The Aussie thread....

[reilz81]

thanks for the warm welcome kytty i may extinguish that fire being summer and all lets get those fans cranking a pint of mead would be very nice yeah ive noticed that since joining this forum thought id get kicked for not being a member but turns out its here for all types of druids which i like

and thanks for the advice dragonwyst nice name btw i am going to be paying for it just like that next pay really its cheaper then a uni course and i expect you would get more out of it im curious to know why you thought there was more then 1 of me

blessings

[Dragonwyst]

and thanks for the advice dragonwyst nice name btw i am going to be paying for it just like that next pay really its cheaper then a uni course and i expect you would get more out of it im curious to know why you thought there was more then 1 of me

blessings

thanks re the name.
More than one of you? Well I was just saying that IF there was, that would be the scenario. Witchy1, who pointed me to OBOD in the first place, could barely feed her cats last year, let alone hope to pay for the course, so this year when I was in a better position to afford it (having paid off my counselling course) I included her as studying with me. Consequently the operating theatre copier is surreptitiously being abused for the good cause of photocopying gwersi now. Sometimes even druids have friends with similar interests... It was just me saying IF...you had a friend you could share the cost.

[reilz81]

oh thats cool it just seemed matter of fact its good info to know though if i meet others that are like minded for now its just me ive always been solitary pretty much i dont mind getting together with ppl from time to time but doing anything ritualwise takes alot of trust

[Dragonwyst]

Sharing the gwersi doesn't mean you have to share rituals. It's merely a matter of photocopying and passing on...nothing more.

[reilz81]

ahh ok thats cool

[Heddwen]

Hello Aussie people, my sister in law has just had a baby. She's from WongaWonga, Australia. She lives with my brother in Wales. So the baby boy has a wonderful pedigree I wondered if there are any Aussie traditions when a baby is born. She is so far from home and has no family here.I would like to honour that part of her heritage.She is very interested in native Australian culture. Do you have any suggestions?...erm please don't ask me to find a kangaroo or something like that

[wyeuro]

i don't know of any widespread traditions. oz is so culturally diverse nowadays that it depends what sort of australian you are. greek aussies have their traditions, aborigines have theirs, and there's a tendency as diversity gets more generalised for people to spontaneously make up their own way of celebrating. it's a delicious sort of freedom, and the celebrations are sometimes quite structured, but they don't have to be. but then, i'm not really immersed in mainstream culture so i'm probably not the one to advise.

[Aurora]

I have to second wyeuro's post about there not being any widespread traditions. My sister had a baby 15 months ago and people brought presents for the baby and also some presents for my sister so she didn't feel left out.

[kytty]

Hi Heddwen,
as mention earlier it really does depend on her past as to what will be suitable.
I found Wales and the Welsh to be warm, welcoming and supportive of us aussies....
Your love and support will mean the world to her.
makes me wish i was back up on the mountains again.
Good luck and all the best for the new family.
kytty

[kytty]

hey reiliz81
do what you will with the fire.....As a Dragon I have an endless source.
and mead...yummy meads what I drink when I run out of even more yummier whiskey
kytty

[Heddwen]

You are lucky to live in such a diverse cultural melting pot there. One day I hope to visit. Thank you for the tips, I shall bear it all in mind and endeavour to find out more of her heritage which I feel may be Scottish.
Thank you for your kind words, Kytty. Wales is a great place to live although sometimes I feel that our OTT nationalistic Welshness may be tiresome for others! It's simply a historical backlash and a quest for our identity, to retain our culture and language. We are a small but proud race. You are all lucky that there are quite a few Australians on the board to interact with, there are much less Welsh and even then they are in pockets right in the south or in the north and not on the board so often.
Oh well, I shall have to search for some inspirational baby ideas...although I shan't be buying a little Welsh rugby shirt yet, we aren't playing so well. My brother would go beserk if I bought a little Australian one

I just found this website, perhaps I could rewrite and illustrate a story for my nephew. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this

http://www.sacred-texts.com/aus/alt/index.htm

[Aurora]

Hi Heddwen,

Illustrating one of the stories would be great i'm sure your nephew would love it. As the tales are native Aboriginal ones if you do rewrite it try not to change the story as the tales are considered sacred and are part of the Dreaming of the native people's.

If you want to give a gift of a book of children's stories have a look at Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs. These were some of my favourites when i was little and the illustrations are fantastic!

[reilz81]

a dragon then im in good company though fire is better for winter im so looking forward to winter not good when it comes to summer mead is hard to find alot of ppl at bottle shops look at me strangly when i ask for it but a friend of mine told me where i can get some in town so when i have some spare cash so gonna get some been a while and i love the stuff better then any drink ive tried

[Heddwen]

Hi Heddwen,

Illustrating one of the stories would be great i'm sure your nephew would love it. As the tales are native Aboriginal ones if you do rewrite it try not to change the story as the tales are considered sacred and are part of the Dreaming of the native people's.

If you want to give a gift of a book of children's stories have a look at Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs. These were some of my favourites when i was little and the illustrations are fantastic!

Best for me not to rewrite it then, I think. Just checked out May Gibbs, the illustrations are so cute Thanks again.

[wyeuro]

the magic pudding by norman lindsay too. most kids love that.
here's the book: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/M ... 0732284329
there's an animation too, with john klees in it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163080/
in some ways i suppose you could say that the gumnut babies of May gibs and the pud' are a kind of traditional thing for oz kids.

the kath langloh parker stories are pretty deep in. they're really for adults with an anthropological bent or a feel for mythology. it's fascinating reading, and some of the most reliable tellings by a non-aboriginal, but he'd have to be at least ten or twelve years old to appreciate them imo.
the aborigine actor gulpilil wrote reliably translated dreamtime stories for kids: http://www.amazon.com/Gulpilils-Stories ... B00102S7AC they'd be more accessible at an earlier age.

many blessings on him, and yes it's always a pleasure to hear from wales.
wy

[Heddwen]

Thanks Wy,

They all look so great that I will buy them and probably want to keep them

[Steven Pitman]

Here is a link to Archie Roach's song "a child was born here". Written about the birth of the late Ruby Hunter, Archie's wife who suddenly died about this time last year. The song touches on some traditional birthing practices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSxvnnCjCIU

kind regards to all

[kytty]

reilz81
maxwells sell a drinkable mead and it can be purchase in most IGA supermarkets for around $12 a bottle.
me i brew my own.... which probably explains the all that fire Ha!
Heddwen.
Never ever apologize for your or your countries deeply held conviction to uphold your heritage
It is not at all over the top. You have direct link to your ancestry, and it is what endears me to the Welsh. Embrace the new and treasure the old. After all what is a nation with out its language, culture and history?
My own gran could speak Gaelic but refused to teach me because her husband forbid her to speak the language. When she received letter from Ireland he would insist in her reading them in English despite the fact he too could read, write and speak Gael, because the language of Australia is English. Your nephew is going to be one lucky child to be drench in such culture and boundless love
kytty

[wyeuro]

what's your recipe, kytty?
wy

[kytty]

hi wy
1.4kg honey. 1-2 camden tablets, 2tsp yeast, 1 tsp tartaric acid, 2 tsp malic acid, 1/2 tsp tannic and enough water to make 5lts.
i have a brew made with orange blossom honey at the moment, but you can use any flavour honey you like. Red gum is very strong tasting brew.
This recipe can be knocked about by adding fruit juices and or herbs and spices.
kytty