Alan Pickard Pic: Manx Radio

Manx Radio reports that Alan Pickard, one of the leading figures in Manx Celtic Music has passed away. They say: ‘A Manxman who inspired generations’, is one of the tributes which have been paid to Alan Pickard who has died at the age of 69.

The former Department of Education music adviser passed away at his home in Port St Mary on Saturday.

He leaves a wife, Avril, and a family.

His service to music spanned his whole working life, whether playing, examining or teaching, including roles at Ramsey Grammar School, Gresham’s School in Norfolk, Castle Rushen High School and as a senior lecturer in music at St Martin’s College, Lancaster.

But he is best known for his work during a 17-year spell as head of the Island’s music service.

Close friend and long-time colleague Bernard Osborne says thousands of people will remember Mr Pickard’s charisma and immeasurable contribution to music education in the Isle of Man, and further afield.

You can read this article and hear further related Audio material on the Manx Radio website.

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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: Warwick University

A 2000-year-old painted statue is being restored to her original glory by scientists from WMG at the University of Warwick, the University of Southampton, and the Herculaneum Conservation Project reports Eurekalert. The Roman statue was discovered by the Herculaneum Conservation Project in the ancient ruins of Herculaneum, a town preserved in the same eruption that buried nearby Pompeii in AD 79. It is thought to represent a wounded Amazon warrior, complete with painted hair and eyes preserved by the ash that buried the town.

Archaeologists at the University of Southampton and the Herculaneum Conservation Project contacted WMG after hearing about the Group’s expertise in three key technologies: high resolution laser scanning, rapid prototyping and ultra-realistic computer graphics. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-06-12 08:11:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Sodabread Pic: veeighty8

Michael Williams from This is Cornwall writes superbly about some of the superstitions he has observed in Cornwall, starting from his own Grandmother, who lived in St. Austell who believed that the vast majority of Cornish people are superstitious, stemming from their Celtic background. She explained to him that many West Country housewives of her generation when baking made a cross on the dough in setting it to rise – the old folk were sure this protected them from any dark influences. She also warned him about the perils of walking on graves in graveyards.

He goes on to say:-

An old fisherman at Looe had something enlightening to say on the same animal: “If a black cat came on board your boat, especially if the cat came of its own accord, then that was considered a good omen.”

And apparently, in the old days, many fishermen’s wives kept a black cat as a pet in the hope this ensured their husbands returned home safely from sea.

As for dogs, Joan Rendell has some interesting theories: “If a strange dog comes to your house, that indicates a new friendship will be forged.

And if you meet a spotted dog like a Dalmatian on your way to a business appointment then things will go well for you.”

Returning to the positive, a farmer of the old school once offered this piece of advice: “If you are buying a cock for your poultry run, then choose a white cock rather than a black one. A white cock will bring good luck and protect that farm or homestead.”

Wild birds have long featured in the realm of fate and fortune. Sonia and I feed an increasing number in our cottage garden on the shoulder of this green-brown valley.

The best loved of them all has to be the robin and dire are the omens for anyone who injures or kills a robin. The robin too has long been regarded as “sacred” to the household gods, and William Blake spoke the truth when he wrote in his poem Auguries Of Innocence:

“A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.”

Moving out on to the landscape a whole range of superstition surrounds our trees. The Celts and the Druids believed the oak had magical qualities and bad luck would be the result for anyone who chopped it down.

In pagan times a marriage was often celebrated under an oak and for the bride and groom to embrace and dance under the tree was considered lucky. And where does the humble carrot fit into our catalogue of superstition?

The idea that eating carrots is good for our eyesight has been in vogue for generations and, at a time when we have recently been remembering the heroic efforts of the RAF in the second war, it’s interesting to reflect the Ministry of Information then publicised the fact that British pilots were on a carrot diet thereby improving their night flying.

But in reality the success rate of the RAF at night was largely reinforced by the invention of radar: the carrot propaganda a cover.

Read the full article at This is Cornwall for many more such superstitions that Michael has superbly written about.

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.

The following report was made by the Scotsman back in 2008 when the Burnt Mound at Bressay was under threat of destruction by the forces of ersosion. It was a remarkable and highly educational task to reconstruct the burnt mound where it now stands along with its visitor centre and the above video was taken on the day of the Centre’s opening.

The Scotsman reported that a Bronze Age structure thought to have been used as a sauna has been saved from destruction by the sea after a team of archaeologists moved the entire find to a safer location.

But earlier this summer, because of the increased threat of coastal erosion, local historians joined archaeologists to launch a campaign to save the building and to move it somewhere safer. A third of the mound had already been lost to sea erosion.

