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!

———————————

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.

This is the seventh in the series of Albion Diaries filmed courtesy of MEV Productions, and is taken from ‘The Spirit of Albion’ filming from The Dijo Café in Horley and a Solicitors Office in Crawley. Keep your eyes sharply peeled during these clips and you might see some very familiar faces.

Esther, Annie and George are 3 people whose lives have reached a crisis point. On the night of 31st October, all three find themselves drawn to a clearing in the woods. Secrets are revealed and nothing will ever be the same again as an ancient power emerges from the shadows…

As you know this movie was inspired by the works of Damh the Bard and the Director, Gary Andrews, has put the whole story together into something new and astounding, something with a powerful message for today’s youth and we are so excited to see the film’s launch sometime around the end of 2011.

The Albion Diaries tell the Behind the Scenes story of the production of the Spirit of Albion movie. Marq English of MEV Productions is producing these video diaries of the film’s production, so you can get some idea of what’s coming and how it has all been put together.

Video Diary Filmed and Edited by Marq English.

Written and Directed by Gary Andrews.

———————————

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.

The Sixth Production Diary from The Wealdon and Downland Open Air Museum, Cuckmere Haven near Eastbourne and The Long Man of Wilmington featuring Damh the Bard. Here we can see separate scenes of the Gods as well as Damh appearing “as a man, alone on a hill…” and also giving a quick performance below the magical Long Man of Wilmington. Bit by bit we learn more about the film

Esther, Annie and George are 3 people whose lives have reached a crisis point. On the night of 31st October, all three find themselves drawn to a clearing in the woods. Secrets are revealed and nothing will ever be the same again as an ancient power emerges from the shadows…

As you know this movie was inspired by the works of Damh the Bard and the Director, Gary Andrews, has put the whole story together into something new and astounding, something with a powerful message for today’s youth and we are so excited to see the film’s launch sometime around the end of 2011.

The Albion Diaries tell the Behind the Scenes story of the production of the Spirit of Albion movie. Marq English of MEV Productions is producing these video diaries of the film’s production, so you can get some idea of what’s coming and how it has all been put together.

Video Diary Filmed and Edited by Marq English.

———————————

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 CMP Logo Pic: Gary

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

This was the question we asked you: what themes do you think are the most important, and this show includes your ideas as well as ours.

We conclude our examination of the Irish Mythological Cycle in the Second Part of this show which will be dropped into the feed and available for download 2-3 days after this one so you have chance to listen to the show and keep it fresh in the old brain box before we finish of the show with the end of the poem, the other observations we’ve made and yes more great music!

Phew!

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 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 CMP Logo Pic: Gary

This is the Chatterbox Show. We’ve got so much to talk about, so much to tell you that we thought instead of bringing you dribs and drabs here and there that we’d bring you a different type of show. This one is an informal chat where we talk about some of the national news that’s going on around us, some of our plans for the coming year, what’s happening with the show and where we would like to go with it.

On top of all this you can also hear five fantastic pieces of music, including one track from the group that we now play with – the Pentacle Drummers. And as if that wasn’t enough – we finish off with a competition for a one-off, unique prize! We loved making the show and hope that you have just as much fun listening to it!

Next Show Planned

As we mention in this show, the next show will be either the Irish Mythological Cycle Summary Show or the Spirit of Albion show – it all depends on who can chat when and where etc. and/or whether the Irish show is finished.

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.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Gary & Ruth 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 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.

Welsh Valentine’s Day Pic: Visit Wales

Did you know that the Welsh have their own Saint doing the same job as Saint Valentine? Celebrated on the 25th of January, Saint Dwynwen. The fascinating blog, Visit Wales, have created their own card to celebrate the Welsh Saint and made it available as a PDF, for all of us to download and send rather than the commercialised cards produced for the ‘other’ Saint.

This is what ‘Visit Wales‘ have to say about the card:

Here at Visit Wales, we’re coming over all romantic this January. Ahh.

While the shops are filling their shelves with fluffy pink hearts and cherubs in anticipation of Valentine’s Day, the ladies of the Visit Wales blogging team are actually more excited about St Dwynwen’s day.

The patron saint of lovers, Dwynwen whose name means “she who leads a blessed life”, is feted on January 25th. Although she is no longer officially recognised by the Vatican, she still enjoys great popularity in her home county of Anglesey, and St Dwynwen’s day continues to grow in popularity across Wales.

You can find our more about her history at the national museum of wales. Visit Wales then go on to say,

the psychic fish?

In a tradition which perhaps blends Christian and pagan traditions, it was once said that a visit to the Llandwynn Island church well could predict the future of a love affair. Tradition said that if the movements of the fish in the church’s well caused the water to move so much that it appears to boil, a happy ever after was guaranteed. Women who suspected their husbands of infidelity would sprinkle breadcrumbs on the surface of the water and cover them with a handkerchief – if the fish caused the handkerchief to move, the husband had been proved faithful.

dydd santes dwynwen hapus

Visit Wales’ very own Cupid (aka Bill), has been hard at work in the name of love, creating a gorgeous St Dwynwen’s day card that you can download print and send to your true love / crush/ that nice girl you see on the Number 27 bus every morning. Actually not the girl on the bus, please. That would just be creepy.

