Pic: Sacred Texts

During the dark ages the arts of bookmaking, illustration and manuscript illumination were preserved in remote Irish abbeys. A number of unique, exquisite books remain from this period, masterpieces of world art. This includes the ninth century Book of Kells, a manuscript of the Gospel richly illustrated with Celtic motifs and deep symbolism. This book by Edward Sullivan (1920) includes an extended introduction to the Book of Kells, along with its historic and linguistic background. We have included high resolution scans of the illustrations, which include many famous pages from this amazing manuscript. This wonderful Book is now available for us all to read and marvel at on the Sacred Texts website.

So says the introduction to this amazing 1920′s version of the Book of Kells along with the glorious colour plates that tell so much about the development of early Celtic Christianity.

The town of Kells, in County Meath in Ireland, lies some twenty miles west of Drogheda and the Irish Channel. It was known in days as early as St. Patrick’s in the Latinised form of Cenondæ, bearing at a somewhat later date the name of Cenannus and Kenlis. Kennansa was its old Irish appellation. Within its narrow precincts to-day there are still standing three very ancient and well-known Irish stone crosses with characteristic carvings on them; an old church, the rebuilt remains of which date from the year 1578; a round tower—one of the many to be found still in Ireland; and a building which has long been described as the House of St. Columb.

ITS weird and commanding beauty; its subdued and goldless colouring; the baffling intricacy of its fearless designs; the clean, unwavering sweep of rounded spiral; the creeping undulations of serpentine forms, that writhe in artistic profusion throughout the mazes of its decorations; the strong and legible minuscule of its text; the quaintness of its striking portraiture; the unwearied reverence and patient labour that brought it into being; all of which combined go to mate up the Book of Kells have raised this ancient Irish volume to a position of abiding preeminence amongst the illuminated manuscripts of the world. Many attempts have been made to reproduce its unique illuminations; and, so far as form and outline are concerned, the reproductions have been as far as possible successful. But all such efforts have up till now failed to give a living representation of its marvellous pages—for without its colour harmonies no reproduction can be regarded as adequate from the point of view of art. The last important attempt at reproduction in colour was made about forty years ago; but the scientific knowledge of the time was unequal to the strain sought to be put upon it. In the years which have since elapsed the science of light, photography, and colour-reproduction has made rapid advances towards an accuracy which was unknown when the earlier attempts were published; and it is only by the aid of such advancement that the production of the present volume has become possible.

In this respect the work now published differs from all its predecessors; for, though still distant from absolute perfection, the reproductions here given will be found to be infinitely closer to the originals in the important matter of actual colour than any of the so-called facsimiles which up to the present have been included in any published work. For this reason the present volume should not be regarded as in any sense a rival of the uncoloured reproductions which have already appeared of the Book of Kells. Its office is rather to supplement in colour what has already been accomplished by ordinary photography and monochrome; to add a new value to previous efforts with the assistance of the most recent methods and processes of polychromatic photography and colour-printing. Looked at from this standpoint one may fairly claim for the work here produced that it fills with some measure of satisfaction a gap in the pictorial history of Celtic illumination, and affords as it were a nearer view of one of the most interesting and beautiful manuscripts which have yet come from the hands of man.

Any student of Celtic Art and early Christianity amongst the Celtic peoples just has to read this wonderful book on the Sacred Texts website.

Originally posted 2010-02-17 07:27:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

CELT is a searchable online corpus of multilingual texts of Irish literature and history. In 2000, it had 2 million words of text. Now it has over 11.5 million words available, and is growing. From February 2006 to July 2008, our corpus has grown by over 3.3 million words in 255 new texts. We have c. 28,000 successful requests for pages per day; that is over 10 million per year, and 990 texts available.

In 2003–2006 the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded the research project Linking Dictionaries and Texts (LDT) in which CELT collaborated with the University of Ulster at Coleraine. There, an electronic Dictionary of Old and Middle Irish (eDIL) has been digitised. It is based on the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of the Irish Language (DIL). Covering the period 700–1700, it is now available online here. Our collaboration in LDT involves creating computer-readable links from the Dictionary’s citations into CELT’s online texts. This work is being completed currently. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-08-02 21:10:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Book of Taliesin is attributed to the 6th C. poet Taliesin and preserves a few hymns, a small collection of elegies and also enigmatic poems such as The Battle of Trees and The Spoils of Annwfn, in which the poet claims to have sailed to another world with King Arthur and his warriors.

