I will be touching on Brigit and her pig connections, but by and large the subject is simply pigs in Celtic myth. I'd be delighted to hear of your favourite Celtic Pig tales and takes. (Images welcome, if you'll let me use them in the talk!)
Today's announcement by Land, Sea, Sky Travel:
So excited to have our first presentation submission in! We are happy to once again host Mael Brigde.
Mael Brigde will be presenting "High on the Hog: Why Pigs Are Worth Your Adoration."
Mael Brigde peers into piggies: where they are in a sampling of Irish (and Other Celtic) tales (with a glance at Brigit's traditions, of course), where the wild versus domestic pigs show up, and how they might be seen differently. She will talk a bit about her heart and spiritual connection to pigs, offer a poem, and invite you to meet a grand divine Muc or two. She promises not to read The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig*, though she'd love to (and absolutely encourages you to read it, yourself).
Mael Brigde is a devotee of the Irish goddess and saint, Brigit, and the founder of the Daughters of the Flame, which has tended Brigit’s flame since Imbolc 1993. She publishes a general interest Brigit blog, Brigit’s Sparkling Flame, and a Brigit poetry blog, Stone on the Belly. She teaches courses and webinars on Brigit, including Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry, an intensive class that explores reading and writing poetry as a sacred act.
She has recently completed a book, Sun Among Stars: A Brigit of Ireland Devotional.
Mael Brigde lives in Vancouver, Canada.
* The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (1993). Nothing at all to do with Irish mythology.
7 comments:
Congratulations! I'm heartily looking forward to your porcine insights!
For me, the tale that would be amazing to hear you discuss would be the 'Swine of Drebrenn' from Gwynn, Metrical Dindshencas III, pp. 389-91. The pig transformations and similarities (and dissimilarities!) to the hunting of the Twrch Trwyth episode of the Welsh 'Cullwch and Olwen' and how it all might tie in with the Lebor Gabala Erenn account of Brigid owning Torc Triath.
Thank you for your consideration!
ps. congrats on completing your book! What's inside of it, and when is it available?
Thanks, Tiege!
I'll happily search out the Swine of Drebrenn and the Twrch Trwyth episode and of course Torc Triath--with pleasure. I can't promise the wisdom of a well-versed academician, but I can certainly give it my own honest take.
My book is tentatively called Sun Among Stars: A Brigid of Ireland Devotional. It is brimming with my poems and prayers, and is rounded out with essays, a daily devotional, notes on the poems, an extended glossary, and the best resource list I could put together. (No index, sadly.) I don't know if the publisher presently looking at it will take it, so no idea when it will come out. I hope it won't take too many more years. I ain't gettin' any younger.
Thanks for asking.
I'll be sure to make a purchase when Sun Among Stars comes out, I got faith in your work! One last thanks for your blog's very welcoming, friendly atmosphere!
Not sure if it was rude to not link to the swine of Drebrenn text for easy reference, so here it is ~> https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T106500C.html (pp.387!)
Oh! Thank you so much, Tiege, for this wonderful barrage of kind words. I'm thinking it wasn't rude not to link to the swine, but bless you for thinking of it. It saves me a search and every click counts. See you at the conference!
Tiege--have you read the short tale right before that one? Mag Mucrime tells an interesting story of uncountable swine, who display a sorcerous talent, indeed.
Hi! Yes I did read it, its fascinating! Medb pulling the hair off the pigs to disenchant them may be a particular Irish version of the mythological motif of grabbing the shears off the Twrch Trwyth's head....? I have no idea, any suggestions?
Hey, is there an email for this blog just to share something without clogging the comments section?
It's great talking to someone so learned about such an esoteric passion!
Sure, you can email me here: daughters_of_the_flame(at)yahoo.ca
But I don't think you're clogging up the comments. I think it's all very interesting. I have to say, you probably know more than I do about this topic--maybe you should be doing the presentation. I just love pigs and love Irish mythology. I'm just following my snout on this. : )
Post a Comment