Download our printable PDF St Dwynwen’s day card

So, how best to celebrate Dydd Santes Dywnwen? Forget about the overpriced and faintly sinister-looking Valentine themed teddy bears and cliched red roses, and treat your loved one to a weekend up in St Dwynwen’s home of Anglesey? Take a bracing walk along the Blue Flag beach and cwtch up on the sand dunes, or wander through the National Nature Reserve of Newborough Warren. We can’t guarantee angels though.

What a superb idea! If you are thinking of visiting Wales soon (and who isn’t?), Anglesey is lovely to see. In fact, most of Wales is stunning and has its own character. As we go through the stories of Welsh Mythology, you’ll find (as with the Irish tales) that they are intimately linked with the landscape. We walk upon sacred land, the land of our ancestors and the land that the Gods of our ancestors walked upon.

We can’t recommend the ‘Visit Wales‘ blog enough – the amount of information they have about all aspects of Wales – its landscape, entertainments, activities and places to stay alone make it one of the best resources! Well done, guys!

———————————

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.

Pic: FAE Magazine

This truly beautiful magazine has been available for some time now but at the beginning of December in 2009, it becamer available in the US as well as its native UK. The standard of the art and articles inside the magazine is phenomenally and consistently high. In addition, if you want to know about the Fairy community – where the latest Faires and Midsummer Ball’s are taking place, you need this magazine! From their website:

A magazine for fairy lovers in the UK, Europe and beyond! FAE – Faeries and Enchantment Magazine is a REAL full colour foil embossed glossy faerie lifestyle magazine printed on FSC accredited paper, with faerie art, fashion, folklore, news, views, events, music, films, meditations and much more. Every issue has more exclusives than you can shake a faery wand at!

FAE is produced and published in Cornwall, and printed in the UK. It is published on each Samhain (31st October), Imbolc (1st February), Beltane (1st May) and Lamas (1st of August) which are the lunar festivals of the Celtic year. FAE Magazine is for all those magical and enchanted fae folk who choose to walk on the faery path…

World wide subscriptions to FAE are avaiable from our FAE shop. We also have an up to date faerie news section and all the latest fairy events from around the world. [FAE]

In addition to all the things they mention above, they have an incredibly informative website to support the magazine with up-to-daye news, fashion tips for aspiring Fey (such as how best to mount your pointy ears), workshops in Communion with the Faeries, and an online shop where you can get the magazine, fairy oracle cards, and all manner of Fae accessories!

Below is a sample of the content and its quality that you can find inside the magazine:

Source: FAE Magazine

Pic: Wiki

Do you remember a post just recently in which we looked at some of the meanings of Yule, there was a picture of Father Christmas or Santa riding on a goat? Well, the Vikings must have some relationship to the more modern origins of Christmas because the most common symbol for Yule amongst the Swedish is the Julbock or Christmas Goat (see image below). In the town of Gävle, they erect an enormous goat (last year’s is pictured to the left, but the BBC reports that in the early hours of yesterday morning (26/12/2009):

A giant straw goat – the traditional Scandinavian yuletide symbol – erected each Christmas in a Swedish town has been burned to the ground yet again. The 13-metre (43-ft) high billy goat has been torched 24 times since it was first erected in Gävle in 1966.

The goat was set alight in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the city north of Stockholm. City spokeswoman Anna Ostman said the incident, which is being treated as serious vandalism, was "sad".

We had really hoped that he would survive Christmas and New Year’s.

she said. As well as being burnt, the goat has over the years faced other acts of vandalism including being run over by a car, having its legs removed and being smashed.

The Goat’s History

• 1966: The first goat is burned down – beginning the tradition
• 1970: It is set on fire six hours after being erected
• 1971: Schoolchildren build a miniature; it is smashed to pieces
• 1976: A car crashes into the goat
• 1979: Goat is burned down before it is finished
• 1987: Goat is treated with fire-proofing, but is still burned down
• 2001: Tourist from Cleveland, Ohio is jailed for burning goat
• 2005: Two men dressed as Santa and Gingerbread Man torch goat

The Gävle Goat on the Internet

The city’s website offers a bilingual blog and Twitter feed, as well as webcams to allow fans to follow the beleaguered goat’s fate.

In one of its last entries, the goat writes:

Terrible night! Slept so well under my beautiful snow blanket, when it suddenly became awfully hot. It was fire!!! At 0300 someone managed to set me on fire and destroy the amazing Christmas spirit in Gavle.

You can follow the Goat @gavlebocken on Twitter.

