Yn tien y sev Sordya erbynn an appoyntyans a Palestine Action avel bagas browaghweyth gans stat an RU kesgal.
Y sevyn erbynn hil-ladhans. Y skoodhyn #PalestineAction. Y sevyn onan hag oll warbarth.
Rydhses rag Palestin. Rydhses rag poblow arweskys oll.
The cradle of European civilization. Version 1: the Celts
1-2. Celts in Europe.
Image: QuartierLatin1968, The Ogre, Dbachmann; derivative work Rob984 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Text: Wikimedia
3. Original European alphabet – Ogham.
Image: Runologe (CC BY-SA 4.0)
⚠️ Before you comment. Why Greece is NOT the "cradle of European civilization"
https://mastodon.social/@celtgreeklatin_pr/114598323409599980
#europe #celts #cymraeg #kernewek #brezhoneg #gaelige #gaelg #gàidhlig #gaulois #Kernow #Éire #Breizh #Mannin #Alba #Cymru #dna #genetics
Post Nowydh! https://sordya.net/2025/06/25/a-conversation-with-bernard-deacon-housing-keskows-gans-bernard-deacon-annedhyans/
An nessa rann a'gan kevres keswel le may kewsis Sordya gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon ow tochya y rann yn restra yn Kernow, an dro ma yn kever annedhyans. #Kernewek #Kernowek #Cornish
A Conversation with Bernard Deacon: Housing – Keskows gans Bernard Deacon: Annedhyans
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. If you haven’t read the first part, check it out to hear our discussion on the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) which Bernard helped to run.
Our next section is on a hugely important issue for Kernow: housing.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Mar ny wruss’ta redya an kynsa rann, mir orto dhe glewes agan keskows a lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) may hweresas dhe Bernard gans restra.
Agan tregh nessa a doch mater res porres rag Kernow: annedhyans.
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. If you haven’t read the first part, check it out to hear our discussion on the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) which Bernard helped to run.
Our next section is on a hugely important issue for Kernow: housing. In parts to come we discuss direct action and our strategies within the Cornish liberation and language movements.
A transcription of the audio follows below.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Mar ny wruss’ta redya an kynsa rann, mir orto dhe glewes agan keskows a lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) may hweresas dhe Bernard gans restra.
Agan tregh nessa a doch mater res rag Kernow: annedhyans. Yn rannow a dheu ni a glapp yn kever gwrians didro ha’gan stratejiow y’n movyansow yeth ha rydhheans a Gernow.
Yma treylyans a’n son kevys war-woles.
Part two of our conversation with Bernard Deacon.Sordya Onan: You’ve done a lot of writing about housing and tourism. And I think we’d be interested to know a bit of the trajectory of that over time, because housing and tourism is this thing that we’re still talking about. What’s your knowledge of that over time? And what does that mean for the movement?
Bernard: Well, for me, tourism is a central factor in Cornish colonisation, effectively. I see tourism as the main driver in Cornwall’s subjugation, if you like. And I suppose I came into Cornish activism, partly aware of the overspill stuff. And I share the views that you were saying about earlier, the previous generation saying, “Well, this is the last of Cornwall”, because we also had those views. We were the last of Cornwall. My parents were the last. I was the last generation who actually went to a Methodist chapel and did those traditionally Cornish things. So there was a feeling… there’s always a feeling that you’re the last generation. And, you know, you’ll probably feel it eventually that you’re the last generation.
Sordya Onan: I feel it sometimes now.
Bernard: Yeah, well… Don’t feel it at your age, no, wait for at least a few decades! But you will do. So we were aware of that. So in that sense, I suppose we were seeing the settlement, the counter-urbanisation that began in the 1960s, as a bit of a shock.
It was a cultural shock, to be honest, and it’s not right wing to say that it was a cultural shock.
Suddenly we had middle class English turning up in Cornwall. We kind of explained it through the process of colonial settlement. We’re being colonised effectively. There will be no Cornish left. We’ll all be Anglicised. We were all pretty Anglicised anyway, when you think about it, but we were going to be even more Anglicised.
There will be no… Cornwall will be—and I’ve always argued this anyway—a kind of Surrey by the sea. Gentrification, and that’s exactly what’s happened. So we have got this… I’ve written about lifestruggle Cornwall and lifestyle Cornwall. You’ve got lifestyle Cornwall gradually pushing out Cornwall. So the Cornish are in a kind of ghetto, lots of them, of lifestruggle Cornwall. And current policies, current political control of Cornwall is kind of exacerbating that.
It’s not a question of Cornish versus English because… Somebody wrote something… I’d written on—I don’t use it very much these days, can’t stand it—Twitter, or what used to be Twitter… Somebody said, because I said something about population change, and somebody said something about the council, Cornwall Council, and they said, “Oh, if only there were more Cornish on the council”. And I said, “They are Cornish. Cornwall Council, most councillors are Cornish. They are ethnically Cornish. Why do you think it’s going to be any better?” It’s not. You know, it’s not a question of Cornish or English, it’s where your ideas are.
We used to have a phrase in the ‘70s: it’s not where you’re from, it’s… I forget the second part of it. It came from the Bretons anyway, but it sort of summed it up.
So, you know, if there is going to be Cornish freedom or freedom for the Cornish nation, then the nation’s borders can be porous. But there still has to be some recognition that you need to stop this process of colonialism.
Sordya Dew: Yeah, I think now one of the biggest things that is the gateway for a lot of people into Cornish politics, Cornish activism is housing. I first got involved through ACORN down in Falmouth and Penryn, which is the tenants’ union down there. And I think, a lot of people get involved, because it’s sort of a very visible issue. It’s something that people actually can tangibly feel rather than ideological and rhetorical arguments. It’s something that actually is a big part of people’s lives. Was that still the case back when you were organising? Was that a big, or one of the biggest, reasons that people were getting started out and joining things like MK?
Bernard: No, I don’t think it was. I don’t think housing was then. Because it wasn’t half as bad as it is now. The housing crisis has got progressively worse, which is the irony of it.
You know, huge numbers of houses have been built. Building rate is much higher now than it was back in the ‘70s. And yet we have a bigger housing crisis, which is itself an indictment of “build as many houses as you can and you solve the problem” and it doesn’t solve the problem. All it does is produce profits for mass builders, most of whom are outside Cornwall and make the situation worse, frankly.
So it’s not what you need: a completely restructured housing structure, housing system, you know. Providing houses through the free market, in the Cornish case, at least does not work. This is the classic case.
Now it wasn’t so bad in the ‘70s. Because, I mean, we didn’t have much income, but we were still able to get a mortgage. I was still able to get a mortgage. Well, I didn’t, my partner did. I didn’t have a job, but my partner got a mortgage on her salary as a nurse. And that was soon after we came back to Cornwall. ‘77, I think.
So you could do it, you know, okay, we bought a house that was only a small terrace house in Redruth. I still live in a small terrace house in Redruth, so I haven’t moved on, but not the same house. But we were able to do it. Nowadays, even that is, I would guess, pretty tricky now with the prices of housing.
Sordya Onan: I wonder, thinking about what you did in the ‘70s and getting mortgages and our housing struggle now, one of the biggest things that’s developed from then till now is neoliberalism. And I wondered if you could talk a little, considering what you’ve said, about the material things like housing and then the political changes. I know you’ve got a thing on Cornish and neoliberalism, but I haven’t read it, so I’m wondering if you could tell us about that bridge of developing neoliberalism till now.
Bernard: Well, neoliberalism has just made it worse, because it destroys the role of the state, local or central. And it’s it through things like Right to Buy and, you know, freeing up housing legislation, freeing up planning.
It’s actually made those processes of speculative housing development much worse. So, neoliberalism—which they were already moving towards in the ‘70s anyway, under Labour, that’s when it begins pre-Thatcher—it’s just a kind of mad ideology that’s exacerbated the colonial situation of Cornwall and the difficulty of Cornish people, especially younger Cornish people who didn’t manage to get on that escalating ladder of housing prices, of getting housing, basically.
Sordya Dew: I was just gonna ask, because you mentioned Right to Buy, how badly did that affect local housing here?
Bernard: Withdrawing a lot of council housing, especially in coastal and rural areas, exactly as predicted, what we predicted at the time. And exactly what happened, because what’s happened? People bought their council houses, they then sell them on, or other people can buy them, and then they become second homes in tourist areas. I mean, we’ve got this huge second home problem, which politicians will pay lip service to, but they don’t do anything very much about it. I mean, I’ve got a mate, I wouldn’t say he’s anything like an anarchist, but he’s very much involved in housing issues. And he just goes on all the time about second homes, to the point of utter boredom. Second homes and holiday lets, you know, how roughly about 12 to 15% of the housing stock are just not lived in permanently now.
So his argument is… Housing, you must understand, housing as projected by the media and by the government, by politicians is not about housing, it’s about capital accumulation. That’s what it’s about. And when Labour go on about “build more houses”, they’re just the party of capital accumulation. And in Cornwall, capital accumulation is all about speculative housing sold to incomers, basically. That’s it, that’s the market. And second homes and the tourist industry. And the tourist industry is there at the centre of this web, creating the demand to move to Cornwall, helping to destroy our environment.
