Heaven in the Land of the Ancient Brits!
by
Owen Jones
We don’t know when the concept of Annwn arose on the British Isles. However, let’s say that ‘the world’ became aware of it during the Roman occupation. The Roman era in the UK began in AD 43 with the Roman invasion led by Emperor Claudius. Gradually, the Roman influence declined as the empire weakened. This lead to the withdrawal of Roman forces around AD 410, leaving a lasting impact on British history.
It was roughly at this point that the German Anglo-Saxon tribes arrived. However, what they believed is another issue.
People refer to Annwn in several different ways – ‘w’ in Welsh is the vowel ‘oo’ – sometimes as “Annwyn” or “Annwfn”. Nevertheless, the names refer to the same concept from Welsh spiritual belief. In English, we might describe the place as the Otherworld, a mystical and paradisiacal realm. My focus is that is they depicted Annwn as a land of eternal youth, beauty, and abundance, where sickness and death did not exist. They also associated it with various supernatural beings, including fairies and gods (angels), and thought it to be ruled by Arawn or sometimes Gwyn ap Nudd (God), depending on the source.
If you remove the Christian bias, this description sounds a lot like the Buddhist / Spiritualist concept of Heaven – except that the early Brits didn’t place it in the sky.
Key Aspects of Annwn
1. Paradise and the Otherworld: early Brits often considered Annwn to be a paradisiacal counterpart to the mortal world. It is a place where time flows differently, and earthly problems like hunger, disease, and aging do not exist.
2. Welsh Mythology and Literature: the Celtic Heaven features prominently in Welsh medieval literature. Look at the texts such as the “Mabinogion”, a collection of traditional tales. In the story of “Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed”, Pwyll, a prince, switches places with Arawn, the ruler of Annwn, for a year and a day This highlights the connection between the human world and the Otherworld.
3. Symbolism and Representations: the early Welsh often depicted Annwn as an island or a series of enchanted fortresses (Seven Planes?). Each one represented different aspects of the Otherworld’s splendour or challenges. The pursuit of these fortresses by King Arthur and his knights is a recurring theme in the Welsh tales. Some people believed this Paradise to be underground, or under a mountain.
4. The Spoils of Annwn: One of the notable stories associated with this Welsh Heaven is the poem “Preiddeu Annwfn” (“The Spoils of Annwn”), which describes a journey led by Arthur to raid Annwn for a magical cauldron. The poem is cryptic and layered with symbolism, reflecting the challenges and dangers of venturing into the Otherworld.
5. Annwn in Modern Culture: It has influenced modern literature, music, and other forms of media, often symbolising an idealised or mysterious land beyond the reach of ordinary experience (Heaven?)
Historical Connotations
Annwn’s depiction varies across different sources and interpretations, making it a rich and complex element of Welsh or Brithonyc history that continues to inspire interest and imagination today.
In ancient Welsh times, the Welsh thought of Annwn as a Paradise or Otherworld, and often depicted it as a place of beauty and eternal happiness. This is extremely similar to Heaven. They did not traditionally associate it with the Underground in a negative or infernal sense. However, with the arrival of Christianity, Annwn’s connection to the Underworld was misinterpreted by early Christians, who sometimes associated it with devil-worship or paganism due to its subterranean nature. This shift in perception reflects how religious interpretations can alter the understanding of cultural beliefs over time.
The Romans did not specifically persecute the early Welsh for their belief in Annwn itself. However, with the spread of Christianity, there was a broader push to suppress or convert pagan beliefs and practices. Christian missionaries often reinterpreted local deities and beliefs, sometimes casting them in a negative light to encourage conversion to Christianity. While there is a lack of documentation to establish whether there was direct persecution for the belief in Annwn alone , the general shift from paganism to Christianity did involve efforts to replace or demonise traditional Welsh beliefs, including those related to Annwn.
Pan Celtic Beliefs
Annwn is a concept from ancient Welsh history, often depicted as an Otherworldly realm or Paradise. The Celts considered a land of eternal youth, beauty, and abundance, ruled by the Otherworldly figure Arawn. They associated Annwn with the Afterlife – they did not see it as a place of punishment. Rather, it was a peaceful and magical land.
With the arrival of Christianity, ‘pagan’ or non-Roman beliefs like those surrounding Annwn were often misunderstood or reinterpreted. Sometimes being associated with negative connotations like the Underworld or devil-worship. However, Annwn itself was originally a positive and revered part of the Welsh belief system, embodying the ideal of a blissful Afterlife rather than any sort of malevolent realm.
The concept of Annwn as an Afterlife in which Heaven and Hell are combined in the same place – as in Buddhism and the Seven Planes – was suppressed by Rome, and it is still misunderstood to this very day.
Refer to the ‘Hounds of Annwn’, usually known as ‘The Hounds of Hell’ in English literature old and modern – a result of 2,000 years of propaganda and misunderstanding. It would be interesting to know whether other Celts, such as those in continental Europe, had similar beliefs.
Written by: Owen Jones
“A Night in Annwn” is available from most on and off line bookshops. There are three volumes in the Annwn – Heaven series of books.
The articles in this series on Annwn:
1] Heaven in the Land of the Ancient Brits! – https://bit.ly/3zc2SEw
2] The Druids and Annwn in Ancient Britain – https://bit.ly/3XB93vx
3] How Roman Influences Shaped Perceptions of Annwn in Ancient Britain – https://bit.ly/3zr0lGE
4] Parallels between Welsh Annwn and other cultural interpretations of the Afterlife – https://bit.ly/3XPfyux
5] Has modern culture continued to reinterpret the symbolism of Annwn? – https://bit.ly/3BmDhcP