Pic: Simon Welsh

Wales Online tells us : Generations of Aleds, Geraints and Gwenllians could be about to make way for a new brood of Sarans, Cynwyns and Trofanas. That’s the verdict of a new book which confirms that the recent trend for invented English names has migrated into the Welsh language. The celebrity trend for calling their children unusual names has seen the emergence of babies named Apple, Cruz and Princess Tiaamii

But as well as inventing their own names, Welsh parents have been dipping into ancient texts like the Mabinogion to give their offspring original monikers.

Publisher Y Lolfa has released an updated version of its book Welsh Names for Children after calling on the public to suggest new names for the book to reflect the latest trends.

Among the new names suggested were for boys are Eban, Manaw, Cynwyn and Eirwg, and for girls Saran, Nanw, Trofana, Eldeg and Dolgain.

Heini Gruffudd, the Swansea- born author of Welsh Names for Children, said there are approximately 2,000 Welsh names in the book.

And he said there is a trend now for names that would not have been considered previously.

“These include names connected with Welsh mythology, for example, Cai, one of Arthur’s knights,” he said.

“And names based on nature, such as Seren (star) which is now very popular. Blodeuwedd and Cêt, Dylan and Jac sit very happily together.

“And some Welsh names are very popular in America, such as Dylan, possibly as a result of Bob Dylan.”

He said it was rare to give children Welsh names a century ago but they have become more popular since the 1960s.

“Parents are now choosing names that are part of our history and mythology, our land and religion,” he said.

“Add to these, names which are connected with literature, those from the natural world and foreign names that have been Cymricised and you will see that we have a wealth of them.”

While compiling the book, Mr Gruffudd read the Mabinogion, the collection of Welsh folk tales dating from around 1100.

And he studied the work of the late Peter Clement Bartrum, a genealogist whose magnum opus was the 26-volume Welsh Genealogies AD300 to 1400 and Welsh Genealogies AD1400 to 1500.

Bartrum spent most of his career as a meteorologist in the Colonial Service in Bermuda and West Africa but learned to read Welsh to understand the medieval manuscripts in which the descent of prominent families is set out.

“Bartrum recorded a huge collection of Welsh names from history, mythology and the Saints,” said Mr Gruffudd

“Names from history and mythology give us a connection with our past and a specific identity in a globalised world.

“They also give Welsh people a different identity in a British context, in a period that has seen a growth in Welsh national consciousness and the development of a separate Welsh national identity.”

He said explaining names can be difficult because meaning can seem obvious but the origin can be from different elements, which are sometimes foreign.

“We have however, attempted to explain most names and link names with famous people, or geographic features.

“My favourite name is Gwenllian, she fought and died in a battle in the 12th century defending Kidwelly against the English in Carmarthenshire, when her husband was away fighting up north.

“And my son is Gwydion, named after a Welsh magician who is mentioned in the Mabinogion and made Blodeuedd out of flowers.”

Source

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Pic: bigcagwell

The Falkirk Herald reports that around 9000 years ago the first humans set foot in Falkirk. Since then Bronze Age settlers and the Romans are among the many cultures to have left their mark on the area. The clues to their existence are everywhere.

They can be found beneath the ground we walk on and across the local landscape. Park your car at The Falkirk Wheel (pictured above) and you are actually on top of an Iron Age settlement.

Those responsible for discovering, analysing and documenting these finds are people like Geoff Bailey.

Since 1984, Geoff has been Falkirk Council’s archaeologist and keeper of local history.

For many, archaeology will conjure up the image of cinema icon Indiana Jones, but it was not the exploits of a fictional film character which sparked off Geoff’s childhood interest. He said:

This year, when someone was getting a conservatory built in Laurieston, near where the annex of the Roman fort would have been, an iron smelting furnace was found. At another dig in Laurieston along the back of the Antonine Wall, we found a gully with Roman pottery and ramparts.

Then through the back of the Howgate Shopping Centre, an investigation into the north ditch of the Roman fort means we now know that it was two acres in size and not one of the smaller ones. Despite the heavy Roman influence, there has been plenty other antiquities uncovered – including those from the Bronze, Neolithic, Medieval and Dark Ages.

