Category: News

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THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING

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Here we are in April and Spring has arrived at last, a delightful season of nature awakening from its winter sleep, giving the landscapes vibrant colours and filling the air with the sweet fragrance of flowers. As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, there is a real sense of renewal and joy all around us.

In Wenvoe there are some great examples of colourful Magnolia trees. In Clos Llanfair, there is a splendid Red Maple, while in the grounds of the church, there is a beautiful Japanese Flowering Cherry which is at its best in mid-April. Taking a leisurely stroll beneath these blooming canopies becomes a delight for the senses, with the gentle rustle of petals falling like confetti and the perfume of the flowers creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

As the temperature rises, spring heralds the return of migratory birds, and their birdsong is a pleasure to hear. The dawn chorus becomes a daily concert, with robins, blackbirds, and thrushes joining in a harmonious celebration of spring. Birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts eagerly anticipate this time, armed with binoculars to catch a glimpse of the feathered visitors that have travelled thousands of miles to enjoy the milder climate of the UK.

Spring also marks the beginning of the gardening season, as green thumbs eagerly get their hands dirty, planting seeds and tending to their flowerbeds. The Chelsea Flower Show, held annually in May, is a prestigious event where gardeners showcase their horticultural masterpieces, inspiring others to embrace the beauty of nature in their backyard. The council allotments at Twyn-yr-Odyn become a hive of activity as gardening becomes not just a hobby but a communal activity, with neighbours sharing tips and seeds, encouraging a sense of community.

Traditional festivities and celebrations add a touch of colour to the season. Known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf, the first day of May was an important time for celebrations and festivals in Wales, as it was considered the start of summer. May Day would be the time of year when herds would be turned out for pasture, and families would move their livestock from the valley (Hendre) to their summer pastures on higher land (the Hafod).

Years ago, at the dawn of May Day, people in villages and surrounding farms would be woken by May carol singers. They would visit each house, sometimes with a verse dedicated to the family. The aim of these visits was to bring good luck to each of the families and to wish them a fruitful summer after the hardship of winter.

In England, Morris dancers with vibrant costumes, adorned with ribbons and bells, perform lively routines to welcome the arrival of spring. Maypoles are erected, and villagers come together to dance and celebrate the arrival of spring.

At Easter, another ancient tradition brings families together for feasts and egg hunts. The sight of daffodils and tulips in full bloom serves as a colourful backdrop to Easter gatherings. Hot cross buns, with their spiced aroma, become a family favourite during this time, enjoyed with a generous spreading of butter. The cross on the bun reminds us of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Welsh countryside becomes a patchwork quilt of rolling green hills dotted with lambs frolicking in the fields. Spring is the season of new life, and witnessing the playful antics of these sweet lambs is a lovely sight that captures the essence of the season. Families and friends often take countryside walks to enjoy the fresh air, less muddy paths, and the sights and sounds of spring.

 

 

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MUSINGS ON FRIENDSHIP

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‘The only way to have a friend is to be one’
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

‘Love demands infinitely less than friendship’
George Jean Nathan

‘The severest test of character is not so much the ability to keep a secret as it is, but when the secret is finally out, to refrain from disclosing that you knew it all along.’

 

‘It is easier to find fault with others, but it is not so easy to live so that others will not see faults in us. We tend to criticise our friends for doing things we could do no better.’

‘Yesterday is but a reflection
Today is now
Tomorrow is a bonus.’
Jim Billingsley

‘Choose your friends with care, that you may have choice friends.’

 

‘I breathed a song into the air,
it fell to earth, I know not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
that it can follow the flight of song:-
The song from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.’
(Excerpt) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

‘The anxiety of some people to make new friends is so intense that they never have old ones.’

‘People are lonely because they build forts instead of bridges.’
Joseph Fort Newton

‘Who ceases to be a friend, never was one.’

‘A real friend never gets in the way, unless you hap-pen to be on the way down.’

‘True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.’
Charles Caleb Colton

 

‘Life is not so much what each individual makes of it, but what we make of it for each other.’

‘Shared joy is double joy and shared sorrow is half-sorrow.’

‘Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.’

‘Do not save your loving speeches

For your friends till they are dead;

Do not write them on their tombstones,

Speak them rather now instead.’

