Celtic Myth Podshow
This is a huge show all about that magical seal-people of Celtic myth, the Sekies. You'll hear five fantastic pieces of music, two old stories, and one lovely modern story from the Faerytale Apothecary. It also includes some fascinating Selkie folklore from Morgan Daimler's New Dictionary of Fairies.
info_outline The Assembly of the Wondrous Head CMP054Celtic Myth Podshow
The Saga of Branwen reaches its conclusion The Saga of Branwen reaches its conclusion in the company of the Head of Bran on the mystical island of Gwales. This time out of time is known as the Assembly of the Wondrous Head. This episode is the 12th and final episode of the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. Full Show-notes, with sources and credits, can be found on our main Website at Running Order: Intro 0:38 News and Views 1:05 Recap 2:47 Story 4:22 These Hollow Hills (Once More) - 15:20 We hope you enjoy it! Gary & Ruthie x x...
info_outline The Bed of Branwen CMP053Celtic Myth Podshow
Sorrow upon sorrow as the seven lonely knights return to Anglesey with their dying King...
info_outline Betrayal and Redemption CMP052Celtic Myth Podshow
Efnissien comes to an important decision and war breaks out amongst the celebrants in the Great House. The war between the Irish and the Welsh takes on a drastic turn as the Irish use the mystic Cauldron of Regeneration to bolster their numbers.
info_outline The Two Temptations CMP051Celtic Myth Podshow
Matholwch offers to build Brân the Blessed a house large enough to house him and offers him loyalty in exchange for peace. As a Client King of Brân's, Brân would become the King of the Two Islands.
info_outline The Hosting of the Island of the Mighty CMP050Celtic Myth Podshow
King Brân gets some very disturbing news about Branwen and gathers the Host of Prydein to avenge the insults done to his sister. A long and bloody war ensues but will Branwen be rescued?
info_outline Of Kitchens and Kings CMP049Celtic Myth Podshow
Matholwch and Branwen set up home in Ireland and a son is born to them. After a while, the King hears whispers from his people and Branwen suffers a terrible fate.
info_outline The Cauldron of Rebirth CMP048Celtic Myth Podshow
Matholwch accepts the honour price that Bran offers him but Bran soon realises that the Irish King is still not truly happy. The Welsh King comes up with an honour price higher than any ever paid before to ease the heart of the Irish King.
info_outline Blood on the Land CMP047Celtic Myth Podshow
Nissien and Efnissien arrive home from Rome and Efnissien discovers that the marriage between Branwen and the Irish King Matholwch has been arranged without his knowledge or presence. He feels he has suffered a great insult and exacts a most horrific revenge.
info_outline The Price of Peace CMP046Celtic Myth Podshow
Is Matholwch going to be the right husband for Branwen? Will Bran and Matholwch agree on a policy of mutual aid should either the Kingdom of Erin or the Island of the Mighty be invaded? And if they do, will Branwen be happy and what exactly will be the Price of Peace.
info_outlineCelebrate Beltane with Fairies, Music and Celtic traditions!
Always great to hear from you! Email [email protected], or Speakpipe
Show Summary:
We celebrate the ancient Celtic Fire Festival of Bealteinne with some pieces about Celtic and Fairy traditions, a fascinating short story set in ancient Cornwall and some wonderful Celtic music. Come join in the fun!
More resources over at our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com
Running Order:
- Intro 0:41
- News & Views 2:50
- Promo by Mary Jones 2:50
- The May Festival by Lady Wilde 3:52
- The Hills they are Hollow by Damh the Bard 19:27
- The Lily by Simon Mitchell 12:08
- Haghole by Culann's Hounds 46:52
- May Day Superstitions by Lady Wilde 51:15
- Outtakes 55:04
We hope you enjoy it!
Gary & Ruthie x x x
News & Views
We talk about the beauty of the season and explain that this episode is about an hour long being a special episode. We reassure new listeners that the normal episodes are only 25 minutes long. We also play a Promo for Mary Jones, whose amazing website provides much of the source material that we use in bringing you these stories: www.maryjones.us.
