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 all about Hot Cross Buns and how they are tied up in a bag, the ceremony of 'Lifting' women high into the air that takes place at Easter, and the possible origins of April Fool's Day. He talks about the Maypole and the giving of Birch rods as a token of love, as well as the battle between the Winter and Summer Kings that takes place each Mayday.

• Sundry Lenten Customs 0:57
• Mothering Sunday 1:58
• Palm Sunday 2:09
• Flowering Sunday 2:15
• Walking Barefoot to Church 2:52
• Spiritual Potency of Buns 3:18
• Good Friday Superstitions 4:20
• Making Christ's Bed 4:26
• Bad Odour of Friday 5:00
• Unlucky Days 5:20
• Holy Thursday 6:00
• The Eagle of Snowdon 6:18
• New Clothing at Easter 6:57
• Lifting 7:33
• The Crown of Porcelain 8:10
• Stocsio 9:05
• Ball-Playing in Churchyards 11:00
• The Tump of Lies 12:35
• Dancing in Churchyards 13:13
• Seeing the Sun Dance 14:10
• Calan Ebrill, or All Fools' Day 14:56
• May Day 15:42
• The Welsh Maypole 16:33
• The Daughter of Lludd llaw Ereint 17:31
• Carrying the Kings of Summer and Winter 18:45

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.

Snowdon Stocsio Calan Ebrill Lludd llaw Ereint Monmouthshire Cardiff Pembrokeshire Tenby Brahmins of India Giraldus Thor Hampshire Bragawd

pic. Lifting

Rhag i'r feinwen losgi ei thalcen ('Lest the maiden burn her forehead') Aberconwy Pen Twthil Dr. Fosbrooke St. Dogmell's Parish 'Cnwc y Celwydd' videlicet Aberedwy Malkin St. Almedha, Breconshire Ffwl Ebrill Saturnalia Bedwen Bedw Collen Mabinogi Kilhwch & Olwen Gwyn ap Nudd Gwythyr Greidawl Arthur Defynog Yo ho!

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