Anna Cummins

 

 

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Dewi Sant – Nawddsant Cymru
Saint David – the Patron Saint of Wales

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Dewi was the Bishop of Mynyw in South West Wales – what today is called St David’s – in the 6th Century. The date of his birth is not clear but it is generally accepted that he died on March 1st in the year 589. He could very possibly have been one of the first speakers of this new language – Welsh – which had recently been developing from Brythonic. His mother’s name was Non and his father, Sant or Sandde was the son of Ceredig, king of Ceredigion. Some traditions claim that he was born during a storm outside St David’s – where the ruins of Non’s Chapel can be seen today. But it is more likely that he was born in Henfynyw, outside Aberaeron in Ceredigion. Much of what we know of Dewi’s life – and the traditions and miracles attributed to him – are recorded in a hagiograhy (biography of a religious leader) ‘Buchedd Dewi’ (The life of David) which was written by Rhygyfarch in the 11th Century.

Dewi’s teacher was a monk called Peulun – Paulinus – who himself had studied under Saint Illtyd (who had established his monastery and centre of learning in Llanilltud Fawr – Llantwit Major). One of Dewi’s first miracles is said to have been the restoring of Peulun’s sight when he be-came blind. Dewi became a renowned teacher and preacher – and his fame spread far and wide. About 1200 monasteries were founded in his name in Wales and as far away as Devon, Cornwall and Brit-tany. His base was the Celt-ic monastery which he es-tablished at Glyn Rhosyn (Moorland Vale) in Pem-brokeshire – where St David’s Cathedral stands to-day. Life at the Glyn Rhosyn Monastery was hard – as David’s rule prescribed that the monks had to pull the plough themselves without the help of animals – and like Dewi himself, they were to drink only water and eat only vegetables and bread with salt and herbs.The monks spent their evenings in prayer, reading or writing. Sometimes it is said that as a self imposed penance Dewi would stand up to his neck in cold water, reciting scripture! As a missionary, he travelled throughout Wales, southern England and Brittany and even made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he was consecrated bishop.

Many miracles are ascribed to Dewi, including raising a dead child back to life and restoring Peulun’s eyesight. But the most famous miracle associated with him is the formation of a hill beneath his feet when he was preaching to a large gathering at Llanddewi-brefi. (As if Wales needed another hill!!!). And during this sermon, a white dove is said to have settled on his shoulder – which explains why the Saint is often depicted with a white dove. The adoption of the leek as the emblem of Wales can also be ascribed to Dewi. It is said that when the Welsh were in battle against the Saxons, David advised the Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their hats so that they could be distinguished from the enemy.

During and after Dewi’s lifetime, St David’s grew in importance as a place of pilgrimage – attracting pilgrims from all over Britain and the Continent. Scholars believe that Rhygyfarch’s ‘Life of David’ helped promote St David’s in importance – in its competition with Canterbury. It was decreed that two pilgrimages to St David’s were equal to one to Rome – and that three equalled one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We know that Dewi’s popularity in Wales was firmly established by the 10th Century. In the poem ‘Armes Prydein’ (The Prophecy of Britain) – composed in the 10th Century, the manuscript of which survives, – the author prophesises that all the Celtic peoples will unite to fight off the Anglo Saxon armies – and do so under the banner of Dewi. So it is evident that Dewi was recognized as the leader of the Welsh people by that time. By the way Dewi’s banner is still widely flown – you may have seen it and wondered what it represented. It comprises a gold cross on a black background.

Dewi is thought to have died on March 1st in the year 589 and of course, March 1st is known as Dydd Gŵyl Dewi (The day of the festival of Dewi) – St David’s Day. It has been recognized as such since the 12th Century. Today, on that day, school children dress in national costume and adults wear a leek or a daffodil (introduced by David Lloyd George, who wasn’t enamoured of the leek as an emblem!!) to commemorate our Patron Saint. Dewi, of course, is the only Patron Saint in the four countries of Britain and Ireland who was born in the country of which he is the Patron Saint. (Andrew was one of the Apostles; Patrick was born in Britain – possibly in Wales; George was a Cappadoccian Greek and a soldier in the Roman Army),

Dewi’s last sermon is widely quoted at this time of the year of course. Translated, it says –

‘Be happy. Keep your faith and beliefs – and do the little things which you have heard and seen me do’.

Still good advice – even after fifteen hundred years!

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus iawn i chi i gyd.

A very Happy St David’s Day to you all.

Ann M. Jones

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