Tradition of the Mari Lwyd - BBC Cymru 

YES! I've always thought it was the original rap battle, too! :-D

Also it raids your pantry and steals you alcoholic drinks

Yes, "you rap battle a demonic horse thing [In Welsh] so that it doesn’t bust into your house"!

Im im America and I do this

and drink all your beer.

Ooh, you're making it up! Marianne

@@rogerdavies8586 nah.

I hate that you got me to believe it for the first sentence because the reference hadn't clicked yet xD

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I is!

Me me me

yup

I am

me

Better than tv.

😂

0:11-0:15 It's supposed to be a Christmastime tradition yet I can see that those trees still have leaves and those men are not dressed for winter. Perhaps this was filmed in an unusually warm year. I'm not sure what the typical weather in Wales in December is like. Perhaps this was staged for the sake of demonstration months earlier.

I'm so glad. I understand it happens in Hungary too. Marianne

That’s adorable

too modern

how is it called?

​@@soylacomadreja5791 'Capra de Anul Nou', or New Year's goat :) The costume has a special mechanism that allows it to go 'clak-clak-clak' when you tug on a string, and the goat is normally accompanied by village lads playing the drums, or 'tobe' (plural)/ 'tobā' (singular), though that tends to be near mountainous regions. In Dobrogea, which is by the Black Sea, we use these shakers made by attaching bells to wooden sticks. Oddly enough, we also have someone knock on people's door asking them if they'll let the goat in, as part of the performance.

Japanese people have a somewhat similar tradition that's based in one of Japan's prefectures. I don't remember too much about it but I'm pretty sure it's called Namahage. People dress up as Oni aka Demons (which is a funny name for me since I'm Polish and "Oni" means "them" in my language, and is pronounced the same way). These demons then playfully cause commotion untill they are let in and then drink with the father of the household, the father then promises his kids will be better behaved next year, or something along those lines. Funnily enough here in Poland my dad told me we used to have a kind of similar creature to Crampus called Dziadek Mroz (literally Grandpa [of the] Cold) though idk how popular this was around the entire country and it seems to have been more so due to Poland's Soviet time than anything. Santa Claus was and still is much more popular. However after seeing Mari Lwyd I think it's the most impressive and fun tradition of this kind out of the ones I've seen. The whole horse skull thing makes it metal and I'm just a sucker for imagery like this.

you don't need welsh elders lol, just ask a fluent welsh speaker, we're everywhere

@@AJ-xv6bj Would you be willing to translate?

@@K1ddkanuck guess hes not fluent xd

@@K1ddkanuck at the end he says that this is a tradition they do at xmas. They go around houses and farms with a horse’s head decorated with stars and ribbons and that he first heard of it from an uncle who lived in Llwyn Brain as a boy and remembered the Mari Llwyd coming around, and that was 100 years ago. It’s an old ritual which maybe in the future people would be doing in a different way. Then he says, I’m going in to the company.

@@cardu2012 personally.. if it wasn't for those two men singing, i would probably beat the hell out of that thing with the nearest object close to hand.

Why would it be a hoax?

@@franciscocassuli6103 Look at his profile pic Edit: I really can't remember why I said this. Maybe greg changed the picture? I dunno.

@@franciscocassuli6103 Because it's bizarre?

few!? there is alot of welsh people around the globe

I don't know not that many you muppet

​@@richarddutchholland4780 quite alot actually, you pig faced fool

@@myth0s307 there are at least three probably

I’m a Welsh speaker, and I can’t work out a word they are saying.

@@brianleslie19 Maybe they're speaking a particular Welsh dialect common years ago! Show this to your parents or grandparents. Maybe they can help you!

There used to be several dialects. In the south east it was called Y Wenhwyseg or Gwenhwyseg (Gwentian).

Worried about having to rap battle a skull to keep your beer huh?

Oh as a child, I *n e v e r* would have slept again; I had a hard enough of a time after learning about the Angel of Death in Moses....

This is an original Welsh tradition. Not an SCP.

@@secondcoolestyoutubechanne2123 r/wooosh

@@player8837 I know it's a joke.