The central structure was carefully dismantled and each stone numbered before being moved to a site a mile way next to Bressay Heritage Centre.

And today, following the completion of the unusual removal scheme, the Bronze Age building will be officially opened at its new location by Tavish Scott, the MSP for Shetland.

Douglas Coutts, the project officer with Bressay History Group, said the structure was one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made in the Northern Isles.

The building was hidden in a mound of burnt stones and is thought to have been used for feasts, baths or even saunas.

The structure comprises a series of dry-stone, walled cells, connected by two corridors. At the end of one corridor is a hearth cell, thought to have been used for heating stones, and at the other end is a tank sunk into the ground which is almost two metres long, more than a metre wide, and half a metre deep.

Mr Coutts said:

“Burnt mounds don’t usually consist of very much more than a hearth and a tank and a heap of burnt stones. But in Shetland, we seem to have much more complex structures with little rooms or cells leading off from a main passageway which connects the hearth and tank.

“We have approximately 300 burnt mounds on Shetland but only four or five have been excavated and, of those, the Cruester mound is the most fascinating and complex. It looks as if it has been in use for anything between 500 to 1,000 years.”

He added:

“We think these cells may have originally been roofed over in a beehive shape.

“One theory is that these structures may have been used for cooking meat or tanning hides.

“But it is possible they could have raised steam by heating the water and that these little cells could have been used as saunas.”

Tom Dawson, a researcher at St Andrews University who also worked on the removal project, said coastal erosion was threatening thousands of archaeological sites around Scotland. He said:

“The local group here came up with a novel idea for dealing with the problem,”

“It is great to have had the chance to give new life to this particular site and make it accessible to future generations, while also learning something new, not just about Cruester, but about burnt mounds in general.

“This structure is important in world terms. There are thousands of burnt mounds in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia but only a handful are known to have structures within them.”

Mr Scott praised the partnership between the local history group and outside archaeological bodies.

He said:

“This exhibition will be a great asset for visitors to Bressay and local people. The more we understand about the past, the better informed we are about the future.”

[Source]

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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: BBC

BBC Scotland reports that more than 90 letters written by Robert Burns are to be published online in the run up to the opening of a £21m museum celebrating the poet’s life and work. The conservation charity, The National Trust for Scotland (NTS), has set up the site www.burnsletters.wordpress.com to display the correspondence.

Material will be posted until the Burns Birthplace Museum opens in July 2010. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-01-11 09:49:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Eco-Fairies Poster Pic: Eco-Fairies

The Eco-Faeries believe that: Through education we move towards positive change within individuals and the greater global community. Events are invaded by Eco Faeries to bring education and positive energy wherever possible. From the Eco Faerie  marquee activity tent to roving shenanigans- the eco faeries have become reputable party shakers. Community events, festivals and functions are a regular hang out for the wild faeries.

4th annual Eco Faerie festival

This Sunday 27th March is the 4th annual Eco Faerie festival held at Cityfarm East Perth from 10-3pm.

A solid line up of artists, workshop presenters, art installations, medieval folk, market stalls, faerie entertainers and sustainability gurus. Find the timetable attached.

Entry is $5 with funds going towards Cityfarm community.
All workshops and activities are free!

Make sure you bring three items of unwanted clothing to exchange at the community clothing exchange.

This is our biggest line up or presenters yet. Have a day out with friends and family. Enjoy an organic snack from the Cityfarm cafe or bring your own lunch to eat inside the gardens of Cityfarm.

From next week… Eco Faeries are facilitating community gatherings on Thursday evening at the Henderson Environmental Centre situated at the end of Groat Street, North Beach, within Star Swamp Reserve. 7.30-9.30pm
Pay by donation.

Upcoming topics-

March 31^st Acrobalance with Mark Bently

14^th April storytelling workshop for adults with Kitsisi

April 28^th adults only evening with sexologist Claire Litton- looking inwards, awareness of your sexual side

May 12^th upcycling with Lafee Verte- Bring your old t-shirt or leggings and turn them into something spectacular

May 19^th bellydance with Faerie Cara

May 26^th Creative Goddess workshop with Shannon Bush

June 9^th Raw Food Living with Casey Loraine

June 16^th World of wellness with a Chinese Medicine practitioner, Ayurvedia practitioner and naturopath

For more information head to www.ecofaeries.com

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.

Writing Today Pic: The Study Gurus

When it comes to writing about the Ancient Celts, we can expect works of Fiction or works of Non-Fiction. But when it comes to Non-Fiction, there are many different ways to write and we’ll try and take a look at some of them here. They range from the true scholarly paper, to the conjectural piece of the type that you’ll see among these pages. As we have just written some Submission Guidelines for Authors, Musicians and other artists to both our website and the Podshow.

