Name: Gary
Bio: I'm getting on a bit in years now and seem to be getting younger and younger in the way that I get excited about things! I love mythology in all its forms and the mythology of my heritage is especially dear to me. My family are of Welsh descent and Scottish before that, so I have the blood of the gael flowing through my veins - although slightly watered down by a couple of generations of pure Englishman (if there is such a thing!). When I can think of some more info that you might be interested in, I will post it here for you to chuckle over.
Posts by Gary:
Harps, Haggis Crisps, Scotch and more than a touch of Fey!
March 16th, 2010Just recently, we published a post about the wonderful Scottish company Mackie’s producing Haggis flavoured crisps, and in the interest of science and silliness, we sent our rovers reporters and show listeners to track them down. These talented and diligent ladies, otherwise known as Blond Mary, a harper duo of some reknown put them to the only true test – Celtic Music and Scotch, in this case a good bottle of Glenlivet!
We can now officially report that thanks to the efforts of these diligent ladies, and their friend Les who sent them the Crisps that they do indeed pass the vfery high quality mark that we’ve come to expect. Their music is really rather superb as well.
One of these two dear ladies, Wendy Gillisen, is the author of Fey novel, the Curse of Taheira from which we hope to be bringing you a section in the near future, so it would not surprise us one bit to find more than a fair share of fairy dust on those harp strings!
Just for fun! Thank you Wendy, Pien and Les – lovely ladies all 
New Celtic Myth Show – Spring Holiday Special for 2010 Part One
March 15th, 2010 |
This is the first time that we’ve released a seasonal Holiday Show rather than a Festival Holiday Show. The plan is to try and get a Holiday show out for the four seasons until Gary is well enough to get back to the Festivals. We’ve got an epic 18th century tale from Scotland that has had to be split into two parts – so you’re going to get two shows for the price of one – so to speak! There are three amazing pieces of music and the beginning of a small series about the Fey in the Celtic countries based on the work of W Y Evans-Wentz in Fairy-Faith in the Celtic Countries. Look out for part two of the story coming out very soon! |
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.
Diarmuid and Gráinne as a school play – wonderful!
March 15th, 2010This wonderful school-play, performed in mime took place in 2009 and allowed this school in Ireland to win in the Scléip (the All-Ireland, medium school Talent show). The video above and the article which follows were written by Show Listener and Teacher who tells us that next year they’re going to be working on the Táin!
 Pic: Niall |
Fionn, an old king, his heroic days far behind him, takes the very young and beautiful Gráinne to be his wife. Gráinne, though young and naive soon comes to realise what it means to be the wife of the brutish and cruel Fionn. The unseen celtic goddess directs Diarmuids, Fionns champion, gaze towards Gráinne and he is immediately smitten. Gráinne, initially hesitant to his attentions, responds in kind and the two fall deeply in love. |
They meet secretly to be with one another, though risking death at every turn if discovered. However Gráinne, realising the hopelessness of her situation begs Diarmuid to kill her rather than having to submit to the brutal Fionn and she is unable to cope with being separated from Diarmuid, whom she loves. Diarmuid however, cannot bring himself to do it. The couple decide to take their chances and flee Fionns kingdom. Though Fionns murderous rage will surely follow them, they decided to enjoy together whatever life remained for both of them. Fionn on finding evidence of Gráinne and Diarmuids elopement flies into a murderous rage and leads his warriors to find and kill them. They soon discover the couples hiding place and Fionn sends in his warriors. Diarmuid, meets them head on and dispatches them one by one. Diarmuid deep in the blood rage celebrates victory after victory. However at a critical point the terrified Gráinne cries out and momentarily distracts Diarmuid. Approaching warriors seize their opportunity and mortally wound Diarmuid.
| Though Diarmuid defeats them, he staggers as Fionn himself approaches. Though old and cruel, Fionn is more than a match for the dying Diarmuid. Fionn attacks relentlessly and as he raises his sword to deliver the deathblow, Diarmuid manages to mortally wound Fionn. Diarmuid, very close to death, tries to crawl towards the hysterical Gráinne. He is overtaken by Fionn who seizes Gráinne and as Diarmuid watches helplessly, Fionn runs his blade across Gráinnes throat. Diarmuid and Gráinne die simultaneously. | . Pic: Niall |
Fionn staggers around for a few more seconds, enjoying his hollow victory before he too dies. The unseen celtic goddess appears to find the worthy among the dead, to move them on to the next life. She searches through the corpses until she finds Diarmuid and Gráinne whom she resurrects. The revived Diarmuid and Gráinne are initially disorientated, they search their bodies for the death wounds that have disappeared. They turn and see the goddess and one another and realise they are in the afterlife together, where they can swim the rivers, run through the forests and sleep under the stars together, forever.