@@secondcoolestyoutubechanne2123 then why did you explain the joke, to the person who made it? Your comment is redundant

Did you try rapping to it?

they both evolved from brythonic, welsh is the closest to brythonic

No evidence at all that the Celtic new year was at Halloween. And the tradition took place at Christmas and occasionally the New Year and is no older than the late 18th century.

maybe your music teacher watches Sam O'nella

How'd it go?! :)

Is there any chance you could translate what they're saying

​@Firstname137 I found this translation online Cân y Fari Lwyd (Oddi allan) Wel dyma ni'n dwad Gyfeillion diniwad I ofyn am gennad i ganu. Os na chawn ni gennad, Cewch glywed ar ganiad Beth fydd ein dymuniad - nos heno. Agorwch y dryse, Mae'r rhew wrth ein sodle, Mae'r rhew wrth ein sodle - nos heno. Os oes gennych atebion, Wel, dewch a nhw'n union I ateb prydyddion y gwylie. (Ateb oddi mewn) O, cerwch ar gered, Mae'ch ffordd yn agored, Mae'r ffordd yn agored - nos heno. (Oddi allan) Nid ewn ni ar gered Heb dorri ein syched, Heb dorri ein syched - nos heno. (Oddi mewn) Mae ffynnon yn tarddu Ym mhistyll y Beili, Trwy ffafwr cewch lymed i brofi. (Oddi allan) Nid yfwn o'r ffynnon I oeri ein calon I fagu clefydon - y gwylie. (Oddi mewn) Rhowch glywad, wyr doethion, Pa faint y'ch o ddynion A beth yn wych union, (x3) yw'ch enwau. (Oddi allan) Rhyw bump o wyr hawddgar, Rhai gorau y ddaear Yn canu mewn gwir air (x3) am gwrw. (Oddi mewn) Os llymaid bach melys A geisiwch dros wefus Dewch atom yn hwylus (x3) i'r aelwyd. Tu Fewn... Y Parti: Mae Mari Lwyd lawen Yn dod i'ch ty’n rhonden A chanu yw ei diben, mi dybiaf. Yr Ateb: Rhowch glywad wyr difrad O ble rych chi'n dwad A beth yw'ch gofyniad gaf enwi. Y Parti: O ardal Y Creigiau, Pentyrch a'r cyffiniau Fe ganwn ein geiriau am gwrw. Yr Ateb: Derbyniwn yn llawen Ymryson yr awen I gynnal y gynnen drwy ganu. Y Parti: Mi ganwn am wythnos Ac hefyd bythefnos A mis os bydd achos baidd i chwi. Yr Ateb: Mi ganwn am flwyddyn Os cawn Dduw i'n canlyn Heb ofni un gelyn y gwyliau. Y Parti: Gollyngwch yn rhugil Na fyddwch yn gynnil O! Tapiwch y faril i'r Fari. Yr Ateb: O! Cenwch eich nodau Ac felly wnawn ninnau A'r sawl a fo orau gaiff gwrw. Y Parti: Fe ganwn yn awr I Ferched y Wawr Am ddiod ac enllyn i'n llonni. Yr Ateb: I'r Fari sychedig Fe rown ein calennig A'r cwrw yn ffisig i’w pheswch. Y Parti: Derbyniwn yn llawen, Y croeso mewn casgen Cyflawnwyd y diben mi dybiaf. Diolch i Glwb y Dwrlyn i'r fersiwn hwn The Mari Lwyd song (From outside) Well, here we come Innocent friends To ask may we have leave to sing. If we don’t have leave, You can listen to the song that tells of our leaving - tonight. Open the doors, There’s ice under our heels, There’s ice under our heels - tonight. If you have answers, Well, bring them exactly To answer the holidays poets. (Answer from inside) Oh, go walk, Your way is open, Your way is open - tonight. (From outside) We won’t walk away Without breaking our thirst, Without breaking our thirst - tonight. (From inside) The fountain originates In the Bailey’s spring, As a favour have a drink to taste. (From outside) We won’t drink from a fountain To colden our hearts To breed fever - [of] the holiday. (From inside) Listen, wise men, What size is your party (of men) And what exactly is great, (x3) are your names. (From outside) Some five pleasant men, Some of the best on Earth Singing true words (x3) for beer. (From inside) If there’s a small sweet swig [of beer] That you can try on your lips Come to us in good spirits (x3) to the hearth. Inside... The Party (of the Mari Lwyd): The joyful Mary Lwyd has come to your house en mass and singing is it’s purpose, I suppose. The Response (from the residents): Give a listen, patriotic men Where do you come from And what is your ask that I can name The Party: From the area of Creigiau, Pentyrch and it’s outskirts We sing our words for beer. The Response: We receive you joyfully Contend with the muse To maintain the luck through singing. The Party: We will sing for a week And a fortnight as well And a month if you will dare. The Response: We will sing for a year If we get God to follow us Without fearing any enemy of the holidays. The Party: Fluently drop You will not be subtle Oh! Tap [Open] the barrel for the Mary. The Response: Oh! Sing your notes And so will we And the person who’s best will have beer. The Party: We will sing now To Merched y Wawr For drink and a snack to make us happy The Response: For the thirsty Mari We give our New Year’s gift And the beer is medicine for her cough. The Party: We accept joyfully, The welcome in a barrel Accomplished the purpose, I believe

