We chat with the Mythic Folk Musician and Druid, Damh the Bard

This is our first interview and we are lucky to be able to interview the famous Celtic Folk musician, Damh the Bard, and his wife, the multi-talented Artist Cerri Lee. Links to their websites and their work can be found below in the Show-notes. We also bring you an amazing competition for Damh's latest album, Tales from the Cowman as well as some astounding news about the revival of a national tradition in Ireland - the Festival of the Fires taking place on Beltane.

Full Show-notes, with all credits, can be found on our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/bardinterview

Running Order:

We hope you enjoy it!

Gary & Ruthie x x x

Released: 30th April 2010, 1h 31m

It's always great to hear from you! Email garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com, or leave us a message using Speakpipe

 

The Festival of the Fires

Our fabulous news item introduces the Festival of Fires which is a resuscitation of the ancient fires of Tara that were lit on the Hill of Uisneach and the taken from County to County to ignite all of the fires in Ireland. Originally known as Bealtaine, the summertime festival was an important fixture on the worldwide calendar, attracting attendees from the four corners of the ancient world. Having not being officially celebrated in hundreds of years the festival is to return, rising from the ashes of the Bealtaine name as Festival of the Fires. It promises to be an event unlike anything ever witnessed in modern times - an iconic national celebration to truly ignite the summer. Created through the alchemy of ceremony, heritage, music, theatre, literature, arts, crafts, poetry, holistic health and sustainability. 

Festival of the Fires will feature the collective talents of hundreds of participants drawn from all over Ireland and the world, gathering at the exact centre-point of Ireland to celebrate the onset of summer.

One of the ceremonial highlights of the festival will be the lighting of a national fire, ignited first on the summit of Uisneach and then carried to hilltops in every one of Ireland's 32 counties. In ancient times, this sacred Uisneach fire was the catalyst for coast-to-coast celebrations with festivals and gatherings taking place in the fire sites, and in the communities below.

You can find out more about the festival on the website at http://festivalofthefires.com/.

 

Twa Corbies

by Damh the Bard

A classic folk track, the Twa Corbies or 'two crows', given the Damh the Bard magical treatment for the new Crowman album.

 

Damh the Bard Interview

(Pronounced 'Dave')

Damh is a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood. [source]

Damh is also the relaxed voice behind Druidcast, the podcast from the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD).

You can find out more about Damh and his work on his website at paganmusic.co.uk or on our Contributor Page.

 

Blodeuwedd

by Damh the Bard

The tale of Blodeuwedd taken by Damh from the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi.

 

The Cauldon Born

by Damh the Bard

The Story of Cerridwen and how we are all, in a fashion, Cerridwen's Children, or "the Cauldron Born".

  Pagan Spirit Gathering

The Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) is one of America's oldest and largest Nature Spirituality festivals. Since its inception in 1980, PSG has been bringing together hundreds of people from throughout the United States, plus other countries, to create community, celebrate Summer Solstice, and commune with Nature in a sacred environment. Sponsored by Circle Sanctuary, PSG is open to long-time practitioners as well as newcomers of a wide range of Nature religion traditions, including Wiccan, Contemporary Pagan, Druidic, Heathen, Celtic, Baltic, Greco-Roman, Isian, Shamanic, Hermetic, Animistic, Egyptian, Native American, Afro-Carribean, Taoist, Pantheistic, Ecofeminist, and Nature Mystic. PSG is an opportunity for personal renewal, networking, education, and cultural enrichment.

You can see their musical line-up (including Damh) or book tickets on their website.

 

Cerri Lee

Cerri Lee is a multi-talented visionary artist who can turn her hand to almost anything creative. She is inspired by nature, and the ancient Pagan myths and legends of many cultures, her beliefs as a modern day Druid as well as those around her. She can create anything from Rights of Passage gifts and altar pieces to wedding and birthday gifts, and will happily take on commissions. Each piece of artwork she creates is individual and can be personalised to you or your loved ones.

Her artwork has been used for album covers, featured in leading Pagan magazines, used as tattoos, and her sculptures are sent throughout the world.

Cerri is equally in her element when she is up to her elbows in clay or painting one of her fabulous pictures. She is partner to Druid musician and long-time supporter of our show, Damh the Bard and can be found supporting him at many of his performances.

You can see a gallery of Cerri's artist work on our website at Cerri's Gallery and you can find out more about Cerri and her work on her website on cerrilee.com or on our Contributor page.

 

Grimspound

by Damh the Bard

Grimspound is a late Bronze Age settlement high on the moor. It’s surrounded by a large fallen stone wall, and inside you can still see the remains of the roundhouses. On a beautiful day it is incredibly peaceful, but on a typical Dartmoor day, with the wind and the rain, it must have been a harsh place to live.

"I sat with my guitar inside the remains of one of the roundhouses and just began to play on the guitar – looking around, breathing in the history of the place, imagining it full of life. What kind of people lived there. A Raven called overhead, and I felt I could see torchlight on the Tors either side of me. Voices of the Ancestors singing. The Land singing. And the melody of the guitar began to take shape. A ghostly and reflective refrain."

 

Competition

Damh left us with a signed copy of his latest album, Tales from the Crowman, to give away as a competition prize. So, we set a competition based on Welsh Mythology for you.

 

Spirit of Albion

by Damh the Bard

Damh plays us his rousing anthem, a paean of praise to the land, Spirit of Albion from the album of the same name.

 

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Special Thanks

Diane Arkenstone The Secret Garden. See her Contributor page for details.

Kim Robertson The Hangman's Noose. See her Contributor page for details.

Jigger Time Ticks Away. See her Contributor page for details.

 

For our Theme Music:

The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.

 

Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music

(in Alphabetic order)

Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page.

Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page.

The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page.

Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page.

Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page.

Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page.

S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page.

Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.

We'd like to wish you 'Slán Go Foill!', which is Irish for 'Goodbye', or more literally 'Wishing you safety for a while'!

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