Táin Bó Cúailnge more closely based on "real-life" than previously thought

Researchers have used mathematics to conclude that ancient Irish epic, Táin Bó Cúailnge, may be more closely based on real-life societies than previously thought.

The study takes a numerical look at how interactions between characters in the ancient Táin Bó Cúailnge compare with real social networks.

The whole article can be read via the Irish Times website.

Shelf of Myths

Shelf of Myths, a photo by i-c-photos on Flickr.

A selection of my books on myths, though I noted the other copy of the Mabinogion has been misplaced.

Winter Solstice 2011 at Newgrange

The 2011 Winter Solstice Sunrise Illumination at the Newgrange World Heritage site will be broadcast live by Heritage Ireland on December 21st from about 8:30am (Ireland time, of course).

http://www.newgrange.com/webcast.htm

Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World

Author: Signe Pike
ISBN: 9781848503724

What’s it about? According to the author, “It’s an examination of the loss of myth in modern culture” (page 9).   I would say it’s a personal exploration into the current belief (or lack thereof) in fairies in the modern world, as experienced by one young woman by travelling through Mexico, England, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland, all the while still grieving the loss of her father about whom she has mixed emotions.

By reacquainting herself with the belief in faery, Signe Pike feels she may find a way to work through the conflicting emotions she has following the loss of her father, but before undertaking the journey to faery, Signe relinquishes her job in publishing and moves interstate, away from the city.  Life-changing events indeed.   

Why did I read it?   Because it was offered to me.

What did I like about it?  It’s an amazingly easy read.   It shows that Signe Pike worked in the publishing industry, because the book is very well organised, with a warm voice, unimposing language and her memories of her father are interposed nicely with the main narrative.

Signe Pike clearly did her research and was enthused by her subject; her descriptions refrain from being flowery or expansive, but the impressions given provide a good image in the mind’s eye of the places visited.   Thankfully, too, the book progresses from the Disney-like fairy creatures to musings on the Sith, Sidhe and other historical manifestations of the “other crowd“.  

What didn’t I like?   The research undertaken was done post-travel, and there were errors.  For instance, on page 185 of the U.K. paperback edition, the following appears:

“… elderflower liquor … made from the flowers on the hawthorn trees, you know, the faery trees“.

Elderflowers are from elder trees, which not unlike hawthorn is thought to reign back luck down on those who cut it down without permission, but most definitely isn’t the same as hawthorn.   Hawthorn does produce berries (haws) which can be made into wine though.

I didn’t agree with a lot of the connections/extrapolations the author made; some I felt were more than a step too far.  Many sites were missed out, owing to financial restrictions, and I felt some research before the trip might have been beneficial, but this is a personal journey, so I suspect serious research was beyond the scope of the book.

Would I recommend it?  Sure:  To those that really, really want to believe in that magic they knew as a child; to those that  want to dip their little toe in the mystical otherworld; to those going on holiday and want something easy and light to read, but nothing too serious; to those that might frequent Glastonbury, the town, not the festival.  

I would not recommend it to anyone that has spent time traversing the Otherworld; I just don’t think they would appreciate it very much.

Rating: 3½/5.

Lughnasa Live

RTÉ broadcast this programme on Sunday, 31 July 2011 in celebration of Lughnasa:  Lughnasa Live.  Now, you can watch this 55 minute long programme which includes snippets on selkies, Eddie Lenihan on the loss of the renowned Irish storytelling, and much more.

Enjoy!

9th Century Irish Myth and the Internet

I read this and thought it needed reblogging, because it is an inspired connection between the Irish myth and the internet of today.

From Mo Thearmann:

This always comes to mind when I see people acting like idiots online. It's from Tecosca Cormaic (The Instructions of King Cormac).

"O Cormac, grandson of Conn", said Carbery, "What is the worst pleading and arguing?"

