#make mari lwyd great again

[itlearns]

Got curious about how Santa Claus and Ded Moroz (russian winter old man that gives presents to good kids) are connected and my research showed that both of them are propagandistic tools for distracting us from running around in hideous costumes completely wasted, scream at our neighbors and rob rich people during Winter Solstice.

[camdentown-library]

Day O1 : Holding Hands || male!Eivor x fem!reader

𝕺𝖍, 𝖆 𝖇𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝖋𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖔𝖋𝖋 𝖆 𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖋, 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖙 𝖇𝖊?

You and Eivor have made your way to Glowechestreschire, apparently his blacksmith friend was in the mood for marriage and in all honesty after the tragic chapter of Sigurd it was a valid excuse to change a bit 'air. By now the air when the two Vikings were close became almost unbreathable, even for you, Hidden-One with a calm and static mind. As soon as you arrived from Gunnar you were expecting a wedding, sure, but you certainly weren't expecting a party country! Apparently a pagan celebration was upon us: Samhain. Gunnar explained to you that on this holiday the monstrous creatures of the night came out and the people of the village left all kinds of sweets to them. So the blacksmith advised you to disguise yourself as monsters so you can have fun collecting some sweets and scare some naughty children.

"Hahaha ... I feel ridiculous" you said after Gunnar and his promised wife helped you dress up as a monster "You are ridiculous, mate" you said pointing at Eivor with a laugh. He wore the skull of an animal, which covered his face and you too were dressed in the same way. Eivor laughed under his breath as he watched you from head to toe. "Believe me, if there's anything ridiculous it's a monster of your short stature, y / n" he commented crossing his arms to his chest. "Hey!" you said with a slight pout. "Nonsense! You are the spirits of Mari Lwyd herself, Now let's go! Don't take your cloak off during the party and if you sing the locals will delight you with beer and sweets" Gunnar explained, in his usual way of brave storyteller. "Even with a knife to my throat you won't hear me sing" Eivor commented, with the same friendliness as a hunting wolf, you and Gunnar held back a laugh at that point. "Too bad. You know, y / n, Eivor has a really beautiful voice when he sings. Once larks have fallen before him" the building told you in his rich, bubbly and cheerful voice. You bit your cheek so as not to burst out laughing and thanked the gods of Eivor and Gunnar for hiding your face behind a mask. "You know Gunnar, I don't know if the larks have fallen in front of him or fainted for some out of tune" the blacksmith then replied with a fat laugh, while Eivor stopped walking and turned towards you putting his hands on his hips. "Enough..." he said curling his lips a little "Come on now y / n, we have a lot to do and...Gunnar if I find out that my friend and I are the only ones dressed in this absurd way, I'll fill the shop with sheep" concluded the viking from the hair blonde as straw after inviting you with a nod to follow him. It wasn't such a bad night, in fact to be honest you were really enjoying yourself !! You had never been used to participating in these parties so weird, but at the same time fascinating...You felt in a sense your lost childhood rejuvenate and surely celebrating with Eivor was a good choice. You had gone to the door of a house and when it opened a child came out and at the sight of you two gave you all his sweets, with a terrified expression on his face. As soon as the door closed, you heard Eivor's hoarse voice explode in sincere amused laughter. "HAHAHA! Did you see how many sweets? We also have an apple pie!" "hahahaha! Did you see what that kid's face? We could really ask him anything and he would have given it to us" you commented while holding your belly contracted for too much laughter. You looked at Eivor, well...Eivor's mask, for a few moments and after giving him an amused smile, you took him by the hand and started running. "Come on Eivor! Let's find a secluded place to eat our loot" you suggest starting to run, while your friend couldn't help but think how tiny your hand was compared to his. You sat on a hill and after taking off your mask and sharing an amused, contented laugh, you split your apple pie. It was delicious ... you have never eaten such a good and spicy dessert! "We needed this evening between friends" Eivor began eating some cake, observing the horizon and the moon reflecting like silver on the shores of the lake. "You're right..." you commented with your mouth full. "Do you think ... do you think I'm a weightlifting brother?" the Viking suddenly asked after what moment of silence, while you suddenly turned your gaze towards him, with a puzzled grimace. "What ?! No-" you said suddenly and then regain consciousness and understand why he was asking you icò "Hey..." you approached him, taking his left hand with both of yours "You did what you could, ok It is true the skalds sing of an otherworldly warrior, but Eivor, you are a man, you have your limits, and anyone would have done what you did. You have gone even beyond your limits, you have often gotten into trouble, for save Sigurd's life. In time he too will understand" you explained stroking his hand, while the wheat-haired Viking, in a moment of confidence, placed his forehead on yours "Friends don't lie Eivor, what I say is pure truth, Sigurd is shaken by a great anger but over time he will understand who the people who really love him are” you said "And until he understands it, I'll be there to hold your hand" you concluded with a small reassuring smile. Your foreheads were still attached, and the gentle eyes of the drengr at your side watched you closely and then let out a deep sigh. "You're a good girl, y/n" he murmured leaving you a kiss on the forehead and then cheerfully ruffling your hair to dampen his regret caused by his worries, you smiled too as you walked away from him. "You're the good boy, ferocious drengr with a generous heart" "Ah, leave the flattery to Gunnar" he said with a chuckle. "About Gunnar ..." and you both glanced at you, while you smirked "Why don't you sing me a song" "No" the Viking seemed to sulk like a child, and you laughed. "Come on" "Forget it" "I'll give you all my sweets" you proposed, making the blond boy waver. "Just a verse" "Three" "Deal, I want all the apple pie" he said, wiping the crumbs off his lips and standing up after taking a sip of beer, a gift from a village family. He cleared his throat and after looking at you with the same face as those who were walking around naked in the crowded streets he began to sing a tune "My mother told me, Someday I would buy ♫ Galleys with good oars, Sails to distant shores ♫ Stand up high in the prow ♫ Noble barque I steer steady course for the haven ♫ Hew many foe-men ♫ Hew many foe-men ♫ Hew-Hey- Ah-ooooh!" she concluded with a proud howl, while you giggling touched by her demeanor, applauding laughing. It is true, the next morning you would have had to face everyday life again, but unfounded now it was right to enjoy this moment together. "Come, y/n. I teach you to dance this song" Eivor said, giggling, taking both hands and lifting you off the ground. "Hey! Weren't you the one who didn't even want to sing?" you asked ironically, as he guided your hands to follow the steps. "You unleashed the madman in me, now you will suffer the consequences, Eagle-cub"

