Excavation at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey Pic: National Museum of Wales

After a gap of more than a decade, a team of archaeologists has returned to excavate at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey reported the National Museum of Wales on 23rd August 2012. You can read more about previous seasons at this Viking-Age settlement here http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/archaeology/vikings/Mark Redknap and his team made an exciting discovery towards the end of the 2001 season – evidence that there might be an early medieval cemetery on the site. Are they right? Finds are appearing already, but what can they tell us? Watch this space to find out more!

First Viking settlement in North Wales

The first firm evidence of Viking settlement in North Wales has been found on Anglesey. The settlement consists of two large Viking-type halls and a third building, dating from the 9th or 10th centuries, together with a number of unusual high-status artefacts and evidence of farming, craftwork, and trade.

The site lies close to Red Wharf Bay, a large natural harbour that would have been a convenient stop-over point on the route between the Viking centres of Dublin and York. Little is known of Viking activity in the area, but historical sources refer to Viking raiding from c 840, and the attempted settlement of a certain Ingimund in 902-903, who had previously been expelled from Dublin. There is no evidence to link the new site with Ingimund, but late 8th and 9th century coins, and radiocarbon-dated charcoal from the site place it in roughly the same period (the carbon is dated to 760-1035 at 95 per cent probability).

The three buildings were found within a D-shaped ditched enclosure. Little has been found of the third building, but the other two seem to measure more than 12m by 8m, and have central hearths and possible evidence of benching. Their presence is marked by low stone footings for timber walls, but one of the buildings had been rebuilt – a line of post-holes marks its first phase – suggesting the site was occupied for at least two generations.

The most unusual find at the site was a large whetstone, with a bronze ferrule at one end in the shape of a pointed Viking helmet, attached to a suspension ring. According to the excavator, Mark Redknap of the National Museum of Wales, the whetstone appears to have been little used, and to have been more a symbol of rank than a functional object. Also found were a 10th century copper alloy ringed pin, and a small ornamental bronze bell perhaps worn as part of a woman’s dress.

Evidence of craft activity at the site includes iron forging and bronze and antler working. Quernstone fragments and animal bones suggest a working farm; and there is also evidence of trade, represented by six weights and by quantities of hacksilver – fragments of silver cut up for use in exchange. Dr Redknap said: `For years we have been looking for a site like this. It is clearly a high-status site, and it should prove extremely important in illuminating the Viking Age in the Irish Sea.’

British Archaeology, No. 10, December 1995

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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 Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s also found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
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: Agence Bretagne Press.

Some people on Mannin/Isle of Man may not use the Manx language (Gaelic) from one week to the next, but for others, it is an integral part of their daily life. Very few people these days on the Island would argue that the language is dead, when it is seen and heard all around – on the radio, in newspapers, on signs, used on the street and learnt by hundreds of children at school – and growing on a scale not known for over a hundred years reports the Agence Bretagne Presse.

However, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the Manx language is extinct and it is not the only Celtic language on list. On Thursday (19th February) UNESCO’s ‘flagship activity’ the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger was updated, which attributed an ‘extinct’ status to both the Manx and Cornish languages. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-03-02 09:16:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Men-an-tol Pic: Rainbow Network

Thanks to our Guest blogger, Glenn Broughton, for the following article. Our world is changing rapidly. The whole world has opened up before us through the Internet and wireless communications and our future lies uncertainly in front of us. Or does it lay partly behind us?

Interestingly, more people than ever before are now visiting and interested in ancient sacred sites across the globe. Stonehenge in England, the Pyramids in Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru, are household names. What is it that is attracting so many people to check out these places? Who built these ancient temples and why?

Today these now-ancient sacred sites might at first appear to be just piles of rocks, dead relics of a bygone age. However, with an appreciation of our ancestors’ perspective and stories and myths passed down through the generations, we see a different story.

