Welcome brother or sister, to a corner lovingly dedicated to the mysterious ANCIENT CELTS (and general Celtic stuff too), serving as an online archive. My name is Lumen. Come, gather round the campfire and share in the stories...
Ohhhh in Lady Gregory’s version of the Pursuit, after Grainne and Diarmuid get into an argument, is when they reconcile/get together instead of the, “this water has more boldness than you” thing. Neat!
Also, Diarmuid has a blue eye??? Or is that some sort of metaphor im misunderstanding?
@akampana It was this version I found the passage where Grainne sings Diarmuid to sleep!
“The world of the soul is secret. The secret and the sacred are sisters. When the secret is not respected, the sacred vanishes. Consequently, reflection should not shine too severe or aggressive a light in on the world of the soul. The light in Celtic consciousness is a penumbral light.”
“The oldest worship of the world was of the sun and moon, of trees, wells, and the serpent that gave wisdom. Trees were the symbol of knowledge, and the dance round the May-bush is part of the ancient ophite ritual. The Baila also, or waltz, is associated with Baal worship, where the two circling motions are combined; the revolution of the planet on its own axis, and also round the Sun.”
— Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde
“Although it is said that the Celts kept no written records, St. Patrick personally burned almost 180 Irish books written in the Celtic language. This set an example for Christian zealots who destroyed every piece of Druidic literature they could find.” - D.J. Conway, in “Celtic Magic”
The Celtic version of the Library of Alexandria. My Irish heart 💔
I recently saw a post on jewelry replica shops for ancient pieces, so I thought I’d compile a list for shops containing Celtic goodies, using all my useful tags (crafts, moderncrafts, indie, shop & etsy). In these shops you will find jewelry made of copper, wood, etc.; knitwork, stone work, cool bottles with trinkets, leather accessories and more. Let’s support these wonderful artists if you enjoy handmade goodies!
I wanted to write a follow-up to the above article and explain a bit as to why supporting such artists is important to me. 💚
There’s a reason I often mention that WOC is open to sharing links and bringing more awareness to indie/etsy/homemade/small shops or ebooks or just generally creations which are made with love and joy that cannot be found in mass-produced items.
Why? For many reasons, but particularly because I’ve always felt it tied in with the mentality and approach the ancient Celts held when it came to their crafts, their art and jewelry. You will not see two creations alike. All the stunning gold jewelry pieces, all so unique and carefully carved. Even in documentaries and books, a special mention is given to the way they were crafted by the ancient artisans, as if art and the act of creation was almost something sacred, and to not invest that special care in each piece meant it was, metaphorically speaking, absent of that life that was present in all beings, animals, forces of nature. It is an interesting idea, perhaps a little convoluted, but think about it. How different it feels to wear or use an item that you know was handcrafted with joy and care?
Either way I believe individuality is a very powerful and necessary flavour when it comes to art. There is a distinct beauty in diversity which cannot be manufactured by a single mind, and it is a diversity which I try to honor as much as possible, and most importantly, to support. I don’t know about others, but I’m always curious to find exciting and pretty creations online or otherwise, crafts that I’d never thought of before - and that’s the beauty of it!
Comment below your own thoughts. What do you think about handmade crafts and art? Are they important or not so much?
“La Tène style is a highly stylised curvilinear art based mainly on classical vegetable and foliage motifs such as leafy palmette forms, vines, tendrils and lotus flowers together with spirals, S-scrolls, lyre and trumpet shapes.”
— Raghnall O'Floinn, “Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities“
