Pic: Avalonia

A new book will be published by Avalonia Books that provides a huge collection of essays on the importance of horns as a symbol to our ancestors. It covers many subjects in its fascinating essays from Cernunnos to Herne the Hunter. Boy, would I love to read this one! Avalonia tells us that: The raw, ancient and primordial force symbolised by horns has long had associations with mystery, magick and power. Our ancestors often envisaged their gods as anthropomorphic beings who encapsulated this wild essence. Today the gods of the bull, the ram, goat and stag still hold tremendous power and are invoked at rituals by a new priesthood who continue to seek the wildness of nature and the inspiration that it holds. These deities transcend the safe and known boundaries of human structure, sometimes even luring us across the threshold of the known into the unknown worlds. This unique anthology brings together the work of more than twenty dedicated scholarswith that of modern day mystics. Through their written and artistic contributions they illustrate just some of the many manifestations of the Horned God.

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I wonder what has happened in the story about the slaying of St George that appeared in the MailOnline in 2006? They report: His dragon-slaying heroics have kept his legend alive through the centuries. But the Church of England is considering rejecting England’s patron saint St George on the grounds that his image is too warlike and may offend Muslims. Clergy have started a campaign to replace George with St Alban, a Christian martyr in Roman Britain. The scheme, to be considered by the Church’s parliament, the General Synod, has met a cautious but sympathetic response from senior bishops. The proposal has been put forward by the Rev Philip Chester, vicar of St Matthew’s, Westminster, who has called the use of St George as patron saint ‘dotty’. His call for a change is based on the lack of firm historical evidence that George - said to be a Roman general from the 4th century AD who was put to death by Emperor Diocletian for professing Christianity - ever existed.

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FRENCH historians have suggested King Arthur was indeed a Welshman despite years of English “spin” claiming the mythical figure as their own. As part of a major conference into the legend, academics say that if the king ever existed he was probably from Wales with strong links to Brittany, in northern France. And far from being English – a ploy, they say, to appeal to nationalist sentiment – he would actually have been the sworn enemy of the Anglo-Saxons. The organisers of the event at Rennes University, in Brittany, say the fable of Arthur and Camelot has been continually updated by English nationalists keen to bring back the Age of Chivalry.

The tales of Camelot, Excalibur and Arthurian derring-do have long been popular throughout Europe, with the earliest images of the king found in Italy, dating from about 1120. They also quickly spread as far apart as Iceland and found particular popularity in rural Brittany, although French historians have not gone as far as trying to claim the king as French. Continue Reading »

Pic: BNPS.CO.UK

This London reports that the Cerne Abbas Giant has suffered as a result of the increase in wet weather we are getting here in the UK. As you can see from the picture to the left, the archetypal image of the Dagda (if that is who he represents), has almost disappeared under the rapidly growing grass. And thanks to a decline in sheep farming in the surrounding area, the flock that traditionally graze on the site have been unavailable to provide the giant figure with its annual trim.

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AFP reports that the legend of Britian’s King Arthur will take hold of the city of Rennes next month when it hosts a series of events on the mythical hero once said to have roamed this wild, western French region called Brittany. A major exhibition on the Arthurian tales, which will run for six months, is to open July 15, fully translated into English, the same day the International Arthurian Society begins it’s 22nd annual congress at Rennes university, one of the biggest campuses in France.

The Society brings together experts on the Arthurian tales from across the world, mingling eminent academics and amateurs. Formed in the Breton city of Quimper in 1948, it meets in congress every three years. Continue Reading »

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The first part of the Midsummer Special is available for download and is on the feed. We celebrate the Midsummer Festival with a massive offering of goodies. So we’ve divided the episode into two parts. The first part contains a reading from The Religion of the Ancient Celts, another from a modern book called Fairy Healing, some music, and a story by Willie Meikle called The First Silkie. Part 2 of the Midsummer Special will be available in the middle of next week.

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.

COPIES of a book which combines ancient Manx folklore and the modern world are being given to school children across the Island.

