26th January, 2015 - Imbolc, Brighid, celtic mythology, sustainable living, harp music,
Almanac ...
Rooster Call :
Today in 'Almost Daily Blog' ...
- Brighid, A Bee Goddess?
- After Braveheart Part Two
- Sustainable Packaging made from Hay
- Fancy playing Pharrell Williams 'Happy' on harp?
I trust Monday will be kind to you.
Weather :
Cooling a bit at Carrowcrory, and through Ireland, reaching 7C, 46F. Very cold from Wednesday onwards, with wintery snow showers and ice back in the forecast for a few days.
Next weekend for Brighid's Day on Sunday still looking ok, cool but no snow, but icy evening. A mix of sun and light showers on Sunday, around 5C high and 0C low. Then from Monday 2nd and Imbolc, which is the 3rd this year, the forecast is back to some snow showers and ice that could continue for a week, even up to two weeks.
March is still currently looking good, warmer with good sun.
Moon :
Moon waxing, at 39% .... at Carrowcrory, Ireland ... sets 00:19 am, rises 11:06 am
sunrise 8:31 am, sunset 5:01 pm, so with setting after 5 pm, days are stretching, as they say here.
News ...
Celtic Celebrations, Imbolc :
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Brighid, A Bee Goddess?
Bees, honey and our images of Goddesses. When we see bees pollinating, do we think of images of Brighid the Goddess. Here are some mythology connections to ponder ...
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'After Braveheart' part two
I wrote up an extensive review, my thoughts and general rant after seeing Part one.
You can read it again if you click here
In Part Two, we learn of the hardships and issues that doomed this quest to fail.
To recap, Robert The Bruce and his brother Edward Bruce, were of Norman lineage but had rejected that culture to integrate into Gaelic culture in Argyll, and expand this over more of Scotland. After defeating the Anglo Normans at Bannockburn. the stature of the brothers rose among the Scotia people and Robert was a popular king.
Their concern then turned toward the rising dominance of the Anglo Normans in Ireland, known as Anglo Irish in Ireland. The dream of the Bruces was for Scotia and Erin to become one Gaelic nation, and perhaps include the Welsh later too.
It was unfortunate that during the first two years of the campaign in Ireland, led by Edward Bruce during 1315 and 1316, that all of Europe was in famine due to poor wet cold weather destroying and preventing crops. Though Edward was crowned High King Of Ireland in Tyrone in 1315, he found that as his troops were near Dublin they were too hungry and weak to face the military of Dublin.
Through 1316, Robert came to Ireland to hold control of Ulster while Edward attempted Dublin again, but still with hungry and weak troops, avoided Dublin and attempted to unite the Midlands and West of Ireland to their cause. Though being High King of Tara this was the nearest Edward got to Tara. He arrived at Kells and took over the monastery there.
The Scotia men 'captured' as far as Limerick but the inent of uniting the Irish with the Scotia men to push out the Normans hit upon the problem that has happened with every country over-run with colonialism. The fighting between the clans, between the tribes, caused no unity between them to face a 'bigger enemy' upon their ways.
An example in the Bruce campaign is getting the support of the O'Connors in Roscommon, but when Edward Bruce won an allegiance with the O'Briens they lost the O'Connors who changed sides and pledged with the Anglo Irish Normans, because of their refusal to be on the same side as the O'Briens.
Realizing how fragile their cause among the Chieftain clans, Edward and the Scotias pulled back to Ulster and Robert The Bruce returned to Northern Scotia, now Scotland.
1317 was a good year for harvests all over Europe and there was a new energy. Edward decided to have one more go at seizing Dublin, believing that if he succeeded he would gain the unity of the Chieftains and that there would be a united Ireland with Scotia, one Gaelic nation.
Robert the Bruce intended to join this campaign, but his eager brother Edward went ahead of him.
Alas, the Anglo Irish had become stronger too with 1000s of re-enforcements sent over from England. The Norman king, Edward the Second, also sent battalions up to Scotland and this caused Robert to stay in Scotland to fight off this advance rather than assist his brother.
Edward was slained early the next year 1318 at Faughart. The Anglo Irish did not move to take back Ulster as they were outnumbered by opposing Gaelic chieftains and their clan. They returned to secure their Dublin stronghold and over the centuries after expanded their Anglo-ness theough the Gaelic lands, sometimes with allegiance with Gaelic chiefs, sometimes through battle.
Meanwhile the descendants of Robert The Bruce did secure an expanded Scotland that was recognized by England.
An important part of this story is during the time that Edward was 'failing' as he tried to unite the Gaelic chieftains and clans of the Midlands. Edward wrote a letter to Pope John to encourage support for the Gaels in return for the Gael's allegiance to the Catholic Church. This was rejected as part of the Anglo Irish campaign to conquest Ireland was to bring Ireland top the Catholic church. Of course, that all switched horses after Henry the Eighth of England rejected the Catholic church.
That letter sent to the Pope from Edward in Ireland became the basis of the Declaration of Independence in Arbroath during the reign of Robert The Bruce, who also had an heir born that year, just two years after Edward Bruce's death.
