Mystery as hundreds of Victorian shoes wash up on Ogmore beach

But is it older than the Salmon of Llyn Llyw?

The oldest living thing in Wales: the yew in the churchyard of Llangernyw, #Conwy, which is believed to be somewhere in the region of 3,000 years old. #ThickTrunkTuesday #Wales

If you love the Welsh language and uninhibited shape-shifting, time-travelling witches, then this is the book for you.

Words for Winter #Solstice in Welsh: Canol Gaeaf=midwinter Heuldro=sun turning (prior to 20th century this word only referred to the plant heliotrope) Heulsaf=sun-standing (1604) Haul-orsaf=sun-station (17th century) Alban Arthan (late 18th century, coined by Iolo Morganwg)

Heuldro'r Gaeaf (the Sun's Winter Return, in Cymraeg), Happy solstice, folks 🌞 #solstice #Cymru #witchsky

Maen Criccin taken in the mid-1990s while it was still neglected and wonky (it's since been set upright). It's a few miles south of Rhuddlan near the North #Wales coast. Rammed into a boulder and on top of a mound, it remains an enigma because it's just a stump. 1/2 #StandingStoneSunday

Pwnco

The winter solstice (heuldro’r gaeaf in Welsh), the period in which we will see the fewest daylight hours of the year, takes place tomorrow

Interesting! I hadn’t heard of this before. The “Fasti Guidizzolenses”, a fragment of a Roman calendar that happily preserves a festival dedicated to Gaulish goddess Epona on 18 December. Epona may have been a favorite of the Roman cavalry due to her association with horses 🐎

A double whammy for #FolkyFriday and #PhantomsFriday One of the Cwn Anwwn (pronounced "Coon Anoon",) the spectral hounds of Welsh mythology, associated with the Wild Hunt. Made for another folklore art challenge, alongside a "celtic" style head.

I’ve got another book from the teetering TBR pile: I’m feeling a little conflicted about this one. I want so much to love it, but the referencing is all over the place, which means I can’t help feeling wary about its reliability.

Just published is @pomuirch.bsky.social's review of the Festschrift for Patrick Sims-Williams, edited by Simon Rodway and Erich Poppe. Available here: journal.fi/scf/article/...

The entrance to Caer y Twr hillfort on Holyhead Mountain. The white quartzite stone walls survive to over 2 metres in height in places. #HillfortsWednesday

This spooky carved relief of Ankou, the Breton personification of death, can found on the ossuary of the church of St Yves in La Roche-Maurice. He holds an arrow and a banner that reads 'JE VOUS TUE TOUS' (I kill you all). #ReliefWednesday

Who decided that Vernon Watkins, who died in 1967, is out of copyright?

Ireland has taken a major step in supporting its national language with the launch of the country's first fully monolingual Irish dictionary

A great old name for a mushroom or toadstool: bwyd y llyfaint, toad's food.

This is “Plygain”. It’s an old Welsh form of harmonic carol singing. It’s the most Christmassy thing you’ll see today.🎄 Goosebumps. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️

Nos o goed a chysgodion - ymwelwyr dan gymylau llwydion efo’r hwyr yn crwydro’r fron yn dawel: y da duon.

They’ve found Ker Is! Cantre’r Gwaelod nesaf! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It was believed that Ty’n-y-seler, a Standing Stone (Menhir) near Margam, Port Talbot, S Wales " goes each Christmas morning before cockcrow to drink in the sea ...." as reported in Thomas Grey's book, "The Buried City of Kenfig’" (1909) 1/2 #FolkloreThursday

*New Post* In my latest post I revisit the subject of witchcraft in Shropshire and discuss its historic and folkloric legacy. This is my most comprehensive study of the subject so far! I hope you enjoy! nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/2024/01/witc... #witchcraft #history #folklore #witch

Dictionary of of ancient Celtic from insular sources: www.theguardian.com/science/2025... Many congratulations, Simon and Sasha, and whoever else will be involved in this project!

Tessa went to this yesterday and said it was great.

The 17th century 'Brahan Seer' known in Scots Gaelic as Coinneach Odhar, could foresee future events by looking through an Adder Stone. Although some suggest he was the invention of folklorist Alexander Mackenzie. 📷 my own Adder Stone

🗣️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ‘Dwi’n Cymro, mae’n bwysig i fi dysgu Cymraeg’ Mae'r comedïwr Mike Bubbins wedi herio'i hun i ddysgu Cymraeg, a hynny yn y gobaith o allu ‘siarad Cymraeg gyda'i deulu’

Two more photos of the 10th Century Maen Achwyfan (Achwyfan's Stone), as per my pervious post. No one seems to know who Achwyfan was. I've only just learnt its design suggests #Viking influence. If so they must have struck inland into #Flintshire and perhaps settled there. #StandingStoneSunday