In Tune

It seems we are instinctively drawn to reconnect with the earth in a very personal way. Our ancestors knew the Earth intimately and understood its wisdom. They lived in much closer communion with the planet than we do today. Their sense of the natural forces of the Earth must have been a whole-body awareness like that of indigenous peoples around the world today, able to sense the serpentine currents of electromagnetic energy which course through the ground following the subterranean streams of water.

Their observations of the rising and setting sun’s movement along the horizon and the behaviour of the moon and stars in the night sky over generations would have developed into a body of knowledge recorded by site alignments and stone placements. This not only alerted them to the changing seasons but also to those times when the Earth energies and cosmic influences were strongest.

Everything is Energy

The trees were the first to teach us the consequences of enclosing natural energy. The Druids performed all their ceremonies in sacred groves for this reason. The stone circle builders developed this theme and used crystal-studded rocks to harness the natural energies. It took another five thousand years before we rediscovered the potential of crystal which we have successfully harnessed to power our computer based world.

Will water be the next great ‘discovery’? There is a growing understanding of the unique properties of water, such as its ability to hold information or memory, like crystal. Will the stories of holy wells having healing properties turn out to be backed up by the emerging science?

Working with the Energy

Science and open-minded spirituality appear to have run full circle and finally come together to reach the same place, namely that like attracts like and we create our reality – the laws of the universe make it impossible for anything else to happen.

On some level we still know what our ancestors knew – that the ancient sacred sites hold power and potential. The stone circles, chambers, temples and structures are containers of the Earth’s electromagnetic energy that is the same frequency as that of our brainwaves when we are in a meditative state. The law of resonance is the principle behind the power of prayer and ritual conducted in sacred space – in other words, sacred sites really work! Combining ‘New Age’ thinking with ‘Stone Age’ technology gives an updated meaning to the phrase ‘The New Stone Age’!

Glenn Broughton has been researching and visiting ancient sacred sites for twenty years and is drawn to explore their energetic properties and how such places of power affect us today. He has been a tour guide for most of this time leading groups exploring the mystery of sacred sites through Journeys With Soul http://www.journeyswithsoul.com. He also lecturers internationally on sacred sites, earth mysteries and crop circles, and is the co-founder / co-organizer of Earth Spirit Conferences http://www.earthspiritconferences.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_Broughton.

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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 Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 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.

Originally posted 2012-02-07 14:39:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Bronagh Celtic Knot Wedding Ring Pic: Celtic Wedding Rings

Irish Celtic rings are trendy and much sought after today, the most common being wedding bands, engagement and promise rings or rings given in the spirit of friendship, yet their intricate designs and patterns that include spirals, knots and scrolls can still not be accurately explained. The origin of the Irish Celtic people, their customs and traditions were orally passed down from generation to generation through folklore and legend and nothing about this ancient culture was ever written down. However, the patterns and designs that exist in their art could be looked at as a unique form of writing that has managed to capture their cultures, beliefs, and traditions. The challenge lies in deciphering them accurately and today the symbolism of Irish Celtic jewelry is mostly assumed.

What is known is that Irish Celtic rings date back to about the 1st century BCE. In light of this it is hardly surprising that the meanings attributed to their design has changed over time.

The Celts left a depiction of their life in etchings found in caves as well as carved into stone structure, and even passed their unique and beautiful patterns to the Christians who immortalized them in their books, notably the Irish Book of Kells which is richly decorated throughout with abstract Celtic designs. It is these designs that are emulated in today’s Irish rings.

Ancient history shows that due to persecution the Celts migrated to different lands, one being Ireland. These Irish Celts were later influenced by Christianity and so there are two separate views or meanings that can be attributed to Celtic jewelry. The original meaning is based in the shape of their jewelry. This changed after their conversion to Christianity when the meaning attributed to them stemmed from their designs and patterns. This has also led to Irish Celtic jewelry being dated in two ways; one going back to the time of the very ancient Celts and the other to the time after Christianity.

