Sunday, 12 October 2014
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Hello reader....in 2012, I, along with two other very creative people, started the Silurian Grove Facebook Group to link up with others in the Cardiff area who are interested in Druidry and who believe the earth and nature is sacred. In my case I had been involved in paganism for about 10 years already and 'Silurian Grove' was briefly the name of my personal blog. As this blog page is still the first to pop up when one Googles the Grove name, I thought I'd retain it for the time being...and because I might do some more personal blogging. In fact there been some form of druid group , most recently an OBOD seed group with the same name for a number of years. We are just its latest incarnation. The 'Silurians' of course were the original Iron Age tribe of South Wales at the time of the Roman Conquest, in the first century CE.
The Grove is aimed at those who may live in South Wales or just feel a deep personal or ancestral connection with our beautiful and magical land. With the help of many wonderful and creative druid and pagan friends the Facebook Group has grown. We have also created a network of environmental activists affiliated to the Grove and this is group of 'Earth Warriors' is called the Silurian Warrior Collective. Actions that members of the Warrior Collective have been involved in include opposing the badger cull in Gloucestershire and also opposing fracking. We welcome the sharing of any information about environmental campaigns and projects within the Grove. As believers in the sacredness of the earth, we think we should walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
Recently, because not everyone wants to be on Facebook, we have begun developing our website www.silurian-grove.org.uk and we are also in the process of developing an alternative online forum for those regularly involved n the Grove.
The Grove is aimed at those who may live in South Wales or just feel a deep personal or ancestral connection with our beautiful and magical land. With the help of many wonderful and creative druid and pagan friends the Facebook Group has grown. We have also created a network of environmental activists affiliated to the Grove and this is group of 'Earth Warriors' is called the Silurian Warrior Collective. Actions that members of the Warrior Collective have been involved in include opposing the badger cull in Gloucestershire and also opposing fracking. We welcome the sharing of any information about environmental campaigns and projects within the Grove. As believers in the sacredness of the earth, we think we should walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
Recently, because not everyone wants to be on Facebook, we have begun developing our website www.silurian-grove.org.uk and we are also in the process of developing an alternative online forum for those regularly involved n the Grove.
We are not currently affiliated to any larger druid group or order, but many of our members are also involved in activities with OBOD, the Druid Network, the British Druid Order, and the Pagan Federation for example. Some of those who join us also have an interest in other pagan paths and forms of spirituality, such as Hellenic paganism, Classical British Paganism and the Hermetic traditions.
We know others don't want to belong to a larger group but just like to do their own special thing. Solitary "hedge" Druids and pagans in Wales are particularly welcome to join in/or connect with us online even if they don't do public ritual. Like the Silurian tribe of old we consider ourselves be a 'loose confederation of clans' . Everyone is welcome to contribute to the develop of ritual and any other activity within the Grove. The nearest we have to an organising committee is the admins for the various Facebook pages and other online sites, though we do like to meet people in person. While we have common and overlapping interests we are very diverse, have many different visitors to our rituals and would like to celebrate and value each person's very personal experience of the Awen. We also like to give everyone an opportunity to show off their Bardic and artistic gifts such as poetry, music, drama, graphic design and website development and craftwork.
We know others don't want to belong to a larger group but just like to do their own special thing. Solitary "hedge" Druids and pagans in Wales are particularly welcome to join in/or connect with us online even if they don't do public ritual. Like the Silurian tribe of old we consider ourselves be a 'loose confederation of clans' . Everyone is welcome to contribute to the develop of ritual and any other activity within the Grove. The nearest we have to an organising committee is the admins for the various Facebook pages and other online sites, though we do like to meet people in person. While we have common and overlapping interests we are very diverse, have many different visitors to our rituals and would like to celebrate and value each person's very personal experience of the Awen. We also like to give everyone an opportunity to show off their Bardic and artistic gifts such as poetry, music, drama, graphic design and website development and craftwork.
As well as having an online presence where we share news, ideas and inspiration relevant to Druidry and Paganism in South Wales, we also meet socially and for 'real ritual.
