#Celtic legends

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[lackadaisycal-art]

Fionn mac Cumhaill aka Finn McCool

Because who doesn't love a legendary hero with a magic thumb

[ramblinguitar]

New series! Irish Mythology Series starts with Dagda Devotional Bracelet, whom is the chief amongst the Tuatha De Danann in Gaelic Ireland. Colors are deep purples and greens, representing the cloak he wore, his ties to agriculture, and the Druids.

[darkyayincilik]

Bursa Festivali’nde İrlanda Esintisi

İrlanda’nın ünlü dans ve müzik grubu Celtic Legends, Türkiye’de ilk kez 62. Uluslararası Bursa Festivali’nde sahne aldı. Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi adına BKSTV tarafından Atış Grup sponsorluğunda düzenlenen 62. Uluslararası Bursa Festivali’nde sahne alan Celtic Legends,  İrlanda rüzgârları estirdi.Birçok farklı müzik, gösteri ve etkinlikle 7 Temmuz’dan bu yana devam eden 62. Uluslararası Bursa…

[eirene]

Ysoude with the Love Philtre, 1870

Frederick Sandys

[daeyumi]

what can i say except that i remembered yu-gi-oh exists recently

[tamburnbindery]

Launching tomorrow! Celtic illuminated stories for children.

[clover-hunter]

Emerge, post new twisty dragon, recede

[mononokevalley]

Salvadis

The Salvadis in Friulian Folklore: Guardians of Storms

In the rich tapestry of Friulian mythology, the Salvadis (Planetnik in Slavic folklore) stand out as enigmatic figures with a formidable connection to natural phenomena. Originating from Slavic countries along with Friuli region in northeastern Italy, these mythical beings are intimately associated with storms and hail, embodying both the awe and fear inspired by unpredictable weather.

Nature and Appearance

Salvadis are often depicted in various forms, such as horses, cows, goats, or pigs in the sky. This transformation into animal shapes is seen as a forewarning of severe weather. When these entities take on a human guise, they are believed to spread their arms and legs to release hailstones, causing damage to crops and property. This human form is a direct manifestation of their power to influence the weather, marking their role as harbingers of stormy conditions.

Role in Weather Phenomena

The primary role of the Salvadis is to generate storms and hail. In Friulian folklore, their appearance in the sky is a significant omen, signaling the approach of adverse weather. The connection between the Salvadis and weather patterns underscores a cultural effort to understand and manage the unpredictable forces of nature. This mythological explanation provided a framework for coping with the challenges posed by severe weather.

photo: bad weather in Faedis with unusual snow in late April

Protective Rituals

The 1948 testimony from Canal di Grivò in Faedis offers a glimpse into how these beliefs were practiced in the mid-20th century.

To safeguard their lands from the Salvadis, local inhabitants engaged in various protective rituals. One common practice involved marking or consecrating the boundaries of their property. This ritual was believed to prevent the Salvadis from crossing into their territory and unleashing their destructive power. Such practices highlight the community's proactive approach to mitigating the impact of natural disasters through cultural and ritualistic means.

🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️

[first 5 photos are from Pinterest, last two are mine]

[awinterrosesstuff]

Welsh/Celtic/Arthurian folklore : Merlin

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Celtic Mythology

The Lady of the Lake, was an enchantress also known as Viviane or Nimue, who appears in many of the tales of King Arthur in Celtic mythology. She is best remembered for her relationships with the knight Lancelot and the infamous magician Merlin. According to legend, the Lady of the Lake lived beneath a lake surrounding the mystical island of Avalon. She also raised Lancelot after his father died, and gave Arthur the magical sword Excalibur, which he treasured. When Arthur was near death, she saved him by taking him to Avalon to await a time when his people would once again need his leadership. The magician Merlin fell in love with the Lady of the Lake, however she refused to give him her love until he had taught her all his secrets. Eventually she used her powers to trap him either in the trunk of a tree or possibly beneath a stone. Despite Merlin having the gift of foresight and seeing his imprisonment coming, he was either powerless or unwilling to change his fate.

artwork by SiVousPlay

[ogmerlanian]

The ICONIC moment Merlin and Arthur meet. I’m still in complete shock that I went there and walked on the same concrete that the whole cast and crew walked on. Such an adventure, one I am so grateful for. The meaning behind my @ name is back in 2012 for some reason some of us were calling ourselves ‘Merlanians’ - am I the only one who remembers this?! Also taking these photos was so fun and I highly recommend it if you get the chance to go 🥰

[cesarescabinet]

Alternate Gawain ending: He becomes a saint!?

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Celtic beliefs in trees (28)

Ph for Phagos (Beech) - all year around, the Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref)

Stars: Mercury, Saturn; Gender: female; Element: air, earth; Patrons: Ogma, Thoth, Hermes, Mercurius, Odin, Kronos; Symbols: learning + knowledge, wisdom + understanding, prosperity

The beech tree is a tree of learning, a symbol of prosperity and success. When walking through a beech forest, the large trees with the smooth, silver-grey bark and the curves created by the trunk and branches are like a living elephant or rhinoceros, giving you a sense of relief all year round.

In spring, the beech forests are bright and breezy, and the bluebells are in full bloom, the contrast between the dazzling young leaf colours and the blue announces that ‘spring has come’. In spring, the beech spreads soft, translucent, golden-green leaves with a fan-like shape, and in summer these leaves eventually become hard and dark green in colour, changing to yellow, reddish brown or golden in autumn. It is an essential tree for the forest.

