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This London reports that the Cerne Abbas Giant has suffered as a result of the increase in wet weather we are getting here in the UK. As you can see from the picture to the left, the archetypal image of the Dagda (if that is who he represents), has almost disappeared under the rapidly growing grass. And thanks to a decline in sheep farming in the surrounding area, the flock that traditionally graze on the site have been unavailable to provide the giant figure with its annual trim.

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AFP reports that the legend of Britian’s King Arthur will take hold of the city of Rennes next month when it hosts a series of events on the mythical hero once said to have roamed this wild, western French region called Brittany. A major exhibition on the Arthurian tales, which will run for six months, is to open July 15, fully translated into English, the same day the International Arthurian Society begins it’s 22nd annual congress at Rennes university, one of the biggest campuses in France.

The Society brings together experts on the Arthurian tales from across the world, mingling eminent academics and amateurs. Formed in the Breton city of Quimper in 1948, it meets in congress every three years. Continue Reading »

We have updated the Celtic Myth Podshow website and hope that you enjoy the new additions. So what have we done? Well, you will find a new Help page that explains some of the more confusing aspects of New Media to beginners to podcasts. We have added a page of Credits to say Thank you to all those who have helped produce the show and we have added some photo and image galleries.

Help Page

Some of the new technology we are using is very confusing – I know it took me a little while to get my head around it! Continue Reading »

Pic: gary

This news item is not quite about Celtic Mythology, but it is a great bit of news for the future of Podcasting and may encourage others to take up the task of producing more mythology and story-telling podcasts. The Guardian has reported that students will be able to take a vocational qualification in internet broadcasting from September 2008 thanks to the launch of an NCFE level 1 (GCSE grades D-G) award in podcasting.

Podcasts are audio or video broadcasts, available on-demand to download on to a computer or MP3 player. Continue Reading »

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The first part of the Midsummer Special is available for download and is on the feed. We celebrate the Midsummer Festival with a massive offering of goodies. So we’ve divided the episode into two parts. The first part contains a reading from The Religion of the Ancient Celts, another from a modern book called Fairy Healing, some music, and a story by Willie Meikle called The First Silkie. Part 2 of the Midsummer Special will be available in the middle of next week.

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

Got Game Entertainment has announced that it will be publishing the first-person, point-and-click horror adventure game, Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches, in North America for the PC. “Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches”, based on the classic Welsh “Four Branches” legends, is set in a mystical place on the Celtic fringes of Britain, a place where myth and magic spill into reality, threatening the sanity of a teenage girl and bringing an ancient battle for revenge to a remote Welsh farmstead.

Are reports of unexplained noises and strange visions by fifteen year old Rhiannon Sullivan merely the figments of an overactive imagination? Or does the history of her family’s new home, Ty Pryderi, hold a terrible connection to a timeless struggle between man and magic? Her parents take Rhiannon away, leaving Ty Pryderi to your watch and exploration, but their absence can only postpone an ancient inevitability of revenge and death.

Unless you can stop it!

+ First person point and click adventure
+ Spine-tingling story blending magic with technology, fact with myth, and horror with compassion
+ Rich, atmospheric game world
+ A feast for lovers of ghost stories, mystery, legend and puzzles

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Episode 10, The Harp’s Voice Unleashed, is available for download and is on the feed. It completes the story of the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh from the Book of Invasions. Mighty Balor, the strong smiter, and the Fomori have invaded Ireland and the Tuatha De Danaan meet them on the field of Battle. After a bloody and epic struggle, Lugh kills Balor and the Fomori are beaten and driven back to the sea. Tired and weary, it is now time for the Children of Danu to count the cost…

In this episode, we also announce our final decision about the use of accents within the shows and introduce the Midsummer Special which will be available for download and on the feed in a week’s time.

Site director Ian Grant presses on with the dig.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have begun excavating a quarry near Wrexham after evidence of a Neolithic settlement was uncovered. The exciting discovery was made at Tarmac’s Borras Quarry, off Holt Road, near Wrexham and archaeologists have begun to uncover the remains of the settlement, believed to be about 4,000 years old.

The exciting discovery was made at Tarmac’s Borras Quarry, off Holt Road, near Wrexham and archaeologists have begun to uncover the remains of the settlement, believed to be about 4,000 years old.

The archaeologists noticed dark areas resembling cooking pits appearing as topsoil and subsoil was being removed in preparation for sand and gravel extraction.

Tarmac has now suspended soil removal in the area of the discovery whilst archaeologists from Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) excavate the remains.

Project manager Nigel Jones of CPAT, said:

This is an important discovery as we currently have very little evidence of Neolithic settlement in this part of Wales.

Read the rest of this story on the Wrexham Leader.

Pic: Haggis hurling

The Chicago Daily Herald tells us that on June 20-21 the Highland Games will be in full fling in Chicago. When it comes to celebrating Celtic culture around Chicago, people of Scottish descent always seem to be overshadowed by the Irish. There’s no national holiday like St. Patrick’s Day when “everyone is Scottish for one day.” It would also be impossible to dye the Chicago River plaid.

Yet Scottish culture and traditions strongly persevere locally, thanks to efforts of the Illinois St. Andrew Society, a nonprofit charity organization dating back to 1854. The society’s biggest and highest-profile event is the annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games, now celebrating its 22nd year.

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COPIES of a book which combines ancient Manx folklore and the modern world are being given to school children across the Island.

Students at King William’s College, Castletown, were the first to be given copies of Fynoderee, a book written by former pupil Alexander Caine and inspired by the school’s history.

The book is an adventure and modern myth, where the old worlds of ancient Manx folklore collide with today’s modern world with life threatening consequences.

Fynoderee tells the story of Juan Kerruish, a boy only ever noticed by the school bullies, whose world is about to turn upside down.

When he meets Bea the Fynoderee, a creature thought to exist only in myth, he discovers that he carries a message from the past that could change the course of the future.

The story has been compared to the books in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy

‘Fynoderee is not like Harry Potter or His Dark Materials, and it’s not set in Hogwarts or Middle Earth. It’s actually set in their home with landscapes they will recognise, and stories and characters that are part of their heritage,’ Alexander said.

‘Folklore can give people, and children especially, solid roots to a place that I hope they will never forget. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Isle of Man with many of these wonderful stories around me.

‘The Island’s folklore is one of the richest in Europe, with a wonderful combination of Nordic, Celtic and Manx characters coming out of our landscape.

‘Now living away from the Island in the hustle and bustle of London, Fynoderee is in many ways my own love letter to the island, and a celebration of its magnificent scenery and rich array of characters and tales.’

Fynoderee is being distributed by Isle of Man publishing house Lily Publications, based in Ramsey. Copies are being given to every Island school, funded by businessman Roy Tilleard.

www.fynoderee.com

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