history – Celtic Connections and Travels

Bluebells in Irish and Scottish Folklore

Along the Salt Fork River in Homer Lake Forest Preserve IL

I posted parts of this a couple of years ago, but am reposting it with some changes, as it was bluebells season here again and the extravaganza of flowering bluebells is so inspiring. Plus, we were in both Ireland and Scotland last summer, so Irish and Scottish folklore seems more immediate now. We discovered that there is a link between fairies and folklore and bluebells, as our granddaughter had great fun following the Fairy Trail at Malahide Castle, not too far from Dublin. They didn’t find any fairies, but did see a few bluebells.

Board about the Fairy Trail at Malahide Castle

We were recently walking a trail in a local Forest Preserve in Illinois and looking for the flowering bluebells patch that we’ve seen in previous years. And they didn’t disappoint. There were thousands, maybe millions, of them, glowing blue amidst the greenery, all spread out for more than half a mile under the trees along the path.

This wildflower spectacle is a glorious, enchanting, sight and we returned home feeling refreshed and re-energized. It really is a wonderful example of the healing power of nature, so beguiling we could almost believe in magic again, and so beautiful that we couldn’t stop taking more and more photos! This experience got me thinking about bluebells and a little bit of reading brought up some very interesting facts and ideas.

The Name and Symbolism

The bluebells here in Illinois are a native woodland wildflower, Latin name Mertensia virginica, part of the borage family. So, they are a little different to the European variety, where they are a member of the hyacinth family, Latin name Hyacinthoides non-scripta from the 1970s. Prior to that, it was Endymion non-scriptus. In Greek legend, Endymion was a beautiful, but mortal, young man who was lulled into an eternal sleep by his lover, the moon goddess Selene, so that he would never grow old and die. That’s why the flower is associated with everlasting love and constancy. But, the flowers are all beautiful, and I can easily imagine our Illinois waves of bluebells having just as many meanings and myths as the English ones. It turns out that here and there we also found pink bluebells and a few white ones, and we did find a few bright pink ones in Ireland.

It seems strange to write ” a pink bluebell”

Another popular meaning for bluebells is humility and sometimes gratitude.

Turns out that this woodland flower is very special in Scottish, and especially Irish, myth and legend. The bluebell is present everywhere in Britain, except Orkney and Shetland. In Scotland bluebells are also called harebells, because it’s believed that witches turn into hares and hide among the flowers. Sometimes they are also known as witches’ thimbles. It was/is a symbol of beauty in Irish myth, and the Irish name is Coinnle corra.

Herbalists believed that bluebells could help prevent nightmares, and could be used as an aid against leprosy, spider-bites and tuberculosis, but the English (and Spanish) bluebell is poisonous. The bulbs are very toxic and this toxicity may be the origin of the superstitious belief that anyone who wanders into a ring of bluebells will fall under fairy enchantment and die soon after.

Other folklore tales come from a time when forests were forbidding places, and people believed that the bells rang out to summon fairies to their gatherings. Unfortunately, any human who heard a bluebell ring would soon die.

So, it’s not surprising that it was considered unlucky to trample on a bed of bluebells, because you would anger the fairies resting there. It was also thought to be unlucky to pick bluebells or bring them into the house.

However, not all the bluebell’s folklore is quite so gloomy. Some folks believed that by wearing a wreath made of the flowers, the wearer would be induced to speak only truth. Others believed that if you could turn one of the flowers inside out without tearing it, you would eventually win the one you love.

Amazing Uses

The gummy sap of the underground bulbs, which made it useful as a starch substitute, was used as a glue for things such as bookbinding (it’s so toxic that it stops certain insects from attacking the binding) and fixing the tail feathers on arrows! Apparently, the same type of technology is used today: a varnish that covers overhead wires, and the wiring systems of nuclear missiles contains some kind of poison that stops insects, birds, and mice, for example, from chewing the outer casing of the wires, thus preventing a short circuit.

Who would have thought!

Knowing this now makes seeing that sea of bell-like flowers even more special and almost magical. If I were in Ireland, for sure I’d be looking out for fairies!

I found a great site that lists many places to find bluebells in Ireland, in April and May https://www.mykidstime.com/ireland/best-places-see-bluebells-ireland/

Dublin: Temple Bar area and the Temple Bar

Dublin, Ireland’s capital city, is bustling and full of historical reminders and culture of every sort. Like in most of Ireland, one of the most popular activities is going to a pub, and it seems that Dublin has thousands of pubs, all very popular.

