meaning not alternative interpretations. When you're writing something you want to know exactly what you're saying and you want to be certain exactly how the reader will interpret. I mean the word "exactly" isn't the best word here, because it gives a sense that there's one meaning and no other. But there is a core message as a writer that you are trying to get across and if you don't get that across, you've basically failed in your mission. You don't want any old person to be able to use your writing and say hey this is what this means and then it's not at all what you meant. You do want to make people think and think on multiple levels and think of multiple different meanings but you don't want it to be misconstrued as something completely wrong or different than you intended. So I wonder if this apparent ambiguity in these writings, is as ambiguous as we think it is today. More likely the context of the times has been lost and we just don't have the "keys to the door."

[@nigeljames83]

@yurikahn because they ...the establishment don't want you to know the truth!

[@serviustullus7204]

Rhiannon is more than the moon - Rhiannon is the mistress of a king (white-skinned, elusive, and (sexual-wise) very desirable to ride), Rhiannon is the Great Queen of Land Sovereignty who a man who lays claim to the kingdom must attain as his own. This quest for a good princess is not easy. This is the paideia told to children princes who want sovereignty.