CMP031 Face to Face with Death

News & Views

We talk about the Flag Fen Rescue project, Flag Fen Lives, organised by DigVentures and the charity that manages Flag Fen, Vivacity. We also re-play the interview that Paul Stenton of BBC Camridgeshire's breakfast show had with Sarah Stannage of Vivacity and Lisa Westcott-Wilkins, the Managing Director of DigVentures.

Built by Bronze Age people as a place of worship and ritual, the causeway contains 60,000 upright timbers and 250,000 horizontal planks buried underground along with many swords and other personal 'offerings' to the watery fen. Now under threat of being lost to the elements, it is a matter of urgency to Rescue and research as much as possible within the remaining time. See how you can help the project and get involved on the DigVentures site.

Face to Face with Death: Part 2 of the First Branch and Part 2 of the Mabinogion

Names Used in this Story

Listed in order of appearance

• Pwyll
• Dyfed
• Cuch
  
• Glyn Cuch
  
• Arawn
• Annwn
• Hafgan the Summer-White
• "Storm"
• Tylwyth Teg
  

Places mentioned in the Story

Episode 2 is also the second episode of the First Branch: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed. The area of the Wales that Pwyll rules is called Dyfed, and at the estimated time of the writing of the First Branch (during the Medieval period). There is some debate as to the area of the original seven cantrefs, and Wiki provides us not only with a revised version but also names the seven areas. This is the area as it was known in the 7th Century and although the tales were not written down until the early medieval period, there is much evidence - linguistic and political - to suggest that the events recounted in the Mabingion, based on real events and/or mythology, took place at this time.

Click on the image to see it enlarged.

The actual journey that Pwyll makes in this episode is derived from clues given within the various translations and is, essentially, an educated guess! :) However, below you can see the path that Pwyll would have taken in traverlling from Arberth to Glyn Cuch.

Click on the image to see it enlarged.

The actual journey that Pwyll makes in this episode is derived from clues given within the various translations and is, essentially, an educated guess! :) However, below you can see the path that Pwyll would have taken in traverlling from Arberth to Glyn Cuch, and also from the map above that he would actually have been travelling from one Cantref to another in the journey.

Listener Feedback

Sean

We play some audio feedback from our friend Sean who runs the IRFT Celtic Radio show as often as he can. Thank you for your thoughts Sean and we wish you the best of luck with keeping your station on the air.

Promo - IRFT Celtic Music ... with a Twist

Sean

Promo - Druidcast

Damh the Bard & O.B.O.D.

Your host is Damh the Bard and each episode he will feature poetry, story and song offered by Bards throughout the world. There will also be interviews with people from the Druid tradition, seasonal thoughts, explorations of Celtic mythology and history, reviews, and competitions.

You can hear the full podcasts at: http://www.druidcast.libsyn.com/ or subscribe through your podcatcher, or through iTunes.

Huge Thanks to our Guest Actors

Damh the Bard

We also would like to say a really big 'Thank you' to Damh the Bard for playing the part of Arawn in our Tale, and would like to remind you that you can find him and his wonderful music on his website or listen to him on Druidcast podcast.

Sources used in this Episode

The Mabinogion, pp ix-xxxvi, 3-21, 227-232, Sioned Davies , Oxford, 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-283242

The Mabinogion, pp 9-41, 45-65, Jeffrey Gantz, Penguin, 1976, ISBN 0-14-044322-3

The Mabinogion, pp ix-xliv, 3-24, 275-278, Gwyn Jones & Thomas Jones, Dent & Dutton, 1977, ISBN 0-460-01097-2. Can also be found online at www.donaldcorrell.com

Pwyll Pendeuc Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, Mary Jones

Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1877, Sacred Texts

Notes to Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1877, Sacred Texts

The Mabinogion, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1849, Project Gutenberg

The Mabinogi of Pwyll, W. M. Parker, mabiongi.net. Notes at mabinogion.info

'The Lord of Dyfed', from Legends of the Celts, p.134ff, Frank Delaney, HarperCollins, 1991, ISBN 0-586-21151-9

Tales from the Mabinogion, Gwyn Thomas & Kevin Crossley-Holland, Gollancz, 1984, ISBN 0-575-03531-5

Celtic Myths & Legends, p.147ff, Michael Foss, Selectabook Ltd., 1998, ISBN 0-75252-402-X

Prince of Annwn, Evangeline Walton, Del Rey, 1974, ISBN 0-345-27060-6

Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom, p.117, 156, Caitlin & John Matthews, Element, 1994, ISBN 1-85230-560-6

The Celts, p.211, Frank Delaney, Grafton, 1989, ISBN 0-586-20349-4

Women in Celtic Myth, Moyra Caldecott, Arrow, ISBN 0-09-955920-X

Celtic Heritage, p.41 ff, Alwyn & Brinley Rees, Thames & Hudson, 1978, ISBN 978-0500110089

Pagan Celtic Britain, p.288, Anne Ross, Constable, 1967, ISBN 0-09-472330-3

'Myth in the Mabiogion', from A Celtic Reader, p.151, John Matthews, Aquarian, ISBN 0-85030-935-2

Celtic Myths and Legends, p.356 ff, T. W. Rolleston, 1995, ISBN 978-1859580066

Celtic Folklore: Welsh & Manx Vol.2, pp 499ff, John Rhys, Wildwood House, 1980, ISBN 0-7045-0406-5

The White Goddess, p.215ff, Robert Graves, Faber, 1952

And, of course, the Awen - inspiration and imagination!

Special Thanks

For incidental music:

Seraphic Panoply, Tribesman from The Darkshore Collection. See the Contributor page for more details.

Silence, Cellule from his album L'autre endroit. See the Contributor page for more details.

Roger Subirana, Jugant amb les estrelles from his album L'indret prohibit and A piece of heaven from his album Point of No Return. See his Contributor page for more details.

DIY-Note, Un from their album Ruptures. See the Contributor page for more details.

Diane Arkenstone The Secret Garden. See the Contributor page for details.

Kim Robertson, Angels in Disguise, All or None . See the Contributor page for details.

Jigger Time Ticks Away. See the Contributor page for details.

For our Theme Music

The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.

Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music

(in Alphabetic order)

Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page.

Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page.

The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page.

Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page.

Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page.

Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page.

S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page.

Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.