TREE SONG Cân Goeden
The Birds of Knowledge sing their songs of wisdom within the heart of the Tree of Life, whose branches whisper their gentle poetry with the wind. Roots grow deep into the ground, drawing the sweet music of life up into our hearts. Interlacing branches reach high into the heavens. They carry the prayers of the earth: the Song of the Trees. The interlacing roots and branches symbolize the Celtic belief in the Continuity of Life.
“Fly little bird,
With your ribbons and prayers,
We hunted you down
Gave you cage and a crown.Fly little wren,
May your song never end,
In darkness your sight –
Gave your life for our light”. Excerpt from Song “The Hunting of the Wren” by Jen Delyth
The Wren – Drwy – is a deeply mystical divine bird for the Celts.
In Welsh the name of the Wren is connected to the word for Druid. – Drwy, and in Irish Gaelic, Drui-en – the Druid bird.
The wise and elusive Wren is the King of the Birds – a little bird, cunning, fertile, and with a strong beautiful voice that particularly inspired the Bards, and was sacred to Taliesin, and a voice of augury for the Druids.
There are many folk songs – especially in Wales and Ireland, about the Winter custom of “Hunting of the Wren – Hela’r Dryw”. This folk tradition has ancient roots, and potent symbolism around the Winter Solstice, when the Wren is sacrificed and given a ritual burial to ensure the fertility and light returning to the world, at the darkest time. In some customs the Wren is let free instead.
Around New Years’ Day, villagers hunted the wren, carrying her in a little Wren House cage, honoring “the King of the Birds” with ritual ceremony. Young boys decked in ribbons and representing the winter Holly King, parade the wren from door to door, singing songs, and they would be given gifts in return.
In this ritual, the Wren represents the newly crowned Holly King, who dies to ensure the return of the light – the “killing” of the old year, to bring in the new.
The yellow Gorse or Furze – represents the sun, with her rich yellow flowers, and is a voracious light seeker. The evergreen Holly tree with blood red berries, represents the Winter King, as the Oak and the Robin represent the Summer King – the seasonal cycles of light and dark.
The feathers of the Wren were thought to bring good fortune, and it was considered bad luck to kill a Wren, or steal her eggs, and that the wren’s nest was protected by lightening.
The “hunting of the wren” now typically takes place on St Stephen’s Day (26th December), as it was (unfortunately) believed that the Wren’s song betrayed St. Stephen, who was hiding in the yellow Gorse or Furze, leading to his martyrdom.
BARD SONG – The Celtic Harp is a wooden stringed instrument – often intricately carved with bird and animal designs.
The Harp is traditionally played by the Celtic Bards – the poets and musicians – who sing songs of enchantment, love and loss,and beauty and darkness. Music is the song of life, and the Celts say the Universe was created with sound. In Celtic mythology, the Silver Branch from the Tree of Life, is the totem of the musician. Brought back from the Celtic Otherworld, it is said to make enchanting music that heals and soothes away our pain and sorrow. The bird headed harp is played by the ancient Celtic Goddess Rhiannon, whose magical birds are said to sing enchanting songs, that “Lull the living to sleep, and awaken the dead.”
Wolf Moon – Lleuad Blaidd – The hungry wolf calls to the moon – for change will come. Faoilleach – the old Gaelic/Irish winter month means the Month of the Wolf. The cold January Wolf Moon lightens the path of the hunters, showing the way.
Intuitive, shadowy, Wolf is often connected with the Moon and her cycles. In Celtic mythology, Wolf is companion to the fertile white moon goddess Cerridwen. Although Wolf is often associated with war and destruction, these are ancient mysteries of death and rebirth as guides to positive change. In Gaelic wolf is Madadh Alluidh, or Mac Tire meaning “Earth’s Son”.
Fierce, shy, loyal and cunning – wolf communicates power and leadership through eye, voice and body language to the pack. He is one of the totem guardians of the Celts. Cormac – the Irish King – was suckled by wolves, and wolves appear on the Gunderstrup Cauldron, with Cernunnos – the forest stag god. In Norse mythology, the wolves Hati and Sköll chase the sun and the moon across the heavens – creating day and night until the end of the world – Ragnarok.
Music is the song of life. From the first simple reed instruments, the first beating of an animal skin stretched upon a frame, folk have created music as naturally as breathing. Wherever folk gather, music resonates. Wood and bone, tightly stretched sinew and gut strings,
sing of joy and sorrow, love and loss, beauty and darkness through the skillful hands of the folk musician. We celebrate together with music at our festivals, at ritual gatherings. Around the hearth, long Winters nights are passed to the music of the fiddle, whistle, and the beat of the bodhran drum. With distinctive patterns and cadence of rhythm and harmony, traditional Celtic music continues to flourish throughout the modern celtic world, and wherever her people have travelled. In Celtic mythology, the universe is said to be created from sound, with three great shouts – represented by the Awen symbol of three dots with three rays. In this design, the ancient iron age Carynx horns symbolize the creative force of Awen. The mythic silver branch with her golden apples, is the emblem of the musician. Brought back from the Otherworld, it is said to make enchanting music that heals and soothes away our pain and sorrow. The magical Birds of Rhiannon sing enchanted songs that lull the living to sleep and awaken the dead.