𝕿𝕳𝕰 𝕰𝕹𝕯

𝕯𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖍𝖊? 𝕺𝖗 𝖉𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓?

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Tag list : @tazzclegane​

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

hello ! just spent a couple of hours browsing your welsh tag whilst procrastinating a uni assignment, throughly enjoyed it would recommend

as someone who grew up half welsh but living in england 75% of the time i find that i really know nothing about the culture despite my nain being an active member of the local community and literally teaching reciting for eisteddfod competitions

i have basiaclly 0 experience of welsh culture, aside from the basic anti english sentiment so I was wondering where i should start becasue ive been interested for so long (literally being trying to learn welsh since i was 13, my sisters are in welsh medium schooling too - my whole family speaks) and im an almost completed duolingo course down and none the wiser on the actual culture

theres the mabinogion but which version? and i saw your mari lwyd post a while ago but ive ?? never heard about this, like i didnt even really know that cheese was so important to welsh culture and i have no idea where to start but i viscerally want to know, ya know?

anyway ty hope 2021 goes well for you 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hello hello! I am thrilled my nonsense corner of the internet is pleasing to you. I saw this ask and gaily went to grab the link to this post I wrote in October, because it was in answer to someone with a very similar question, but I’ve just realised you’ve liked that post and so have presumably read it already. So I shall say that most of my recommendations are in there, and I will now be more specific about the exact questions you’ve asked here.

Best version of the Mab: Sioned Davies’ 2008(?) translation (actually it must have been earlier, I used it in my first degree. Maybe 2006). HOWEVER, the free online version at mabinogi.net is annotated to explain a lot of the cultural/religious background of what you’re reading, so that’s great. It only covers the Four Branches, though, so you’ll need the Sioned Davies version for the rest.

So, the Mari Lwyd is something that most Welsh people don’t know about, either. Cultural genocide is a real thing, and we had it bad for a looong time. The cheese thing is particularly unknown unless you’re a fucken nerd (me) who has studied it. So, don’t feel bad on those. That post I’ve linked above has a link to the best book on Welsh faerie mythology (free online again) and it covers a lot of interesting aspects to all of this.

