Misty in the woods.
#photography #horseriding #ridinginwoods #ridingcrosscountry #greymare

To get past her, you often have to pay a "Toots Toll" of a scratch or a hug.

This time of year, you will leave with a layer of white hair. 🤣🤣

#sheddingseason
#horses
#Toots
#greymare

💙 Mari Lwyd 💙

#marilwyd #spookyxmas #marilwydartwork #spookmas #spookychristmas #welsh #yule #spookyyule #yuletide #puppet #wintermonsters #greymare #celtictradition

"The Mari Lwyd ('Grey Mary' probably also 'grey mare') is still carried house-to-house at some point in the Christmas season in various districts of southern and central Wales. She is a monstrous figure consisting of a horse’s skull mounted on a pole, the carrier of which is usually hidden by a blanket to give the impression of a giant human with an animal head. The lower jaw is hinged so it can snap open and shut, and sometimes the eye sockets are fitted with glass eyes for a more striking effect. Ribbons stream from her, bells jingle around her, and in some communities the members of her escort are decked out in a variety of grotesque costumes." - from The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual by Alexei Kondratiev (2003) Photo: Mari Lwyd at Chepstow by Andy Dingley on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) #marilwyd #greymare #wales #seasonal #custom #welshcustoms #welshtradition #winter

"The Mari Lwyd ('Grey Mary' probably also 'grey mare') is still carried house-to-house at some point in the Christmas season in various districts of southern and central Wales. ..."
- from The Apple Branch
by A. Kondratiev (2003)

#marilwyd #greymare #wales #welshcustoms #welshtradition #winter