And for me, I mean, we knew about global warming, actually, back when we were doing An Weryn. It’s amazing how long that’s taken to catch on. But, to me, the environmental argument also has kind of converged with the with Cornish nationalism, if you like. And I would take a very strong stance now environmentally on on that, you know, because housing in Cornwall is one of our biggest carbon emitters.
Sordya Onan: Ty a wrug meur a skrifa a annedhyans ha tornyaseth. Ha my a dyb y fia dhe les godhvos an towlhyns a henna dres termyn, drefen bos annedhyans ha tornyaseth neppyth mayth eson hwath ow kesklappya. Pyth yw dha wodhvos a henna dres termyn? Ha pyth yw an styr rag an movyans?
Bernard: Wel, en gwreeanath ma viagorieth an kenza elven en colonieth a Gernow. Me wel viagorieth vel praga brossa a worra Kernow dadn an ew, mar menga. Ha therama soppoga der reeg’ve doaz berra gweithrezeth Kernoack, tabm dreath aganvoas vednans. Therama sengy an gwelow der reega whye laul en avar, an heenath kens a laul “Wel, thew hebma an deweth a Gernow”, rag aweth tho an tobianzow’na genan. Tho nye an dewetha a Gernow. Tho kerens ve an dewetha. Tho ve an heenath dewetha d’reeg moaz tha chapel Methodieth ha geel an tacklow Kernoack henco’na. Endella, ma pubprez omglowans vetho whye an heenath dewetha. Ha car drevol whye vedn e omglowas wartewa tel o whye an heenath dewetha.
Sordya Onan: My a’n klew lemmyn.
Bernard: Ea, wel… na rewh e omglowas ort agos oodg, na, gortero nebbaz degvlethan, tha’n liha! Saw, whye vedn. Na whath, nye oya hedna. Etho, e’n sens’na, car drevol them nye tha wellaz an trevesigeth, an gordrevageth, ter reeg dalla et an 1960ow, vel tabm jagg.
Tho va jagg cultural, en weer, ha nag ew a thehow pelha tha laul tel o jagg cultural.
Thesempias, thera nye kwellas Sowzon an class crez a toaz tha Gernow. Tho stirriez genan dreath process an trevesigeth coloniack, en seer, coloniethez a vee nye. Na veth Kernowion gerrez. Nye oll veth Sowznackhez. En weer, tho nye oll por Sowznackhez penag vo, pa rew whye predery dro thotha, saw nye veea whath moy Sowznackhez.
Na veth… Kernow veth—ha pubdeth thew hebma dathla kenkia gennam penag vo—zort a Surrey reb an mor. Gentilieth, ha thew hedna an peth poran a reeg skidnia. Della, ma tha nye… ma screffez gennam dro tha Gernow giz omdowl ha Kernow giz bownas. Ma Kernow giz bownas en siger pockia meaz Kernow. Della, ma’n Kernowion en getto giz omdowl, mear anothans. Ha ma policys an dethiow’ma, rowl bolitiack a Gernow aweth, e weel lacka ha lacka.
Nag ew qwestion Kernowion bedn an Sowzon rag… Nebonen screffaz neppeth… tho screffez gennam—na rama e ewzia mear an dethiow’ma, thew hager—Twitter, po an peth o Twitter… Nebonen lavarraz, drefen me tha laul neppeth dro tha draylians poblans, ha nebonen lavarraz neppeth dro tha’n Cussel, Cussel Kernow, ha’ngye lavarraz “Ah, mar peea moy a Gernowion et an cussel”. Me worrebaz, “Thenz Kernowion. Cussel Kernow, thew brossa radn a gusselorion Kernoack. Thenz Kernoack genegack. Rag fra esta perdery veth e gwell?” Na veth. Whye ore, nag ew qwestion boaz Kernoack po Sowznack, thew pelea igge goz tibianzow.
Thera lavar tha nye et an 70ow: nag ew an lea a resta doaz, thew… Nakevys an nessa rann. E theath athor an deez Breten Vean, penag vo, saw, cot derivas da o.
Della, whye ore, mar peth franketh Kernoack po franketh rag an nacyon Kernoack, nenna emblow an nacyon ell boaz boll. Saw, whath e raze boaz neb adgan dr’ez othom cessia an process’ma a golonialeth.
Sordya Dew: Ea, my a dyb bos lemmyn onan a’n brassa rann hag yw an porth rag meur a dus yn politegieth Kernow, gweythresieth Kernow, yw annedhyans. My a gemeras rann yn kynsa der ACORN yn Aberfal ha Penryn, hag yw unyans an wobrenoryon ena. Ha dell dybav meur a dus a gemmer rann drefen y vos mater pur weladow. Dhe wir yth yw neppyth a yll tus omglewes yn tavadow a-der argyansow ideologyl hag arethek. Yth yw neppyth hag yw dhe wir rann vras a vewnansow tus. O henna hwath an kas pan eses ta ow restra? O henna acheson bras, po onan a’n brassa achesonys, rag tus dhe dhalleth ha junya taklow kepar hag MK?
Bernard: Na rama perdery. Na rama perdery dr’o annethians thanna. Drefen nag o mar throag vel ew lebmen. Ma’n gorothom a dreven devethez tabm ha tabm lacka, hag ew an peth ironack.
Niver hugez a dreven vee derevelez. Thew an gevrath derevel euhella mear lebmen tel era et an 70ow. Ha stella, ma tha nye gorothom annethians brossa, ha thew hedna keyson a’n lavar “gwrew derevel mar leeaz chye der ellowhye hag owna an problem” ha nag igge va owna an problem. Ma oll dr’igge va keel tha waynia moy les rag draffers bilders a vear a dreven, an brossa radn anothans acarr ha geel tha’n cas gwetha, en weer.
Nag ew hedna an peth ew raze tha nye: roath an annethians, composter derevel treven, dasshappiez pedn ha trooz, flam noweth, whye ore. Nag ew da derevel treven dreath an varras ryth, tha’n leha en Kernow. Otubma an cas classick.
Nag o mar throag et an 70ow. Rag, therama menia, nag era mear a vona than, saw tho possibel whath cawaz morgaga. Me olga whath cawaz morgaga. Wel, na reegave, cowethes’ve. Nag era wheal gennam, saw cawaz morgaga reeg a howethes gen e gober hye vel clavjores. Ha tho hedna teken ber ouga doaz trea tha Gernow. ’77, me dib.
Della, whye olga e weel, whye ore, da lower, nye bernaz chy tel o chy vean rew en Redruth. Stella therama tregaz en chy vean rew en Redruth, etho nag ez gwayez aman gennam, buz nag ew an keth chy. Saw nye olga e weel. An dethiow’ma, ken vee hedna, me venga desmiggia, por gales lebmen gen priziow an treven mar euhall.
Sordya Onan: Ow tybi a’n pyth a wrusses y’n ‘70ow, kavos marwostlow ha’gan strif annedhyans lemmyn, onan a’n taklow brassa a dhisplegyas bys y’n eur ma yw nowlivrelieth. My a omwovyn mar kalses kewsel tamm, yn unn gonsidra an pyth a leversys, a-dro dhe daklow materyel kepar hag annedhyans ha’n chanjyow politek. My a wor bos dhis neppyth a Gernewek ha nowlivrelieth, mes ny’n redis, ytho martesen ty a alsa derivas orthyn a-dro dhe nowlivrelieth ow tisplegya bys y’n eur ma.
Bernard: Ea, wel, thew gwrez lacka gen neolibraleth, rag ma’va destria part an stat, a’n costys po’n creaz. Ha dreath tacklow pocarra Right to Buy ha, whye ore, lowsel lahes annethians, lowsel menistrasyon an teer.
En greeanath, e wraze an process’ma a therevel treven aventurus lacka fest. Della, neolibraleth—ha’ngye kenz lebmen gwaya tua va et an ‘70ow, penag vo, en dadn governans Party an Lavur, tho hedna termen reeg e thalla kenz Thatcher—thewa zort a gregans politack frantik der reeg gwethhea an cas coloniack a Gernow ha caletter an bobel Gernoack, en enwedgack pobel Gernoack younka na olga crambla war’n skeal assendia a brisiow treven, tha gawaz treven, antye.
Sordya Dew: My a vynnsa govyn, drefen ty dhe veneges Gwir a Brena, py mar dhrog o an effeyth war annedhyans leel omma?
Bernard: Tedna meaz mear a dreven an cussel, en enwedgack dro tha’n qwartrys reb an moar hag a’n meaz, poran vel reega nye raglaul ort an termen’na. Ha poran an peth reeg skidnia, rag pand’reeg skidnia? Teez a bernaz go threven an cussel, nenna angye go gwerraz, po teez orol go ferna, ha nenna mownz second treven e’n areas touriasack. Meero, ma’n problem hugez second treven gennan, ha dro thotha dr’igge teez politack gweel weez, saw nag igge angye geel terveth mear dro thotha. Ma cothman them, na vengama laul drewa anarkiack, buz mear a leaz gans ev dro tha’n materiow treven. Ha ma’va por droublez dro tha second treven, tha’n point skeethder. Second treven ha treven degoliow gobernez, whye ore, fattel ew dro tha 12 tha 15 a ganz a’gon creen treven gwag lebmen.
