Blúiríní Béaloidis 25 - Midsummer

Blúiríní Béaloidis 25 - Midsummer

Author: Blúiríní Béaloidis / Folklore Fragments June 22, 2020 Duration: 47:27
Midsummer has long been observed as a period of jubilant celebration, with communal gatherings at bonfires and prayers, recitations, music, songs, dance and merriment being the order of the night. Join Jonny for episode 25 of Blúiríní Béaloidis as he explores the origins of midsummer festivities in Europe; recounting the raucous antics of the Brotherhood of the Green Wolf in France, considering the eve of the feast of St. John the Baptist as a symbolic counterbalance to Christmas and focusing on the protective and magical properties of the night. The fires burn on every hill and height, join us as we celebrate midsummer! Our thanks for Michael Anderson and Schola Antiqua for permission to include their beautiful rendition of 'Ut queant laxis' in this episode. To learn more, and support them directly visit: https://www.schola-antiqua.org/

Delve into the living tapestry of stories, customs, and beliefs carried through generations with Blúiríní Béaloidis Folklore Podcast. Emerging from the archives of The National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin, each episode is a carefully crafted fragment, a blúirín, of cultural memory. Host Jonny Dillon guides listeners along a fascinating furrow, unearthing everything from local Irish legends and seasonal rituals to broader European traditions that echo through time. This isn't merely a history lesson; it's an engagement with the voices, practices, and worldviews that shaped communities. You'll hear specific tales collected from the countryside, examine the logic behind old superstitions, and discover how everyday life was interwoven with the supernatural and the symbolic. The podcast serves as a bridge, connecting a deep, often overlooked past with contemporary curiosity, suggesting that these fragments of folklore hold a mirror to our shared human experience. Listening feels like having a thoughtful conversation with a knowledgeable guide, one who understands that these traditions are not static relics but vibrant threads in a larger cultural fabric. For anyone drawn to the roots of identity, storytelling, and the subtle wisdom embedded in custom, this series offers a rich and rewarding exploration, proving that the old ways still have much to say.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 45

Blúiríní Béaloidis Folklore Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Blúiríní Béaloidis 13 - The Soul In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:25
The idea of the existence of a soul or life-force which exists independently of the body is of considerable antiquity. In folk tradition, the soul was understood to depart the body, not just at the moment of death (where…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 12 - St. Patrick In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:18
The 17th of March sees countries the world over celebrate Saint Patrick's Day - a day which is commonly marked with large parades and revelry held in honour of the Ireland's patron saint. But what do we know of the histo…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 11 - Love & Magic In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
Betrothal and marriage are among the most central and important rites of passage in any community, and in Irish tradition one was not seen as an adult (regardless of one's age) until they were married. In this month's ed…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 10 - The Cow In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:01
Cattle have been central to Irish farming since the Neolithic period, and in early Ireland were even used as a unit of currency. In this month's edition of Blúiríní Béaloidis, hosts Jonny Dillon and Claire Doohan explore…
Séamus Ó Duilearga: 'A Burning Urge To Save' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:45
Séamus Ó Duilearga (James Hamilton Delargy), founder of the Irish Folklore Commission, speaking of his 'burning urge to save' the traditions and customs of the Irish people in the face of a rapidly shifting cultural land…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 09 - Christmas Customs & Traditions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:43
For this month's edition of Blúiríní Béaloidis, hosts Claire Doohan and Jonny Dillon set out to take a critical look at traditional practices relating to that most beloved of calendar custom celebrations; the midwinter f…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 08 - Wind & Storms In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:50
Owing to their impact on human affairs, weather occurrences of all sorts were a source of preoccupation for our forebears, who would look to the natural world around in the hope of interpreting and predicting these clima…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 07 - Cú Chulainn & The Táin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:48
The Ulster Cycle consists of a corpus of tales forming one of the main branches of early Irish Literature, which have come down to us across countless generations; existing first as part of an oral tradition in Ireland u…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 06 - Fairy Forts In Folk Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:44
In fields, valleys and quiet places the country over can be found countless earthwork mounds, cairns, tumuli and other signs of early human habitation in Ireland. These sites often garnered supernatural associations in f…