Celtic Resources & Links

Feasts & Days

Celtic Well: Welsh Customs for Calan Haf / http://www.applewarrior.com/celticwell/ejournal/beltane/wales.htm

Hilaire Wood presents an introduction and overview of Welsh customs, myth and legend for the eve and first day of May, Calan Haf.

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Digital Medievalist: Scéla: Samain / http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/news/2005/10/samain.html

Lisa Spangenberg talks about the things we do know about Samhain from medieval Irish and Continental Celtic texts. Comprehensive and assertive, a look at texts, incidents in myth and a look at what connection Samhain has with Halloween.

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Fada 's Farsaing (Far and Wide): Latha Buidhe Bealtainn - Beltane and the Coming of Summer / http://www.scottishradiance.com/far/far9806.htm

Liam O Caiside presents a look at the origins and traditions of Bealtainn, the quarterly feast that marks the beginning of summer and the "light" or fertile half of the year; its origins in the far Celtic past and look at some Bealtainn customs from Scotland.

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Brigit  "The Mary of the Gael" / http://www.irelandforvisitors.com/articles/brigit_the_mary_of_the_gael.htm

Suzanne Barrett provides an introduction to St Brigit of Kildare, whose feast day is February 1st, outlining traditions of her life and the relationship between Brigid the goddess.

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GADAR The Celtic Calendar and the Anglo-Saxon Year / http://www.gadarg.org.uk/essays/e007.htm

Richard Sermon presents an article of the Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group that illustrates that much of the "Celtic Revival" calendar is of an Anglo-Saxon origin. Published in Glevensis Journal 34, 2000.

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Lùghnasadh Traditional Lore / http://members.iinet.net.au/~draoidh/treubh/fst_lughnasadh.html

An article on Lughnasa presented by Pàdraig MacIain as part of the Clann Eoghanachta website. Information about the festival in honour of Lugh in former times and at modern celebrations is given.

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Caer Feddwyd: The Victory of Lugh - A short study on the meaning of Lughnasadh/ http://homepage.ntlworld.com/blackbirdhollins/articles/The%20Victory%20of%20Lugh.htm

Blackbird Hollins presents insights into the mythical origins and meaning of Lughnasadh, its significance in ancient and modern times, and a look at how modern pagans can relate to and celebrate Lughnasadh.

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Seasonal Festival - Samhaine / http://thepaganheart.com/Issues/Divisions/Oct05/Festivals01.html

An article giving a personal perspective on Samhain by Catherine M, published in the September - October 2005 issue of The Pagan Heart on-line magazine. With an accompanying 'Samhaine Blessing'.

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Ancient Pathways Turning of the Wheel / http://p222.ezboard.com/favalonoftheheartfrm64

Ancient Pathways provides compilations of works dealing with the Celtic Fire Feasts. An excellent source of a variety of views expressed by a wide range of writers. Selection is made from a menu provided on the linked page. An excellent entry point for exploring the esotic and spiritual dimensions of Celtic interest.

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Old Irish-L Archives Re: month name question/ https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0411&L=old-irish-l&T=0&P=979

A very helpful posting providing a series of pre-Latin month, season and festival names used in Ireland. Basic information invaluable for understanding the ancient Celtic calendar system.

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Druuidica Prinnion - Druidic Astrology/ http://cura.free.fr/xv/14boutet.html

Michel-Gerald Boutet presents a comprehensive review of Indo-European astrology with analyses of myths from the Celtic literature.

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Calendars, Trees and Magical Alphabets / http://www.tortuga.com/www/get_started/LawofTimeStudyBook-4.pdf

This PDF document begins with an article "Chapter 7 of Ancient Wisdom of the Celts". A survey of the festivals and a good introduction into the realm of the 'tree alphabet calendar' of Robert Graves.

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GaelSong Lughnasa, Festival of the First Fruits / http://www.gaelsong.com/arc_Lughnasa2001.html

An article on Lughnasa presented by the GaelSong website in its occasional Newsletter 'The Celtic Imagination'

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St David's Visitor's Centre: The Life of St David / http://stdavids.pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk/english/about_st_davids/st_david.asp

Presented by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, an overview of local legend surrounding St David is provided.  The cleric was born in 530 and died 1st March 589 - the feast day of St David - and was recognized as a saint by Pope Calixtus in 1123 and recognized as the Patron Saint of Wales. Legend surrounding his birth, miracles including the synod meeting in Llandewi Brefi, pilgrimages, and the founding of the monastic settlement at Mynyw, the village of St David's, are all provided.

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St Piran - Sen piran / http://www.st-piran.com/st-piran.htm

Presented by the St Piran Trust, this page provides an overview of the patron saint of tin miners and national saint of Cornwall.  Legend surrounding his origins and his landing at Cornwall and the first smelting of tin are provided, and the parent website has valuable information about the site, the area of Gear sands and current excavations.