Do you fancy playing an online game as an ancient celt in the worldof the Mabinogion? Nexus are developing a computer game called ”Mabinogi” in which you can play online with thousands of other people also trying to survive and better themselves. These types of games are known as MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game), the most famous probably being World of Warcraft. The English closed beta of this game has been started and so we can only wait to start hearing the news of its success or failure. It is an anime style game, with a version scheduled for release on the XBox.

I”m not a computer gamer, but my son informs me that this is a very exciting release and enables its players to accomplish some ”pretty neat” things – such as aging. I notice that players can create their own music and their online personas can play it – virtual bards, I guess.

In-game characters age over the course of weeks, and can engage in numerous activities besides the hack and slash of gameplay. Alternate games include actual music composition, cooking, farming, and working with a spouse to maintain a household.

says www.massively.com. A slightly worrying aspect to the imminent launch of this game is that it already appears to have been hacked – see here.

I would appreciate if any of our members who do have experience of this type of modernmedia as well as being fans of Celtic Myth would comment in the Modern Survivals section of our forums.

To me, it is good to see Celtic Myth still being re-told but how far away fro the core can we take the symbols and stories without losing its unique identity? I don”t know.

Originally posted 2008-01-30 20:53:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The CMP Logo

This episode is the first episode in our Welsh Mythology, the Mabinogion series: Pwyll, the Prince of Dyfed. We start with the First Branch, which tells the tale of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and his encounter with a strange other-worldy being. In this episode, our Lord is touring his lands and stays awhile at his favbourite Court at Arberth. One of his favourite pastimes is hunting, and he and his men set of for a hunt in the forests around the Valley of the River Cuch, Glyn Cuch.

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 Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als 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.

Sir Tristram Pic: explore-parliament.net

This is the fifth part in our new series of animated stories of King Arthur based on artwork found around the Houses of Parliament, courtesy of a wonderful Virtual Tour found at explore-parliament.net. In this piece, called Courtesy, we can see Sir Tristram here exemplifies the knightly virtue of Courtesy. Renowned for his skill in playing the harp, Tristram wins the love of the fair Isoud (or Isolde), daughter of the King of Ireland. He had come to Ireland so that she could heal him of a wound.

She was a noble surgeon, and she found in the bottom of his wound that therein was poison, and so she healed him. She was at that time the fairest maid and lady in the world. And there he learned her to harp, and she began to have a great fancy unto him.
- Malory

The painter, Dyce, was far from pleased at being required to fit into this narrow space such a scene as Malory describes.

I should say it was impossible to make a graceful composition of many figures in an upright space, unless the figures are so diminished as to render the picture an oblong.
- Dyce

He solved the problem by dividing the composition in half horizontally. The lower half – the foreground – holds the principal characters, while the background – the upper half – shows two young men hawking.

Sir Charles Eastlake, Secretary of the Fine Arts Commission, paid this painting a high compliment when he wrote to Cope, another artist who was at work on paintings for the Peers’ Corridor:

The best modern example of fresco that I know is Mr Dyce’s in the Queen’s Robing Room, next to the window. I speak of the economical use of darks and the clearness and brilliance which are the result.
- Sir Charles Eastlake

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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 als 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.

The Morrighan Pic: Esther Remmington

The Morrigan is best known as a goddess of battle. In Irish mythology if there is conflict and strife, chances are you’ll find the black-winged Morrigan there, too. But the Morrigan fills many roles and had many guises, all of which are discussed in detail in my book, Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan.While we think of her today as a queen of battle, she is more accurately the “Great Queen” and a goddess of sovereignty.Celtic mythology is filled with powerful, enigmatic queens, both mortal and divine. Some, like Maeve and Rhiannon, began as goddesses but were eventually demoted to mortal queens within their myths. While in most myths the Morrigan’s divine nature remains intact, in some cases, as when she appears in the guise of Macha, her statue is diminished as she appears as a mortal queen.

Regardless, the roles of these queens remained constant. They personify power, authority, and strength. They were goddesses of the land, and only through a union with them could kings win the right to rule. To modern seekers they offer the gift of empowerment and self-knowledge. They challenge us to reclaim sovereignty over our lives, and lead us towards wholeness.