Thank you so much for this account and we wish you and your school all success in the future! With such mythic teaching – how can they fail?
Erin Hart’s Trilogy of Irish Myth & Mystery
March 14th, 2010 Pic: Erin Hart |
Erin Hart is making a name for herself as a first-class author or Irish Mystery steeped in legend, forensics, archaeology and plenty of thrills.
Haunted Ground (#1)
Two farmers cutting turf in the west of Ireland make a grisly discovery—the perfectly preserved severed head of a beautiful young woman with long red hair. Called out to the bog to investigate, Irish archeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin are thrown together by their shared curiosity about her fate. |
Archaeologist Cormac Maguire is quickly called to the scene—"bog bodies" are always a remarkable find, sometimes centuries old but still close to their original condition. Cormac and Nora embark on a mission to determine the identity of the beautiful young woman and what led to her brutal fate.
But there are other mysteries buried within this small Irish town as well. Villagers are still suspicious of Hugh Osborne, a local landowner whose wife and young son disappeared abruptly two years ago without a trace. As Cormac and Nora dig into the background of the enigmatic redhead, policeman Garrett Devaney quietly reopens the Osborne case.
As deeper layers of secrets are revealed in each mystery, sleeping dangers are awakened, and past deaths could translate into future murders. Meticulously crafted, and resonating with traditional music and folklore, HAUNTED GROUND considers Ireland’s turbulent history, revealing the eternal, subliminal connections between past and present.
Lake of Sorrows (#2)
 Pic: Erin Hart |
Death hangs heavy in the disturbed air of Ireland’s lonely Loughnabrone peat bog, an ancient holy place, steeped in legend, drowned in sorrow, and long since abandoned by man. Pathologist Nora Gavin has been called to an archaeological site in the bleak midlands west of Dublin—a place known as the LAKE OF SORROWS—to assist at an excavation where a well-preserved Iron Age body has been found in a bog |
But moments after her arrival a much more recent victim is discovered. Like the ancient body, the new corpse bears multiple wounds, suggesting the ghastly ritual sacrifice of Ireland’s blood-soaked pagan past. How many hundreds or thousands of years ago was the man killed? Was his a ritual death, some kind of sacrifice? These academic questions are intriguing, but of much more urgent interest is the second body found nearby—of a man wearing a wristwatch, hardly an Iron Age accessory. But his corpse does show strange similarities to that of his ancient counterpart. Both bodies bear signs of "triple death," a primitive practice in which a victim was ritually slain three ways, perhaps to appease some pagan trinity.
Nora and archaeologist Cormac Maguire, embroiled in a tumultuous love affair, must team up again professionally, and are soon enmeshed in the web of tangled desires and terrible secrets that surround this untimely death. The danger mounts, fueled by illicit liaisons, rumors of ancient gold, and one person’s thirst for vengeance. Nora and Cormac must tread carefully, for as they draw closer to the truth, they come ever nearer to becoming the next victims of a ruthless killer. A magnificent follow-up to a sensational debut, LAKE OF SORROWS again weaves together history, folklore, and forensics, conjuring the dark character of the Irish countryside in a complex and chilling thriller.
