Plygain
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''Plygain '' is a traditional Welsh Christmas service which takes place in a church between three and six o'clock in the morning, traditionally on Christmas morning.
The word 'plygain' possibly comes from the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''pullicantio, ''meaning 'when the cock crows at dawn'; some have suggested that it could also be derived from ''plygu'', which means 'bending', as when bending forward in prayer. There are several variations on the word: pylgen, pilgen, plygan, plygen etc. The carols are very different from the usual English
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...
tradition in that every Plygain carol includes verses on the
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
and Resurrection of Christ in addition to his birth. The Plygain was the only service in the church calendar to be held at night time, as the carrying of candles and the procession leading to the church was a part of the Plygain. Its roots lie in pre-Christian celebrations. The word is first recorded in the Black Book of Carmarthen in early Welsh manuscripts in the 13th century ("''pader na pilgeint na gosber''"). Many Welsh Christmas carols are traditional, and could be called plygain in some circumstances, their tone being quite different to the Christmas carols that we know today, with many of the old ''Plygain'' songs in the
Dorian mode The Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different but interrelated subjects: one of the Ancient Greek music, Ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' (characteristic melodic behaviour, or the scale structure associated with it); one of the mediev ...
.


History


Carols

The plygain service is thought to have been created to replace the traditional Latin pre-Reformation Mass at Cockcrow (''missa in gallicantu''). Plygain carols were a feature of Welsh protestant worship from the 17th century until the mid-19th century; but despite a significant decline during the Victorian Era that tradition has continued in some places until the present day, especially in north-east Wales, and has experienced a revival in recent years. Author Charles Edwards ( – ) published a volume entitled ''Llyfr Plygain gydag Almanac'' (''Plygain Book with an Almanac'') in 1682, but in that context 'llyfr plygain' means a book of prayers and not a collection of carols. The decline of the tradition in the mid-19th century was attributed to the rise of family gathering as an alternative Christmas-eve tradition and a ' Victorian' rebuff of the joyous celebrations which went with the Plygain. Some parishes had to abandon the practice after repeated instances of drunk villagers disrupting the services. Most carols were written down including the works of plygain composer Huw Morys (1622–1709) and many families who had their own songs, passed down from generation to generation. Many of these are still sung today. In the 18th century a number of plygain were written by Jonathan Huws in his book ''Bardd y Byrddau'', including ''Carol Plygain'' on the music of ''Gwêl yr Adeilad''. Another author in the 19th century was Gwallter Mechain. Another was the poet Thomas Williams (c. 1769–1848), from Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa in the
Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. The community (which measures 41.8 square kilometres) population in 2021 was 1,586 and the town's name means ''church or parish'' (Llan (placename), llan) ''o ...
area, who published several volumes of carols and plygain. The hymns of Ann Griffiths also show the influence of plygain carols. In the 20th century, Canon Geraint Vaughan-Jones, a clergyman dedicated to preserving this tradition, published a collection of Plygain carols under the title ''Cyff Mawddwy'', and this was republished by Lolfa Press in 1987 as ''Hen Garolau Plygain''. Plygain carols were long religious poems, which can be described as 'sermons in song', and frequently told the whole story of the salvation through Christ from the Fall in the Garden of Eden to his Second Coming, the Last Judgement and the joys of heaven; but they often had their musical origins in popular folk songs. Some of the plygain meters are complex and similar to the ballad, often twenty or more verses. There is normally a reference to the crucifixion of Christ – and they are unusual in Western Europe this regard, as they do not focus solely on the birth of Christ. They are generally sung as three- or four-part harmonies, and it is considered unacceptable to sing the same carol twice at the same service. Traditionally the ''plygain'' carols were sung only by men. This tradition relaxed in the late twentieth century – although one carol, the ''Carol y Swper'', is still usually sung only by men in most places. Often, the names of local farms or villages were incorporated into these songs, one notable example being 'Carol Wil Cae Coch' or, 'Wil Red Farm's Carol'.


