Mari Lwyd
The Mari Lwyd (English Gray Mare , German about Gray Mare ) is a Welsh midwinter -Brauch for New Year's celebration , but which originally took place during a period from Christmas to the end of January. It is a lucky ritual in which the participants accompany a person disguised as a horse from house to house and sing songs at every door in the hope of being let in and being rewarded with food and drink.
background
Probably derived from an ancient ritual in honor of the Celtic goddess Rhiannon , the Mari Lwyd was widespread in Wales but is now restricted to the south and southeast of the country, particularly Glamorgan and Gwent . The Methodist Revival in Wales and the influence of the abstinence movement in Wales during the Industrial Revolution led to the decline of the tradition as it increasingly acquired a reputation for drunkenness and the church rejected the pagan background. It was also the influence of the Church that changed the custom in some areas so that the singers' repertoire was supplemented by Christmas carols . The tradition began to fade in the first half of the twentieth century and was nearly extinct during World War II. Nowadays, several hometown clubs in Llantrisant , Llangynwyd , Cowbridge and elsewhere are trying to revive the tradition.
description
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The Mari Lwyd consists of a horse's skull (sometimes made of wood or, if children practice the custom, made of cardboard) attached to the end of a wooden stick. A white sheet attached to the end of the skull hides the staff and the person wearing the mari. Sometimes two black ears are sewn to the sheet. The eye sockets are often filled with green bottle bottoms or other colored material. Sometimes the lower jaw is fastened with springs so that the “operator” of the Mari can snap at passers-by or house owners. Usually colored ribbons are attached to the skull and small bells are attached to the reins (if any) on which the Mari is held.
The custom usually began at dawn and continued late into the night. Nowadays it sometimes starts even earlier in the day (like in Llangynwyd, where it starts at 2am on New Years Day).
During the ceremony, the skull is carried through the streets of the place. The group stops in front of each house and sings traditional songs. Sometimes the singing includes a rhyme contest between the Mari group and the residents of the house who challenge each other with improvised verse until one side gives up.
Once inside, the conversation continues with the Mari running around neighing and snapping her jaws, wreaking havoc and terrifying children (and possibly even adults) while the guide pretends to try to tame her. The group plays music and entertains the homeowner.
See also
Web links
- Mari Lwyd at the National History Museum (English)