Llan (placename)

Llan (Welsh pronunciation: [ɬan]) and its variants (Breton: lan; Cornish: lann; Pictish: lhan) are a common placename element in Brythonic languages. In modern orthography, it is treated as a prefix, but was formerly sometimes written as a separate word. The (often mutated) name of the relevant saint or location follows the element: for example "Llanfair" is the parish or settlement around the church of St. Mair (Welsh for "Mary").

The various forms of the word are cognate with English land and lawn and presumably initially denoted a specially cleared and enclosed area of land. In late antiquity, it came to be applied particularly to the sanctified land occupied by communities of Christian converts. It is part of the name of over 630 locations in Wales and nearly all have some connection with a local patron saint. These were usually (but not always) the founding saints of the parish, relatives of the ruling families who invaded Wales during the early Middle Ages. The founder of a new llan was obligated to reside at the site and to eat only once a day, each time taking a bit of bread and an egg and drinking only water and milk. This lasted for forty days, Sundays excepted, after which the land was considered sanctified forever. The typical llan employed or erected a circular or oval embankment with a protective stockade, surrounded by wood or stone huts. Unlike Saxon practice, these establishments were not chapels for the local lords but almost separate tribes, initially some distance away from the secular community. Over time, however, it became common for prosperous communities to either become monasteries forbidden to lay residents or to become fully secular communities controlled by the local lord.

Llan de Cubel

Llan de Cubel are a Celtic folk band from Asturias (Spain) which specializes in researching, playing and recording Asturian folk music.

Formed in 1984, the seven member group has been part of an overall revival and revitalization of Asturian traditional music. The band is a frequent participant in Celtic music festivals, both inside and outside of Asturias, such as the Festival Interceltique de Lorient. True to their effort to play authentic Asturian music, Llan de Cubel play traditional Asturian instruments, such as bagpipes (called gaita), and percussion, in addition to fiddles, accordions, bouzouki, flutes and guitars. The band plays traditional Asturian tunes collected through ethnomusicological research. They also write original material in the tradition of folk music of the region.

Llan de Cubel have won several awards for their music.

Members

Current

Former