If you’re lucky you can find some limited outdoor seating

Even if it’s raining (which it frequently does) the Temple Bar streets are still crowded

Probably one of the most popular and well-known (and touristy) areas in the city is Temple Bar. This area has shops, cafes, theaters, pubs with live music, galleries, live music on the streets, and restaurants galore. It’s on the south bank of the River Liffey, and many people call it Dublin’s “Left Bank”. Most, if not all, visitors to Dublin like to go to Temple Bar to see for themselves what the hype is all about. We are no exception, as on our visits to the city at different times we always like to go to the Temple Bar area, as it is a lot of fun.

First, what does the name mean? Some people tried to tell us that it was an area linked to many law firms—hence bar—but this is not correct. It’s also not actually originally linked to bars and pubs. About four hundred years ago this was the city’s waterfront, where tall sailing ships offloaded their goods. A “bar” was a loading dock along the river, or a walkway along the river in Irish language. The Temples were a dominant merchant family who owned this whole area of Dublin, and the words Temple and bar became joined. A plaque on Temple Bar Street (by the shop linked to the Temple Bar) explains about Sir William Temple (1555-1527) and his acquisition of the land right here. Another plaque in the Temple Bar is dedicated to Lady Martha Temple. The Temple Bar area became a thriving Georgian center of merchants and craftsmen, but it fell on hard times in the early 20^th century.

The street with the Temple Bar shop where we saw the plaque

Over time the city grew eastward and filled in tidal mudflats, which created the docklands of modern Dublin further downstream. Rents became much lower in Temple Bar area, so students and artists were attracted here. In more recent years the government has offered tax incentives and development money, so this area has developed into a thriving entertainment district.

The center of this area is Temple Bar Square, just off Temple Bar Street, which is near the famous Ha’Penny Bridge. You can start there, but it’s fun to just wander along the many cobblestone streets. It’s very crowded, especially in the evenings, and can get pretty rowdy as the night progresses, so you need to be aware. Find a pub or café that has an open spot and settle for some serious people-watching and music-listening. It is fun, but a couple of nights there was enough for us, I think! I suggest that early afternoon is best before the crowds really get going.

Us at Buskers pub, at a coveted outdoor table

Of course there needs to be an inn and pub at the end of Ha’penny Bridge

The Ha’Penny Bridge is a charming elliptical arch bridge over the River Liffey, built in 1816 just for pedestrians and it was the first iron bridge in Ireland. Before it was built, people had to either get on a small ferry across the river or else vie with horse carriages and carts on the other bridges. The name comes from the price: it cost a ha’penny (half penny) to cross the bridge, the same amount that people paid for the ferry. They stopped charging this in 1919, at which time it cost one and a half pennies to cross. The bridge has had various names over the years (such as Wellington and Liffey), but this is the one that has stuck. At first, about 450 people crossed it daily; nowadays that number is about 30,000, and it’s free. As with so many bridges around the world, people put locks on the bridge, but these so-called “love locks” are damaging the bridge, so the Dublin City Council has banned locks, but somehow some people still put locks on the bridge. Here are a few that we saw last time!

One of the famous pubs in this area is called the Temple Bar. The Temple Bar is an institution in Dublin, so we had to try it.

The Temple Bar has been a quintessential Dublin pub since 1840, and prides itself on having the largest collection of whiskies (from Ireland, Scotland and other countries) in Ireland. It’s very popular and busy and hard to find seats, but luckily we did both times that we came. It’s loud and crowded, but we’re happy that we came and could experience the vibe (called craic in Irish) here. The bar is also well-known for live Irish music, with no cover charge, and we did get to listen to two different sessions. The bar has been awarded the title “Traditional Music Pub of the Year” every year since 2002.

The pub is huge, with different interleading rooms, including an open beer garden in the center, so it’s fun to wander around and have a look. The beer and wine here are not cheap, but Dublin (and Ireland generally) is not cheap. Some of our party tried a Smithwicks Irish ale, one of Ireland’s special beers, and said it was pretty good. The bar also has an Oysters and Guinness speciality, and a large menu of sandwiches, cheeses, and salmon dishes, but we didn’t eat here.

Find it at 47/48 Temple Bar Street, www.thetemplebarpub.com

Another bar in the Temple Bar area. Note the bronze statues of Oliver St John Gogarty (an Irish writer, poet and politician ) and James Joyce (famous Irish writer)

Dublin’s Tenement Museum, 14 Henrietta Street

14 Henrietta Street is a different type of social history museum in Dublin. It’s in a large previously aristocratic Georgian townhouse that was converted into tenement dwellings and ultimately declined into a tenement slum. As the pamphlet says, “300 years of Dublin city life at one address. See the house, hear its stories and discover the layers of Dublin history within its walls.”

There are guided tours every hour 10am-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Tours last about 75 minutes. It’s definitely best to pre-book especially during busy tourist season.