"Not hard to tell", said Cormac.
"Contending against knowledge,
contending without proofs
taking refuge in bad language
a stiff delivery,
a muttering speech
hair-splitting
uncertain proofs,
despising books
turning against custom
shifting one's pleading
inciting the mob
blowing one's own trumpet
shouting at the top of one's voice."

Brighid

Through another blogger, Tairis, I found links to two programmes on Brighid from Ireland. Although in Irish, they come with English subtitles.

Part One - pre-Christian Brighid; and

Part Two - into Christianity and the modern era.

Is the Curse of Tara affecting those who have desecrated the complex?

Is the Curse of Tara affecting those who have desecrated the complex? | Celtic Myth Podshow News

I have only just finished reading Eddie Lenihan's "Meeting the Other Crowd", so this article make interesting reading indeed.

The People of the Sea

Author:  David Thomson
ISBN:  1841951072

I bought this book some time ago, but it seemed destined to remain on my "to be read" shelf.  Earlier this year, while on holiday in Scotland with a small tour group, I noticed one of my fellow passengers was reading this book and when I enquired about it, she was unable to tell me much, which of course peaked my interest.  This was just one of a series of co-incidences in which the legend of the selkie were brought to my attention: just before, during and after the tour of Scotland.

As well as watching a few selkie-related movies when I returned from my trip, I resolved to read the book; however, being a member of a book club, I found myself reading other books, all the while "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths", though taken down from the shelf, remained in my satchel (unread) just waiting to be started.  So last Friday I picked up this book and I only put it down three times: once to drive home, the next because I wanted to savour the last tale and then, finally, when I finished it on Saturday night.  The book was so enchanting I didn't want it to end. 

I knew "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" would be different when I read Seamus Heaney's introduction and I was not to be disappointed.

"The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" is somewhat of a memoir as the author, David Thomson, travels the western islands and coasts of Scotland and Ireland, in search of those who can tell the tales of the selchie (selkie) or sea-folk.  First, Mr Thomson introduces the storyteller, he then sets the scene and atmosphere in which the story is being told and, finally, he recalls the conversation that illustrates the tale, bringing it fully to the light.  There is not always a straight line from beginning to end with these stories, as someone will interject with their own version of events, and then another, but the main speaker provides a continuous thread weaving all the information together.   I must admit that I felt myself sitting there in the closeness of that store/pub in County Mayo along with Michael the Ferry and his passengers as they gave up their hidden stories; just as I felt right there, with the author, as he (we) paid keen attention to every storyteller in the book.

As Mr Thomson travels through the lands from which these stories emanate, he clearly illustrates the loss of the (Seanchaí) storytellers along with their myths, tales, lore and legends as modernisation takes hold*, so that I was made to keenly feel the loss of the culture where once people lived between reality and the otherworld.  Like all things celtic (what a loaded term), the tone is slightly melancholic, but the stories are so full of wonder I was loathe to read the last tale, for I knew I would be sad indeed to reach the end with no more tales to be told and my journey of wonder into the past over.

I must admit that despite the way some of the stories are delivered, oft times in conversational form, they do lend themselves to be performed at storytelling nights, where both adults and children can appreciate and enjoy them.

I cannot recommend this book enough: it is simply warming even if some of the stories are meant as warnings.   I think I shall always treasure "The People of the Sea: Celtic Legends And Myths" and re-read regularly, more particularly when it's cold, wet and the wind is lashing at the windows.  If you have any interest in folk tales, fairy tales, the legend of the selkie, or the transformative powers of magic, you will probably enjoy this book.

Read it!

Rating: 5/5.




* In the time the author is writing and recording, radio as much as television is taking hold of the minds of the young, causing the decline.

Review: The Secret of Roan Inish

Just before, during and since my trip to Scotland the Selkie myth has been brought to my attention on several occasions. There was a book, mention of them by various people and while searching for a film to watch, having viewed "Ondine", I stumbled across "The Secret of Roan Inish" on Amazon.