But, you actually have a head start over a lot of people - you have resources in your family. Grab your nain, pour her a panad and ask her about llefaru in the Eisteddfod - how does it work? What makes it good vs bad? What skill is it showing off? My husband was trained in llefaru from the age of about three, and is now a stand-up comedian - a lot of the skills he uses come from llefaru. Ask her why that might be.

Then ask her how the judging works. If you want a laugh, ask her what happens if the judges don’t think any of the adorable six year olds competing are good enough. Ask her about other Eisteddfod competitions - even if she’s not trained in cerdd dant, for example, she can probably tell you how it works. 

Grab your sisters. Ask them about youth culture - they may not be heavily involved, but find out! What musical trends are about? Welsh language memes? That sort of thing.

Anyway, I hope this was helpful! Good luck, hmu if you have any other questions.

[raygirlramblings]

~~~MERRAY CHRISTMAS 2017!!!~~~

It’s been a rough and turbulent year for many, but I hope that everyone who sees this can have some peace over this holiday season.  Spend time with the ones you love, enjoy some yummy food, open and share gifts, just have some time for you.

And if you really want to, celebrate Christmas with whatever traditions you hold dear!  The more unusual the better.

This year the Rayman family are celebrating Christmas with some unique and unusual traditions from around the world.  Had a lot of fun reading up on some of these traditions and their origins, and then deciding which character would best represent each tradition.  It seems fitting considering how many wonderful friends I’ve made from around the world through this iconic game series.  And here’s hoping to meet many many more in the coming year!

A full list of what each character represents is under the read more ;)

Going clockwise round the tree, starting with Rayman: Rayman: Yule Lads - Iceland Christmas isn’t christmas without a little festive mischief, and in Iceland they have a whole team of mischievous mythical chaps to cause mayhem called the Yule Lads.  These include folk like Askasleikir (Bowl Licker), Stekkjarstaur (Sheep-Cote Clod) and Pottaskefill (Pot Scraper) but Rayman is specifically dressed as Gáttaþefur, the Doorway Sniffer who uses his big nose to sniff out tasty baked goods :)  Finally Rayman gets to put that nose of his to good use XD Globox: Traditional St Nicholas - England/Germany Actually struggled to find the accurate origins of this version of St Nicholas.  Before CocaCola decked Santa in red in the 1930’s the jolly present giver appeared in a variety of different costumes including a green robe and a crown of holly.  Credit should also be given to the Ghost of Christmas Present from Charles Dickins A Christmas Carol who wears the same outfit.  Really Globox represents the non-commercial depictions of Father Christmas! Uglette + kids: Christmas Pudding & Silver Sixpence - UK The Christmas Pudding is a popular traditional stable of the Christmas dinner in the UK, and there are a few traditions associated with preparing it.  One tradition states that each member of the family should take a turn stirring the pudding mixture from east to west (which considering the size of the Globox family could take some time!).  Another tradition is the inclusion of a Silver Sixpence, which is placed in the pudding mixture before baking.   Whoever receives the sixpence in their pudding portion gets to keep it! The Globox Kids: Mari Lwyd - Wales Probably the creepiest Christmas tradition I found was from Wales, and it was particularly bizarre since I’ve lived in Wales for 3 years and have never heard of this XD  A horse skull decorated with ribbons and trinkets is attached to a stick and draped with a white cloth (to cover the person ‘wearing’ it), and the Mari Lwyd is lead from house to house to sing and perform dances for the residents.  It’s a little like Wassailing, bringing round joy and holiday cheer to neighbors.  Raymesis doesn’t seem to appreciate Mari Lwyd’s song ;) Raymesis: The Krampus - Germany If you’ve been naughty it’s not Santa you should be afraid of, as Mr Krampus is a LOT more horrifying.  A demonic creature who accompanies Santa and punishes naughty kids, the Krampus has gained popularity in recent years inspiring people to make their own costumes and parade round as him.  Also everyone should watch The Krampus movie, it’s great :D Voodoo Mama: Christmas Spiderwebs - Ukraine/Eastern Europe Considered to be the origins of Tinsel, the Christmas Spider is a tale about a hard working arachnid who helps decorate the tree of a poor family in time for christmas.  When the first sunlight of christmas day fell on the spiderwebs they turned to gold and silver, and the family were never poor again.  