Ravens Heart – The tribal heart beats with the blood of the Ravens – who show that life and death are interconnected, the one not possible without the other. True love balances the dark and the light, beginnings and endings. The strong heart is renewed through the wisdom of the Raven. Ravens are totem birds of the dark Celtic Goddesses the Badbh and the Morrigan, who shapeshift into Raven form. The Raven is associated with death and rebirth. Celtic coins depict the Raven or Crow perched on the back of a horse, symbolizing the war-goddes Badb Catha, who could change shape from woman to death-crow in battle. A Raven alights on Cu Chulainn’s shoulder at his death, to symbolize the passing of his spirit. As death is closely intertwined with life, the bright-eyed Raven is also blessed with clear vision, and is wise in the mysteries of rebirth and healing.
There are many similar folk stories told of magical faerie women living below the lakes of Wales that thread back to ancient Celtic myth and belief. The Lady of the Lake of Llyn Y Fan Fach in Myddfai Carmarthenshire, is interwoven with a later twelfth century legend of the Physicians of Myddfai, whose skills as herbalists were renowned from up until the 18th Century in Wales. The Physicians of Myddfai – and some of their descendants – were said to be eminent healers, who inherited the magical healing powers of the Lady of the Lake.
In the Welsh folk tale, a faerie woman leaves her home beneath the Lake, and agrees to marry a young local man who is entranced with her beauty – bringing him a dowry of magical cattle – with the condition that he does not strike her three times without cause – or she will return to the waters of Llyn Y Fan Fach.
They had three sons together, but when her husband accidentally gives her three causeless blows, she keeps her promise and disappears – with her magical cattle – to her home beneath the Lake.
She gifts her eldest son Rhiwallon with her medicinal knowledge of herbs, plants and cures, and foretells that his descendants will continue to have the skills of the Healers. Myddfai was indeed a well respected healing center in medieval Wales, through the 18th century.
Wolf Moon – Lleuad Blaidd – The hungry wolf calls to the moon – for change will come. Faoilleach – the old Gaelic/Irish winter month means the Month of the Wolf. The cold January Wolf Moon lightens the path of the hunters, showing the way.
Intuitive, shadowy, Wolf is often connected with the Moon and her cycles. In Celtic mythology, Wolf is companion to the fertile white moon goddess Cerridwen. Although Wolf is often associated with war and destruction, these are ancient mysteries of death and rebirth as guides to positive change. In Gaelic wolf is Madadh Alluidh, or Mac Tire meaning “Earth’s Son”. Fierce, shy, loyal and cunning – wolf communicates power and leadership through eye, voice and body language to the pack. He is one of the totem guardians of the Celts. Cormac – the Irish King – was suckled by wolves, and wolves appear on the Gunderstrup Cauldron, with Cernunnos – the forest stag god. In Norse mythology, the wolves Hati and Sköll chase the sun and the moon
across the heavens – creating day and night until the end of the world – Ragnarok.
Irish Roots – Celebrate Your Roots is written in Irish Gaelic and English translation,
circling Jen Delyth’s iconic Celtic Tree of Life artwork. The green flag featuring a harp, is an older symbol of Ireland dating back to 1642. It has been chosen to represent Ireland and her people, at the heart of the Tree of Life. The original phrase Éirinn go Bráth translates to Ireland Forever, expressing allegiance to Éire – Ireland. Our ancestral roots reach back through the generations, as we celebrate our heritage through an ancient culture that continues to grow and evolve as a living tradition in our lives today. The Celtic Tree of Life represents the interconnection of all living things.
The Ancients envisioned the entire cosmos in the form of a tree whose roots grow deep in the ground, branches reaching high into the heavens.
Gaelic Roots – Symbol & Meaning – Original Design by Jen Delyth
Scottish Heritage – Celebrate Your Roots is here written in Scottish Gaelic, and English, entwined around Jen Delyth’s iconic Celtic Tree of Life artwork. The Montrose Shield and Lyon Rampant was chosen to represent Scotland and her people at the heart of the Tree of Life.
Our ancestral roots reach back through history and generations as we celebrate the culture that continues to grow and evolve as a living tradition in our lives today.
COMHARAICH DO FHREUMHAN is Scots’ Gaelic for “Celebrate Your Roots”
Thanks to friends in Glasgow and Seamus for this special case translation, which required words that would give connotations of both botanical roots and familial roots. It required a “bardic” turn of phrase, using the old Gaelic love of double entendre and symbolism as opposed to a literal one.
