Celtic

Just a few weeks after beginning, the excavators now working at Stonehenge have had what they describe as a "breakthrough." Clues towards the original placement of the bluestones, the site's oldest elements, may reveal why Stonehenge was built.

Evidence of pagan rituals involving swans and other birds in the Cornish countryside in the 17th century has been uncovered by archaeologists.

Teribus (featuring Midrealm drummer Nevik) will be performing their first concert within the borders of the Barony of Fenix in the Middle Kingdom on March 22, 2008.

High-tech laser technology has been used to record and conserve one of the finest collections of Pictish carved stones in Scotland.

Archaeologists excavating a series of 1st century graves in Colchester, England think one of them may belong to a Druid.

The National Museums of Scotland are launching a new project to shed light on the so-called Dark Ages to educate people about the surprisingly sophisticated cultures of the Picts, Gaels, and Norse.

This month's feature article on the Renaissance Store's website deals with Halloween weddings, a popular new theme for brides and grooms. The site also offers sources for handfastings and gothic weddings.

MrDonn.org has a website to teach kids about Celtic history and life, from who they were to how they celebrated, the structures they built, and their religion.

Canadian folk singer Loreena McKennit, best known for her ethereal mix of Celtic and Middle Eastern themes, began the North American leg of her world tour April 15 with concerts in Toronto. The tour began in Europe in March and will continue throughout North America until late May.

Finnacan Dub (Scott Barrett) has published an extensive article entitled Early Gaelic Dress: an Introduction in Adobe Acrobat™ (PDF) format.

The School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh, Scotland has created a website to share historical songs and traditions about the country. The downloadable contents are categorized by subject.

The December 2006 issue of Live Sound International, a trade journal for professional audio engineers, explains that instruments such as bagpipes require special care in microphone placement, mixing, and equalization, and that many audio engineers used to working with rock bands need to learn new skills for "the wonderful world of Celtic music."

Edward DeWitt of Atlantia reports that CelticRadio.net is offering a "Medieval Gateway" to its Celtic discussion forum.

Baroness Signy Dimmridaela, OL (Tracie Brown) won the 2006 U.S. National Scottish Harp Championship, held October 21, 2006 at the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, Georgia. She also won the championship in 1987 in Alexandria, Virginia, and placed third in the 1985 All-Ireland harp competition in Listowel, County Kerry.

According to a recent study of the genetic makeup of Britain's population, nearly all residents are descended from the Celts. "If one thinks that the English are genetically different from the Scots, Irish and Welsh, that's entirely wrong," said Professor Bryan Sykes, a human geneticist at Oxford University.

The medieval Scottish rebels made famous in the movie Braveheart used dye from the woad plant to paint their faces blue for battle. Now Italian biochemists say this plant could become a promising weapon in the fight against cancer.

The Sporadic Verses, a series of satirical stories written about imaginary SCA folk, and published in the 1990s in two local newsletters, are offered online for all the world to see.

Research into Iron Age bog bodies discovered in the midlands of Ireland has revealed they were elite members of society who may have met violent deaths as part of kingship rituals.

This is the home page of a professional storyteller, known in the SCA as Lord Thomas Whitehart, who works Faires (museums, schools, etc.) and promotes Storytelling and the Bardic arts within the SCA.

Celtic Home & Hearth sells Celtic and Renaissance merchandise such as Celtic and Renaissance Bridal jewelry, Wedding items (cake toppers, toasting glass, lucky six pence, Celtic bridal veils, etc.), Celtic sterling and gold jewelry, puppets, Celtic cross stitch kits and cross stitch patterns, cloaks, shirts, kilts, Celtic and Renaissance inspired T-Shirts, silk and cotton scarves, books, book bags, throws, music CDs, bodhrans, tin whistles, chanters, Celtic baby items, collectibles, and even canned haggis!

Dame Aoife offers a bevy of links about large chalk carvings, of which the virility-gifted Cerne Abbas Giant is the most famous, that decorate the hills of England.

This is an article on how to make a Celtic style coat from a printed tapestry. Step by step instructions and illustrations show how to make your own pattern and how to cut the fabric to make the most of the printed design.

New evidence points to the English city of Norfolk as being a hub of Celtic resistance against Roman occupation. It may also have been the site of a "lost holocaust".

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. is offering a summer series of concerts, films and lectures with a Celtic theme. The series runs June-July 2005.

Archaeologists working on a dig in the Netherlands have discovered 17 ancient Celtic coins. The coins were the first such discovered in the country.

David Nash Ford's Early British Kingdoms website provides a virtual roadmap of the Celtic nations from Roman times through the "Dark Ages."

Viscount Syr Georg of Glaciers Edge and Viscountess Katrazina Porajski will be the new Baron and Baroness of Selviergard in the Principality of Oertha.

Archaeological examinations of naturally-preserved bodies retrieved from bogs provide valuable insights into the daily lives and cultural values of ancient civilizations. Dame Aoife takes us on a tour in this week's installment of Aoife's Links.

Brigid's Forge is a silversmith merchant featuring Celtic, Norse, and Pagan themed jewelry and accessories. Located in the state of Mississippi, this is a family business founded in 1991.