That Declaration declared that the unity of people, and their church, was above the King. Their true king was the spirit of the Christ Consciousness, the basis of the faiths of the Picts and the Céile Dé of ancient times.
That Declaration became the Declaration Of Independence for the USA, though the main alteration was separation of Church and State.
As I reviewed after Part One, again this shows the conflict between the human race or tribe who live for singular accumulation, believe in ownership, and assert to raise through the ranks of a pyramid structure of humans vs the human race or tribe who believe in a more spriralled life of connection, and social servitude towards others ... but somehow cannot connect clans.
You can read it again if you click here
In Part Two, we learn of the hardships and issues that doomed this quest to fail.
To recap, Robert The Bruce and his brother Edward Bruce, were of Norman lineage but had rejected that culture to integrate into Gaelic culture in Argyll, and expand this over more of Scotland. After defeating the Anglo Normans at Bannockburn. the stature of the brothers rose among the Scotia people and Robert was a popular king.
Their concern then turned toward the rising dominance of the Anglo Normans in Ireland, known as Anglo Irish in Ireland. The dream of the Bruces was for Scotia and Erin to become one Gaelic nation, and perhaps include the Welsh later too.
It was unfortunate that during the first two years of the campaign in Ireland, led by Edward Bruce during 1315 and 1316, that all of Europe was in famine due to poor wet cold weather destroying and preventing crops. Though Edward was crowned High King Of Ireland in Tyrone in 1315, he found that as his troops were near Dublin they were too hungry and weak to face the military of Dublin.
Through 1316, Robert came to Ireland to hold control of Ulster while Edward attempted Dublin again, but still with hungry and weak troops, avoided Dublin and attempted to unite the Midlands and West of Ireland to their cause. Though being High King of Tara this was the nearest Edward got to Tara. He arrived at Kells and took over the monastery there.
The Scotia men 'captured' as far as Limerick but the inent of uniting the Irish with the Scotia men to push out the Normans hit upon the problem that has happened with every country over-run with colonialism. The fighting between the clans, between the tribes, caused no unity between them to face a 'bigger enemy' upon their ways.
An example in the Bruce campaign is getting the support of the O'Connors in Roscommon, but when Edward Bruce won an allegiance with the O'Briens they lost the O'Connors who changed sides and pledged with the Anglo Irish Normans, because of their refusal to be on the same side as the O'Briens.
Realizing how fragile their cause among the Chieftain clans, Edward and the Scotias pulled back to Ulster and Robert The Bruce returned to Northern Scotia, now Scotland.
1317 was a good year for harvests all over Europe and there was a new energy. Edward decided to have one more go at seizing Dublin, believing that if he succeeded he would gain the unity of the Chieftains and that there would be a united Ireland with Scotia, one Gaelic nation.
Robert the Bruce intended to join this campaign, but his eager brother Edward went ahead of him.
Alas, the Anglo Irish had become stronger too with 1000s of re-enforcements sent over from England. The Norman king, Edward the Second, also sent battalions up to Scotland and this caused Robert to stay in Scotland to fight off this advance rather than assist his brother.
Edward was slained early the next year 1318 at Faughart. The Anglo Irish did not move to take back Ulster as they were outnumbered by opposing Gaelic chieftains and their clan. They returned to secure their Dublin stronghold and over the centuries after expanded their Anglo-ness theough the Gaelic lands, sometimes with allegiance with Gaelic chiefs, sometimes through battle.
Meanwhile the descendants of Robert The Bruce did secure an expanded Scotland that was recognized by England.
An important part of this story is during the time that Edward was 'failing' as he tried to unite the Gaelic chieftains and clans of the Midlands. Edward wrote a letter to Pope John to encourage support for the Gaels in return for the Gael's allegiance to the Catholic Church. This was rejected as part of the Anglo Irish campaign to conquest Ireland was to bring Ireland top the Catholic church. Of course, that all switched horses after Henry the Eighth of England rejected the Catholic church.
That letter sent to the Pope from Edward in Ireland became the basis of the Declaration of Independence in Arbroath during the reign of Robert The Bruce, who also had an heir born that year, just two years after Edward Bruce's death.
That Declaration declared that the unity of people, and their church, was above the King. Their true king was the spirit of the Christ Consciousness, the basis of the faiths of the Picts and the Céile Dé of ancient times.
That Declaration became the Declaration Of Independence for the USA, though the main alteration was separation of Church and State.
As I reviewed after Part One, again this shows the conflict between the human race or tribe who live for singular accumulation, believe in ownership, and assert to raise through the ranks of a pyramid structure of humans vs the human race or tribe who believe in a more spriralled life of connection, and social servitude towards others ... but somehow cannot connect clans.
`
Egg Cartons made from heat pressed hay
I think this is the most sustainable packaging idea I have ever seen. What other foods is this good for?
`
Fancy playing 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams on harp?
Here it is, arranged for harp solo and duet by Sylvia Woods and available as a PDF Download :-)
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