Fuck Yeah! Gaelic Polytheism!

archaicwonder: Kisimul Castle is a small medieval castle...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:17:20 -0600

Kisimul Castle is a small medieval castle located in the centre of Castlebay on Barra, an island of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Kisimul Castle gets its name from the Gaelic words cìs (tax) and mul (mound) meaning “The place where taxes are paid”.

The earliest documentary record of Kisimul Castle dates from the mid 16th century.
Kisimul sits on a rocky islet in the bay just off the coast of Barra, and as it is completely surrounded by the sea; it can only be reached by boat making the fortification impregnable. Kisimul has its own fresh water wells. Legend has it that this has been the stronghold of the MacNeils since the 11th century.

Kisimul was abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and the castle’s condition deteriorated. Some of its stone was used as ballast for fishing vessels, and some even ended up as paving in Glasgow. The remains of the castle, along with most of the island of Barra, were purchased by the chief of Clan MacNeill in 1937, who made efforts at restoration.

In 2001 the castle was leased by the chief of Clan MacNeil to Historic Scotland for 1000 years for the annual sum of £1 and a bottle of whisky.

by greasylightbulb

wanderthewood: Three Sisters (Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach and...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:20:35 -0600

wanderthewood:

Three Sisters (Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh), Glencoe, Scotland by Belhaven2011

wanderthewood: Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland by Timo...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:10:28 -0600

wanderthewood:

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland by Timo Kirkkala

angaidheal: Gàidhlig:Taobh cuil an doruis cha bhi grianSuidh...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:55:04 -0600

angaidheal:

Gàidhlig:
Taobh cuil an doruis cha bhi grian
Suidh aig bord
Cha bhi biadh ‘s cha bhi fion
Taobh cuil an doruis cha bhi grian
Cha bhi biadh ‘s cha bhi fion

Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
An Gaidheal ‘sa leabaidh
An Gaidheal ‘na shuain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain

Thainig e a Sasainn ann
Thainig e
Le eachaibh luath is iuchair throm
Thainig e a Sasainn ann
Le eachaibh luath is iuchair throm

Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
An Gaidheal ‘sa leabaidh
An Gaidheal ‘na shuain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain

Air lar ‘san toll-dhubh cha bhi grian
Cha bhi gealach
’S dubh an oidhche chaidleas sinn
Air lar ‘san toll-dhubh cha bhi grian
’S dubh an oidhche chaidleas sinn

Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain
An Gaidheal ‘sa leabaidh
An Gaidheal ‘na shuain
Le eiginn ar n-eirigh as ar suain

English:
On the other side of the door there will be no sun
Sitting at the table
There will be no food and no wine
On the other side of the door there will be no sun
There will be no food and no wine

It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
The Gael has gone to bed
The Gael is asleep
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber

He came from the south
He came
On a fast horse and with a heavy key
He came from the south
On a fast horse and with a heavy key

It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
The Gael has gone to bed
The Gael is asleep
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber

On the dungeon floor there will be no sun
There will be no moon
Dark will be the night as we sleep
On the dungeon floor there will be no sun
Dark will be the night as we sleep

It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber
The Gael has gone to bed
The Gael is asleep
It is with difficulty that we will rise from our slumber

mycastleinscotland: Invergarry Castle, Loch Oich, Creagan an...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:15:34 -0600

mycastleinscotland:

Invergarry Castle, Loch Oich, Creagan an Fhithich, Raven’s Rock, Great Glen, Scotland

Seat of the Chiefs of the Clan MacDonald of Glengarry

Celebrating Grianstad an Gheimhridh (The Winter Solstice)

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:04:40 -0600

Celebrating Grianstad an Gheimhridh (The Winter Solstice):

mo-thearmann:

My latest blog post which includes a nice overview of some of the sacred sites affiliated with the Winter Solstice in the Gaelic regions, as well as the spirits associated with them.

Announcement: Gaol Naofa Relaunches and Celebrates Five Years

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:56:34 -0600

Announcement: Gaol Naofa Relaunches and Celebrates Five Years:

mo-thearmann:

“While it may seem we’ve been quiet for a while, much has been happening behind the scenes as we’ve celebrated five years as an organisation. Our council has been very busy, creating new content for this site, as well as for private use by the members of Gaol Naofa. All of the site documents have been updated and restructured. While much of this site will still be familiar to our long-term readers, there is a lot of new material here.

Notably, we have substantially revised and expanded The Gaol Naofa FAQ into an 89 page pdf document that addresses many of the common questions about Gaelic Polytheism and, specifically, our Gaelic Polytheist Lifeway (Ár nDóigh Bheatha Ildiach is Gaelach / Ar Dòigh-Beatha Ioma-Dhiadhach Ghàidhealach) as practiced by the core members of Gaol Naofa.