Significance of Rings

For the ancients, Irish Celtic rings held a much cherished tradition as they considered them to be one of the strongest symbols of marriage and they were able to convey traditional messages of never ending love either between God and humanity or between man and woman. They were beautifully crafted in precious metals such as gold or silver which themselves conveyed a message as precious metals such as these illustrated not only the wearer’s social status but also their financial status or political status. More common though, these symbolic rings were wrought from bronze or iron but even these were intricately decorated with knot work and spirals and even animals and were so carefully crafted that they too became items of great beauty. Their symbolic meaning of long lasting love or friendship stands today.

Celtic Triquetra Ring Pic: Engagement and Rings

There are perhaps many symbols that have been lost over time but the ones in vogue today reflect patterns such as the un-broken Trinity Knot also known as the Celtic triskelion, which has three sides. The number three was very sacred to the ancient Celts and it is believed that this design originally signified the three stages of pagan goddesses which are maiden, mother and old woman, or crone.

After their conversion from Paganism to Christianity the significance changed and became instead a symbol of the Holy Trinity, the father, son and Holy Spirit. Today we can attribute the meaning of love between God, man and wife and even the three way tie between God, the giver of the ring and the love they hold toward family or friends. What is evident is that the ancient Celts captured in these intricately designed rings the faith and reverence towards and their belief in everlasting love.

Claddagh Irish Rings

Gold Irish Claddagh Ring Pic: Jewelry Zen

The Claddagh ring is a modern day interpretation of these ancient Celtic rings and it holds its own significance. Although The Claddagh is shared by all Celts, in Ireland it was derived from a much older ring called the “Fede”, or faith ring. The “Fede” ring dates back to Roman times and was traditionally worn as either an engagement ring or a wedding band that was traditionally passed down from mother to daughter.

Tim Lazaro is a Celtic Symbols enthusiast. Visit All About Celtic Symbols for information on celtic jewellry (http://www.allaboutcelticsymbols.com/CelticJewelry.xhtml)  and other resources you can use right now to gain an understanding of Celtic Symbols and jewelry.

Author: Tim Lazaro
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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This is where the body of the post goes. Underneath is the standard advert for each post…

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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 Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s also found on the Opera Marketplace  in the US.
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: Celtic Myth Podshow

This is the second half of our super show celebrating the Spring Equinox and Ostara! We’ve got another 4 great pieces of music, a charming piece from a book by W.B. Yeats called Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (and published in 1888!) about the Fairies and a man called Frank Martin who has ‘The Sight’ and our amazing story by Ceri Norman from her superb book, Celtic Maidens. You’ll hear an amazing poem by Rick Allen, as well as music by SJ Tucker, Damh the Bard, the Connemara Stone Company and James Olin Oden! We also announce the winner of the Competition for the Celtic Twist CD, The Visit, that we set in CMP SP34, the Imbolc Show..

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.

You can now also hear our show on Stitcher Radio – whenever you want to!

We 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 Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s also found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
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

The BBC reports that an ancient Perthshire yew has made the top 10 in a list of the most important trees in the UK. The Fortingall Yew, which grows at a churchyard near Aberfeldy, could be up to 5,000 years old and is among the oldest living organisms in Europe. Local legend has it that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus, was born in its shade and played there as a child.

Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-07-28 10:06:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Welsh Bilingual Sign Pic: Kit Foster

We recently posted about the imperative necessity of reclaiming our Celtic Roots and our Heritage by helping to restore the Celtic Languages to their pride of place. Often we tend to think that the only way we can properly learn a second language is with ‘formal’ language training and we’re proud to bring you a guest blog by Josh Frazier at Online College Courses to help dispel that myth! Over to Josh:

Are you at a Disadvantage without Formal Language Training?

