new story plus audio

There is a new story called "War Droos!" (On Foot!) on Neil's blog. It is accompanied by a sound recording of him reading it. Listen to what it should sound like.

https://nebesgeryow.blogspot.co.uk/

A Year of Late Cornish Day 95

An Pemdhegves Dedh ha Pajar Ügens

De Gwener, wheffes mis Ebrel. Bledhen Nowydh lowen dhe whei! Rag fra? Nag ew Calan Genver. An kensa dedh ew an vledhen arhanjek Ruvaneth Ûnys. Praga na wrüg hei dalla en Genver pecar’a Europ? Story completh ew.

Friday, 6^th April. Happy New Year to you! Why? It’s not the first day of January. It’s the first day of the United Kingdom financial year. Why didn’t it start in January like Europe? It’s a complicated story.

En mil pemp cans pajar ügens ha dew Europ a dreylyas dhort calender Julian (gelwys warlergh Cesar Julius) dhe galender Gregorian (gelwys warlergh Pap Gregory XIII) warlergh arhadow Gregory y honan. Bes na venja Metêrn Henry VIII gwil endella.

In 1582 Europe changed from the Julian calendar (named after Julius Caesar) to the Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory XIII) on the orders of Gregory himself. But King Henry VIII didn’t want to do that.

Dres an nessa cans bledhen deg ha trei ügens tho Englond deg dedh po üdnek adherag Europ. Nena en mil seyth cans dewdhek ha dowgens Englond a dreylyas ewedh, Mis Gwedngala a gollas üdnek dedh. Na veu genys üdn flogh veth tredh an nessa ha’n peswardhegves mis Gwedngala. Na veu bes trei cans dedh peswardhek ha dogens e’n vledhen na.

Through the next 170 years England was 10 or 11 days ahead of Europe. Then in 1752 England changed as well. September lost 11 days. Not a single child was born between 2^nd and 14^th September. There were only 354 days in that year.

Nag o an düs lowen! Thera fillel a üdnek dedh a ‘ga bêwnans. (Nebes a gollas aga fednow bloodh.) Ha’n “den toll” a venja whath bledhen leun a dollyow. Thera protestyanjow e’n stretys. The people were not happy. They were missing 11 days of their life. (Some missed their birthdays.) And the “tax man” still wanted a full year of taxes. There were protests in the streets.

En termyn eus passyes Englond a wrüg ûsya pajar dedh qwarter rag cuntel ha pe gòbrow ha kendonow. An kensa, Degol Maria Mis Meurth, o “Bledhen Nowydh” goth. Bes na venja an düs pe aga dollyow an pajer warn ügens mis Meurth. Rag hedna, an Governans a ros üdnek dedh moy. Na veu res dhodhans pe terebo pempes Ebrel. Ha hedna ew an reson rag dalla agan bledhen arhanjek.  

In past times England used 4 quarter days for collecting and paying wages and debts. The first, Lady Day, was the old “New Year”. But the people didn’t want to pay their taxes on 24^th March. Therefore, the Government gave 11 more days. They didn’t have to pay till 5^th April. And that is the reason for the start of our financial year.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 89

An Nawas Dedh ha Pajar Ügens

De Sadorn, an üdndegves warn ügens mis Meurth. De Sadorn Pask ew ha’n dedh diwettha a vis Meurth. Hanath e vedh loor leun. Hei a wra sevel hanter òja seyth (ar glogh). Thew hei an nessa loor leun en mis Meurth – henwys ew hedna “loor las”. Na vedh loor las aral bys dhe vis Hedra 2020.

Saturday, 31^st March. It is Easter Saturday and the last day of March. Tonight there will be a full moon. It will rise at half past seven (o’clock). It is the second full moon in March – that’s called a “blue moon”. There will not be another blue moon till October 2020.

Loor leun dhe les ew ewedh drefen boas òja an kehesnos gwenton. Henwys ew hei “an loor sugen”. En termyn eus passyes tho an kehesnos gwenton ha’n nessa loor leun sans dhe’n dhüwes Saxon Ostara po Eostre. Düwes o hei an arvester ha tevyans nowydh. Cristyons Sowsnek a gawas devnydh  a’n hanow rag “Easter”, degol o merkya dassòrrans (dasserghyans) Crist. Ma Kernowegoryon o ûsya an hanow “Pask” dhort an ger en Latin “pascha”.

It’s a significant full moon as well because it is after the spring equinox. It’s called the “sap moon”. In past times the spring equinox and the next full moon were sacred to the Saxon goddess Ostara or Eostre . She was the goddess of fertility and new growth. English Christians borrowed the name for “Easter”, the festival marking the resurrection of Christ. Cornish speakers use the name “Pask” from the Latin word “pascha”.

An arwodhyow Ostara ew an skovarnek (best gen scovarnow hir) ha oyow. Da ew gen flehes whilas oyow (chocolat) o cüdhys gen Skovarnek (po Cònin) Pask.

The symbols of Ostara are the hare (an animal with long ears) and eggs. Children like to look for eggs (chocolate) hidden by Easter Hare (or Rabbit).

A Year of Late Cornish Day 80

An Pajarügensves Dedh

De Yow, an nessa dedh warn ügens a vis Meurth ha tryja dedh an gwenton. En dohajedh me a vetyas gen nebes cowethesow en bosty en Truru rag dew our a dhelinyans ha lymnans. Me a dhisqwedhas fatel gwil oy Pask afinys en gis Keltek. Calish lowr ew! Neb na wor clappya Kernowek a dhescas "Pask lowen".  Ottobma pajar oy tekhys a'n par na, gen pajar colon, üdn scovarnek gen scovarnow hir ha'n baner dû ha gwydn Perran. 