One that Geoff found particularly memorable took place during an excavation at Callendar Business Park. He explained:

It was probably the most significant in terms of the artefacts we found. We found an 80ft long timber hall which dates back to 981 AD, which was the Viking Age. It was also unique for the fact it was a combination of the Northern Pictish and Anglian architecture – which again makes it very interesting.

And while archaeological methods may be becoming more scientific you never know what you might find by simply going for a stroll in Falkirk.

Read the full article at the Falkirk Herald.

Originally posted 2008-11-20 09:31:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The story of Niall of the Nine Hostages is already the stuff of legend, which has been passed on to countless Irish schoolchildren over the years.

The supposedly fearless leader battled the English, the Scots, the French and even the Romans, and struck fear into the heart of his enemies. His dynasty lasted for centuries, continuing up until the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland at the end of the 16th century. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-04-28 09:00:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: night86mare

Wales Online reports that Welsh geologist Dr Herbert Thomas was the man who invented the “human transport myth”. For many years he worked for the Geological Survey in Wales, and he was official petrographer to King George V. He died in 1935.

Prof Richard Atkinson was Professor of Archaeology at Cardiff University between 1958 and 1983. He was a highly influential figure in British archaeology, and in his book “Stonehenge” he enthusiastically promoted the idea that both the sarsen stones and the bluestones had been hauled great distances by the builders of the monument.

Prof Geoffrey Wainwright is from the Tenby area and is president of the Society of Antiquaries. He was chief archaeologist at English Heritage and is still chairman of Wessex Archaeology. He is one of the originators of the “healing stones” theory which was enthusiastically promoted in a recent BBC Timewatch documentary.

Scientists in Wales who have contributed to the greater understanding of the Irish Sea Glacier and its eastern extent are Prof Nick Stephens of Swansea University, Dr Alun Hubbard of Aberystwyth University and Prof David Bowen of Cardiff University.

[Source]

Originally posted 2009-01-14 09:40:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A rationalist and historical version of the legends, that omits both Merlin and Lancelot, these books are exceedingly well written. Helen Hollick was born 1953 in Walthamstow, North East London. When she came of age to seek employment she had always yearned to be a journalist, but her careers advice was unhelpful. You can’t be a journalist she was told, you can’t type. Instead she ended up working in a library. The one advantage of working there was that she had access to lots of books. By the time she was married with a young daughter she found she had time to begin writing herself and began to put down on paper her own thoughts of Arthurian Britain.

In her own words the author stated that she made a conscious decision to leave Merlin and Lancelot out of the books. There was to be no magic or myths in the book. What she did not know was that her writings on the subject would not just fill one book, but three.

The Kingmaking – Book 1

In this first volume of what promises to be a monumental historical trilogy, rookie British author Hollick depicts Arthur”s rise from A.D. 450, when he was a 15-year-old boy of hidden parentage, to A.D. 457, when he took his place as the King Arthur of legend. The story combines private emotions and public statecraft as marriages, alliances and enemies are made and unmade to suit the politics of the era. Hollick mixes elements from fifth-century history, myth, early romances, contemporary fantasy and other novels about Arthur, adding her own inventions for good measure. The treatment of Gwenhwyfar and her love for Arthur (depicted here as star-crossed even without Lancelot’s help) is especially vivid. Though the novel contains no supernatural aspects, with its exotic setting, passionate characters and epic battles and intrigue, it still should appeal to the fantasy fans to whom most Arthurian adventures are addressed. The language, too, is influenced by genre fantasy, especially in its dramatic descriptions and reliance on archaisms; but this big-hearted novel’s historical speculations alone should make it of interest to the non-fantasy reader as well.

Amazon

Pendragon’s Banner – Book 2

The second in the “Pendragon’s Banner” trilogy, a retelling of thestory of King Arthur. The newly-crowned king of Britain stands with Gwenhwyfar, his queen, at his side. There are hard times ahead for both of them, not least because Arthur has failed to deal decisively with certain old enemies.