But before we can examine what role the goddess of sovereignty can play in our lives today, it is important to understand who she was to those who worshiped her in the past, the Pagans. To the Celts sovereignty was not simply the right to rule over a clan or country; sovereignty was a divine power that was granted by the goddess of the land. The goddess and the land were one and the same, and thus sovereignty took on the guise of a mystical or divine woman. It was only through a union—either a marriage or sexual encounter—with her that the king could rule. By joining with the goddess of the land, he in turn became connected to the land and its people. It was believed that a blemish to a king would manifest in the land; if a king was disfigured in anyway, he could no longer remain king, lest he risk transferring his disfigurement to the land. Thus when the king of the Irish Gods, Nuada, lost his hand in battle he was forced to abdicate the throne.

Because kings had to enter into a symbolic marriage with the goddess of the land, there are many references to goddesses of sovereignty also being queens. The Morrigan is no exception; her name means “Great Queen,” inferring a connection to sovereignty, and as Macha (one of the three goddesses who form the Morrigan) she appeared as a mortal queen who goes to battle to retain the right to rule. Macha’s father had reigned along with two other kings, each taking turns to rule for a span of seven years. When her father died and his allotted time came to rule she demanded to take his place. The other kings refused, not wishing to rule alongside a woman. Macha swiftly went to war against them and won her crown on the battlefield. It is important to notes the other kings could not rule without her. When they reject her, they reject the power of sovereignty she holds. And as they find out on the battlefield, they can not hold onto power without the goddess’s consent.

Like other goddesses of sovereignty, the Morrigan has a strong connection to the land. While we think of her today as a goddess of battle, her name appears in connection to numerous earth works and features of the land, making her origins most likely that of an earth goddess. In County Meath there are a pair of hills called The Dá Chich na Morrigna (The Two Breasts of the Morrigan), in County Louth we find Gort na Morrigna (Morrigan’s Field), and in the Boyne Valley there is the earthwork Mur na Morrigna (Mound of the Morrigan). “The Bed of the Couple” is a depression along the river Unius that marking the spot where Morrigan mated with the god Dagda. The places she makes her home also point toward her connection to the land and sovereignty. Before she made her home in the Cave of Cruachan she was said to dwell at Tara, where Ireland’s high kings were inaugurated. The Cave of Cruachan, also said to be her home, stood not far away from Cruachan, the royal seat of power for the kings and queens of Connacht.

The gift of sovereignty was not shared; instead, it was conveyed from the goddess to the king, who acted as her representative. This relationship was not always permanent; if the king became too old to rule or was unjust the goddess could leave the union and replace him with a younger, more fitting ruler.We can find this theme in the stories of Maeve, Rhiannon, and Guinevere. Although demoted to a mortal queen, Maeve’s abilities and the impossible tasks she performs point to her divine origins. She takes many consorts, replacing them when she sees fit. Despite this Maeve always retains Queenship over Connacht, while the men in her life can only become kings through a union with her. Similarly, it is not until the Morrigan’s union with Dagda, one of the kings of the Túatha De Danann, that the Irish gods could defeat their enemies the Fir Bolg and take over rulership of Ireland.

Joanne Marriott as The Morrighan, in The Spirit of Albion Pic: Lusete

Like other kings, it is not until Dagda engaged in a sexual union or marriage with the goddess of the land that he (and the other Irish gods) could truly rule Ireland.

In Rhiannon’s story we find her willfully leaving an engagement and seeking out a worthier mate, prince Pwyll, who eventually ruled as a just king with Rhiannon at his side. It is also interesting to note that like the Morrigan, Rhiannon’s name also translates to “Great Queen” from a similar root, “rigani,” meaning “queen.” Similarly, in the love triangle between Guinevere, Arthur, and Lancelot we find the sovereign figure (here represented by the mortal queen Guinevere) seeking out a mate more to her liking. Their story is most likely a distorted version of the sovereign goddess’s myth. As a mortal woman she is reduced to a lustful, cheating wife, but when we return her to her original form, seeing her instead as the goddess of sovereignty, she is maintaining her right to choose her lovers and confer sovereignty to a younger, worthier mate. She acts in the best interest of the land, giving the power to rule to someone she feels is better suited to its prosperity and protection.

