Posted on 12/29/2007 8:51:08 PM PST by SunkenCiv
According to Welsh mythology the Land of the Dead - or Annwn: Celtic Underworld - was ruled over by Gwynn ap Nudd. He escorted the souls of the dead there, and led a pack of supernatural hounds... experts say there is a grain of truth in the story from which it developed, with the evidence now pointing to Ruabon and Halkyn Mountains. Steve Blake, author of the Keys to Avalon, which argued the myths of King Arthur are firmly rooted in North Wales, said: "Llangollen and the Dee Valley are rich in this piece of Celtic folklore. Central to this is St Collen, from whom Llangollen takes its name, who in the sixth century established the church and surrounding area as his parish. One story has him battling Gwyn ap Nudd on a nearby hill..." But archaeology and a late 19th century Ordinance Survey map on the wall of Llangollen town hall could help substantiate the North Wales claim to some legends held dear by Glastonbury. Research and surveys have high-lighted the greatest concentration of bronze and iron age burial chambers anywhere in the world on Ruabon and Halkyn mountains. This points to the area being extremely significant with an ancient Welsh work entitled the Stanzas of the Graves giving a clue to whom is actually buried there. It is believed there are in excess of 500 burial chambers on the mountain although modern maps only show those on the edges of the Eglwyseg escarpment. This is because the vast majority were destroyed during World War II as the area was used for decoy bombing."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypost.co.uk ...
Hmm... I clicked on the link... I really don’t know if they’re a comin’... nope, nothin’ yet... ;’)
That’s great stuff.
Robert Plant has always held an affection for the Welsh countryside. I didn’t realize that Bron-Yr-Aur was a childhood getaway for his family in the 1950’s.
He must’ve told Page that he knew of a remote setting where they could escape all the hub-bub of the time, and the results were some of the finest compositions in the Led Zeppelin canon.
The UK certainly has its share of natural beauty, which has inspired poets and artists for thousands of years.
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