Amazon

Shadow of the King – Book 3

Arthur is dead. His widow, Gwenhwyfar, left at Caer Cadan with their small daughter, faces overthrow by the powerful council headed byArthur”s uncle. But, unknown to her, events in France and Germany mean that a far mightier battle lies ahead. This is the third volume in the “Pendragon’s Banner” trilogy.

Amazon

Originally posted 2008-03-19 18:36:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Scottish Gown Pic: MDV Weddings

In the last part of our series on Scottish Wedding customs courtesy of Scot Clans Weddings, we continue on the subject of Wedding Preparations. Preparation The Wedding Sark The ‘Wedding Sark’ was a gift from bride to bridegroom of the wedding shirt. The groom in turn was to pay for her wedding dress. The Providan Before the marriage took place the young women were busy getting the future bride’s ‘providen’ ready for her future home. One or more days were given to the ‘Thiggan’ of wool from her friends and neighbours.

The Feet Washing

On the night before the wedding, or sometimes the Contrack night, friends and family would gather at one of the parents houses to celebrate the upcomming marriage. The food was plain, perhaps some dried fish and tatties, and there was much teasing and merriment. Part of the night’s entertainment was the ‘feet washing,’ where the bride’s shoes and stockings were removed and her feet washed, when clean her feet were then smeared in soot or shoe blackening. The victim always struggled but in the end always succumbed. To this day young men on their stag nights are often given a similar treatment.

The Wedding Invites or ‘The Biddin’

‘The Biddin’ was when virtually the whole community were given a spoken invitation to attend the wedding. This was done by the best man and maid, and the worst man and the worst maid.

The Wedding Clothes

After ‘The Biddin’ the wedding clothes were chosen, the bride was more likely to choose a coloured dress than the now traditional white one. Popular in past times was a Paisley Shawl or a Paisley patterned dress.

The bride was usually dressed by her maids and every article of dress must be new. The bridal dress was on no account be worn before it was required. Something borrowed must be worn; a ring was accounted of the most virtue.

So goes the saying: ‘Something old something new, something borrowed something blue’.

Signs and Omens

There were many signs and omens and customs which had to be attended to before marriage. On no account must the bride and groom meet on the marriage day till they meet on the bride-stool. Such a meeting would have brought on a series of calamities.

Wedding Ceremonial

Old style marriage was a community affair. Sometimes the population of a fishing village, sometimes the inhabitants of a rural district. Marriage was a ceremony with which all were concerned. The wedding was a day of public celebration. It would appear that in the customs of the Germanic peoples (Anglo-Saxon) who came to be the dominant cultural group in Lowland Scotland, marriage had three separate components:

The first of these was the ‘bewedding’ where ‘weds’ (Old English ‘weddian’ = to pledge, Germanic, ‘wadhjam’ = a pledge) or surety was given by the bridegroom to the bride’s father in the form of pledges or gifts. To recognise that this had taken place to everyone’s agreement pierced stones (rings) were exchange.

The second component was the giving away of the bride to the bridegroom by the bride’s father. This was conducted as a separate ceremony and was concluded by ‘hand-faestung’ – the joining of hands to seal the contract.

The third part of the marriage was the bridal (Old English ‘bryd ealu’ = brides ale drinking).

Wedding Line-up

There is a common misconception that handfasting was a trial marriage this was not the case. Until 1940 in Scottish Civil Law contract by consent constituted a valid marriage as did marriage by habit and repute. There were however early enactments which tried to force handfast marriages to be regularised in Church.

In the North East of Scotland up until the end of the 19th Century the following custom prevailed. The day would begin by the arrival of the guests at an early hour, those invited by the bride at her home and those invited by the bridegroom at his. Breakfast would be served consisting of oatmeal porridge. After breakfast it was not unusual for all to join in dancing till the hour of going to church came. At the appointed time, if the marriage was to be in the Kirk, two men called ‘sens’ were dispatched from the house of the bridegroom to demand the bride. On making their appearance a volley of fire-arms met them. When they came up to the door of the brides’ home they asked;
“Does (Jenny) bide here?”
“Aye, what dae ye want wi her?”
“We want her for (Jock)”
“Bit ye winna get her’,
“Bit we’ll tak her’.
“Will ye come in, an taste a moothfu o’a dram till we see about it?’

