Paul Newman is an extremely funny, comedy musician. He describes himself as an acoustic musician with pretensions towards Acting, Comedy and Philosophy. Whilst we were at the Anderida Gorsedd Conference, he managed to corner Ruthie and interview her. Watch out for brief appearances at the end by Gary and Damh the Bard.

You can find out more about Paul on his blogsite or his music on ReverbNation.

Pic: Dun Dornagill Broch by orionforumpics

Scotsman.com tells us: Discovered only 13 years ago, the remarkably preserved ancient settlement at Old Scatness on Shetland (Scotland) forced experts to completely rewrite the history of Iron Age Britain. Old Scatness Broch, a mile from Sumburgh Head, was a pristine time capsule which enabled archaeologists to date the chronology of an Iron Age site in northern Europe with unprecedented accuracy. It has now been revealed that ambitious plans are being championed by the Shetland Amenity Trust to turn Old Scatness into a world-class heritage centre in a boost for the tourism industry on the islands.

The site is currently open to the public for a only limited season and large parts have to be covered up during the winter to protect it from the elements. But the trust aims to transform the settlement into a year-round visitor attraction with the addition of a dome-shaped building with a grass roof. Jimmy Moncrieff, the general manager of the amenity trust, said:

“This project could be huge for Shetland. There is nothing else like it anywhere in Britain; Old Scatness is the best preserved Iron Age village in Europe and the jewel in the crown of archaeological Shetland.”

Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-02-05 05:58:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In the foothills of the North Cascades, where the veil between dimensions is said to be thinnest, inhabitants of this world gather once a year to coexist with fairies in theirs, reports the Spokesman-Review.

About 250 people came to the Methow Valley June 26 through 28 from as far away as Europe and Hawaii to participate in the ninth annual Fairy and Human Relations Congress, an outdoor festival in a secluded mountain meadow called Skalitude.

A giant crop circle depicting a pinwheel-shaped sun had been cut into the high grass. An open-air tent pavilion stood at the lower end of the meadow. Farther up, white peace banners fluttered in a circular array. 

The purpose of the congress is to encourage communication and cooperation of the fairy realm.

said Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski, the event’s founder and organizer.

Since 2000, the Fairy Congress has been held all but two years at Skalitude, a retreat owned by Lindsey Swope and Will Buchanan. For two years, it was held near Hood River, Ore.

Asked whether she believes in fairies or is merely sympathetic to those who do, Swope said, “I believe in it – life is way more complicated than what we can see, hear and touch.”

Skeptics might mock the participants or dismiss them as New Age hippies, but they say their belief system is not much different from Native American animists, or even Christians who believe in angels.

We might call (fairies) angels of nature.

said Pilarski, an herb farmer and writer who also founded the annual Okanogan Family Barter Faire in nearby Tonasket, Wash. He said:

Many people of mainstream faiths believe angels watch over them. God’s love does not just extend to humans, but to all of nature and to all the species on Earth.

he said.

So why should these spirits not watch over all of creation?

Revelers donned wings, horns or colorful attire suitable for a euphoric Saturday night romp around the bonfire, but there was no evidence of drugs or inebriation. Voices raised only in song or laughter. The sound of drum and flute carried on the wind. Children frolicked. Adults gathered around a communal outdoor kitchen.

Magic in the message

As proof that the nature spirits are fascinated with human shenanigans, many at the Fairy Congress cited the existence of orbs: transparent balls of light that appear only in digital photographs taken at happy occasions such as festivals and weddings.

Critics say orbs are reflections of photographic flashes off dust particles in the air, but Hope and Randy Mead, who live north of Colville, say they know better.

Their independent film, Orbs: The Veil Is Lifting, was shown at the congress.

Hope Mead, who has studied orbs for eight years, said they are beings from another dimension, perhaps from the fairy realm. Such phenomena are becoming more common as the year 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar, approaches, and the veil between the dimensions lifts, she said.

What we believe is that it’s not the end of the world, but the end of time as we know it, and we are going through a dimensional shift.

Mead said.

Spiritual adviser, author and recording artist Brooke Medicine Eagle believes fairies and orbs are just incarnations of the nature spirits of Native American animism.

[Read the full article on the Spokesman-Review website]

Pic: Brown Pau

The custom of carving and giving Welsh Lovespoons originated in Wales hundreds of years ago. The young men of today would probably buy flowers, chocolates or jewellery as a token of affection. Centuries ago in Wales, the young lover would also give gifts of sweets or cakes; but they would also give a special, more personal gift to the object of their desire, the Welsh Love Spoon. Some of the early love spoons can be seen on display at the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff. There is even one that dates back to 1667.

