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Welcome to Caer Feddwyd Caer Feddwyd is a resource for those working within or researching the polytheist Brythonic traditions and the Bardic lore. You will also find information on other 'Celtic' paganisms and modern Druidry, along with articles, essays and poetry of general interest. There is a forum which is intended to serve as both a place of debate and for the submission of materials to the site. This is a place for sharing knowledge, wisdom and inspiration, for teaching, learning and debating. In the Brythonic tradition, Caer Feddwyd is an otherworldly mead hall visited by Arthur and his fellow adventurers in the poem 'Preiddeu Annwn'. We hope that spirit of comradeship will be fostered in our community here. We come as allies, celebrating our differences and diversity. Caer Feddwyd is the public face of Brython, an organisation which aims "To research, recover and redistribute to the best of our knowledge and wisdom the native British pre-Christian Spirituality, as evidenced by historical sources and personal experiences, to trace its influence and expression into later times and to explore its application and relevance to life in the modern world" Brython is a tribal influenced community, with bonds formed through both face to face and online interaction. While Brython is completely free to join, we ask for something far more valuable: the responsibility of belonging to a community which values contribution. Broadly, we are polytheists, coming together to honour our gods and ancestors and to develop our relationship with the land we live upon. We place equal value upon experiential and academic work, recognising that each is worthless without the other. If you are
interested in Brython, you are welcome to join our fora at Caer Feddwyd,
where you will find a broad range of topics and will be able to ask questions
about Brython and the Brythonic traditions. That should help you decide
if Brython is something which you would be willing and able to participate
in. Membership to Brython is then by invitation, based upon your commitment
to the aims of our organisation and willingness to contribute. Brython
members gain access to a members only area in which we discuss topics
in more depth and share deeper wisdoms with each other.
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Site updates 26th October 2008 British Horned Gods added to Articles 16th January 2008 Y
Baedd Gwyn Part 2 added to Articles 14th January 2008 Nennius added to Encyclopaedia 14th June 2007 Proncunciation
Guides added to Articles 11th May 2007 Albion Conclave added to Links 10th May 2007 Y Baedd Gwyn, by Lee Davies, added to Articles 2nd July 2006 The Serpent's Egg, poetry anthology by Craig Cartmell, added to Bardic 30th June 2006 Y Baedd Gwyn added to Links 11th June 2006 Caer Australis added to Links 7th June 2006 Britonia added to Links
Previous site updates here Events
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News 4th September
2008 We have reached a stage in our evolution as a ‘movement’ where we have become self-satisfied and complacent. The format of our rituals and festivals lack passion and religious insight, but of even far greater concern, they are starting to become set in stone. They have no concept of the Pagan inner mysteries and stagnate in some superficial desire to connect with the seasons and the world of nature. Our practices have become far removed from that which we pretend to honour. We have been led to fear the words ‘religion’ and ‘dogma’, as if the ancient Druids were as unstructured, undisciplined, ill-informed and confused as we are today. So we accept the received wisdom from a handful of authors and it is leading us down a road to nowhere. We have forsaken the dying and rising sun god, within and without. We have relegated the goddess to a mere spirit of nature. It is we who would seem naive and primitive in the eyes of our ancestors. In their time our druidic ancestors were at the cutting edge of philosophy, natural science and the understanding of the glory of the cosmos. Yet we insult these ancestors by pretending to be shamans, as if the ancient Druids had not evolved beyond the hunter-gatherers and still clung desperately to some primitive Mesolithic awareness until the arrival of the Christians. Druidry is more than just animism, more than a counter-culture reaction to monotheism. But still we generalize with the symbolism of the gods. Where is the passion on our tongues and the fire in our bellies? Is there is no yearning in our hearts to look deeper? Do we really believe we already have all the answers we need? Where is the real belief in the gods? Where is the fire in our heads? Can we say, before our gods, that druidry today answers those questions? No it cannot, enlightened spiritual insight remains our greatest weakness. Many who read this may find our words offensive, and if we have hit a raw nerve, then having done so is way over due. But if you feel like we do, that it’s time for change, that Druidry today needs to be shaken out of its complacency before its too late, then you will find a way to contact us. Our illustrious tradition deserves better of us. Together we can make a difference. Lets make it real, lets do it with passion, lets re-connect to the gods and stoke those ancient fires once again. In Truth/|\ 11th
April 2008
A rare 2,000-year-old Roman skull has been returned to the cave beneath the Yorkshire Dales where it was discovered by divers in 1996. Archaeologists were called in after cave divers unearthed human bones in what is believed to be one of the most important cave discoveries ever made.The skull dates to the 2nd Century and is that of a local woman in her 50s.It was stored at Sheffield University for carbon-dating and recently returned to the cave, which has now been sealed. There are other human remains in the cave which date back to the Bronze Age - more than 1,000 years before Roman Britain. Animal remains, including horses and dogs, have also been excavated. Cave burials from this period are rare so this site is considered an archaeological treasure trove. Experts believe the cave could have been a tomb, but that some of the deaths may have been through sacrificial ceremonies. Tom Lord, research fellow at Lancaster University, has studied ancient bones in caves for more than 20 years and believes there is more to be unearthed in the cave. Mr Lord calls the cave an "ancient time capsule" because of the many different remains inside. He believes the cave was considered a sacred place for centuries because of its supposed entrance to the underworld. He also referred to the cave as an "ancient crime scene" because it may have been the scene of forced sacrifices. Ancient bodies have also been discovered in what are thought to be sacrificial caves in East Yorkshire. The skulls excavated from East Yorkshire show the bodies suffered blows to the head, and were therefore sacrificed by force. Unfortunately the recently-returned skull is only a partial skull and there are not enough remains to determine how the Roman woman died. One theory is that she may have been a high-born figure from the local area who voluntarily sacrificed herself, believing she would enter the underworld. Other factors could, however, point to the woman wanting to escape Roman hardship. The skull has been laid to rest under a shelf in the cave where it is hoped it will remain undisturbed. Mr Lord said that if archaeologists chose to reinvestigate the cave in the future, much more could be unravelled.For now though, the cave has been shut, disguised with earth and rock and sealed completely. Story from BBC News
Previous news stories here
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