The Battle in the Sky

 

As readers of the saga will know,  Martha sees the battle in the sky and takes it as a sign of appalling things to come.

This is a splendid imagining of the battle inn the sky above Mynydd Morfil, by Hugh Thomas and published on his Facebook page.  Note the detail in the painting -- zoom in on the sky just above and to the right of the cottage and you will see the shadowy figures of the medievel soldiers who are involved in the thunderous mayhem......

The cottage is a pretty good representation of the buildings of the time, up on the flanks of Preseli.  And the far horizon is pretty accurate too -- including the silhouette of the distant summit of Carningli.

The spirit of Wales

Back in 2016 we spent a lot of time in trying to define Wales and its spirit.  This is what we came up with.

Wales is two hours and a million miles away -- a small country on the Celtic fringe of Europe. The country’s green acres have seen a valiant struggle for self determination against a powerful and predatory neighbour.  From the days of its ancient myths and native princes, to the ring of castles built by its conquerors, to its soaring rocky peaks and wild coasts, to its rich bardic and linguistic heritage, and the coal and iron that forged a global industrial revolution, Wales has always been a nation of survivors.  Melancholia features large in the national psyche -- but so does euphoria, and the old mystics talked of two fighting dragons.  Welsh people still have a powerful sense of place and an instinct for subversion and social justice.  They still have an abiding fondness for family histories, mysteries and legends, poetry and music, ceremonial and eccentric traditions.  And in Wales you will find a living language, an open-hearted generosity of spirit, a real sense of mischief, and the warmest of welcomes."

.......with acknowledgement to Jan Morris in particular.

Pantygrwndy Fawr

 

This is a lovely Georgian house (currently on the market) which serves as a nice model for Plas Ingli, Martha's beloved home -- rebuilt after the deadly fire that killed most of David's family.  There are some differences in my mind -- for example, I see Plas Ingli as having a portico over the front door and a driveway approaching from the front........