Awen

Awen is a Welsh word for "(poetic) inspiration".It is historically used to describe the divine inspiration of bards in the Welsh poetic tradition. Someone who is inspired, as a poet or a soothsayer, is an awenydd.

Is current usage, "awen" is sometimes ascribed to musicians and poets, but the word has mostly come to be used as a female given name.

Etymology

The first recorded attestation of the word occurs in Nennius' "Historia Brittonum", a Latin text of circa 796 CE, based on earlier writings by the Welsh monk, Gildas.

"Awen" derives from the Indo-European root "*-uel", meaning 'to blow', and has the same root as the Welsh word "awel" meaning 'breeze'. There is a parallel word to 'awen' in Irish, "ai", also meaning "poetic inspiration" which derives from the same ancient root. [Jarman, A.O.H. Jarman (ed.), "A guide to Welsh literature', Vol. 1, chapter 1, by Lewis. Also Calvert-Watkins 'Indo-European metrics and archaic Irish verse', or P.K. Ford, 'The Celtic Poets: songs and tales from early Ireland and Wales', introduction, p. xxvii.]

Neo-Druidism

In some forms of Neo-druidry the term is symbolized by an emblem showing three straight lines that spread apart as they move downward, drawn within a circle or a series of circles of varying thickness, often with a dot, or point, atop each line. The symbol was invented by Iolo Morganwg and adopted by some Neo-Druids.

The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) describe the three lines as rays emanating from three points of light, with those points representing the triple aspect of deity and, also, the points at which the sun rises on the equinoxes and solstices - known as the Triad of the Sunrises. The emblem as used by the OBOD is surrounded by three circles representing the three circles of creation. [cite news|title= Approaching The Forest: Gwers 2, Pg. 24|author= Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids| publisher=Oak Tree Press|date=2001 Retrieved on July 26, 2007]

Various Neo-druid groups and individuals have their own interpretation of the Awen. The three lines relate to earth, sea and air; body, mind and spirit; or love, wisdom and truth. It is also said that the Awen stands for not simply inspiration, but for inspiration of truth; without Awen one cannot proclaim truth. The three foundations of Awen are the understanding of truth, the love of truth, and the maintaining of truth. The rays also stand for the letters from which all others evolved: I, O, and U. It is said, "No one without Awen from God can pronounce these three letters correctly." [ [http://druidry.org/obod/druid-path/awen.html "The Awen" on druidry.org ] ]

References

Kenneth Jackson, "Tradition in Early Irish Prophecy", Man, Vol. 34, (May, 1934), pp. 67-70.

ee also

*Welsh poetry
*Odhr
*Vates
*Muse

External links

* [http://www.britishdruidorder.co.uk/awen.htm Awen - "The Holy Spirit of Druidry"] British Druid Order site