Della, thew e genkians… Treven, whye raze onderstondia, treven gen gerriow an mainys ha’n governans, gen politegorion, nag ew dro tha dreven, thew dro tha gorra en bern capital. Thew hedna an peth ewa. Ha pe’ra Lavur clappia dro tha “therevel moy a dreven”, nag enz bez party cressians an capital. Hag en Kernow, thew cressians capital oll adro treven aventurus gwerrez tha deez oncoth, hep mar. Thew hedna an dra, an varras ewa. Ha second treven ha’n diwisians viagorieth. Ha mownz diwisians touristiack ena, ort creaz an gwias’ma, creatia an demond gwaya tha Gernow, gwerrez tha thestria gon kerhidneth.
Ha ragoma, nye oya dro tha dobmans an beaz, en gweer etta, termen nye tha weel An Weryn. Thew marthys pez blethan aban hedna kenz teez orol convethes. Saw, them, ma’n kenkians kerhidneth kezunia gen an – gen nacyonieth Kernoack, mar mednowhye. Ha me venga degemeres stowns por greav lebmen dro tha’n kerhidneth, whye ore, drefen boaz annethians en Kernow wonen gon dillorion carbon an brossa.
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#70ow #70s #annedhyans #BernardDeacon #Cornish #Cornwall #history #housing #interview #istori #Kernewek #Kernow #Kernowek #Keswel #Sordya
This is not the first time I notice the question "Who were the Celts?"
Sorry, but why WERE? The Celts are alive and they are not going to leave this planet. 😁
Image: SKIBLY101 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
#cymraeg #kernewek #brezhoneg #gaelige #gaelg #gàidhlig #Kernow #Éire #Breizh #Mannin #Alba #Cymru
Mylor councillor caught in anti-Semitic rant at Truro ‘Great British Strike’ – Konseler Melor kechys yn predhek gorth-Semytek orth ‘Great British Strike’ Truru
Mylor Councillor Peter Lawrence was caught on film delivering an anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying rant at the far-right Great British Strike in Truro on 24th May. He represents the British Democrats on Mylor Council after he took the seat unopposed earlier this year.
Kechys veu Peter Lawrence, Konseler Melor, war fylm ow ri predhek gorth-Semytek ow nagha’n Loskaberth orth an Great British Strike gordhyghow yn Truru an 24a Me. Ev a ganasedh Demokrats Vretennek yn Konsel Melor wosa kemeres an se dienebys a-varra hevlena.
Mylor Councillor Peter Lawrence was caught on film delivering an anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying rant at the far-right Great British Strike in Truro on 24th May. He represents the British Democrats on Mylor Council after he took the seat unopposed earlier this year.
Video footage shows Lawrence answering “technically no” when asked whether antisemitism exists. It then captures him saying: “World Jewry declared war on Germany in the Second World War. They were bankrupting them from the Treaty of Versailles, they were blockading the food and everything. They were starving them. The Jews, who are communist, were responsible for a lot of problems in the Weimar Republic, were frustrating the efforts of the restoration of the German people to have self-determination…Hitler didn’t have a beef with the Jews. He just didn’t want them to disrupt what was going on.”
When asked whether “Hitler was right to kill so many Jews”, he replied: “From what I’ve read and the revisionist historians I have read, I cannot find a single order from Adolf Hitler calling for the execution of the Jews”.
Lawrence was then asked whether he believed in the Holocaust. He replied: “The Holocaust has been massively overexaggerated”. While Lawrence himself represents the British Democrats, the crowd was chanting “Reform UK” just moments before.
An unannounced counter demo, co-ordinated by Cornwall Resists, faced off against the far-right for several hours, standing their ground and outlasting the fascist presence in Truro, whilst doing successful outreach with shoppers out in Truro.
The Great British Strike, meanwhile, did nothing other than shout at counter protesters. They didn’t have any placards, any leaflets, they didn’t make any speeches and they didn’t march. Other than draping themselves in Union Jacks, no-one in Truro would have known why they were there.
A spokesperson for Cornwall Resists said: “The mask is off. This is the true face of Reform supporters. This is the ugly and dangerous racist hatred that was on display in Truro today. No-one in the crowd challenged or disagreed with Lawrence’s antisemitism. It was truly sickening and it was particularly sickening for the Jewish members of our group.
“This is fascism on our streets. The Great British Strike has tried to co-opt the language of working class solidarity for a racist, far-right agenda. We stand with refugees and migrants. We stand with the working class. We recognise that Cornwall is broken. But we know that it is wealthy second home owners, treating our home as their playground, that is causing our housing crisis. We know that Britain is broken. But we know that this is the fault of successive governments imposing savage austerity cuts and attacks on the most vulnerable people in society while the rich just get richer.
“We will not allow the devastating mess our country is in to be co-opted by hatred. We will hold the government to account for its actions. We will stand with our unions, in genuine strikes and working class solidarity.
“Each and every time fascists mobilise on our streets, we will be there resisting them. Cornwall is antifascist!”
Kechys veu Peter Lawrence, Konseler Melor, war fylm ow ri predhek gorth-Semytek ow nagha’n Loskaberth orth an Great British Strike gordhyghow yn Truru an 24a Me. Ev a ganasedh Demokrats Vretennek yn Konsel Melor wosa kemeres an se dienebys a-varra hevlena.
Gwydhyow a dhiskwedh Lawrence ow korthebi “na, yn teknegel” pan veu govynnys mars eus gorthsemytegieth. Ena kechys yw ev ow leverel: “Yedhowri an bys a dheklaryas bell war Almayn yn Nessa Bresel an Bys. Yth esens i orth aga bankskwattya a Gevambos Versailles, ow korheas an boos ha puptra. Yth esens i orth aga famya. An Yedhewon, hag yw kemynegoryon, yw charjys rag lies kudyn yn Repoblek Weimar, ow spralla assays dasserghyans an Almanyon rag omdhetermyans… Ny veu dhe Hitler kudyn gans an Yewdhewon. Mes ny vynnas ev i dhe woderri an pyth a hwarva.”
Pan veu govynnys mars o “Hitler ewn dhe ladha kemmys a Yedhewon”, ev a worthebis: “A’n pyth re redis hag a’n istorioryon daskwelek re redis, ny allav trovya gorhemmyn vyth a Adolf Hitler ow tervyn eksekutyans an Yedhewon”.
Y hwovynnas orth Lawrence mar kwra ev krysi y’n Loskaberth. Yn-medh ev: “An Losakaberth re beu worliwys yn feur dres eghen.” Kyn hwra Lawrence y honan kanasedhi an Dhemokrats Vretennek, yth esa an routh ow keurgana “Reform UK” polsow kyns.
Gorthfrotest andheklarys, kesordenys gans Kernow a Worthsev, a enebis an wordhyghow nebes ourys, ow sevel a’ga sav ha durya pella ages presens an faskoryon yn Truru, hag ynwedh gul ystynnans sewen gans prenassoryon yn Truru.
Byttegyns, ny wrug an Great British Strike tra vyth marnas garma orth gorthfrotestoryon. Nyns esa dhedha plakardys vyth, folenigow vyth, ny wrussons i arethow ha ny wrussons keskerdhes. A-der omvaylya yn Baneryow an Unyans, ny wodhvia nagonan yn Truro prag yth esens i ena.
Yn-medh leveryas a-barth Kernow a Worthsev: “Diwiskys yw an mask. Hemm yw an enep gwir a skoodhyoryon Reform. Hemm yw an kas hilgasek hager ha peryllus hag esa diskwedhys yn Truru hedhyw. Ny wrug nagonan y’n rought chalenjya po disakordya gans gorthsemytegieth Lawrence. Divlas yn hwir o ha divlas dres oll rag eseli Yewdhowek agan bagas.
“Hemm yw faskorieth y’gan stretys. An Great British Strike re assayas kibya an yeth a unveredh an renkas-oberi rag ajenda hilgasek gordhyghow. Ni a sev gans foesigyon ha divroegyon. Ni a sev gans an renkas-oberi. Ni a aswon bos Kernow terrys. Mes ni a wor bos perghenoryon wolusek kenkidh, ow tyghtya agan tre avel aga garth-gwari, yw skila agan barras annedhyans. Ni a wor bos Breten Veur terrys. Mes ni a wor y vos an fowt a wovernansow ow beghya tus an moyha goliadow y’n gemeneth gans omsettyansow ha treghow dibalster hag an wolusogyon ow kolusekhe.
“Ny wren ni gasa an strol distruwus mayth usi agan pow ynno dhe vos kibyes gans kas. Ni a wra gelwel an governans dhe ri akont rag y wriansow. Ni a wra sevel gans agan unyansow, yn astelyow ober gwir hag unveredh an renkas-oberi.
“Pupprys may hwra faskoryon kuntel lu war agan stretys, ni a vydh ena ow korthsevel. Kernow yw gorthfaskor!”
