#ringfort

[aquitainequeen]

Cahergall Cashell (Ringfort), County Kerry, Ireland

[mirtapersonal]

The Irish National Heritage Park is one of the coolest places I've visited in Ireland. Not only does it preserve some actual nature, but there's also reconstructions of various (pre)historic houses and such - even a crannog! The photos above show:

-crannog, on a small artificial island on a lake

-mesolithic huts of hunter-gatherers

-neolithic hut of agriculturalists

-medieval ringfort

-Christianized middle ages

[getmeoutthegaff]

[mentally-under-a-table]

Ion age Celts Casually building cool forts in the most scenic landscapes

[alchemisland]

Visiting a dolmen 

Day is muggy, has us both sulky Pasty Irishers not made for sun Kissing your poisoned lips at the megalith Enormous light-eclipsing capstone Sits strangely angled, how was it lifted into place in ancient day I imagine cow-tramped trails, movable log ramps along which longstones travelled Burnt offerings and the bones of chieftains interned within Selfsame beneath my skin, I make an…

[mapsontheweb]

Distribution of known Ringforts across Ireland.

[fragmentedink]

Faerie Types + Related Creatures:

Sprites: derived from the Latin word "spiritus", a sprite is a type of fae, often described as a tiny humanoid with insect-like wings, unlike nymphs who look like beautiful humans. Size and appearance can vary depending on what they are the sprite of.

Kelpies: water horse spirits found in scottish myth capable of shape shifting. They inhabit the Lochs and pools of Scotland. It is described to look like a horse, but can take a human form. Said to delight in drowning its victims. In certain stories, it loves the human liver.

Pixies: Little folk found in English folklore, especially around Devon and Cornwall. pixies are believed to inhabit ancient underground sites such as stone circles, barrows, dolmens, ringforts, or menhirs. In traditional regional lore, pixies are generally benign, mischievous, short of stature, and childlike; they are fond of dancing and wrestling outdoors, of which they perform through the night.

Changelings: creatures spoken of in many folklore, fantasy, and fairy tales from across European mythology. They are regarded as creatures that are placed into mortal homes by fairies or demons, who proceed to kidnap the original child of the home

Cù Sìth: found in scottish myth, the cú sìth is a hound and harbinger of death. Said to reach sizes as big as a young bull. Its fur is described as shaggy and dark green (sometimes white) in colour. Its tail is either coiled up or braided and its paws are the same width as a man's hand. Shares similarities to the Cwn Annwn

Elves: humanoid beings that originate from Germanic mythology and folklore. In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves generally seem to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them

Knocker: a helpful spirit of a previous fatality in the tin mines. A knocker is about 2 feet high, has a disproportionately large head, long beard and weathered, wrinkled skin. Their long arms almost touch the ground and they imitate the miner's clothes in dress, and carry such things as pickaxes and lamps. Some believed the knocking on the cave walls caused by knockers were attempts to break down the walls, others that the knocks were directions on where to dig and others still that the knocks were warnings of an impending collapse.

Tuatha dé Dannan: are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. They are thought to represent the main deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland. Prominent members of the Tuath Dé include The Dagda, who seems to have been a chief god; The Morrígan; Lugh; Nuada; Aengus; Brigid; Manannán, a god of the sea; Dian Cecht, a god of healing; and Goibniu, a god of metalsmithing and one of the Trí Dé Dána

Wulver: a humanoid wolf creature that is part of the folklore of the Shetland islands off the coast of Scotland. The wulver kept to itself and was not aggressive if left in peace, and he will often guide lost travellers to nearby towns and villages. There are also tales of Wulvers leaving fish on the windowsills of poor families.

Dwarfs: found primarily in Germanic mythology, dwarves were magical creatures with great skill in metallurgy, making them famous and often the craftsmen for powerful artifacts of legend. They have strong associations with death and the earth (dark hair, pale skin) in mythology, and often dwelled within mountains and mines. Late Norse concepts of dwarves were quite different from the German and Dutch Folklore, where they were unseen magical creatures like fairies and gnomes; users of charms, curses, and deceit.

Boggart: is generally a household spirit turned malevolent trickster or mishcevious goblin-like creature. The name is derived from the Welsh "bwg". When a hobgoblin is teased or misused excessively, it will become a Boggart — creatures whose sole existence is to play tricks and cause trouble for people. They can be mischievous, frightening, and even dangerous, and they are very difficult to get rid of. Boggarts also tend to punish those who offend them and in some cases are trying to punish a human for injustice.

