Hi dudes, thanks for the 'welcomes', (and DLJ has already connected with me and he'll be back in the UK late July; we plan our grudge match for Cardiff Carnage in Septeber... so far he has beaten me 2- nil, 'The Swine!')
For those that were interested in my book, (it'll be available in May), heres the mock up of the front cover, followed by the promotional blurb.
promotional script
'GWYN; Ancient god of Glastonbury and key to the Glastonbury Zodiac', is the debut book written and illustrated by Glastonbury based artist and researcher, Yuri Leitch.
'Gwyn' is the culmination of six years of contemplation, historical research and investigation into the sacred landscape of Somerset's unique landmark, Glastonbury Tor.
To the ancient Britons, this isle in the marshes, (that was later named 'Glastonbury' by the Saxons) was known as 'Ynys Wydrin' (The Glass Isle) and was their beloved 'sacred ground', the threshold of 'Annwn' (their 'otherworld' paradise.) Gwyn was the 'protective warrior god' of 'Ynys Wydrin' and the British 'Lord of Paradise'.
Adorned with many of his own beautiful illustrations, and quotes from arcane medieval Welsh manuscripts, the author hopes that this book will educate, uplift and inspire the reader's imagination.
Historically this book takes the reader back to the beginning of the 1st century. To the tribal society of the Native Britons specific to this area; the tribe that are known to us as the Durotriges. We glimpse their spiritual world view by looking at the pantheon of gods and goddesses that they believed in (The Children of Don) and specifically 'Gwyn ap Nudd', the ancient god of Glastonbury. By doing this, we begin to see 'Ynys Wydrin' as their most 'sacred ground'.
Then the author deals with the Roman invasion of Britain, and of how these ancient Britons adapted to the 'new world' and became the 'Romano British'. Still it would appear, using Ynys Wydrin as their sacred island at least up until the 5th century. Controversially, this challenges the popular legend that Jesus' kinsman, Joseph of Arimathea, founded a Christian church here in the 1st century; - with Christians being the 'enemies of Rome' well until the 3rd century, and the lack of any archaeological Christian evidence until the 5th century (the Arimathean legend was not recorded until the 12th century) the author shows how Glastonbury most probably functioned as 'sacred burial ground' until the Dark Ages; giving rise to the legendary 'Avalon', sacred otherworld-faerie realm.
By taking the reader step by step through medieval Welsh literature, Yuri Leitch explains how Gwyn has an intimate link with many of Glastonbury's unusual characteristics; it's placement upon the 'St. Michael Line' alignment; with the Mid Winter sun-roll up the Tor; and most curiously, with the landscape enigma of the Glastonbury Zodiac.
Most emotively though, is the telling of the Saxon invasion of Britain and the explaining of the mass exodus of the native Britons away from their homeland and sacred isle; their forced retreat into Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, as the Saxon king of Wessex, Centwine, 'pushed the Britons to the sea' in the 7th century.
'Gwyn' also accounts how the first Christian missionaries of the 5th century made very deliberate attempts to banish the old god from Glastonbury Tor, and of how Gwyn, the Lord of Paradise, became diminished into being the 'King of the Fairies', and was then finally debased into being the 'Demon King' of the Celtic Hades.