Research has already demonstrably proven the many benefits of language learning to young children: improved cognitive abilities, math and language arts scores, and even science hypothesizing skills. High school students who study language score better on the ACT and SAT, and they go on to perform better academically in college than their peers. What you may not know is that adult learners can also gain from multiple-language instruction, even if their days of formal, classroom-based education are far behind them.

Studies have shown bilingual adults succumb to memory loss and dementia slower than monolingual people. Even if the adult never becomes fluent, the mental exercise required in language learning is enough to produce positive results. Scientists from the University of Kentucky also found bilingual adults are able to take the lessons they’ve learned in tackling a new language and apply them to other areas of their lives.

In a provocative Jan. 20, 2012 piece for The New York Times entitled “What You (Really) Need to Know,” former Harvard president Lawrence Summers asserted that language instruction has ceased to be essential with the progress in machine translation and the rise of English as “the global language.” Such utilitarian thinking — that learning a foreign language is beneficial only to the extent it is profitable — overlooks the many powerful rewards a learner earns on a personal level. Moreover, this school of thought ignores the concept of motivation, a key component of second language learning. When the rewards for learning a second language are monetary or involve social gain (what Summers seems to envision), it’s called instrumental motivation. A student with integrative motivation, on the other hand, enjoys the people and the culture of the language he’s attempting to learn so that he can at least be familiar with and possibly integrate into that culture.

Machine Translations Pic: Trusted Translations

Guess which results in a more successful experience, from proficiency in the language itself to pronunciation that’s closer to native speakers. If you said integrative, give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself another one if you can imagine into which group most young students — who’ve been forced to take a foreign language class and picked one at random — fall.

In other words, the proper motivation can be more than enough to offset a lack of formal training. Ken Stewart, the 2006 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year, went so far as to call the desire and drive to learn a language“the single-most determining factors in achieving fluency.” Researchers have even postulated that what makes picking up a language later in life more difficult is not brain plasticity but a tendency to tune out sounds one’s native language doesn’t feature. With the right stimulus, the brain can be retrained.

All that being said, you’ll still need the proper tools to work with. As a distance learner, you have the advantage over schoolkids that you can seek out resources that allow you to immerse yourself in that new language, which many formal classroom settings do not do. Immersion programs can help you learn languages with the same brain processes as native speakers, as well as help you retain the information longer than from a classroom setting.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone Pic: Wiki

Easily the best-known name in DIY foreign language learning, Rosetta Stone utilizes a technique it calls “dynamic immersion.” To try and replicate the environment in which you learned your primary language at an early age, dynamic immersion uses repetition of vivid pictures in everyday contexts. The TOTALe PRO version for lifelong learners provides live sessions with native speakers and “up to three other learners.”While this tool gets the immersive pedagogy right, it misses on the aspect of integrative motivation. A sample video of Turkish language instruction showed multicultural people — apparently none of them Turks — reading books and drinking water. The context of the language within the culture was lacking. The software will work best with beginning learners who are not in a rush to master a language before traveling to a foreign country, for example, as the training style tends to move somewhat slowly.

Yabla

Assuming the language you want to learn is one of the six it offers (including English), Yabla and its “language immersion through online video” is a solid (though pricey) choice for lifelong learners looking for immersion software. The videos include real news reports from the country of the language’s origin and original videos shot on location and featuring native speakers using authentic tongue. As the video plays, subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen in two languages. You can slow the speed, go back, and skip ahead, plus click on words to see definitions.

Yabla scores in the culture immersion department, but the $9.95 a month pricing may turn off some students. There is also no way to interact with native speakers, so you would need to supplement your learning with another program to do so. And, of course, if you want to learn Arabic, Russian, or Portuguese, you’ll have to look elsewhere, but for French and especially Spanish, Yabla is a great option.