Go to www.14henriettastreet.ie

Entrance hallway and grand staircase to upper levels

Our tour guide Pat explains part of the original house

Our daughter is very interested in this type of history so she got tickets for me and herself, and we went one day on the guided tour at 1pm. Our guide was Pat, who did a great job, but it was hard to catch all that he said, because he spoke very quickly and sometimes his Irish accent was very strong! And we are

Tour guide Pat explains how the house was divided into 17 apartments

Lady Mary Molesworth, the first lady of the mansion

English speakers, so some of the internationals in our group must have had more trouble. But, we picked up most of it.

The tour starts on the top floor and works its way down. We saw elements of the original grandeur of the house as well as how it deteriorated.

One of the better bedrooms reconstructed

It’s a really interesting story about this house, which mirrors others in the city, and mirrors the historical events unfolding too. It was a luxurious 4-story mansion first occupied by the Molesworth family in the 1740s, situated on an exclusive street. Later, the street became a legal street because of the court chambers at the top of the street. Then things changed again when the Irish Parliament was dissolved in 1801and England became the ruler of the country. Many wealthy Irish people moved to London and the mansions were sold and re-sold.

Multiple housing was needed in the city after the terrible potato famine (1845-49), which caused many people from the countryside to move to the city, looking for work. Landlords decided to sub-divide the mansions and cramp as many people into them as possible.

Tour guide Pat shows us how one large room was divided into two apartments (that brown line is the division)

This house was sub-divided into 17 apartments, and at one time, around 1911, 100 people lived here—with only 2 toilets and one cold-water tap! Compared to some other places in the city, this was still considered okay housing though. It was very moldy with lots of rats and mice and other undesirables, so TB and other diseases were rampant and infant mortality very high. Pat told a story about the red and blue paint on the walls, which was supposed to stave off disease. We also saw a recreation of a small flat (one room) from the early 1900s.

The tenements, not surprisingly, became a breeding ground for the socialist Irish Citizen Army under James Connolly that fought in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Rising was against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an independent Irish Republic. It was not successful, Connolly and many others were executed, and independence did not come until December 1921. A woman called Rosie Hackett lived at 14 Henrietta Street, and she was the most famous woman in Connolly’s army. Later, she was a co-founder of the Irish Women Workers Union.

Many of the tenements dwellers enlisted in WW1

In the reconstruction of the more wealthy kitchen we see many products with names/brands that we were also familiar with from our younger days!

Eventually the tenement was closed around 1977 and later became the tenement museum. Luckily some of the later residents were still alive and could tell their stories and share pictures, all of which makes the museum experience come very much alive. There is also a black and white photographic exhibit taken by a WW1 photographer.

We enjoyed the tour a lot, and for anyone interested in social history this is definitely recommended.

Pubs in Dublin: The Bleeding Horse

The Bleeding Horse: An Intriguing name, and possibly the oldest pub in Dublin

One evening we walked along Camden Street towards the canal, thinking there might be cafes, restaurants and bars along the edge of the canal overlooking the water. There weren’t, not along the stretch we walked anyway.

But, just before we reached the canal we passed a pub-restaurant with an intriguing name: the Bleeding Horse. So, we decided we had to go there for a drink and a meal, to see what it was all about.

The Bleeding Horse has a definite character and a quirky interior, plus some history.

This public house (pub) is historically significant as it’s been around a long time. Although the formal date above the door of “The Bleeding Horse” reads 1710, there is evidence to suggest that, as a hostelry, it was in existence as early as 1649, 19 years before the supposed oldest pub in Dublin, the Brazen Head (see here https://vivscelticconnections.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/brazen-head-another-dublin-institution/ ).

The information board (not clear) with the words on the right

For example, as is written on one information board in the pub: “Weston Saint John Joyce in his celebrated work “the neighbourhood of Dublin” 1912, writing of the battle of Rathmines, fought on August 2^nd 1649 points out that “routes 1 and 2 diverged at the place formally known as “The Bleeding Horse” for an old inn that stood at the corner of Camden Street and Charlemont Street”. It would seem probable that the hostelry was in existence at the Battle of Rathmines. (pp 493-494)”. So, it was at the junction of two important highways leading out of the city. Both of these old streets disappeared during renovations in the 1990s.

The present building dates from 1871, and the interior was renovated in 1992. It’s high-ceilinged with wooden balconies. When you enter from the bar area, there is a high type of atrium with multiple levels of rooms around it. There seem to be stairs all over the place, leading to many separate nooks and spaces with tables.

It appears there are two explanations for the name “Bleeding Horse”. One is that when a horse got the “staggers” it was bled behind the ears by a farrier at the inn. (“Staggers” is a condition when horses get stagger-like symptoms, like lack of co-ordination and a strange gait, due to eating very lush grass of a certain kind). The second explanation is that, during the Battle of Rathmines in 1649 (mentioned above), a wounded horse fled from the battle.

