Thank you Dwina for this beautiful story. I was awake last night under the bright moon with the image of raven haired Mariah swirling and soaring on the full door to the spirited fiddler. I love the appearance of the red bird of Beara - I visit the hag of Beara quite regularly and used to pilgrimage to Skellig Micheal before it got busy, but still see them as magical from the shore.
Marika, I am so happy you enjoyed the read. It took courage for me to post the story as it is part of a novel I was writing which crosses quite a few of the divides in Ireland set in turbulent times. The moon was beautiful the last two nights. I love the Hag of Beara and that whole part of the world, a corner that missed one of the Ice Ages apparently!! Loved your story of the crows too! I guess we know the Morrison! Look up Stephen Murphy on You Tube speaking a poem about the Morrigan! Xx
He is a great poet. My sister told me about him as he was present at an erection of a special gravestone for a wonderful painter and poet who worked at the Beleek pottery. Xxx
I loved it Dwina and am really looking forward to reading your novel as you make the scene so real - which also brings renewed awareness of how difficult it would have been to live in those times.
I am also interested about the Beara peninsula missing one of the ice ages - it has erratics, and the hag rock which looks incongruous in its field, and the Skelligs who look as if from another world! Is that what you mean?
A whole corner of Ireland apparently missed an ice age... incredible as it may seem. Bones were found that were huge. Human ones. I will try to find the reference for you. I grew up in Northern Ireland and saw some dreadful things as a child... there are long memories in Ireland but so much magic as well.
I meant Morrigan lol
Thank you Dwina for this beautiful story. I was awake last night under the bright moon with the image of raven haired Mariah swirling and soaring on the full door to the spirited fiddler. I love the appearance of the red bird of Beara - I visit the hag of Beara quite regularly and used to pilgrimage to Skellig Micheal before it got busy, but still see them as magical from the shore.
Marika, I am so happy you enjoyed the read. It took courage for me to post the story as it is part of a novel I was writing which crosses quite a few of the divides in Ireland set in turbulent times. The moon was beautiful the last two nights. I love the Hag of Beara and that whole part of the world, a corner that missed one of the Ice Ages apparently!! Loved your story of the crows too! I guess we know the Morrison! Look up Stephen Murphy on You Tube speaking a poem about the Morrigan! Xx
And thanks for the Stephen Murphy share, the Morrigan poem is really powerful x
He is a great poet. My sister told me about him as he was present at an erection of a special gravestone for a wonderful painter and poet who worked at the Beleek pottery. Xxx
I loved it Dwina and am really looking forward to reading your novel as you make the scene so real - which also brings renewed awareness of how difficult it would have been to live in those times.
I am also interested about the Beara peninsula missing one of the ice ages - it has erratics, and the hag rock which looks incongruous in its field, and the Skelligs who look as if from another world! Is that what you mean?
A whole corner of Ireland apparently missed an ice age... incredible as it may seem. Bones were found that were huge. Human ones. I will try to find the reference for you. I grew up in Northern Ireland and saw some dreadful things as a child... there are long memories in Ireland but so much magic as well.