OH MY GOD THEY INVITED EVERY GODDAMN MARI LWYD THERE IS, TUMBLRS
THERE WERE 24 OF THE FUCKERS
So these two had a fight. This is actually a very traditional part of Mari Lwyd culture, though they managed it without too much mead or cider drenching everyone.
At one point, we were surrounded by seven or eight different ones.
That was fun. Then I started photographing the Swirly Mari.
Not to worry! I sang at her and now she is my new best friend. Or maybe she’s trying to eat me. I dunno. This is 100% my new FB profile pic, though, obvs.
Then she stood up to her full height, and that’s when you remember how tall seven feet actually is.
Another Mari saw a baby in a pram and tried to eat it. I’m not being facetious, either. I didn’t get a photo of the exact moment she stuck her nose in the pram and snapped, but the baby promptly screamed (understandably) and the mother ran away.
Steff had a go at being a Mari at one point. They are EXTRAORDINARILY hEAVY.
Later in the day I went into a pub and there were more in there, just moving around. Easy to spot, like.
They had to duck. Then there was a big show down on the bridge between Maris and morris dancers, and then the Maris all - all TWENTY FOUR OF THEM - tried to heckle their way into the museum. It was epic.
Here’s a clip of them all moving off the bridge. Pls ignore my weird voice.
Anyway, this was a delightful day and my friends and I have decided that we’re going to make our own Mari and see if we can go as performers next year. She will be environmentally themed.
Blwyddyn newydd dda, bawb.