Appropriation of mythology

[Imperial Dave]

https://nation.cymru/culture/mari-lwyd-and-the-appropriation-of-welsh-mythology/

A bit off topic but not really. In the context of appropriation, it shows hiw original stories or even real ancient events can get 'hijacked' as time moves on and thoughts or beliefs change

Interesting and thought provoking

[Erpingham]

Interesting.  Possibly a little too Welsh-centric.  Groups of young men going from house to house in the middle of winter singing songs and demanding money, food or booze was a common British custom and its relation to pagan religion extremely tenuous.

And while I have sympathy with calling out modern pagans for appropriation, I think you have to separate those commercially exploiting it and those genuinely trying to explore spirituality (even if you think them misguided).

[Ian61]

Being brought up in the Christian culture of the Welsh church I note with interest the use of the overused idea of colonialism. Whilst Wales certainly suffered from this it became Christian long before there was pressure to do so and maintained that tradition from the very early centuries of the Christian era. If there were then changes to how that was celebrated then that is a later form of colonialism. To suggest that 'Welshness' depends on some pre-Christian culture is madness. If we know only a little about the early church we know even less about Druidism, any claim otherwise is make-believe. The old stories we have may have roots in a pre-Christian religion but none (even the Mabinogi) were written down until a millennium later. So called 'old traditions' often morph far more rapidly than people think. The idea that people have not throughout the centuries used their imaginations to alter and change older stories and traditions is not tenable.

[DBS]

Agree entirely; objections of "Ancient British" vs "Welsh" are particularly silly when trying to assert very old roots for some traditions since they were British long before the Germanic influx pejoratively labelled them "Welsh".

I am amazed the author failed to shoehorn in the National Theatre for nicking the giant puppet for Warhorse...

[Imperial Dave]

its not the 'best' article on the subject but just interests me in terms of how appropriated history, heroes or events can get caught up in a more modern take on things depending on the culture at the time

[Jon Freitag]

Dave, this does not seem so far off topic at all and raises a number of interesting and thought-provoking issues.

A society or tribe's culture (like fashion) is a dynamic, evolving and revolving organism.  When I see a group decrying cultural misappropriation by colonizers, what is often being argued is that they, themselves, are solely the gatekeepers of who stole it last. 

[Jim Webster]

Dave, this does not seem so far off topic at all and raises a number of interesting and thought-provoking issues.

A society or tribe's culture (like fashion) is a dynamic, evolving and revolving organism.  When I see a group decrying cultural misappropriation by colonizers, what is often being argued is that they, themselves, are solely the gatekeepers of who stole it last. 

I confess that I don't mind being accused of cultural misappropriation, but tend to be irritated if I'm accused by somebody who has just misappropriated my language 

[Imperial Dave]

Whoosh 

[Nick Harbud]

Imitation and, by extension, cultural misappropriation is the sincerest form of flattery.

 

[Imperial Dave]