And so the sens entered the house and get possession of the bride.

The Bridal – Or The Penny Wedding

In Lowland Scotland the celebration of the union of man and woman has always been attended by a ‘bridal’. This is an old Anglo Saxon word and consists of two words co-joined; BRYD meaning bride or woman and EALO meaning ale or beer. Thus the bridal is a brides drinking party.

In the past Lowland Scots weddings were called ‘Penny Bridals’ or ‘Siller Bridals’. There is a great deal of information on them gathered by folklore researchers in the 18th and 19th Centuries. It is difficult to say when Penny Bridals began. They were certainly the most important occasions for singing, dancing and festivities and were immensely popular. They were attended by whole communities, as many as two hundred participants being not uncommon. It seems that invitations, although given were not specifically required and everyone attending was expected to contribute, hence the name ‘Penny Bridal’.

The bridal would be held in a barn when the marriage was at the farm. In villages the guests were at times divided into parties and feast spread over several houses. Sometimes a ‘change house’ or inn would be used and if the weather were amenable the event would be held on ‘the green’.

The custom at a bridal was to treat everyone as equal and no-one was turned away. At the feast the bride was placed at the seat of honour, the head of the table. The guests arranged themselves according to their fancy. The bridegroom did not take his seat at the table. His duty was to serve and look after the guests.

Food

By the standards of the time the feast was abundant. The first course would be milk broth made of barley; the second, barley broth made from beef mutton or fowls; the third course consisted of rounds of beef, legs of mutton and fowls by the dozen served with loaves and oatcakes. Last came the puddings swimming in cream. Home brewed ale flowed in abundance from first to last. When the tables were cleared big bottles of whisky were brought in and punch made up from them in wooden punch bowls. The cups were filled and handed round and the toasting commenced. First the health of the bride and groom was proposed. Round after round were drunk, each to a toast or sentiment. This would be the time to begin the singing. Songs humorous, bawdy, cautionary and moral.

The Beddan

The beddan was the closing event. The bride would attempt to retire but as soon as she was missed there would be a general rush to the bridal chamber, which was burst open and filled in an instant to perform the ceremony of ‘Beddin the Bride’. After the bride was put into bed a bottle of whisky and some bread and cheese was handed to her. She gave each a dram and a piece of bread and cheese. Her left stocking was then taken off and she had to throw it over her left shoulder amongst the guests. It was then fought for by those in the room. The one who won was to be the first of that company to be married next. This practice must be forerunner of the tradition of the bride throwing her bouquet.

Gretna Green

Gretna Green is famed the world over for it’s association with eloping couples and romantic weddings, but the reasons for it’s fame are less to do with Scotland and more to do with the formerly more onerous English Laws of marriage. Because of many abuses of marriage in England by bigamists and opportunists seducing young wealthy girls the Church and aristocratic establishment persuaded the Law Lords of England to formalise and control those ‘irregular’ marriages.

Lord Hardwick’s Marriage Act of 1754 made several new regulations. Amongst the most significant were that if a couple wished to marry they not only had to marry in Church, but also had to be over 21 unless they had the consent of their parents. Lord Hardwicks Act did not apply in Scotland where the legal age was (and still is) 16. A legal and binding marriage could be made in Scotland by declaring before two witnesses. The result, when the Act came into force, was the immediate flight of young lovers who wished to be married against their parents wishes to Scotland. And Gretna, along with Lamberton and Coldstream became favoured locations for these quick marriages.

Thanks again to Scot Clans Weddings for their information: Scottish Wedding Resource for traditional and modern scottish weddings. Help in all aspects from buying kilt outfits to decorations – all their products are made in Scotland.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Descripition Page.

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.

Pic: Faerie Cara

June 24th is International Faerie day for all faerie believers, lovers, collectors and mischief makers. Flash your inner faerie this day and perform a random act of faerie kindness or a random act of faerie mischief- depending on what tickles your glistening wings.

