Mari Lwyd - the Old Grey Mare

And we met the Mari Lwyd (Welsh for 'Grey Mare'/ 'Holy Mary')... and privileged to see the Mari out of season at Aberdare Hall, Cardiff as part of the entertainment on the Ballad Conference.


The text below I quote from the Folkwales website:

The Mari is unique to South Wales. In its purest form (still to be seen at
Llangynwyd, near Maesteg, every New Year's Day) the tradition involves the
arrival of the horse and its party at the door of the house or pub, where
they sing several introductory verses. Then comes a battle of wits (known as
pwnco)in which the people inside the door and the Mari party outside
exchange challenges and insults in rhyme. At the end of the battle, which
can be as long as the creativity of the two parties holds out, the Mari
party enters with another song.

Our Mari was the Llantrisant one.


It really was an amazing sight! Mari Lwyd is a tradition not too far removed from the Guising traditions of the Northern Isles of Scotland. Although 'dressing up' at Hallowe'en is well-known, its a fairly modern version of the Hogmanay tradition.

In Orkney, the 'guisers' had their own little folk play and songs which had origins in pre-Reformation times, which praise 'Queen Mary' i.e., the Virgin, 'Queen of Heaven'. Chambers' Book of Days has an excellent write up on it.

Of course, there's the obvious visual connection with the Padstow Hobby 'Oss in Cornwall. The Mari snaps and chases after girls, and generally makes a nuisance of itself, as it did in the hall! Very very impressed that this tradition is being revived in Wales.

Well done Rhiannon for persuading the Mari out of its stable early!