The young man would spend hours carving the spoon with his own hands, in the hope that the girl would accept it. If the girl accepted the spoon, she would demonstrate her interest in him and they would commence on a relationship, which is the origin of the word ‘spooning’

This was a custom that was not confined to Wales, but happened across Europe, especially in Celtic countries. Because the rural peasant people used wooden spoons to eat and prepare food, they had to carve numerous simple spoons for this purpose. It is very likely therefore that more intricate carvings developed naturally from this, and the most beautiful spoons were kept to give as gifts.

Young men had a lot of time on their hands during the long winter evenings, and while some would turn to poetry or composing songs, others would carve all kinds of things such as kitchen utensils or toys for the children from spare pieces of wood. It is easy to imagine a young man after a hard day’s work, in a period of no radio or television or cars, spending his leisure time during dark evenings carving a spoon for the girl he loved. Spoons could also suggest food on the table, and a cosy family life, which would impress on the girl his ability to care for her and a family.

The greatest authority on the tradition of carving Welsh Love Spoons in Wales today is Gwyndaf Breeze. According to Gwyndaf, who taught the craft to Paul Curtis (the main craftsman responsible for our range of Love Spoons), although the tradition of carving lovespoons is not unique to Wales, the quality of those produced here is among the best in the world, and the development of the spoon from a common kitchen utensil to the intricately carved design is an uniquely Welsh phenomenon. No other country in the world produced such a variety of design and carving techniques; and the young men put a great deal of time and thought into their creations. Wales was a poor society whose youth could not afford presents of expensive jewellery, and therefore they would do their utmost to create as beautiful spoons as possible. At that time, practical skills in a husband would have been very desirable and a beautifully carved spoon would demonstrate the young man’s skills. The carvers would attempt to create more and more intricate designs as they vied for the attractions of a certain girl. The more complicated and difficult to carve a design, the more it would symbolise the depth of the creator’s love and desire to labour on behalf of his loved one. It is also possible that the size of the spoon would reflect the carver’s love, but the spoons do vary considerably in size from 8cm to a meter in length.

The first example of the word "llwy" (which is ‘spoon’ in Welsh) appears in the work of Taliesin, the 6th century Welsh poet, which suggests that such a utensil existed for centuries before the first existing tangible example. Wooden utensils used in kitchens would not have a very long life and very few original wooden work utensils have survived from a period earlier than the 18th century. The custom was widespread across Wales and there is no evidence to suggest that certain areas favoured certain designs. It is impossible to know how many love spoons were produced; many were very delicate creations and although they would not have been used for eating or cooking they could have been easily broken.

The earliest existing examples come from the 17th century, and it is possible that the shape of spoons lying together suggested the pattern of lovers lying together. There has been much debate on the significance of the different symbols and motifs used in the carving of lovespoons. Many of the young carvers were shy and unwilling to show their emotions, and this would attempt to convey their true feelings through the use of various symbols. Over the centuries, many more symbols and motifs have been added and as the love spoons became more elaborate and decorative, they have become collectables. Many of the symbols to convey love have been used from the earliest spoons, and are familiar throughout Europe. For instance, a chain would mean a wish to be together forever, a diamond would mean wealth or good fortune, a cross would mean faith, a flower would mean affection, or a dragon for protection etc. .

Traditionally, the spoons were carved from one piece of wood. The most popular wood was sycamore, but we also have examples of using yew, oak, boxwood and even fruit trees such as apple or wild cherry. Wood with a close grain had to be dried because fresh wood could split as it dried. The carver would use a trunk and split it in half before forming the rough shape of the spoon in one of the halves. The earliest spoons were not very intricate, and would have a very simple design with perhaps the initials of the couple and a hole of some sort in the top of the spoon handle to hang it on the wall. These early carvers would use very simple tools, only a pocketknife, an axe and perhaps a saw. They had no design to follow or any technical knowledge; although they perhaps copied other designs and some of their creations are remarkable in these circumstances. If the young man succeeded in capturing the girl’s heart, then the spoon would be treasured and proudly displayed on one of the walls of their home, much as a wedding photograph would be today.

