A Few Random Bits on Wrens

Welsh > English

Dryw (dree'-oo, more or less) - Wren

Derwydd (dehr-with) - Druid

Some meanings/symbology for "wren" - cunning, creativity, activity, spirits, witchcraft, connected to the Oak King, connected to Druids, a bird of summer (vs. the English robin, a bird of winter),

From: http://livingartsoriginals.com/symbols-celtic.html:

The wren is a sacred bird viewed by the Celts as the king of all birds. According to legend, the wren flew further than the eagle in a race to the sun. This gave the wren a special place in the traditional role of birds as messengers of the gods.

The wren is particularly associated with the god of thunder. Some species forage in dark crevices, and the name comes from "cave-dweller". Most species are non-migratory and build dome-shaped nests. Wrens often live in close association with humans.

More here - good page, actually. http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-meanings-of-wren.html

More Wren Stuff

http://www.jstor.org/pss/539700

http://wiki.name.com/en/Wren

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2791299

Interesting to note that the tradition of hunting the wren was slightly different in Wales and perhaps some parts of Ireland -- capturing the bird _alive_ and putting it in a cage to parade around during the St. Stephen's Day to 12th Night time period. Killing the bird before parading it seems to be more an English and French thing. I'm wondering if that's coincidence or if it was a way of early Christians taking a pagan custom on -- "killing" the pagan religion and at the same time "acquiring" the good fortune from the bird for themselves... Could just be a regional thing, but it wouldn't be the first time that people's of one religion did that to anothers (not just Christians either -- it's a human thing).

Also from one of the above sites is a note that a few places had their wren rituals at a different time of year, such as in the spring.

All of the wrenning songs our group Concentus seem to be of the killing variety, sadly. I do like the tunes but wish we had some Welsh songs instead.