Taliesin, Aneirin and me

This story happened a while back, but I think it's crucial when it comes to understanding my focus on the topic.

Disclaimer: That's 2020, mind you.

Finally found John James's 'The men went to Cattraeth'. Trying not to be surprised, but it doesn't work. It all begins with the lines.

I could wish to have been the first to shed my blood in Cattraeth

As the price of the mead and the drink of wine in the Hall.

That's Y Gododdin.

Yesterday while walking with my 2 sleeping kids and one enthusiastic husband, I told him of a vision I had, where Aneirin said, while speaking to Taliesin,

I should have been the first to shed blood at Cathraeth. I wish I was the first to fall.

Mind you, Y Gododdin was a challenge for me. I couldn't even finish it, not because of its difficulty but because of its raw emotions. Each time I attempted to read it, I felt as if I was being crushed.

Aneirin first came to my mind on samhain eve of 2018, when a voice told me to go and look for my name. I opened a list of names, and as I reached Aneirin's, my head spun and exploded with pain. 'There it is' the voice pointed out. When I asked whose the voice was, it said,

Arawn.

After that, I looked and looked but could find virtually nothing of significance on him. It wasn't until I met my husband in 2019, when Aneirin came back. Somehow I called him (husband, I mean) Taliesin, which came as a surprise, and I told him of that incident.

'Aneirin? It does suit you' he said, and since then, visions never ceased for months on end. Something was written down, of course, but in the midst of it all I got scared to venture deeper.

The Prince of the flowing verse came back last week, and after my marriage his presence is much more tangible than before. It became so strong that I literally asked Gwyn and Arawn to help me remember. It will be hard, they said, but I had no idea it would begin with Cathraeth.

Now we just have to wait, right?..

This a post I made on Facebook back in 2020. Since then, nothing changed. The understanding became much deeper, and the talks devoted to Taliesin and Aneirin grew longer.

Of course we've done pretty much in Russian too, during the years. More than 150 podcasts on Celtic mythology and magazines we've managed to publish together, just the two of us. I wrote three books, and we've translated three as well.

I've been through traditions and myths, from Northern to Irish, but even when I make a pause to write on other stuff, Wales pulls me back to remind me that once they've given me voice and I had a job to do.

As the world plunges into war and conflicts, Aneirin's voice resounds in my head, pushing me, nagging me, urging me forward. After all,the most important journey is that into your own missions and past.

Innit?