The Turning of the Year
Who were the booley girls and why did they tie red rags to their cows' tails? Why did our ancestors leave the doors open on the eve of 1 February? Why do we still light bonfires and dress up at…
Specifikacia The Turning of the Year
Who were the booley girls and why did they tie red rags to their cows' tails? Why did our ancestors leave the doors open on the eve of 1 February? Why do we still light bonfires and dress up at Halloween? This book looks at the answers to these questions, bringing us on an exhilarating journey through the Irish seasons and the customs that welcomed each one in turn. Along the way we encounter saints, scholars, kings and goddesses, whose stories, preserved in myth and folktale, counterpoint the book's exploration both of lost traditions such as keening and how other customs and rituals have been preserved in today's celebrations and communal events. It brings to the reader a new awareness of how such ritual can still have relevance in our lives, and a deeper appreciation of the power of the natural