Hi lads, since visiting Cardiff many times and having many a pint with welsh boys in Limerick (rugby ) , i've always been a supporter of many things welsh - including a brilliant band, Catatonia.

Thing is , my 5 yr old daughter now loves them too ( and she wants me to bring her fishing in the Wye / Usk area because she reckons there are fairies there ....but thats a different story)

Anyway, her favourite song by Catatonia is called ..."Dimbran"

What does Dimbran mean - I cant make any sense of it on Google/translator - is it a name ?

Doubt it?

Thanks ......Munster am bith!!

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Irish by birth, Munster by the grace of God.

initially I thought you had spelt it wrong. Dim = Nothing/No, Bran = crows. So No Crows would have been my guess but having listened to the lyrics I didn't think that made much sense. anyway, a little search on google came up with this:

New Bonhomie - A Site Dedicated To Welsh Band Catatonia

It still doesn't give you a translation of the word Dimbran but it does translate all the other lyrics. i'll take a punt that Dimbran is just a name but I can't say I've ever heard it before.

Hope it helps

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If a man speaks in the woods and no woman is there to hear him............is he still wrong????

I think it's just a name too; although in the context a more noble translation would be 'no raven'.

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Save the softmouth trout

Depends on your location, I would say 'Bran' would be crow, 'Dim' is none, so Dim Bran would be No Crow. Emph isn't Raven 'Cigfran', as in 'Cig' meat, and 'fran' crow, as they eat carrion.

'Cigfran' is Carrion Crow, certainly where I was raised. I'll check with a few farmers tomorrow when I visit.

'Crwydrwr' would be 'Wanderer' certainly not 'Traveller' with its 'Tinker' conotations.

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Save the softmouth trout

Cigfran is Raven, Carrion crow is just called Bran in Welsh this is from a Welshman who speaks Welsh as my first language.

I still think that within the context of the poem/ballad that 'raven' would suffice.
Stuartpengdantic and anglingbri, I give you that Cigfran seems the main translation, of half a dozen alternatives, nowadays.


I should add that Ravens feature strongly in Welsh legends and mythology (this would surely have prompted Cerys' lyrics?) which feature: "Bran the Blessed, whose name means "raven" or "crow". He is depicted as giant and the King of the Britons in tale known as the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. Several other characters in Welsh mythology share his name, and ravens figure prominently in the 12th or 13th century text The Dream of Rhonabwy, as the army of King Arthur's knight Owain."
They are all Brân 'something'.

There is a story that England will fall if ever the ravens abandon the Tower of London. Brân the Blessed is associated with the Tower of London in the Welsh Triads, which might be the origin of the story"

Raven in Mythology

"As far as the mythology goes, the first confusion arises over the distinction between Crow and Raven, at least on the European side of the Atlantic. The two appear, in many instances, to be interchangeable, and the appearance of one or the other in a story depends as much on which author is transcribing it as it does on story itself. Whereas Matthews gives Brân the raven almost exclusively, Miranda Jane Green ascribes to the God's companion animal either the crow or the raven..."



Carrion Crow: Brân Dyddyn, Brân Syddyn, Cigfran Leiaf, Cigfran Bach...

Hooded Crow: Brân Lwyd, Brân Glan Mor, or Brân Iwerddon (Ireland)

Rook: Ydfrân (barley or corn) or Brân Bigwen (white beak)

Chough (less scarce in Wales): Brân Goesgoch, Brân Arthur (of Arthurian legend).

Images courtesy of Iolo Williams' Welsh language book on birds.

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Save the softmouth trout

Don't do that Effingumberella, it's very rude, just because you're wrong. As said, 'bran' is 'crow', not 'raven', no need for a hissy fit of information, I'm the last person you need to give a Welsh history lesson to

Did I mention 'Brân y Gors' as the Ceredigion name for Raven? At least they have them there... not exactly chucking my dummy out yet Mr Peng-caled.

Don't even like the song, gimme 'Road Rage' anytime.

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Save the softmouth trout

Cigfran/Raven is not a generalisation for crows it is a specific breed of the crow family, the largest we have, Iolo has not portraid its photo the Raven has a distinct spade shaped tail and an enormous beak that is powerfull enough to break your finger off. Believe me.