The Giant's Rest
Wilmington, East Sussex
The Giant's Rest Pub
We meet the guys at the fabulous 'Giant's Rest' pub in Wilmington, East Sussex on their 2014 UK tour. The pub has awards for being the most Druid-Friendly pub in Sussex!
Seal Skins & Sea Spray CMP SP44
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 CMP054
Celtic 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 CMP053
Celtic Myth Podshow
Sorrow upon sorrow as the seven lonely knights return to Anglesey with their dying King...
info_outline
Betrayal and Redemption CMP052
Celtic 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 CMP051
Celtic 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 CMP050
Celtic 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 CMP049
Celtic 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 CMP048
Celtic 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 CMP047
Celtic 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 CMP046
Celtic 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_outlineWe go to the Pub with the fantastic Australian band - Spiral Dance!
This is the first of an irregular series of informal interviews that we'll be holding as the opportunities arise, and our first is a superb, epic Show with the fabulous Australian band, Spiral Dance. In this show, we all meet up at the pub and talk about where they have come from, how their Spirituality comes out in their music and what their plans are for the future. With five fantastic pieces of Spiral Dance magic, this is a great chat and includes a surprise appearance by some extra special guests!
Spiral Dance's Contributor Page
Running Order:
- The Holly Lord ('Woman of the Earth') 2:41
- The Gathering ('Over the Nine Waves') 26:26
- Cerri Lee join us 51:43
- Damh the Bard joins us 1:01:43
- Fae Dance ('Through a Sylvan Doorway') 1:01:51
- Through a Sylvan Doorway ('Through a Sylvan Doorway') 1:17:53
- Wicker Man (single) 1:33:25
- Promo - Christy Jackson Nicholas (travel books) 1:42:02
All the credits for this episode can be found in our show-notes at http://celticmythpodshow.com/firstbranch13
We hope you enjoy it!
Gary & Ruthie x x x
Released 22 Jul 2015, 1h 43m,97Mb
It's always great to hear from you! [email protected], Speakpipe
The Holly Lord
from Woman of the Earth
Woman of the Earth
One of Spiral Dance's earliest albums, 'Woman of the Earth' is where Celtic folk rock meets pagan inspired tales of magick, myth and legend. It contains not only Holly Lord, but the Goddess and the Weaver, Into the Green, Hour of the Wytch, the title track - Woman of the Earth - and others. It is now sadly out of print but can be found as a digital download at CD Baby or Soundclick. One of our favourite albums.
Spiral Dance Band Members
The Band
The band was formed in 1992 as a project to explore some of the more mystical elements in life and has drawn its energy from the song-writing and vocal skills of Adrienne Piggott. Adrienne’s haunting lyrics are supported by Nick’s driving guitar work and Paul’s innovative accordion lines.
Adrienne Piggott
Adrienne hails from an immigrant family and grew up surrounded by stories and songs from Ireland and the British Isles that were part of every day life, ensuring her love of the music, legends and traditions from these cultures.
She began singing in pub sessions in her late teens and early twenties, then went on to sing in a cappella groups and folk bands. Her interest in the occult and magic led to the creation of the band Spiral Dance - her ‘dream child’- a passionate union of her voice and song writing gifts.
Adrienne has won awards for her vocal talents and wordsmith skills and has written most of the songs that appear on the Spiral Dance albums. [source]
Nick Carter
Nick had always wanted to play guitar for as long as he can remember and says he would still love to know how to play. He started playing in his early 20s for fun and had a passion for rock and blues, Eric Clapton being the main influence. The blues was followed with lead guitar and a very short stint of heavy metal. He auditioned for Spiral Dance in late-1996, an ordeal that consisted of playing all the songs from the bands first album (Woman of the Earth) and then a live gig two days later!
And the best thing about being in the band? "The biggest thrill when playing live is watching the audience singing the words back to us, whether it is a gig in Australia or overseas!" [source]
Paul Gooding
Paul is one of the leading exponents of the button accordion in Australia, his skilled honed in the folk clubs and festivals of his native England. He moved to Australia in 1998 and joined Spiral Dance in 2000, bringing with him his love of English folk ballads and passion for European dance tunes.
