Day Out

I went of to a Celtic Fair today in a nearby community. My eldest sister came with me.

The sky was blue, the sun was warm and I’ve never seen so many kilted men in one spot before. Oh, yes, indeedy… fabulous, muscular men showing off pecs and strength and legs. Cor, cop this:

They were competing the Rights of Manhood competition: tossing the caber, carrying two one hundred kilo bars, ninety metres, lifting hundred plus sandstone balls onto barrels and tossing a fifty-five kilo weight over a bar that was raised. The guy with his hands on his hips won the comp. Yep, gotta love a man in a kilt!

There were also Scottish and Irish pipe bands, dancers, food and stalls. I picked up some jewellery for my twin sister and her daughter for their birthdays; had a bit of a ‘moment’ with the seller. He indicated the three intersecting circles of the piece I liked represented Celtic life: the current life, the next life and future life. He then went on to say it could also represent the Christian Trinity of… I held up my hand. “No Christian symbolism please.” And he got all thing about it, as if the two were hand-in-hand. They're not and never the twain should be confused.

I went to another stall which had a silver Y Draig Goch – the Welsh Dragon - symbolising strength. While trying to decide whether to buy it, two young girls, teenagers, came up on either side of me and one picked up the leather bound Book of Shadows.

“Oh, look at this!” One said reverently.

“It’s from Charmed.” The other said knowingly.

I thought for a moment – you know, that moment when you wonder if you should interject or not?

“It’s not.” I replied. “It’s a Book of Shadows, spellcraft is written down in it and handed from mother to daughter; a book of knowledge if you will.”

“Oh,” they both murmured.

“Paganism is over three thousand years old; it pre-dates Christianity.”

“Wow.”

I stepped back and they got their heads together over the book. I shook mine at the assumptions people make of TV programs. Maybe they’ll now invest some time in researching the subject.

But… on with my day. I have to say, that line dancing and Celtic music, do not go together; in any way, shape or form. Sorry ladies, but… no. the only line dancing in Celtic heritage is this kind:

The skill and timing were perfect - though I'm no judge of Irish dance. It was brilliant. The sun sparkled off the outfits and the dancers looked as if they'd go on as long as the music played. I even had the stray thought that I'd like to learn how to do it.

For my sister, it was the bagpipes, the pipe bands; for me, it's Celtic Harps or a good jig/reel. There's something about Irish music that definitely rings my bells; I find it so relaxing, so... joyous, as if there is nothing out there that can hurt you if you steep yourself in the magic of the music. I spend a lot of time writing to Celtic music, and I write some of my best work during that time, so I think there's something to finding music your muse loves. Might also have something to do with the ancestors, too.

I also picked up a number of items dealing with my ancestral name. In a couple of weeks, the local family history society is having a fair. I’ll go, but I wonder how much information they’ll have for me. I’ve already traced the part of the family back five hundred years; but maybe I’ll get some clues on the rest of the family. Objective: all sides back to the Doomsday Book.

I really had fun today, but it plum tuckered me out! I'll study the rest of the photographs I took and see what I can do with them. In the meantime, the Aussie Wallabies are playing the Welsh in Rugby Union - can't miss that!