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#antiSemitism #BritishDemocrats #Cornish #Cornwall #CornwallResists #fascism #faskorieth #gorthSemytegieth #GreatBritishStrike #Kernewek #Kernow #KernowAWorthsev #Kernowek #Nazieth #Nazism #PeterLawrence #Reform #Sordya
Post Nowydh! https://sordya.net/2025/05/14/a-conversation-with-bernard-deacon-an-weryn-keskows-gans-bernard-deacon-an-weryn/
Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon ow tochya direwl yn kernow hag An Weryn, lyver termyn gwreydhyek a Gernow restras gans Bernard hag erel y'n 70ow diwedhes/80ow a-varr. Hemm yw kevres, ytho gwaytyewgh moy! #Kernewek #Cornish
A Conversation with Bernard Deacon: An Weryn – Keskows gans Bernard Deacon: An Weryn
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. Bernard is known in Cornish circles for his contributions to Cornish Studies, the language and nationalist politics. Our discussion will be presented as a short series due to its length. Our first section covers the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) which Bernard helped to run.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Aswonys yw Bernard yn kylghyow Kernewek rag y gevrohow orth Studhya Kernewek, an yeth ha politegieth kenedhlogek. Agan keskows a vydh dyllys avel kevres berr drefen hirder. Agan tregh kynsa a doch lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) may hweresas dhe Bernard gans restra.
Several months ago, two folk from Sordya sat down with academic and Cornish activist Bernard Deacon. Bernard is known in Cornish circles for his contributions to Cornish Studies, the Cornish language and nationalist politics. In our discussion, however, we focused on the late 1970s when Bernard was in his 20s. Much like today, this was a time when younger voices were pushing the Cornish Movement towards radical politics.
Our discussion will be presented as a short series due to its length. Our first section covers the Cornish leftist magazine An Weryn (The People) which Bernard helped to run and which we also include an edition of below. In parts to come we discuss housing, direct action and reflect on our strategies within the Cornish liberation and language movements.
Like our previous audio project, this conversation is part of the consciousness raising work Sordya can give the Cornish struggle. Independent leftist publication within Kernow is nothing new, nor are anarchists and collective action. We hope you find these insights into the history of our struggle educational and inspiring.
A transcription of the audio follows below the PDF.
Nans yw misyow, dew dhen a Sordya a gewsis gans akademek ha gweythreser a Gernow Bernard Deacon. Aswonys yw Bernard yn kylghyow Kernewek rag y gevrohow orth Studhyansow Kernewek, an yeth ha politegieth kenedhlogek. Y’gan keskows, byttegyns, ni a fogellas war an 1970s diwedhes pan o Bernard yn y 20ow. Kepar ha hedhyw, hemm o oos pan esa levow yowynka owth herdhya Movyans Kernow war-tu ha politegieth gwreydhyek.
Agan keskows a vydh dyllys avel kevres berr drefen y hirder. Agan tregh kynsa a doch lyver termyn a Gernow An Weryn (An Werin) may hweresas dhe Bernard gans restra ha may ma dyllans anodho yssynsys war-woles. Yn rannow a dheu ni a glapp yn kever annedhyans, gwrians didro ha prederi a’gan stratejiow y’n movyansow yeth ha rydhheans a Gernow.
Keffrys ha’gan ragdres son kyns, an keskows ma yw rann an ober drehevel warder may hyll Sordya y ri dhe strif Kernow. Nyns yw dyllo anserghek a gledh neppyth nowydh yn Kernow, na direwlysi na gwrians kuntellek. Ni a wayt y hwelir an manylyon ma a istori agan strif avel adhyskansek hag awenek.
Yma treylyans a’n son kevys yn-dann an PDF.
Part one of a conversation between Sordya and Bernard Deacon. An Weryn No.17DownloadSordya Onan: We were wondering if you could tell us about An Weryn. Firstly, what does “An Weryn” mean?
Bernard: Well, An Weryn means, I mean, it’s stolen from the Welsh, basically. ‘Gwerin’ means the people, basically. They still have them, don’t they? Cornish language get-togethers, Yeth an Werins.
Sordya Onan: Yeth an Werin.
Bernard: Which again is nicked from the Welsh. And Yeth an Werins began in the 1970s. I came back to Cornwall after a few years in London… in ‘76. I came back fired up by Breton, Welsh and Scottish nationalism, basically, in London. I joined MK in London and thought… well, I was a bit dubious about it, anyway, then. I came back to Cornwall and I was kind of looking for similar people. I remember contacting James Wetter. He ran the CNP. He was in MK before. He fell out with Len Truran, basically, in the 1970s.
And then I met James in a pub in Fowey. And he was very conspiratorial. I thought, “No, this isn’t… this isn’t much.” Then I met some people of my age at the time, in their 20s. And they were, at that time, heavily engaged in MK. So that brought me into MK. And we just started the magazine then, basically, I started the magazine. And there was just about half a dozen of us that broadly shared the same views that MK wasn’t socialist enough, effectively, I mean libertarian socialist.
I mean, you know, I say “a group with anarchist ideas”. Now, I was the only anarchist in it, but that’s why we called ourselves libertarian socialists, because they were a bit worried about the term ‘anarchist’!
And so that’s how it arose. I think we produced the first one—very, very amateurish when I look at it now, I haven’t looked at it for years until recently, very amateurish—must be about ‘78-ish, I think, when we did the first one. And it only lasted just about four years. And then sort of fizzled out in the early ‘80s.
I think it was partly a continuation of being involved in student newspapers. And, partly, it was kind of influenced, I suppose, by the whole ‘60s zeitgeist and the playfulness of Yippies and that kind of stuff. And that fed into it. So, I was producing fake news, effectively, in there just to rile people up. And it was just to stir up MK. And, you know, in parallel with it, we did engage in MK and try to push them for somewhat more radical policies.
I mean, MK in those days was quite… even the mainstream was, actually looking back at it, pretty radical. There was a guy called Michael Payne-Jago, he was parliamentary candidate in Southeast Cornwall in the mid ‘70s, and he was full out calling out for independence for Cornwall, which no-one would dare do now. He wasn’t left wing, particularly, he was a businessman, but he was very outspoken in his comments.
So there were people like that around. But there was also a lot of the old guard then—this is about five generations ago to you lot—who were quite what I would call sovereigntist in their views. They were constitutionalist in a British constitution way, very suspicious of what we were doing. So there was a big age gap between the people who were then about 50s-60s plus, who had been in MK when it flourished in the 1960s, and looked a bit askance at us, because we were all pretty similar backgrounds. We grew up in Cornwall, gone to university away, then come back, you know, deliberately came back as a kind of as a lifestyle choice. And I was teaching in London, I gave up teaching to come back to Cornwall. l basically gave up my career to be involved in the struggle, as it were.
Sordya Onan: So familiar!
Sordya Dew: It sounds very familiar in weird ways.
Bernard: Of course, I got back and found that there were—probably the same with you—several times when I thought “Has this been the right decision?” Because where is this struggle? That was the problem. But maybe it’s more obvious now. I don’t know.
Sordya Onan: What can you tell us about the political climate in Britain in the 1970s when you came back to Cornwall?
Bernard: Yeah, I mean, looking back at it, it seems really optimistic now, you know, with politics as they are now. Because there was a genuine feeling in the Celtic areas of Europe, that things were changing. And we were very inspired. We used to regularly go to Wales, Brittany in particular, not so much Scotland just because it was further away. But things were optimistic, things were moving in Cornwall, as well. You know, there were new ideas around. And we were part of those new ideas, I suppose.
So yeah, maybe it was just being young, but you look back on it from now, 50 years on, and I’m thinking, “Yeah, those were the optimistic times.” And then it kind of faded away afterwards, because there were new ideas in terms of general interest in leftist radical politics. And I think that was all inspired by the, you know, late ‘60s, early ‘70s student activism as well, which fed back in even into Cornwall.
But the interesting thing is it combined with the—what should I call it—Cornish patriotism that emerged in the ‘60s over overspill. That was the factor that triggered off Cornish nationalism, I think, overspill, which of course, could be used in a very populist rightwing way—and was by some people—or it could be turned into a sort of anti-colonialist struggle, which is what we were trying to do. We were saying that Cornwall’s a colony, we’ve been colonised. That was a simplistic, but, nevertheless, useful and simple analysis that people could grab on to.
Sordya Onan: I’d be interested to know, then, about your meetings with other people, like the Breton and Welsh, and how that informed what you did at home? What was it like meeting those people?
Bernard: Yeah, it was quite interesting, because the Welsh, and, of course, the Irish struggle, was in full flight at the time. The context is very different now. People were toying with direct action in those days. I mean direct action, as well. And even we talked about it in Cornwall, you know. There was a guy—I won’t mention his name, but he’s now a very responsible fella—who said “All we need is one bomb in a shop in Penzance in the middle of summer and that would shake the bastards up.” And he really believed that, you know.
