The Anathemata

Mabinog’s Liturgy (continued)

In this year

at the shrill, cruel, lent of it

the young sun well past his Ram’s half-course, runs toward the Bull.

The virid shoots precarious and separate as yet on the fronding wood.

You can see: One, two . . .

I can see three . . .

Five!

there

there on that old baulk

they’ve polled

for Summer Calend’s tree.2 

Aunt Chloris!

d’ sawn-off timbers blossom

this year?

You should know.

Can mortised stakes bud?

Flora! surely you know??

David Jones notes

2  On the analogy of a terminology connecting us with Antiquity and still used in one part of this island. In Wales May Day is still called Calanmai, the Calends of May, the Summer Calends. The Winter Calends, Calangaeaf, fall in November and these two days were the two pivots of the Celtic year, as are similar dates among other pastoral peoples.

additional notes

comments

The old wood chosen for the maypole is sprouting five buds for the five wounds of Jesus. The poet asks Chloris (the Greek goddess of flowers) and Flora (her Roman equivalent) to comment, but neither has anything to say.

semantic structures

glossary