Introduction

After a year of seasonal discussions Brython has developed an outline of major festivals that are important to all of us in various ways. In this document I intend to outline these festivals, something of what they mean to members of Brython and some of the ways in which we have celebrated these festivals. As we rarely come together as a group these festivals are celebrated in slightly different ways by each one of us. Some of us celebrate with our family, some on our own and some of us will join celebrations with members of the wider Pagan community in our area as well as perhaps doing our own private rituals. What we have in common is that we all feel these festivals are important to us. As this process of discussions began with the festivals of winter it is there that I will begin.

Eponalia (18th December)

The Grey Mare is of great importance to most members of Brython so much so that we have named our tribe after her. “We are the Teguloktos Rigatona; the Family of Rigatona. She is the goddess of the Grey Mare, our matron and the one who protects our family.” We have discussed the dating of this festival, the 18th December date is commonly known now in neo-pagan circles for the festival of Eponalia. The description of the date come from the Roman calendar and it is possible it is from before the Julian calendrical reform, if so it would have been based on a lunar system. It is also possible that the Gaulish cavalry by whom this festival was originally brought to Rome may have had to move their festival from a solstice date. Blackbird wrote in a post on the Caer Feddwyd forum:

“In Iron Age symbolism, the horse seems to have been a solar creature – perhaps there was a belief that horses pulled the sun across the sky. Many of the iron age coins show solar wheels in conjunction with horses. Of course, the sun is usually associated with abundance, which links back to the Epona images. And then there is our one reference to Eponalia, at midwinter, which may indicate a solar connection there too.

The Grey Lady was obviously important enough to have her bit in some of the Saturnalia celebrations, but I reckon, not quite important enough to usurp the main Roman gods from the actual solstice / sun rebirth time. After all, we know that She was mostly popular among the lower classes (from contemporary poetry and literature such as the Golden Ass) and the cavalry, who would probably have been auxiliaries. Eponalia was probably not something that the toffs would have bothered with, or wanted to elevate.”

In the end Eponalia was celebrated by most of Brython on 18th December in 2008.

For more information on Epona please see the Epona site maintained by Nantonos http://www.epona.net

Winter Solstice (21st December sunset to 25th December sunrise)

This period of time became a three day festival marked at the start with a toast on the evening of 21st December, a toast on the evening of the 24th and a final dawn observance on the 25th.

When these are linked with Eponalia we have a pattern of three days with the solstice point in the middle of them – 18th, 21st and 24th. This is followed by a dawn observance on the 25th to mark the return of the sun’s apparent movement through our skies.

It was generally agreed that this time of the year has a strong family focus. Several members of Brython spent time during this period either fasting or trying not to use electric lighting to further focus thoughts on the darkness of this time of year.

It was at this time that we really developed a ritual that was to bind us together in our celebrations no matter what else we might be doing and this was the triple toast.

The Triple Toast

This is simply a series of three linked toasts often accompanied with libations that each of us try and do as close in time as we can to the rest of the members of Brython. It has become a binding element among us and is missed when for whatever reason we do not arrange to do this at a festival we are all observing. At the present time it is the only practice that we share among the group.

Gwyl Ffraed – Sunset 31st January to Sunset 1st Feb

Brigantia is special to a few of us in Brython and there was quite a bit of discussion about both the timing of this festival and how to celebrate it. Several of us felt that in reality this was a feast day that marked the first signs of spring in our local area and so would vary from place to place. However we also agreed that in terms of joining together as a community a fixed date was more useful.

We agreed to share in a triple toast once more, some raised a toast at dusk on the 31st, some at dawn on the 1st and others when they could manage. Milk was a popular choice for toasting with on this occasion.

Suggestions for practical ways of honouring Brigantia at this time include spring cleaning (Brigantia does have ties to hearth and home after all), searching for the first spring flowers, making offerings of milk and lighting candles either at dusk on 31st or dawn of the 1st. Sharing or reading poetry is also something that several of us do.

Heron shared the following beautiful poem and many of us used these words in our own celebrations.

“Bride of our hearth
Bless this place
With warmth
With shelter
With fire that burns for us.

Bride of our streams
Of wells and water courses
Asperge our land
With rain
With dew.

Bride of the candles
Lit for your remembrance
Bright be your blessings
As the Sun climbs higher
In his Winter rising.

Bride of our company
Of links and friendship
Across Brigantia, the isles
Of your people:
Veil us within the bounds of belonging.”