Local traditions

In more rural areas, the locals would gather in local farmhouses to make a treacle toffee called ''cyflaith''. In 1830s Marford, they decorated the farmhouse with winter foliage such as holly or mistletoe, and in 1774, in Dyffryn Clwyd, they lit the candles at two o'clock in the morning and sang and danced to harp music until the dawn service. In towns, or more populated areas, such as
Tenby Tenby () is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies within Carmarthen Bay. Notable features include of sandy beaches and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the 13th-century Tenby Town Walls, me ...
, crowds started the evening with a torch-lit procession, and the young men of the town would escort the local priest from his house to the church while the rest of the procession sang and blew cow-horns. Similar events were recorded in
Laugharne Laugharne () is a town on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tâf. The Ancient borough#Charters, ancient borough of Laugharne Township () with its #Laugharne Corporation, Corporation and Charter is a ...
and
Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. The community (which measures 41.8 square kilometres) population in 2021 was 1,586 and the town's name means ''church or parish'' (Llan (placename), llan) ''o ...
. Until recently, Plygain candles were lit throughout the church during the service. Candles were decorated with coloured paper and hoops woven by local congregants, and some parishes would fix them to brass candlesticks on the altar before Plygain began. In
Dolgellau Dolgellau (; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Merion ...
, the inside of the church was decorated with holly and coloured candles mounted in chandeliers. The ceremony was described as follows: In Maentwrog, near
Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog () is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,0 ...
, there was a very short sermon as part of the service, and the church was decorated with candles fixed to the top of posts, which were themselves fastened to pews. The carol-singers in the bell tower found it too dark to follow the service in their
Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...
, and brought their own candles so that they could follow the service properly. The rector did carry out a service, but kept it very short, possibly because the main attraction was the singing. Elsewhere, in Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, the congregation took a full communion during the plygain. The
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...
records that in
Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. The community (which measures 41.8 square kilometres) population in 2021 was 1,586 and the town's name means ''church or parish'' (Llan (placename), llan) ''o ...
, a relatively rural area, the torches were replaced by candles, made by local chandlers and termed ''canhwyllau plygain'' ('Plygain Candles'). This was the case at many rural churches, as they would have no facilities for night-time services, so each person would often bring a candle themselves to help light the church during the hours of darkness. When they arrived at the church, it was lit with hundreds of candles placed only a couple of inches apart, making for a "brilliant" display. This sort of display was a key part of many local plygain ceremonies, as it left a strong impression in the written records that remain.


Plygain today

The tradition continues in some areas of Wales today, especially in: *
Abergavenny Abergavenny (; , , archaically , ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately from the England–Wales border, border with England and is loca ...
* Llanerfyl * Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa * Llangynog * Llanllyfni * Llanymawddwy * Lloc * Mallwyd * Oswestry (England) Details of upcoming Plygain carol services can be found on the websit
plygain.org
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released an 18 pence stamp, to commemorate Plygain, in 1986. In 2006 a recording of an early twentieth century plygain was discovered at the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
by Wyn Thomas of the University of Wales, Bangor. The collection was of recordings made by Lady Ruth Herbert Lewis from 1910 to 1913, and included a plygain recorded in Drefach, South Wales, further south than previously thought. The BBC have noted that the services still exist in Montgomeryshire as recently as 2012. Some parishes have incorporated Plygain observances into celebrations of the pre-Julian calendar Welsh New Year on the 12 January.


Gallery


References

{{reflist, 30em


External links


Plygain.org
- information about the Plygain tradition, carols, books and diary listing
Singing Tradition: Welsh Plygain Carol
at SmithsonianFolklife
Parti Fronheulog: Carol Plygain: 'Ar Gyfer Heddiw'r Bore'


– lyrics, written by David Hughes (Eos Iâl) Music of Wales Christianity in Wales Nativity of Jesus in worship and liturgy Literary terminology Articles containing video clips