Merry Beltane! Beltane evokes images of Maypole dancing and pagan delight. And well it should! Beltaine, Beltane, or Lá Bealtaine in the Irish, is a Gaelic festival celebrating the halfway point between the spring equinox (March 21) and the summer solstice (June…
Can one recreate the music of the Viking age? A newly released CD called Ice and Longboats: Ancient Music of Scandinavia hopes to do so, and has already earned praise from reviewers and risen into the top 20 of the…
Five archaeological finds that reflect the evolution of Irish music. Source: The ancient music and instruments of Ireland (PHOTOS) | IrishCentral.com
I attended my first powwow this weekend. I had a fantastic time! . To be honest, I was a bit concerned about the reception my jewelry would get. I do seedbead weaving, but not in a Native American tradition. I…
Carreg Cennen, a twelfth-century castle eventually brought to ruin during the War of the Roses, guards the top of a limestone cliff just outside the village of Trap in the Brecon Beacons. At the ba… Source: Secrets of Carreg Cennen…
A true living history project! One year ago, the project managers of Trondheim Vikinglag decided to make an event where reenactors and living history enthusiasts could gather to get back to the basics of what and why we are engaged…
In Icelandic folklore, the Huldufólk (meaning hidden people) are like elves. These beings are also said to be very similar to human beings, and live in little houses in the rocks. Source: Huldufolk: Supernatural Creatures Hiding in Iceland | Ancient…
Myths and folk tales are an ancient legacy: the legacy of many millennia of human interaction with the land which gives us life, and with the non-human others who occupy it with us. Source: The Transformative Power of Myth and…
How wonderful! Sound out of woven patterns… Soundweaving is a recent project by Hungarian design student Zsanett Szirmay that turns patterns used in traditional folk embroidery into music by translating them into laser-cut punch cards fed through a custom…
Most of the people tried for witchcraft were accused without reason. But many made their living as a midwife or healer. What were some of the medicinal methods of these witches? Source: Scottish Witchcraft: Background and Practices
What a fantastic article on Granny Women in Appalachia. The author explores the origins of some of the beliefs in Ireland, Scotland and Cherokee faiths, as well as the herbs and lore itself. Having moved to West Virginia several years…
I love Celtic Music. Irish New Age to Plastic Paddy Punk, I like it all. I’ve compiled a list of my favorites for your pleasure. Now, this is just my opinion – do not keelhaul me that your favorite was…
Historical fantasy, time travel adventure, and urban fantasy 