Rod inside. Our table was overlooking the central atrium, with a small railing

We first had a drink in the bar area, while we waited for a table. It became very crowded, but eventually we did get a table on one of the levels upstairs overlooking the central atrium. Wait staff rushed around trying to serve all the customers, but they seemed to manage. It was a fun atmosphere, listening to people and watching the action. The food was fine, but not outstanding. If we are ever in Dublin again we’d like to return, even if just for a drink, as it’s a fun, buzzing place.

The menu includes typical pub food, like soups, chicken wings, fried calamari, fish and chips, cottage pie, burgers, roasts, pork belly. See the full menu on the web site.

Address: 24-25 Upper Camden Street, Dublin

It’s normally open daily from noon, but is currently closed due to the pandemic. They are hoping to reopen soon.

Home

Flags of the Six Celtic Nations

bretagnesign — Bretagne (Brittany) sign. Note the ermine motif

When we were in Brittany, one town we stayed in was Auray and one of the things we did there was to visit a huge shop/factory called La Trinitaine (which I’ll cover in the next post).

Flagpoles in the parking lot had various flags fluttering in the gentle breeze. The French flag, the flag of Brittany, the EU flag, and the one of La Trinitaine were obvious, but a multi-colored one was new to us, so we asked about it.

Turns out it’s a really interesting flag with a lot of history and legend attached to parts of it. It’s the flag of the Six Celtic Nations—one flag made up of an amalgam of six individual flags.

traditional copy — Beautiful tile wall in Brittany. But the costumes are reminiscent of others we’ve seen in the other countries

The six Celtic nations as identified by the Celtic League are: Brittany, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Isle of Man. They are considered to be what remains of the once mighty Celtic peoples that stretched from Ireland to Turkey. The Celtic League defines the 6 nations as countries where their native Celtic language was/is spoken into modern times. There are also some cultural connections and traditions. We hadn’t realized that Cornwall and the Isle of Man were also considered Celtic, so they’ll have to get on our list of places to visit sometime!

When we delved into the stories of the individual flags it was fascinating to find how much history and how many stories are behind each, and how some of the 6 nations have had an intertwined history in some way. Learning that made us realize that a flag such as this makes perfect sense.

Here’s a brief description of each of the individual six flags and the story behind them. Most of the photos are our own, the ones of Isle of Man and Cornwall not. We couldn’t find one of the Scottish flag, which seems amazing as we’ve been there so often. But we do have one of an Oor Wullie statue in Glasgow from 2019 that’s draped in a Scottish flag. (See here for the Oor Wullie story https://vivscelticconnections.wordpress.com/2019/08/08/oor-willie-on-parade-in-glasgow/

What we’ve also realized over the years is that it’s difficult to get good photos of flags flying, because the wind usually doesn’t co-operate!

First: The flag of the Bretons (called Gwenn-ha-du) in Brittany (Breizh) is a 20^th-century creation and design flown in public for the first time in 1925, though there are older elements in it. The French for many years tried to suppress any cultural and linguistic distinctions of the Celtic Bretons, who are descendants of Celtic Britons (mostly from Cornwall) who fled their island from invading Romans and settled in what is now Brittany, but then called Armorica. At first the flag was thought of as seditious, but is now recognized and accepted as the regional Brittany flag.

The total of nine horizontal stripes represent the

brittanyandermine — Brittany flag and ermine flag

traditional dioceses of Brittany. The five black stripes indicate the French speaking areas, while the four white stripes represent the Breton speaking regions. Cornwall also uses a black and white design—those Cornish emigres who arrived in Brittany (then called Armorica) in the 6^th and 7^th centuries probably influenced the Breton flag. The upper left corner has an ermine motif, with 7, 9, or 11 ermine spots—11 is the most common. Many people believe there are 11 spots, one each to represent the letters in “Breizh Dieuh”, which means “Free Brittany”. The ermine motif dates from 1213. That year the French king gave Brittany to Pierre de Dreux Mauclerc as a duchy and Mauclerc’s shield featured an ermine motif. We see ermine flags and signs all over Brittany.

scottish — Oor Wullie decorated in Scottish flag

Next, the Saltire. The national flag of Scotland (aka Alba) is one of the oldest in the world. It is also occasionally known as the Banner of Scotland (Bratach na h-Alba). There is a legend that St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, was crucified on an x-shaped cross, hence the flag. Another legend refers to a 9^th-century battle between a combined force of Picts and Scots, led by the Pictish king Óengus (or Hungus), against invading Angles (Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in post-Roman times). During the battle a white cross supposedly appeared in the bright blue sky, inspiring the Pictish/Scots warriors and leading them to victory. About a hundred years after this, the Guardians of Scotland took this design, with an image of St Andrew, as their emblem. Around 1385, Scottish soldiers used this design as part of their uniforms and non-military use began soon after that.