New articles include “Rowan and Red Thread: Magic and Witchcraft in Gaelic Cultures” (pdf) — an in-depth look at practices and terminology in both historical and contemporary Gaelic cultures, as well as an upcoming piece on the Triple Flame of Brigid.”

Please see the entire announcement here: http://www.gaolnaofa.com/

"Tréide nemtighther cruit; goltraiges, gentraiges, suan-traiges. (Three things that constitute a..."

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:25:55 -0600

“

Tréide nemtighther cruit; goltraiges, gentraiges, suan-traiges.

(Three things that constitute a harper: a tune to make you cry, a tune to make you laugh, a tune to put you to sleep.)

”

- The Triads of Ireland (CELT)

other-wordly: pronunciation | kyem

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:00:25 -0500

other-wordly:

pronunciation | kyem

Archaeological News: Neolithic discovery: why Orkney is the centre of ancient Britain

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:54:50 -0500

Archaeological News: Neolithic discovery: why Orkney is the centre of ancient Britain:

archaeologicalnews:

Drive west from Orkney’s capital, Kirkwall, and then head north on the narrow B9055 and you will reach a single stone monolith that guards the entrance to a spit of land known as the Ness of Brodgar. The promontory separates the island’s two largest bodies of freshwater, the Loch of Stenness…

wanderthewood: Dark Hedges, Antrim, Northern Ireland by Patrick...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:35:57 -0500

wanderthewood:

Dark Hedges, Antrim, Northern Ireland by Patrick McElwee

beautyofskye: Loch Coruisk by cargarc2 on Flickr.

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:19:19 -0500

beautyofskye:

Loch Coruisk by cargarc2 on Flickr.

waterchild09: Nova Scotia Fall Colors, Canada by kevin mcneal...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:37:50 -0500

waterchild09:

Nova Scotia Fall Colors, Canada by kevin mcneal on Flickr.

The Western Isles (1941): A snapshot of life in the Outer...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:32:43 -0500

The Western Isles (1941): A snapshot of life in the Outer Hebrides, ‘The Western Isles’ shows the traditional manufacture of Harris Tweed, and the dramatic homecoming of shipwrecked sailors.

bluepueblo: Clouds, Isle of Skye, Scotland photo via imgur

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:49:21 -0500

bluepueblo:

Clouds, Isle of Skye, Scotland

photo via imgur

staysandstories: Frankenstein” Bog Mummies Discovered in...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:18:04 -0500

staysandstories:

Frankenstein” Bog Mummies Discovered in Scotland

In a “eureka” moment worthy of Dr. Frankenstein, scientists have discovered that two 3,000-year-old Scottish “bog bodies” are actually made from the remains of six people.

According to new isotopic dating and DNA experiments, the mummies—a male and a female—were assembled from various body parts, although the purpose of the gruesome composites is likely lost to history.

The mummies were discovered more than a decade ago below the remnants of 11th-century houses at Cladh Hallan, a prehistoric village on the island of South Uist (map), off the coast of Scotland.

The bodies had been buried in the fetal position 300 to 600 years after death. (See bog body pictures.)

Based on the condition and structures of the skeletons, scientists had previously determined that the bodies had been placed in a peat bog just long enough to preserve them and then removed. The skeletons were then reburied hundreds of years later.

(Related pictures: “Ancient Bog Girl’s Face Reconstructed.”)

Terry Brown, a professor of biomedical archaeology at the University of Manchester, said there were clues that these bog bodies were more than they seemed.

On the female skeleton, “the jaw didn’t fit into the rest of the skull,” he said. “So Mike [Parker Pearson, of Sheffield University] came and said, Could we try to work it out through DNA testing?”

Brown sampled DNA from the female skeleton’s jawbone, skull, arm, and leg. The results show that bones came from different people, none of whom even shared the same mother, he said.

The female is made from body parts that date to around the same time period. But isotopic dating showed that the male mummy is made from people who died a few hundred years apart.

Photo

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:45:13 -0500

Carrowkeel Summer Solstice (Grianstad an tSamhraidh)

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:44:21 -0500

Carrowkeel Summer Solstice (Grianstad an tSamhraidh):

Written River Summer Solstice 2012 Issue!

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:34:43 -0500

Written River Summer Solstice 2012 Issue!:

mo-thearmann:

Publication alert: my essay ‘Cornerstones of Wisdom: Poetry, Permanence and Wildness in Gaelic Polytheism’ (p50-53) was published in the latest issue of Written River. Hope you guys will take a look :D

bluepueblo: Summer Morning, Lennoxlove, Scotland photo by neil

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:51:35 -0500

bluepueblo:

Summer Morning, Lennoxlove, Scotland

photo by neil