Scientific Work

Sources

The first thing that is essential to any writer who attempts to make a contribution to the body of knowledge that we have about the Celts is to quote sources. Nobody expects you to re-invent the wheel and some exceptional work has already been done. We stand on the shoulder so giants when we search for new meanings! Then if someone wants to follow your argument back and pick it up a a point further back in the logic, they can do so. It is quite normal and expected to quote your sources.

Research

The additional form of writing that falls within the realm of true science is that of research. In an article of this nature, it is normal to link to the sources of the data you have used t reach your conclusions. So, once again it is criticxal to quote your sources.

Speculative Work

Mosat of the work we encounter within this field falls within the realm of conjecture, even if that conjecture is based upon hard, solid research that has already taken place. The general principle here is to quote your sources where you can and then note which of the following categories of speculation your article falls into. Here we must thank Kaatryn MacMorgan, in her book Wicca 333: Advanced Topics in Wiccan Belief, for being amongst the first to try and codify the nature of inspiration, Awen or Gnosis.

She first came up with the term, Unverifed Personal Gnosis (UPG). The origin of this term seems to lie within those Reconstructionist groups that are attempting to re-construct the ancient religion of our fore-bears. It is also known as “Personal Revelation”. As much of the work of Religious Reconstructionism involves exploring the inner realms of your own being, it has become necessary to define the difference between what comes as a form of revelation from these depths, what is a form of inspiration and when is just an idea. UPG is also related to SPG, or Shared Personal Gnosis which indeicates a mystical vision shared by a number of unrelated people, preferably, one aimed at independently of one another.

Wicca 333 Pic: Amazon

Lastly, there is Confirmed Gnosis, or CG which indicates that the substantiatingt evidence for an incidence of UPG or SPG has later been found in lore. This is also sometimes referred to as CPG or Confirmed Personal Gnosis.

Inspiration or Awen/Ai/Imbas

The other form of Gnosis that can apply to written work is that ‘poetic inspiration’ that the ancient Celts and modern Druids call Awen (Welsh) or Imbas/Ai (Irish). The difference between the terms Gnosis and Inspiration is often a slim one, but I take it to imply that inspiration comes as quickly as an indrawn breath whereas Gnosis (or inherent Knowledge) can take a long time to build up and be recognised as such. The Welsh Celts used the word Awen to refer to the inspiration that poets received as well as inspiration that derives from the Gods (as the tale of Cerridwen and Taliesin indicates), The Irish Celts make the distinction clearer and use two words for these subtly different forms of awareness. Ai refers to poetic inspiration where Imbas (often Imbas forisnai) refers specifically to sacred inspiration.

Speculation

The art of Speculation is the one we are most familiar with. When an author produces a work of fiction, he/she generally speculates about the nature of the universe as he/she sees it. When it concerns the Ancient Celts, it is useful to know whether the author regards his/her story as purely speculative or as deriving from Gnosis or Inspiration as illustrated above. In addition, any academic sources used in studying the Ancient Celts should also be listed with the book, as this helps future students and authors learn more about the subject and make their own judgements.

Conclusion

It has to be stated that these are just my own opinions. Although where I have referred to external sources for definitions, they are noted in the text The Internet is a slightly different medium – accreditation would normally occur at the end of a chapter or at the end of a book when referring to published material, on a web-page it can occur in-line. I offer these as a method of classifying and therefore easily understanding the sources for works that students and learners might come across.

In addition, there are no comparative value judgements placed between the categories. You might argue that only the academic/scientific works further our knowledge and understanding of the Ancient Celts but here I think you are missing the place of Inspiration, Gnosis and Speculation in providing the lateral jump that so often brings the understanding of ancient evidence into the light of accepted knowledge and the body of Celtic History.

And lastly, without the easy to read, understand and emotively involving works of Fiction, Speculation or modern Inspiration/Gnosis (and that includes the traditional Bardic arts of Song and Poesy!), we would not be seeing the huge numbers of students pursuing the study of the Ancient Celts at any level. Yesterday’s Mists of Avalon readers, become tomorrow’s Lebor Gabala Erenn readers.

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.

The Welsh Flag Logo Pic: Language Trainers

Wendy Wong, from the Language Trainers Blog remebers that from a recent article (Google translates into Welsh as ‘No’): IT’S just the latest in a long line of tools designed by one of the world’s best-known internet companies to make our lives that little bit easier. But users of Google Translate – which has followed in the footsteps of the firm’s maps, images and news functions – have spotted one significant flaw: it won’t translate into Welsh. Well, I use Google Translate via (Mozilla add-on) Ubiquity all the time, but I’d never noticed the lack of Welsh, to be honest.

