Battle Cry – Brathiad
The utilisation of battle cries within the Cymdeithas is a multifaceted subject, particularly because different departments employ them in varying ways. However, it is generally agreed upon that all members of the Cymdeithas possess one and employ it frequently. While some individuals may use it hourly, others may only do so once a day.
Now, how to explain the Brathiad and its function?
First, let’s examine the traditional usage of battle cries. It’s important to recognise that battle cries have been utilised globally and across various epochs. In ancient Greece, for instance, the Akkadians employed the battle cry “Alala,” while the Huns instilled fear in their adversaries with their powerful war cries.
Throughout history, the function of battle cries has been twofold: to bolster aggression and morale among one’s own forces, and to instil intimidation or even sheer terror in the enemy ranks. Both entire armies and individual warriors utilised them, exemplified by the Kiai of the Japanese Samurai. This vocalisation served to startle or intimidate opponents and express confidence in victory.
In the last century, there are numerous examples of armies utilizing battle cries. For instance, the Viet Minh shouted “Xung phong” during their attacks, while the Greeks exclaimed “Αέρα!” (Aera!) during the Second World War.
The Scottish word for battle cry even made it into our everyday vocabulary. The word “slogan” comes from sluagh-ghairm (sluagh meaning “army”, and ghairm meaning “call”). So a company’s slogan we could say is its battle cry.
Well, why would a pacifistic organisation like the Cymdeithas advocate for its members to possess individual battle cries?
It’s an intriguing paradox. While conventional military entities use battle cries to undermine the morale of their adversaries, members of the Cymdeithas employ the Brathiad to disrupt the morale of the Lledrith within. Any Lledrith attempting to siphon our energies will be swiftly repelled through the use of an authentic battle cry. This is why each member has their own personalised version of a Brathiad—it must be unique and individualised to maintain authenticity.
Finding your Brathiad – A few thoughts for DHAs
In part 16 of TP the students learn how to find their own Brathiad. If you’re interested please consult this section of the books, but let us talk more about the topic.
The battle cry not only dispels Lledrith out of our system, it also awakens slumbering energies like courage, determination, bravery, authenticity and integrity. Also the utterance reminds us to be compassionate, kind, empathic and respectful to others. When used on a regular basis the battle cry grows in its power to elicit all these positive aspects in our lives, and it also helps in growing more independent and confident in what one does.
So, how do you go about finding yours?
For most DHA’s it’s a matter of trial and error. In simple terms: You use one you find resonates within you and change it when a better one comes along.
But we all have our favourite vowels and consonants we like or do not like that much. This is a good starting point. Be quiet and go through the vowels. What evokes more energy for you? An “a”, an “e”, an “o”? Also go through combinations: “au” “ia” and so on.
Let me know what you Braithad is and what it does for you. I shall then pass the information on to someone in the right department.