Welsh Christmas

British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 4

by Wirt Sikes

All about bell-ringing competitions between villages at Christmas time, the 'Pipes of the Watch' who wake the echoes in the early morning. We also hear about the games, music and Eisteddfodau of Christmas. Sikes tells us about the origins of Boxing Day and the Druid feast of Alban Arthur, celebrated at the Winter Solstice.

• Nadolig, the Welsh Christmas 1:35
• Bell-ringing 3:13
• Carols 4:20
• Dancing to the Music of the Waits 6:37
• An Evening in Carmarthenshire 8:44
• Shenkin Harry, the Preacher, and the Jig Tune 12:26
• Welsh Morality 13:03
• Eisteddfodau 14:26
• Decorating Houses and Churches 16:04
• The Plygain 17:40
• The Colliers Star 18:47
• he Christmas Thriftbox 19:24
• Pagan Origin of Christmas 21:52

Names Used in this Section

All proper names, and words in Welsh or other languages, are recorded here in the show-notes and we've done our best to get the pronunciations right for you.

Nadolig Shenkin Harry Eisteddfodau Plygain Arthur & Merlin Waits (band of wandering musicians)

Bell-Ringing

Cowbridge Aberdare Penarth St. Fagan's Llantrisant Llanblethian ayont the twal Bacchus Glamorganshire Rev. Evan Harris Stendahl Hellas Pindar Sophocles Phidias Praxiteles Herodotus Llandaff Cathedral Gwynt traed y meirw (wind blowing over the feet of corpses) Bethlehem Belgium Rhodd Nadolig - Christmas gift

The 'Thrift' Box

Viscount Palmerston London 'jour de l'an' Alban Arthur Avagddu Hea Gorsedd Cerridwen Awen Herefordshire

British Goblins can be found on Archive.org

You can find out more about Wirt Sikes on Wikipedia.

Try the Celtic Myth Podshow for the Tales and Stories of the Ancient Celts at http://celticmythpodshow.com or on Apple Podcasts.

Our theme music is "Gander at the Pratie Hole" by Sláinte. You can find their music on the Free Music Archive.