Wear wings to work, sprinkle magic where least expected, bake treats for friends, tie your bosses shoelaces, jump in puddles, plant a tree, release your enchanting music or lead a human hand in hand to the waters and the wild.

Invite guests from all corners of the world. Let’s unite the faerie communities in laughter and play on this extra magical uniting day.

International faerie day was first created by fae artist Jessica Galbreth.

This holiday is for everyone who believes in the magic of fairytales. It is for those imaginative souls who dare to dream impossible dreams. It is for the children of the world, wide eyed and open to the magic that surrounds them. It is for adults too, who long to capture a bit of that magic they remember from thier own childhood.

You can find the Facebook group of Eco-Faeries to learn more.

Scottish Wedding Pic: MDV Weddings

This  is  the follow-on post about Scottish Weddding customs couresy of Scot Clans Weddings. Coortin Tocher or Dowry The offer of material wealth as an aid to courtship is found in several old songs such as:

JOCKEY SAID TO JENNY
Jocky said to Jenny, Jenny wilt thou do it?
Ne’er a fit quo Jenny, for a my tocher good
For a my tocher good, I winna marry thee
E’ens ye like quo Jocky, ye may let it be
I hae gowd and gear, I hae land enough
I hae seven good owsen ganging in a pleugh
Ganging in a pleugh and linking ower the lee
And gin ye winna tak me I can let ye be.

Pledges or sutries and the luckenbooth

To formalise the promise of marriage or betrothal an exchange of love tokens was given. This was usually silver, and something like a divided sixpence or in the poorer class by the exchange of spoons. The idea of silver as a betrothal token was taken a step further in the late 17th Century by the introduction of Luckenbooth Brooches. These were small in size and were principally made of silver, frequently engraved and occasionally enriched with garnets, crystals and coloured glass. They derived their name from the Luckenbooths, a narrow range of buildings close to St Giles Church in Edinburgh where many of the jewellers and silversmiths of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries had their booths. The Luckenbooth Brooch took on the form of two hearts intertwined. This custom pathed the way for the giving of engagement rings in the 19th Century. Luckenbooths are also pinned to a babies shawl to give good luck.

The Luckenbooths

Handfasting

Trial marriages are not a new invention. To the couple unsure of their compatability, the old custom of handfasting proved popular. Handfasting has a long tradition, being traced back to the 1500s. In its earliest form it was like an engagement, an expressed intention of becoming man and wife by the physical act of placing ‘hands on fist’. From that it developed into a trial marriage which was to last for one year and one day. When that time was up the couple were then obliged to get married properly or to make the decision to go their separate ways, no stigma being attached.There is a practical reason for handfasting. A lot of Scottish communities were based on crofting and fishing. There was a need for wives to produce sons to help with the work. Handfasting allowed an exploration of fertility. Any child produced during the handfasting time was considered legitimate. If the marriage did not go ahead it looked like the child became the responsibility of the partner opposing the marriage.

Carrot Sunday or Dumhnach Curran

The wild carrot has long borne a symbolic reputation for human fruitfulness in the Gaelic world and, in the West Highlands particularly, the Sunday before St Michael’s Day, which falls on 29 September, was known as Carrot Sunday, or Dumhnach Curran. On that day girls would present their intended husbands small bunches of carrots tied with a red ribbon. When St Michael’s Day arrived, it was given over to dances and celebrations.

Preparation

Choosing The Day

The time chosen for the marriage was important. June has always been the most popular and May was a month to be avoided as the proverb ‘Marry in May and rue the day.’ The moon was also an important consideration, it was a good omen if it was increasing in size, while a waning moon is a bad omen for the bride’s future happiness:

A growing moon and a flowing tide
Fortune smiles on a happy bride.