Language Learning Networks

The next best thing to flying halfway around the world to converse with native speakers of a foreign language is to connect with them over the Internet through sites like Busuu, Livemocha, Lang-8, and MyLanguageExchange. Each has its own system of instruction, but all of them offer a way to communicate with native speakers via audio, video, text, and/or instant message. Each of them can also be used for free and three may be upgraded with a paid subscription, although most users opt to stick with the free versions.

Language Learning Networks Pic: Profesor Baker

With millions in investment funding and claiming 25 million users, Busuu is the most established of the bunch. It only offers instruction in 12 languages but it does make available smartphone apps with vocabulary, audio and video recordings of native speakers, and interactive tests. Busuu arguably has the most active, helpful members and a search tool for finding them and thus provides your best chance to connect with a speaking partner you’ll want to stick with throughout your language learning journey.

Livemocha may only have half the members of Busuu, but it offers three times the language instruction and does more to drive home the community aspect of learning. Users may chat directly with others users based on a ready-made script or in freeform, have practice exercises reviewed by the community, and review others work to earn points that can be used toward premium services. Users can pick their partners based on their listed numerical reputation on the site, feedback they’ve left other people, and even age and hobbies.

The glaring hole in Lang-8′s system is that speaking is left out of the equation. Before you write it off, however, you should know that what it does cover — writing, more specifically blogging — it does very well. Create a journal in which you write in whatever language you’re learning, submit it, and it comes back with comments and corrections from native speakers. (Obviously, don’t get away any private security information, and don’t be more personal than you’re comfortable with.) When you do your duty as an editor, you’ll get to learn about the personal experiences of someone in the culture you’re learning about. It’s totally free to use and you can log in with your Twitter of Facebook accounts if you choose.

With just 1 million users, MyLanguageExchange beats Lang-8′s several hundred thousand but falls far short of the Busuu and Livemocha communities. Still, the site has cool features like the “Club Library” where you users can share the slang and informal words from their native languages you wouldn’t pick up in a classroom. The site advises beginners to start with email (pen-pal) communication and work up to text and audio-visual chat later. Customer service has received some poor reviews, so as with the other language providers, stick with the free option and you won’t have any buyer’s remorse.

Which community you choose to use will depend largely on personal preferences and the quality of users you’re able to meet on each site. Livemocha and Busuu are very similar but Livemocha can connect you with knowledgeable tutors for hire, so students looking for (and willing to pay for) dedicated help should choose that site. Lang-8 is advisable for learners looking to be truly social and improve their foreign language writing but is not a great fit for beginners looking to start from square one. And learners looking for other students or speakers of rarer languages can do well on MyLanguageExchange, although they might have to sort through some abandoned accounts before they find a helpful partner.

Language Immersion for Chrome

Language Immersion for Chrome Pic: Chrome Webstore

For a free, easy way to turn your Web browsing into an immersive foreign language experience, Google offers Language Immersion for Chrome. This extension translates English words and phrases on a given Web page into one of 64 languages, from a few here and there to half the page or more, depending on the level of difficulty you select. Click on them, and they revert to English.

Although it shouldn’t be considered anything more than a supplemental learning tool for those using another system to master a language, Language Immersion is a fun way to expose yourself to a second language in a setting in which you otherwise would not be gaining any foreign language ability.

Duolingo

It’s not immersion software, but Duolingo is an exciting creation of Carnegie Mellon University that teaches you a new language by having you translate the Web. Prove you have at least a basic knowledge of a language — which Duolingo helps you acquire with fill-in-the-blank, pronunciation (with voice recognition), and other exercises — and then you’re off to translate a Web page on a topic of your choosing. Your answers are compared to others and you earn points as you go along. Not only do you get to freely benefit from material developed by a provider of “formal” education, an independent study found that Duolingo was even more effective than a university course.

So, are you at a disadvantage if you miss out on “formal” language training? Absolutely not. There has never been a better time than now to be a lifelong learner, with the sheer volume of resources already existing and being released every day that make self-guided learning, even in the languages, possible. With the ability to virtually immerse yourself in a new culture, coupled with the inherent motivation of lifelong learners to expand their horizons, you’ve got everything you need. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, in any language.

