For centuries one of the most steadfast allies of the Welsh was the weather. In the earler medieval period, when armies were generally only levied in large numbers after harvest time, campaigns to conquer the Welsh almost invariably seemed to encounter at this time of year the wild wet weather we are experiencing now. If this alone did not defeat an invader, a harsh winter to follow probably would.
The weather seemed so to conspire with Owain Glyn Dwr in his earlier campaigns against the English that he gained the reputation of being a magician, as described by Shakespeare. Though in the end, it was the harsh winter of 1407-8 which probably broke his rebellion.
Even today, with modern roads and transport, the Welsh hills can seem a very hostile place even in the kind of autumn weather we have today. How much more so must it have been six centuries and more ago, to the average English peasant soldier struggling in an alien wilderness.
Magic must have seemed a very present threat to them.
Booklist for 'Interesting Times'
5 months ago
2 comments:
Not to forget (and I don't think you did) the complicated connections between magic and Christianity and tradition -
Oh yes, lemming, that's a vast potential subject in itself....We tend to forget the huge influence which what we call "magic" had on the medieval mind, including the remains of old religious beliefs.
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