I perused the description of the movie at Amazon, a single line that offered little in the way of what to expect. One Australian reviewer, Brian Barratt, revealed the whole movie without offering a spoiler alert, though he did proffer further information on the myths and legends associated with selkies and seals. Despite knowing the complete storyline, I ordered the DVD; it was going cheap.

Arriving home from work in the early hours of the morning, with nothing on the box, I began to watch the movie. I must say the beginning was a little confusing, but I soon caught on. The movie isn't fast paced and is probably aimed at children, nonetheless I enjoyed it. Even though I knew "the secret", I was still entranced by the tale and found myself becoming anxious as to how the story would resolve; I was glued to the screen.

The story centres on a girl called Fiona, who is sent to her grandparents' house in Donnegal to escape the city in which her father now lives. The proximity of her grandparents' house to the island of her family's origin, Roan Inish, causes the girl to ponder the fate of her infant brother, Jimmy, now mourned by his family. With the help of her sympathetic cousin, Eamon and some more distant, dark relatives, Fiona uncovers the truth about her island origins; and the truth is stranger than myth.

A fantastical, magical tale which slowly unwinds.

I recommend this DVD/film to anyone interested in selkies and celtic tales of wonder.

Rating: 4/5.

Britain BC

Author: Francis Pryor
ISBN: 9780007126934

It has actually taken me two years to read this book. I started it in July 2008, and I remember finding it hard to comprehend. It seemed all over the place and I had difficulties with the way Pryor went into long, confusing descriptions of various archaeological dig sites. I felt extremely stupid as I just could not visualise that which he attempted to illustrate with words in detail. I became frustrated and, instead, found other books to distract.

This year I have made a concerted effort to finish those books I struggled with in the past. I picked up Britain BC again, but instead of returning to the beginning, I continued from where I had left off in order to distance myself from the earlier frustrations. It worked! I was able to read this book somewhat more comfortably and actually absorb most of the information.

The detailed and wordy descriptions of various artefacts and archaeological digs sites still left me reeling, but pictures and illustrations are provided (more frequently in the second half of the book) which help to clearly demonstrate what Pryor is tries to describe in words. In some cases, I still skipped the details in favour of understanding how the site/artefact furthered the understanding of a particular time, people, community or way of working.

Britain BC did provide me with insight in the world of archaeology; its progress over the years; and an idea of how archaeologists work today both in terms of learning about our past and in preserving it for the future. I marvelled at the amount of speculation involved in seeking to put finds into context, giving the impression that the purpose of a site or artefact can never be certain where archaeologists are involved. This was quite a lesson for me. I found it disconcerting that as Pryor dismantled the ideas of others, he sought to replace them with his own imaginings, a few of which I thought less credible than those he had just rejected. Still, what do I know?

I was taken by the idea that, immediately prior to the arrival of the Romans, British society was not necessarily a cohesive whole but rather made up of small community groups, some of which had banded together to form larger societies. Pryor also speculates that some of these communities did not have a formal structure, but were loosely banded together, and there may not have been an elite class as previously thought or imagined by rich burial sites.

Prior to reading Britain BC, I was unaware the Iron Age extended into the early part of first millennia CE with crannogs and brochs being in use in 600 CE, but only in those areas where the Romans had not tread. Although I have gained some insight into what is known about the various “ages” of prehistory, I might have assimilated more if the author had refrained from flitting between archaeological dig sites, with a quick tangent into the future of one or another site "... but we will explore that further later in another chapter" (to paraphrase) and back again. As a reader, I felt disconnected from the finds or how they corroborated what was known about the people and/or communities of the age and how they lived in the landscape. I was lost quite a bit of the time; I needed lots of breaks from reading this book in order to take my bearings. I know the author is enthusiastic - I can read it in his text - but I think more careful editing might have made the evidential information more accessible.

Overall, the book did provide me with a basic knowledge of prehistory in Britain and it's all in one place instead of the myriad of bits and bobs floating around in my head from reading news updates from various archaeological websites. I have definitely learned more than I ever did at school about the subject. It's just Britain BC is not a book I would, or even could, use as a reference to with which to check my understanding.