The original of this fascinating article can be found on the Online College Courses 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.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s also found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
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.

Plaque for Doreen Valiente Pic: Centre for Pagan Studies

The Centre for Pagan Studies is heading the project to get commemorative blue plaques placed where people who have shaped pagan history have lived, or worked. These are landmark events, and really wonderful in terms of promoting tolerance and raising awareness of how important the trailblazers of the past are, and also their relevance today, and how important it is to keep alive the work that they have done and to continue with it.

Funding help is needed

Exciting news! The first Blue Plaque is the Doreen Valiente Plaque. We have been working on this for a number of years with Brighton and Hove City Council and we are pleased to announce that Doreen’s Plaque will be going on the wall at the apartments where she lived for 30 years and the location where she did most of her seminal writing. The event will take place on the Summer solstice this year – i.e. 21st June 2013. We are having to pay for the commemorative plaque ourselves so we need your help to raise 1200 pounds. This is to cover 750 pounds manufacturing cost and the remainder is for the installation.

Time is short so please donate to this great cause. This will be a number of firsts. The plaque as afar as we can find out will be the first council apartment block. It certainly will be the first plaque that celebrates the life of one of our own. There are plaques commemorating the wrong doings, but this is the first to honor a witch. It would be great if you entered into the spirit of the event for an event it will be.

Benefits of helping with Donations

With speeches and a surprise guest to unveil the plaque, We will be organising some entertainment on the steps of where Doreen lived and for anyone or any person or organisation that donates 100 pounds or more. They will be invited into the residents lounge that Doreen knew well where a special VIP buffet lunch will be put on.

There will be 2 other plaques in the future that we have negotiated for. One for Gerald in 2014 and one for Alex Sanders in 2015. This is a unique event with the full backing of Brighton and Hove City Council. There will be more to come so stay tuned to the web site for further details and times. Whether you decide to contribute or not we do hope that you will comes along and support this fantastic achievement. We want hundreds of people there to support Doreen.

To donate to this project please visit the Centre for Pagan Studies website and donate there. If you are a UK tax payer, then you can donate to us under the Gift Aid scheme, which means that the Doreen Valiente Foundation may claim tax back from the UK government at the basic rate on your donation.

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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 Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s also found on the Opera Marketplace  in the US.
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 Not” Pic: Tom Law

The British Empire used language to control their various colonies during the C19th writes Tom Law in the Sabotage Times. The power of the anti-Welsh Language feeling can be seen during the late C19th with the practice of ‘Welsh Not’. The ‘WN’ initials were carved onto a wooden plaque which school kids were made to wear around their neck if heard speaking Welsh in the classroom. The pupil wearing the plaque at the end of the day would be beaten. It was a practice endorsed by Welsh parents who wanted the best for their children.

English became the “Official” Language

It was a benign method of dominating occupied nations with minimal bloodshed or confrontation – a very English form of tyranny.

Whether it was Ireland, Singapore, Nigeria or North Borneo – the method was the same. English would become the official language used for government, commerce and law. Natives chosen for positions of power would be sent off to English public schools to learn the language and the ‘British’ way of life.

It would seep down through society, exploiting people’s natural desire to better themselves, to have the best opportunities in life. In doing so, it created a vicious form of divide and rule – collaborators versus separatists, English speakers versus native speakers. It was a seed which, once planted, took on a malevolent life of its own – spreading and mutating over generations.

The Government reported the Welsh as Dangerous and Lawless

This is exactly what happened in Wales. The country in the C19th was viewed by the English as being a dangerous and lawless land – Wild Wales. It was a fear fueled by the growth of Welsh working class radicalism; the rise of the Chartist movement, outbreaks of rebellion such as the Merthyr Rising of 1831 and the Rebecca Riots of the 1840s.