It is quite possible also, that a particularly popular girl would receive several spoons from would-be suitors; but it is unlikely that a youth would spend too much time and effort if he did not think he had a realistic chance of winning the girl. When a girl accepted the spoon, the young people would more than likely then embark on a relationship and be seen as a ‘couple’ by their community. It must be remembered that the custom of ‘engaging’ and having a Wedding ceremony was not common in rural Wales until the end of the 18th century, and the majority of young couples would simply co-habit. Today as well as being a gift of affection or a memento of a visit to Wales, Lovespoons are given for many special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, births, engagements, christenings, house warming and St. Valentines Day.

Author:
© Hedd Gwynfor (2007) Hedd Gwynfor is webmaster for http://www.cadwyngifts.com/ a small family business specializing in Welsh Crafts and Giftware especially Welsh Lovespoons http://www.cadwyngifts.com/welsh-love-spoons-c-65.html

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live
Source: www.articledepot.co.uk

Pic by Bern’t Rostad   Castro Barona

Northern Spain and Galicia particularly has long been an undiscovered jewel in the whole of the Spanish tourism industry. All over Northern Spain the climate is much more moderate than the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and the autonomous regions that make up this area of the country have exactly what it takes to help visiting tourists have a good time. With regards to Galicia you have a region where you have a rugged coastline with extremely attractive sandy beaches whilst inland the mountainous regions provide a completely different experience for the visitor.

Of all of the autonomous regions of Spain it is understandable given its location that Galicia is considered the most remote. Galicia is a region of contrasts in that in the one extreme you have a rugged beautiful coastline mixed with gorgeous beaches whilst inland you have beautiful mountain scenery.

As well as beautiful scenery in Galicia you have excellent cuisine especially the seafood whilst at the same time you have right on your doorstep one of the most visited religious pilgrimage sites in the world at Santiago de Compostela. This particular pilgrimage site has actually generated a vast tourist industry all of its own that is vital to the economic viability of the region.

The Galicians, whose origins are Celtic, are fiercely proud of their culture and language.

Historically, always classed as the poorer cousin to some of the other richer regions Galicia had an economy that did not easily lend itself to modernisation. It absorbed little in the way of outside influence being fiercely resistant to all forms of outside intervention, was never conquered by the Moors, and in the Middle Ages fell under the control of the kingdom of Asturias. Apart from a brief interlude in the 11th and 10th centuries when Galicia fell briefly under the rule of the kingdom of Asturias, Galicia has always been an independent region.

One of the problems with Galicia as with some of the other remote communities in Western Europe lies within its geographical constraints. As with a lot of the major Celtic communities in Western Europe after a while the major industry became emigration. Thankfully slowly throughout the 20th century Galicia has begun to develop a way in which to manage the traditional lifestyles with a modern community to ensure that none of its rich history is lost. The port cities of and Corunna which are widely appreciated to be centres of culture and industry within Galicia.

As befits a province that has such reliance on the sea, the seafood here is amongst the best in Spain and fishing is vital to the economy. As well as the major ports the coastline of Galicia is dotted with tiny little fishing villages. The coast which was devastated by the damage caused by the 2002 sinking of the oil tanker Prestige has now by almost recovered and in some cases is almost better than ever.

The major geographical point on the Galician coastline is probably Cape Finisterre which is the westernmost part of the Spanish mainland. Inland the region is dotted with ancient Celtic settlements which can be found in the often mist shrouded hillsides. At road junctions and in towns throughout the region stand various old stone crosses and in the villages old stone granaries are quite commonplace.

The whole Celtic culture in Galicia is completed by the sound of the favourite instrument of Galicia, the bag pipes and their language, Gallego, is an amalgam almost of Portuguese and the various other Gaelic tongues and there is an extremely strong link between Galicia and some of the other Celtic Countries of North Western Europe. Again this love of the arts and culture is very similar with other Celtic regions. This is further exemplified with the slight theme of melancholy running through quite often the words and music of the region. For those who find this a concept difficult to understand and view it as being purely depressing and boring then you have to try and understand the traditional background to the entire region and realize the centuries of hardship that these communities have had to withstand and as a result have manifested themselves in their traditional words music.

Author:

Stephen Morgan writes about a great many Internet Travel based issues and more on the above can be found at Accommodation in Galicia . For a more complete overlook at Tourism in Galicia try http://www.turgalicia.es

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live
Source: www.articledepot.co.uk

This is the third and final part in the Saga of Manannan which contains two stories. The first, the Tale of Laegaire, tells of a visit of a great warrior to the Realm of the Undying who given the chance refuses to return to Erin. The second tale, the Tale of Tadg and the Three Duns or Castles tells the tale of the voyage of Tadg amongst Manannan’s Islands and his encounter with the three great Halls in the Many-Coloured Land.