Hobgoblin: a spirit of the hearth, typically appearing in folklore, once considered helpful but since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous.

[optikestrav]

Ardagh Chalice

The Ardagh Chalice is one of the greatest treasures of the early Irish Church. It is part of a hoard of objects found in the 19th century by a young man digging for potatoes near Ardagh, Co. Limerick. It was used for dispensing Eucharistic wine during the celebration of Mass. The form of the chalice recalls late Roman tableware, but the method of construction is Irish.

The bowl and foot of the chalice are made of spun silver. The outer side of the bowl is decorated with applied gold, silver, glass, amber and enamel ornament. The underside of the foot is also highly decorated and contains a polished rock crystal at the centre.

The bowl is attached to the stem and foot by a bronze pin. The names of eleven apostles and St. Paul are inscribed below the band of gold filigree and studs encircling the bowl. The letters are seen against a stippled background. Incised animal decoration can also be seen below two handle escutcheons, which are decorated with elaborate glass studs and filigree panels.

The Ardagh Chalice represents a high point in early medieval craftsmanship and can be compared in this regard to the Tara Brooch and the Derrynaflan Paten.

text: National Museum of Ireland

c8th century, silver, gilt copper, gold filigree, gold, gilt bronze, silver, polychrome glass, amber, rock crystal, 18 cm high, 19.5 cm in diameter at the rim, found in a hoard in the ringfort of Reerasta, near Ardagh, County Limerick, Ireland

https://smarthistory.org/the-ardagh-chalice/

[wuffhammer]

2mm Celtic village: mould, unpainted, painted

Took a beginner sculpting/mould-making class yesterday. It was FX/film-oriented, but we're talking similar principles to poured miniatures anyway.

A proper ringfort would've been larger, with a proper gate and all that, but this gets the point across on the tabletop. With 2mm Ancients seeming to be the most common period I've personally seen at that scale, starting with appropriate scenery makes sense. All my 2mm stuff currently is Renaissance, but that's likely to change in the near future.

Overall, I'm happy with this as a first mould and I'm excited to continue sculpting and mould-making until I have pieces I'd feel proud of seeing on others' tabletops.

[the-clockwork-three]

A gaeilge cover of The Summer King by the Forgetmenauts

My lyrics, an English translation, and tags under the cut

Gaeilge (English)

Chan an abhainn go binn i mí na Luil (The river sings gently in July)

Shuigh sé ann lena craiceann gorm (He sits there with his blue skin)

Bhí greim agam ar luachair (I gripped at the rushes)

Nuair a ghlaoigh Rí Samhraidh orm. (When the Summer King called to me)

Rug sé ar caol na lámhe orm (He took me by the wrist)

Bhí sé séimh ach láidir freisn (he was gentle but also strong)

“Luigh liom ar leaba na habhann ("Lie with me on the river bed)

Fan go fóil beag,”ar saesin. (For a while," he said."

Ní fheicfidh mé na duillí dearg (I will not see the red leaves)

‘Gus ní bheidh mo gheimhrí fuar. (And my winters will not be cold)

Cronóidh mé blathanna an earraigh (I will miss the spring flowers)

Ach tá gach rud ceart go leor. (But everything will be alright.)

Chuiramar sceach gheal ar fud na tíre (We planted hawthorn all over the country)

Fásfaidh agus bláthfaigh muid le chéile (We will grow and bloom together)

Choróin na noníní agus ráth arsa (Daisy crown and ancient ringfort)

Fanaimid leis an lá féile. (We will wait for the festival day)

Tags: @charlataninred @rusalkaandtheshepherdgirl @bella-daonna @unseeliethot @grimalkinsquill (ask to be added or removed)

[blueiscoool]

'Very Rare' 1,000-Year-Old Viking Coin Hoard Unearthed in Denmark

Nearly 300 silver coins believed to be more than 1,000 years old have been discovered near a Viking fortress site in northwestern Denmark, a museum said Thursday.

The rare trove -- lying in two spots not far apart -- was unearthed by a young girl who was metal detecting in a cornfield last autumn.

"A hoard like this is very rare," Lars Christian Norbach, director of the North Jutland museum where the artefacts will go on display, told AFP.