These were Welsh people joining together to fight against corruption, inequality and injustice. But they were portrayed in the London media as being a kind of sub-human rabble; wild and barbaric people who babbled and plotted in their primitive language. It was a view endorsed by the Government; an 1847 report into the state of Welsh education and morality found the country’s population to be dirty, lazy, drunken and over-sexed.

Uprising Pic: Tom Law

The report concluded that the main problem with Wales was its language. And the cure was simple – the eradication of Welsh from the education system. It proposed that state funded English language schools should be set-up – and that’s what happened. It’s one of these schools where I, like most Welsh people, was taught.

So a deranged report by three English inspectors who couldn’t speak Welsh and who didn’t have any background in education became the blueprint for Welsh schooling; the reason that generations of Welsh people have been taught only English.

But the report’s other toxic legacy was to give many Welsh speakers a deep-rooted sense of inferiority and shame about their language. It was no longer something to be proud of, it was a problem that needed to be tackled. It was a sickness infecting the country, something the English had found the cure for.

Cultural Civil War?

This division of the population by language has been eating away at the country ever since. It has created two versions of Wales, two distinct cultures which view the other as a threat. What one side gains, the other side loses. What’s good for one, is bad for the other.

It has left non-Welsh speakers feeling like outsiders in their own country, forever left out in the cold and staring back in at a history and culture they can’t access; at jobs they’re not qualified to do. For Welsh speakers, they have been battered from all sides, endlessly under attack, having to justify the use of their own language – mostly to fellow Welsh people.

Eric Fraser’s Dragon Art Pic: Tom Law

It’s a cultural civil war which has brought out the worst aspects of both sides. A nation which once fought for its rights, which fought against inequality and injustice has been effectively turned in on itself. If the attack on the Welsh language was done to subdue and weaken the country, to create a servile and utterly compliant people who would accept their British medicine – then it can only be seen as a monumental success.

Wales has become a husk of a nation. The decline of the language, the stripping away of links to its history and culture, has induced a kind of dementia. It’s a country which no longer remembers who or what it is – so it simply exists. And accepts the guiding hand of its neighbour.

The removal of the Welsh personality has created a void which is being gleefully filled by the English media’s tub thumping brand of Britishness – the royal family, the Armed Forces, Team GB and all that. And there seems little hope of anything changing.

There’s no fight or energy left. No upsurge of anger. No dissent. No political will. No obvious solution. Just a blank stare, a rugby top and a grim Welsh cheeriness; a nihilistic acceptance of fate. While Scotland gains confidence and considers independence, Wales is left retreating into the arms of its abusive partner and going gently into that good night.

What can be done?

Here at the CMP, we say:

Well might you ask “What can we do?” – this is a situation we have seen again and again in Celtic Countries – Wales, Ireland and Brittany! Whether it be a ‘new’ and ‘incoming’ Government or Religion, the pattern has always been the same, change the language, change the holidays, change the names and you begin to change the hearts of the people. Let’s go back to school and re-learn the languages of our Roots – let’s listen to the Learn Welsh or Say Something in Welsh Podcast (see our Resources section), steep ourselves in the history and archaeology of our lands and find our about the folklore and beliefs of our ancestors – for these things are the ground from which we sprang!

The full, well-written and emotive, article can be found on the sabotagetimes website.

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The Mound of Hostages Pic: Dunechaser

The Irish people have just undertaken a survey whose results were released to coincide with National Heritage week. The results are somewhat surprising. Chief among the Irish heritage locations and landmarks respondents were most embarrassed at not having yet visited was the Hill of Tara. Listeners to our stories know how central and important the Hill of Tara is to the Heritage of the Irish Celts. The three most important sites voted for were Newgrange, the Burren and Glendalough in Co. Wicklow.