This same theme is mirrored in the interactions between Morgan Le Fay and her sometimes-lover brother, when she attempts to have her young lover Accolon replace Arthur as king. It is debatable if Morgan Le Fay and the Morrigan are the same, but they share many traits. The character of Morgan Le Fay is derived from the goddess Modron, who is the Morrigan’s Welsh equivalent, suggesting a connection between the two. Certainly they share similar roles as sovereignty figures within Celtic lore.

The goddess of sovereignty, like the Morrigan, was somewhat of a shape-shifter; she could take the form of a young beautiful woman or a monstrous hag. When she appears as the hag it is usually to test the king or to remove him from his position, while as the maiden she grants him her loving support and gifts. At times the two themes are combined and the king must face the hag in order for her to transform into the lovely maiden.

The sovereign-hag usually appears in a story when the king has broken his vows to the goddess in some way. Usually this is after he has violated a taboo, or geis. Kings and heroes often had several geis placed upon them by a goddess or Otherworldly female. Breaking a geis brought bad luck and in most cases caused the hero or king’s death. When the king broke one of his geis, the sovereign-hag would appear, tempting him to break his remaining taboos. This functioned as a sort of divine checks and balances system. If he broke his taboo, he was unworthy and the goddess relinquished the power of sovereignty, which he had abused.

We often find the Morrigan filling the role of the sovereign-hag who brings unworthy kings low. In the The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel the Morrigan (here in her guise as Badb) appeared at king Conaire’s door after he had broken several of his taboos. Disguised as a hideous hag she tricked him into breaking his final geis, to never admit a single female into his house after dark, and by the morning Conaire was dead. Conaire could have chosen to not break his taboo, but he willing does so, failing the goddess’s test.

The Morrigan is best known as a goddess of battle. In Irish mythology if there is conflict and strife, chances are you’ll find the black-winged Morrigan there, too. But the Morrigan fills many roles and had many guises, all of which are discussed in detail in my book, Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan. While we think of her today as a queen of battle, she is more accurately the “Great Queen” and a goddess of sovereignty. The Morrigan’s interactions with Cúchulain follows a similar pattern, except Cúchulain, unlike Dagda, refuses to acknowledge the goddess’s power. Cúchulain may not have been a king, instead being the champion of Ulster, but by protecting and defending the land against Maeve’s army he acts in much the same way as a king would.

The Morrighan Artist unknown Pic: Akem’s Revenge

The Morrigan, charmed by his prowess in battle, appears to him as a beautiful maiden. She offers him her love, but he rudely turns down her offer. By refusing the goddess’s offer of a sexual union, he in turn is refusing her offer of conferred sovereignty, and fails to acknowledge the power of the goddess who personifies the land. When she offers to aid him in battle instead, he again insults her. Fueled by his ego he believes he does not need her aid to win his battles. Like other kings who the sovereign goddess tests and find unworthy, the Morrigan takes actions against him. She attacks him in the form of a heifer, an eel, and a wolf, hindering him in battle.

Like her interaction with Conaire, she attempts to make the hero break his geis. Before Cúchulain’s final battle she appears as a hag alongside the road cooking dog flesh. She offers him some of the meat, which puts him in a precarious situation. Cúchulain had two taboos, to never eat the flesh of his name sake the dog, and to never refuse food offered to him. No matter what he does, refuse the food or eat it, he will break a geis. He eats the food, and like Conaire, dies shortly after.

In mythology the goddess of sovereignty is a mighty queen; she dispenses justice and aids the worthy, all in service to the land and its people. But how does this figure of the divine queen translate in today’s spirituality? The Great Queen, in all her forms, may not be testing kings in today’s world; instead she offers us a different challenge. As the goddess of sovereignty, the Morrigan challenges us to champion ourselves, to claim the sovereignty of self.