This is also the last episode in the Irish Mythological Cycle and the tale of Tadg rounds off the tale by returning our vision back to Four Islands in the Otherworld, perhaps the very same islands from which the Tuatha De Danaan came from to settle the land of Erin.

We have recently been fortunate enough to have upgraded several of our Redcording Studio’s most important items – but guess who has now got to learn how to use them most effectively? That’s right I mention it because you might notice that this episode has the dubious honour of being possibly the show with both the highest quality and some of the worst sound artefacts. They shouldn’t interefere with your enjoyment of the story too much and if they do, I apologise. I definitely feel as though I am at the beginning of learning my craft!

Having said that, the future looks rosy! We are now working on a Summary Show for the Irish Mythological Cycle and invite you to send in your comments about what we have all observed (voice feedback is favourite – then everyone can hear it!) by the 15th August, which should give me enough time to put it all together for that show. Then after that, we’ll be working on an introduction for the Welsh Mythology series. Let’s hope you all enjoy that too! The other news we bring you in the show is that we planning a Festival Report (that was the surprise we hinted at in the announcement for the last show!) So that will be something different for us and we hope you enjoy that one too!

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. If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Gary & Ruth

Tintagel, located on the craggy, wind swept cliffs of southwestern Cornwall is the traditional birth place of King Arthur, it is a wonderous place. Atop the stone island lies the ruins of Tintagel castle and village, built in the 12th and 13th century. This date makes it too recent to be directly related to King Arthur who reportedly was born around 480 C.E., but it is still a place of mystery and holiness. Although the existing castle was started by Reginald, the Earl of Cornwall in 1141, distinctive Mediterranian pottery, called Tintagel Ware, has been found there that dates back to the 5th and 6th centuries. Tintagel was obviously a wealthy trading post during that time and may, in fact, have been a stronghold of Arthur.

In 1998, the English Heritage revealed that during that season’s excavations at Tintagel, a broken piece of Cornish slate was uncovered with an inscription reading, “Pater Coliavificit Artognou”, which translated means “Artognou, father of a descendent of Coll, had this built”. “Artognou” is pronounced “Arthnou”. The inscription has been dated to the 6th century and the reference to “Coll” is interesting in that King Coel Hen (the Old) was the 4th century founder of the Royal Line of Dummonia. Dummonia is the kingdom that King Arthur is reported to have ruled.

A sacred well can be found at the top of the island crest, along with an underground passage which ends at a pool of water. Archaeologist have determined that this passage was used as a “cold storage” pit, but I believe that this is wrong. The site is located several hundred feet from the castle proper, and is confronted with the full fury of the winds that constantly sweep over the island. Most fortresses had storage rooms built within them, or closer to them, for easy access. The passage is instead obviously a ritual site that mimics the Earth Goddesses’ womb. The close connection between Tintagel and the Goddess is also evident in the two labyrinths carved in stone a few miles from Tintagel. These carvings have been dated to around 1400-1250 B.C.E. The mazes are identical to those found at Crete and among ancient Native American sites.

Below the castle ruins is a large cave with openings to the ocean and to a cove. Known as “Merlin’s Cave”, it is “typical” of those caves believed to be representative of the Earth Goddess and the mysteries of fertility. It is lined in quartz crystal and exudes a sense of high energy within its walls.

Just outside the cave entrance and running up the left side of the cliff is a natural rock sculpture of a face. Researcher Paul Broadhurst notes in his book, “Tintagel and the Arthurian Mythos”(2), that the face is that of Arthur. Upon closer examination curved rams horns are seen sprouting from the rock forehead. The castle builders added on to this image by building stone walls connecting to the natural horn structure. Is this a representation of Arthur? No. It is rather an ancient, primordial, visage of the Horned God, Cernunnos. Literature on the rock face is almost non-existent. The scant mention of the horned image in Broadhurst’ book ignores the horned image, and the accompanying photograph is devoid of the horns. Perhaps it is more advantageous to maintain local tradition than to discuss the alternative, but more obvious, meanings of the image.

The naturally constructed face is known as a simulacra (a natural object which looks like people, animals or deities) which are found throughout the world. According to Rickard and Michell, “these spontaneous images are often prominent in local folklore, and in times of pagan religion they were symbols of the gods and other characters of mythology. They give hints about the spiritual qualities…of the country around them. Certain spots on earth are seen…as ‘generation centres’…because they are spots where nature seems to manifest the prototypes of Creation”. (3)

The sense of wonder that one has when seeing such a marvel is profound. But are these simply natural oddities? I don’t believe so. I believe that these are direct links to Gaia, which indicate just how close to nature we once were, and how close we can again become. The face at Tintagel has been there for eons and is a reminder that the Horned God is still with us, watching over the wildlands.

