Mari Lwyd: the Bewildering Welsh Holiday Custom

In recent years, the internet has developed a certain amused fascination with an old Welsh Winter-time custom known as the Mari Lwyd. Around the Christmas season, photos and short blurbs about this strange tradition circulate across social media, often met with general interest and brief chuckle because of the chaotic nature of the performance. Although the Mari Lwyd has become more well-known lately, the origins and early purpose of the custom remain somewhat mysterious even among folklorists.

Much of the jubilant custom remains debated, including the origins of the name. Many scholars and religious leaders assert that the name “Mari Lwyd” is a reference to the Virgin Mary, or Mother Mary from the Christian faith. This idea is supported by the lack of recorded evidence of the custom before the year 1800. However, this claim is widely disputed and many believe that the tradition is of pre-Christian origin. In the Welsh language, “llwyd” means “Grey,” implying that the name Mari Lwyd could simply mean “Grey Mare” and therefore has nothing at all to do with Christianity or the Virgin Mary.

If the name does indeed mean “Grey Mare,” the tradition can be closely tied into older British and Celtic folk beliefs about a pale horse which was able to travel between the realms of the living and the dead. This otherworldly horse would arrive to…