The beech tree symbolises the written word, human innate wisdom and ancient knowledge. In olden times, writing was written on beech wood, and the first books were made by binding thinly cut beech wood. Before that, they were scrolls.

The beech tree is associated with deities of wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, such as Odin in Norse mythology, who brought us the runes, or the inventor of the Ogham script; the great warrior of the Tuatha Dé Danann; the monstrous strength of the eighty oxen; and the Celtic god, the sun-faced Ogma. And because of its connection with the creation of the secret code alphabet, it is also a symbol of divination and prophecy.

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (28)

Ph は Phagos (ﾌﾞﾅ) - 1年中、ケルトの木の暦（参照）

星: 水星、土星; 性: 女性; 要素: 空気、土; 守護神: オグマ、トト、ヘルメス、メルクリウス、オーディン、クロノス; シンボル: 学習＋知識、知恵＋理解、繁栄

ブナの木は、学びの木、繁栄と成功の象徴でもある。ブナの森を歩くとき、その大木は銀灰色のした滑らかな樹皮、幹や枝がつくる曲線はまるで生きた象か犀のようで、一年中安堵感を与えてくれる木だ。

春、ブナの林の中は明るく風もよく通り、ブルーベルが一面に咲き誇り、眩い若葉色とブルーのコントラストに「春が来た」ことを知らせてくれる。春になると、ブナは半透明の柔らかい金緑色の葉を扇状に広げ、やがて夏にはこの葉が硬くなり濃い緑色になり、秋には黄色、赤褐色、金色へと変化していく。森になくてはならない木だ。

ブナの木は書かれた文字、人間が生まれつき備えている知恵、古代の知識を象徴している。ブナの木は、ルーン文字をもたらした、北欧神話のオーディンや、オガム文字を発明し、トゥアサ・デー・ダナンの偉大な戦士で八十頭の牛にも勝る怪力の持ち主、ケルトの神である太陽の顔を持つオグマなど、知恵、知識、知力をつかさどる神々と関連している。そして秘密の暗号アルファベットの創造と関係があることから、占いや予言の象徴ともなっている。

[gingersnaptaff]

(Okay, so I know I said I was gonna do marriage laws and queenship stuff in regards to welsh laws - and I will! - but here is a nice, quick round-up about BARDS

*SHREDS ON A HARP*

Okay, so this is inspired by @gawrkin 's recent posts on bards because the laws surrounding them are SUPER FUN. And Wales LOVES LOVES LOVES their bards. (Myself included.)

Right, so, without further ado, ONWARDS.

*shreds harp aggressively again*

So the 'spurious triads' the author is referring to are presumably to do with IOLO MORGANNWG *ominous thunderclap*.

I shan't go too much into him as suffice to say, we gotta keep this shit SHORT, but he was a massive forger from Glamorgan (that's what Morgannwg means. It's his bardic name. Iolo is Edward.) who made up a bunch of triads and Celtic / medieval manuscripts including some of the Welsh Triads. Also, he is the reason why the Eisteddfod has the Gorsedd of bards.

So a mixed bag, y'know.

ANYWAY. They're very high-rank on account of being the literally Yellow Pages of Celtic and medieval Welsh societies. If you had a question that needed answering you'd ask a bard. They were like Google. They would know a man's lineage (and Welsh lineages are confusing. There were men named Dafydd ap Dafydd ap Dafydd ap Dafydd. No, I'm not joking.) battles, monarchs, myths, songs, stories. Anything.

And they had to SING. And play an instrument. Namely either a harp or a crwth.

This baby is crwth! It's a little like a violin but much darker in tone. They were extinct for a while but they've undergone a revival and they are FUN!

Also, the court bard had to SING to the queen about Camlann 'in a low voice.' I've heard various reasons suggested as to why and one of them is to remind her that Gwenhwyfar's infidelity was the main reason for King Arthur's downfall, but I think it's probably because of The Slap. Idk though. I'm just guessing, buddies.

Still, it's cool that the queen got a special sing-song.

Also, the bard being 'invested with a chess board' suggests to me that the game of Gwyddbwyll that Arthur and Owain play in the Mabinogion signals that they're bards. Gwyddbwyll being the type of chess the bards would've been familiar with. Plus, we know Arthur is somewhat of an amateur bard (Culhwch and Olwen being the prime example where he sings his terrible englyn about Cai to his face. Arthur, ur a fuckin BASTARD.) so it's in keeping with his character.

Also, I think it's adorable that the harp 'always descended to the youngest son.'

If you want a story that deals with bards and their privileged position in Welsh society and also wants ur heart RIPPED OUT may I suggest 'The Assembly of the Severed Head' by Hugh Lupton. It deals with a bard in a monastery after he's almost perished in a raid and the monks writing out the Mabinogion so they can give it to Llywelyn Fawr. It deals with war, love, loss, and also stonking good historical context. Also lots of poetry!!!!

Final fact: bards in Wales weren't wiped out by Edward the First. That's a fuckin myth. Don't come round here with ur fuckin myths. Old Longshanks has done enough already. May he eat shit.

(Also, Taliesin gets all the good rep but what about my boy Aneirin?)

Okay, BYEEEEE!!!!

P.S.: have an Eisteddfod chair!

[amylouioc]

Anybody have recommendations for books on Arthurian legends and Breton mythology? Preferably something I can download on kindle as I’ve zero space in my flat!