In 2009, he was very proud to win "Most Outstanding Instrumentalist" at the South Australian Folk Awards. [source]
The Gathering
from 'Over the Nine Waves'
Over the Nine Waves
Over the Nine Waves was originally a song cycle featuring narration and songs. The narrative tracks and album artwork are available free at www.spiraldance.com.au. Based securely in Irish Myth, this album contains 10 superb tracks by Spiral Dance as well as some enchanting narration by Vince Brophy.
Tales told with song and narration of the legendary characters from the Irish Mythological and Ulster Cycles, which are the oldest surviving prose in western literature, memorised as they happened and handed down from generation to generation by bards before the introduction of literacy. You can still get this album from Soundclick with the narrative tracks as a free download directly from Spiral Dance.
Willyaroo, South Australia
Adrienne mentions the town of Willyaroo which is near Adelaide in South Australia. We had to look this one up to get the right spelling for you! She also mentions the terrible injustices that the White Man inflicted upon the aboriginal tribes,in particular, the Peramangk.
Damh the Bard and Cerri Lee
& 'Oscar' the Dog
Damh and Cerri
We are joined for a surprise appearance by Damh the Bard, Cerri Lee and Oscar the Dog!
'Oscar'
Fae Dance & Through a Sylvan Doorway
from 'Through a Sylvan Doorway'
Through a Sylvan Doorway
Two tracks from the seminal work in the Spiral Dance discography. A fine collection of songs & tunes, pagan rhythms and folk ditties, all set in the latest and brightest, unique Spiral Dance double album.
Wickerman & the English Ale Festival
Wickerman
The Wicker Man burning at the English-Ale festival in Mylor, South Australia this year, 2015. The English Ale ('Ale' meaning singing, dancing and making merry) is a seasonal gathering to celebrate the historic customs of England. Free events include masked torchlit giants procession, bonfire, Morris dancing, Punch and Judy, traditional music, Beating The Bounds and more
The Burning Wickerman at Mylor
As the English Ale Festival website says: The first of our winter rains has come; in the Adelaide Hills the creeks and streams trickle and begin to run, the European trees have lost their leaves and the beautiful eucalypts shimmer in the early winter sunshine. The seasons are changing.
Promo - Christy Jackson Nicholas
Books by Christy Jackson Nicholas
Ireland: Mythical, Magical & Mystical - Do you find yourself drawn to the magic of the Emerald Isle? Would you like to see places beyond the typical tourist traps? Come, join me on a journey through the mists of legend, into the hidden places of mystery. Immerse yourself in the legends and myths, the history that has made this island precious in the hearts and minds of millions.
Scotland: Stunning, Strange & Secret - Immerse yourself in the legends and myths, the history that has made this island precious in the hearts and minds of millions. Along with the tales and history, there is practical information on planning your trip, budgeting your costs, and finding the best places to while away the magical hours of your holiday.
Christy Jackson Nicholas can be found on Facebook, on her website or her blog. Ireland: Mythical, Magical & Mystical can be obtained from Tigearr Publishing here, and Scotland: Stunning, Strange & Secret can be obtained here.
To Finish Off!
Meal at ‘The Happy Dragon’
Another occasion saw us all at the Happy Dragon - our favourite Chinese restaurant. You'll see Ruthie and Gary, Spiral Dance (Adrienne, Nick & Paul), Damh the Bard, Cerri Lee and Josh. A grand time and super nosh to boot!
Thanks again to Adrienne, Nick and Paul of Spiral Dance, Damh the Bard, Cerri Lee, Josh and 'Oscar' for taking part in our 'Pint and a Chat'!
We hope you enjoyed the show and we look forward to more of these wonderful 'chats' in the future! We'd like to wish you many, many blessings!
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.
Get EXTRA content in the Celtic Myth Podshow App for iOS, Android & Windows
Contact Us:
You can leave us a message by using the Speakpipe
Email us at: [email protected].
Facebook fan-page http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow,
Twitter (@CelticMythShow) or Snapchat (@garyandruth),
Pinterest (celticmythshow) or Instagram (celticmythshow)
Help Spread the Word:
Please also consider leaving us a rating, a review and subscribing in iTunes or 'Liking' our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow as it helps let people discover our show - thank you :)
If you've enjoyed the show, would you mind sharing it on Twitter please? Click here to post a tweet!
Ways to subscribe to the Celtic Myth Podshow:
- Click here to subscribe via iTunes
- Click here to subscribe via RSS
- Click here to subscribe via Stitcher