According to Irish Legend, the Gates of Heaven open at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Category: Irish folklore
Winter Solstice | The Holly King vs The Oak King
‘Things have to get worse before they can get better.’ With each passing day of autumn we lose daylight. However, as the Winter Solstice arrives, the shortest day arrives, and we gain more daylight going forward. Ancient people, who spent more time outdoors, were acutely aware of this annual ebb and flow of daylight, the […]
Read MoreMistletoe, Mythology and Folklore
From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. Kissing under the mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years. Many ancient cultures prized mistletoe for its healing properties. The plant’s romantic overtones […]
Read MoreCrow Goddess | Morrigan
Draped over her shoulders, with its full hood pulled around her face and sweeping to the ground behind her, was a cloak made entirely of ravens’ feathers. The crow is a personification of the three Mórrígna in Celtic mythology and especially of Badb Mórrigu, the harbinger of doom. In this form, she seems to be […]
Read MoreHistory of Irish Dance
The history of Irish dance started when the Celts arrived in Ireland from central Europe over 2,000 years ago. They brought with them their individual styles of dances and music. There are vague references to the early history of Irish dancing but evidence shows that its first participants were the Gaels. They danced in religious […]
Read MoreMystic Symbols
From the motion-within-stillness of the endless knot, constructed on principles of cosmic geometry, to the stark simplicity of the cup or cauldron, the Celts wove a web of symbols which remind us that there is a deep and sometimes hidden meaning in the everyday. Whether you wear a triskele around your neck, recite stories to […]
Read MoreOíche Shamna Shona Daoibh! Happy Halloween!
Samhain and Irish Mythology
Irish mythology was originally a spoken tradition, but much of it was eventually written down in the Middle Ages by Christian monks, who Christianised it to some extent. Nevertheless, these tales may shed some light on what Samhain meant and how it was marked in ancient Ireland. Irish mythology tells us that Samhain was one […]
Read MoreThe Celtic Journey
“Do not fall on a bed of sloth, Let not thy intoxication overcome thee; Begin a voyage across the clear sea, If perchance thou mayst reach the land of women.” –The Voyage of Bran There is a tradition in Celtic literature of immrama – stories of sea voyages in which the hero visits various enchanted […]
Read MoreI’ll just take the hangover… Cheers!
According to Irish folklore, it was said that the cure for a hangover was to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand. This could have the same effect as a cold shower. It’ll wake you up and get the blood pumping, but there’s not much medical evidence that it cures […]
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