Then there was another guy—who’s still around, he’s now retired, as are we all—and he was another one who was all the time talking about doing things like that, you know. And we did do a few things like that. Because our contacts in Wales were the Welsh Socialist Republicans at the time; I don’t know if they still exist now. They were pretty radical. And in Brittany, it was the UDB, it was more organisational. The UDB were drifting, though, into Stalinism at that time. So I kind of moved away from that, because I was spending my time in Cornwall, fighting the Trots and the Stalinists. So that wasn’t really on.
But we got different influences. You know, the influences in Brittany were more cultural, the influences in Wales were more political and we were in contact with people in the Irish Republican movement and that was obviously political, both in the Provos and the official IRA at the time, Sinn Féin.
Sordya Dew: One thing that did spring to mind, you talked about how there was the potential—and, fortunately, it didn’t really catch on—for some of the issues to be hijacked by rightwing populists. So, something that I’ve seen emerging, particularly within people I know, is abandoning the term ‘nationalism’ in favour of ‘autonomism’. The English nationalists have ruined the term for pretty much everyone, as have others.
I mean, it’s purely an aesthetic label, really. It means the same thing, but it’s a different word. But do you think that’s going to be potentially too confusing for new people? Because ‘autonomism’ is not really something that’s clearly defined, whereas ‘nationalism’ immediately conjures up a lot of images. But the issue some people have been finding is when you talk to someone new to the movement about Cornish nationalism, alarm bells go off. They often think, “Oh, that sounds like it could be quite right wing” when actually, from experience, it rarely is.
Bernard: Yeah, we had exactly the same debates in the 1970s about the terminology to use. And that’s why we pushed… if you look at An Weryn, you’ll find that we use the word ‘autonomist’ all the time, and not ‘nationalism’. We did avoid ‘nationalism’ for exactly the same reasons at the time, so nothing new about that.
I think I’ve mellowed towards nationalism or towards the word ‘nationalism’ over the decades since. And I’m not so worried about it now. I mean, the thing is to grab this word and, you know, recapture it basically. And there’s nothing wrong with nationalism. The thing is, do you think there’s a Cornish nation? If you do, you’re a nationalist.
Sordya Onan: Can I ask you then, when you’re writing An Weryn and you’re using these terms, what was it that you actually were imagining for Cornwall at that time?
Bernard: Ultimately, I was imagining Cornwall to be in control of its own future, which meant political devolution and then independence. So in that sense, I was a nationalist.
But then that was within the context of a general kind of devolution to community levels and, well, as far as you can go, you know, basically an anarchic society, which is the visionary dream. And it’s working towards that. So it’s really devolution to its fullest extent.
So I’d say that that was it. And that fitted with even rightwing nationalists, you know, because they also believed in devolution. Where you had to struggle with them was over the kinds of policies that went with that, and the ways of getting there as well.
Sordya Onan: It might be helpful to ask, then, what is your understanding of anarchism and Cornish anarchism?
Bernard: Yeah, well, I didn’t have any understanding of Cornish anarchism. Anarchism, there were anarchists in Cornwall before our generation. In fact, they were in Redruth. There was a guy called Dennis Gould, who produced a magazine called One and All for a few years in the late ‘60s, I think. I wasn’t in Cornwall then. But he wasn’t Cornish.
The anarchists then were kind of regarded as exotic outsiders, who just turned up. He ran a cafe for a bit, which failed miserably, as they all do. And, yeah, he’d gone. Just as I came back, he went. So, that kind of stream of anarchism went.
Cornish anarchism itself, I don’t think there is a tradition. I’ve not come across previous people I’d define as anarchist, particularly in Cornwall. So, the nearest would be libertarians within Cornish nationalism, basically. I never found any problem with broadly adopting anarchist ideas and the Cornish movement, particularly. I found more problem with… There was an upsurge of sort of Trotskyists, what became Militant, which now is the Socialist Party. They were quite active around Camborne and Redruth in the ‘70s. And we used to spend a lot of time in fruitless arguments with them.
Sordya Dew: Yeah, I know that feeling.
Bernard: Yeah, see, even now we’ve got that.
Sordya Dew: I imagine it’s probably the same ones, if we’re being honest.
Bernard: I wouldn’t have thought so, think most of them would be dead by now(!)
Read part two of the interview with Bernard where we discuss housing and tourism.
Sordya Onan: Yth esen owth omwovyn mar kalses derivas ow tochya An Weryn. Kynsa, pyth yw styr “An Weryn”?
Bernard: Ma’n Weryn a menia, en certan, thew ledrez athor an Kembrack. Ma gwerin pocarra an bobel. Whath pelha, mownz ago havaz whath, na ronz? Cunteliow et Kernoack, Yeth an Werins.
Sordya Onan: Yeth an Werin.
Bernard: Arta, thew ledrez thor an Kembrion. Ha’n Yeth an Werins thallathaz et an 1970ow. Me theath trea tha Gernow en ’76, ouga nebbaz blethan en Loundrez. Enflamiez o’ve gen nacyoneth Breten, Kembrack, Albanack en Loundrez. Me junniaz gen MK en Loundrez ha perdery … thera tabm dowt them, byttegens, e’n eur’na. Me theath trea tha Gernow ha whelaz teez haval. Ma co them tochia gen James Whetter. E rowliaz an CNP. Kenz esel MK o’va. E gothaz ameaz gen Len Truran por devri, et an 1970ow.
Ha metia gen James en tavern tha Fowey. Thera ev consilia re, tha’m brez’ve. Me brederaz, “Na, nag ew hebma por tha”. Nenna me vetiaz gen teez an blooth’ve urt an termen, et ago 20ow. Ha tho’ngy, en termen’na, kelmez en town tha MK. Della hedda reeg dry ve abera tha MK.. Ha poran nenna, tho dallethez gena nye an lever-termen, tho ve der reeg dalla an lever-temen. Ha thera dro tha whe’ ahanan d’reeg sengy an keth tibianzow nag o MK sosialyth lower, thew sosialyth frankethian lower.
Me lavar, why ore, “bagaz gen tibianzow anarkist”. Tho ve an idn anarkist mesk angye, buz tho hedna an praga der reeganye gun desscriffia vel sosialythorian frankethian, rag tho an rerol tabm troublez gen an ger ‘anarkist’!
Tho hedna fatel reegava saval. Me bredar d’reeganye dry meaz an kensa–por, por amaturack perama meeraz orto lebmen, nag o meerez genam termen heer tereba athewethez–raze boaz dro tha vlethan ’78, me dib, termen nye the weel an kensa. Ha na reegava dirria saw pager blethan. Ha dewetha carr reegava et an 80ow avar.
Me bredar tel’o pegianz a’m mellianz’ve en paperow newothow stuthorion war an eil. Ha tha’n gila, enspiriez ve’ma gen zeitgeist-oll an 60ow han gweel gez an Yippies ha zort a dra’na. Thera oll an rima maga berra thotha. Della, otoma ve screffa newothow foulz, tha brovokia teez. Ha tho point broaz tha sordia MK. Ha, whye ore, ganz ev, nye reeg kelmy gen MK hag assaya tha’go herthia rag tua policys tabm moy radical.
Therama menia, e’n dethiow’na, tho MK … whath mear an fros mear, saw en weer meeraz orto … radical fest. Thera dean creiez Michael Payne-Jago, tho’va ombrofyer rag an seneth Westminster en Kernow sooth-est en 70ow creas, ha tho’va tubm ha demondia franketh rag Kernow, neppeth na venga denveth betha tha weel lebmen. Nag o’va a’n tu war thelhar cleth, en enwegack, tho’va dean negys, saw por greav e vrez.
Della, thera teez carra hedna adro. Buz aweeth thera mear an gwithias coth en termen’na – thew hebma dro tha pemp heenath deracta whye – dr’o sovranieth por tha gungans. Tho’ngye scothorion an corf laha en sens an corf laha Breten Vear, lean a thowt a’n peth era nye a keel. Della thera adga heenath treeth an deez dr’o en dethiow’na dro tha 50-60 ha moy, an gye vee eseli MK pereeg e sowena et an 1960ow, ha meeraz tha dernewan ortonye rag tho nye gen megianz por haval. Tho teviez gena nye en Kernow, moaz carr tha universita, ouga nenna doaz trea, doaz trea a borpos vel dewis maner a vownaz. Ha thera’ve tesky en Loundrez, buz towlez hedna aman tha thoaz trea tha Gernow. Renownsia neb gawl tha junnia gen an omdowl, car dro’va.
Sordya Onan: Mar aswonys!
Sordya Dew: Y hevel pur aswonys yn fordh goynt.
Bernard: Heb wow, me thewelaz ha trouvia boaz – heb dowt an keth tra gena whye – par termen a berderaz ve “vee hebma an dewis compes?” Rag, pelea’ma’n omdowl’ma? Tho hedna an problem. Saw metessen thew moy apert lebmen. Na orama.
Sordya Onan: Pyth a yll’ta leverel dhyn a-dro dhe’n hin bolitek yn Breten Veur y’n 1970s pan dhehwelsys dhe Gernow?
