Mystery as 1,600-year-old ancient Irish stone unearthed in English garden
“The 1,600-year-old stone, which is inscribed with an Irish language from the 4th century AD, was unearthed by a geography teacher in Coventry, West Midlands, in 2020.”
‘Transgressing into poetry’: Nationality, Gender & Sexuality in SONNETS FROM SCOTLAND by Edwin Morgan & THE PRICE OF STONE by Richard Murphy
by Prof Tara Stubbs
Both #Scottish poet Edwin Morgan & (Anglo-) #Irish poet Richard Murphy transgressed poetic norms: contradicting ‘nationalist’ poets of their respective traditions, making playful use of language, & treating #gender & #sexuality in daring ways
The placenta has always been seen as something mystical.
In #Australia, if it was believed that, if the mother had launched the afterbirth into the water, the baby would have been a good swimmer.
Batak¹ people from Sumatra, #Indonesia, buried it under the house; it was believed to be the newborn's sister or brother.
Similarly, Baganda² from #Uganda believed that the placenta was a doppelgänger of the child – this is similar to the #Irish (or #British, in general?) concept of fetch.³
Starlings¹, derived from the Old #English word 'Staer', are known for their mesmerizing gatherings in massive flocks during autumn and winter, a breathtaking spectacle known as murmurations.
In #mythology, Starlings have an intriguing connection to Myna birds², both of which are capable of mimicking human speech. One fascinating tale from medieval #Welsh lore revolves around Branwen³, the daughter of Llyr. Mistreated by her Irish husband, Branwen teaches a tamed starling to speak and sends it across the #Irish Sea to inform her brother, Bran, who then raises an army to rescue her. This myth highlights the intelligence attributed to starlings and their association with communication and aid in #folklore.
Additionally, historical names for Starlings reflect various aspects of their behavior and appearance. For instance, the term "Sheep Stare" from #Somerset highlights their habit of alighting on the backs of sheep to pick at ticks in their coats, a behavior beneficial to both parties.
Online lecture on Irish folklore (Léacht Almqvist 2023):
The 2023 Bo Almqvist Memorial Lecture will be presented by Dr Éilís Ní Dhuibhne Almqvist of The Folklore of Ireland Society on Friday 24 November at 7:30 pm GMT (=2:30 pm EST) on Zoom. The lecture's title is 'A Scholar and a Storyteller: Bo Almqvist and Mícheál Ó Gaoithín', and the speaker will be introduced by Barbara Hillers of Indiana University.
🇮🇪 "The Neolithic and Bronze Age transitions were profound cultural shifts catalyzed in parts of Europe by migrations, first of early farmers from the Near East and then Bronze Age herders from the Pontic Steppe. However, a decades-long, unresolved controversy is whether population change or cultural adoption occurred at the Atlantic edge, within the British Isles."
A typical record keeping practice of the High Court of Admiralty in London was to bundle together pieces of evidence taken from captured ships. These court bundles often included various sorts of records such as letters, administrative papers, and books. Strings, belts or ribbons kept the records together.