Bethan Williams, chair of the Language Act Group – Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “For a multi-national company like Google failing to consider the Welsh language with translating tools is disgraceful.

“They offer translation services in Arabic, Hindi, Maltese and a host of other languages so why not Welsh?

Google Translate is currently available to work between 42 languages, and the Google search page is already available in Welsh.  Now, before any angry Welsh language speakers email me about my insensitivity, I’d just like to point out that not only would it take an awful lot of man hours to add more languages to an already quite comprehensive and free translation service, but that other languages may have a more pressing need.

According to a 2004 survey, there are approximately 600,000 Welsh speakers living in Wales, while another survey indicated about 130,000 living in England.  Very, very few of these speakers are monoglots (only speak one language, i.e. Welsh).  Therefore, any translation services would likely only be needed by non-Welsh speakers, and not the other way around.

Read the full article by Wendy on the Language Trainers Blog.

Our reponse is that the Celtic Languages are part of our heritage, a heritage that spreads across the world, and adding them to Google Translate should be a priority and not just a luxury. If you are involved in Celtic STudies at any kind of serisou level, the study of the language becomes a necessity to understand not only the culture but the poetry of the everyday life of the Ancient Celts, a poetry that has continued to the modern day and shows not signs of dying out.

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.

Welsh Logo Pic: Language Trainers

The Welsh Class, derived from the Say Something in Welsh lessons and Podcast makes the following well-stated points about entering Welsh as one of your spoken languages on the 2011 Census in the UK. They say: How many Welsh speakers are there in Wales? This year’s Census will try to find out, but if you don’t answer accurately, we still won’t know even when the figures are in!

A comment on the SaySomethinginWelsh forum (see on the Welsh Class page) seems to show that lots of Welsh learners don’t consider their Welsh to be good enough to tick the “I speak Welsh” box in the Census. Come on people! Your collective ticks will decide Welsh language policy for the next 10 years, so make sure you tell the truth!

You speak Welsh if you are able to put useful sentences together. These may be about your opinion, your wants and needs, your everyday life. Does that sound complicated? Well it’s not really. If you can make up sentences like “I like speaking Welsh”, or “I’m trying to go”, then you are able to speak Welsh (and anyone who has completed lesson one of SaySomethinginWelsh is able to do just that!). The trick is in the “making up” bit. If you have learnt some sentences off by heart – “I like coffee” (dwi’n hoffi coffi) is one of the favourites – and can say “bore da” and “diolch” then you are not really speaking Welsh, you are repeating phrases, just as if you were singing “Sosban Fach” or “Hen Wlad fy Nhadau”. You can’t really use your Welsh except in a very few pre-set situations.

On the other hand, if you know how to change “Dwi’n hoffi coffi” into a negative, and talk about something other than coffee, or add a bit about milk and sugar, then you are speaking Welsh. You must admit it on the census form – it is a criminal offence not to.

“But I can’t take part in conversations!” say some. I hate to disagree, but you can. What you are concerned about is that conversations easily get too complicated for you to keep up. There are two things at work here. One is that you don’t have all the vocabulary you need yet and the other is that your brain isn’t up to speed with listening and understanding. (The Say Something in Welsh listening practices are designed to overcome this. Click here to find out more).

When people discuss things in English that you don’t understand, I doubt that you’ve ever considered that you “don’t really speak English”. Accept that you need to build your vocabulary, but don’t ever think that you “can’t speak Welsh” just because you don’t understand everything!

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.

The CMP Logo Pic: Gary

This is our Spring Holiday special for 2011. We start off with a plan, and finally bring you the Dryad story that we have been promising since Autumn last year! You can also hear 4 great pieces of music – one of which is a highly sought after preview from the Dolmen’s forth-coming album ‘Storm’. We finish off with some Listener Feedback, a promo for another great podcast and that’ll do us – back in the driving seat again!

Look out for some different shows coming up very, very soon followed by the beginnings of our telling of the tales of Welsh Mythology. We shall be starting with the Mabinogion – the name which Lady Charlotte Guest called the largest collection of Welsh Myths waaaay back in 1877!

Next Show Planned

As we mention in this show, the next show will be a Chatterbox special in which we’ll bring you somew news, tell you what’s going on with us and then discuss what you can expect from the show in the very near future.

How to Listen

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.

Hope you enjoy the show,

Gary & Ruth x x x

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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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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.