Awen facts for kids
Awen is a special word from Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. It means "inspiration," especially for poets.
In old Welsh mythology, awen was the spark that gave poets, called bards, their ideas. Sometimes, Awen was even seen as a goddess or spirit who inspired all kinds of artists. A person who felt this strong inspiration (like a poet or a fortune-teller) was called an awenydd.
Some modern Druids (people who follow ancient Celtic spiritual paths) think of awen as "flowing energy." They see it as a powerful force that connects to the very essence of life.
Today, the word awen is still used for musicians and poets who have a lot of creative energy. It's also used as a girl's given name. You can even find it in the third verse of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, which is the national anthem of Wales.
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What Does Awen Mean?
The word awen comes from a very old European root word, *-uel, which meant 'to blow'. This is why it's related to the Welsh word awel, meaning 'breeze', and the Cornish word for 'wind' or 'gale'. Think of inspiration as a fresh breeze blowing through your mind!
Awen Through History
People have talked about awen for a very long time.
Early Mentions
The first time we see the word awen written down was around the year 796. It was in a Latin book called Historia Brittonum by Nennius. The book mentioned a poet named Talhaern as "the father of the muse" (or inspiration), using an old form of the word awen.
Later, in a collection of poems from the 9th or 10th century called Canu Llywarch Hen, a character named Llywarch says, "I know by my awen." This shows that awen was seen as a source of deep, natural understanding.
Awen and Divine Inspiration
In The Book of Taliesin, an old Welsh manuscript, awen is often linked to a special gift from a higher power. One poem talks about "the three elements of inspiration that came, splendid, out of the cauldron." Here, 'cauldron' can also mean 'God'. This suggests that inspiration was seen as a divine gift. The "three elements" might even hint at the idea of the Trinity.
The word awen appears many times in The Book of Taliesin. Other similar words, like 'ogyrven', are also used. For example, the poem Armes Prydain (The Prophecies of Britain) starts with "Awen foretells..." This shows how poetic inspiration was connected to telling the future.
Poets and Their Inspiration
A poem in The Black Book of Carmarthen asks God to let awen flow. It hopes that "inspired song from Ceridwen will shape diverse and well-crafted verse." Ceridwen was a mythical figure linked to a magical cauldron of inspiration. Many Welsh poets from the 1100s to 1300s wrote about getting their awen from Ceridwen's cauldron, even while also writing about Christian beliefs.
For example, the poet Llywarch ap Llywelyn (who lived from 1173-1220) wrote: "I greet my lord, bring awen’s great greeting Words from Ceridwen I compose Just like Taliesin when he freed Elffin'."
He also wrote: "The Lord God grant me sweet awen As from the Cauldron of Ceridwen"
Another poet, Elidr Sais (around 1195-1246), wrote: "Brilliant my poetry after Myrddin Shining forth from the cauldron of awen"
Dafydd Benfras (1220-1258) looked back to earlier poets like Myrddin (Merlin) and Aneirin, saying he was "Full of awen as Myrddin desired."
A Shift in Belief
Later in the Middle Ages, people started to think that awen came from Christian sources, like the Virgin Mary, saints, or directly from God, instead of Ceridwen. By the 15th century, the poet Sion Cent strongly believed that God was the only source. He called other ideas about awen "lying awen" that came from "hell’s furnace."
In the 1700s, a man named Iolo Morgannwg (Edward Williams) was very interested in ancient Welsh traditions. He created the awen symbol /|\. He said it was an old Druidic sign for "the unspeakable name of God," representing the sun's rays at special times of the year.
Awenyddion: Inspired People
Giraldus Cambrensis, a writer from the 1100s, described people in Wales called "awenyddion" in his book Description of Wales. He said they were "inspired people." When asked about something uncertain, they would shout loudly and seem to be taken over by a spirit. They didn't give clear answers right away, but if someone listened carefully, they could find the meaning hidden in their words. After giving their answers, they would wake up as if from a deep sleep and couldn't remember what they had said.
A Shepherd's Inspiration
In 1694, the Welsh poet Henry Vaughan wrote a letter about old Welsh bards. He told a story about a poor, orphaned shepherd boy. This boy fell asleep on the mountains and dreamed he saw a young man with a garland of leaves and a hawk. The hawk flew into the boy's mouth in the dream. When the boy woke up, he was scared but suddenly had a great gift for poetry. He left his sheep and became the most famous bard in the country, making songs for every occasion. This story shows how people believed awen could come suddenly and powerfully.
Modern Druidic Symbol
In some modern forms of Druidism, the term awen is shown as a special symbol. It has three straight lines that spread outwards as they go down. These lines are usually inside a circle or several circles. Often, there's a dot or point at the top of each line. This symbol was created by Iolo Morganwg. It has been adopted by some Neo-Druids.
Jan Morris explains that Iolo Morganwg created this "Awen" symbol for the Gorsedd Cymru. This was a group of Welsh poets, writers, and musicians that he claimed to have found, but actually created himself. Morganwg believed that when God spoke His Name, He said /|\, and with that word, the whole world came into being, singing with joy.
The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) describes the three lines as rays of light coming from three points. These points represent different aspects of a deity (a god or goddess). They also show where the sun rises during the equinoxes (when day and night are equal) and solstices (the longest and shortest days of the year). The OBOD's symbol is surrounded by three circles, which stand for the three circles of creation.
Different modern Druid groups have their own ideas about what the awen symbol means. The three lines can represent:
- Earth, sea, and air
- Body, mind, and spirit
- Love, wisdom, and truth
It's also said that awen isn't just any inspiration, but specifically the inspiration to speak the truth. Without awen, one cannot truly share the truth. The three main parts of awen are understanding truth, loving truth, and keeping truth alive.
In 2017, a version of the awen symbol was even approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. This means it can be used on headstones and markers for veterans in the United States.
Images for kids
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Banner of Gorsedh Kernow (a Cornish cultural group)
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Flag of the Welsh Patriotic Front
See Also