The Battle of the Trees in Machinima

I have set Taliesin’s Battle Of The Trees within two other pieces of writing,  firstly Tacitus’ report of the Roman invasion of the Druid island of Anglesey, followed by another poem by Taliesin which had been mixed in with The Battle of The Trees in a method of concealment to hide the poems meaning from those without understanding.

For the written poem and more details about its meaning, please see my Blog; ( http://celestialelfdanceoflife.blogspot.com/2011/07/battle-of-trees.html )

The Power of Names

The Battle of the Trees poem itself famously details the legendary Gwydion’s account of the trees of the forest which he enchanted to fight as his army against Arawn. Within the ranks of Arawn’s forces were a number of mighty warriors, and one of these was invincible as long as his name remained a secret. Gwydion the enchanter rightly guessed the secret name and won the battle saying these words:

Sure-hoofed my spurred horse,
On your shield Alder sprigs,
Bran is your name, Bran of the branches.

Sure-hoofed my horse of war,
On your hand are sprigs of Alder,
Bran you are, by the branch you bear.

However as Robert Graves explores in his book ‘The White Goddess’ the poem is particularly notable for its striking and enigmatic symbolism and the wide variety of interpretations this has occasioned.  Graves suggests that the trees in this poem correspond to the ancient Ogham alphabet, in which each alphabetic character represents a specific musical note, seasonal cycle, mythological tale and deity.

Graves thus argued that the original poet had concealed Druidic secrets about an older matriarchal Celtic religion for fear of censure from Christian authorities, that Arawn and Bran were names for the same underworld god and that the battle was probably not physical but rather a struggle of wits and scholarship: Gwydion’s forces could only be defeated if the name of his companion, Lady Achren (“Trees”), was guessed, and Arawn’s host only if Bran’s name was guessed.

Details of the Cast and Crew of the Machinema

Cast;
As Taliesin and The Bagpipes, Celestial Elf.
As Witches: Brooke Baran, Minxy Kimono, Sienna Panthar, Wicked2712 Bearsfoot,
As Druids: Mikee Martian, Obizoth, Yichard Muni,
As Celtic Warriors: Azzaro, Donjulio Siamendes, Scheer Eberhatz.
All Also doubled as Tree Avatars.

Grateful Thanks to Taliesin the Bardic Poet, and to Robert Graves for his inestimable research,
to Tacitus for recording Cornelius Tacitus historical account of the Roman attack on Angelsey, Tacitus Annals XIV,
( http://www.roman-britain.org/places/mona.htm )

Also to Freesound.org/
for use of their music and audio samples from which I created the soundtrack
Creative Commons Sampling Plus 1 License
( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/ )

Many thanks to ;
Sliver Gray for providing Dryad Avatars, Auburn, Sapling, Nelroth and Auranox,
Lazrith Fardel for providing Alder and Dark Treant avatars,

Other props include;
Bagpipe Bird Avatar by Nowhere Phobos,
The Ent by Papadopoulus Barzane,
Piscium Navis Houseboat by Marcus Parrott.

Filmed at;
Gaia, co Enchantress Sao,
Ruins Falls, co Sliver Gray,
Tir Na nOg at Mystica co FreeSky Republic

Filmed on SecondLife via Phoenix 1.5.2.908,
On Windows XP using Fraps and Serif MoviePlus X3.
Casting Coordinator Sienna Panthar,
Conceived, Directed and Produced by Celestial Elf 2011

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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.
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BBC News reports that a Devon author who took more than 20 years to complete a book has won the UK’s oldest children’s book award. Philip Reeve was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Here Lies Arthur, an adventure story for teenagers. The legendary figure of King Arthur is presented in Reeve’s tale as a war-mongering, self-interested “thug”.

The 42-year-old writer, who lives on Dartmoor, said to win such a highly regarded award was “startling” and “very nice indeed”. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-06-28 09:54:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Portrait of Alexander Carmichael courtesy of the Carmichael family and copyright of the University of Edinburgh Pic: Uni. of Edinburgh

One of the most famous sources of Scottish lore and mythology is the Carmina Gadelica (“Songs of the Gaels” I think) which can be read online at Sacred Texts. The wonderful version online at Sacred Texts has the Gaelic and English versions side by side. We have already used sections from this massive two-volume tome in our shows and plan to use much more as we focus on the Scottish myths in the future.It is fantastic news to find out that the Carmina is estimated to be only a tenth of the lore and knowledge that Alexander Carmichael collected, and many of Carmichael’s lost note-books have been prepared for online publication by researchers at the University of Edinburgh. In June 2011, the BBC reported that:

The notebooks of the Scottish folklore pioneer Alexander Carmichael have been prepared for publication. It will be the first time Carmichael’s work has been available in its entirety. From 1860, he spent 50 years collecting legends, songs, curses and oral history from Gaelic-speakers.