The Tri-color of Ireland (aka Eire) (called Bratach na hÉireann) is green, white and

orange (early on it was sometimes yellow). Green represents the country itself and the Irish Catholic people; orange stands for the Protestant followers of William of Orange, whose military forces defeated those of the Catholic Stuart Monarch James II; and white stands for the hope of conciliatory relations between both sides. At one time the tri-color (originating during the era of the French Revolution and based on the same idea as the French flag—three stripes meaning Liberty, Fraternity and Equality), was considered the flag of the Sinn Fein political part, but since 1919 it is the flag of all Irish. An older green flag with a harp was also at one point the national flag of Ireland.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — In Aberystwyth, Wales

The flag of Wales (aka Cymru) is called Red Dragon or Y Ddraig Goch. Ddraig means dragon and is often also translated as “warrior”. If prefixed with “pen” as in “pendragon” it means chief or head warrior. In the Arthurian tales, King Arthur’s father is called Uther Pendragon. Standards and banners featuring a dragon were used by Romans, Britons (Celts), Saxons and Angles in Britain, in many battles, and even on the Third Crusade. The Welsh flag has the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr (an early Welsh king), and the Tudor colors of green and white (the Tudors were the Welsh descendant kings of England. The archers of Henry of Tudor wore green and white tunics and after he won the Battle of Bosworth he added the red dragon to the green and while stripes, which is thought to be the birth of the Welsh flag). The dragon was a symbol of the Welsh for a long time, and has been associated with Arthurian Legend (as mentioned above) and perhaps Roman-Britain unity. There is also a tale that the dragon represented the Celtic victory in battle and ascendance over the invading Saxons (symbolized in this legend as being a white serpent overcome by a red one).

Cornwall (aka Kernow) is that part of England that juts out on the west coast of England, famous for tin and copper mining. It is a beautiful place attracting many English visitors, and has a rich history, also often associated with the legends of King Arthur. The Cornish language, while now dead, is seeing a revival as interest in Cornwall’s ancient history grows, and it’s possible to take classes in it. The flag has been called the banner of St Perran (or Piran) and the Standard of Cornwall. The legend goes that the black symbolizes the black ore, while the white stands for the bright silver color of molten tin that St. Perran witnessed being smelted. The legend of Cornwall’s flag design is this: St Piran was an Irish missionary who brought Christianity to Cornwall in the 5^thcentury. He was also a tinsmith and while working in his kiln he saw a white shape seep out in the shape of a cross into the blackened ashes. In reality, the white cross design probably dates from around 1188 and the Crusades. Many flags during the Crusades had crosses of different colors to represent different lands. Breton Crusaders used a black cross and it’s thought this came from the Cornish emigres who’d gone to Brittany in the 5^th and 6^th centuries to escape the invading Angles and Saxons, as I mentioned under the Brittany flag.

Finally, Man (or Mann, or Mannin) is an island in the Irish sea. It was controlled at different times by Scotland as part of the Hebrides controlled by the Norse domains; by Ireland; by England; and is now under the British Crown. The Manx language is closely related to Scottish Gaelic. The flag has a triskelion (also in the flag of Sicily), consisting of three interlocking spirals or other images. Interlocking spirals were motifs often used in Celtic and Norse art. The triskelion is an ancient symbol with many meanings, such as: the sun’s movement across the sky; the Celtic sea god, Mannin MacLir, whose home was the Isle of Man. Mannin protected his home by creating a mist hiding the island from enemies; birth, death and rebirth. The flag features three armored legs with golden spurs over a deep red background. It is based on an ancient Manx coat of arms from 1395 that used chainmail legs, not armored ones. It has been the official flag of Man since the early 1930’s and the current design was set in 1966.

National Museum of Scotland

new2 Please note: the Museum is currently closed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so please check the website when restrictions are eased.

We took a lot of photos of the exhibits and artifacts inside, but I’ve only included a limited sample here.

Next time you’re in Edinburgh, don’t miss the Museum of Scotland, opened in December 1998. This beautiful warm-golden Moray sandstone building is made up of geometric Corbusian forms, and adjoins the older Royal Museum (1866, but renovated 2011) on Chambers Street. They are connected by a huge hall/atrium with a cafe, and a museum shop off to the side. We did stop for a snack and a coffee, and it was a lovely setting. The merger of the two took place in 2006, and the official name for both now is the National Museum of Scotland.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The Museum of Scotland focuses on telling the story of Scotland and its peoples, while the Royal has more exhibits with artefacts from around the world, including dinosaur skeletons, plus a series of changing exhibitions.