Too often in life we forget to recognize our own power, our right to steer the directions of our lives. Sometimes we hand our power over to others; perhaps we have been learned to rely on other people and not ourselves, or we are afraid to take control of our lives, or maybe we have handed our power over to another out of love. Perhaps we feel too shy to speak our true feelings, or feel like the course of our lives is out of our control. Whether we have relinquished our personal power within a relationship, in our careers, or just in life in general, the Great Queen calls to us to reclaim our sovereignty.

Beverly Moon and Elisabeth Benard relate the world “sovereign” to the Sanskrit sva-raj, which means “self-rule” or “self-ruler.” Another meaning of raj is “luminous” or “radiance,” thus there is a connotation that sovereignty is not only ruling over one’s self but being in the state of “self-luminescence” or letting our inner radiance shine through. When we self-rule our lives we do not leave our fates up to others. Empowered by this aspect of the goddess we can bravely reshape ourselves and our lives into what we desire.

As the sovereign-hag she appears to us when we need to break down the barriers that hold us back in life. She tests our strength, and teaches us to rely on the power within. As the queen she teaches us the necessity of action. If we wish to bring change into our lives, then at times, like Macha, we must go to battle and stand up for what we believe in. When we have learned to call upon our inner strength, she appears as the beautiful maiden, offering us the wealth of the land and the fruits of our hard earned labors.

While the great queens of mythology are often cast as villains, they teach us a vital truth. When we embrace the mysteries of the sovereign queen we embrace our own inner power, letting it shine radiantly into all aspects of our lives. The ancient queens of myth and legend took power into their own hands, and fought fiercely to maintain it. No matter the situations they remained resolutely true to themselves. Through self-rule they shaped the course of their stories, just as we can re-shape our own.

About the Author

Stephanie Woodfield (Brookfield, CT) has been a practicing Witch for over fourteen years and a Priestess for ten years. Her lifelong love of Irish mythology led to a close study of Celtic Witchcraft. A natural clairvoyant and empath, she has worked as a tarot card reader and is ordained as a minister with the Universal Life Church.

The original article can be found in the Llewellyn Journal.

Article Copyright 2012 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. All rights reserved.

Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess

Invoking the Morrighan Pic: Llewellyn Books

Invoke the Morrigan—the Celtic embodiment of the victory, strength, and power of the Divine Feminine—and be transformed by her fierce and magnificent energy.In this comprehensive, hands-on guide to Celtic Witchcraft, Stephanie Woodfield invites you to explore the Morrigan’s rich history and origins, mythology, and magic. Discover the hidden lessons and spiritual mysteries of the Dark Goddess as you perform guided pathworkings, rituals, and spells compatible with any magical path. Draw on the unique energies of the Morrigan’s many expressions — her three main aspects of Macha, Anu, and Badb; the legendary Morgan Le Fay; and her other powerful guises.

From shapeshifting and faery magic to summoning a lover and creating an Ogham oracle, the dynamic and multifaceted Dark Goddess will bring empowering wisdom and enchantment to your life and spiritual practice.

Stepahnie’s book is available from Llewellyn.

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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 als 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.

The above video is Part 1 of a presentation of the Celtic and Prehistoric museum collection by founder and owner Harris Moore. You can find Part 2 below. The Celtic and Prehistoric museum is on the Slea Head road west of Ventry, west of Dingle, Kerry. Kerry is as close as you’ll get to the mythical Ireland; that Celtic Kingdom of misty mountains promised by glossy brochures, Hollywood and our daydreams. Between the county’s snow-capped summits are medieval ruins, glacial lakes, coastal peninsulas, blustery beaches, deserted archipelagos, secluded hamlets, and larger towns where live music sparks up every night.

If you follow the YouTube link on the video, you’ll find that the video was uploaded by celticways. John of the wonderful tour company, Celtic Ways, does a great deal for the Celtic community – much more than ferry people around Ireland

Celtic Ways

Based in Co. Sligo, John of Celtic Ways says:

During the days we offer a variety of guided tours, adventures and experiences around local ancient sacred sites. Be surrounded by the mythology and spiritual stories of Brigid, Morrigan, Maeve, The Tuatha De Dannan, Lughad, Dagda and many more in places high enough to see up to a third of Ireland, around our many beautiful lakes and along our beautiful coastline.

