Gwyn ap Nudd
Ancient British God & Hero
Our concept of the ‘hunter’ may be associated with the pursuit of animals, either for food, sport or products we use. In ancient times, before the advent of agriculture, the method for generating food was so vital it was dependent on skills that had to be mastered. Whilst we may visit a supermarket to meet today’s needs, our ancestors relied on hunter-gatherers to keep them alive. A good hunter was therefore valued as a life-saver, his heroic qualities recorded in myths and art since he first lived in caves. If a hunter’s awareness of his prey could be developed through attention to detail, the greater could be the chance of success opposed to failure.
In the manner our ancestors observed what they hunted, represented a close one-sided relationship built on respect. What constituted their art, and became localised in oral tradition, indicates hunting incorporated spiritualism and sacred initiation. Today’s native hunters have described feeling closer to their kill in adopting its characteristics, ie its manner of movement, eating, fighting, etc. Similarly if our ancestors worked with a totem beast, it may have been one that had been difficult to hunt. To counter it’s allusion they would imbibe the beast’s spirit into their own in order to understand it’s nature, hence it was the sacred bonds created by the hunter that could secure life upon a procurement of death.
In British mythology, there are several tales of hunters largely due to the effects of etymology on not just the British speaking language but its tales and poetry. As a result there is more than one leader of the Wild Hunt and one or two entirely different versions of what the hunt meant. However the basic structure is much the same in that a mysterious figure gallops through the night sky on a magnificent horse, often accompanied by howling hounds which are there to assist in the calling and gathering of the dead. One of these known hunters is Herne who appears to manifest at memorable points of history, however as the name Herne is similar to Cerne he is possibly a pale version of the great ancient horned god, Cernunnos (‘cerne’ meaning horned and the ‘unnos’ meaning one).
Other versions present a glorious horde of animals and magical maidens led by Odin (or Woden) or similarly, a pack of white hounds with red ears led by Gwyn ap Nudd. Each bears reference to the role of gathering souls, which considered in another perspective was a shepherding of the dead. Similarly an ancient term for the manager of such a role was the ‘Royal Swineherd’, ie a priest of souls who in serving the Great Goddess brought to her, for the purpose of rebirth, the souls of the dead. This is echoed in the Mabinogion when Gwyn is called on by King Arthur to hunt Twrch Trwyth. The quarry is presented as a rampaging boar, which may be a metaphor for a dangerous man who only Gwyn ap Nudd can find.
As Gwyn’s hunting role is synonymous with the role of a shepherd (or swineherd), an altered perception of what we take from life may enable us to be more careful about what we procure from it. To take only what was needed was the code of the hunter as it was just as important to leave something behind. Waste led to famine and over-hunting was no different, therefore using his senses to enable a fair chase he would take home what he could carry. In this manner if we use our own senses to be more selective we may be more careful in the choices we make. The reward for our self development may define our personal expression and allow our decision making to become clearer.
As you proceed with this part of the Gwynvyd Method you will work with Gwyn, the Hunter to discover what your senses mean to you. To begin, you will:
1. complete a task with no assistance.
2. answer a series of questions honestly.
As the work you do is personal to your development it must be undertaken personally. The questions that are asked of you must therefore be asked of yourself.
The Task:
You are to observe two beasts (animal, bird, fish, reptile or another):
- One beast is that with which you have a strong affinity
- The other beast is that of which you may be afraid
Find
three pictures or photographs of each beast and draw copies as best as you
are able
Use
film coverage or real life observation to study how each beast moves. When
you are alone, try to imitate that movement and imagine you are that beast
Watch
how each beast looks for food, catches it and eats it - possibly feeding its
young before it feeds itself
Listen
to its sounds/calls and try to echo them
Hold
some image you have of the beast and using a piece of white chalk, draw it
on a wall that the rain will wash away later.
Find
some time to be alone and imagine you are that beast living in its own
environment. Are there predators that might want to kill you? How do you
survive, eat, hunt, mate, die? How long is your life expectancy and what is
the most you could hope to achieve in your short life?
1. Do you feel more respect for the beast you liked?
2. Do you feel any different to the beast you didn't?
Allow yourself time to complete the above task. When you are ready you may ask yourself one of the following five questions. Allow time to become conscious of your answers:
The Questions:
1. Am I observant?
Do you notice if something has changed? Do you look for clues to gain information?
When we enter a shop our eyes scan immediately for what may be of use to us. However, unless we use that process in all we do, we could be missing information that might give us a fuller picture. Could you look up and around you more often when you are walking somewhere? Could you think of five people you know and caricature a specific behaviour?
Whilst seeing is believing the observance is to know.
2. Am I a good listener?
Do you mishear what others tell you? Do you absorb everything you hear?
We may be thinking of something to not hear what another has said, but we also do not listen to what doesn’t interest us. However, if we do not try to hear what others could be telling us we may become poorer in our choice of relationships. Could you make a greater effort to hear what someone is telling you? Could you listen to what they might be saying if they sound changed?
It may be hard to hear someone but worse to never hear them.
3. Am I sensitive to smells?
Do you adore some smells and hate others? Have you always liked the same smells?
We have 10 million receptors in our nose, sensitive to smelling molecules transported in the air. The brain interprets the receptors and we identify what they mean to us, hence we can be stimulated to eat or save ourselves from eating what smells bad. Could you identify smells in your environment? Could you avoid smells for a period of time and then check if they still smell the same?
Old perfume in a bottle is like time in a capsule.
4. Am I a touching type of person?
Do you like feeling food or the earth between your fingers? Do you feel calmed by the stroking of a pet?
Our sense of touch can comfort and reassure us. We can be calmed by stroking something soft and aroused if touched sensually. We can expand on what we know by touch or, if as Helen Keller, completely rediscover it. Could you be more sensitive in how you touch? Could you be more aware of you affect others?
If we all held hands we could touch each other.
5. Do I have a good taste?
Do you enjoy eating and drinking? Do you distinguish quality by taste?
When we make a decision based on what we taste we are relying on our taste buds. They distinguish what is sweet, sour, bitter and salty, whilst our taste receptors identify what our brains will decide what it likes. As there are fewer genes to our taste sense than any other, it might be surprising that babies put so many objects in their mouths, however, as we learned about our environment then we might learn more if our taste continued to develop. Could you try to distinguish what is sweet, sour, bitter and salty? Could you recognise all that you eat if you couldn't see it?
If we are what we eat then a balanced diet might make a balanced mind.
Well done! You may continue to phrase your own questions or if you wish, return to this area again later. Alternatively, you can enter another area of the Gwynvyd Method.
Reference Sources/Links