Researchers and archivists have worked for two years preparing the notes for publication by the University of Edinburgh. Carmichael’s work has led to him being likened to the brothers Grimm in Germany.

His volume Carmina Gadelica, published in 1900, is estimated to have included only a tenth of his original research material. Senior researcher Dr Donald William Stewart said:

Alexander Carmichael tirelessly, even obsessively, recorded the culture, lore and beliefs of his native Scottish highlands.

Folklore Jukebox

By the end of his life in 1912, he was both Celtic guru and folklore jukebox, the internationally-recognised authority on Scottish Gaelic songs, stories, traditions and beliefs.

Carmichael’s voluminous papers, now preserved in Edinburgh University library, form one of the foremost folklore collections in the world.

Carmichael carried out his research while working as a tax collector on Lewis, Argyll, Uist and the west highlands. Researchers said the transcription of his notes was hindered by his “notoriously bad handwriting”. The work has been published online at the Carmichael Watson project website.

The Carmichael Watson Project

The Carmichael Watson collection in Edinburgh University Library, centred on the papers of the pioneering folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912), is the foremost collection of its kind in the country, a treasure-chest of stories, songs, customs, and beliefs from the Gaelic-speaking areas of Scotland. It offers us fundamental insights into the creation of Carmichael’s greatest work Carmina Gadelica, an anthology of Hebridean charms, hymns, and songs, and a key text in the ‘Celtic Twilight’ movement.

The value of the collection goes far beyond literary studies. It offers exciting potential for interdisciplinary cooperation between local and scholarly communities, for collaborative research in history, theology, literary criticism, philology, place-names, archaeology, botany and environmental studies.

Through cataloguing, indexing, transcribing, translating, digitisation, and conservation, this project aims to open up and make accessible this important collection to the academic and broader community.

What wonderful news! There is so much research information available in the Project’s data on their website that you could lose hours just browsing through it and learning of Carmichael’s life and the places and people that he visited. Some of the notebooks have wonderful summaries of subject, place, theme and family (along with a map) as well as an image or transcript of the text. Some images I had trouble loading and some had no transcript (I assume this was because of the difficulty in reading Carmichael’s hand-writing!) and some as yet have not been scanned! Ongoing work then

 An Example Leaf from a Carmichael Notebook

Onan cu cuinich a laimh.In going to S. (Saint) Cyril’s the four  men carrying the bier are each sup (supported) by other four men to steady them. They run rather than walk up – while the rest of the people follow as well as they  can. The cra-leaba is smashed  up against a tree immedly (immediately) the  corpse is taken off. Con. (Consequently)  a new bier is req. (required) for each  funeral of the episcop. (episcopal church). For  wood is plent (plentiful) in the place.Seangan mound close to  Leacan drom abt (about) 3 ft (feet) high x 3 ft (feet) long oval top.  (‘Cha bu toil liom do fo d  chomarsaich’ Bu choma  liom’)

Image of notebook ref. GB237 Coll-97/CW120/103, copyright of University of Edinburgh Pic: Carmichael-Watson Project

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The CMP Logo

We’d like to wish all of our listeners and readers a very happy, prosperous and love-filled 2012! The Wheel has turned again and those New Year’s Resolutions, those promises to do something advantageous, are probably beginning to take effect by now! Some for the better and some for the worse Did I really promise I’d do that? How much weight have I got to lose!!!?? So we try to avoid resolutions on New Year’s Eve or Day – they generally get broken anyway and that’s no good for how you feel when facing a challenge.

The Tradition of Resolves

It’s a funny tradition really – I mean, why choose this day to make life-changing choices on? I can’t think of any mythological link to the tradition that might point to a Celtic link for Resolutions – they generally seem to have addressed each problem when the problem arose. There are many traditions associated with the New Year, such as first-footing and the particularly Scottish Hogmanay but these are more in keeping with purification and blessings. Saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new. According to a survey carried out earlier in the year, the five most popular resolutions are going to be:

1. Be financially-savvy
2. Read at least one book a month
3. Eat properly
4. Get enough sleep
5. Keep a journal of awesome moments

[Source: Wiki]

I think the only one of those that I manage regularly is the sleeping!

What are our plans for 2012?