The Irish Times

The Irish Times – Friday, August 26, 2011, reported:

The three most popular heritage sites are Newgrange Co Meath, the Burren in Co Clare and Glendalough in Co Wicklow.
That is according to a new survey released to coincide with National Heritage week.
However, while 450 of the 600 people interviewed claimed heritage was important for tourism, many respondents expressed some shame at not having visited popular sites.
Chief among the Irish heritage locations and landmarks respondents were most embarrassed at not having yet visited was the Hill of Tara. In second place was the Rock of Cashel and in third position came Newgrange.

When asked to choose the heritage property that most closely depicts Ireland’s history, participants chose round towers and monastic locations as the structure most in fitting with Ireland’s rich historical past. Ancient settlement sites ran a close second.
However, more than one-third of respondents (37 per cent) were unable to say whether sufficient efforts were being made to protect sites and properties.
Almost the same percentage of respondents believed more could be done (36.8 per cent) to preserve our properties. Meanwhile, the remainder, 26.2 per cent, believed that enough was being done to maintain heritage landmarks. In order of historical importance as deemed by respondents, the GPO was the only 20th century site mentioned, and came in in second place. Newgrange was top.
The survey was commissioned by Keane public relations, acting for the Ecclesiastical insurance company to mark heritage week. Ecclesiastical donates a significant proportion of its profits to charity.

The Irish Times 

The Irish Examiner

Fergus Black, in the Irish Examiner, repiorted that:

IT is 5,000 years old, famously sees the light once every year, and has now been voted Ireland’s top heritage site and most important historical landmark. The Neolithic passage tomb in Newgrange — lit up by the winter solstice sunrise in December — has been crowned the nation’s favourite, knocking the iconic GPO in Dublin and the Burren in Co Clare off the top spots for the most historically important and favourite heritage site in the country.

The Entrance at Newgrange Pic: Kevin Lawver

Yet despite its ‘top of the spots’ popularity, almost one in ten people say the Meath attraction is the one that they are most embarrassed to admit having not yet visited.
Kerry is also given the thumbs up, topping the public’s preference as the most scenic county with just one eastern county, Wicklow, featuring among the country’s top six county beauty spots.
The findings are revealed in a nationwide survey which shows that three out of four people believe our heritage is vital to Irish tourism. More than 600 adults were polled as part of a nationwide survey by the Ecclesiastical insurance company to assess the public’s views on Irish heritage. Up to last week, the most up- to-date figures show there were more than 157,000 visitors to Newgrange, its visitor centre and to the nearby megalithic site of Knowth.
The Office of Public Works which manages Newgrange and other heritage sites said that last year’s ash cloud disruption had adversely affected visitor numbers across many attractions but this year’s figures were well up and had been boosted by the “free first Wednesday” initiative at many of its sites.
According to the survey, Newgrange headed the top 10 list as Ireland’s favourite heritage site ahead of the Burren, Glendalough and the Cliffs of Moher. It was also voted number one favourite heritage structure over such landmarks as the Rock of Cashel, — visited by Queen Elizabeth during her recent trip — Dublin Castle, Trinity College and the GPO.
Embarrassed
And it came out on top again in the favourite historical site category, beating the GPO and Hill of Tara.
Despite its apparent popularity however, Newgrange is ranked third of the top ten Irish heritage sites and landmarks people are most embarrassed at having not yet visited.
The Hill of Tara tops the list with one in eight of those surveyed saying they were most embarrassed about not having visited it yet, followed by the Rock of Cashel (9.93pc) and Newgrange (9.30pc).
While almost three in every four people believe heritage is critically important to Irish tourism, the survey also revealed that more than a third were not satisfied with the level of work being done to preserve heritage sites and a similar number were unaware of the work being done to preserve them.
Irish Independent

Read more:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/newgrange-tops-heritage-site-poll-165466.html#ixzz1W7TOn3qU

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/newgrange-tops-heritage-site-poll-165466.html

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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.

Originally posted 2011-10-22 08:46:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter