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| Celtic Radio Community > Wales > Santes Dwynwen |
| Posted by: Siarls 21-Jan-2006, 01:21 PM |
| By the way, are you aware of this? I have a poster in my window and on my wall about it. I of course insist on celebrating it, while I wear black on 14 February in protest!!!! http://www.acen.co.uk/cylchgrawn/erthyglau/dwynwen.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/historyhunters/locations/pages/1_2_llanddwyn_island.shtml Nonetheless, it remains fairly unknown in Wales, especially amongst non-Welsh speakers! Seriously, you'd be surprised at the ignorance. It annoys me! |
| Posted by: gwenynen 21-Jan-2006, 02:21 PM |
| I've heard a lot about the day itself but didn't know the story behind it. Diolch, Siarls for the info. (But I must say I'd ask totally different wishes were I given a chance! ) |
| Posted by: Antwn 21-Jan-2006, 03:42 PM |
| Thanks Siarls. Interesting that the Welsh and English sites you gave provide totally different stories about Dwynwen. In the English one, Dwynwen falls in love with Maelon but its not returned and in the Welsh one its the other way round - in fact in the Welsh version, Maelon rapes her and an angel tells Dwynwen that he's been turned to ice for his "oergalon". Dwynwen decides she wants nothing to do with lovers and wants to work for God and goes to Ynys Mon. She then becomes the patron saint of lovers. You'd think after all that she'd be the patron saint of celebates! At least she has the compassion to ask that Maelon be turned back into a man. Hope I read that right. In the English version of the story, Dwynwen's love for Maelon is unrequited, and out of her resentment, she wishes among other things that he be turned to ice. Whose is the "oergalon" then? What's poor Maelon to do? If he loves Dwynwen he's untrue to himself, if he spurns her he's an ice sculpture. Go figure. I think the Welsh version makes alot more sense. Hard to imagine Dwynwen wishing that Maelon be turned to ice and then also wishing all lovers be happy if they visit Llanddwyn. Kind of schizoid that. Besides, in the Welsh verison she demonstrates saintliness when she asks that Maelon be turned back into a man. She doesn't necessarily forgive him, but she has compassion for him. Kind of like Pope JP II who visited the man who'd shot him and ministered to him. At any rate, its an interesting story. Valentine's day is Christian holiday superimposed upon an ancient Roman pagan holiday, Lupercalia. It was a holiday devoted to the Roman goddess of love and marriage. Young girls would put their names into a jar and each boy would draw a name, then the two would be united for the duration of the festival ...or maybe for an entire year. The unions were dictated by chance, or perhaps the will of the Goddess. It was converted to Valentines day after a Christian martyr killed by emperor Claudius for marrying couples when Claudius had outlawed it because he thought that men's love for their wives had made them unwilling to fight in his armies and they'd dwindled as a result. In any case, our stories are quite interesting aren't they? I mean no disrespect towards Dwynwen's day, my sense of humor just gets the better of me as does my sense of irony. Dydd Dwynwen Lawen By the way Siarls, what to people do/wear to celebrate Dwynwen's Day? I'd like to wear something to work on Monday - maybe educate a few people here about it. |
| Posted by: Siarls 21-Jan-2006, 04:54 PM |
| People do the same as they do for Valentine's Day, but it's less commercial. So gifts are usually more personal. Of course, the lovespoon is a popular gift! Red is a common colour to be worn. |
| Posted by: Siarls 21-Jan-2006, 04:55 PM |
| Parties/celebrations are also popular. To embrace love but not necessarily to express it, if that makes sense? So, a party dedicated to love, rather than to your lover. |
| Posted by: Siarls 25-Jan-2006, 09:24 AM |
| HAPPY SANTES DWYNWEN'S DAY ICHI GYD! Ydych wedi gwneud unrhywbeth? Fi wedi derbyn cerdyn! Fy ngherdyn cyntaf fyth! Ond sai'n gwybod pwy y mae oddi wrtho. I got a card! My first ever card! But I don't know who it is from. |
| Posted by: Siarls 01-Feb-2006, 12:21 PM |
| A ydych chi wedi gwneud rhywbeth ar Ddiwrnod Santes Dwynwen? Did you do anything on St Dwynwen's Day? Beth ydych chi'n gwneud ar Ddiwrnod Sant Ffolant? What are you doing for Valentine's Day? |
| Posted by: gwenynen 02-Feb-2006, 09:49 AM |
| Wnes i ddim byd, mae arna i ofn. Ac wna i ddim ar Ddiwrnod Sant Ffolant chwaith. Ond gwna i rywbeth ar Ddydd Gwyl Dewi. Ddest ti o hyd i bwy anfonodd y cerdyn Santes Dwynwen ata ti, Siarls? ---- I'm afraid I didn't do anything. And I won't either on Valentine's Day. But I'll do something on St. David's Day. Did you find out who sent you the Dwynwen card, Siarls? |
| Posted by: Siarls 02-Feb-2006, 10:54 AM |
| Na, dw i ddim yn gwybod! No, I don't know! |