So what are we planning for the next year and a day? Well, as you know, our shows has been somewhat erratic over the last two years owing to my health problems, but as I continue to build up strength we are planning to become more regular and reliable with our shows. It still continues to surprise me how weak I actually am – apparently it can take up to 18 months for your cells to recover from having a chemo-beating! How can you be tired at a cellular level? Very strange

Anyway, it is a continual joy to us both as my strength increases to be able to do more and more! We can go out and do things together, which leads me on to talk about one of the things we are hoping to be able to do for you this year. In our search to understand how modern Celts live and how they link to the old stories and the mythology, we hope to be able to talk to some influential people in the field and bring you those interviews.

We’re trying to divide the jobs amongst ourselves now to make sure they all get done. I’m writing the scripts fort the new Welsh shows (and the first two are already under my belt! Yay!), Ruthie is working hard on the Holiday Specials and we’ve got Carina trying to fill in all the gaps!

As well as that, we’ve got two Special shows planned all about the Spirit of Albion movie that’s coming out at Beltane. We’ll be talking to the actors and some of the people behind the scenes and trying to give you some feeling of the amazing experience this movie is going to be. To have been involved in the filming was an enlightening experience for us, but more than that there were so many of those ‘magical’ moments in the filming, that the feeling is certain to come across in the final film! We are also hoping to talk to the Director, Gary Andrews, and the Songster, Damh the Bard, about the sources, the inspiration that set the film going in the first place. That should be fun

The highly skilled production team have released a wonderful new trailer for the film for the New Year, and if you haven’t seen that already, make sure you check back tomorrow, because we’ll be sure to bring you that as well.

We’ve also got a nice backlog of wonderful music, stories and non-fiction books to bring you some superb pieces from! I’m working on some more artwork for the App, along with some new Appisodes only available to App owners to keep you guys happy as well So much good stuff – you won’t be able to believe it! At least, that’s our hope and we keep pinching ourselves to make sure It’s going to be a wonderful 2012 for us all!

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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The Bible’s translator, from London, taught himself Cornish at the age of 15 Pic: BBC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

he said.

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

Source

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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 Red Book of Hergest Pic: BBC Wales

Thanks to the BBC, we have some valuable information about the Red Book of Hergest one of the two makjor sources of the Mabinogion. They tell us that:The Red Book of Hergest, believed to have been written some time between 1375 and 1425, includes a mixture of poetry and prose.

The manuscript was named after its former home, Hergest Court in Herefordshire, and for its red leather binding. It was presented to Jesus College, Oxford in 1701 by the Reverend Thomas Wilkins of Llanbleddian.

Of the several copyists believed to have worked on the manuscript, one was Hywel Fychan fab Hywel Goch of Buellt, working for his employer, Hopcyn ap Tomas ap Einion of Ynysforgan, Swansea, whom the manuscript may have been compiled for.

The book is best known as a source of the tales of the Mabinogion, along with the White Book of Rhydderch. Most notably, it contains tale of the Dream of Rhonabwy. It also had much of its poetry reproduced in the Four Ancient Books of Wales, William F Skene’s 1868 anthology of dark-age Welsh bardic poetry.

The red book also contains historical texts, including a Welsh translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, poems and a series of Triads.

Also contained in the manuscript is a collection of herbal remedies attributed to Rhiwallon Feddyg, the first of a family of country doctors who lived in the parish of Myddfai, collectively known as the Physicians of Myddfai. [BBC]

The History of he Book

The Red Book of Hergest (Welsh: Llyfr Coch Hergest) is a large vellum manuscript written shortly after 1382, which ranks as one of the most important medieval manuscripts written in the Welsh language. It preserves a collection of Welsh prose and poetry, notably the tales of the Mabinogion, Gogynfeirdd poetry. The manuscript derives its name from the colour of its leather binding and from its association with Hergest Court between the late 15th and early 17th century.

The manuscript was written between about 1382 and 1410. One of the several copyists responsible for the manuscript has been identified as Hywel Fychan fab Hywel Goch of Buellt. He is known to have worked for Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion (c. 1330 – after 1403) of Ynysforgan, Swansea, and it is possible that the manuscript was compiled for Hopcyn.

According to scholar Daniel Huws, it is

“by far the heaviest of the medieval books in Welsh, the largest in its dimensions [...] and the thickest”.

The manuscript appears to have been retained by Hopcyn’s family until the end of the 15th century, when Hopcyn’s grandson Hopcyn ap Rhys was held complicit in the rebellion against King Edward IV and consequently saw much of his property forfeited. The Vaughans of Tretower (Tretŵr), then in Breconshire, obtained it, probably in 1465 on receiving Hopcyn’s forfeited possessions. Ownership is suggested by two odes (awdlau) dedicated to Sir Thomas Vaughan (d. 1483) and his sons, which were written into the manuscript by Welsh poet Lewys Glyn Cothi at Tretower. The Red Book soon passed into the possession of the Vaughans of Hergest Court, near Kington in the Welsh Marches. Sir John Price of Brecon reports to have seen the manuscript in 1550, presumably at Hergest. In the late 1560s, William Salesbury found the manuscript in the possession of Sir Henry Sidney at Ludlow, when Siancyn Gwyn of Llanidloes held it on loan from him.

