Blúiríní Béaloidis 21 - Samhain / Halloween (With Dr. Billy Mag Fhloinn)

Blúiríní Béaloidis 21 - Samhain / Halloween (With Dr. Billy Mag Fhloinn)

Author: Blúiríní Béaloidis / Folklore Fragments October 29, 2019 Duration: 1:12:36
The festival of Samhain has since ancient times been considered as a major turning point in the ritual year. In marking the threshold of darkness and the end of the season of light, the eve of Samhain (observed all over Ireland at sundown on the 31st of October) is characterised by heightened supernatural activity, a return of the ancestral dead, divination magic, mischief, ritual disguise and the suspension of normal modes and rules of behaviour. For this edition of Blúiríní, Jonny is joined by a special guest, Dr. Billy Mag Fhloinn. Billy is a folklorist, archaeologist, author and lecturer, whose book ‘Blood Rite: The Feast of St. Martin in Ireland’ was published in 2016, and who has contributed to international television productions by the BBC, PBS and the National Geographic Channel. For more information about Billy and his work, and to contact him directly please visit his site https://tradition.ie/ This edition of Blúiríní also features contributions from Aghast and Halo Manash Aghast were an all-female group from Norway, whose haunting and atmospheric album 'Hexerei Im Zwielicht Der Finsternis' was released in 1995. For more information, see http://www.metaladies.com/bands/aghast/ Halo Manash hail from Finland, and aim to 'seek, explore, experience, study and decipher reflections of the ever-shifting shapes and spaces of different worlds', in order to 'revitalise one of the oldest subconscious forms of communication, to open the gates and widen the horizon of perception concerning states of otherness lying in-between the cardinal directions.' Our special thanks for their generosity in permitting us to include their music in this edition of the podcast. For more information, and to support them directly, please visit http://www.helixes.org/halomanash/about/

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 33 - Death (with David McGowan) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:07
In life, there is much which seems uncertain to us. Concerning death however, there can be no doubt. It was an honour to speak with funeral director, death-care practitioner and proud Sligo native David McGowan on the to…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 32 - Mushrooms In Tradition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:45
With the coming of the cool wet weather of autumn, life begins to turn inward again . The fields lie fallow and bare, flowers wither, leaves decay, and all life seems to return to the earth. It's in this period of fading…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 31 - The Púca (with Aidan Harte) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:03
For this episode of Blúiríní I am joined by sculptor Aidan Harte, whose recent work 'The Púca of Ennistymon' was commissioned by Clare county Council for the town of Ennistymon in the west of Ireland. The piece caused wi…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 30 - The Stray Sod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:56
There are numerous accounts in tradition of wayfarers who suffer fits of confusion and disorientation while traversing the natural landscape. Such bouts were at times attributed to the influence of the fairies (who would…
Blúiriní Bealoidis 28 - Land & Language (with Manchán Magan) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:52
My guest for this edition of Bluiríní Béaloidis is writer and documentary maker Manchán Magan, whose recent book 'Thirty-Two Words For Field' is a meditation on old Irish words and the nuances of a way of life that is va…
Blúiríní Béaloidis 25 - Midsummer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…