Maybe more would learn and enjoy learning history with that view! As to attitudes @Nienke, a lot of older people wanted to trace connections, “are you related…?!” 'do you know this person? That person?"
Damn, it was on the tip of my tongue…
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I suspect that the Christian view (the overwhelming view in Wales from Roman times until very recently) that God created the world, some stuff and changes happened, then He sent His Son, and then some more stuff happened and soon the world will end (for good) would encourage a linear perception.
Also, since Wales was the world’s first industrial nation and the language has been used and has developed in industrial contexts for over 200 years, this will have had an influence on modern Welsh.
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@henddraig That’s interesting, it sounds like people understood their “place in life” by the people they knew, and not just their families, do I understand correctly? So they would have a place within a web (community) rather than on a single thread (direct family). Although come to think of it, maybe that’s true for agricultural societies, regardless of linear or cyclical time perception…
@robbruce So if the Welsh had a cyclical time perception, it would have to be pre-Christian. Have any pre-Christian folk stories survived as far as anyone is aware?
I think most folk had ‘aunties’ like I did, who were no actual relation. but were closer than some blood relations. You can get feuds in families. “I’ll never speak to her again!” Is a sad declaration, too easily kept! In our village brothers feuded. They had flocks in common, but then refused to shear each otheer’s sheep.Poor animals had fleece hanging off and maggot infestation.
As to tales, surely a lot of the Mabinogion is based on very old legend? Sorry, I’m not an expert.z
There’s certainly something to that, although the details of how much & what the original form of the story might have been are very hard indeed to pin down. Mythical figures who do come to mind are Rhiannon (=Rigantona, Great Queen) and Mabon son of Modron (Son, son of Mother).
I definitely got the idea well embedded in my head, that our ancestors had valued and respected women, which made dealing with the Romans problematic to say the least! Back when, before stock breeding, all anyone could be sure of was that females had the babies and the only certainty was who your mother was, so if you wanted to hand something on to the next generation, mother to daughter was the way! Some (Egyptians at one stage??) mated brothers and sisters in the hope that this really was how babies were made and really keeping it in the family, but I guess the disadvantages of that came clear. Even when the mechanism of baby production became generally agreed, the idea of expecting fidelity didn’t, I think, catch on for a while! So, you still traced mother to daughter. But not in many cultures which wanted fierce strong butch rulers. (Difference between Britain and Ireland?) What with recessive genes which can lurk for generations and then pop up, I don’t blame the ancients for being confused! But the male dominant societies had to lock up and subdue their women folk. Our ancestors, or at least some families, did not and, if their Queen was pregnant or otherwise not able to fight, a war leader could be nominated - probably a brother or lover!
But none of that is relevant to time!
Maybe not, but it’s a fascinating read, thank you! And also thank you for mentioning the Mabinogion, will look that up.
And @richardbuck thanks for mentioning Rhiannon and Mabon! I just found a book of Welsh fairy tales, hopefully they will make an appearance.
There’s a good (much shorter than the original but still the 4 main tales in it) version available for learners:
http://www.gwales.com/goto/biblio/en/9780000672933/
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It is good - I got a copy off eBay or AbeBooks or somewhere, because it’s not available new at the moment. I’m not sure that it is that much shorter than the original, although it doesn’t have the things like The Dream of Macsen Wledig or the Arthurian bits that you usually get along with the Four Branches in an English translation. But it’s a lot less Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet yd oed and sef a wnaethynt, cysgu than the original, too - which helps!
In a sgwrs with @johnwilliams_6 today I was trying to say, “The woman who was doing the exam was Catalan.” Between us, and with a little peek at one of @garethrking’s oeuvres, we thought I ought to have said “Oedd y ddynes (a) oedd yn gwneud yr arholiad yn Gatalones.” (The exact form of the word for a Catalan woman wasn’t at issue – it was the structure of the sentence itself that was defeating me.)
- Did we get it right (in the end)?
- Is the ‘a’ essential/desirable/optional/wrong? (I’m going with desirable/optional…)
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Well as far as I know, I think you’re probably right on both counts. 
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Yes!
The relative a is optional, and often not heard - but perfectly OK to put in
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HI, I’m doing Level 1 challenge 12 (North) and wondering about the placing of the adjective and noun…why is it hen dyn, but dyn iffanc ? (Please excuse spelling if necessary!). I was under the impression that the adjective usually comes after the noun, but now I’m wondering if it’s totally optional or if there are any specific rules that define before or after. Diolch
Your impression is correct. Most of the time in Welsh, the adjective follows the noun. There are some exceptions and hen is one of those; it always comes before the noun. I can’t give you a list, and that would probably be counter-productive anyway. Just notice (as you have here) when you hear an adjective actiing oddly and let that guide you.
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Pob, prif and holl are the other main ones that come before. A very few have different meanings dependent on position, of which the commonest is unig, which means only before, but lonely after - Mae unig blentyn yn blentyn unig - an only child is a lonely child.
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A cleverer saying in Welsh, but not always true!
WARNING - the dreaded Google translate is very bad at putting adjectives where they should be! I can’t think of an example off the cuff, but it is true!
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Not only dreaded but dreadful 
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what do pob, prif and holl mean please?
pob = every
prif = main, chief, first (etc)
holl = whole, all
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