The silver coins were found about five miles from the Fyrkat Viking ringfort near the town of Hobro. Notably, because they both have cross inscriptions, they are believed to date back to the 980s, the museum said.

The trove includes Danish, Arab and Germanic coins as well as pieces of jewellery originating from Scotland or Ireland, according to archaeologists.

Norbach said the finds were from the same period as the fort, built by King Harald Bluetooth, and would offer more insight into the history of the Vikings.

"The two silver treasures in themselves represent an absolutely fantastic story, but to find them buried in a settlement just eight kilometers from Harald Bluetooth's Viking castle Fyrkat is incredibly exciting," museum archaeologist and curator Torben Trier Christiansen said in a statement.

King Harald's earlier coins did not feature a cross, so he likely introduced the cross coins as propaganda in connection with his Christianization of the Danes, the museum said.

There could be a link between the treasure -- which the Vikings would bury during wars -- and the fort which burned down during the same period, Norbach said.

Archaeologists have said they will continue digging next autumn after the harvest.

They hope to find the burial sites and homes of the troves' one-time owners.

The Vikings believed that burying their treasure allowed them to find it again after death.

The artefacts will go on public display from July at the Aalborg Historical Museum.

The girl who made the discovery is due to receive financial compensation, the amount of which has not been made public.

[robertfalconscott]

my new superwholock is early medieval irish ringforts george seaver and kpsu portland’s college radio

[mirtapersonal]

An ancient ringfort, inside of which someone has built a house, because of reasons. Not like there wasn't a ton of free space around the precious ancient monument. Lissanduff Earthworks, Northern Ireland.

[xavierbautistagarcia]

The slaughter of Sandby Borg

Sandby Borg is an archaeological site on the island of Öland in south-eastern Sweden. It is a fortified settlement dating from the late Roman period, around the 5th century AD. The site has gained notoriety due to its tragic history and the remarkable state of preservation of the archaeological finds.

It was a small fortified settlement, known in English as a ringfort because of its circular structure. Such forts were common in Scandinavia during the migration period, used mainly for protection. The fortress at Sandby Borg consisted of a stone wall surrounding several houses and communal spaces.

The site was discovered in the late 20th century, but systematic excavations began in 2010. Archaeologists quickly found evidence of a violent event that would have occurred around 480.

The remains of at least 26 individuals, including men, women and children, were found at the site, many in positions indicating a sudden and violent death. Investigations suggest that the inhabitants of Sandby Borg were massacred, possibly by a rival group, and that the site was abandoned immediately after the attack.

Among the most important finds at Sandby Borg are valuables such as gold jewellery, brooches, Roman coins, glass beads and household items. These finds indicate that the community had access to luxury goods and was well connected to trade networks that extended into the Roman Empire.

The Sandby Borg site offers a unique window into the life and tragedies of Scandinavian communities during the migration period. Evidence suggests that the attack was premeditated and that the attackers did not loot the site, making the event an even greater mystery. This site is one of the few archaeological examples where a virtually intact crime scene from antiquity has been found, providing valuable information about the social dynamics and conflicts of the time.

Sandby Borg continues to be the subject of archaeological study and is an important source for understanding the history of pre-Viking Scandinavia, as well as the complex interactions between communities in the region during a turbulent period in its history.

[stairnaheireann]

Puck's Castle | Shankill, Dublin

These are the ruins of Puck’s Castle, located in south county Dublin. Many of these structures were built around Dublin between 1400 and 1550 to protect the ‘Pale’ from the ‘wild Irish’. It is said to be built from sacred stones culled from the nearby Bearna Dhearg (or “ringfort”), but little is really known for certain about the structure today. Other similar structures in the area include…

[sabakos]

Fairy forts (also known as lios or raths from the Irish, referring to an earthen mound) are the remains of stone circles, ringforts, hillforts, or other circular prehistoric dwellings in Ireland.[1] From possibly the late Iron Age to early Christian times, people built circular structures with earth banks or ditches. These were sometimes topped with wooden palisades and wooden framed buildings. As the dwellings were not durable, only vague circular marks often remained in the landscape.[2] The remains of these structures, in conjunction with the vegetation around them,[3] are associated with local traditions and folklore, perhaps involving fairies or other supposed supernatural entities, who would "defend" the structures from destruction by builders or farmers.[4]