Pic: Swedish Christmas

Pictured left is the traditional Swedish Christmas Goat or Julbock that many homes have on display at Christmas time. The straw Julbock is a popular figure that Swedes like to place under their Christmas trees. It’s believed that these small Christmas Goats, were once made from the last shafts of the harvest crop and symbolized the power of rejuvenation and fertility. The Julbock, or Christmas Ram, preceded St. Nicholas as a Christmas figure in Sweden. You can also find Straw Ornaments hanging from the Christmas tree.  Go and see live what is happening on Goatcam 1 & Goatcam 2! The webcams were closed on December 29th – I guess until next year.

[Source]

[Gävle on Wiki]

[Official Gävle City website]

Pic: Chris Campbell

Today is Christmas Day and we here at the Celtic Myth Podshow would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an even Happier New Year! As we have been studying the Irish Myths I though you guys might be interested in some old folk traditions that are followed by the Irish at Christmas time. I found these in an Irish newsletter coming from the Information about Ireland site. Ireland, like most countries, has a number of Christmas traditions that are all of its own. Many of these customs have their root in the time when the Gaelic culture and religion of the country were being suppressed and it is perhaps because of this they have survived into modern times.

The Candle in the Window

The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a house on Christmas eve is still practised today. It has a number of purposes but primarily it was a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter.

The candle also indicated a safe place for priests to perform mass as, during Penal Times this was not allowed.

A further element of the tradition is that the candle should be lit by the youngest member of the household and only be extinguished by a girl bearing the name ‘Mary’.

The Laden Table

After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen table was again set and on it were placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any andering traveller, could avail of the welcome.

The Wren Procession

During Penal Times there was once a plot in a village against the local soldiers. They were surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a group of wrens pecked on their drums and awakened the soldiers. The plot failed and the wren became known as ‘The Devil’s bird’.

On St. Stephens day a procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces.In olden times an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the pole.

This custom has to a large degree disappeared but the tradition of visiting from house to house on St. Stephens Day has survived and is very much part of Christmas.

Decorations

The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated in Ireland as Holly was one of the main plants that flourished at Christmas time and which gave the poor ample means with which to decorate their dwellings.

All decorations are traditionally taken down on Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is considered to be bad luck to take them down
beforehand.

and lastly….

The Traditional Gaelic Christmas Greeting

The Gaelic greeting for ‘Merry Christmas’ is:

‘Nollaig Shona Duit’

…….which is pronounced as ‘null-ig hun-a dwit’.

(C) Copyright http://www.ireland-information.com

A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts for 17 minutes at dawn from the 19th to the 23rd of December. The point of roughness is the term for the winter solstice in Wales which in ancient Welsh mythology, was when Rhiannon gave birth to the sacred son, Pryderi

So What is a Solstice?

The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. Though the Winter Solstice lasts an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like Midwinter to refer to the day on which it occurs. For most people in the high latitudes this is commonly known as the shortest day and the sun’s daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the Winter Solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.

Diagram of the Earth’s seasons as seen from the north. Far right: December solstice Pic: Wiki

The Winter Solstice is also the shortest day or lowest sun position for people in low latitudes located between the Tropic of Cancer (23°26′N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23°26′S). Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs some time between December 21 and December 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time. The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

Yule – A Viking Celebration

A documented example of this is in 960, when King Håkon of Norway signed into law that Jul was to be celebrated on the night leading into December 25, to align it with the Christian celebrations. For some Norse sects, Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder. Feasting would continue until the log burned out, three or as many as twelve days. The indigenous lore of the Icelandic Jól continued beyond the Middle Ages, but was condemned when the Reformation arrived.

The celebration continues today throughout Northern Europe and elsewhere in name and traditions, for Christians as representative of the nativity of Jesus on the night of December 24, and for others as a cultural winter celebration on the 24th or for some, the date of the solstice.

Christmas – The Later Celebration

Christmas or Christ’s Mass is one of the most popular Christian celebrations as well as one of the most globally recognized midwinter celebrations. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christian Deity God Incarnate or Messiah, Jesus Christ. The birth is observed on December 25, which was the Roman winter solstice upon establishment of the Julian Calendar.  Christian churches recognized folk elements of the festival in various cultures within the past several hundred years, allowing much of the folklore and traditions of local pagan festivals to be appropriated. So today, the old festivals such as Jul, Коледа and Karácsony, are still celebrated in many parts of Europe, but the Christian Nativity is now often representational as the meaning behind the holiday. This is why Yule and Christmas are considered interchangeable in Anglo–Christendom.

Folktale of Father Christmas riding a yule goat. Pic: Wiki

Universal activities include feasting, Midnight Masses and singing Christmas carols about the Nativity. Good deeds and gift giving in the tradition of St. Nicholas by not admitting to being the actual gift giver is also observed by some countries. Many observe the holiday for twelve days leading up to the Epiphany.

This post, hopefully collecting the most important facts about our Midwinter celebrations, has been gathered from the pages of Wikipedia.