Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en

Subject: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: Mick Tems
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 03:45 PM

Calan Gaeaf is the name of the first day of winter in Wales, observed on 1 November. The night before is Nos Calan Gaeaf,an Ysbrydnos (Spirit Night) when spirits are abroad. People avoid churchyards, stiles, and crossroads, since spirits are thought to gather there.

Coelcerth: Families build a fire and place stones with their names on it. The person whose stone is missing the next morning would die within the year.

Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta: Legend has it that a fearsome spirit called Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta took the form of a tail-less black sow and roamed the countryside with a headless woman. Children would rush home early.

Eiddiorwg Dalen: A few leaves of ground ivy is thought to give you the power to see hags. For prophetic dreams, a boy should cut ten ivy leaves, throw away one and put the rest under his head before he sleeps. A girl should take a wild rose grown into a hoop, creep through it three times, cut it in silence, and go to bed with it under her pillow.

Teiliwr: In Glamorgan, South Wales, tailors were associated with witchcraft. They supposedly possessed the power to 'bewitch' anybody if they wished.

Nos Galan Gaeaf Hapus!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST,Richard Boston
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 04:45 PM

At the ceremony of the Coelcerth, young men would light a bonfire and jump through it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST,Ann Jones
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 04:51 PM

I can't remember the Welsh chant about the Hwch Ddu Gwta, but the kids would rush home, saying "And may the Hwch Ddu Gwta catch the slowest!"

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST,Richard Boston
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 05:01 PM

We should definitely have a Celtic Start-of-Winter celebration revival. Nowadays you can't move for kids dressed as witches and wizards whose only memory is this Trick Or Treat rubbish they've picked up from the Yanks.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 05:08 PM

It isn't picked up from the yanks! Here in South Yorkshire we have had 'Caking Night' on 31st Oct or 1st Nov for many years. In fact it is noted as being a local custom as early as the 1500s. The ceremonial consists of disguised children/adults visiting neighbours houses and begging for 'tharl cakes' or 'soul cakes'. These would be given in return for prayers said for the souls of the deceased members of the family in earlier times. Later it was pretty much 'Trick or Treat'. In some parts competitions were held regarding the disguises and some pubs ran these as a special event.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 06:13 PM

Ann, "Welsh Folk Customs" (Trefor Owen) has two.

Denbighshire:
Adref, adref am y cynta', Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio'r ola'.
(Home, home, let each try to be first and may the Tail-less Black Sow take the hindmost)

Anglesey:
Hwch Ddu Gwta a Ladi Wen heb ddim pen
Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio'r ola'
Hwch Ddu Gwta nos G'langaea
Lladron yn dwad tan weu sana.

(A tail-less Black Sow and a White Lady/ghost without a head, May the tail-less Black Sow snatch the hindmost. A tail-less Black Sow on Winter's Eve, Thieves coming along knitting stockings.)

I see from the chapter on Winter's Eve that I should be getting my Wassail bowl and my puzzle jug dusted off. Not just for Christmas, I guess!

sian

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: Mick Tems
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 06:02 AM

Zowly, Zowly, Christendom
Every good neighbour, give me some
Give me some or give me none
Give me an answer and I'll be gone
If tha hasn't got a penny
A ha'penny will do
If tha hasn't got a ha'penny
Then God bless you.

A Gower "Zowling" song which I collected from Mr George Tucker, of Horton, Gower.

Mick Tems

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: Mick Tems
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 06:12 AM

...And wasn't there the spectre of Y Ladi Wen - The White Lady - who was supposed to walk on Nos Galan Gaeaf? I heard that it was a very local belief, based on Rhiwsaeson, about one and a half miles from Llantrisant, Mid Glamorgan.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST,Van
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 06:54 AM

Paul
You've got it wrong. We have our various traditions here. I remeWber as a child going guising with friends all dressed up and doing a song ,poem, or whatever round our neighbours houses in return for a toffee apple or tablet or whatever was on offer.
What has happened in recent years is that or traditions have been hijacked by the Yank idea of trick or treat.Perhaps accelerated by the likes of Asda/Walmart. when I was young it was a turnip lantern. No one had heard of pumpkins.

Subject: Lyr Add: COEDPOETH SOULING SONG
From: Mick Tems
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 07:57 AM

Coedpoeth Souling Song (For the eve of October 31 - North Wales. Coedpoeth is very near Wrexham, to the west.)

COEDPOETH SOULING SONG

We are two hearty lads all in one mind
We are come a-souling and hope you'll prove kind
We are come a-souling as it doth appear
And all we ask you is ale or strong beer.
Sole, sole, the sole of my shoe
If you have no apples then pears they will do.
Put your hand in your pocket, draw out with your keys
Go down to your cellar, bring up what you please.
Apples or pears, plums or cherries,
Any good thing that will make us all merry.
The roads are very dirty, my shoes are very thin,
I have got a little pocket to put a penny in.
One for Peter, one for Paul,
Two for him that made us all.
God bless the master, the mistress also
And all the little children around us do go.
Knock at the knocker, ring at the bell,
Give us a penny for ringing so well.
Up with your kettles and down with your pans,
Give us an answer that we may be gone
Until this time next year.

Mick Tems

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 04:49 PM

I guess Us "Yanks" steal most of our traditions, at least we have the 4th of July, God bless the USA, and Blessed Be to thee!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Nos Galan Gaeaf: A Welsh Hallowe'en
From: GUEST,DynGlas(Greenman)
Date: 04 Sep 16 - 11:52 AM

Shwmae Pawb, helo all.

Nos Galan Gaeaf, the night of the heart of Winter, night when Annwn,(The other world) allows the Bendith eu mamau,(The Fair folk)is led by Gwyn ap Nudd king of the Fair folk, who has many names, but at this time of year he is the Lord of the Hunt! He rides with the dead and the ghouls who rise up and takes the victims souls captured in a great big Silver net made of the Moon, to hold all the spirits to leave their bodies in torment. Firstly do not stand at a crossroads at the midnight hour, do not be sat on a stile, or cheerio, or standing in a hallowed grave yard, again you will be taken Children not asleep by midnight, they're gone into Gwyn's ghostly net. The Hwch Ddu Gwta tailless black sow, (A God who is a Boar for the rest of the year, but turns into a sow at the heart of Winter's night. Ladi Wen a headless sprite accompanies her and she is like the rest looking for souls to batter with in the other world Annwn. Mallt Y Nos Or Maud of the night, plays the hag Goddess who controls the Cwn Annwn the hounds of the other world,(Not Hell). If you hear them howling you are safe, if you do not hear them any more then they are behind you and so is she! The only way to protect your self from the hoard of Annwn is to ask a Gwrach,(Witch a Dryad, wood Witch /Nymph) to say the spell of protection, she will of course but for a price, ....yes Sweet things that Gwrachod,(Witches)love. In ancient time it was fruit preserved, nuts and Mel,(Honey) but in modern times they grave sweets. The Spell goes; Adref Adref am y Cyntaf, Hwch Ddu Gwta, Gipio'r ar y Olaf. Home Home for the First, Hwch Ddu Gwta, For the Last. There are other spells but thats a different stori. We are Performing for CADW, at Caerleon on Nos Galan Gaeaf,( Hallowed Efe)From 6 to 8 pm, we are called, Yr Hyddgen come and see us get protection from our Gwrachod, for a price of course bring lots of goodies...Hwyl!