Enjoy sharing some time discovering traditions that have been here since ancient times such as making Brigid crosses, walking our labyrinth garden, learning tree lore and ogham language, songs and music with harp, storytelling and lunches in our traditional restored thatched cottage.

A wonderful way to launch your vacation in Ireland, or stay here longer if you wish!

As far as I’m aware, the Museum does not have a website I can point you to, but you can find John on the Celtic Ways website. He has also started a Celtic story-telling podcast with wonderful music from his partner, Claire Roche called the Celtic Dreamtime Podscape but we’ll have more about that in the future.

Last Minute Updates

Thanks to John of Celtic Ways, we now have a link to the Celtic & Prehistoric Museum.

Originally posted 2010-01-26 07:59:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Live Welsh Pic: Y Lolfa

Like millions of others, Ruthie and I are trying to learn Welsh. It’s a beautiful Celtic language and as we are writing the new Welsh episodes and planning Holiday trips into Wales, spoken Welsh is a very attractive goal. We’ve been following the excellent podcasts found in our Celtic Language Podcasts section, and still will, but imagine our delight when Wales Online reported that a revolutionary new book was set to upset traditional Welsh language teachers by teaching Welsh as the language is spoken today – and that is with very little grammatical consideration! The book is published by the Aberystwyth based publisher Y Lolfa, who publish a wide range of books, many of them bi-lingual and at a very reasonable priced – so controversial or not – we had to buy a copy

Wales Online report that:

Live Welsh

It’s a revolutionary Welsh language course that might get traditionalist Welsh teachers balking at its disregard for grammar.

The new Live Welsh book has been dubbed the book “learners will love and grammarians will hate”.

But its author, Welsh teacher and university lecturer Heini Gruffudd, said its key incentive is get Welsh learners speaking, rather than being bogged down by complexities.

And publishers Y Lolfa claim it teaches “real spoken Welsh fast”. Mr Gruffudd, a prolific author and expert on language planning, said:

The purpose of this book is to allow learners to learn the Welsh that is used by many ordinary Welsh speakers.

The book does not dwell on the niceties of grammar, indeed it avoids or disregards them intentionally.

He said much of the fundamental Welsh that learners are taught initially is never really used in colloquial speech.

When speaking Welsh, many Welsh speakers don’t use verbs, use a lot of English words, change English words into Welsh ones and don’t mutate according to the rules. I appreciate that some traditionalist balk at this idea, but the fact of the matter is not everyone speaks grammatically correctly.

The important thing is that we give learners the cornerstones of basic conversational Welsh and are given the confidence to engage in a Welsh conversation.

I am not saying that grammar is not important but in a language that has been described as in crisis and one which people are not using in everyday life, I feel this is a way of encouraging those who would like to take up Welsh.

According to the book, learners should put in English words if they don’t remember the Welsh. There is also a handy list of 120 words that are similar to English.

Language expert Dr Tess Fitzpatrick, who lectures at Swansea University, said individual learner differences play a huge part in how different people learn a language successfully.

She said there is evidence to show that those who want to learn Welsh primarily for conversation will benefit from a focus on colloquial Welsh.

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/03/02/new-book-teaching-real-spoken-welsh-set-to-upset-grammarians-91466-30442918/#ixzz1rPuAEUaU

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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 als 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.

Triquetra on one of the Funbo Runestones, located in the park of Uppsala University. Pic: IantoPF

The Circles of Existence, sometimes called the Triquetra became popular as a result of the television series “Charmed“. In that television series it is represented on the cover of the Hallowell sister’s “Book of Shadows” A book containing spells and incantations passed down by generations of witches.The Triquetra has a much older representation. The word “Triquetra” is a Latin word that translates as “Three cornered” However for the ancient Celtic people it had a sacred and special meaning. The Symbol has been found carved on stones in various parts of North West Europe and is found on the Irish Book of Kells. Its widespread use marks it as something more than decoration. We find the answer to the question of its meaning in ancient story and legend.