The people of ancient Britain acknowledged the sacred power held at Tintagel and the areas around it by carving the labyrinths at Rocky Valley and digging the ritual cave at the top of Tintagel. If, in fact, this is the home of Arthur, what better place to build his castle. Arthur was a Pagan and worshipped the Old Gods. His teacher, Merlin, was a druid. The Face of Cernunnos, clearly sculptured on the side of the island by the forces of Nature, would give authority to the King who acted on behald of the Horned One. We can find that same sacred power where we live, wherever that is, if we but look and open our hearts and minds to it.

NOTES

1. Geoffrey Ashe. Arthurian Britain. Glastonbury: Gothic Image Publications, 1997, pg. 210

2. Paul Broadhurst. Tintagel and the Arthurian Mythos. Launceston: Pendragon Press, 1992, pg 158

3. Bob Rickard and John Michell. Unexplained Phenomena: Mysteries and Curiosities of Science, Folklore and Superstition. London: Rough Guides, Ltd., 2000, page 234

Source

Pic: Late Night Movie

How did Arthur leap onto the pages of Medieval Romances? His origins may, in fact, belong to the very foundations of religion and myth itself.Why Arthur became a national hero may actually rest with the very origins of myth and religion itself. To fully understand how these segments come together, one must look to the very foundation of mythical conscience – that is, with the Mother Goddess. Although she is called the “Mother Goddess” she is in reality Nature as prehistoric man understood it. The rise in prominence of a Nature goddess most certainly resulted from a common need to believe in the reassurance of a changing season, the continued procreation of the species and the growing and harvesting of the crops. This need seems to have erupted both spontaneously and independently in many prehistoric locations

The communality of the Mother Goddess belief system is, after all, based on basic fundamental fears and needs of an emerging Paleolithic/Neolithic society: This Nature Goddess was expressed by images first occurring in the caves of Lascoux in France, Altamira in Spain and later represented by any of “Venus” figures found throughout Europe.

Cosmic Water
By 4000 BC the Mother Goddess has been adopted into nearly every Neolithic settlement, changing little in appearance from her Paleolithic past. She is known to the Celts as Ceridwen (personified as Universal Nature, the mother of all productions), in Sumeria as Ma-ri-enna (“High fruitful Mother”); in Crete as Ariadne (“High Fruitful Barley-mother”), in Greece she has several titles the principal one being Demeter, in Asia Minor as Marian (Myrine, Ay-Mari, Marianne), Greece as Mariandyne. In Babylonia and Assyria she is also the goddess Ishtar (figure -); in Phoenicia she is Ashtoreth and in Persia she is the goddess Ardvi Sura Anathita, “…the strong undefiled waters, the source of all waters upon earth. She is the source of all fertility, purifying the seed of all males, sanctifying the womb of all females and purifying the milk in the mother’s breast. From her heavenly home she is the source of the cosmic ocean” [Hinnells 1973:32]. It was from this cosmic water that the earth goddess could hatch the universal egg – it was she who was responsible for the order of the universe. Not just responsible, but more specifically, she was the creator of the universe. Continue Reading »

Pic: Zach_Beauvais

The Shropshire Star reports that the huge archaeological and historic importance of the Iron Age hill fort at the summit of The Wrekin is threatened by controversial plans for a huge opencast coal mine. It reports: The future of Shropshire’s landmark hill, including controversial plans for a huge opencast coal mine, will come under the spotlight at a public meeting.

People will also have the chance to debate whether a new visitor centre should be built at The Wrekin or whether it should be left as it is. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-12-19 09:26:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: Celtic Twilight

The Mabinogion – regarded as the most important text in Welsh literature – has helped spawn everything from King Arthur to Lord of the Rings. And the medieval masterpiece, which was first translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, is widely thought to have been written by a man, perhaps a monk. But now academic Andrew Breeze has published a controversial new book arguing the most important parts of the tome were written by a woman reports Wales Online. He names her as the very well-connected Gwenllian. Born in 1097, she was the daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd and wife of Gruffudd ap Rhys, prince of Dyfed.

Oxbridge educated Dr Breeze, English lecturer at the University of Navarre, in Pamplona, believes the style of writing in The Mabinogion’s first four stories indicates they were the work of a female and that Gwenllian was perfectly positioned in history to be the scribe. Continue Reading »