To date our grove has held rituals at Imbolc and Ostara/Spring Equinox at Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, and Beltane at Coed-y-Wenallt Woods, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Most of the rituals are made child friendly, but for more information in advance please just enquire. After ritual we like to gather in a local watering hole or café for refreshment and chat. Informal social gatherings or 'moots' and even a camp have been held at other locations around Cardiff
For more information: check out our website or email the writer Phil with the heading 'Silurian Grove' to druids1[at]virginmedia[dot]com
To date our grove has held rituals at Imbolc and Ostara/Spring Equinox at Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, and Beltane at Coed-y-Wenallt Woods, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Most of the rituals are made child friendly, but for more information in advance please just enquire. After ritual we like to gather in a local watering hole or café for refreshment and chat. Informal social gatherings or 'moots' and even a camp have been held at other locations around Cardiff
For more information: check out our website or email the writer Phil with the heading 'Silurian Grove' to druids1[at]virginmedia[dot]com
Phil (last updated 12/10/2014)
The Silurian Grove is an 'E-Grove', a Facebook Group to informally connect those who practice or are interested in druidry in the region of South Wales in the United Kingdom. You will probably live in the South Wales area or feel a deep personal connection to our land. It is a land of rugged beauty - mountains, valleys, rivers and forest - and of mystery, story and legend. This group is named after the "Celtic" Silures tribe of Iron Age Britain (Prydain). The Silurian lands stretched from the Towy to the Wye, from the Black Mountains to the Severn Estuary.
Our Grove Symbol
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Monday, 9 April 2012
The Silures of Gwent
At the time of Roman invasion of Britain in the First Century of the Common Era, there existed in Britain many 'tribes' (most of which were not stable political or even highly integrated social units but confederacies of many kin groups) . These people had a late Iron Age culture described generally as 'Celtic'.
The 'Celtic' tribe that inhabited the South of Wales between the Rivers Wye and the Tawe (and possibly beyond) , and whose lands were bordered on the north by the Black Mountains and mountainous Brecon Beacons and on the south by the sea of the Severn Estuary, were called the 'Silures' by the Romans. Whether that is related to some name they originally gave themselves is open to some doubt.
While we might suspect that the notion of one single tribe inhabiting these lands is a projection of Roman historians on a far more complex situation, the fact remains that the so-named Silures of that particular part of the country, did manage to resist the Roman invasion and its consolidation for a period of up to 25 years. It is unlikely this resistance would have been so robust if they had not formed a cohesive identity and culture.
During their counter-insurgency and asymetric warfare with the local Silures, the Romans at times considered genocidal annihilation/and ethnic cleansing as a military option. However instead, a political solution was finally achieved. The Silures lost most political autonomy, but gained a new sort of tribal capital or centre constructed on the Roman model. Seemingly the Romans allowed some self determination or identity among local notables at least. This was not merely an oppressed populace, and the Romans no doubt brought some of the benefits of their civillisation to the tribe. Would the proud Silures be happy with this situation? Well, one might imagine a discussion between local Britons like the Monty Python sketch as to 'What did the Romans ever do for us?'.
Though there are many large hill forts/settlements/ceremonial centers within their lands, the Romanised settlement built for them was called Venta Silurium (the 'market place' of the Silures) . The splendid ruins are still to be found within and around the village of modern Caerwent. Indeed the first part of its (Latin) name 'Venta' became by the transmogrification and evolution of the Brythonic (Old Welsh) language the name 'Gwent'. Venta/Gwent became the name attached to various early medieval Welsh Kingdoms in the area, and Gwent remains as a ceremonial county name, covering the modern unitary political sub-units of Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, (part of) Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent.
The 'Celtic' tribe that inhabited the South of Wales between the Rivers Wye and the Tawe (and possibly beyond) , and whose lands were bordered on the north by the Black Mountains and mountainous Brecon Beacons and on the south by the sea of the Severn Estuary, were called the 'Silures' by the Romans. Whether that is related to some name they originally gave themselves is open to some doubt.
While we might suspect that the notion of one single tribe inhabiting these lands is a projection of Roman historians on a far more complex situation, the fact remains that the so-named Silures of that particular part of the country, did manage to resist the Roman invasion and its consolidation for a period of up to 25 years. It is unlikely this resistance would have been so robust if they had not formed a cohesive identity and culture.
During their counter-insurgency and asymetric warfare with the local Silures, the Romans at times considered genocidal annihilation/and ethnic cleansing as a military option. However instead, a political solution was finally achieved. The Silures lost most political autonomy, but gained a new sort of tribal capital or centre constructed on the Roman model. Seemingly the Romans allowed some self determination or identity among local notables at least. This was not merely an oppressed populace, and the Romans no doubt brought some of the benefits of their civillisation to the tribe. Would the proud Silures be happy with this situation? Well, one might imagine a discussion between local Britons like the Monty Python sketch as to 'What did the Romans ever do for us?'.
Though there are many large hill forts/settlements/ceremonial centers within their lands, the Romanised settlement built for them was called Venta Silurium (the 'market place' of the Silures) . The splendid ruins are still to be found within and around the village of modern Caerwent. Indeed the first part of its (Latin) name 'Venta' became by the transmogrification and evolution of the Brythonic (Old Welsh) language the name 'Gwent'. Venta/Gwent became the name attached to various early medieval Welsh Kingdoms in the area, and Gwent remains as a ceremonial county name, covering the modern unitary political sub-units of Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, (part of) Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent.
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