Skip to main content
  Wellbeing Duck: Have They Rejected Your PIP Claim? You Should Fight Back!  Days ago everyone in the UK with disabling mental health problems were recently struck bellow the belt by the tax dodger, Rishi Sunak!  A denied PIP claim for a significant mental health condition can turn your world upside down and leave you feeling gutted or accused. People need their support, especially if you have taken the advice of professionals such as disability employment officers, counselors, community psychiatric nurses or maybe even your own psychiatrist, who might have recommended you to not work.  Well, now those politicians who give themselves nice payrises and claim huge expenses have just made things tougher and have done a U-turn on many individuals living with mood and anxiety based mental illnesses. The solution here is to be strong and patient. Draw in your support circles and fight for your rightful PIP award; it might be financially better for you in the end. This guide aims to equip you

Saint Derfel Cadarn: King Arthur's Warrior?

The Legend of King Arthur: Derfel Cadarn

Celtic Britons

While I was reading about the intimidating nature of Derfel Cadarn, I couldn't help but notice his immense power in the various poems and annales—he fought the Anglo-Saxons in Edinburgh and across England and Wales. He was a renowned man; a man who serves as the central character in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles. Though a work of fiction, it's based on historical events from the British wars fending off the Germanic influx of invaders. Derfel Cadarn is rightly portrayed as an exceptionally skilled and courageous fighter. This led me to wonder about the true identity of the historical figure behind the character, Saint Derfel, and what we might glean from that era.

Derfel Cadard

I found a man called Saint Derfel who lived in Wales during the 6th century. He was highly revered by the Catholic Church. Prior to his priesthood, he was likely a trained warrior, which is what Cornwell's book focuses on. After the great Roman departure from Celtic Britain, Roman culture remained somewhat, but the old tribal tensions returned, and territorial dispute fragmented the land. War was everywhere. Irish pirates, Picts, Saxons and neighbouring tribes. 

Celtic 3d art

Derfel was a proficient and fierce fighter who led a troop of his own. However, he was not only proficient at killing, but also extremely loyal and honourable to King Arthur. What sets him apart is that he encompasses dual qualities, being both a warrior and later, a priest, a hero and a sinner. This combination makes him a compelling character, and on that, I recommend reading the Winter King by Bernard Cornwell.

Celtic Britons

It is true, Derfel Cadarn is associated with King Arthur in legend, but it is unclear whether he actually fought alongside any King Arthur-like figure back in those ancient times. That being said, sources still mention Derfel Cadarn as being with the legendary King himself. I would have been terrified to fight alongside these men; hearing the dying broadcast their agonising pleas to their gods, haunting the crimson battlefield. They expected all men to fight and few survived too see their twilight years. 

Romano British warriors, one on a horse the other on foot

Consider, the Triad of Welsh Tales and Legends of Medieval Wales, De Feuer (Derfel) is mentioned as one of the 'three best knights in Arthur's court'. The 7th-century Welsh epic 'Y Gododdin' celebrates Derfel as a warrior who fought alongside other heroes at the Battle of Catret, including Gwavrdur, a pissible pre-curse of todays legendary King Arthur. However, we cannot prove Gwawrddur is really King Arthur. In later Welsh writing, Derfel is a close confidant of Arthur, and is centred within numerous of Arthur's battles.

A cwrtoon 3d celt

Discerning fact from is very difficult. Are these stories based on any particular historical truth? People may claim these legends come from pure mythology—what inspires our mythology? Marching directly into a fight with hordes of murderous, Germanic invaders, who are militarily superior? It seemed like imminent death, near suicide but these resilient Romano-Celtic Britons used strategy and terrified them. After the Anglo-Saxon loss at the battle of Badon, the invaders kept away from the Britons decades. 

The blogger as a cartoon dressed as a celt

In the Winter King, Derfel's story is about bravery, loyalty and honour during challenging times. This all had a significant impact on everyone's lives. During the Celtic wars against the invading Anglo-Saxons, individuals such as Derfel Cadarn emerged as true examples on how to take the fight to the invaders.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Vladek Spiegelman, Maus.

•Vladek Spiegelman•Vladek Spiegelman •Vladek• •Vladek Spiegelman• •Vladek Spiegelman• •Vladek Spiegelman• Years ago, Art Spiegelman set to work, hoping to create a personal meaningful book; a comic book, depicting the horrendous experiences endured by his family in Poland during the late thirties and WWII. The book shows Art taking direct accounts and reflections from his father, Vladek; who had first hand memories of what life was like during that time. Throughout the story, we see that Vladek Spiegelman did not share his information with his son as smoothly as he could have at times. The Holocaust, the survival strategies used in his Jewish community, every part of it holds a sobering sadness and a warning that such evil once existed. The Art of Art This is not just Schindlers List crossed with the Beano. Admittedly, I remember opening Maus for the first time. After reading many modern comic books, which are now created by multiple collaboraters who utilise excellent com

A Dishonest Regional Archetype

  The   Black Country Archetype Is Regional Identity Good?  I was raised in the Black Country, a region in the West Midlands of England, known for its industrial heritage and its unique dialect. A dialect in which Anglo-Saxon and Middle English are still evident in both vocabulary and grammar. Place names like Dudd (Dudley), Wulferehamtun (Wolverhampton) and Craegleah (Cradley Heath) show Germanic influence. In the Black Country museum and many local history books, the people of the Black Country are celebrated for their strong work ethic, community spirit, and their sense of humour. Most television broadcasts and YouTube videos portray Black Country folk as being proud of their hard industrious heritage, as if they were descendants of Tubal Cain like D.R Guttery once shared in the historical accounts of his book, ‘The Great Civil War in Midland Parishes’. My Grandfather even appears in a photograph in one book about Lye, another Black Country town, while a distant relative of mine wro

The Stay at Home Dad

When you're a stay-at-home dad, you can break away from those old roles society expects of you, because it's viewed by many as a positive step towards gender equality. However, if you're an unemployed mentally ill husband who only seems to leave the house for the weekly shop and to walk the dog—you're more of a parasite.  Fair enough, a stay-at-home dad is expected to engage in various activities with the kids, you know, like reading to them, cooking lunch or playing games and whatever, while also keeping tabs on the housework. We all have our ways of working. Once, there was a time, when the entitled breadwinning husband, who expected a pristine house and a hot meal at the table, was the norm. We've known that's sexist for quite a while now. I'd like to call myself a house-husband, when I think of the water fights against my kids and their friends the street, but, I'd also like to call myself a billionaire, genius philanthropist—it's a stretch. This