Bernard: Ea, moth erama meeraz worthelerh orto lebmen, car drevol por optimistack, ha politegieth pocarr enz lebmen. Rag thera omglowans gweer e’n powyow Celtack a Europ, tel era tacklow a traylia. Ha tho nye por enspiriez. Teez a vetha a voaz tha Gembra gen composter, Breten Vean en enwedgack, kebmys a dermen tha Alban drefen e voaz pelha. Saw tho tacklow lean a wovenack, thera tacklow gwaya en Kernow aweth. Whye ore, thera tibianzow noweth adro. Ha thon nye radn an tibianzow noweth’na, me a soppoga.
Della, ea, metessen tho bez boaz younk, saw meeraz orto alebma, hanter cansvlethan moy, ha therama predery, ea, tho an rima an termeniow gen tan. Hag ouge nenna e wethraz, rag thera tibianzow noweth moy les kemyn dro tha poletegieth radical a gleth. Tho hedna oll enspiriez gen gweithreseth an stuthorion et an 60ow holerh, 70ow avar, whye ore, der reeg gorreby bera tha Gernow ken vee.
Saw an peth a les ew ev tha gezunia gen – pandra goth them e greia – gwlazcarenga Gernowak der reeg dalla cressia et an degvlethan 60ow, dro tha vednanz. Tho hedna an elven d’reeg dalla nacyonaleth Kernoack, therama tyby – vednanz, dr’olga boaz ewsiez en maner por populyst a’n dehow pelha, heb mar – hag e vee gen nebbaz – po traylia berra zort a omdowl bedn colonialeth, an peth era nye treea tha weel. Thera nye laul ter vee Kernow colonez. Tho nye colony. Tho hedna re sempel, metessen buz, bettegenz, examinianz vaz dr’olga teez sengy orto.
Sordya Onan: Y fia dhe les dhymm, ytho, godhvos a-dro dhe’th kuntellesow gans tus erel, kepar ha’n Vretonyon ha Kembryon, ha fatel gedhlas henna an pyth a wres tre? Fatel o metya’n dus na?
Bernard: Ea, tho mear a les, rag thera an omdowl Kembrack ha, heb mar, an omdowl Worthenack assendia en euhall an termen’na. Thew an settianz por thihaval a’n dethiow’ma. Thera teez a kwary gen gweithres own an dethiow’na. Therama menia gweithres own aweth. Ha ken vee en Kernow tho’va complez terwithiow. Thera dean – na rama compla e hanow, rag lebmen thewa pollat por worthy hag ev tha laul ‘Idn tanbellan berra shoppa en Penzans ha’n horssens venga diveena’. E gredgaz hedna, why ore.
Ha thera keen gwas, neb ez adro whath, aneilez lebmen, carra nye oll – ha tho’va keen d’rera oll an termen clappia dro tha weel tacklow pocarra hedna. Saw na reegonye besca. Kena th’o gon kevrednow en Kembra ort an termen an Poblegethorion Kembrack Socyalieth. Nag oma seer moth egy an gye bewa whath, metessen gellez marow. Tho’ngye por radical. Hag en Breten Vean thera an UDB, e vee moy ornez. Ke thera an UDB a kwaya tua Stalinieth ort an termen’na. Della, me wayaz carr athor hedna, rag en Kernow thera ve spenga a thermen’ve omthal gen Trotskiorion ha Stalinorion. Della nag o hedna terveth da.
Saw, nye reeg cawaz effects diffranz. Whye ore, tho an effects athor Breten Vean moy cultural, tho an re a Gembra moy politiack ha theren nye keztalkia gen teez et an gwayans Poblegethack Worthenack ha tho’ngye politiack, por thiblans, tha’n thow, Provos ha’n Sinn Fein officyal e’n termen’na.
Sordya Dew: Unn dra a lammas dhe’m brys, ty a gewsis a fatel o an possybyl—y’n gwella prys, ny wrug seweni—rag nebes a’n maters dhe vos argibys gans poblydhegoryon askel dhyghow. Ytho, neppyth a wrug vy gweles ow talleth, specyli gans tus a aswonav, yw hepkor an term ‘kenedhlegieth’ a-barth ‘omrewlieth’. Kenedhlogoryon Pow Sows a shyndyas an term rag pubonan moy po le, dell wrug tus erel.
Jevodi, nyns yw marnas label esthetek, yn hwir. Y styr an kethsam tra, mes yth ywger dyffrans. Mes a dybydh y fydh henna martesen re gemyskus rag tus nowydh? Drefen nag yw ‘omrewlieth’ neppyth hag yw styrys yn kler, ha byttegyns hware y konjur ‘kenedhlegieth’ meur a imajys. Mes an mater re beu merkys gans nebes pobel yw pan wrer kewsel gans nebonan heb godhvos a’n movyans a-dro dhe genedhlegieth Kernow, y sen klegh alarm. Yn fenowgh i a dyb “Ogh, yth hevel bos tamm a’n askel dhyghow” pan yw henna, a’m prevyans, tanow.
Bernard: Ea, tho an kethsam dalvaow gena nye dro tha’n erva tha ewzia et an degvlethan 70ow. Ha tho hedna rag fra nye tha boksa … mar rew whye meeraz ort An Weryn, why vedn trouvia an ger ‘autonomist’ oll an termen, nag ez nacyonaleth enna mear. Nye reeg voydia ‘nationalism’ awos hedna an termen’na, etho, terveth noweth dro tha hedna.
Me bredar me tha thoaz moy looan lebmen gen an ger ‘nacyoneth’ dreath an degvlethadniow. Ha nag oma mar troublez gans ev lebmen. Thew an dra tha senge an ger’ma hag e thaskemerez. Ha nag ew terveth cabm dro tha nacyonaleth. Ot an dra, rew whye predery dr’ew nacyon Kernuak? Mar rew whye, tho whye nationalyst.
Sordya Onan: A allav govyn ytho, pan skrifsys An Weryn hag usya an termys ma, pyth o mayth eses ta orth y dhismygi rag Kernow y’n pols na?
Bernard: War an dewa, thera ve desevos dro tha Gernow a rowlia e dermen igge toaz, ter reeg stirria digresednanz politiack ha nenna franketh. Della, en sens’na, tho’ve nationalyst.
Saw arta, tho hedna berra th’an settianz a zort a thigresednanz kemyn tha’n levol an gemeneth ha, wel, mar pell dr’olga whye moaz, en seer, whye ore, cowethianz anarkyst dr’ew an hendrez. Ha ma lavuria tua hedna. Della, en weer digresednanz tha’n kehega.
Etho, me venga laul dr’o hebma an peth. Ha ken vee hedna da lower gen nacyonalysts an tu dehow, terwithiow, drefen an gye tha gregy.ort thigresednanz aweth. An telhar omthal gungans veea zort a policys th’attaynya hedna, ha’n vorthow doaz ena aweth.
Sordya Onan: Martesen dhe les via ynwedh govyn, pyth yw dha gonvedhes a dhirewl ha direwl a Gernow?
Bernard: Wel, nag era onderstondianz anarketh Kernoack veth them. Anarketh, thera anarkistion en Kernow kenz gon heenath nye. En gweer, thera angye en Resruth, Thera dean creiez Dennis Gould, ter reeg dyllo lever-termen One and All derez nebbaz blethan et an 60ow holerh, me dib. Nag eren ve en Kernow an dethiow’na. Saw, nag ova Kernow.
An anarkistion e’n dethiow’na vee gwellez vel teez oncoth exotack, devethianzow alerh. Thera chy coffy gans ev rag teken, d’reeg fellel en trueth, carra brossa radn an rerol. Ha tho gellez ganz ev. Ha ve just toaz trea, e geath. Della, an zort’na a anarketh eath meaz a wel.
Anarketh Kernoack, na rama perdery dr’ew henco. Nag ez mettiez gennam kenz nebonen ter olgama desscrifa vel anarkyst, en Kernow e hunnen. Della, an nessa veea frankethorion agy tha’n nationaleth Kernoack, tha weer. Na reegave besca doaz bedn problemow cawaz tibianzow anarketh ha’n gwaians Kernoack, en enwedgack me drouviaz moy problemow gen … Tho derevianz a’n zort a Drotskiorion, d’reeg traylia tha Militant, ha thew lebmen an Party Sosialeth. Tho an gye bewack lower dro tha Gamborn ha Redruth et an 1970ow. Ha nye ewsiaz tha spenga re a dermen argia gungans ha na dalvee terveth.
Sordya Dew: My a wor an omglewans.
Bernard: Ea, meero, whath lebmen ez hedna gena nye.
Sordya Dew: My a breder dres lycklod yth yw an keth tus, mars on ni onest.
Bernard: Na vengama perdery endella, brossa radn veea gellez marow kenz lebmen(!)
Red rann dhew a’n keswel gans Bernard le may tochyn annedhyans ha tornyaseth.
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#70ow #70s #AnWeryn #anarchism #BernardDeacon #Cornish #Cornwall #direwl #history #interview #istori #Kernewek #Kernow #Kernowek #Keswel #Sordya
Post Nowydh! https://sordya.net/2025/04/27/dykes-for-trans-rights-tomennow-a-barth-gwiryow-treus/
Dy’Lun Pask a welas protest restrys yn Aberfal erbynn rewlyans a-dhiwedhes kwirgasek a’n Lys Worughel ow tilea gwiryow treus. Yn hweg ni re beu proviys gans kopi a onan a’n arethow gwrys orth an protest meurgerys yn ta.