Students at King William’s College, Castletown, were the first to be given copies of Fynoderee, a book written by former pupil Alexander Caine and inspired by the school’s history.

The book is an adventure and modern myth, where the old worlds of ancient Manx folklore collide with today’s modern world with life threatening consequences.

Fynoderee tells the story of Juan Kerruish, a boy only ever noticed by the school bullies, whose world is about to turn upside down.

When he meets Bea the Fynoderee, a creature thought to exist only in myth, he discovers that he carries a message from the past that could change the course of the future.

The story has been compared to the books in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy

‘Fynoderee is not like Harry Potter or His Dark Materials, and it’s not set in Hogwarts or Middle Earth. It’s actually set in their home with landscapes they will recognise, and stories and characters that are part of their heritage,’ Alexander said.

‘Folklore can give people, and children especially, solid roots to a place that I hope they will never forget. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Isle of Man with many of these wonderful stories around me.

‘The Island’s folklore is one of the richest in Europe, with a wonderful combination of Nordic, Celtic and Manx characters coming out of our landscape.

‘Now living away from the Island in the hustle and bustle of London, Fynoderee is in many ways my own love letter to the island, and a celebration of its magnificent scenery and rich array of characters and tales.’

Fynoderee is being distributed by Isle of Man publishing house Lily Publications, based in Ramsey. Copies are being given to every Island school, funded by businessman Roy Tilleard.

www.fynoderee.com

source

A Celtic goddess of love, harmony and fertility, Aine of Knockaine is an Irish fairy queen and is associated with the great Celtic mother goddess, Dana,

She was once the wife of the Earl of Desmond, and promised to stay with him as long as he kept his word to never show surprise at any of their son’s antics. Unfortunately, the Earl of Desmond couldn’t help but to be startled when he witnessed his son jumping in and out of a bottle, so Aine promptly left him and returned to the land of the fairy, Cnoc Aine (Aine’s Hill) in County Limerick. The Earl of Desmond didn’t fair quite so well, and was turned into a wild goose.

Aine was also known to have been married to the great sea god, Manannan Mac Lir. But it seems she found mortal men quite irresistible, and had many mortal lovers, which resulted in many children that were half fairy and half mortal. Some say it is for this reason that she was bestowed with the title of “Fairy Queen.” Continue Reading »

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TARA, Temor, Temhuir, or Temoria, is intimately connected with the early religion of Ireland, and has been associated with singular theories. As Tea-mur, it was the mount or home of Queen Tea, wife of the Milesian King Heremon. The centre of Druidical song and power, the seat of ancient royalty, Tara was a favourite subject of glorification by ancient annalists, and has been immortalized in the poem of Moore. But, while bards record a great assembly being held there 921 B.C., Dr. Petrie, the eminent antiquary, is disposed to regard the place as existing only between 200 and 300 years after Christ.

The high civilization at Tara has been a favourite subject for Bards. The old lady guide at Tara told us that only gold and silver vessels were used at the banquets. Dr. Ledwich laughs at the yarns about its twenty-seven kitchens, and its amazing bill of daily fare. He assures us that the story of Tara rests only upon the fragment of a fragment in the Seabright collection, that had neither the name of its author nor a date. The earliest Romish ecclesiastics, and mediæval writers, knew nothing of early Irish culture or wealth. Continue Reading »

CATHAL, King of Munster, was a good king and a great warrior. But there came to dwell within him a lawless evil beast, that afflicted him with hunger that ceased not, and might not be satisfied, so that he would devour a pig, a cow, and a bull calf and three-score cakes of pure wheat, and a vat of new ale, for his breakfast, whilst as for his great feast, what he ate there passes account or reckoning. He was like this for three half-years, and during that time it was the ruin of Munster he was, and it is likely he would have ruined all Ireland in another half-year. Now there lived in Armagh a famous young scholar and his name was Anier MacConglinney. He heard of the strange disease of King Cathal, and of the abundance of food and drink, of whitemeats, ale and mead,

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there were always to be found at the king’s court. Thither then was he minded to go to try his own fortune, and to see of what help he could be to the king. Continue Reading »