By the early 17th century, the Red Book had passed to the Mansels of Margam, hence back in Glamorgan. It was possibly brought into the marriage between Henry’s granddaughter Catherine Sidney and Sir Lewis Mansel, who is reported to have owned it in 1634. The manuscript is later found in the collection of Thomas Wilkins (d. 1699), a Welsh clergyman and antiquarian, who may have borrowed it from the Mansels without ever returning it. In 1697, Wilkins was visited by Edward Lhuyd, who spent some time copying a manuscript which might well have been the Red Book. In 1701, two years after Wilkin’s death, his son Thomas Wilkins the Younger donated the manuscript to Jesus College, Oxford. Internal evidence, a note by the latter Wilkins, suggests that Edward Lhuyd then held the manuscript on loan, but that the college was able to retrieve it only 13 years later, after Lhuyd’s death. It is now kept at the Bodleian Library on behalf of Jesus College, Oxford, and catalogued as MS 111.

[Wiki]

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
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Site member and author William Russeth has received a super review for his book The Fires of Belenus, a romantic tale, that tantalizes readers with rational portrayals of mythical events found in the CuChulainn and Arthurian legends. We are really looking forward to reading this book. William has asked If anyone, by chance, does read the book, I would really be interested to hear if they think I was true to my claim of representing the ancient Celts accurately. William can be contacted through http://mysite.verizon.net/resr5omo/whrhomepage/ or you can leave a message for him on our forums.

Review from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction.
Title: Fires of Belenus 4/10/08
Author: William H Russeth
Genre: Historical Adventure/Romance
Length: 377 Pages
Publisher: Wings ePress (Dec 2007)

In Fires of Belenus, William H. Russeth pens an adventurous tale smartly written. You will shiver in the presence of Druids, cower before merciless warriors, and hope in the true spirit of one young man named Eoan. With a little romance to soften this ancient Celtic world, Mr. Russeth weaves a story that is not only entertaining, but surprising in its revealing and intriguing conclusion. I do so want to tell you the ending, but I must refrain. All I can say, is, read the book! You won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by Lynda Coker, Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction

For more information and excerpts visit the website:
http://mysite.verizon.net/resr5omo/whrhomepage/

William Russeth

Author of “Fires of Belenus” Wings-Press: www.wings-press.com

Originally posted 2008-05-09 10:22:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Avebury Pic: Avebury Cosmos

In June this year (2011), Nicholas Mann released a fascinating book called Avebury Cosmos which looks at the mystery of Avebury from the astronomical or Cosmological viewpoint. He shows how the constellation known as the Southern Cross is intimately related with the development of the monument.

The Avebury and the Cosmos of Our Ancestors Lecture

Back in 2009, Nicholas was forming his theories and gave the following lecture (available in WMV format, just click on the link and the hour long lecture will play).

Play and Watch Avebury Lecture

Nicholas Mann reveals the reverence of the Neolithic people of Britain to Sun, Moon and stars and offers the most complete perspective on Avebury yet, balancing archaeology with astronomy.

A book is due to be published on the results of his extensive research into the links between Avebury, the cosmos, anthropology and the ancient wisdom of the Neolithic people. This lecture was given at the Stars & Stones Forum, Bury St Edmunds, UK in November 2009.

The book came out in June 2011.

Nicholas comes up with some real surprises in Avebury Cosmos. Taking advantage of the newly established dates for Avebury, its avenues and Silbury Hill, he has used astronomical software to obtain a picture of what the Neolithic builders were looking at in the sky.

As Professor Ronald Hutton of the University of Bristol says,

“the sky is the one part of the prehistoric landscape which can be reconstructed with real accuracy, and Nicholas Mann’s painstaking research shows how archaeology, astronomy and anthropology can be brought together to produce a plausible hypothesis regarding the nature of one of the world’s greatest prehistoric monuments.”

This groundbreaking research, made possible by computer ware unavailable to previous researchers, shows just how sophisticated our Neolithic British ancestors really were.

The website of Nicholas Mann and Philippa Glasson tells us much miore about the valuable work they are doing and is well worth a read.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Appbrain at http://www.appbrain.com/app/celtic-myth-show/tv.wizzard.android.celticmythpodshow841 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.