Olwen Wood near Lampeter

On Saturday 8 October at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, one of the oldest Arthurian stories ever found in writing returns to its spoken roots. Adverse Camber’s production of Hunting the Giant’s Daughter, based on Culhwch and Olwen from The Mabinogion, created and performed by Michael Harvey (storyteller), Lynne Denman (singer) and Stacey Blythe (musician, composer) is presented in association with The Crick Crack Club. After the performance we’re inviting historians, archeologists and anyone with insights about connections between the story and the Welsh landscape to join us for a post-show chat to inform  ongoing touring plans.

Michael Harvey explains, “It’s always very special for us to tell this story in Wales. Telling it in places described in the story creates a special frisson.  In 2012, we’ll be telling the story along the route of the hunt for the Twrch Trwyth, the great wild boar which Arthur and the people of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire hunt across Wales into Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.  We’re hunting for stories of how this tale connects with landscapes and traditions in Wales and hopefully further afield. We plan to integrate these stories into story walks and performances, to ensure they keep travelling on. This very old story is part of a fascinating living mythology and we’re hoping people can help us uncover more of the story in Aberystwyth.”

One mapping point is the nearby Ystrad Fflur (Strata Florida abbey) where the story of Culhwch and Olwen was first written down. Archeologists from the University of Wales are currently exploring links between the abbey and Mabinogion texts.  The White Book of Rhydderch, one of the source texts for The Mabinogion, is also held at the National Library of Wales, in Aberystwyth.  Various mountains and rivers in South Wales, are named from incidents in the story. Sandstone in the Brecon Beacons has recently been renamed ‘Twrch Stone’ – like the boar which Arthur and people from surrounding countries gathered to hunt. The team plan to create a digital map marking the stories people pass on and encouraging people to share more.

The post-show chat in Aberystwyth will be held in the bar of the arts centre. Whether you’re an archeologist, historian, storyteller, audience member or interested to know more, you’re invited to come along.  For more information contact Adverse Camber at naomi@adversecamber.org or call 0775 352 8919

Hunting the Giant’s Daughter was originally commissioned as ‘Culhwch and Olwen’ by Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival.  The 2012 Route of the Rampage tour is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council Wales and the Night Out scheme.