Irish Lady and young girl, c. 1570 Pic: Irish Tribes

Thanks to the Irish Tribes website, specialists in Irish Genealogy, for this article exploring the significance of the ‘Seanchas’. For the Ancient Celts, Law, History and Genealogy were all very much an integral part of their society and background. They begin with:- Seanchas   Until the 17th century, Seanchas was the indivisible combination of Gaelic law, history, and genealogy, carefully conserved by each clan’s hereditary scholars.  It was the underpinning of your ancestors’ lives, the very foundation of Gaelic society since the first Celts came to Ireland about 800 B.C.

Gaelic Society

This is how Professor Daniel Binchy described ancient Irish society:

“tribal, rural, hierarchical, and familiar (using the word in its oldest sense, to mean a society in which the family, not the individual, is the unit) — a complete contrast to the unitary, urbanised, egalitarian and individualist society of our time.”

Daniel Binchy was the Senior Professor of the School of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

Celtic Tribes & Ancient Irish History

With this mindset, Ireland’s ancient Celtic tribes created pre-Christian and early Christian Ireland.  We know of the Cruithin, Bolg, Laighin, Connachta, Eoghanachta, Uladh, Féini, and more.  We know the impact they had on Ireland’s early history before the Fall of Rome, rarely (although without much detail) even before the Sack of Delphi.  And we can trace their direct descendants to the modern day.

Kingship & Leadership

As a further demonstration of this mindset, men and women like Eochu Mugmheadhon, Niall Naoighiallach, and Gráinne Ní Mháille acted within and in cooperation with their kinships rather than as their dictators.  Irish kings were elected and leaders were chosen.  They were not arbitrarily imposed by concepts like divine right and primogeniture.

Rights & Privileges

Your ancestors’ rights and privileges depended upon belonging to their particular kinship group.  The rights and privileges of the Dál gCais were different from the rights and privileges of the Connachta.  Those of the Connachta were different from those of the Eoghanachta, and so forth.  Hence the importance of genealogy to the Irish for millennia.  Without it, your ancestors could not claim their rights.

The Intertwining of Genealogy, Law, and History in Gaelic Society

Genealogy identified kinship.  Kinship determined rights and privileges.  Competition for rights and
privileges helped make history.  Seanchas tracked it all.

Summary

Seanchas is a river of information about our ancestors, created by our ancestors, for our ancestors.  And for you.

Find out more about your own Irish Genealogy on the Irish tribes 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 Description Page.
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The first cauldron, which took 200 hours to restore, is on display at the British Museum. Pic:BBC

A full-size replica of an Iron Age cauldron which was found in a Wiltshire field is being commissioned by residents. The large cauldron is one of 12 found by a metal detector enthusiast near the village of Chiseldon in 2004.

The British Museum, which is conserving the Chiseldon cauldrons, described them as

“the biggest Iron Age find to date”.

A local history group is now raising funds to have an exact copy made.

Excavated by the British Museum and Wessex Archaeology, the dozen bronze and iron vessels were discovered “carefully placed” in a pit along with ox skulls.

Currently at The British Museum, being cleaned and conserved under laboratory conditions, the cauldrons are “too fragile and important ever to return to Chiseldon”, the museum has said.

As a result, The Chiseldon Local History Group has launched an appeal to raise £2,000 to have a replica made of one of the cauldrons.

Sheila Passmore, from the group, said a local blacksmith had already been commissioned.

“It’s going to take about a year, so hopefully we will have all the money by then to pay for it,” she said.

“And it will go in our museum. We’ll have a tripod made to hang it on with chains – exactly as they did 2,000 years ago.”

The first of the Chiseldon cauldrons, which took nearly 200 hours to restore, is currently on display in the Iron Age Gallery of the British Museum.

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 Description 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.
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The Bible’s translator, from London, taught himself Cornish at the age of 15 Pic: BBC

The BBC News Reports :Cornish speakers can now read the complete Bible – An Beybel Sans – in their chosen language. The New Testament was translated into Cornish by Professor Nicholas Williams and published in 2002. It has taken him about six years to translate all the books of the Old Testament, using a variety of versions, including Hebrew and Greek texts.

