MARI LWYD (2)

A look into an ancient folklore tradition, and the people who help keep it alive.
One of the most well-known Welsh customs is the Mari Lwyd, meaning 'Grey Mare', a horse-figure carried from door to door by wassail-singing groups during the Christmas season.Popular in South Wales during the 19th century, the tradition features a real horse's skull, usually decorated with coloured ribbons and rosettes and with glass bottle eyes. The lower jaw is fixed on a spring which shuts the mouth with a loud snap and brings the creation to life. A long white cloth is draped down the carrier which hides him from view.

*Outtake from the feature film Mystic Chords of Memory (2021)
Dir. Lauren Everett
Music by Jonathon Mooney
Filmed in Carmarthenshire, Wales
With thanks to TRAC Cymru
www.mysticchordsdoc.com