So many of the old Irish stories tell of an Otherworld that lies so close to our own. If you want to discover what the stories have to say about getting there, what you might find when you arrive, and when, or if, you might return, then join Chris in this audio-article exploration. Apologies for…
Category: Specials
‘The Crucifixion of the Outcast’ ~ a story by W.B. Yeats
As I mentioned in our recent Festivus Special, Aisling MacConglinne – A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy, I had no more than a superficial familiarity with the text when we selected it for our 2016 mid-winter podcast. It is one of Isolde’s favourite stories, so I was aware, that the story involved a poet’s vision of a land of…
Winter Special 2016: Aisling MacConglinne – A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy
The Midwinter festival has been a time of over indulgence and conspicuous consumption for millenia! This year, we dig in to the Middle Irish story, Aisling MacConglinne, “The Vision of MacConglinne”, a delicious debauch of extreme gastronomy.! Join the Story Archaeologists in a feast of fantastical food, with a generous side order of sumptuous satire. Read the full translated text here!…
Midwinter Special 2015 – Fair’s Fair
This time of year is a frenzy of shopping, family gatherings and exchange of gifts. But is this simply a modern phenomenon? For this year’s MidWinter Special, the Story Archaeologists dig as deep as their virtual spades will go, comparing the deepest layers of human settlement through medieval mayhem to the contemporary craft fair, searching…
Revisiting the Importance of the Source
When I chose to study Early Irish, the principal reason was so that I could read the Irish stories and poetry that I so loved in their original language. As a student of literature and philosophy, I knew that translation meant interpretation. Being both cynical and a control freak, I wanted to remove the filter…
Story Archaeology goes Kind of Epic!
Just when you thought there wasn’t enough Story Archaeology around, we go and do an interview for the Kind of Epic Show! We’re featured in a St. Patrick’s Day special on this “weekly look at all things geek” with Gabe Canada. Here’s a direct link to the episode which will play automatically: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kind-of-epic-show/e/37361615?autoplay=true Here’s a…
An Open Letter to QI
QI is a long-running BBC panel show hosted by Stephen Fry. It is produced by “Quite Interesting Ltd.”, and has become an unofficial source for Quite Interesting facts and exploding General Ignorance. But their research is not flawless… Dear QI Elves, Please can you stop spouting nonsense about Ancient Ireland? I know it’s a…
Extolling the Holly
Poetry specifically describing the properties of different woods is not all that common, although I know of a couple of poems that gives Ash prime place. This poem, in keeping with the season, places the holly as the best of winter woods, It also favours the fragrant honeysuckle, the woodbine. The poem is part of the story of …
A Crock of Old Cobblers ~ A Holiday Special
Fergus mac Léite gets to encounter the underwater world of the Lupracán, a story which in the late middle / early modern Irish version, almost certainly, inspired Swift’s wonderful satire, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. The Story Archaeologists, ear herbs at the ready, dive right into the tale, but wonder how these small, but proud and fiercely independent, beings…
Samhain Special 2014 – A Tale to Remember
Happy new year to our Story Archaeology listeners! Because we love ye thiiiiiis much, we’re sending out a multimedia feast for our Samhain special. So, take a look at this video of a live Story Archaeology show, then have a listen to our episode, “A Tale to Remember”, and peruse the attached texts and your…