THE story of the Welsh language and its reach across the UK and Ireland will be told at a number of events in west Wales in July, including one in Carmarthenshire.
Call of the Gwyllt: Myrddin Wyllt is a music and theatrical performance by Twm Morys and Gwyneth Glyn. Both are former Welsh Children’s Laureates and are singer-poets.
They will be joined by musicians from the Celtic diaspora of Scotland, Ireland and the ‘Old North’ to perform the piece which tells the heritage and identity of the devolved nations through the live of the medieval Welsh legend, sixth century chief bard and prophet.
The show – which talks about Myrddin, who is known in folklore as being Merlin, the talented boy wizard from the BBC series and in the Harry Potter universe as a distant cousin of headmaster Albus Dumbledore – has already been performed in Scotland and will be in Wales in July – at the Beyond the Border Storytelling Festival in Dinefwr as well as in Caernarfon and Aberystwyth.
Myrddin Wyllt will bring to light the truth behind the Merlin myth and how the cross-border collaboration to bring the performance together has seen Myrddin as Lailoken in Scotland and Suibhne/Sweeney in Ireland.
It will feature original music and narrative, Northumbrian pipes, percussion and multi-lingual harmonies in Irish, Gaelic and Welsh. It is commissioned by Knockengorroch.
The production will have a high proportion of Welsh narrative and history and detail how, according to Welsh folklore, Myrddin was a bard and henchman to Gwenddolau ap Ceidio, a British king who ruled Arfderydd, an ancient kingdom which includes parts of Scotland and England in the area around Carlisle.
The king was killed in battle in 573 which is said to have led Myrddin to go mad. He acquired the gift of prophecy and lived as a wild man in the Southern Scotland Forest.
However, in the 12th century, his character was reinvented to be what is commonly known as Merlin, the wizard and advisory to King Arthur.
Twm said: “There’s a little bit of Myrddin Wyllt in everyone. We’re here to let it out for a while!”
Twm and Gwyneth will be joined by Scots Maeve Mackinnon and Dave Tunstall, Any May from Northumbria and Lorcán Mac Mathúna from Ireland.
Myrddin Wyllt will be at Beyond the Border Storytelling Festival in Dinefwr on Saturday, July 8 where there will be a workshop which is open to all.
Prior to this, it will be in Galeri Caernarfon on Thursday, July 6, and Amgueddfa Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth on Friday, July 7.
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