Dykes for Trans Rights – Tomennow a-barth Gwiryow Treus
Easter Monday saw an emergency protest organised in Aberfal/Falmouth against the recent disgusting transphobic and queerphobic Supreme Court ruling removing trans rights. We have kindly been provided with a copy of one of the excellent speeches made at the very well-attended protest, which we reproduce for you here.
Dy’Lun Pask a welas protest goredhommek restrys yn Aberfal erbynn rewlyans treuskasek ha kwirgasek a-dhiwedhes a’n Lys Worughel ow tilea gwiryow treus. Yn hweg dhyn y fey danvenys kopi a onan a’n arethow marthys gwrys orth an protest meur y attendyans, ha ni a wra hy dasaskorra ragowgh hwi oll omma.
Easter Monday saw an emergency protest organised in Aberfal/Falmouth against the recent disgusting transphobic and queerphobic Supreme Court ruling removing trans rights. We have kindly been provided with a copy of one of the excellent speeches made at the very well-attended protest, which we reproduce for you here.
Amongst all of the other violence the Supreme Court has enacted against trans women & trans fems, one piece slipped by almost unnoticed. The Supreme Court has tried to rule that a lesbian can only be a female sexually orientated towards/attracted to other females. This attempt at driving a wedge between lesbians and trans women & fems cannot be allowed to happen.
Lesbian trans women & fems have always been part of the history of lesbianism, and will always be part of the future of lesbianism. Lesbianism should not be defined by a Supreme Court to exclude trans lesbians, because not only does it set a frankly terrifying precedent for courts ruling on queer sexuality, but it denies the history and importance of trans lesbians. A vocal minority are not the sum total of lesbians, a community in which cis lesbians regularly poll to be some of the staunchest trans allies.
And that is a call to arms. Cis lesbians, and cis queer women, you need to mobilise and weaponise your cis-ness to protect your trans sisters now. You need to kick off and raise hell and refuse to let transmisogyny fly around you. You also have to love trans women in your community, you have to make it well known that trans lesbians are not only included but welcome in your lesbian-only spaces. Defy the ruling on every singular level, however you can. Trans lesbians of all kinds, we have to uplift the trans women & fems in our communities. There is no perceived anomaly that comes up with lesbian trans women & fems. There’s only violent transmisogyny and lesbophobia.
This isn’t an aside, but the transmisogynistic attacks are the primacy of this and I’m sure everyone and their dog are tired of the topic being derailed from the fact that this ruling is because of and about violent transmisogyny, so it’s last. Not only has lesbianism always included lesbian trans women & trans fems, but it has always also included all kinds of lesbian trans & GNC people: lesbian transmascs, lesbian butches who aren’t cis, lesbian butches who are cis, GNC women, Studs, lesbians doing gender in new and unusual ways. There is no history of lesbianism without a history of transness and gender fuckery. No court ruling can change that and no court ruling ever will.
There is no such thing as an isolated struggle. All struggles for rights, for lives, for freedom, they are all connected.
Dykes should fight for trans rights today, tomorrow, and forever.
Dy’Lun Pask a welas protest goredhommek restrys yn Aberfal erbynn rewlyans treuskasek ha kwirgasek a-dhiwedhes a’n Lys Worughel ow tilea gwiryow treus. Yn hweg dhyn y fey danvenys kopi a onan a’n arethow marthys gwrys orth an protest meur y attendyans, ha ni a wra hy dasaskorra ragowgh hwi oll omma.
Yn-mysk oll an freudh erel re reythhas an Lys Worughel erbynn benenes ha fems treus, rann a slynkyas ogas hag anverkys. An Lys Worughel re assayas rewlya ny yll lesboses bos marnas benynreydh hag yw dynys dhe/teudhys yn reydhel troha benynreydhow erel. Ny yllir gasa dhe hwarvos an assay ma a herdhya genn yntra lesbosesow ha benenes & fems treus.
Fems & benenes treus lesbosel re beu pupprys rann a’n istori a lesbosedh, hag y fydhons pupprys rann a’n devedhek a lesbosedh. Ny delledh lesbosedh bos styrys gans Lys Worughel dhe geas mes lesbosesow treus, drefen hemma dhe settya ragrewl skruthus a lysow ow rewlya war reydholeth kwir, mes ynwedh y nagh an istori ha posekter lesbosesow treus. Nyns yw minoryta levyel an somm a lesbosesow, kemeneth mayth yw lesbosesow kes sondys yn fenowgh avel nebes a’n kreffa keffrysysi dreus.
Ha henn yw garm orth arvow. Lesbosesow kes ha benenes kwir kes, y kodh dhywgh sordya hag arvegi dha gesedh dhe dhifres agas hwerydh treus lemmyn. Y kodh dhywgh gul tervans ha denagha bos treusvengas y’gas kerghyn. Y kodh dhywgh kara benenes treus y’gas kemeneth, gul dhodho bos aswonys bos lesbosesow treus yssynsys hag ynwedh wolkom y’gas spasow lesbosel-hepken. Eryewgh an rewlyans war bub nivel, gwella gyllowgh. Lesbosesow treus a bub sort, res yw dhyn lyftya an benenes & fems treus y’gan kemenethow. Nyns eus digomposter percevys a hwer gans fems & benenes treus lesbosel. Nyns eus marnas treusvengas ha lesboskas freudhek.
Nyns yw hemma neppyth a-denewen, mes an omsettyansow treusvengasek yw an dra posekka a hemma ha my yw sur bos peub ha’ga hi skwith a vos tewlys a’n fakt bos an rewylans ma drefen hag a-dro dhe dreusvengas freudhek, ytho an diwettha yw. Lesbosedh re yssynsis pupprys benenes treus & fems treus lesbosel, mes ynwedh pub eghen a dus lesbosel treus & GAK lesbosel: transwourels lesbosel, glucks lesbosel nag yw kes, glucks lesbosel yw kes, benenes GAK, Stallyons, lesbosesow ow kul genedh yn fordhow nowydh ha koynt. Nyns eus istori a lesbosedh heb istori a dreusedh ha kyjuri genedh. Ny yll rewlyans an lys y janjya ha ny’n gwra nevra.
Nyns eus neppyth a’n par ma strif enyshes. Pub strif rag gwiryow, rag bewnansow, rag rydhses, yth yns i oll junys.
Tomennow a dalvia batalyas a-barth gwiryow treus hedhyw, avorow ha bynari.
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#Breus #Cornish #Cornwall #dykes #gwiryow #Kernewek #Kernow #Kernowek #kwir #lesbian #lesbosel #LysWorughel #Nowodhow #opinion #queer #rights #Sordya #SupremeCourt #tomennow #trans #transphobia #treus #treuskas
#899 P.A.S. Pool (ed) - Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, New Series, Vol VII, Part 2. Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, 1974. #Cornwall #Kernow #PASPool #RoyalInstitutionOfCornwall #Kernewek #RuanLanihorne #BookOfTheDay
ESPLEGYANS AN OBER
Mar mynnav mires
orth ow skeusennow koth,
y hwodhyen leverel dhis
an pols poran mayth omdreylis
ober ogas hag orfiethek,
ha'n termyn ogas may teuth vy
tra gevys dre skeusenieth an werin,
hwath tamm ankoth.
Ha fatel yw an dhew ober na,
milweyth didhanna
es bos tresen unliw moy.
https://ko-fi.com/post/Dydh-Onan--Esplegyans-an-Ober-Q5Q51CU0V6
https://www.napowrimo.net/april-1-it-begins/
#NaPoWriMo #MiSkriFa #art #poesia #kernowek #kernewek #cornic #bardhonieth #orfieth #tragevys #objectetrobat #skeuseniethanwerin #fotografiavernacular
#881 P.A.S. Pool (ed) - Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, New Series, Vol VII, Part 1. Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, 1973. #Cornwall #Kernow #PASPool #RoyalInstitutionOfCornwall #Kernewek #WeekStMary #BookOfTheDay
Post Nowydh! Didrevesiga agan Brysyow https://sordya.net/2025/03/24/decolonising-our-minds-didrevesiga-agan-brysyow/
Brogh Breusel a wortheb orth onan a hwegh tybyans Krann rag 2025, ow korra yn-rag kas a-barth golok wosa-trevesigel a Gernow hag a-barth skrifa agan hwedhel agan honan.
#Cornish #Kernewek #Kernowek
Decolonising our Minds – Didrevesiga agan Brysyow
A Reply to One
of Krann’s Six Ideas
Krann raises fair points when they argue that colonial metaphors used to make sense of the Cornish experience in relation to the British state appear “anecdotal” and tend to rest on “overused narratives about Tudor rebellions and the industrial revolution”. My answer is: let’s all move onto post-colonial ways of thinking.