Maen Achwyfan, the impressive 10ft high 10th century wheel cross near Whitford in Flintshire, North #Wales. I decided to check it out again on my way back from visiting other sites but got there a bit late - although I did manage to grab this moody photo of it. #StandingStoneSunday #medieval

✏️📚 ‘Cyfle i ddathlu barddoniaeth a beirdd’ Fe gafodd wyth o feirdd gan gynnwys Eirug Salisbury a Gruffudd Antur eu cloi yng Nghastell Aberteifi dros nos mewn cystadleuaeth barddoni

Coed y Bedo transmitting its vibes for #StandingStoneSunday

The manuscript with all its wonderful (and rare for Welsh manuscripts) images is here: www.library.wales/discover-lea...

This Saturday I’ll be at the Llandudno ancient Bronze Age mine, Doodling along side an array of incredibly talented craftspeople, re-enactors and artists, who will be hosting courses and sharing their skills with the public. #bronzeage #ancienthistory #llandudno #northwales #llandudnocoppermine

Wetiad y dydd! Expression of the day! cario'r gath = to fold your arms across the chest (often to express disagreement). literally - 'to carry the cat'

#LegendaryWednesday "It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea ..." Dylan Thomas' magical snowy memories from A Child's Christmas in Wales 🎨Peter Bailey

Pared Y Cefn Hir, Bryn Y Castell, Moel Offrwm, Craig Y Castell and Foel Faner. #hillfortswednesday

Two new books from @uniwalespress.bsky.social with a wide range of essays on Welsh and Celtic literature by a host of academic experts: Imagination and Innovation in Medieval Celtic Literatures www.uwp.co.uk/book/imagina... Lliaws Rhith www.uwp.co.uk/book/lliaws-...

A reflection for Advent, featuring the poetry of R. S. Thomas. First broadcast as part of the Church Times and Canterbury Press Advent Retreat in November 2020 youtu.be/qkUFi7cD7qc?...

A summer storm passes over Penycloddiau, the largest by area of any Iron Age hill fort in Wales, and one of the largest in the UK. It forms one of the chain across the tops of the Clwydian Hills. #HillfortsWednesday #IronAge #prehistory #Wales

From @yrheniaith.bsky.social podcast Early Welsh language literature from the Americas includes a poem from 1596 imagining a dolphin carrying a message from a ship in the Caribbean home to Wales Benjamin Franklin (yes, that one) printed a Welsh language book in 1730! nation.cymru/feature/yr-h...

If anyone is looking for a present for a book lover who has an interest in the Anglo-Welsh border, its landscape, heritage and folklore I can highly recommend Sarah Siân Chave’s Hafren

An ox-head Iron Age bowl handle from Llantrisant Fawr in Wales. Some 2000 years old and gloriously ’Celtic’ with incised tongue. Known (I believe) as ‘bovril’ the vessel was worked on by @archaedelle.bsky.social . Having seen it this week I thought it perfect for #findsfriday #archaeology #celts

Cefn Caer Euni Round Cairn 1: Situated along the Cefn Caer Euni (an undulating ridge 369.2m at its highest) and with Llyn Caer Euni visible to the west the cairn occupies a natural shelf on otherwise westerly sloping ground.

Gwefl son of Gwastad: when he was sad he would let his one lip droop down to his navel and the other would be a cowl on his head. Gỽeuyl mab gỽestat. y dyd y bei drist y gollyngei y lleill weuyl idaỽ y waeret hyt y uogel. ar llall a uydei yn pennguch ar y penn.

For #HillfortsWednesday a magnificent aerial view of Foel Drygarn Hillfort courtesy of superdove #Cymru

A fun afternoon yesterday with the @rialibrary.bsky.social Stowe Missal! MS D ii 3 dates to the late 8th/early 9th centuries, and contains excerpts from the Gospel of St John and a Latin Missal. The last folio features Irish charms to protect against loss of eyesight and urinal diseases! 📜🎉

According to Gwyneth Lewis' 2007 review of Sioned Davies' Mabinogion, "One of the corridors in Cardiff's teaching hospital is decorated with paintings depicting Mabinogion legends." Are those still there, and in what department? www.theguardian.com/books/2007/m...

Prosiect ymchwil newydd yn archwilio rôl gwydr lliw mewn cymunedau lleol. Rhagor o fanylion 👇 www.uwtsd.ac.uk/cy/news/pros...

For a chilly 🥶 #HillfortsWednesday I thought everyone could warm their toes on this Iron Age fire, crackling & smoking inside the Bryn Eryr roundhouse at St Fagans Museum yesterday 🥰🔥 Despite having only one fire this double roundhouse was warm & cosy, a pretty good place to live! 🎥 My own