Welsh Christmas - British Goblins CT025

Welsh Christmas - British Goblins CT025

Author: Gary & Ruth Colcombe November 15, 2017 Duration: 28:20

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

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

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.


Imagine a shelf of old, beautifully bound volumes filled with tales of ancient heroes, elusive fairy folk, and age-old wisdom from the misty hills and shores of Celtic lands. Celtic Tomes is an invitation to open those books with Gary and Ruth Colcombe, who serve as your guides through this rich literary landscape. Each episode is a curated reading from classic texts, bringing to life the myths, legends, and folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and beyond. This isn't just a recitation; it's a shared experience for anyone who has ever admired those collections in a shop or library but found the time to delve into them elusive. You'll hear the stories of the Celts themselves, the deep lore of the Otherworld, and accounts of magical encounters that have shaped cultural imagination for centuries. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a conversation in a cozy study, where the weight of history meets the warmth of storytelling. Whether your interest lies in bardic poetry, ancient battles, or the mysterious customs surrounding fairy forts, Gary and Ruth provide a direct, engaging pathway into these narratives. They handle the reading so you can simply listen and be transported, making the vast world of Celtic literature accessible and vividly alive one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Celtic Tomes
Podcast Episodes
Wedding Customs - British Goblins CT027 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
Wedding Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 6 by Wirt Sikes Ancient Wedding Customs of the Welsh, including the custom of bidding for wedding gifts and…
Courtship and Marriage - British Goblins CT026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:42
Courtship and Marriage British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 5 by Wirt Sikes Welsh customs of courtship and marriage. Sikes tells us about the Welsh Goddess of Lo…
Midsummer Eve - British Goblins CT024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:59
Midsummer Eve to Hallowe'en British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 3 by Wirt Sikes All about Midsummer Eve and the Beltane Fires that precede it leading up to Hall…
Sundry Lenten Customs - British Goblins CT023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:57
Sundry Lenten Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 2 by Wirt Sikes All about traditions and customs occurring around Lent in old Wales. Sikes tells us al…
Quaint Old Customs - British Goblins CT022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:54
Quaint Old Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 1 by Wirt Sikes Quaint Old Customs tells us to rise early on New Year's morning to bring good luck, the M…
The Corpse Candle - British Goblins CT021 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:47
The Corpse Candle British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 9 by Wirt Sikes Corpse Candles are ghostly candle lights that allow us to see through the veil, or seen as…
Tolaeth Death Sounds - British Goblins CT020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
Tolaeth Death Sounds British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 8 by Wirt Sikes The Tolaeth Death Sounds includes the strange sounds that foretell death, the story of…
Welsh Death Omens - British Goblins CT019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
Welsh Death Omens British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 7 by Wirt Sikes Welsh Death Omens includes the Welsh Banshee or Gwrach y Rhibyn, crying spirits, the groan…
Medieval Devil in Wales - British Goblins CT018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:59
The Medieval Devil in Wales British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 6 by Wirt Sikes The Medieval Devil in his customary form in Wales. How Sion Cent tricked the Dev…
Familiar Spirits - British Goblins CT017 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:14
Familiar Spirits British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 5 by Wirt Sikes Familiar Spirits are known to often throw stones, especially when at Preachers trying to ex…