The three points have led to some in the modern Pagan movement claiming it as a representation of the Goddess in her three manifestations of Maiden, Mother and Crone or as a representation of the God in his manifestations of Youth, Warrior and Sage.

Here is a much older definition. Welsh words are used. There are literal translations of these words but they do not sufficiently convey the meanings. Certainly not in the context they are used in the old Welsh Myth and legend.

Abred, Our Mortal Home

The first Circle is called “Abred“.This is mortal existence. This is where we are now. Abred encompasses this Earth and all the other Worlds that exist on this material plane. We are born to live out our mortal lives here in Abred. This mortal plane, this Middle Earth, is not some punishment nor is it a testing ground. It just is. It’s the place where we live a mortal existence and experience the “Cause and Effect” laws. Here our actions, whether good or bad have an effect and we must keep coming back here until we have wiped out all of our footprints. When we have learned to live without disturbing the flow of the universe then we will be ready to move on. Until then we are caught in the circle of our mortality. This story illustrates the dilemma:-

Our Mortal Home as seen from Apollo 17 Pic: Wiki

“There was once a priest whose duty it was to sacrifice goats. One day while preparing a goat for sacrifice he heard the goat laugh, a very human laugh. Surprised, he asked the goat why he was laughing. The goat explained that for the past 500 years he had been born as a sacrificial goat, to die on the altar and be reborn only to be sacrificed again but this time he was to be reborn as a man. The priest was pleased for the goat but then he saw a tear in the goat’s eye. He asked why the goat was sad. The goat replied; “Because 500 years ago I was a priest who sacrificed goats.”

Annwn, the Otherworld

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: IantoPF

The second Circle is “Annwn“.When we pass from this mortal existence our spirit, that essence of us that is truly us, enters Annwn. For those who die bravely and honorably in battle this is a place similar to the halls of Odin in Scandinavian legend. Annwn is also a place of rest and reflection; it can be a home of joy and delight for those of a less warlike nature or for those who wish to rest from war. For the wicked it can be a grim and forbidding place but it is not an eternal resting place for anyone.

After we absorb what we have learned and experienced we prepare for our re-birth.

We die into Annwn and are born into Abred to die into Annwn and so on.

Gwynfyd, the “White Life”

The third Circle is called “Gwynfyd“When we have passed all the trials of Abred it is time to move on. Now we go to Gwynfyd, known in Irish as “Tir na Nog” the land of youth. Here, in these undying lands, we face other adventures. Little is known of this Circle. Only that in each transition from Abred to Annwn we become better prepared for Gwynfyd.

Gwynfyd, literally “White Life” Pic: Wiki

The Ceugant

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: srpllc

Now it is time to add the three Circles together, where they intersect forms a sacred symbol that we have come to know as the Tri-Quetra.There are beings that are able to travel freely between all three Circles or spheres of existence. These beings are said to live in the “Ceugant” Sometimes a fourth Circle is added to symbolize the Ceugant itself and the wanderers travelling through the three Circles. This is the symbol of the Ceugant and the travelers of the Multiverse.

inatoPF (‘Pete’) Biography

Born in Wales, I left school when I was 15 and never looked back. Worked on farms and construction sites until I got a job working for a local bus company, South Wales Transport. Just a stopgap until I could find something better. I’ve been driving buses ever since.

Now I live in California. Married to an Apache we have two wonderful sons with brown skin and blue eyes. Yes, trouble all the way. On-line writing is how I fulfill my life time dream of being an author. If you have the same dream join HubPages and start making it a reality.

Though I write about a variety of subjects, my main interests lie in Myths and legends from the past and opinions about the shenanigans of today.

I love the art of driving, Some of my hubs will reflect that.

We’re a Pagan family and our lives are truly Goddess blessed.

We’re also a very fun loving bunch.

My latest project is telling the old Welsh legends the way they were always told with the poetry. The tales were meant to be listened to, not read, studied and analyzed. They are here to be enjoyed and my aim is to tell them before the old ways are lost forever.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Daibanjo47?feature=mhum

I also have a Blog Where the magic never ends;

http://themagicneverends.blogspot.com/

I just found Twitter and I think it’s cool.