False Mermaid (#3)
 Pic: Erin Hart |
Erin Hart’s HAUNTED GROUND was one of the most praised mystery debuts in recent years, and its follow-up, LAKE OF SORROWS, also received outstanding acclaim. Now Hart combines her page-turning storytelling skills and deep knowledge of Ireland and Irish myth with a Minnesota setting close to her heart. |
Nora Gavin remains haunted by a cold case that nearly cost her sanity five years ago: her sister Tríona’s brutal murder. After failing to bring the killer to justice, Nora fled to Ireland, throwing herself into her work and taking the first tentative steps in a new relationship with Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire. She’s driven home by unwelcome news: Tríona’s husband—and the prime suspect in her murder—is about to remarry. Nora is determined to succeed this time, even if it means confronting unsettling secrets. As she digs ever closer to the truth, the killer zeroes in on Tríona’s young daughter, Elizabeth.
Back in Ireland, Cormac Maguire heads north to visit his ailing father, and hears the tale of a local woman who vanished a hundred years ago. Was she a seal-maiden who returned to the sea, or was some more sinister force at work in her disappearance?
Caught up in parallel mysteries, Cormac and Nora wrestle with identity, suspicion, truth and falsehood, and of course the biggest riddle of all—will they have a chance at a life together, or will tragedies of the past continue to keep them apart?
Please find out more about Erin Hart and her works on her website at erinhart.com
Barry Cunliffe, the Early Celts and their Drinking Habits
March 13th, 2010Pic: BBC |
The BBC have started a new podcast covering the history of the world as arising from 100 objects. We were alerted to this podcast, and in particular, one episode by a dear friend, Ishtar’s Gate whose beautiful website of the same name explores the world of pre-history and explodes the myth that our ancestors had no society and communicated by grunting! The program in question, which can be found by subscribing to this podcast in iTunes, is called ‘Basse Yutz Flagons’ and can also be listened to again on the notorious BBC iPlayer. I say notorious, because it is notorious for removing content very, very quickly. Listen as soon as you can before they remove it! |
Alternatively, if they keep their back-catalogue of the podcast, it should remain for some time and the episode you are looking for is episode 3 – Basse Yutz Flagons.
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity’s history through the objects we have made. The series spans two million years of history and uses objects from the British Museum’s collection to tell a history of the world, from the earliest times to the present day. The 15-minute programmes are broadcast Monday to Friday on BBC Radio 4, and the podcast is published daily. Beginning in January, 2010 the programmes will be broadcast in three tranches through the year.
Basse Yutz Flagons
The Basse Yutz Flagons – two bronze drinking flagons made by the Celts in Northern Europe 2,500 years ago and considered to be the most important and earliest examples of Celtic art. Writer Jonathan Meades and Barry Cunliffe help describe the Celts, dissect the stereotypes and consider their celebrated love of drink.
Find out more about the podcast on the BBC site and more about the wonderful work on prehistory that happens on Ishtar’s Gate. Thanks to caigwynn on the Ishtar’s Gate forum for passing the news on in the first place
Public invitation to dig into the Iron Age
March 11th, 2010 Pic: Two Story Roundhouse, Nat Mus Scotland |
The Northern Scot reports that archaeologists are inviting members of the public to join them in exploring the past at an Iron Age settlement in Moray.
Once a year, experts from National Museums Scotland excavate the site at Birnie – one of the most significant locations of its kind in Britain. |
Now amateurs will get to learn more about its hidden treasures when the archaeologists stage an open day on Sunday, September 7. Read the rest of this entry “
Originally posted 2008-09-19 09:19:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The Eco-Fairies save the planet in Perth
March 10th, 2010 Pic: Eco-Fairies |
The Eco Faerie festival is a community celebration bringing music, art and environmental wellbeing together. We are turning environmental sustainability into positive action, bridging the community through celebration and taking faeries back to nature. This will be the 3rd annual faerie event at City Farm and it is set to be bigger, greener and more magical than ever.t |
This years theme is ‘Trash to Treasure Recycle.’
What to expect:
All day music and dance entertainment by The Davs, Sambanistas, AKWAABA, The free spirit bellydance community and the Eco Faeries green faerie stage show for children.
And:-
free children’s activites
local artisan, fair trade and growers market
free workshops on composting, mulching, worm farming, raw food, sound healing and renewable resources
hulahooping and circus play
roving entertainment
entry is $5 with profits going to City Farm Project
Located at City Farm, East Perth off Lime Street, behind Claisbrook train station. City farm is a community garden oasis, education and training centre and farmers market. They are opening their doors to all magical creatures to come celebrate everything community and green. Dress your faerie best.