@@Firstname137 "Awesome! Good video of the old Mari Lwyd tradition. Hopefully it'll continue for a long time."

As a kid in the 80s and 90s in the Rhondda we used to say "please help the Mari Lwyd' at Halloween too.

The earliest documented evidence is from the 1800's not Celtic, not pre-Christian. Also found in Yorkshire and Notts.

​@@YorkyOne And Kent and the Cotswolds.

My mother was a welsh speaker and it sounded like that to me too.

And at 1:46 it sounds like "Bing Crosby"

It's "yn Surrey" which means in Surrey

sonnyboythethird he’s saying they sing better than bing crosby or any yankee 🤣.

The Christians dont approve.

Yeah, it's essentially wassailing with a horse skull costume

@@johndoe-gp1fx I wouldn't say the Christians don't approve if they're still practicing it.

No, it's a mast horse also found in Yorkshire, Notts and Derbyshire mining areas. Only starts to be documented in the 1800's.

@@YorkyOne That is found in those areas mid 19th century.

"I can cover your very Louise and Jordan cross" and such about Kentucky😭

"Mohini in our very odd union, Sanka nude, window kill a sermon, hamster on a dalek" I almost died laughing!! Someone tell Mohini to reform the union while Sanka puts some clothes on and saves that damned hamster!

"Another Key West I shined on the english" lol 😂😂😂

Teach me pls

and tik tok 😂

Pretty pretty please, could you translate this song for us?

WHO WON! WHO'S NEXT?

BRUH. We're locals.

Nah.

glockroach Well, gentle friends Here we come To ask may we have leave To ask may we have leave To ask may we have leave To sing. If we may not have leave, Then listen to the song That tells of our leaving That tells of our leaving That tells of our leaving Tonight. We have cut our shins Crossing the stiles To come here To come here To come here Tonight. If there are people here Who can compose englynion Then let us hear them now Then let us hear them now Then let us hear them now Tonight. If you've gone to bed too early In a vengeful spirit, Oh, get up again good-naturedly Oh, get up again good-naturedly Oh, get up again good-naturedly Tonight. The large, sweet cake With all kinds of spices: O cut generous slices O cut generous slices O cut generous slices This Christmas-tide. O, tap the barrel And let it flow freely; Don't share it meanly Don't share it meanly Don't share it meanly This Christmas-tide.

glockroach www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/songs/yfarilwyd.mp3

@@iceandale7621 THANK YOU

@Sun Mxngo Oh shit I forgot I made that comment. Sorry, I never meant anything rude by it.

It is fine

In the description it says 1966

2020.

My dad and I just watched this with the auto generated subtitles and we were laughing the whole way out 😂 at one point it generated the word Dalek and was even funnier since we're both into Doctor Who 😂

No. 19th century.

Yes, he says that the young men of Barry can sing better than Bing Crosby or any other yankee that might appear on the tv that evening.

He's talking about how he used to take part in the tradition as a child

Or knowing Rob standing outside the house sounding like he was in the house 😂

I noticed that this is not actually the full translation of the one depicted in this video, but it is the translation of the traditional song used today.

Hilarious!

tolkien studies and spoke Welsh

The translation is actually ‘the boys and Mari can sing better than Bing Crosby or any old yankee that’s on television this evening’ so you got a portion of it right lmao

@@o4117 LOL, thanks! So does the part that sounded like "no say no" mean "this evening?" I thought they were literally saying "no say no" as in "don't decline my request". It sounds _so_. These Northern dialects are really something.

@@tom_something He’s not actually speaking English, this is the Welsh language. He’s saying ‘nôs heno’ which is Welsh for this evening/night

@@o4117 So I take it in my "see the rate tell a deer", the "tell a" is probably "telly" or something similar, for TV. Very interesting.