Celtic Source
Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird discusses various aspects of Celtic myth and culture, with a particular focus on Welsh and Irish source texts.
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 78
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
58. Eternally Fruitful Questions
What questions should we ask when investigating Celtic myths? There are plenty we could ask, but I've tried to hone it down to three eternally fruitful questions.
You can join us on the new courses …
57. Taliesin Origins - An Introduction
There's not many folks who end up in my line of work, and I often reflect on how I've ended up here, why I'm still following the path of Celtic myth.
It all began with Taliesin, and I have a very dis…
56. Modern Paganism's Translation Problem?
Do books on modern paganism have a translation problem when it comes to Celtic sources? A discussion with Kris Hughes on an important subject. Courses on Celtic myth and folklore: https://celticsour…
55. Thanks, Rest and Next . . .
Courses on Celtic myth and folklore: https://celticsource.online/courses-page
54. A 5th Branch? From the live lecture archive.
What would a 5th branch of the Mabinogi look like? By following the recurring themes of The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, is there a way of guessing what a 5th branch would contain? A lecture given …
53. Celtic Gods in Medieval Wales
Many of the characters in Welsh and Irish myths are believed to be medieval versions of earlier Celtic gods. But did medieval audiences and readers see them in the same way? What was the medieval rel…
52. The Life of Stories (Part 6)
In this addendum to our long rangeing conversation about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, poet and storyteller Tom Hirons talks about what brings some poems and stories to life.
Courses on Celtic my…
51. Sir Gawain and Men's Mysteries (Part 5)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight isn't just an old poem about chivalry and codes of honour, it also appears to be a meditation upon different types of masculinity. Which story about the sacred masculi…
50. Sir Gawain and the Pagan Goddess
Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird and Tom Hirons venture into the pagan wilds of the English classic, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Many scholars have commented on the mixture of Christian and Pagan beliefs i…
49. Sir Gawain, Woman and Wild God
Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird and Tom Hirons talk through a poem by Hirons, 'Sometimes a Wild God', and some of it's connections to the Green Knight. The following discussion explores Sir Gawain's relationsh…
48. Sir Gawain, Desire and Death
In this second part of the conversation between the poet Tom Hirons and myself we explore the different tensions in Sir Gawain, initially between desire and death, and then between the different type…
47. Sir Gawain and the Mabinogi (Part 1)
Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird and Tom Hirons discuss the Middle English classic Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The first part in an extensive conversation exploring what the enigmatic story-in-verse means …
46. The Story of the Story
The Mabinogi contain many influences and draw on many sources. In this last talk on Rhiannon's Mabinogi, we look at W.J. Gruffydd's conclusions about how the Mabinogi evolved, and take a brief look a…
45. The Goddess' Stolen Child
There are several stories in the Welsh tradition and beyond about stolen children and their mothers, but what do they mean? Part 6 of Rhiannon's Mabinogi.
Courses on Celtic myth and folklore: https:/…
44. Who is Manawydan?
Manawydan in Welsh myth and Manannán in Irish myth are often considered variations on the same mythological figure. But is this true? And if so what connects them? Part 6 of Rhiannon's Mabinogi.
Cou…
43. Ceridwen's Mabinogi?
An interlude from Rhiannon's Mabinogi series: To really understand a myth we need to understand the tradition in which it arises. So what is the broader tradition that Ceridwen's myth comes from?
C…
42. A Queen Betrayed (Rhiannon's Mabinogi part 4)
Both Rhiannon's and Branwen's stories in the Mabinogi express some of the most tragic themes in Celtic myth. They are also very similar to later folktales from other traditions. In comparing all of t…
41. The Celtic Wonder-child Myth (Rhiannon's Mabinogi part 3)
Myths about immortal fathers and miraculous births are found in many cultures across the world, including the stories of the Welsh and the Irish. What does this widespread myth tell us about mytholog…
40. How can we understand the Mabinogi? (Rhiannon's Mabinogi part 2)
In this second video on W.J.Gruffydd's classic of Celtic scholarship, Rhiannon we explore his comparison of the Irish story the Conception of Mongán with the Welsh story of Pwyll in Annwfn. What can …
39. Rhiannon's Mabinogi part 1
The story of Rhiannon is found in the first and third branches of the Mabinogi. One of the most important books written on the subject is Rhiannon by W.J. Gruffydd, one of Wales' most prominent poets…