Conference tallis::celt

                       
    Karen fach,
    
    I spent it at an European user information steering group meeting, full
    of Vikings, Gauls, Saxons and Goths.  Not another Celt in sight. 
    
    Apart from that, my hi-fi has been packed pending shipment to the US
    (as soon as the VISA arrives...) so I was not even able to listen to
    the harp. 
    
    re my previous note, I have just received a long list of Welsh/Celtic
    music (includes some Irish & Scottish) and books available by mail
    order.  If you are still interested, let me know your location and I
    will send you a copy.  In return, you can send me a copy of Y Ninnau! 
    
    Pob Hwyl,
    
    Colin,
    
    International Engineering - Reading REO2-f/g9
    

    Ah ha Colin, I was wondering if you would be interested in
    taking a look at NINNAU :-)
    
    I will be happy to send you a copy; how long to you expect to
    be at your present location?  Mail leaving my location in
    Atlanta (IPO) has been known to take the better part of two
    weeks to reach its destination in Maynard; perhaps I should
    wait until you reach your new destination? Let me know - what
    is your ETA?
    
    Karen
    

    Re .1:
>    I spent it at an European user information steering group meeting, full
>    of Vikings, Gauls, Saxons and Goths.  Not another Celt in sight. 
    		 -----				       ----
    What do you think are the Gauls? Palaeo-siberians, maybe?
    
    		Denis (at least 80% Celt, without a drop of Irish, Scottish
    			Welsh or even Breton blood).

    Oops, sorry Denis - `quelle faux pas' as you Gauls would say these
    days. 
    
    Colin  (100% Welsh, but not averse to a drop of Irish, Scotch etc.)

    Re .4:I'm not averse to a drop either, as long as it qualifies as
    single malt or as stout... I do not insists that it comes from any
    specific place.
    			Denis.

    
    Well, there's some passable Japanese single malt a terrible Welsh `Swn
    y Glan' and plenty of English stout, and you're welcome to them.  But
    educate me Denis; Is there a Gaulish language and who speaks it?  ;-)
    
    (Only joking mun.)
    
     
    
	

    Re .6: Actually, the stout I like best hails from Cork, and my
    taste in single malts usually calls for something from Islay or
    the Orkneys...
    About Gaulish, a few hundred words have been preserved, from Latin
    writers mostly, but the last speaker of the language died many
    centuries ago. It's not unusual, you know, there are no more Galician
    speakers and the Cornish speakers of today are trying to revive
    a tongue that has been dead for more than 2 centuries, but people
    in these areas are undoubtedly Celts nonetheless (what percentage
    of the population speak Gaelic or Welsh in Wales, Ireland or Scotland
    anyway?... and in Man, the last Manx speaker is the clerk who's got
    the dreadfull job of reading every year the new laws in a language
    that noone is able to understand anymore).
    			Denis.

    I'm not believing my eyes......came across another article about
    St. David.  According to an article in the March issue of NINNAU,
    the earliest reference to St. David appears in the CATALOG OF THE
    SAINTS OF IRELAND??? which may have been published in 730 A.D.
    Other early records seem to corroborate this ancient manuscript.
    The first known biography of David was written in 1090 by Rhygyfarch,
    the son of Bishop Sulien of St. David.  Rhygyfarch tells us that
    the birth of David was revealed to "ST. PATRICK"???? by an angel
    30_years_before_it_occurred. (Hmmmm, sounds like Irish propaganda
    to me :-)
    
    David's father was Sant, King of Ceredigan, descendant of the hero
    Gunedda, and his mother was Non, a nun.  The infant was baptized
    in a spring of pure water which appeared for the sacrament.  A monk,
    born without eyes or a nose, held the baby for the ceremony and
    was healed when he sprinkled his own face with the holy water.
    
    David grew up at Hen Fynyw.  After becoming a priest, he studied
    under Paulinus, a disciple of St. Germanus.  When Paulinus became
    blind, David restored his eyesight.  His mission work in Britain
    included the founding of twelve monasteries, including Glastonbury,
    LEOMINSTER, Llangyfelach, Raglan, and Repton.  Eventually, he settled
    with his followers at Glyn Rhosyn.
    
    The brethern led an austere life.  They used only necessary tools,
    avoiding anything which could ease the work, owned everything in
    common, spoke only when important, ate only bread, vegetables and
    water; and spent many hours in prayer.  Obedience was binding, and
    all in need were nurtured.  It was a sparse, vigorous, dedicated
    life.
    
    Modomnoc was a disciple of David who sailed to Ireland for missionary
    work.  He had been the bee keeper, and a swarm of bees followed
    his ship.  He returned to David with the bees.  This happened three
    times until David blessed the bees and told Modomnoc to take them
    to Ireland.
    
    Colin, sounds to me as though the Welsh were hard working and hard
    praying even back then.......why do I get this feeling that our
    Irish brethern were out having a good time? :-)
    
    Hmmmmmm, so St. Patrick rid Ireland of snakes (with one _notable_
    exception) and St. David brought bees to Ireland.  Can _The Snake_
    confirm if this is true?
    
    Karen
    

    Hi Karen,

    No, they could be right.  My parents recently sent me a recent book
    that suggests there was much contact between the Irish and Welsh
    christian missionaries at that time.  Certainly this contact was
    maintained right up to the reformation where Irish priests helped
    smuggle Welsh youths out of the country and to Spain for training in
    the priesthood.  My books do not refer to the bee story however! 

    The publication date does not sound right though - It's believed  that
    Welsh was first written in Latin script about 700 AD.  Some runic
    scripts exist before that - I recently saw a Roman milestone that had a
    latin inscription translated into runic Welsh.  At least, that's what
    the museum claims -  I think it probably says "Shove off back to Rome
    you @#*%+@". But I had thought that gaelic was written down much later.
    Maybe some if the Gaelic scholars can tell us when. 

    I visited Glastonbury (which, like Leominster is also in England) a
    year ago and saw no evidence of it being attributed to St David, but
    Arthur and Guinevere are supposed to be buried there in the centre of
    what is now a ruined abbey.  (Welsh folk tales claim Arthur to be Welsh
    by birth.)  An interesting tale about Glastonbury is that Joseph of
    Aramathea is supposed to have visited it, bringing the child Jesus with
    him.  Joseph stuck his thorn staff into the ground of the Abbey, and it
    rooted and apparently survives today having been renewed by cuttings
    from the original tree by the Monks.  There's a story that the thorn
    tree growing there now is not of the native British variety, but is one
    that is common in the holy land. 

    (It's also on a ley line - mythical lines of force that date from
    stone age times and are marked across England, Scotland and Wales
    by standing stones and stone circles.)

    One thing is clear from Glastonbury - the brethren led a very good life
    they were efficient farmers, took substantial tithes from the community
    and according to their own records, lived off the fat of the land. But
    the records also indicate that they did work hard at this - a  fifteen
    hour day including their devotions.  I daresay that the descendents of
    these folk emigrated to NORTH America to avoid the lazy Celts in the
    south.  :) 
    
    Lwc dda,
    
    Colin
    
                

    
    Wishing everyone the very best
    
    'tho i didn't wear a sprig of leek today, i'll make a pot of
    cocka leekie soup this evening