[Bryn-gwlad] Yule information about the calennig (also a request for a little help)

[Vilhiálmr vetr]

Greetings my lords and ladies,
   
  As mentioned previously by Lady Amata, the youth of Bryn Gwlad will be participating in a calennig ceremony during the Yule revel.
   
  The word calennig roughly translates as "firstday gift".  Calennig are traditionally given on New Year's Day, though in some regions the custom has migrated to Christmas.  It involves children walking from house to house knocking on doors and requesting gifts of the inhabitants.  
   
  In south Wales (where Tenby is located) the children carry a totem, itself called "a calennig", with them.  The totem is a piece of fruit--traditionally an apple--studded with corn, almonds, or cloves (depending on the region), topped with evergreen, and impaled on one to four twigs.  It is said to bring good luck to the houses it visits.  The request (in some ways its more of a demand), comes in the form of a chant like this one (from <http://www.amgueddfa-cymru.org/en/280>):  
   
      Mi godais heddiw ma's o'm t&#375;
A'm cwd a'm pastwn gyda mi,
A dyma'm neges ar eich traws,
Sef llanw'm cwd â bara a chaws.
   
  I left my house today 
With my bag and my stick, 
And here is my message to you, 
Fill my bag with bread and cheese.    

  (If you would like to see some more traditional chants, visit <http://www.folkwales.org.uk/arcgo5.html> or  <http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/nadolig/audio.shtml> You can even hear some in the original Welsh on the second site.) 
   
  Once the children have traveled from house to house they bring the calennig home.  It is believed that as long as the calennig totem lasts so will the good luck it brings.
   
  The calennig totem we will be using will be an apple with 4 sticks placed in it.  Three of the sticks will be create a tripod at the bottom of the apple while the 4th stick comes from the back of the calennig totem and provides a place for the youth to hold the apple.  Almonds will be poked into the flesh of the apple randomly.  At the top of the apple there will be a few sprigs of rosemary and a candle.
   
  The activity (once the calennig is created) will involve the youth in small groups approaching the door and singing the following chant.
   
  We wish you a merry Christmas 
  And a happy new year
  Make a pocket full of money
  Please share a little here
   
  I'm looking for a few people to act as "representatives" of the hall.  When the chant is completed they will give the members of the group a small gift.  Please contact me if you are willing to volunteer.  You may give your own "trifling" if you wish, but I will be supplying chocolate coins as gifts to be given out to those who participate in the activity.  The activity will start at 3:00 p.m., and the kids will go door-knocking soon after.  We'll be completely finished before 4:00, when the kids' gift exchange starts.
   
  Since we can't collect wood on site, I also need a wide selection of twigs, about a quarter- to a half-inch in diameter and six to eight inches in length, with which to make the totems.  Type of wood doesn't matter.
   
  Thanks
  Vilhialmr vetr
  MoC
   
  Sources:
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/nadolig/customs.shtml#six>:  
general description of calennig, audio recordings of traditional 
calennig rhymes, how to make the totem
<http://www.christmasarchives.com/wales.html>:  origins of calennig, 
how to make a three-legged calennig from an apple studded with almonds 
and topped with a candle and evergreen branches
<http://www.folkwales.org.uk/arcgo5.html>:  words to a traditional 
(English-language) calennig chant, describes an alternate calennig totem. 
  <http://www.data-wales.co.uk/xmas.htm>: site that indicates that the tradition was held during Christmas.  Also has a description and picture of the calennig totem.
  <http://www.welcomeyule.org/traditions.html#calennig>:  
Some other alternate calennig totems as well as more information of the children's gifts being relatively small.
  <http://www.amgueddfa-cymru.org/en/280>:  some photos of the calenig totem (with apples) and a printed Welsh chant with English translation (pasted above) 





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