Morganwg and me
Iolo Morganwg heavily influenced the foundation of the Welsh eistedfodd movement, and his work contributed significantly to shaping modern druidry. He was a ‘scholar’ who ‘discovered’ a lot of ancient texts and brought them to public attention. In reality he made it all up, but his motto was ‘the truth against the world’.
Morganwg is one of the most fascinating and problematic figures you could hope to encounter. His influence is huge, his genius considerable, and his ethical position bloody awkward. He had a vision of brotherhood, peace and learning that is absolutely inspiring, but at the same time appears to be a total rogue, only in it for his own financial and social gain. Not that he got very far on either score.
I’ve had a bit of a love hate relationship with him, to be honest. My feelings swing from admiration to loathing, delight to frustration and have never settled. My own Druidry clearly owes more than a bit to his work. I like the line ‘The truth against the world’ so much that I stole it and used it as a the tagline for a fictional newspaper on a fictional island (www.hopelessvendetta.wordpress.com) Hopeless being the island, The Hopeless Vendetta being the newspaper, and the truth against the world seeming like a precise description of a hopeless vendetta, all things considered.
When it comes down to it, its not actually Morganwg’s fault that the ancient Druids did not really bequeath us the texts we all wanted them to. And how many of us, if we thought we could get away with it, wouldn’t do what he did? Look around the world of pagan and new age publishing and you’ll see all manner of things from curious, I might even say dubious sources. These days we are less likely to claim the discovery of ancient documents and more likely to say we ‘channelled’ it. And of course once you start channelling ancient wisdom, it’s funny how often it’ll turn out to sit really neatly alongside your personal agenda and beliefs.
So, what would I get is I tried to channel the spirit of Morganwg? What would he bring to this day and age? Something attention grabbing, no doubt. Something that would aim to bring in the coins and probably fail, but that’s okay because I’m not that focused on the money really. Something daring, and ridiculous, and not as well grounded as it should have been. Something exciting and inspiring, an idea that is better than the message bearer themselves.
Other people ask, what would Jesus do, or with tongue a little in cheek, what would Odin do? Although there is much about the man that drives me crazy, I am asking, what would Morganwg do? And I have no doubt, if I pull an answer out of the ether, it will be one that suits and serves me, because that really is the nature of the beast.
Brotherhood is a bit outdated and un-pc. Peoplehood then. Learning. Peace. Something showy. Something crazy. It’s like the ingredients for a witchy brew. I am putting things in the cauldron. The one thing I know I’m never going to do is leap up and proclaim I’ve found the one great truth, but probably old Glamorgan Eddie can forgive me for that one.