An Beybel Sans is written in standard Cornish and its 10 maps also have place names in Cornish.

When the translation was completed, it was reviewed by a number of Cornish speakers to help improve its “readability”

The professor also researched other Cornish texts, such as miracle plays and homilies, to find passages where native Cornish renderings could be used in the translation.

The 69-year-old professor from London, who is considered to be one of the leading experts on Celtic languages, taught himself Cornish at the age of 15 because it seemed “a bit odd and a bit bizarre”.

The Bible will be introduced to the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies in November.

In 2004, a Cornish version of just the New Testament was released.

Ray Chubb, who published the new Bible and has been involved in the Cornish language for more than 30 years, said it was important to keep it alive.

“I think one of the reasons we lost our language was because there was no bible in Cornish,”

he said.

“Of course we’ve had a very successful revival of the language and I think the whole bible in Cornish is the culmination of that revival.”

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 Description 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.
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Pic: Orkneyjar

With the excavations on the Ness of Brodgar (Orkney, Scotland) drawing to a close this week, site director Nick Card feels its time for a major rethink about the landscape of Orkney’s Neolithic Heartland.
The long-held assumption that the Ring of Brodgar and Standing Stones of Stenness were the centre of activity needs looked at again, said Nick, senior project manager of the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA). He explained: Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-09-14 10:29:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Cast and Crew Pic: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

BBC Wales tells us:  An adventure film starring Twilight actress Kristen Stewart and Oscar winner Charlize Theron has been shooting in Pembrokeshire. A crew of hundreds has been at Marloes Sands near Milford Haven for the last week making Snow White and the Huntsman. Up to 80 horse riders in costume have been charging up and down the beach.

Stewart, who plays Snow White, and Thor actor Chris Hemsworth have been spotted on the set.

Filming at the location is due to end on Friday.

The makers had to get permission from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to film at Marloes.

Tent village

Senior ranger Phil Lees said it had brought many visitors to the area.

“Local people have taken a real interest in the filming, particularly young people, who perhaps would not normally spend time in Marloes.

“Watching 80 knights in their colourful costumes galloping down the sands has been an amazing sight and really captures your imagination.”

He said a tent village had been set up to accommodate the film crew, cast and animals.

“The local facilities have coped well and things have run smoothly,”

he added.

“It’s a deceptively large beach and all the action is taking place on the south end.

Fairy tale

“I was down at the north end of the sands checking a cliff area and it was very peaceful and a bit surreal looking back towards swarms of people and equipment.”

The film, which also stars British actors Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane and Nick Frost, is described as a twist to the fairy tale.

The Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen. It is due to be released next year.

Stewart is best known for her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight saga but has starred in other Hollywood blockbusters including Jumper.

Theron, who has not been spotted at the location, won an Oscar for playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster.

It is not the first time Hollywood has used Pembrokeshire’s beaches for locations.

Russell Crowe and a 1,000-strong location crew spent five weeks filming Robin Hood in Pembrokeshire in 2009.

Scenes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the two films of the final book, were shot at Freshwater West.

The Wales Screen Commission said those two films had been worth millions to the local economy.

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 Description Page.
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The CMP Logo Pic: Gary

In this show we finish off our summary of the Irish Mythological Cycle as we’ve met it so far in the first 29 story episodes. Not only is this show finishing off a whole branch of Celtic Mythology, but it also celebrates the Autumn Equinox for 2011, so we’ve made it a real cracker and split it into two halves. In the first half you heard an epic poem, 4 great songs and we took a look at the Origins of the Manuscripts which these stories come from and highlight some of the themes we’ve noticed in the stories.

We conclude our examination of the Irish Mythological Cycle in this Second Part of this show by looking at the main characters in the stories, finishing the epic saga of Greenwood the Bard’s epic poem, and yes, another 5 great pieces of music!

And…. not only, but also … we also introduce you to the newest member of the team, play another Pentacle Drummers track to let you know that the deadline for competition entries is the 20th November 2011.

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.

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Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie 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 Description 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.