The marriage day was usually a weekday, rarely a Saturday and never on the Sabbath. The choices have been put into verse are contradictory, as the following will show:

Monday for health / Monday for wealth
Tuesday for wealth / Tuesday for health
Wednesday best day at all / Wednesday no luck at all
Thursday for curses
Friday for crosses / Friday for losses
Saturday no luck at all / Saturday best day of all

The Biddin and The Banns

When the date of the marriage was fixed, it was and still is necessary to put in the banns or ‘the notification to the minister to proclaim banns of marriage. This was variously called ‘the Contrack night’ or ‘the beuckin night’. The bridegroom, if at all possible, presented himself at the home of the bride along with a few friends. Accompanied by the brides father or other relative, the young man went to the session clerk to give in the name, for proclamation or as it was called ‘to lay down the pawns’.

An intended marriage would be announced informally by the local children singing the following:

Braw news is come to town
Braw news is carried
Braw news is come to town
Jennys to be married

First she got the kail pot
Syne she got the ladle
Syne she got a dainty wean
And syne she got a cradle

We give grateful thanks to Scot Clans Weddings for this information and urge you to consider their site for your own wedding needs. You can read more from these wonderful folks later in our schedule.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Descripition Page.

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.

Professional storyteller Mike Mann Pic: Randy C. Bunney

Once again we would like to thank the Irish and Cultural Society of the Garden City Area for allowing us to share this article with you. The first article in this series reported on the scholarly work of Antli Aarne and Steth Thompson who identified types of international folk tales in The Types of the Folktale and on the work of O’Suilleabhain and Christiansen who published The Types of Irish Folktales which identifies 43,000 versions of several hundred international tale types. This essay will discuss some of these types in relation to Irish storytelling.

The most popular type of story in the Irish tradition for both the teller and the listener is the story with a religious theme. These stories have a distinct medieval flavor, along with a mixture of pre-Christian and Christian motifs. According to Sean O’Sullivan, Irish folklorist, many of these stories centered around “severe penances” imposed on or by a priest, either voluntarily (to save parents from hell, for example) or to prove innocence and escape from the clutches of the devil. As would be expected, the “miraculous” powers of the priest show up in these stories. For example, a priest causes rain to fall in a time of drought, or he changes meat into fish when fish is offered to him on Friday, or he restores the dead to life, or he proves an evil landlord is in hell. The last example is similar to the tale I was told when I was growing up in County Westmeath . The local priest, the story goes, announced from the altar that the father of a family he had a difference with was “burning in the flames of hell.” Called upon by the man’s family and the local bishop, the priest went to the man’s house and called forth his “spirit.” The man did appear and announced that he was in hell and suffering.

The devil has a prominent role in many of these stories. Many times the devil appears as a tempter or temptress or as having some human in his power. In most cases, the devil is stopped either by a priest or by the innocence and trust in God of the victim and the devil is banished in a “blaze of sulphurous fire.” Satan may consume the body of the victim, but the victim’s soul is saved.

Journeys to the next world with visions of heaven, purgatory, or hell are the settings for many folk tales. Heaven has beautiful gardens with fruits and flowers, heavenly music, fine foods and great beds! In purgatory, souls awaiting their entrance into heaven perform labors that will atone for their sins. For example, a man who defrauded one of his workers is shown as an ass drawing heavy loads. In purgatory, time may be spent seeking shelter in inclement weather under bushes or in some cold, wet place or in a narrow, confined place such as between the bark of a tree and its wood.

Hell is often described as having a room specifically reserved for a certain person. The devil might live like any other “man-of-the-house” and have problems with his family and servants. Judgment scenes are part of these stories where the good and bad deeds of someone who dies are weighed. A crumb of bread given in alms may tip the scales in a person’s favor. There are many stories too where the dead return to give an account of how they have fared beyond the grave, telling of some good deed that gained them heaven or of some sin, great or small, for which they had to atone.

The power of innocence and its reward are the themes in many of these stories: the simple boy, rather than the “exalted contenders,” is chosen as bishop or Pope; a boy talks with the Lord in a holy picture and is invited to a heavenly banquet; a simple girl who prays before going to bed is protected by angels.

Other stories emphasize the power and value of prayer. For example, there is the old woman whose simple trust in God overcomes the power of the devil. I think of my own mother, who has had great trust and belief in the power of prayer all her life. Miraculous occurrences abound in these tales: food is provided for a starving family who gave its food to others; a crop of oats grows from chaff; stones are turned into potatoes; and children who have died are found alive and healed.