Thank to Ianto for this fantastic post. You can find our more about him and his other posts about Welsh Myth on his blog.

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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 als 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.

Gawaine Swearing Mercy Pic: explore-parliament.net

This is the fourth part in our new series of animated stories of King Arthur based on artwork found around the Houses of Parliament, courtesy of a wonderful Virtual Tour found at explore-parliament.net. In this piece, called Mercy, we can see Sir Gawaine swearing never to refuse ‘Mercy’. Sir Gawaine represents the knightly virtue of Mercy in a strange tale in which he fought a knight who had killed Sir Gawaine’s hounds, after they had slain that knight’s white hart.

Why have you slain my hounds?’ said Sir Gawaine. ‘For they did but their kind.’ And he smote the knight so hard that he fell to the earth, and then he cried mercy and besought him as he were a knight and a gentleman to save his life. Sir Gawaine would no mercy have, but unlaced his helm to have stricken off his head. Right so came his lady out of a chamber and fell on him, and so he smote her head off by misadventure.
- Malory

Gawaine returned to Camelot with the lady’s body on his horse, and her head hung about his neck.

And there by ordnance of the queen it was judged upon Sir Gawaine for ever after he should be with all ladies, and fight their quarrels, and that he should never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy. Thus was Gawaine sworn upon the four Evangelists.
- Malory

Prince Albert made frequent visits to the Robing Room to view Dyce’s progress. His active interest in and support of the fine arts schemes in the Palace of Westminster could express themselves in both criticism and praise.

Personal Note

As we noted before in Part 3. of this series, Sir Galahad, the hart represented Christ,  ‘a white hart without spot’, so the potential interpretations of this strange story are innumerable.

I noted in that piece that the White Hart has an earlier origin than as a symbol for Christ, and the first part of this story is so reminiscent of the First Branch of the Mabinogion and the slaying or taking of Arawn’s stag, that we may be not only seeing evidence of that cross-fertilisation we have spoken of before, but also the archetypal nature of the symbols that makes them remain as an essential part of stories, culture and tradition for well over 1400 years – and that is only recorded history! How old is the story and its images before that?? I’d give a body part to have been there at the beginning!

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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 als 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

More than a dozen skeletons thought to be thousands of years old, have been found by Oxford archaeologists working at an ancient burial site in Dorset, reported the BBC in December 2008.

Excavations are taking place at the site in Weymouth before builders move in to build an access road to the Olympic sailing centre for 2012.

Archaeologist David Score said they had catalogued finds from almost every period of human life.

He said it

really added to knowledge of the Bronze and Neolithic eras. Building the relief road has given archaeologists an excuse to excavate and record finds dating back thousands of years,

Mr Score said.

I think it is very important because it’s not very often that you get the opportunity to excavate an area of this size, in a location of such importance with so many burials from a wide span of time.

Eating habits

I think once we have done all the analysis it really will contribute quite a lot to the corpus of knowledge that we’ve got about the Bronze Age and Neolithic periods in this area.

"We found more than a dozen skeletons they’re in various states of preservation. Some are fairly poorly preserved, but the later ones, particularly the Roman ones are fairly well preserved.

All the finds are being taken back to Oxford where they are being catalogued.

Scientists will also look for small fish bones or charred plant remains to try and find out more about ancient eating habits.

The items will eventually be returned to Dorset where they will be put on display in a museum.

[Source]

Originally posted 2009-12-03 08:44:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The CMP Logo

In this show, we hope to bring you a wonderful gift for Ostara, or Easter, with our first ever documentary show. Starting from conception as a play performed by young actors to a film about to hit our screens, the Spirit of Albion Movie promises to bring the Celtic Gods to the World of Film for possibly the first time! We bring you the long-awaited, full story of ‘the Spirit of Albion the Movie’ along with interviews with all the actors.

We also include many ‘Behind the Scenes’ audio clips to bring you a feel of what it was like to be on the set of the film as it was being made.

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 it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

———————————

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 als 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.