The Royal Museum is a beautiful Victorian building with a large “atrium” covered by a glass ceiling, supported by an elegant ironwork frame.

In the connecting hallway between the two museums there are great “Connect” exhibitions of interacting science displays, such as an old steam train, hot air balloons, and robots.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The Museum of Scotland has seven levels presenting the history of Scotland—the land, its peoples and their achievements. Pick up a plan at the Information desk, then start on Level 0 with the country’s geological formation and the earliest people, and continue up to the 20th century on Level 6.

The museum is wonderful: partly because it’s a new building, big, light and airy, with a new concept in museum design and exhibit layout, and they have computer-aided exhibits, but mainly because the collection is phenomenal, almost exhaustive it would seem. The story of Scotland is told more or less chronologically, but within the various time frames there are strong themes—for example, Early Peoples; their trade, agriculture, belief system. The history includes how other countries and cultures have been involved with, influenced, and shaped Scotland, such as the Romans, the Irish, the Picts, and the Vikings. The scope of all the exhibits is truly amazing and one really needs many days to take it all in.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

One time when we were visiting the museum they had a special exhibition called Great Apes. Part of it was a fun photo opportunity, in which people could find out what they might have looked like as an ape. Rod was willing to try and here’s the result!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Rod_evovlution

Best of all, entrance is free, so you can in fact return, and there is a wonderful view from the Terrace (Level 7). Take the lift up, and feast your eyes on Edinburgh’s skyline and the Castle perched up on the hill. It was as good a view of the city as we found anywhere else.

Open daily, except Christmas Day.

Here’s a very good website https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/

Beauty of the World: Scotland

We saw puffins in the Orkneys but didn’t get good photos. So, we tried the ale instead!

Dunnotar Castle, a little south of Aberdeen

Beauty in this World

Recently things have been rough for pretty much everyone in the real world, but I hope all of you are safe and healthy. As Illinois/USA and many other countries are in lockdown due to the corona virus/Covid 19, I should have a chance to catch up on posting photos from some of our trips in different parts of the world. I am not in the medical field, so cannot really help anyone, but I hope these photos can at least remind people of the beauty of the world and take your mind off the constant stream of bad news for a short while.

cliffs2 — Cliffs on South Ronaldsay Island, Orkney

fishingboat — South Ronaldsay Island, Orkney

poppies

ring — Ring of Brogar, a neolithic stone circle, Main Island Orkney

Vacations and dreams of travel have been put on hold for a while. But, we can keep experiencing Scotland even if we cannot explore in person. Sadly, Scotland (as part of UK) is in lockdown too, so it’s currently difficult/impossible to visit there. Maybe these can be a temporary substitute.

These photos are from a trip in summer 2018. We took our young adult grandson to Paris, France, then Scotland (various places), then Dublin for his graduation-from-university trip. It was a wonderful time and we all have great memories.

Edcastle — Edinburgh Castle has a long, fascinating history

monsmeig — Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle, last used in 1682

maeshowe — Maes Howe, burial mound, Main Island, Orkney. Ca 2500BC, raided by Vikings in 12th century

Here’s a small selection of our time with him in Scotland. They remind us again of how much Rod and I have enjoyed visiting Scotland over the years, and what a beautiful country it is, so full of history and amazing landscapes, and with wonderfully friendly people.

stonehaven — Tide’s out at Stonehaven harbor, south of Aberdeen

strromness — Colorful harbor at Stromness, Main Island, Orkney

stmagnus — St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Main Island, Orkney, ca 1200AD

skarabrae — Skara Brae, Main Island, Orkney. The oldest known excavated Neolithic village

Standing Stone of Steness, Main Island Orkney. The Orkneys are famous for huge standing stones (menhirs)

Awesome Orkneys

One of our favorite places in Scotland

The Orkney Islands lie approximately 12 miles off the north coast of Scotland across the Pentland Firth, a dangerous stretch of water scattered with reefs and battered by storms. This archipelago of about 70 islands, of which about a third are inhabited, stretches over 1,200 sq. miles and, even though the northerly islands are on the same latitude as St Petersburg, the influence of the Gulf Stream means they have a fairly moderate climate all year.

“Orkney” means “seal islands” in old Icelandic, and there are many seals, both common and grey, in the waters of the islands. Even though Norway is 300 miles (480km) to the east, the islands were ruled by Norway until the end of the 15^thcentury, and the true Orcadian believes himself to be more Norse than Scots. The Scandinavian influence is still very evident in the islands’ architecture, traditions, place names and the lilting Orcadian accent.