The “animal tale” is one of the oldest types in the storytelling tradition. These stories are usually short, consisting of one or two episodes and having a specific theme. One purpose of these stories is to explain certain animal characteristics, for example, why sheep have wool while goats have hair, or why dogs like to be outdoors while cats seek the comfort of the home. Quite common in the Irish tradition are stories about how the wren became king of the birds or how the plaice got its crooked mouth. Most popular of all are stories about the clever fox. In these stories the fox usually outwits the unimaginative wolf and on some occasions, human beings. At other times, the fox may be fooled by an equally clever bird that he desires to eat but who escapes. “Rivalry and the interplay of wits thus lead to humorous situations, and variety is provided by the many actors who figure into the tales: cat, mouse, dog, ass, bullock, hare, wren, eagle, goose, crow, cuckoo, thrush, sparrow, magpie, scoldcrow, crane, duck and seagull.” (Folktales of Ireland edited by Sean O’Sullivan).

The figures of Fionn macCumhaill and his Fianna and Cu Chulainin dominate the “mythological” aspects of the Irish storytelling tradition. Fionn and his warriors were involved in fighting for and defending Ireland against invaders. These stories involve the figures of Oisin, Fionn’s son; Oscar, his grandson; Gall macMorna and his brother Conan Maol; and Diamid O’Duibhne. The exploits of Fionn and his men seem to have a great interest for storytellers because, despite the magical content of the tales, they belong to a fairly recognizable world. Fionn as a hero, according to O’Sullivan, never reached the godlike stature of Cu Chulainin. The most popular stories in the Fenian Cycle are the stories of Fionn’s youth and the pursuit of Diarmid and Grainne.

In the tales, romances and legends of the Ulster Cycle, Conchobhar, king of Ulster ; Cu Chulainin, his son; Conlaoch; Conall Cearnach; and Deirdre and the sons of Uisneach play prominent roles. It is the oldest cycle of tales in Irish literature, and we know the stories are set in the early days of the Christian era. The most popular stories in the cycle are about Cu Chulainin’s “interesting” birth (born while his mother is racing against a horse), and about Deirdre and the sorrowful tale of the Sons of Uisneach.

Along with the Fionn and Cu Chulainin tales are other “Irish Hero” tales which were popular among storytellers in both Gaelic-speaking Ireland and in Scotland . Many of these tales were difficult to tell as they involved the use of difficult “rhetorics” (skills in effective use of speech) or “runes” as well as themes of a magical nature. We know there were storytellers who could tell, literally, for three to four hours straight, a very long story like “The Cattle Raid of Cooley.” Among the most popular of these tales are “The Everlasting Fight,” “The Sad Knight Without a Laugh,” and “Conall Gulban.”

A close relative of the “Hero” tales are the “Tales of Magic.” Of the four hundred and fifty types of tales listed by Aame-Thompson in their work, one-third of the “Tales of Magic” have been recorded in Ireland . In these stories almost anything imaginable can happen and the “fairies” and “leprechauns” play a significant role. There are even Irish versions of very familiar “fairy tales,” such as “Cinderella and the Cup o’Rushes.”

Another category is “Tales of the Stupid Ogre.” As its title suggests, stories in this category describe ways in which the ogre (in Irish versions, usually a giant) is fooled and outsmarted by his smaller human opponent. The plots may involve situations where there is a partnership between them or a contest of strength (squeezing a stone or throwing a hammer) or in racing or eating (the hero wins by using a sack as a false stomach).

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(Written by Jim Hawkins, September 2000)
© Irish Cultural Society of the Garden City Area

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Dr Paul Wilkinson, who heads the dig, said the settlement was one of the most important finds of its kind in Kent.

It’s significant because it’s a Germanic establishment. The boat shape gives the game away to us

he said.

The only boat-shaped buildings are from what’s now Germany and outside the Roman Empire as such.

Archaeologists from Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company do not expect to find many artefacts at the site but believe they can discover how its inhabitants lived.

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Originally posted 2009-07-11 07:41:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter