I was not sure what to expect when I signed up for The Irish Storytelling Tradition class. Honestly, I viewed it as an opportunity to take the class without having to leave my home to take that pesky travel to Ireland. And a few more credits toward a Storytelling Certificate.
What a surprise! I find that I’m truly getting interested in the history and stories of Ireland. The idea of travelling there is now a seed in my mind. There is a richness in Irish storytelling that I just never imagined. The names and places can be so hard to pronounce that I shy away from wanting to tell many of the stories, but I love hearing them all the same. The myth of Finn and the salmon of knowledge brings such vivid pictures to my mind. Macha giving birth to twins right there at the end of the race – what a woman! I can picture Irish folks sitting around a fire listening to tales long into the night. Every story brings to mind some of the images of the green rolling hills, the stone walls, the wells, the white-thorn bushes.
Ah, the white-thorn bushes. What I’m really coming to love is the folklore around fairies. The more stories I read, the more real the fairies become. Shoot a goose by a fort entrance? No way! Build a house right between two white-thorn bushes? I think not. Walk along a road alone at night? Risky, and not because some Irish lad might pounce on you. Go to a fairy hurling match? Maybe. Eat the food they offer? Never!
Reading tales from Meeting The Other Crowd, by Eddie Lenihan has been a lot of fun. I am intrigued by how real the fairies are, when told by people who seem to actually believe they exist. In fact, I’m starting to believe fairies really do exist. I’m reminded a little bit of Santa Claus in my own community. Sure, people will tell you he’s made up, but I can tell you, he is real. And there are a lot of believers out there. I suppose my Santa Claus is no less real than the Irish fairies. But the fairies are up to no good, that’s for sure. And that’s part of the fun!!
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