“See yonder,” said Manawydan, “the door we should not open.”
– Dafydd and Rhiannon Ifans’ adaptation of Branwen Ferch Llŷr, which is the second strand of the Mabinogion
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With Wales is on the verge of electing a new round of politicians to our Parliament, why on earth refer to a medieval legend? What in the world does this have to do with contemporary Wales? On the face of it, nothing at all; yet it is part of our history, and although this is a legend and not history based on concrete facts, we may interpret aspects of the legend in today’s terms, and in so doing perhaps reflect on the consequences of turning our back on realism. It is a tale of cruelty, of revenge, of disasters, but also of love, of honor and of friendship – although it is the darker aspects that are given the main emphasis. A brutal legend (a summary of which you can read here), echoes of which sound today. A legend that reveals a lot about the unsettling condition of humanity.
What if we consider the part of the legend where the few men who survived a horrible war in Ireland spend 80 years in a hall on Gwales Island, when they forget everything bad that has previously happened to them? Manawydan warns that the door should not be opened to Aber Henfelen, but in the end the door is opened by Heilyn fab Gwyn. All the memories come flooding back to them of the friends and relatives that were lost, a surge of waves enveloping them in sadness.
Why not consider this in the light of our experience of recent history? Have we not spent a similar period ignoring reality?
About eighty years ago the Second World War ended, and shortly afterwards the state of Israel was established following the genocide of Jews and other minorities by the Nazis. There was relative peace in Western Europe for decades, living standards rose, there was enough food on the table, housing was fairly reasonably available, there were cheap holidays on the Continent and beyond, the European Union came into existence. We saw amazing technical developments such as mobile phones, the internet, computers and countless other things. We came to accept that technical developments are to be welcomed. The Earth and the Sea were resources to be used for humanity, and those resources seemed inexhaustible.
We in the West lived in ease most of the time, with only the occasional blot on the landscape such as the Cuban missile crisis. There was an oil crisis in 1973 following the Yom Kippur war between Egypt and Israel, and another in 1979 following the Revolution in Iran. But these were soon forgotten, as indeed little by little the horrors of the Nazis in the Second World War were forgotten, not to mention the horror of the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. It became a belief that “never again” meant exactly that, as the thought of a World War and the use of nuclear weapons was beyond people’s apprehension.
But we now see that we have been living in the hall on Gwales Island.
Our eyes have been opened to evil as the door to Aber Henfelen was opened by Trump and Netanyahu and Putin. And Western leaders failed completely in their responses to the unnecessary wars in Ukraine, Palestine and Iran. Not to mention paying no attention to several other wars and massacres such as in Myanmar, Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mexico, Burkina Faso, Syria, Somalia, Mali, Lebanon, Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti, Cameroon.
Is it not the truth that all recent history since the end of the Second World War chronicles the desire of powerful countries to undermine other countries that own something they need? Oil obviously, but also metals and minerals. Until recently, an attack on another country by the West was justified by insisting that they wanted to bring democracy to a country, overthrow a dictator, and establish a state that respected Western ‘values’. Of course the price to pay is that the wealth of the countries is available to the West, that impossible debts are placed upon them, and that political corruption is acceptable if the Government of the country in question supports us. We have been comfortable and able to be ‘Liberal’ here at the expense of other countries.
And hasn’t opening the door to Aber Henfelen revealed the chaos surrounding us? The delight in killing that we see from Trump and Netanyahu and their ilk, without even pretending that there is some lofty purpose. The willingness not to take any notice at all of International Law and the United Nations. The environmental destruction that is the result of our endless desire for ‘things’, and that has led our wounded Planet to a hopeless precipice. Capitalism’s lust has given more and more power and wealth to the billionaires, and taken power away from ordinary people. The breakdown of civilized society by the politics of hate; the desire to create an enemy from the ‘other’; the attack on human rights; the normalization of targeting and killing ordinary people in war; the denial that climate change is happening due to the impact of humanity; the fact that child poverty and homelessness exist here; the lack of faith in politicians and the cynicism that changing government does not change the system. We can look at these matters in more detail some other time.
However, all of this is relevant to us on the eve of an Election to our Senedd. How, you may ask?