The May Festival by Lady Wilde
from "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland"
We start with a brief biography of Lady Francesca 'Speranza' Wilde, who was born in 1821 and was the mother of the famous Oscar Wilde.
We then read a section of her book, Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland about May Day festivities and beliefs.
Memorial to Lady Wilde and her husband located in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin
The Hills They Are Hollow
by Damh the Bard
Perhaps one of our all-time favourite tracks based in Celtic Mythology by Damh the Bard.
Damh is a modern-day Bard whose spirituality, and love of folk tradition, is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic traditions his performances are both entertaining and educational, weaving a tapestry of myth, peace, and anthems that speak directly to the heart, but never without a good splash of humour. Damh is a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood.
You can find his music on iTunes, Woven Wheat Whispers or from his website, Pagan Music. He is also the voice behind Druidcast, the official podcast of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD, for short) - modern day Druids. You can find Druidcast here and find out more about OBOD here. You can find out more details about Damh on his Contributor Page on our website.
Castledore, 23 AD by Simon Mitchell
from "Secrets of the Valley 1: The Lily"
We start with a short biography of Simon Mitchell, whom we know as Simon the Scribe, a regular contributor to our website. We introduce to his ecologically based work and to Secrets of the Valley book 1: The Lily. We then read Chapter 2 to you to introduce you to the story. We'd like to give Simon special thanks for his permission to bring you this story and, if you enjoyed it, urge you to read his book.
Secrets of the Valley, a Cornish trilogy. An ancient matrix of energy lies hidden in the earth, its existence and purpose all but forgotten. One strand, named 'The Dragon Line' passes through Cornwall, a land steeped in history and mystery since the dawn of time. Here the line passes through the valley of the River Fowey. A lone ghost, abandoned in the valley of his birth, tells how the line of energy has been usurped, unbalancing the whole planetary energy matrix. In 'The Lily', the first novel of this extraordinary trilogy, we share his lives as he tells his tale of 2000 years in the Fowey valley. He sets a crucial task, to mend the Dragon Line and restore the balance of power, before time itself runs out. About the author - Simon Mitchell is part of the 'green wave' working in Cornwall UK. " I find an authentic and meaningful life by researching, writing and publishing my own, and other people's media, on the themes of sustainable living, nature and ecology. This trilogy of books under the heading of 'Secrets of the Valley' celebrates the wonders of nature in providing us with all we need." [source]
You can find out more about Simon. Some of Simon's wonderful recipes, green thoughts and other articles and advice can be found here. The Lily is now available on the kindle at a really low price - grab it now! :)
Haghole
by Culann's Hounds
Our second musical treat for this special is the theme music to our show, 'Haghole' by the amazing San Francisco band, Culann's Hounds.
Name a musical act after one of the great warriors of Irish legend, and you’d better be prepared to crank out some energetic, larger-than-life performances. That’s precisely why Culann’s Hounds has been a favorite on the San Francisco scene for six years—and is now bringing their self-described punk-Irish-hoedown sensibility to a larger audience. The melodies of Steve Gardner (fiddle) and Renee de la Prade (button accordion); harmonies of Mike Kelleher (guitar); and rhythm of Scott Marshall’s bodhran meld with rich vocals that are a staple of the Irish tradition.
Their main home on the web is http://www.sfhounds.com/ but you can also find them on Myspace, where you can hear more music, see a video and find out their tour dates.
You hear more of their music here and buy their albums on CD Baby. You can find out more details about the Hounds on her Contributor Page on our website.
May Day Superstitions
by Lady Francesca Wilde
The young Lady Wilde
We finish off with another piece by Lady Francesca Wilde about some of the superstitions observed over time in Ireland. You can find this text on Sacred Texts and also in Library Ireland.
Sources Used
Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland, Lady Wilde, Sacred Texts
And, of course, the Awen - inspiration and imagination!
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Special Thanks
For our Theme Music:
The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.
Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music
(in Alphabetic order)
Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page.
Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page.
Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page.
Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page.
The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page.
Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page.
Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page.
Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permisssion to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page.
S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page.
Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.
We'd like to wish you 'Hwyl fawr!', which is Welsh for Goodbye and have fun, or more literally Wishing a Good Mood on you!