Gathering for friendship is always a joy and a meeting within our Welsh society is always a warm affair. The lunch itself was at the Yankee Pedlar Inn in Holyoke, MA. The home was built in 1875 and later was converted to an inn, which we soon learned was actually the venue for the very first meeting of our society 13 years ago. Luckily for us, the founder, John Dixon, was dining with us, too.
We then had the pleasure of listening to Smith College’s Prof. Craig Davis on a classic theme, “King Arthur, Legend and Myth.” Prof. Davis is a wealth of knowledge about medieval
Wales and its myths and legends, especially about King Arthur. He described how myths tell of a strong, brave and legendary “General” whose prowess in battle and noble, humble, and generous soul propelled him into future storytelling as the likely King Arthur we know today and who appeared throughout Celtic legends from about 300AD. We read ancient Welsh poetry and text, searching for proof that King Arthur’s legend is based in fact. Elusive as it is, Prof. Davis showed us where references have been found.
(This post was written by our president, Susan Sit.)