Two dominant features strike you when you travel around Orkney. First, water is part of life and the landscape, and wherever you go, water of some sort is close by, be it the calm sea in a bay or the wild sea crashing on the cliffs, or lovely lochs, or inlets.

Second, the four-color landscape strikes you—green, white, yellow and brown. Fields and pastures so green, spread with yellow and white wild flowers and dotted with white sheep and brown cows. It’s a scene of huge ancient standing stones, some in circles, some standing alone, stones that walk, according to legend. (We do wonder how they got to their positions). It’s a land attractive to marine animals and birds, and bird-watching is very rewarding. It’s also a mainly treeless and windswept land.

Once you’ve visited Orkney you’ll want to return, to discover more, to savor the wildness (as we have done). And, people have been attracted here for thousands of years, as the historical remains attest. The thread of history runs through life and landscape: the clues and evidence are there for visitors to join the dots if they wish. What is the pull? A slower way of life? History and nature around every corner?

You are never very far from water anywhere on the islands, and the dramatic coastal scenery ranges from 300-meter-high cliffs to wide sandy beaches. On average, every square mile on Orkney has recorded items of antiquarian interest, from very obvious to very small. Over 1000 pre-historic sites have been identified, the greatest concentration of any place in Europe. There has always been a lack of wood, so everything was made of stone, which explains why so much remains.

Brief History

Orkney has remarkable stone remains dating from Neolithic times (about 4500 BC), including underground dwellings (earth houses); tombs, such as the magnificent Maes Howe; and stone circles, such as the Ring of Brodgar. The Neolithic village of Skara Brae is the best preserved in western Europe and one of the oldest known villages.

The Greeks and Romans knew these islands, as some believe that the Greek navigator Pytheas sailed around the islands in 325 BC. They were later colonized by the Picts in the first century AD. The Vikings raided the islands for about two hundred years, and eventually in 875 the Norse king Harald I Harfagri annexed Orkney. The remains of Pictish and Viking settlements can be seen at the Brough of Birsay. The Norse earls (jarls) governed for around four hundred years, a period immortalized in the Orkneyinga Saga, which was written in Iceland in the 12^thcentury. With this rich tradition of sagas, it’s no surprise that Orkney has produced other great writers, most notably George Mackay Brown. Brown was born in the town of Stromness and as a fervent champion of the islands’ history and traditions, he evokes the Nordic heritage in his poems and stories.

The Scottish influence began from the 1400s. In 1469, Christian 1, king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, mortgaged the Orkney and Shetland islands to Scotland against payment of his daughter Margaret’s dowry when she married James 111. The dowry wasn’t paid by 1472 so the islands were annexed by Scotland and governed by stewards, many of them tyrants, until they were incorporated into the kingdom of Scotland in 1615.

Even today, the islanders refer to Scotland as “the south” not “the mainland”, because the biggest island is called Mainland. Mainland has the three biggest towns, Kirkwall, Stromness, and St Margaret’s Hope. However, the total population is only about 19,000.

Orkney has important more recent history too. South of the main town of Kirkwall is the great natural harbor of Scapa Flow, which featured prominently in World War 1 and 11. It was a strategic Royal Naval base during both wars. The captured German fleet was anchored there after World War 1 and the armistice of 1918. In June 1919, 74 German ships were scuttled in the bay: 63 were refloated but the rest remain and are great for scuba divers to explore.

Then in World War 11, on October 13, 1939 a German submarine broke through the defenses of Scapa Flow, where part of the Royal Navy fleet was anchored, and torpedoed HMS Royal Oak. The aircraft carrier and its 833-man crew lie at a depth of 90 feet in the bay. The area is now a war cemetery and off limits to divers. As a result of this, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered concrete

RAJchapel — Rod and AJ in the Italian Chapel

dykes built between some islands to block entrance into the bay and strengthen its defense. The causeways still link those islands today and we can drive over them. These Churchill Barriers were largely built by Italian prisoners of war, who also built themselves a church out of two Nissen huts and even managed to paint it and decorate it with frescoes. Today this is known as the Italian Chapel.

Glasgow’s Coat of Arms

2lamps Over the course of many visits to Scotland we’ve noticed that the use of heraldry is very common, and very colorful. There’s always a story attached to the shields, coats of arms, emblems, flags etc. if you’re interested and try to find out.

This was certainly true in Glasgow, and on our visit there last summer we noticed many examples. We saw Glasgow’s coat of arms and its motto “Let Glasgow Flourish” in many places, such as on lamps, on church pews, on the floor of City Chambers, and even on city garbage bins.

The illustration above is of two ornate lampposts, incorporating all the symbols of the coat of arms. They are near Glasgow Cathedral, founded nearly 1500 years ago by St Mungo.