Gorthyp orth Onan
a Hwegh Tybyans Krann
Krann a venek poyntys ewn pan arg an metaforow trevesigel usys dhe ri styr a’n prevyans Kernewek ow tochya stat Bretennek dhe heveli bos “hwedhlek” ha tuedha posa war “hwedhlow gorusys a dhomwhelansow Tudor ha’n hweldro diwysyansek”. Ow gorthyp yw: movyn orth fordhow tybi wosa-trevesigel.
A Reply to One
of Krann’s Six Ideas
Krann raises fair points when they argue that colonial metaphors used to make sense of the Cornish experience in relation to the British state appear “anecdotal” and tend to rest on “overused narratives about Tudor rebellions and the industrial revolution”.
Such is the power of the grand narrative that is underpinning conventional English history for our detractors that they frequently become the source of amusement and derision. It’s easy to see why. They point to a past of little relevance to most people’s lives in the 21st century. The fragments that survive tend to be romanticised and commodified by people for different reasons. The power of the state-influenced national curriculum and intellectuals in academia, sustained by universities, ensured that meaningful study of Cornish history was always marginalised. Little wonder then that those who challenge the dominant narratives about Kernow find themselves, often as not, “howling into the wind”
Most people’s understanding of colonialism will come from the push against the last three centuries of empire building by Western European states, but my answer to Krann’s challenge is: let’s all move onto post-colonial ways of thinking.
Kernow was colonised a long time ago. We forgot and then remembered. Like any attempt at recovering actual events, memories will be scarce, imperfect, even incorrect. Nevertheless, the sense of something not quite right about what those in power care to tell us about ourselves persists.
Meanwhile, as a people we tend to be ‘othered’ and literally patronised. So let’s insist on our existence, insist on being more than mere background characters to a romantic fantasy and take control of our own stories. How? By recognising the role language has to play in the scheme of things. Tell our own stories to each other and to others with similar experiences. Challenge the popular Anglicised imagery created of the people at every turn. The English language has a subtle and powerful grip on how we see the world and re-framing conversations with ourselves and others is an important step.
I suspect from Krann’s complaint that they haven’t seen the colonialism arguments translate into efforts to meet with Indigenous intellectuals is simply because of the tendency, as Anglophones living on an island, we tend not to seek out other people with experiences closer to our own. We may gain little traction in Wales and Scotland and meet with indifference from first nation peoples in Canada, for example, but their experiences of English colonialism and hegemony are different to ours. The former may see our recovered history as somehow faux and the later, rightly, see us as part of the colonial enterprise they struggle against.
On the other hand, move outside the world dominated by Anglophone/English state-controlled narratives and a different perspective comes into view. Speak to people from Breizh (Brittany), Euskal Herria (Basque Country) and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), for example, and we find experiences and understanding that can lead to decolonising place and mind.
We have recovered and sustain our language with virtually no help whatsoever from the state; we are in the process of doing the same for our history and are beginning to reassert our identity. However, we have a lot to offer and a lot to gain by maintaining an internationalist perspective. Which brings me to the first of Krann’s ideas in their article: linking up with like-minded people from Breizh is a great start.
Gorthyp orth Onan
a Hwegh Tybyans Krann
Krann a venek poyntys ewn pan arg an metaforow trevesigel usys dhe ri styr a’n prevyans Kernewek ow tochya stat Bretennek dhe heveli bos “hwedhlek” ha tuedha posa war “hwedhlow gorusys a dhomwhelansow Tudor ha’n hweldro diwysyansek”.
Yndella yw gallos an drolla meur owth ispynna istori usadow Pow Sows rag agan dispresyoryon y hwrons yn fenowgh dos pennfenten hwarth ha skorn. Es yw gweles praga. I a boynt orth termyn passyes heb meur a berthynekter orth bewnansow an moyha rann a dus y’n 21a kansvledhen. Yma tuedh dhe’n brewyon a dreusvew troha bos romansekhes ha komodifiys gans tus rag resons dyffrans. Nell an kors-dyski kenedhlek ha skiansogyon yn akademia delanwesys gans an stat, mentenys gans pennskolyow, a surhas prest re beu studhyans meur y styr a istori Kernow amalekhes. Nyns eus marth ytho an re a jalenj an hwedhlow gwarthevyek a-dro dhe Gernow dhe omdrovya, yn fenowgh, “owth oulya y’n gwyns”.
Konvedhes an brassa rann a dus a drevesigeth a wra dos a’n herdhyans erbynn an diwettha tri hansvledhen a dhrehevyans empir gans statys Europa West, mes ow gorthyp orth chalenj Krann yw: movyn orth fordhow tybi wosa-trevesigel.
Kernow a veu trevesigys nans yw pell. Ni a ankovas hag ena remembra. Kepar ha pub assay a dhaskavos hwarvosow gwir, kovyow a vydh skant, anperfeyth, anewn hogen. Byttegyns, an sens a dhur bos neppyth tamm kamm a-dro dhe’n pyth yw leverys dhyn y’gan kever gans an dus y’n nerth.
Yn kettermyn, avel pobel yma tuedh troha agan bos ‘aralhes’ ha tasegys herwydh lytheren. Ytho gwren ynia war agan bosva, ynia bos moy ages tus an gilva hepken yn fantasi romansek ha kemeres maystri a’gan hwedhlow agan honan. Fatel? Der aswon an rann gwariys gans yeth y’n dra. Derivas agan hwedhlow agan honan an eyl dh’y gila ha dhe dus gans prevyansow haval. Chalenjya an delwedh sowsnekhes gerys-da gwrys an bobel orth pub tu. Yma dhe Sowsnek dalghen sotel ha nerthek war fatel viryn orth an bys ha kamm posek yw dasframya keskowsow genen ni ha gans re erel.
My a wogrys awos krodhvol Krann ny welas argyansow trevesigeth treylya orth assays metya gans skiansogyon deythyek yw yn sempel drefen an tuedh, avel sowsnegoryon war enys, yn usys ny wren ni hwilas tus erel gans prevyansow ogassa orth agan honan. Martesen ny wren ni gwaynya tenn yn Kembra hag Alban hag y fydh mygylder a dus kynsa kenedhlow yn Kanada, rag ensampel, mes aga frevyansow a drevesigeth ha pennughelorieth sowsnek yw dyffrans orth agan huni ni. An kynsa a wra gweles agan istori daskevys avel faux, martesen, ha’n diwettha a’gan gwel, yn ewn, avel rann an aventur trevesigel a wrons gwynnel er y bynn.
Yn konter, mar movyn yn-mes an bys gwarthevys gans an hwedhlow maystrys gans an stat sowsnek/Sowsnek, gologva dhyffrans a dheu y’gan gwel. Mar kewsyn gans tus Breizh (Breten Vyghan), Euskal Herria (Pow Bask) hag Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), rag ensampel, ni a drov prevyansow ha konvedhes a yll ledya orth tyller ha brys omdhidrevesigus.
Ni re dhaskavas hag y mentenyn agan yeth heb gweres a’n stat yn gwiryoneth; yth eson ni yn argerdh gul an keth rag agan istori hag yth eson ow talleth dasynia war agan honanieth. Byttegyns, yma dhe meur dhe brofya ha meur dhe waynya dre ventena gologva geswlasegoriethek. Ha henna a’m dre dhe’n kynsa a dybyansow Krann y’ga erthygel: keskelmi gans tus kessonek a Vreizh yw dalleth splann.
Moy Ahanan – More From Us
#aralheans #BretenVyghan #Breus #colonialism #Cornish #Cornwall #decolonisation #didrevesigeth #Kernewek #Kernow #Kernowek #opinion #othering #postColonial #Sordya #trevesigeth #wosaTrevesigel
Dydh Keswlasek Benenes leun a goler ha kerensa dhywgh.
An International Women's Day full of love and rage to you all.
#Kernewek #Kernowek #Kernow #Cornwall #Cornish #internationalwomensday #feminism
Gool Peran lowen, peub! Kernow bys vykken! How are you celebrating the day? Saffern buns are sweet, but community is sweeter.
#Kernow #Kernewek #stpiransday #Cornwall #Cornish #Kernowek #goolperanlowen
Post Nowydh! Kernow a Vatel Preydher https://sordya.net/2025/02/21/kernow-curbs-parking-predator-kernow-a-vatel-preydher-parkya/
Cornish Kez a skrif war an vatel a bes ynter an werin a Lannvighal ha Porthalan West erbynn kompani-parkya preydhek ha stat an pow, keffrys ha fatel yllydh kemeres rann.
Yma Cornwall Resists ow ledya an charj erbynn Farage ha Reform UK. Gwrewgh aga junya, genen ni, yn unn hedhi y woryskyn yn Kernow yn Hwevrer. Hedhyn y gas!
https://sordya.net/2025/02/16/stop-farage-in-kernow-hedhi-farage-yn-kernow/
#836 William Penaluna - An Historical Survey of Cornwall; to which is added the Borough Boundaries, an Account of the Scilly Islands, Mines and Fisheries, and a Cornish-English Vocabulary. W. Penaluna, Helston, 1838, 1st Edition, 2 volumes. #WilliamPenaluna #Cornwall #Kernewek #BookOfTheDay
