Take a Leek for Saint Davy

Today is Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi). Saint David (Dewi Sant) is the patron saint of Wales. On this day many Welsh hie themselves to their local purveyor of leeks, take a leek, and affix it to their lapel or hat. Lacking a real leek, some will instead use Peter's Leek (Cenhinen Pedr), the daffodil.

My apologies to the Cymru, but the best I can do is a scaled down version.

This is an update of a column I first published at Daily Kos in 2015

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jobu's picture

From Shakespears's Henry V:

FLUELLEN
Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is
remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a
garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their
Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this
hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do
believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek
upon Saint Tavy's day.
KING HENRY V
I wear it for a memorable honour;
For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
FLUELLEN
All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's
Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that:
God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases
his grace, and his majesty too!
KING HENRY V
Thanks, good my countryman.
FLUELLEN
By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I care not
who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I
need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be
God, so long as your majesty is an honest man.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@jobu Good old Henry, Welsh by birthplace and appointment if nothing else. I never could keep all those English royal houses straight, possibly from never trying to do so.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

hecate's picture

is known about Davy. They are pretty sure he was a primate. His mom was Non. His dad was Sant. It is said that sometimes when he preached the ground would get excited and rise up to form hills, but bad people scoff at this, saying one can scarcely "conceive of any miracle more superfluous" than creating new hills in Wales. Dave said the monks had to pull ploughs themselves, rather than make animals do it, and should only drink water and eat vegetables; like, leeks. He told the Welsh involved in the stupid fighting to wear leeks round their necks so when they were in the killing they would know who to spare and who to slay. He was supposed to be poor but then again it is claimed he wandered around with a mammoth sapphire, which he eventually donated to an abbey. They think he died on March 1, at which time angels showed up and made off with his soul. Today he is a shopping center.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@hecate
summary of the life of today's honoree. To me it is but a nod to my distant Celtic cousins, the Cymru, and something to celebrate the passe of February into March.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

hecate's picture

@enhydra lutris
I think Dave is fun. And I am for honoring Celts. The arrival of March is good, too. As it says in the true-life documentary song:

march winds will blow
all my troubles away

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Shahryar's picture

@hecate

one in his younger days, then after a little maturity

davy jones.jpg

davy crockett.jpg

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Shahryar

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

hecate's picture

@Shahryar
about Davy and the Alamo. He did not bring enough protective leeks.

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enhydra lutris's picture

About Leeks:
The leek is a vegetable, a member of the Allium family. Like its smaller cousi, the green onion, it can be regrown from the root end. When preparing one or more for cooking, simply leave about 3/4 to 1 inch of the base intact. Place it in a shallow container with enough water to cover the roots and place in a window sill. Change the water as needed and in a while it will begin to sprout a new top. Plant in decent soil and wait for your next leek.

P1070595

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

EdMass's picture

In absense of Welsh commemorative songs, I offer this.

Kinda close?

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

enhydra lutris's picture

@EdMass
always welcome, as far as I am concerned.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

jobu's picture

I would describe Eighties 'music' a vapid blend of commercial crap.

Welshman Mike Peters lays waste to that sentiment. Lyrics like this caught the attention of one Bob Dylan. Peters and the Alarm toured with Dylan in the late eighties.

After all time building up
Comes inevitable knocking down one by one
Comes receivers liars gamblers
Pick pocket entourage two by two
Selling out is a cardinal sin
Sinning with a safety net
They say all things come in threes three by three
Here comes the third degree

Where were you hiding
When the storm broke
When the rain began to fall
When the thunder and the lightning struck
And the rain and the four winds did howl

All cards are marked
All fates will collide
The truth is the truth
Or the truth is surely a lie
Get back in your shelter
If you can't come down off the fence
And one more question

Where were you?
Where were you hiding
When the storm broke
When the rain began to fall
When the thunder and the lightning struck
And the rain and the four winds did howl

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuTjEKblG4]

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When my brother died someone gifted me a rune stone, to remind me how life ebbs and flows, like water. I wore it every day for twenty years, it was very comforting. woo http://runemeaning.com/laguz/

Spellings: laguz, laukaz, lagus, lagu, logr
Translations: water; leek; sea

Water is to people seemingly unending
if they should venture out on an unsteady ship
and the sea-weaves frighten them very much,
but the ship does not mind its wheel.
~ Old English Rune Poem

Thanks
---tiny garden report
I plopped three leek butts in a bowl with water earlier, I hope they sprout. That was a very cool tip, thanks.

My purple basil clipping keeps propagating, and I have one oak leaf lettuce head left, a few sprouted from last season when it bolted and I let it go to seed. Jefferey the cannabis plant is a lone survivor. When it got cold and dark early I started putting the planter under my closet light early mornings, and kept harvesting lettuce and other leaves. Then one morning it fell off the shelf all over my laundry basket. Dirt, I love dirt but not in my laundry. Only two made it, Jefferey and the lettuce. I planted some of the basil just to keep them company through the shock. All are fine now but need new soil. I can hardly believe anything grows in that stuff, it's really old and gone through a lot, and still I graze.

Happy Saint Davy's
good day

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