An individual take on the 'Preddieu Annwfn'. 'The spoils of Annwn'.
Time
I found myself with a fair bit of free time this Summer so not wanting to waste any of it I chose to devote some of it to various aspects of my life. One of the things I did was to focus a big chunk on de-cluttering and re-organization. While engaged in this process I found many things from the past. A fair bit was creative, some was personal and I also found the spiritual. It took me time to process lots of what I re-discovered and it was interesting to reflect on how I thought then as opposed to how I think now.
Not a five minute job!
After all we do evolve and we sometimes see the world differently.
I discovered that I have evolved...but...in a way that very much of what I found still excites me and resonates with me.
Hence, I wish to share something that I wrote about seven years ago. It was entitled 'The Big Guy on the block' and the 'Little Woman.' I will share it here as I wrote it. Make of it what you will as it is just my own personal insight which is constantly evolving.
The Big Guy on the block and the Little Woman
Can't help but feel we over complicate things, us human beings. But every so often the mist clears and things are far more simpler in reality. The same goes for spiritual matters.
As one of the Cymru who gets pulled and drawn into such matters, sometimes willingly and at other times as the result of a slap, I recently decided to try, once again, to have a crack at the 'Preddieu Annwfn' ( The spoils of Annwn/Arthur's raid on the Otherworld).
It is one of the most fundamentally important texts that has been left to us with regard to pagan beliefs in Briton ( by 'pagan' in this context I mean pre-christian as opposed to 'country dweller').
There are many who would say it is where the whole idea of 'The holy grail' originated.
Translations from the Old Welsh vary and there are a number of different opinions on specific unknown words. The truth is no-one can be definitive, but here lies the problem. People try to be!
So I thought I'd have a shot at it as there is a 'quickening' in the spiritual air and we need to get a move on! The views I express here are my own but they are a result of many years of 'seeking.' I could write pages to clarify my viewpoint but I don't feel the need to.
Here goes...
In simplicity, Taliesin (who is the author of the poem) seems to me to be describing the age old battle between Summer and Winter but also the battle between night and day. More importantly this is also a battle between the Moon and the Sun and ,hence, the female and the male as well as the Underworld and This world.
Moon worship pre-dates sun worship and the menstruation of women played a big part in this ( read Stan Gooch's ' Secrets of the ancient religion'). But through the ages we have now been left with the dominance of a patriarchal 'one god' Sun worship. The bottom line being that we have, to a large extent, religious intolerance as opposed to spiritual tolerance.
Taliesin saw this coming! He ridicules the 'monks and priests' for their lack of universal knowledge as his home is the 'Summer Stars'. He is telling us that he is a 'Stellar Being' and looks down on both Sun and Moon. Both are necessary for the Earth to function as it does. This is not a competition! We both have a male/female side (just look at the Ying Yang symbol and work with it!) and the cycle cannot be broken.
The author of the poem (if he is Taliesin) is lamenting the onslaught of the 'New Religion' as he, a prophet and seer, foresees the problems that will result.
There is a lesson to be learned. One must journey through the Underworld as it holds important knowledge for all of us.
Don't go there if you are not willing to bring something of value back!
It is a testing place as it should be. It is only with this seed of knowledge that one can ripen in the sun. Then one can aspire to the 'Stellar World' where our 'True Will' is forged.
Seek and find, then rise above, for we are 'Stardust.'
Looking back
When I found this I had almost forgotten that I had written it. It certainly got me thinking again.
There are many interpretations of this amazing text where Arthur, accompanied by Taliesin and others, partakes of a raid on the Otherworld to bring back the cauldron of inspiration.
The beauty of myths is that they are open to interpretation. They are ever evolving as they should be. I have stated before that I see myself as an individualist. We all find our own path to the light. Interpretation is a big factor in that.
The beauty of an oral tradition.
One has to seek.
I stress once more that 'The Big Guy on the block' and the 'Little Woman' is just what I gleaned
from this amazing piece of Western Mystery Tradition prose.
Over time maybe more will come to light. Ever onwards
Thank you very much for reading this post.
If you are interested in this text (which is not too long) you can find other articles about it online. There are also books with both the Old Welsh and the recent English translation.
The one that I have used mostly is by the authors John and Caitlin Matthews.
I met them on a course they were running many years ago.
It was focused on the Grail.
Their interpretation of the text is different to mine.
They have also written many other books relating to Arthur and the Western Mystery Tradition.
I would certainly recommend any of their books that I have read.
They write with great awareness of both the historical and the mythical and help to keep this tradition alive.
Thanks once again for reading. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like.
Best wishes
Paul
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