Hearth & Horn

I am learning Welsh since moving to Wales - there's an active and quite courageous language revival movement.

I know someone whose dad was on a language protest in the 1970s - both his arms were broken by a politician driving a car at him. When her dad was taken to trial, he refused to speak or answer because the questions were in English - he insisted on the right to be tried in the Welsh language. Some groups would even blow up (empty) buildings in protest, or steal road signs if they only had English on. You'll still see stickers reading 'Ble mae'r cymraeg?' placed on road signs - i.e. 'Where's the Welsh?' - if they only have the English place name.

Because that's my lived context, I try and be more conscious of the politics of the language than one might otherwise need to be; and the worry is that using it spiritually implies it is a dead language, or a mystical magic language - somewhat akin to the concerns indigenous Americans have about their language/practies being used as a kind of Magical, Fantasy, Imaginary instead of real people with real problems. I try to think of Welsh as the language of my neighbours, not my gods.

(but the relationship here is complicated! Part of the Welsh culture revival movement included Welsh people who *loved* the idea of being magical druids from an ancient eerie culture of fae-folk and wandering bards, and so co-created celtic romanticism with English people who liked projecting that onto the Welsh. Iolo Morganwg was known for making up poems and practices and pretending they were ancient; Arthur Machen, later author, was Welsh writes romanticised tales of the holy grail being hidden here and old folk with tales to tell. & fundamentally, I think it's ok to be excited about the romance and mystery of the history and culture of the place you live.)

At the same time, I do think putting some of my work into Welsh would be appropriate - and a useful goal to be practicing the language as well. It's the language of the local spirits, one would assume, after all!