And the verse associated with it is intriguing, so we wondered what its meaning is or what it’s linked to.

Here’s the verse:

chambers — A lovely mosaic in the City Chambers (the ornate Victorian town hall)

“Here’s the tree that never grew,

Here’s the bird that never flew,

Here’s the fish that never swam,

Here’s the bell that never rang”

Turns out it’s very interesting, and is linked to symbols, emblems and stories associated with Glasgow’s Patron saint, Kentigern (often known by his nickname St Mungo). Saint Mungo performed several miracles, to which the images on the coat of arms and the little verse refer.

chambersfloor — Mosaic floor in City Chambers

First, how did Glasgow get its name?

The name probably comes from the Celtic glas and cu, which means “dear green place”. As with many famous cities around the world, Glasgow developed because of the river (the River Clyde). When St Mungo established a monastery on a tributary of the Clyde in the 6^th century there was already a salmon fishing hamlet there.

Glasgow didn’t have an official coat of arms until 1866, when it was granted by the Lord Lyon. It uses a number of the symbols and emblems linked to St Mungo that were on seals before. Supposedly, St Mungo preached “Lord, let Glasgow Flourish by the preaching of the word.” The motto became the more secular “Let Glasgow Flourish.”

citycouncil — On the side of a street garbage bin

First, the tree in the coat of arms (and verse) is an oak tree but started as a branch of a hazel tree. The legend says that St Mungo was in charge of a holy fire in St Serf’s Monastery (St Serf was St Mungo’s tutor) and fell asleep. Some jealous boys put out the fire but St Mungo broke off some frozen branches from a hazel tree, prayed over them and they burst into flames.

Next, the bird perched on top of the tree: This commemorates a wild robin, tamed by St Serf and killed by jealous fellow pupils. St Mungo was blamed for the death but it is said he took the dead bird, prayed over it and brought it back to life.

And the fish: The coat of arms always shows the fish with a ring held in its mouth. A King of Strathclyde gave his wife a ring as a present, but the Queen gave it to a knight who lost it. Another version of the story says the King took the ring while the knight was asleep and threw it in the river. The King then demanded to see the ring and threatened the Queen with death if she couldn’t show it. The knight confessed to St Mungo, who sent a monk to catch a fish in the river Clyde. St Mungo cut open the fish and found the ring. When the Bishop of Glasgow was designing his own seal around 1271, he used the illustration of a salmon with a ring in its mouth, and this continues in today’s coat of arms.

glasgow

Lastly, the bell:

The bell is thought to have been brought by Kentigern from Rome. He founded the church in Glasgow, which is still on the same site as the current Glasgow Cathedral, and was very successful for some years. He was then banished by the new king who did not approve of the Christian religion and went to Rome on a pilgrimage. In the years since, there has usually been a “St Mungo’s bell” in the city.

All quite an amazing story, a weaving together of legend and facts.

Brazen Head, Another Dublin Institution

signoutside

outside

signflowers

Just inside the entrance. Note the suit of armor and the mileage sign posts

Brazen Head, Another Dublin Institution

On Bridge Street, just off the river and the Father Matthew Bridge.

It was at this spot that the original crossing of the River Liffey was located—reed matting was put on the river bed at low tide so people could cross safely.

This is supposedly the oldest pub in Ireland, so certainly the oldest in Dublin. A hostelry has been on this site since 1198. The name Brazen Head on Bridge Street appears on documents as far back as 1653, and the current building was constructed in 1754 as a coaching inn. armor

I couldn’t find any information about the name, though. Why Brazen Head?

We’d heard about it from a local person at the cafe where we had lunch, so we wanted to find it. It’s a very large place, with many interleading rooms—some are for eating (there is an extensive menu), some just a bar with snacks—and an open courtyard. It is also very busy and popular, but slightly less so than Temple Bar, perhaps as it’s just out of the Temple Bar area. Luckily we found three high bar stools at one of the bars. I had a glass of wine, the men had beer and we shared a smoked salmon plate as a snack and watched a bit of the world Cup Soccer.

guinesssign

A bronze plaque tells us that the Brazen Head received a James Joyce Pub Award for being an authentic Dublin pub (see previous post on Temple Bar, which explains what this award is.)

The Brazen Head is a great place with a lovely vibe and worthy of a visit because of its history, and the live music every night. But, it’s also fun as it has a number of unusual/quirky decorative features—like a suit of armor, road signs indicating how many miles to many other towns in the world, a weather forecasting stone, an old telephone box now used as a storage place for plates, condiments etc.

phonebox

Like most bars, restaurants and cafes in Ireland in the warm months, this bar has many large hanging pots dripping with beautiful colored flowers—such a nice touch.

www.brazenhead.com

poster