The Naked Club
We will be having a clothing exchange fiesta at the event. Bring 3 of your old favourites and exchange for 3 new loves. Men’s, Women’s and childrens clothing accepted. Left over clothing will be donated to an op shop.
Art Exhibition
Featuring local artists inspired by nature, community, spirit or the wild heart. If you would like to exhibit some of your work please contact me for details.
We are currently accepting applications for the artisans and farmer market holders, if you would like to be involved with the upcome event please contact Faerie Cara directly through mail@faeriecara.com
If you would like to be an Eco Faerie volunteer on the day please contact me as we’d love to play with you.
This is a City farm event by Faerie Cara proudly sponsored by the Department of Environment and Conservation Waste Authority Landfill Levy Fund.
Barry Cunliffe, Miranda Green & Alistair Moffat chat about the Celts
March 8th, 2010Pic: BBC |
I’ve no doubt that it is for a limited time because the IOT programmes sadly tend to disappear from the BBC website rather quickly, but while it’s there grab yourselfves a chance to listen again to this wonderful programme about the Ancient Celts.
You will need RealPlayer to listen to this RAM stream, but you can get it here for free. This clip is available in Real Media only.
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Celts. Around 400 BC a great swathe of Western Europe from Ireland to Southern Russia was dominated by one civilisation. Perched on the North Western fringe of this vast Iron Age culture were the British who shared many of the religious, artistic and social customs of their European neighbours. These customs were Celtic and this civilisation was the Celts.
The Greek historians who studied and recorded the Celts’ way of life deemed them to be one of the four great Barbarian peoples of the world. The Romans wrote vivid accounts of Celtic rituals including the practice of human sacrifice – presided over by Druids – and the tradition of decapitating their enemies and turning their heads into drinking vessels.
But what were the Celts in Britain really like? Was their apparent lust for violence tempered by a love of poetry and beautiful art? How far should we trust the classical historians in their writings on the Celts? And what can we learn from the archaeological remains that have been discovered in this country?
With Barry Cunliffe, Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford University; Alistair Moffat, Historian and author of The Sea Kingdoms – The Story of Celtic Britain and Ireland; Miranda Aldhouse Green, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Wales.
In RealMedia only.
Last broadcast on Thu, 21 Feb 2002, 21:30 on BBC Radio 4
Greater Sudbury Celtic Festival and Highland Games
March 4th, 2010 |
Situated on the shores of Ramsey Lake, the Grace Hartman Amphitheater at Bell Park, Sudbury, Canada will host Greater Sudbury Celtic Festival and Highland Games on Saturday 24th.
Census data from 2006 shows there are 60,000 people with ties to the British Isles living in Sudbury, so there should be a strong audience for the festival, Derek Young, festival director said. |
Originally posted 2008-05-22 13:18:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
St David’s Day Extravaganza on IRFT Radio!
February 25th, 2010 Pic: IRFT Radio |
You are probably familiar with Sean Owens and the IRFT streaming radio site. His show, The Seanchaíthe, has featured our episodes for some time and he is starting to re-post the great Podiobook from Phiippa Ballantine, Chasing the Bard – wonderful Fey fiction. You probably also know that he plays more Celtic Music than almost anyone in the galaxy (slight exaggeration, maybe ) and to celebrate St David’s Day this year the station is running an amazing spectacular for a full THREE days. Now that is what I call a feast of Welsh Music! |
IRFT Radio say:
We will be running a 38 hour show starting on the 28th at noon (california time) and running until March 2 at 2 am featuring all things Welsh! all genres, in both Welsh and English!
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They will be featuring over 50 mazing artists and if you pop along to their promotional page you can see who will be appearing, including Claymore, Robert Huw Bowen, Fflur Dafydd, selections from 40 Years of Sain Records and much, much more! We wish you the very best of luck with this amazing project, Sean, and if possible, we’ll see if we can send something along for your programme! |
 Pic: IRFT Radio |
You can listen to IRFT Radio online and find out more about the St David’s Day spectacular on their website. You can also follow them on Myspace.