Such a sweet story, and considering the prevalence of spiders in Rayman’s world this seems like something the Glade residents would celebrate. Sssam: Hanging Stockings - Europe/America While the official origins of this tradition are unknown the concept of hanging stockings by the fire for Santa date back as far as the 1800’s.  The most famous story is of St Nicholas leaving gold coins in the stockings of three poor sisters, which were hanging by the fire to dry.  Nowadays stockings are elaborate and often personalised.  Can you guess who the stockings Sssam is wearing belong to? ;) Lac-Mac: Gävle Goat - Sweden In Sweden the Yule Goat is a popular and beloved Christmas creature, a friend to Santa on par with his own reindeer.  As part of their Christmas celebrations the town of Gävle erects a giant straw goat in the town center, which has become a popular tourist attraction.  But unfortunately it’s not just the size that makes it famous (despite the fact it’s a Guinness World Record winner).  The Gävle Goat has the unfortunate curse of being vandalised or set on fire by random people to the point where it’s become a tradition to see if the goat will make it to New year.  Probably a good idea to stay away from open flames, Lac Mac ;D Murfy: The Christmas Pickle - America/Canada While a lot of cultures enjoy eating pickled foods around Christmas time, the Christmas Pickle is an oddity as while people believe it started in Germany it’s actually an American/Canadian invention based on a pickle tree decoration!  In some homes the family will hide a pickle ornament on the tree for the kids to find.  But real, edible pickles are good too and better to share with friends :D Betilla: Befana the Witch - Italy Santa isn’t the only deliverer of pressies to kids.  In Italy the kindly witch Befana flies about on her broom filling the shoes of good children on the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan 6th), and will even sweep your floor before she moves on!  I figured Betilla would like playing the part of a good witch bringing kids joy :D Barbara and Holly: Roller Skating to Mass - Venezuela On Christmas day it’s not uncommon for the cities of Venezuela to close their roads and open them only to the people, hurrying to Mass services on roller skates!  Seems like the Holiday Princess has managed to rope one of her interdimentional cousins to skate with her, and Barbara is a little out of her depth XD The Teensie Doctors: Three Kings Night - Spain Much like Befana the Three Kings/Wise Men of the Bible are responsible for filling the shoes of good Spanish children on Jan 5th.  The Teensie Doctors seem to be taking their work very seriously…for the most part… Romeo Patti: Shoe Throwing - Czech Republic Normally a tradition performed by women (but Romeo is all about breaking the norm!) the idea is to toss a shoe over your shoulder while facing the front door of your house.  Depending on how it lands will determine if you’ll be married that year, though I’m not sure the prediction is accurate if you hit your friends in the process. O_O Ly: KFC Mascot girl - Japan While many families will traditionally sit down to a home cooked meal at Christmas, in Japan KFC does gangbuster business with families ordering their seasonal chicken bucket meals months in advance!  Ly is dressed in the clothes worn by the Japanese KFC promotinal girl…though now I’m looking at it maybe I should have dressed her up as Colonel Sanders.  She could have easily rocked the white suit! Tily: St Lucia - Scandinavia Decipted as a young woman dressed in white with a crown of holy and candles, St Lucia is a symbol of light and comfort bringing food to the hungry.  She is often shown carrying bread and sweet buns to distribute to the poor.  Funnily enough I know I’ve seen someone draw Tily as St Lucia in the past, so that inspired her appearance in this picture!  

[elfynevans]

If I don’t bother can I ask for the 1,7 & 13 in the ask game please?Hope you had a great day 💜

no bother at all! hope you had a great day too 💖

done number 7 here

1. favourite place in your country?

ok there’s soooo many places that i love like the whole of the coast is beautiful and amazing as well as the maaaany castles we have

a pic of both for you there haha

but if i had to pick one it’s port meirion as i visited there recently and it’s really amazing architecture makes you feel like you’re in a completely different place :)

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

the one thing that comes to mind is the Mari Lwyd which is essentially a tradition where you dress up a horse’s skull around christmas time and rap battle people at their houses and if you win the battle you get to come in and eat their food

it is very uncommon now but people are trying to resurrect a lot of celtic traditions lately so it might become more common again in future

ask me questions about my country (aka wales)