I am not sure what is says about the book when the first thing I can say about it is: "I now know the difference between pre-history, proto-history and history".

Rating: 4/5.

Cúchulainn on the Big Screen

It would appear that the story of the Irish mythological hero, Cúchulainn, is to be made into a film.  I have seen the odd news item, here and there, announcing it as being in pre-production.  According to the film company, the movie is to be made along the lines of 300, and Beowulf, wherein the actors are real, but everything else is CGI.  The graphics seem okay on the Facebook pages.  If they get it right, it could be a cracking film, and I hope they do get it right, as I would like to see more mythology revived in the minds of the general public.

I imagine it's going to be a long, long wait before we see this film in the cinema, since it is currently in pre-production and there are no details of any sort, just synopses.

The Ballinderry River Sings!

I listen to the Coast and Country podcast and on last week's episode "Ripples of the Ballinderry River", Helen Marks explored the Ballinderry River in Northern Ireland.

For me, the most interesting report related to a sound engineer, Professor Paul Moore, who has recorded the sound of Ballinderry River, using sensors floating on top of the water, and converted these recordings to a song, or music, in order to give the river a voice - "a soundscape, as well as a landscape". It is startling: the usual gurgling sounds, but with a haunting backdrop, almost like whale song, which Professor Moore referred to as the Ban Sidhe of the river. It certainly got my attention; I was in awe.

I wish I could get a copy of some of the recordings, but, alas, I have to make do with the snippet broadcast on the podcast. They are endeavouring to expand their recordings to other rivers, and recording the individual songs.

Pagan Voices

I would be grateful if anyone is able to locate a copy of a book called "Pagan Voices" by Joe McGowan, published in Ireland in 2007. I have been searching for a reasonably priced copy for quite some time. So far, I have only located two copies, both of which are to be purchased through what appear to be unsecured websites. I am wary of this, as I had my credit card, and personal details ripped from another unsecured book site a few years ago.

I am prepared to pay postage and am happy to do a favour in return for anyone that can assist me.

Expensive Holiday Tours

I have booked my holiday for next year already. I enjoy visiting prehistoric or mystical sites and, in particular, megaliths, so I have done so with Neil at Megalithic Tours. I did this, because Neil provides an excellent services going to places that few others do at a very reasonable cost. Only, I did not realise just how reasonable until this week when I saw two separate tours advertised.

The first I encountered in a well-known pagan magazine. It was called Celtic Trails and it advertised a seven day tour taking in Highland Perthshire, the Isle of Iona and the West Coast. The prices ranged from £1,100 to £1,500 depending on itinerary and accommodation. As much as I want to get to Iona one day, that was way out of my price range.

The second tour company operates out of Australia, and calls itself Dragon's Eye Tours. It runs two tours: one to the West Country of England and another to Ireland. Granted, the first is 11 days long and costs AUD$4,500, but the Irish tour is only 9 days long and comes in at AUD$3,000, but this is land cost only, flights not included.

Now I realise both of these companies provide specialised guides for the tours and, in some instances, secure private access to certain sites, and this may justify some of the cost, but it is often possible to arrange access to sites through special interest groups, and often volunteers from said groups will provide you with good, honest information.

I'm just glad Megalithic Tours follows these kind of itineraries, otherwise I would probably not visit the sites. As I travel alone which adds to the cost and the miles involved can make a fun trip tedious, so having a tour guide and fellow travellers makes more sense. Apparently, Megalithic Tours can now be found on facebook, too.

Still, if you want to go to these places, here's a nice selection of what's on offer:

Ireland and the Ancient Emerald Isle ~ 9 days

Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ~ 4 days (private access to Stonehenge included)

Orkney & Shetland ~ 6 days

Do have a search around and see if you can't find better. I lived in the UK for over a decade and I've yet to find a better touring company than Megalithic Tours for visiting historic or mystical sites.