Thursday, the 22^nd day of March and the third day of spring. In the afternoon I met with some friends in a café in Truro for two hours of drawing and painting. I demonstrated how to do a Celtic style decorated Easter egg. It’s quite difficult. Those that didn't know how to speak Cornish learnt "Happy Easter". Here are four decorated eggs of that sort, with four hearts, one hare with long ears and the black and white flag of St Piran.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 77

An Seytegves Dedh ha Trei ügens

De Lün ew, an nownjegves dedh a vis Meurth. Fatel ew an gewer hedhyw? Seyth ar glogh en mettin ew ha ergh a wra arta. Pana seson ew hebma? Thera vy o mires aves dhe’n veister ha me ell gweles gwav. Thera vy o mires orth o lever-dedhyow ha me ell redya nepeth deffrans.

It’s Monday, the 19^th day of March. How’s the weather today? It’s 7 o’clock in the morning and it’s snowing again. What season is this? I look out of the window and I can see winter. I look at my calendar and I can read something different.

Calan Meurth ew an kensa dedh a gwenton keweroniethel. Thew an misyow gwenton mis Meurth, mis Ebrel ha mis Me.  Saw ma gwenton steroniethel o talla teyr seythen po nebes moy diwettha.  Ev a wra dalla avorow (en dohajedh), an keheja dedh ha nos. Hedhyw thew an nos hirra vel an jedh, òja avorow a vedh an nos cottha vel an jedh.

The first day of March was the first day of meteorological spring. The spring months are March, April and May. But astronomical spring starts about three weeks later. It will start tomorrow (in the afternoon), the equinox. Today the night is longer than the day, after tomorrow the night will be shorter than the day.

A Year of Late Cornish Day 75

An Pemdhegves Dedh ha Trei ügens

De Sadorn, seytegves mis Meurth. An seytegves dedh a vis Meurth ew Degol Padryk. Padryk ew sans tasek Wordhen saw nag o va Godhal. Ev a veu genys en Breten Veur, en soth a Scotlond martesen, en cres an pempes cansvledhen.

Saturday, 17^th March. The 17^th day of March is St Patrick’s Day. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland but he was not Irish. He was born in Great Britain, perhaps in the south of Scotland, in the middle of the 5^th century.

Pan o va adro dhe whetek bloodh ev a veu sesys gen morladron ha dres dhe Wordhen, le mayth o va keth dres whegh bledhen hag ev ow pugelya deves.  Ev a scappyas betegens hag a dhewhelys dh’y deylu en Breten Veur.

When he was about 16 years old he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland, so that he was a slave for 6 years herding sheep. However he escaped and returned to his family in Great Britain.

Òja boas gwres prownter war an brastir, Padryk eth dhe Wordhen ha dallath y whel rag lesa an grejyans Cristyon e’n pow.  Ev a a fundyas y eglos vroas en “Ard Macha”.

After becoming a priest on the mainland, Patrick went to Ireland and began his work spreading the Christian faith in the country. He founded his main church in Armagh.

Solabres thera en soth a Wordhen cadnas Cristyon aral henwys Palladius. Tho ev an kensa Epscop a Wordhen. E’n cansvledhednyow warlergh Padryk y sewysy en Armagh a wre ascribya dhe Padryk ober Palladius y honen hag etho an dhew sans ew kemyskys e’n textow coth.

In the south of Ireland there was already another  Christian missionary called Palladius. He was the first Bishop of Ireland. In the centuries after Patrick his followers in Armagh were ascribing Palladius’s own work to Patrick and so the two saints are mixed up in the old texts.

Rag redya moy gwrew mires orth

https://nebesgeryow.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/padryk-sans-gen-nicholas-williams.html

A Year of Late Cornish Day 71

An Üdnegves Dedh ha Trei ügens

De Meurth, an terdhegves mis Meurth. Jorna teg dhe gerdhes o. Thera cathas helyk arhans o toas war nebes helyk ha thera losyow eyn melin war oll an coll. Mesk an gwels thera nebes brially melin, lily Corawes melin ha losow lagas melin. Thera flourys melin war an prisk eythin ewedh.

Tuesday, 13^th March. It was a lovely day for walking. There were silver pussy willow catkins coming on some willow trees and there were yellow lambs’ tail catkins on all the hazels. Among the grass there were some yellow primroses, yellow daffodils and yellow celandines. There were yellow flowers on the gorse bushes as well.

E’n kyttrin me a redyas lever entanüs, scrifys gen Iseldiryades. Me a’n finsyas ken drehedhes Truru. Novel helerghyas o, settys en Kernow. Thera dew dhenladh hag üdn denladrans.

On the bus I read an exciting book, written by a Dutch woman. I finished it before reaching Truro. It was a detective novel, set in Cornwall. There were two murders and an abduction.

En Truru me a gawas kidnyow (cowl fav spisek) ha coffy, ha òja hedna thera descans Kernôwek. Nei a wrüg madra niverow, termyn, dedhyow, misyow ha sesons.

In Truro I had lunch (spicy bean soup) and coffee and after that there was a Cornish lesson. We studied numbers, time, days, months and seasons.