This class is offered on a tiered, PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN basis.
Supply of lower priced tickets is dependent on sales of full price tickets.
Please, pay what you CAN.

Discounts available!
If you enrol in this class (any price tier) you will be sent a discount code for $20 off my Taliesin Connections class in February. (Discount available until 15th February.)

Dates: January: 29th; February 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th; March 5th.
Time: Wednesdays at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern (1 am Thurs. UK)
Classes are held online, using the Zoom platform and last between 90 minutes and 2 hours.

I hope you will attend the live classes, however, recordings will be made available, on request.

You can always find information about my current and upcoming classes at: https://tinyurl.com/GDclasses

As the Romans retreated from Britain, a new dynastic order (or perhaps disorder) rose up in what is now southern Scotland and northern England. Later known by the Welsh as Yr Hen Ogledd: The Old North, its heroic and poetic remembrance is one of the most beautiful, and often overlooked flowerings of Celtic-speaking culture. If you have time to watch a video, this one will give you some idea ...

I love the legends of the Old North, or Hen Ogledd. Not the stories of Arthur, which arise later, but the tales of Urien of Rheged and his kin. The poetry of the historical Taliesin, of Aneirin and Llywarch Hen, the confused tales of Merlin, Lailoken, and Kentigern, which in turn circle back to Owain ap Urien, and find a new native expression in the tales of the Mabinogion.

Rather than try to unravel the historical truth of these stories,we will focus on enjoyment and understanding. How did the bards and storytellers perceive their own history? What stories did they want to share with posterity?

There will be nods to history and genealogy along the way, to help you build context and make sense of relationships. However, I want to emphasise that this class will not be the place for airing theories about the dates and locations of battles, the veracity and identity of Arthur, etc. These things get enough attention elsewhere, from people much more informed about them than I am. Let’s just enjoy the poetry and magic of a beautiful culture.

Reading: You will need a copy of The Celtic Heroic Age, edited by Koch and Carey; and a copy of The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies for this class. (It can be hard to locate affordable copies of The Celtic Heroic Age, but it is available to read online at https://archive.org/details/celticheroicage/mode/1up ) There is a moderate amount of reading for weeks 2-6. I will send you the study pack as soon as you register, so that you can get started. 

This is a series of six classes:

Proposed outline

What to expect from this class:
Study Guide not long after you register, I'll send you a study guide with a list of weekly reading assignments, class schedule, Zoom link, and a few extras. 

Weekly online class includes – my presentations, Q&A sessions, moderated discussions. Classes usually last around 90 minutes.

Access to class recording if you need it. (Recordings may not always include class discussions, but will always include all presentations.) I strongly encourage you to attend the Zoom sessions if you possibly can, but there's no need to apologise if you're unable to do so.

Weekly notes. You will receive these as a PDF after each class. These will include:

• Important points and graphics from the presentations
• links or citations for any texts referenced in the presentations
• links and citations to further reading on the topics covered, which you can follow up on, if you wish.

Important! You should receive an email from me within 24 hours of paying for the class. Please respond to that email if requested. If you don't see it, check your spam folders, etc. and if you can't find it, contact me by clicking "contact organiser", below! It's important that we are in email contact, so that you can receive the zoom links and class mailings.