I wrote the article, An Unexpected Journey – There and Back Again, all of eighteen months ago, back in May, 2020. This, as everyone other than my friends and family in Queensland will remember, was during the first round of Covid lockdowns. In this article I compared the feeling of being flung into an unpredictable…
Category: Stories by Chris Thompson
Chris Thompson’s retellings of the old stories. All work copyright Chris Thompson.
The Story of Sinann
In the days of dreaming when the when the ever-living ones still walked freely among the misty mountains and green valleys of Ireland, when the soft light of enchantment still shone from every hill of the sidhe, there was a well. It was a deep hidden pool, fringed and caressed by nine strong hazel trees….
An Unexpected Journey
On the second morning of May, 2020 I awoke before dawn. It was four forty a.m. A glorious cacophony of birds was already celebrating a luminous sky-glow, heralding a clear morning. Suddenly, I was no longer sleepy. I grabbed my dressing gown, put my phone into my pocket, and stepped outside. Standing in the orchard,…
The ‘Stories at Home’ Project
Up until now, Story Archaeology has been designed for an adult audience. however, as I spend much of my time story telling and giving workshops on Irish mythology, I am making these available on-line for families at home. Click 0n the ‘Stories at home project’ hub link in the navigation bar, above, to find out…
Stories and Activities with Children 6: Irish story picture gallery
What might King Fergus have worn? What was an Iron-age roundhouse like? What was a hero’s chariot made of? What about that ‘Cave of the Cats? What does it look like now? I thought I might put up a page of images to help answer these questions and lots more. I hope these pictures help…
Stories and Activities with Children 3: Finn and Conan Maeol
There are many stories about Finn Mac Cumhaill. The original texts are complex and difficult to say the least! This is largely because the Fionn (earlier Finn) stories remained in the oral tradition and were written down quite late. This means that there are many interwoven versions and duplications. I have created a video of…
Stories and Activities with Children 5: The Two Poet Pig-keepers
This audio story is one of the many stories that circle around the great Táin Bó Cúailnge , The cattle raid of Cooley. It is not a well known story but it is important as it is really the ‘origin’ story for the whole cycle. It is also a great tale and explains a lot!…
Stories and Activities with Children 4: Become a hero poet
Try your hand at a Rosc poem Rosc is very old. The very first stories were told through this type of poetry. The form was used to describe both the setting of a story and the action. It was a good way of describing a battle. It can be hard for us to understand today…
Stories and Activities with Children 2: A Family Project Pack
This project pact can be explored by one child, a group, for example, siblings together or even as a family activity. There are opportunities for design activities, imaginative writing in a variety of styles and suggestions for further research. The best introduction to this topic is to watch one of the video story sessions: Fergus…
Stories and Activities for Children 1: Bricriu’s Feast
It has been a while since Isolde and I have been able to work on the podcast but I have continued working with the stories in schools around Ireland, This year, as part of the 2020 Tain March Festival, in May, I had planned to set up a children’s Óenach in Roscommon. Like so much…