In the first place, why not think of the hall of Ynys Gwales as a parable of the Senedd as it has operated until now. Where a group of people respond to the problems of the day in terms of a vision limited by those walls. Where there is a broad acceptance that capitalism is the wise and smart way of organizing things. Where clichés pepper statements about ‘Future Generations’. Where any type of job is acceptable in a poor and deprived area. Where voices opposing the arms industry and offering a vision for jobs that benefit humanity are not heard. Where nuclear energy is supported despite all its dangers and its undeniable link with nuclear weapons. Where no mention is made of the dangers of Free Ports and Development Sites as sites to facilitate extreme capitalism. Where there is no questioning of the concepts of Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence despite their extreme demands for electricity and water. Where managing the decline of a country in a procedural manner is counted as a success. Where the deadly hand of Westminster eclipses the action of Wales’ people. A place that is ignored by Westminster when there is cross-party agreement on matters such as the Crown Estate, Police and Justice. Where there is a strange dichotomy when talking about the “country” – is that Wales that is in question, or the United Kingdom? Where members are expected to swear an oath of loyalty to a fossil from the Middle Ages. Where there has been over a quarter of a century of devolution without managing to tackle, let alone solving the problems of poverty, homelessness, health and education. Where there is too often a washing of hands when matters that have not been devolved are mentioned – as if the Welsh do not have the right to express an opinion on other matters. Where the walls of the building itself are transparent glass, but the politicians’ chamber is behind a wooden partition.
Yet it is a place that, despite its failings, is an institution that we have as the country and people of Wales, and whose powers we should extend, instead of seeing those powers shrink due to a lack of funding, or interference from Westminster.
So we must open the door to Aber Henfelen and face the world as it really is.
By doing that, we can see that there is a need to support candidates who are willing to push the boundaries of the possible beyond the current limited parameters. We can support socialist candidates who oppose the current capitalist system, those who stand for their communities and not for personal gain. Despite the shortcomings of the new regime (another reform that is needed!) people like this are to be found! Look at the party lists and see who is most likely to be elected. Look at independent candidates who are challenging the system as a whole.
There is certainly no point in supporting Reform UK Party Limited (or perhaps Reform 2025 Ltd), if you don’t want to support the rich and ex-Tories who proudly support Trump. Their thinking is beyond the bounds of acceptable in Wales – and if it is, then it is the Welsh who will pay the price. Cutting budgets, letting the workers down, putting more pressure on the poor and the needy, privatizing the Health Service, indifference to the Welsh language. Look at what is happening in the United States if you want to see a Vision of Hell today, and remember that Farage is a supporter of Trump and counts himself as his friend.
This Election is important because it gives us a clear choice on what kind of country we want to be.
A country that is confident that it can solve its problems if given the autonomy and power to do so, a country that needs a stimulus and support for the creativity of its people, a country that is rich in natural resources that will be developed responsibly for the benefit of our people, a country that builds on the idea of a Sanctuary Nation to be a Friendly and Peaceful Nation.
Or do we want to see a country that is divided further by raising contention between factions, a country that delights in militarism and oppressive power, a country that is willing to remain silent in the face of injustices.
The choice is in our hands.
Nevertheless we recall that this election is only the beginning of the journey. The inferior, extractive, uber-capitalist, unimaginative system we live under must be changed. If the next Government tilts towards the left, then there will be a difficult road ahead. She will have to have a vision that challenges the boundaries of the possible, and face the reality that improvement will not happen without all the conditions that have led us to the current crisis of hope being completely transformed. This is not an overnight job to be achieved through social media!
Bearing in mind that the financial shackles are held in the hands of Westminster, not to mention its ability to ignore the decisions of the Senedd and even undermine it completely, our new Government will have an extremely difficult task. And since Westminster itself has lost all credibility and is subject to the demands of Big Money in all its destructive guises, we will need the courage and ability of Houdini to escape from the gray and demeaning present. But if we are not bold, then winning the election will be a short term victory.
At the tail end of the legend, the small company takes Bendigeidfran’s head to be buried in London. This was a symbolic act to protect the British Isles, after the company realized the horrors of their past, after opening the door to Aber Henfelen. Of course, the legend is set in a period before the British Isles were invaded by Saxons, Vikings and Normans, so poor Bendigeidfran’s head must have lost its power! But we can say with confidence that it will take more than one head – indeed the heads of the whole country – to tackle the complex problems of Wales, and no answers will come from London.
That is the essence of our socialism: working together for the good of all in a humble and loving spirit. The antithesis is an angry society divided on purpose, impoverished in the spiritual and material senses of the word, and ready prey for oppressive forces.
What do you want be able to tell your grandchildren about the choices you made now?
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Robat Idris is, among other things, Chair of Cymdeithas y Cymod, former Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and member of PAWB (People against Wylfa B).